Sharp Cheddar Vegan Cheese Alternative

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons brown miso for soy-free (use a chickpea or brown rice miso )
• 0.5 cup canola oil (optional; see note below)
• 1 tablespoon carrageenan powder 
• 0.7 cup nutritional yeast 
• 2 cups cashew pieces raw drained for 3 to 8 hours and
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 6 cups water filtered

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• blender
• wooden spoon
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Put the cashews, nutritional yeast, rejuvelac, optional oil, 1 tablespoon of the miso, and the salt in a blender.Process until smooth and creamy, occasionally stopping to scrape down the blender jar and move the mixture toward the blades.Taste and add more miso if desired.
2. Transfer the mixture to a clean glass bowl or container, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 24 to 72 hours, depending on how sharp a flavor you want and the ambient temperature (fermentation will proceed more quickly at warmer temperatures).
3. Transfer the cheese to a heavy medium saucepan and stir in the carrageenan and xanthan gum with a wooden spoon.Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly. The mixture will be very thick, grainy, and difficult to stir at first.Keep cooking and stirring until it is smooth and glossy and starts to pull away from the sidesof the pan, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a glass or metal mold and smooth the top.
5. Let cool completely at room temperature.Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, until firm.
6. Put the grains in a 1-quart glass jar and add water to cover.
7. Place a double layer of cheesecloth over the mouth of the jar and secure it with a rubber band.
8. Let the grains soak for 8 to 12 hours.
9. Drain, then add just enough water to moisten the grains but not so much that they are immersed in water.
10. Put the jar in a warm place out of direct sunlight for 1 to 3 days and rinse the grains once or twice a day, each time draining well and then adding just enough fresh water to moisten them.Continue this process until the grains have begun to sprout (they will have little tails emerging).Divide the sprouted grains equally between two 1-quart glass jars.
11. Pour 3 cups of the filtered water into each jar. Cover each jar with fresh cheesecloth and secure it with rubber bands.
12. Put the jars in a warm place out of direct sunlight for 1 to 3 days. The water will turn cloudy and white, and the liquid will have a slightly tart flavor, somewhat like lemon juice.Strain the liquid into clean glass jars and discard the grains.