Off-Topic Nut Milks

[SpiritYogi]

I am looking for feedback regarding homemade nut milks. I've been drinking dairy-free vegan milks for years (primarily almond and coconut), and am thinking about making my own because so many brands have added ingredients that I'd like to avoid, and it would be nice to save money if possible.

Does anyone here regularly make their own nut milk? Does the cost of organic nuts justify the yield you get out of each batch? Is it fairly easy to make? Do you use any special appliances / containers? Does it take a lot of time to make a decent quantity (I'd want to make 1/2 gallon at a time)? How does it taste compared to store bought? How long does a batch last before it starts to go bad?

Any feedback would be appreciated!

[Pat58]

I haven't made plant milk in my Vitamix because of the fuss of squeezing it through cloth. It's probably so easy to do, though.

As for the flavor, I can attest it is way better than store bought. We used to have an organic vegan cafe here and he made all his own plant milks. His almond milk had a slight creaminess and a delicious, fresh aroma and taste.

[sherry7899]

Following. I have been wondering the same. I know there is a machine for making nut milk but I don't know the cost. Also, nuts are so expensive. Does it save money to make your own.

I was thrilled when Grocery Outlet had low fat oat milk without oil in it for for 99 cents a carton. Their stock constantly varies, so I can't count on it.

[kittybug]

Originally Posted by sherry7899

Following. I have been wondering the same. I know there is a machine for making nut milk but I don't know the cost. Also, nuts are so expensive. Does it save money to make your own.

I was thrilled when Grocery Outlet had low fat oat milk without oil in it for for 99 cents a carton. Their stock constantly varies, so I can't count on it.

Do you happen to remember the brand of that oat milk so I can look for it the next time I'm at Grocery Outlet? I hear you on the stock varying. We've found lots of stuff we absolutely LOVE and then never see it again. But I love Grocery Outlet!!

[SpiritYogi]

Originally Posted by Pat58

As for the flavor, I can attest it is way better than store bought. We used to have an organic vegan cafe here and he made all his own plant milks. His almond milk had a slight creaminess and a delicious, fresh aroma and taste.

I was thinking it would probably taste much better than store bought. The brand I get isn't bad, I just don't like all the additives, even if they are considered 'safe'.

Originally Posted by sherry7899

Following. I have been wondering the same. I know there is a machine for making nut milk but I don't know the cost. Also, nuts are so expensive. Does it save money to make your own.

I've read about people using a couple different appliances, which have a high $$ outlay. And, yes, nuts (especially organic) are very expensive as well. As much as I'd like to make my own, I have to watch my budget, but if the savings and health benefits will be evident within a few months, I'd be willing to try it!

[bzar]

i believe this thread is on-topic (recipe box, for example).

i have nothing to add, but like reading the issues involved in DIY, especially the cost of nuts. i wonder if you need a high quantity of nuts per batch? Voila, google to the rescue:

https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-almond-milk/

[Note: i like that link because there are also suggestions on what to do with the pulp - like making almond meal - and recipes as well. Also, Costco and Sam's sell organic and regular nuts in large quantities.]



How to Make Almond Milk
Simple homemade almond milk that’s creamy, delicious, and entirely customizable! Perfect for cereal, baking, and drinking straight alongside baked goods.

PREP TIME 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME 10 minutes
Servings: 10 (1/2-cup servings)

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly: 1 month
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight in cool water // or 1-2 hours in very hot water)
5 cups filtered water (less to thicken, more to thin)
1 pinch sea salt

VARIATIONS:
2 whole dates (optional // pitted // or other sweetener of choice // omit for unsweetened)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional // or sub 1 vanilla bean, scraped per 1 tsp extract // omit for plain)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional // for “chocolate milk”)
1/2 cup berries (optional // for “berry milk”)


INSTRUCTIONS:

Add your soaked almonds, water, salt, and any additional add-ins (optional) to a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Keep it running for at least 1-2 minutes so you get the most out of your almonds.
Strain using a nut milk bag or my favorite trick – a thin dish towel. Simply lay a clean dish towel over a mixing bowl, pour over the almond milk, carefully gather the corners, and lift up. Then squeeze until all of the liquid is extracted. Discard pulp, or save for adding to baked goods (especially crackers). Find more ways to use almond pulp here.
Transfer milk to a jar or covered bottle and refrigerate. Will keep for up to 4-5 days, though best when fresh. Shake well before drinking, as it tends to separate.

[sherry7899]

Originally Posted by kittybug

Do you happen to remember the brand of that oat milk so I can look for it the next time I'm at Grocery Outlet? I hear you on the stock varying. We've found lots of stuff we absolutely LOVE and then never see it again. But I love Grocery Outlet!!

I love Grocery Outlet also. It is five minutes from my house in a shopping center with a great thrift store. The brand was Oatly. I tried to share a photo but I can’t get it to work. I texted a vegan friend from the store to ask if that was the kind he liked. It was 😀 . At Shop Rite the same kind is $6 a carton, so I bought him three cartons.

I just found Lightlife tempeh there for 99 cents. I have never eaten it, so I am looking for a recipe to use it. That store is dangerous for my sweet tooth. They have regular and vegan ice cream for so cheap. I need to ignore that section. I found a vegan ice cream for $2.49 that sells for $7 a pint elsewhere! It is Nora’s peanut butter chocolate. It is made from cashews. I dislike coconut based ice cream.

[Margot]

Hi SpiritYogi

I used to make nut milks and oat milk all the time. I used a high speed blender with a large capacity, which worked well.

The pros:
- Definitely much nicer in taste - delicious actually!
- You can make your milk in one batch, providing you have a large capacity high speed blender
- You can adjust the milk to suit your tastes. I liked adding vanilla and either a date or two, or a tiny amount of maple syrup. Sometimes, cinnamon and well, whatever takes your fancy.

The cons:
- It's not hugely time consuming but as Pat says, it's a faff squeezing out the milk from the cloth. You do improve your grip though.
- The milk does split and will need shaking up each time you use it. I tried emulsifiers but they don't really work.
- I'd say for me, the milk lasts 3 days in general in the fridge.
- I'm not sure about the cost factor, as I live in the UK and don't know the prices of nuts in the US. I think over here, it costs slightly more to make your own. If you eat oats, then it's quite inexpensive to make and I often make oat cream and oat milk now and then. No squeezing, just straining.
- The recipes say you can use the pulp in bakes but to be honest, it doesn't taste good and reminded me of sawdust. It didn't do my bakes any favours.
In the end, I hated throwing away all the pulp, which seemed such a waste of money and decided to make my almond milk from my homemade almond butter. You don't get the look of milk, as you get the brown bits from the whole almonds but it does taste good and is much quicker and easier to make. Still, 3 days tops in the fridge.

I can find a couple of organic brands of nut milks in the UK that only have spring water, nuts (5%) and a touch of salt, so I buy a load when they're on sale. I'm more into making nut yogurts at the moment, especially cashew. I agree with Sherry, cashews are so nice in ice-creams, also pies and creams.

Hope this helps a bit.

[owltx]

I am also interested in the responses on this, because I have also pondered the cost/taste differential of making my own.

One thing I will note - for the leftover pulp, this is a great little cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/DIY-Nut-Milks...s%2C164&sr=8-4. I did try some of the nut milk recipes from this and found the whole straining process pretty messy. The nut milks were delicious though! The pulp recipes I tried from here were pretty tasty.

There are also some of the nut milk makers out there that streamline the process - but I wonder by how much? And are they really worth the cost? The last thing I need is another appliance that doesn't pull its weight!

[kittybug]

Originally Posted by sherry7899

I love Grocery Outlet also. It is five minutes from my house in a shopping center with a great thrift store. The brand was Oatly. I tried to share a photo but I can’t get it to work. I texted a vegan friend from the store to ask if that was the kind he liked. It was 😀 . At Shop Rite the same kind is $6 a carton, so I bought him three cartons.

I just found Lightlife tempeh there for 99 cents. I have never eaten it, so I am looking for a recipe to use it. That store is dangerous for my sweet tooth. They have regular and vegan ice cream for so cheap. I need to ignore that section. I found a vegan ice cream for $2.49 that sells for $7 a pint elsewhere! It is Nora’s peanut butter chocolate. It is made from cashews. I dislike coconut based ice cream.

Thank you so much! And I can second everything you said. That store is DANGEROUS in so many ways. We've just discovered Manuka honey because of them. Yes, it's way less expensive than anywhere else but sheesh! We walk in with a list and walk out with, well, alllllll kinds of new stuff that wasn't on the list to try.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack...back to your thread!! Very interested reading the responses!