Spicy Garlic Dilly Beans

 

Ingredients
1 pound green beans
1 quart water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
3 cloves garlic cut in half
⅛ cup fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
Wash your green beans and trim to fit in your jar, leaving one inch of head space.
Place the beans, garlic, red pepper flakes, peppercorns, and dill in your jar, packing beans very tightky.
In a saucepan, bring the water, salt, and sugar (if using) to a boil, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for a minute or two to cool slightly.
Carefully pour the brine into your jar, making sure all of the vegetables are fully covered.
Cover jar and allow to ferment at room temperature for up to 8 days, depending upon how sour you want your beans. Check daily, replenishing brine if needed, and releasing gases caused by fermentation.
Cover the jar and place it in the refrigerator when the beans are fermented to your liking.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months
Enjoy!

Cashew Sour Cream

 

Ingredients
1 cup cashew milk, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons vegan sour cream
or
1 packet of sour cream culture:
(LLL) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
(LLC) Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
(LLD) Lactococcus lactis subsp. biovar diacetylactis
(LMC) Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris

Instructions
Sterilize all equipment in boiling water.
Place cashew milk in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and cook til thickened.
Allow it to cool to 80°F. Mix in sour cream or sour cream culture and allow to ferment in a covered container at room temperature for two to three days, or until it ferments to your liking.
Store in the refrigerator, and remember to save some for the next batch.
Enjoy!

Cashew Crème Frâiche

 

Crème Fraîche
Ingredients
1 cup cashew milk, preferably homemade
3 tbsp vegan butter, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons vegan crème frâiche
or
1 packet of crème fraîche culture:
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
L. lactis subsp. lactis
L. lactococcus lactis subsp. biovar diacetylactis
microbial coagulant enzyme

Instructions
Sterilize all equipment in boiling water.
Place cashew milk in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, cook til thickened, and add butter. Stir well.
Allow it to cool to 80°F. Mix in crème fraîche or crème fraîche culture and allow to ferment in a covered container at room temperature for two to three days, or until it ferments to your liking.
Store in the refrigerator, and remember to save some for the next batch.
Enjoy!

Kefir

 

Ingredients
4 cups any plant milk, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons vegan kefir
or
1 packet of kefir grains:
Acetobacter aceti 
A. rasens
Candida kefyr 
Saccharomyces turicensis
S. cerevisiae
Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens
L. parakefiri
L. kefiranofaciens (and subsp. kefirgranum)
L. kefiri

Instructions
Sterilize all equipment in boiling water.
Place plant milk in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and allow it to cool to 80°F. Mix in kefir or kefir grains and allow to ferment in a covered container at room temperature for two to three days, or until it ferments to your liking. Strain out the grains before consumption, and feed them with small amounts of plant milk til you make another large batch. You can also save some kefir to inoculate the next batch.
Store in the refrigerator in a covered container.
Enjoy!

Buttermilk

Ingredients
4 cups any plant milk, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons vegan buttermilk
or
1 packet of buttermilk culture:
(LLL) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
(LLC) Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
(LLD) Lactococcus lactis subsp. biovar diacetylactis
(LMC) Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris

Instructions
Sterilize all equipment in boiling water.
Place plant milk in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and allow it to cool to 80°F. Mix in buttermilk or buttermilk culture and allow to ferment in a covered container at room temperature for two to three days, or until it ferments to your liking.
Store in the refrigerator, and remember to save some for the next batch.
Enjoy!

Greek Style Coconut Yogurt

Ingredients
2 cans coconut milk, chilled
2 tbsp plant yogurt

Instructions
Separate the chilled coconut cream from the coconut water. Reserve the coconut water for another use.
Add the yogurt to the coconut milk and stir well. Cover and place in a warm spot for eight hours. Inside the oven with the light on works well.
Taste, and when it is cultured to your liking place it in the refrigerator. No need to strain, it should be very thick and creamy.
Enjoy!

Plant Milk Yogurt and Yogurt Cheese

Ingredients
2 cups cashew milk
2 cups soy milk (or your favorite plant milk)
2 tbsp premade plant yogurt
Probiotic capsule (optional)

Instructions
Make sure your equipment is non reactive. Sterilize your bowls and mixing utensils in boiling water.
In a saucepan, bring the cashew milk to a simmer and cook til thickened. Add soy milk and mix thoroughly.
When the mixture has cooled to below 110°F, add the yogurt and contents of probiotic capsule if using.
Mix well, cover, and put in a very warm place for at least eight ours. Inside the oven with the light on works well.
Taste, and if it is to your liking, pour it into a strainer lined with cheesecloth or butter muslin that is placed over a bowl to catch the whey.
When the yogurt has thickened to your liking, place in a covered container and refrigerate.
Save the whey for use in fermenting low sodium cultured vegetables or blending with nuts or seeds to make instant mildly cheese sauces.
Allow to drain overnight for yogurt cheese. Remove from cloth, add a pinch of salt, and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!

Rejuvelac ~ Vegan Cheese Culture

Ingredients
1 cup whole grains (such as brown rice, Kamut berries, millet, oat groats, quinoa, rye berries, wheat berries, or a combination)
6 cups filtered water

Instructions
Put the grains in a 1-quart glass jar and add water to cover. Place a double layer of cheesecloth over the mouth of the jar and secure it. Let the grains soak for 8 to 12 hours.
Drain, then add just enough water to moisten the grains but not so much that they are immersed in water. 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. Pour 3 cups of the filtered water into each jar. Cover each jar with fresh cheesecloth and secure it with rubber bands. 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 freeze the grains for later use, or sprinkle on salads, hot cereals, or add to yeast or quickbreads.