Nut milk is super easy to make. And it’s fabulous in cooking, smoothies, porridge or for any other purpose where cow’s milk is normally used (except tea and coffee). So avoid the additives, packaging and expense, and make your own.
Try my ‘make it in five’ nut milk recipe:
- Take one generous cup of almonds (pre-soaked for 6-8 hours)
- Place in blender with 3 cups of water.
- Blend on high for 60 seconds.
- Strain into a clean storage jar using a nut mild bag (I use a fine mesh sieve; you can also use muslin or clean stockings). Be sure to keep the pulp in the freezer for use in cakes, biscuits and other recipes.
- Store in fridge for up to 4 or 5 days and enjoy in your favourite recipes.
That’s it!
NOTES: For a less rich milk add more water – half to one cup more. For flavour you can add a touch of quality sea salt and some vanilla bean, and a tiny touch of maple syrup to sweeten (a teaspoon or less).
If you don’t have fresh vanilla pods then use a quality vanilla essence (I use Queen organic vanilla essence). Avoid the cheaper imitation vanilla which is full of nasties.
I soak my nuts the night before for ease. You can also easily do it in the morning and make your milk later in the day.
Home-made almond milk
Why Soak Nuts?
You may have heard (and be confused) about the need to soak nuts?
Nuts are crammed with protein, healthy heart fats and antioxidants and a great inclusion for your diet.
Apart from making them softer and creamier to use in certain dishes, soaking nuts allows all that nutritional goodness to be more easily absorbed.
Nuts contain enzyme inhibitors or anti-nutrients that block our digestion. Soaking nuts releases these and makes the good nutrients available for use. If you are using nuts regularly in your diet and cooking—and the health advice is that you should—soaking a few cups of nuts at the beginning of the week is a good way to have them on hand when you need them.
Use raw nuts, the best quality (and lowest pesticide) you can afford. Simply cover nuts with clean (filtered) water and leave for the required time. Almonds require 6 to 8 hours soaking time. Cashews less, around 2 to 3. Consult a soaking table to see about other varieties. (Macadamias and pine nuts don’t require soaking)
Once soaked and rinsed – you can use them in receipts requiring wet nuts. Or dehydrate them in a slow oven or dehydrator to use as you normally would in cooking or as a delicious healthy snack. There are various tables which set out the temperatures and times for this.
Note, for recipes calling for wet nuts – like smoothies and some puddings and desserts, you’ll still need to soak your dried nuts only for much less time as they will tend to soften quickly.
Apart from the health benefits, nuts prepared in this way taste extra delicious too.