NUT ‘MILK’
I’ve been making nut ‘milk’ a couple of times every week for 20 years. I never drank milk as a kid because it made me nauseous. Then I tried soy milk (this was the 90s) but never loved it. Later, I learned that I could make my own nut milk and when I tried it, I was hooked from the start. Homemade nut ‘milk’ is nothing like store-bought. Its texture is richer and creamier, closer to store-bought ‘oatmilk,’ which I avoid because of its high content of unhealthy vegetable oils. Fresh nut ‘milk’ only lasts 3-5 days in the fridge, but it’s so easy and quick to make that I don’t find it daunting to keep it in stock. The only step that might be easy to forget is soaking when using nuts with skins that are high in tannins and lectins like almonds, hazelnuts and brazil nuts. Using un-soaked nuts is totally fine, especially if you alternate between making ‘milk’ from un-soaked nuts and soaked nuts. Some may be more sensitive to tannins and lectins, like those dealing with auto-immune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, which is why I recommend that you soak nuts before turning them into ‘milk’ if that’s your case.
Ingredients
1 cup of almonds, hazelnuts or brazil nuts, soaked over night. Alternatively, use macadamias or cashews which don’t require soaking.
4 cups of water
1 pinch of salt, preferably Celtic or Himalayan crystal salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 tablespoon of raw local honey or pure maple syrup (optional) or 2-3 pitted dates
Strain the soaked almonds, hazelnuts, or brazil nuts and discard the soaking water. Rinse and drain. If using cashews or macadamias, skip this step.
Put the nuts in the blender with 4 cups of filtered water. Blend thoroughly for about 1-2 minutes or longer if your blender is not very powerful.
With a fine mesh or a nut milk bag (also available at some kitchenware stores), strain the ‘milk’ and discard the pulp of the almonds (it makes a good facial mask).
Return the ‘milk’ to the blender and add the salt, and vanilla and sweetener, if using.
Blend and enjoy.