Basic Macadamia Nut Cheese

Macadamia nuts make a luxurious cheese and an added bonus is that there's no 'almond peeling' involved!
I love adding coconut milk to this recipe for a richer and creamier cheese but you can add just water or rejuvelac if you choose. 'HOW TO' VIDEO BELOW!

Recipe:

2 cups of macadamia nuts (soaked 8-12 hours)
1/4 cup (+ 3 tablespoons*) coconut milk
1/4 cup (+ 3 tablespoons*) 4-day Rejuvelac

1/2 cup (+ 6 tablespoons*) Rejuvelac

1/2 cup (+ 6 tablespoons water*) + 1/2 teaspoon probiotic powder

*Generally I use 2 cups of nuts to 1/2 cup of liquid, but macadamia nuts tend to need a little extra help to blend to a creamy consistency, so start with 1/2 cup and add extra if necessary.

Soak the macadamia nuts in a large bowl of water overnight, or for about 8-12 hours. When I leave them to soak more than 8 hours, I change the water.

Drain and rinse the nuts. The water will be very greasy.

Blend the nuts and liquid together in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy. You will need to keep stopping and scraping the sides down. If you don’t have a high-powered blender and have difficulty getting a creamy consistency, add a little more liquid.
If you are using probiotic powder rather than rejuvelac, stir it in at the end of blending.

Put the blended cheese into a clean, glass bowl and cover with some cheesecloth or something breathable.
Leave to rest and culture at room temperature for 18-24 hours in a quiet place, not in direct sunlight. The cheese will become light and airy as it ferments and you will notice layers of air-pockets forming. Taste it after about 12 hours. You'll notice that it is taking on a sort of tangy, lemony taste. The longer you leave it, the more ‘bite’ it will have. It depends on the temperature of the room, but I usually leave mine for about 22-24 hours.

When your cheese has reached the desired tanginess, it's ready. You can use it immediately as a cultured cream cheese, or season it and leave it to age a few days in the fridge. In my opinion it's definitely worth following the next step to make some decadent cheeses that you can indulge in!

With the 2-cup basic recipe you can make all four of the following cheeses: Macadamia & Pear, Pretty Pink Peppercorns, and 2 Macadamia Chèvre! Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to line the container with a piece of cheesecloth and lay one on top of the cheeses too. It seems to stop them from sweating and they just last longer.