Rise and Shine: Homemade Cashew Yogurt

Rise and Shine! It’s MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast. - See more at: http://www.veganmofo.com/#sthash.SPmzp9G8.dpuf

 Vegan MoFo 2015 Day 1: Rise and Shine! It's MoFo time, tell us about your breakfast.

Rise and Shine! It’s MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast. - See more at: http://www.veganmofo.com/#sthash.SPmzp9G8.dpuf

Rise and Shine! It’s MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast. - See more at: http://www.veganmofo.com/#sthash.SPmzp9G8.dpuf

Although I'm just as inclined to have leftovers or a kale salad for breakfast, I often opt for a bowl of yogurt and fruit. As such, I was bummed out when the Whole Soy company went out of business because it was the only brand that I liked, and I really like to have unsweetened, plain soy yogurt on hand. Aside from breaking my fast, I like to add it to vegan cheese fillings, and tweak it into a mayo or sour cream or tartar sauce.

So, when it became clear that Whole Soy was no longer, I shook off my yogurt-making lethargy and tried out Miyoko Schinner's recipe for cashew yogurt from her Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook. This book has been keeping me busy since I got it last autumn, and I've had both hits and misses with it. But, I can say the cashew yogurt is definitely a hit!  I wish I would have tried  it sooner. It's really easy to make and  it's everything I look for in a plain yogurt: tart, rich, and creamy.

It all starts with soaking raw cashews and blending them with soy milk.

Once the nuts and milk are blended, you add additional soy milk and heat it gently to 110°F. When it gets up to temperature, you add in some already cultured soy yogurt. When I made this the first time, I used Nancy's Unsweetened Plain Soy.

At this point, you transfer the mixture to clean glass jars, cover, and let it culture in a warm spot for 6 - 8 hours. You basically want to keep the mixture as close to 110° as possible for the full time.

To this end, I use jars that I've warmed by filling them with boiling water, and then wrap the jars with a tea towel and place them in a slightly warmed oven. I don't leave the oven on, but just warm it up before I put the yogurt in.

After the full 8 hours, the yogurt is cultured and if you've used unsweetened soy milk, it's got a great tartness to it.

If you don't have the book, you can find Miyoko's recipe published on this site: http://savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/cashew-yogurt.php

Cashew yogurt has become a staple in my kitchen; I usually go through about a batch a week. Many thanks to Miyoko for the recipe!

Homemade cashew yogurt