Plant Milk Basics

COURSE INFO

Introduction

Hey guys! I’m Karima, a plant-based chef and the author behind ThisWildOlive.com In this course I’m going to be showing you the basics of how to whip up healthy and environmentally friendly plant milk right in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Whether you’re a plant-milk aficionado or a first-time plant milker, you’re super welcome here and I hope you finish this course with at least a few helpful takeaways as you continue on your plant-based journey.

Why Homemade?

You might be wondering why you’d even want to make your own plant milk, when it’s so easy nowadays to pick-up a bottle at the market.

This answer varies from person to person, but for me, I prefer to make my own milk at home for a few reasons:

1. Flavor - as with anything else you make at home, when you’re blending up your own plant-milk, you have so much more control over what the end-result will be. Homemade plant milk doesn’t even resemble what you purchase in the store, and I find the flavor profile of homemade plant milk so much more satisfying than store-bought.

2. Quality - oftentimes when you buy a plant milk at the market, if you actually turn over the carton and read the ingredients, you’ll notice that a bottle of “almond milk” contains so much more than just almonds. Plant milks can be loaded with sugars and added fillers, so if you’re going to stick with store-bought, be sure to pay attention to the ingredients.

3. Cost effectiveness - higher quality plant-milk can get pretty expensive, and one of the added bonuses of homemade is that it’s so darn cheap. With just one cup of nuts/seeds/or grain, you end up with a little more than a quart of milk at just the fraction of what it would cost to purchase a lower quality product at the market.

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Plant Milk Basics

Equipment

One of the best parts about making your own plant-milk really lies in its simplicity - and part of that simplicity is that, as far as equipment is concerned, it really doesn’t take much!

1. High Power Blender: The first thing you’ll need, is a high power blender. I recommend either a Vitamix or a Blendtec, but any high-power blender will do so use what you have!

2. Nut Milk Bag: Next, you’ll need a nut milk bag to strain out your pulp. These run anywhere from $5-$15 and you can easily find them at your local kitchen store or online. Mine is an Ellie’s Best Nut Milk Bag, which I definitely recommend!

3. Glass Bottles/Jars: You’ll want to store your plant-milk in glass containers with air tight lids as opposed to plastic to prevent off-flavors. When I first started making my own plant milks I was storing them in mason jars, because that’s what I had handy, but since then I’ve switched to using quart size milk-bottles which I really love. The link to the ones I have can be found here.

4. Sieve/Colander: lastly, if you’ll be making nut milk, you’re going to want a mesh sieve or colander to strain and rinse your nuts after you’ve soaked them.

Flavors

Like I mentioned in the Why Homemade section, one of the biggest reasons to make your own plant-milk at home comes down to flavor. Once you master the basics of making your own plant-milk, I highly recommend you take it to the next level and start experimenting with additional flavors… Especially if you use your milk pretty consistently for things like cereal or plant-milk lattes. Some fun flavors to add include:

-Vanilla -Dates -Maple Syrup -Cinnamon -Sea Salt -and Cacao

Personally, I like to keep my milk as simple as possible so that I can use it in a variety of different dishes that range from savory to sweet, but if I know I’m targeting to make a milk that will eventually end up used alongside or in a sweet dish, I will typically opt to add in a little sweetness or flavor.

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Plant Milk Basics

Recipes

In this course, I’m going to cover 4 very basic plant-milk recipes including: - Almond Milk - Cashew Milk - Hemp Milk - Oat Milk There a multiple things to account for when trying to decide which plant-milk to make, but two of the main things to think about are: how much time do you have and are there any nutritional concerns to keep in mind (for instance, do you have nut allergies, or do you avoid grains etc…).

Now, these will all take around the same amount of time to make once you get blending, but the only difference is the soaking time. With nut milks, you need to account for soaking times. Almond milk takes about 12 hours, or overnight to soak and for Cashew Milk, I prefer about 4 to 6 hours to soak. Neither Oat Milk nor Hemp Milk needs to be soaked in advance, so those are great to just whip up in a minute.

Consistency

A general rule of thumb is that for every 1 cup of plant, you’ll want anywhere from 3 to 4 cups of water. 4 cups will yield a thinner or lighter product, whereas 3 cups will get you a thicker and creamier blend. I prefer to hang right in the middle at 3.5 cups, but feel free to adjust water amounts to your liking!

One other thing to note about homemade plant milks is that you’ll always need to shake well before using; store-bought milks tend to have fillers and additives to prevent separating, but since we’re going au natural here in this course, the milks will naturally separate when left standing, so just give it a good shake and you’ll be all set.

Storage

Store-bought plant milks tend to have added preservatives and stabilizers to help aid their shelf life. Unfortunately, when you’re whipping up your own mixtures at home, the lifespan of a nice plant milk is significantly shorter than what you’ll find at the market. Generally speaking, plant milks will hold up in the fridge anywhere from 3 to 5 days. I’ve definitely had some make it to the 7 day mark, and I’ve definitely had some be done at the 4 day mark. Your best bet is to use your senses - if the plant milk develops a weird smell or has an off flavor, it’s most likely begun to spoil. If you’re anything like me, you’ll consume your milk well within its lifespan though and you won’t need to worry about having to throw anything out!

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Plant Milk Basics

RECIPES

ALMOND MILK Let’s start with what I like to think of as the “staple” nut milk. Almond milk is what I like to think of as the most neutral of plant milks. It’s super versatile and can be used from sweet to savory and can be served hot or cold - either way it works.

Ingredients 1 c. raw almonds 3.5 c. water (plus more for soaking) 1 pinch salt

Method - Cover 1 cup of almonds with water and allow to soak 12 hours, or overnight. - Rinse your almonds well in a mesh sieve. - Add 3.5 cups of water, your almonds and a pinch of salt to your blender. - Cover and allow to blend for about 2 minutes on high. - Pour mixture through your nut milk bag into a large bowl and strain. - Transfer your mixture to a glass bottle and cover with a lid.

CASHEW MILK One of my favorite nut milks out there, second only to macadamia nut milk, is cashew milk. Its high fat content yields a creamy, rich, luscious blend that will completely spoil you from first sip. And unlike almond milk, you don’t even need to strain the end result!

Ingredients 1 c. raw cashews 3.5 c. water (plus more for soaking) 1 pinch salt

Method - Cover your cashews with water and allow to soak 4 to 6 hours. - Rinse your cashews well in a mesh sieve. - Add 3.5 cups of water, your cashews and a pinch of salt to your blender. - Cover and allow to blend for about 2 minutes on high. - Transfer your mixture to a glass bottle and cover with a lid.

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Plant Milk Basics

HEMP MILK Hemp hearts pack an insane nutritional punch for such little seeds, and when blended up they yield a surprisingly rich milk with a nutty earthy flavor profile that I absolutely love. What’s even better is that they don’t need to be soaked, so as soon as you’re ready to make your milk you can just blend away!

Ingredients 1 c. hemp hearts 3.5 c. water 1 pinch salt

Method - Add 3.5 cups of water, your hemp seeds and a pinch of salt to your blender. - Cover and allow to blend for about 2 minutes on high. - Transfer your mixture to a glass bottle and cover with a lid.

OAT MILK If you’re looking for a plant milk that’s a little more on the sweet side, Oat Milk is the perfect way to go. Because of its naturally sweet flavor profile, I actually never use Oat Milk for savory dishes - since I know that in advance, I like to flavor mine with a little vanilla and a date. Although oats may seem extremely bland on their own, Oat Milk is actually insanely creamy and rich!

The one thing a lot of people struggle with is perfecting the art of the consistency of Oat Milk, as it tends to err on the side of slimy if you aren’t careful. The main takeaways to remember are: don’t soak your rolled oats and don’t over-blend your mixture.

Ingredients 1/2 c. rolled oats 4 c. water 2 medjool dates, pitted 1 pinch salt

Method - Add oats, dates, salt & water to a blender. - Blend on high for no longer than 30 seconds. - Strain through nut milk bag. - Store in glass bottle/jar in the refrigerator.

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Plant Milk Basics

Conclusion

Alright, this is it you guys… congrats on making it through to the end! Honestly the best part starts now when you get blending.

Now that you've had a chance to learn the fundamentals, let's see what you can blend up! Whether you stick with a basic recipe like one of the milks from the course, or go crazy with the add-ins, be sure to snap a pic and show us how it turned out.

Like I mentioned in the course, some fun additional ingredients include: Vanilla, Dates, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, Sea Salt and Cacao... the possibilities are endless.

I'd also love to see the creative ways you're using your homemade plant milks in your daily life as well. So if you add it to a smoothie, pour it in your cereal, spruce up your morning joe, or whip up a golden milk latte, be sure to share as well.

It's great to be a part of a community of everyday world changers who make a big impact with such a small action - so thanks for being a part of this course and for helping to make a difference!

This is my first ever course and I’m so grateful you joined me. I’d love your feedback and I just want to say thanks for taking the time to listen to me talk all about milking plants - I’ll see you all soon!

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