Start by soaking the macadamias. Place macadamias in a large bowl and cover with filtered water. Stir in the salt and leave to soak for 8 hours or overnight. Soaking helps to make the nuts even softer, ready for blending, and the saltwater helps to protect the nut cheese from mould.
Blend the macadamias. Drain and rinse the macadamias. Place in a high-speed blender with the onion and garlic powders, miso paste or nutritional yeast, salt and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Blend on the highest speed, adding a little water at a time to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Stop the blender regularly to scrape down the sides and add only as much water as you need to keep the mixture moving easily in your blender (the less water you add now, the firmer your final cheese will be). You’ll probably need to blend for several minutes in total. Taste the mixture and decide if you’d like to add the final tablespoon of lemon juice for more zing.
Add the probiotics. Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to a very clean bowl and leave to cool a little if the cheese is quite warm from blending. Once it’s at room temperature, open up the probiotic capsules and sprinkle in their contents (don’t add the capsule cases!). Stir well with the spatula to combine.
Drain and ferment. Place a colander or mesh sieve over a medium mixing bowl, leaving a gap of a few centimetres for liquid to drain from the cheese. Line the colander or sieve with a piece of muslin or a very clean tea towel. Scoop the cheese into the cloth, and use a rubber band to secure the cloth in the centre, bringing the cheese into a ball.
Place a weight on top of the cloth-wrapped cheese mixture to weigh it down – a couple of cans of beans or a jar filled with rice or lentils work well. This removes excess liquid, helping the cheese to firm up so you can easily shape it.
Leave on your kitchen bench top for 24 hours and then unwrap and taste. You should notice a difference from the pre-fermented mixture – you’re looking for a tangy, slightly funky and ‘cheesier’ flavour. If you want a stronger fermented flavour, rewrap and weight the mixture, and leave it for another 12-24 hours (a maximum of 48 hours in total).
Chill to make the cheese firmer. Unwrap the mixture and divide it in two. Pat each half into a disc shape (like a brie), or roll into a log (like goat cheese) – or make one of each shape. Place in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a few hours, where it will continue to firm up.
Roll in coatings and serve. When you’re ready to serve, carefully remove the cheeses from their container and gently roll in your chosen herbs or spices.
Keep any remaining cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for around 7-10 days. Cheese rolled in fresh herbs won’t last as long as cheese rolled in dry spices. Compost any remaining cheese once mould begins to form on the surface.