Oat milk is all the rage nowadays. It's popping up as a milk substitute in coffee shops, and there are quite a few brands you can buy at the grocery store now.
One of the reasons oat milk is becoming more popular is because of water. Almond milk has been the dairy-free milk of choice for a while now, but there are concerns with the fact that almonds require A LOT of water to grow. Water that is becoming harder to come by, especially in places like California which is a big producer of almonds.
Almonds require over six times as much water to grow as oats do. source
Oat milk actually has some pretty noticeable nutritional benefits over almond milk as well, including higher fiber and protein. However, with all processed foods, the oat milk you buy at the store always contains some additives - whether it be things to help extend shelf life or extra sugars, there is always more than you bargained for in the carton. So why not make your own? Then you will know exactly what is in the "milk" you are consuming.
Plant based milks are all made in basically the same way. You soak whatever you are using, in this case oats, for a period of time. Then, you blend the soaked oats (or almonds or hemp or whatever else you are making) with some water and strain out the chunks once the blender has done the hard work. You are left with a milk replacement that will last for at least a couple of weeks in your refrigerator.
Another nice thing about making your own is that you can make just the right amount for you. If you only need a little bit for a recipe you are making, you can make just that amount. Or if you know you will be wanting a lot of milk this week you can make more. It's totally up to you!
You can change the amount of oat milk you make as long as you stay in the 1 cup oats to 3 cups water ratio - decrease by the same amount (as in 1/2 cup oats to 1.5 cups water) or increase by the same amount (2 cups oats to 6 cups water). You can also play around with how thin you want the milk to be by decreasing (to make it thicker) or increasing (to make it thinner) the water.
Let me know if you try this recipe!
A note on the links used in this post: I think it's always best to support your local community by buying items from a locally-owned store like a hardware store or a local kitchen supply store, but I understand that you can't always find what you need or don't always have time to shop around, so I have included the links above for your convenience, and as an example of the item if you don't know what it is!
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