How to make almond milk? How to make hemp milk? Is soya milk raw?

I often get asked these kind of questions, including if shop bought soya milk or almond milk is raw. The answer is unfortunately no. To make soya milk, the soya beans are first cooked, and other milks are usually pasteurised.

The good news is that it is relatively easy to make you own milk with most kinds of nuts or seeds. Hemp milk is particularly nutritious with good quantities of omega 3 fatty acids, but it doesn’t keep too long. Almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and mature coconuts all make good milks.

Instructions to make your own milks:

1. Soak your nuts or seeds, preferably for about 8 hours, but less will do if you don’t have time. Mature coconut doesn’t need soaking, and chia seeds can be soaked for 20 mins (or longer if you want).
2. Drain the nuts or seeds and rinse in clean water.
3. Add to blender with enough water to cover plus about half as much again. (The more water you add, the thinner the milk will be. The less water, the thicker the milk, but if you make it too thick, your blender might have difficulty blending.) If you are using coconut, you can use the coconut water which adds a delicious sweetness to the milk.
4. Blend until relatively smooth.
5. Optional for most nuts and seeds, necessary for hemp seeds: strain the milk through either a nut milk bag, cheesecloth or sieve.

If you prefer sweeter milk, you can add some dates or other soaked dried fruit or a few tablespoons of lucuma or other raw sweetener.

Once you have your milk, you can either drink it as it is, or use it to make a milkshake or smoothie.