Make Versus Buy: Cashew Cream Cheese

This is the next post in my ‘Make versus Buy’ series where I share the cost difference of making versus buying your favourite store bought items, plus a recipe for you to DIY.

Today I’m looking at cashew cheese - one of my favourite condiments to have in the fridge.

The one I’ve chosen to price compare is the Peace Love and Vegetables brand which costs $16.95 for a 280g jar. This is a similar price point to other brands out there.

My DIY version I’ve been making for years will cost you $5.57 for a 280g jar which is roughly a third of what it costs to buy. This was worked out buying ingredients at Woolworths prices and using their organic cashews.

I love it as a dip with crackers and veggie sticks, as a spread, or dolloped on just about anything.

I highly recommend making a batch of my fermented onions to use the brine for this. It takes the flavour to the next level. It tastes just like a french onion dip.

You can use any sauerkraut juice or cultured vegetable brine for the starter, you will just get a slightly different flavour. If you don’t have any on hand you can replace with water, but put in the fridge straight away (it won’t ferment without the starter) and add in some herbs for extra flavour.

I hope you found this post useful!

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or if you have any requests for my next ‘Make versus Buy’ post.