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Pine Nut Parmesan

Pine Nut Parmesan

Active time: 45 min
Total time: 1680–1920 min
Serves: 6 cups
This cultured non dairy variation on parmesan is a perfect addition to pastas, salads and entrees.

Steps

1

Soaking & Blending the Ingredients

Soaking & Blending the Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 3 cups raw pine nuts
  • 2 cups filtered water (for soaking)
  • 1 cup fresh rejuvelac or 3/4 tsp probiotic powder dissolved in 1 cup warm filtered water
First, start off by soaking the pine nuts for up to 3 hours to soften with the 2 cups of water. Once the pine nuts are softened, strain off water. To blend the ingredients, in a high–speed blender, combine the pine nuts and rejuvelac (or the culture and water) and blend until smooth. The finished texture should be a thick paste. Pour into a bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave at room temperature to culture for up to 12 hours. It is cultured when the mixture appears to rise slightly and bubbles or air pockets appear.
2

Dehydrating the Mixture

Dehydrating the Mixture

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
After the mixture has cultured, combine with the remaining ingredients. To dehydrate, spread onto teflex sheets no more than 1/4–inch thick and dehydrate at 115°F (45°C) for up to 12 hours or until crispy. Harvest and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator where it will keep 2 months.

2 Comments

  • Antonia W
    Antonia W •
    I have been doing the "easy" version with mixed nuts + yeast + garlic and onion powders for a couple years now, and I am very curious about this fermented version, which might get closer to the taste of real parmesan as it has more time to develop umami. I guess I can replace the pine nuts by macadamia (or even cashew ?) as they are super expensive where I live ? I was wondering if there would be a significant change in flavor ? Thanks for your feedback, I am excited to try!
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hello, Antonia: thanks for writing. Yes, pine nuts are very expensive right now. Cashew might be the most economical, they may render a slight sweetness to the flavor. Macadamia would work, however, they can also be expensive. From my experience, the culturing is what adds to the flavor of the "cheez" to taste more like its milk-based counterpart. Let us know how you make out with your experience in the kitchen. Cheers, Char
    Reply

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