Nut mylks (as they are fashionably called) are an easy, healthy and affordable substitute for pasteurized dairy milk. Not only are they delicious and creamy, most people will digest and absorb nut mylks much more easily, without the inflammatory and digestive side effects.
Why go nuts about nut mylk?
The high-heat processing of pasteurized cow’s milk destroys almost all of its nutritional value. This is a way of increasing the shelf life of a product that can be sold commercially. In our opinion, cow’s milk from the shelf is not a real-food. Pasteurization destroys the beneficial bacteria and natural enzymes found in raw dairy milk.
After exploring nut mylks – I have found these are an even tastier start to the day and can be added to smoothies, porridge, coffee and recipes.
Pretty much any nut or seed can be used to make mylk. You wouldn’t think it, but it comes out as a creamy, white liquid. Nut mylks are a great source of protein and (depending on the nuts you use) magnesium, calcium and essential fatty acids. It is really important that you purchase the nuts form high quality sources.
Many commercial nuts are treated with chemical sprays and/or steam pasteurized and dehydrated. Despite going through this process, these nuts can still be labeled and sold as raw. In fact, in the USA, it is a requirement that all almonds and hazelnuts are pasteurized for commercial sale.
What can you do to source the right nuts?
Purchase local, organic nuts and try to source them directly from the farmer. Ask questions, wash them well and do your research.
In order to get full nutrition from your nuts, make sure you ‘activate’ them by soaking them in filtered water overnight before you make your milk. This process will help to remove the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors on the surface of the nuts, a preventative mechanism that limits our ability to digest them. After soaking, wash the nuts really well to remove as much of these toxins as possible. You can check out more on soaking nuts here.
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On to the fun part!
For ~1 L mylk, you will need:
• 1 cup raw nuts, pre-soaked for 8-12 hours (almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, hazelnuts etc.)
• 4 cups filtered water
• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• Nut milk bag, cheese-cloth or fine strainer
1. Drain the nuts and rinse them well in fresh water.
2. Add them to your blender with 4 cups filtered water.
3. Add a pinch of vanilla bean and/or a little salt.
4. If you want to sweeten your milk, you could add a pitted medjool date.
5. Blend on high for ~90 seconds, until the milk is smooth and white.
6. Place your nut-milk bag or cheesecloth into a large bowl or jar and pour the milk into it. Squeeze it through to filter out the pulp from the nuts. If you don’t have a bag, you can use a really fine strainer. Softer nuts like macadamias will have less pulp than others. Save the pulp from almonds to use as almond meal in bliss balls.
7. Store in the fridge in a glass airtight container (like a recycled jar or milk bottle). Nut mylks will last about 3-4 days.
