DIY Nut milk
〰️ Less waste, no nasties & cheaper
It is so simple, like really simple.
IMAGEs BY alex-loup
Why you should make your own.
Quality
The milk you buy at the store often has a very low percentage of nuts. I’m talking 2-5% on average. When you make your own you can choose what the percentage is, I generally make it with 30% nuts. Also, who knows where the nuts are coming from and what they are sprayed with (pesticides I bet!). There is usually some sneaky preservatives or sweeteners hidden in the store-bought milk.
Quantity
Personally, I found that I would never finish an entire carton before it went off so it just seemed to a big waste! When you make your own you can make a super small batch or a big one, creating what you need.
Packaging
Most nut milk is packaged in Tetra Paks, these are made from polyethylene (plastic), aluminium and paperboard. Whilst they are recyclable many facilities are not able to recycle them as they can’t easily separate out the layers. Making your own means zero packaging!
Ready to give it a go? You’ll need these 5 things:
Ingredients
1/2 cup nuts of your choice
1 cup of water
Tools
A blender of some sort (I use a Nutribullet)
Muslin cloth/nut bag, you could even use an old stocking!
Bowl or large jar with a wide opening
Picking your nut
Try a variety and see what you like best or mix it up and change each time to get a variety of health benefits. Options could include Almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts or hazelnuts. My go-to is almond or cashew.
Instructions
Add the nuts & water to your blender.
Blend until smooth. Pulse several times to break up the nuts, then blend on high speed for 1 minute. The nuts should be broken down into very a small meal, and the water should look white.
Strain the nut pulp. Set a mesh strainer or colander over a large bowl or jug. Line the strainer or colander with a nut milk bag. Pour the nut mixture over the top of the nut milk bag. With clean hands, squeeze the nut milk bag to get as much milk as possible. You should get close to one cup.
Refrigerate. Store in the fridge in a sealed jar/bottle for up to four days. If it separates, shake to recombine. Don’t throw the leftover nut milk pulp away. Below we share some delicious ways to use it!
For extra brownie points
Soak your nut of choice overnight to break down the phytic acid and neutralise the enzymes making the nutrients more accessible and digestible. Simply cover in water, soak then strain and rinse.
Use the leftover nut pulp. Sprinkle on yogurt or make your own protein balls.
Freeze any leftover nut milk, simply pour into ice cubes and freeze. Add to smoothies, porridge or curries.
Sweeten or add favours to your blend. I like to add a date, a pinch of ground vanilla bean and a sprinkle of cinnamon.