Homemade Almond Milk, Coconut Milk, etc

[ORChick]

The only substitute milk I use is coconut milk when I am cooking something SE Asian. The recipe I use, from one of my Asian cookbooks is a little different from the OP's, and makes (from reading the recipe) a richer milk.

Blender version:

2 cups unsweetened coconut shreds or powder
2 1/2 cups hot water

Blend both together for about 30 seconds. Strain through a fine sieve and or a piece of muslin, pressing out the liquid.

Return the coconut solids to the blender, and add another 2 1/2 cups hot water. Blend for another 30 seconds. Strain again.

My recipe book calls the first part "thick" milk, and the second part "thin" milk. Some recipes call for the richer "thick" milk, some are just fine with the two mixed together. Any leftover can be frozen. If you leave the "thick" milk for awhile the coconut fat will rise to the top, and you have a sort of coconut cream.

Same recipe says that if an even richer milk is required (certain curries, I would imagine) one can use hot cow's milk in place of water, and just use the first extract, though doing it a second time (as with the water) will still yield a usable product.

It had never occurred to me to re-use the the spent coconut for something else; thanks for the idea, I will certainly use it in future.

 

[Corn Woman]

I have tried cooking with the coconut flour and boy do you have to add more liquid. Anyone else notice this? It was commercially produced organic so maybe the "spent" coconut from making "milk'' would be different?

 

[~gd]

I have tried cooking with the coconut flour and boy do you have to add more liquid. Anyone else notice this? It was commercially produced organic so maybe the "spent" coconut from making "milk'' would be different?

Cooking or Baking? Do you really think all Flour is the same heck wheat flour is not all the same. Seing you are 'Corn Woman' I expect you already know about corn flour...

 

[sufficientforme]

I too have been making my almond milk using this method, instead of wringing out the almond meal dry I have been sticking it the freezer in 1/4 cup "balls and have been adding them to smoothies or defrosting and using in recipes for some of the flour. By not drying or dehydrating them completely I don't have to add a lot of extra liquid to the recipe.


Drinking nut milks have been an adjustment for me, I know it is "healthier" than dairy for me (I have been breaking out from milk) but darnit I just wished it tasted like cows milk

I found coconut flour to be very dry in recipes as well, I really do not like the texture of it in recipes either

 

[Marianne]

Curious why others drink/use nut milks? Is it a taste thing?

I'm lactose intolerant, so if I want something "milky" I buy it--but I also need the calcium that the commercial stuff is enriched with, can't get it from the homemade stuff. I wouldn't buy it/use it if I could have the real thing.

It's a chicken or the egg thing for me. DH's doctor suggested he avoid wheat plus we go thru a lot of milk here with all of the resulting plastic to recycle (the glass bottles are just too heavy for me to handle). We also have family members that have some issues with both wheat and milk.

I originally priced the almond meal to use in baking. Then I thought if I could make almond milk, then use the meal too, it would be more cost effective. Less wheat products for DH and something that the kids like to drink when they visit.

What was crazy was that DH's blood work showed he was low on vit D. And this guy drinks at least half a gallon of milk every day. Yes, really. From what I read, as we get older, our skin doesn't process vit D from the sun as well as when we're younger. He's 66, I'm 61. Makes me wonder about the calcium. I wasn't taking a calcium pill if I had a boatload of milk products that day. Back to the suppliments, I guess.

For some, it's a choice to use a plant based 'milk' over actual dairy from a cow or goat. I'd take goat milk over any of it, myself.

 

[Marianne]

The only substitute milk I use is coconut milk when I am cooking something SE Asian. The recipe I use, from one of my Asian cookbooks is a little different from the OP's, and makes (from reading the recipe) a richer milk.

Blender version:

2 cups unsweetened coconut shreds or powder
2 1/2 cups hot water

Blend both together for about 30 seconds. Strain through a fine sieve and or a piece of muslin, pressing out the liquid.

Return the coconut solids to the blender, and add another 2 1/2 cups hot water. Blend for another 30 seconds. Strain again.

My recipe book calls the first part "thick" milk, and the second part "thin" milk. Some recipes call for the richer "thick" milk, some are just fine with the two mixed together. Any leftover can be frozen. If you leave the "thick" milk for awhile the coconut fat will rise to the top, and you have a sort of coconut cream.

Same recipe says that if an even richer milk is required (certain curries, I would imagine) one can use hot cow's milk in place of water, and just use the first extract, though doing it a second time (as with the water) will still yield a usable product.

It had never occurred to me to re-use the the spent coconut for something else; thanks for the idea, I will certainly use it in future.

That's pretty interesting about the coconut milk. The one time I bought coconut milk, it was so watery with just a dab of 'solid' floating on top. It didn't even have a coconut taste. That's when I decided to see if I could make my own.
I have a coconut bread recipe that uses the coconut milk plus 2 cups of shreds just for one loaf. Wowser. Everyone here loves it, but man, that's a lot of coconut. I think I'll use the spent coconut plus one cup of shreds in this recipe.

Sufficientforme, that's another good idea - to freeze in 1/4 cup amounts.

 

[ORChick]

The only substitute milk I use is coconut milk when I am cooking something SE Asian. The recipe I use, from one of my Asian cookbooks is a little different from the OP's, and makes (from reading the recipe) a richer milk.

Blender version:

2 cups unsweetened coconut shreds or powder
2 1/2 cups hot water

Blend both together for about 30 seconds. Strain through a fine sieve and or a piece of muslin, pressing out the liquid.

Return the coconut solids to the blender, and add another 2 1/2 cups hot water. Blend for another 30 seconds. Strain again.

My recipe book calls the first part "thick" milk, and the second part "thin" milk. Some recipes call for the richer "thick" milk, some are just fine with the two mixed together. Any leftover can be frozen. If you leave the "thick" milk for awhile the coconut fat will rise to the top, and you have a sort of coconut cream.

Same recipe says that if an even richer milk is required (certain curries, I would imagine) one can use hot cow's milk in place of water, and just use the first extract, though doing it a second time (as with the water) will still yield a usable product.

It had never occurred to me to re-use the the spent coconut for something else; thanks for the idea, I will certainly use it in future.

That's pretty interesting about the coconut milk. The one time I bought coconut milk, it was so watery with just a dab of 'solid' floating on top. It didn't even have a coconut taste. That's when I decided to see if I could make my own.
I have a coconut bread recipe that uses the coconut milk plus 2 cups of shreds just for one loaf. Wowser. Everyone here loves it, but man, that's a lot of coconut. I think I'll use the spent coconut plus one cup of shreds in this recipe.

Sufficientforme, that's another good idea - to freeze in 1/4 cup amounts.

Marianne, the book I got this recipe from said that even many Asian cooks use the dried coconut to make milk these days for everyday cooking, rather than starting with fresh. She didn't even mention using canned . I haven't ever used the canned either, just because I always have dried on hand, and like that I can make it as I need it.
The almond milk sounds interesting; I wonder how it would taste made with hazelnuts - the North West nut? But we have no milk issues in the family, so I will most likely never have the incentive to find out.

 

[Marianne]

That's crazy, yesterday I was reading about Asian cooking using homemade soy milk, etc. I also read a few blogs about hazelnut milk. I used to sell hazelnut coffee creamer (Coffeemate) way back in the day.

I'm willing to experiment with some new plant 'milks'. I tried yet another rice milk recipe yesterday, still tasted like crap. I'm glad I didn't blend all the rice goop, I was able to salvage the rest of it by making it a simple rice pudding.

I did order some organic soybeans to try that milk. Always a good idea to read some of the comments, right? One gal posted in a comment how to remove the 'beany' taste. At my age I'm not too concerned about extra estrogen (bring it on) and it's supposed to lower bad cholesterol. Hubs could use some help in that area. If he grows Moobs (man boobs), then I won't make it again.

I'm anxious to get the almonds.

 

[ORChick]

Its not just estrogen; there is good evidence that soy is bad for other reasons as well. I think I remember you mentioning your age at some point, and I believe you and I are just about the same age, and you are probably right - its a little too late to be very worried about ingesting less than perfect food stuffs at this point. That said, however, I don't eat soy anymore (and wouldn't, even if it tasted good ), except the occasional miso soup (home made, with organic miso).

http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/

 

[txcanoegirl]

Its not just estrogen; there is good evidence that soy is bad for other reasons as well. I think I remember you mentioning your age at some point, and I believe you and I are just about the same age, and you are probably right - its a little too late to be very worried about ingesting less than perfect food stuffs at this point. That said, however, I don't eat soy anymore (and wouldn't, even if it tasted good ), except the occasional miso soup (home made, with organic miso).

http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/

And in addition to the reaons listed in your link, I don't trust soy milk not to contain GMO soy. The percentage of the world's crop of soybeans grown now that are GMO is astounding. I don't trust labeling, either. My husband was drinking soy milk, but now he either drinks pecan milk (homemade) or almond milk (purchased) if I don't have time to make the pecan milk.