Soaking Cashews and making "sour cream"

Raw cashews can be used to make a vegan version of sour cream. The cashews should be soaked first in order to soften them for sauce, dressing, or sour cream recipe. There are 3 ways to soak cashews that work well: a hot water soak, a boiling water soak, and a long soak.

The long soak or overnight soak has the risk of ending up with slimy, over-soaked nuts that can't be used. Nuts can be soaked for 5-8 hours or overnight. It's best if you do a water change at around 5-6 hours if your soak them longer. This is why I prefer the other 2 options.

Hot Water Soak - 30 Minutes
Bring a pan of water to a strong, rolling boil. Turn off the heat, pour in the cashew, cover, and let soak for 30 minutes. Pour off the water and dry the cashews. They're ready to use. Note: soaking longer will soften them more and allow for an even creamier sauce.

Boiling Water Soak - 15 minutes
Place cashews in a pan/pot of water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 10-15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

SOUR CREAM
1 cup raw, unsalted cashew nuts, soaked and softened
3/4 cup water
1 T apple cider vinegar
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Set aside. May refrigerate for up to a week.