Nondairy Milk

Makes about 3 ½ cups
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 8 to 12 hours soaking time

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup raw nuts or seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pumpkinseeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds), rolled oats, or shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 7 cups filtered water, divided
  • 1/8 tsp. sea salt

Mix-Ins (optional; pick one or more from the list below)

 

  • 2 or 3 pitted Medjool dates
  • 2 tbs. cocoa powder
  • 2 tbs. matcha powder
  • 2 tsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric

DIRECTIONS

1. If using nuts, place in a small bowl and add about 3 cups cool filtered water — enough to cover the nuts by a few inches. Cover the bowl and soak nuts at room temperature for eight to 12 hours. Drain nuts in a fine- mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly.

2. Add nuts to a blender with remaining 4 cups filtered water, salt, and any additional mix-ins. (If using oats or coconut, start with this step.) Blend until completely smooth and creamy, about three to five minutes.

3. Use cheesecloth, a tea towel, or a nut-milk bag to strain the milk into a clean canning jar. Squeeze the leftover pulp as necessary to extract all the milk. Reserve pulp for another use. (See “How to Use Nut Pulp” for ideas.)

4. Seal the jar and store milk in the refrigerator for up to one week. Separation is natural; just shake the jar to recombine the contents before serving.