Nowadays, lots of us are choosing to sip on non-dairy milks instead of cow’s milk in an effort to minimise our carbon footprint. Did you know that oat milk is one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly milks out there?
Oats are naturally high in fiber, Vitamin E & antioxidants, whilst being completely free of nuts, soya and gluten. Here in Ireland, oat grains are one of our hardiest crops that thrive even in poor soil conditions.
Luckily, it’s also very tasty, and simple to make: all you need is a blender, some oats, water and a cheesecloth!
Ingredients:
200g of organic oats (rolled or steel cut, whichever you have to hand)
750ml of water (plus extra for soaking)
1 pinch of sea salt
1 tsp of honey, or 1-2 pitted dates (optional)
A few drops of vanilla extract, or 1 small pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions:
- Soak your oats for at least 30 minutes in a bowl of water. The longer you soak you oats, the better (sometimes it is handiest to do this over night!). Soaking the oats allows them to soften and makes for a creamier drink.
- Drain & rinse your oats well: be sure to give them a proper rinse, otherwise your milk will be too thick. Save the rinsing water in a bucket or jug, it’s perfect for watering your plants or flowers.
- Put your soaked oats in a blender, add 750ml of water, 1 pinch of salt and any optional ingredients. Blend the mixture for 2 minutes.
- Place your cheesecloth over a big bowl and pour on the mixture from the blender. The milk will pass through the cheesecloth into the bowl, leaving behind some oat pulp. You can use this pulp in smoothies for a extra kick of fiber, or use to bake oatie cookies. Make sure to give the cloth a good squeeze to get every drop of milk out.
- You’ll be left with a smooth and creamy milk. Store it in a bottle or jar in the fridge. Give it a shake before you use it, settlement is normal. Enjoy it within 3-5 days, if it lasts that long!
You can pick up a cheesecloth easily online, in big supermarkets or health-food stores. Oat milk is delicious in cup of tea, over your morning cereal, or simply enjoyed on it’s own. Make sure to let us know if you make some!
Find out more on: https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/crops/crops/Oats-food-and-Crop-products.pdf