• Water for germinating cashews

Place the cashews in a jar or bowl, cover with water, loosely cover the jar or bowl, and soak (germinate) overnight. Pour out cashew soak water and place cashews in a Vitamix^® (or food processor). Add salt, lemon juice, and 1 cup of water to the cashews and blend/process until smooth. Place blended ingredients into the finest mesh strainer* (chinois, see picture below) or fine mesh bag** (see picture below) and suspend over a bowl. Allow cashew cheese to ferment for up to 24 hours (12 hours in warmer climates). Place the cheese in a jar or bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a couple hours to retard further fermentation.

The cashew cheese is ready to enjoy. Refrigerate any unused portion; it should last 5-7 days.

Note: After 24 hours of fermentation, I have had two different results: a somewhat sweet cheese; and a cheesier, more fermented cheese. Both are good, but note that different results are possible, and can be affected by differing the fermentation time: longer for a cheesier cheese. These differing results in the same time period are probably based on the ambient room temperature (warmer causes a faster fermentation, and thus cheesier faster). A taste sampling of the cheese during fermentation will reveal its stage of fermentation.

Makes 2-3 cups

Source: www.sunfood.com