coconut yogurt "cheese"

[dinydeek]

Our daughter is allergic to soy,nuts,dairy and seeds- so that really cuts out the cheese options.

I have started making "coconut yogurt cheese" I find we can get a close to cream cheese texture by blending the coconut yogurt with chickpea nofu(tofu I make). I do a 2 to 1 ratio and then strain it.

My question: I would like it to have more tang- any thoughts?

I have a jar of nofu I am trying to lacto ferment with the coconut yogurt whey- thinking that might elevate the flavor and also help keep it longer in the fridge?

Anyone conquer this or come up with a better option?

Thanks!

[Christopher Weeks]

I haven't. But, the first thing I thought of was lacto-fermenting cauliflower and then food-processing it into your coconut/nofu mixture. I don't know if that'd work, but it's what I'd try.

[Aliyanna]

maybe you could add some grains like teff or millet that have been fermented to add that tang? We use a blend that is teff and lentils and sometimes other pulses and it usually has a lovely tang after a few days.

[CoconutLover]

You could try coconut milk kefir cheese. In my experimenting, with cow's milk kefir and yogurt, the kefir is easily more sour tasting. Especially if you let it sit for a second ferment without the grains.

[bronwynclee]

I have made lacto fermented coconut cream 'kefir' using 1 can of organic coconut cream with no additives, 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon himalayan rock salt. Cover with clean cloth and secure with a rubber band. Leave on bench top for 12 - 24 hours depending on climate.
When the brew started to separate, I strained and drained using a clean cloth over a plastic strainer and funnel placed on top of clean glass jar. Secure cloth with a peg, rubber band or bag clip and leave to drip for another 6 - 8 hours. Two products are then created - coconut cream whey - divine! and coconut cream cheese. I've added all sorts of flavours to this 'cheese' - herbs, cinnamon, etc. Rolled into balls and dropped into a marinade of olive oil with 100% lemon essential oil and left for a week in the fridge is awesome!! Or set into small pots sprinkled with cracked pepper - I've really had a blast with this!

I live in the tropics and ferment on my bench top at temps around 24deg C and find the above recipe a delicious alternative to coconut milk kefir I make with MK grains. I've been dairy intolerant for almost 25 years and find that using the MK grains, resting them in biodynamic organic cow's milk in between kefirring isn't having any adverse affects. You could follow the same recipe using coconut milk I think?