Introduction: Cranberry Almond Cheese (raw)

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Almonds and cranberries make for a festive cheese substitute!  It's a raw food dish that will fit right in at Thanksgiving.

The texture is great for serving with crackers or crumbling over salad.

Ingredients
2 cups almonds
1 cup Rejuvelac
1/2 cup cranberries
2 Tbs lemon juice
1Tbs honey
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Step 1: Rejuvelac


There is a lot of fermenting going on in raw foods.  Many types of cheeses use rejuvelac to add flavor and texture.  As this is a new endeavor for me, I opted for a very light version of rejuvelac.  Maybe I'll be more adventurous with the next batch : )
  • Soak wheat grains in filtered water overnight
  • Rinse and refill with filtered water
  • Let sit another day before using liquid - It will be a light brown and you'll see bubbles popping up from the grains

Step 2: Soak Almonds


Soak almonds overnight, drain, rinse and peel off skins.

Step 3: Mix


Add nuts and rejuvelac to a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender if that's all you have at the moment).

Once almonds are a hummus-like texture, mix in all other ingredients.

Step 4: Strain and Ferment

  • Place strainer in a bowl
  • Pour mixture into a nut milk bag (or line the strainer with cheesecloth)
  • Set weight on top of the strainer - I used a bowl full of bowls
  • Leave in a warm spot, out of direct sunlight, for 12 hours (some say up to 48 hours - but again, I wasn't going super fermenty)

Step 5: Mold


  • Remove cheese from bag (or cheesecloth) and press into mold (I just used a 1 pint plastic container, but I'm sure there are much fancier options)
  • Leave in fridge 8+ hours to set
  • Turn mold over and tap down lightly to remove