YIELD: 1½ cups | PREP TIME: 5 minutes, plus time to soak the cashews | CULTURING TIME: 8 hours
Yogurt is a great condiment and addition to a lot of soups, and now you can make a dairy-free version easily at home. Culturing cashew puree gives it an authentic yogurt flavor, along with the benefits that come with it! If you do tolerate dairy and would rather use that, I recommend purchasing full-fat yogurt or sour cream without any sweeteners or additives.
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in 1 quart water for at least 4 hours or overnight
- 25 billion organisms probiotics
FOR YOGURT:
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
FOR SOUR CREAM:
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or mild-tasting vinegar
01 Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor or blender (a twister jar works best for this recipe). Add 1 cup of water and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides several times.
02 Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and heat it to 120°F. Stir constantly while heating so it doesn’t burn. Stir in the probiotics.
03 Pour the mixture into a 12-ounce canning jar. Leave the jar uncovered.
04 If using a multi-cooker: Pour ½ cup of water into the insert and put the steamer rack in the multi-cooker. Place the jar on the rack and press the yogurt setting. Adjust the time to 8 hours if it doesn’t automatically set to that.
If using your oven: Set the jar in the oven and turn on the light. Leave for at least 8 hours.
05 After 8 hours, remove the jar from the multi-cooker or oven. If making yogurt, stir in the maple syrup, if using. If making sour cream, stir in the lemon juice. Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate. Use within 5 days.
