Milk Alternatives - Recipe Supplement

Wow! It took me quite a while to get this up here...Sorry about that everyone!

Don't forget to voice your opinion in the poll to your left. Thanks. - Tara

There are dozens of methods for making milk alternatives. Some call for soaking, blanching, and peeling of nuts, some don’t. Some are straightforward, some are more complicated. Raw nuts are often specified to meet the needs of people who prefer raw food, but cooked nuts work just as well. Sweeteners are a big issue here. Agave nectar is a wonderful alternative to honey because it is low on the glycemic index and is vegan—but can be hard to find. Honey and maple syrup are good alternatives to processed sugar. Pitted dates and banana can be used to sweeten as well as to create a thicker texture. We suggest playing around with the recipes here (and the different sweeteners) until you find the perfect fit for your needs. All of these milks need to be refrigerated, and should keep for at least 2 days.

30-SECOND NUT MILK
Inspired by Raw Food, Real World (Regan Books, 2005)
2 heaping tablespoons raw nut butter
2 cups filtered water
Pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons agave nectar or 1 packet stevia
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut butter (optional)

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth.

BASIC ALMOND MILK
1 cup raw almonds, soaked at least 4 hours
3 cups filtered water

1. In a high-speed blender blend the nuts and water for about 2 minutes until the nuts are completely blended.
2. Strain the mix through multiple layers of cheesecloth in a colander two times.

ALMOND NOG
Adapted from a recipe at www.rawglow.com
1 batch basic almond milk
5 large soft pitted dates
2 very ripe bananas
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raw macadamia nuts (optional)

In a high-speed blender add all ingredients and blend until combined.
Adjust sweetness to taste by adding more or less dates.
The macadamia nuts are optional but they will give the drink a thicker consistency.

CASHEW MILK
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
2 cups water
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Combine cashews with 1 cup water and maple syrup in blender.
Blend on high until thick and creamy.
Slowly add remaining water and blend on high for 2 minutes.
Strain if desired.

HEMP MILK
Hemp milk contains 33 percent protein and Canadian studies point to hemp protein as being the highest quality found in any plant. Hemp also offers well-balanced essential fatty acids that our bodies require and don’t make themselves. The key for making quick and easy hemp milk is to buy shelled hemp seeds. I called four local natural food stores and all carried shelled hemp seeds, so it is easy to go this route. Otherwise you have to take extra measures to strain out the shells. Check the dates on your seeds to make sure that you buy the freshest seeds possible. Store in a dark place. Sunlight will destroy the oils’ benefits and make the seeds rancid.

¼ cup shelled hemp seeds
1 cup warm water
Flavoring (vanilla, honey, etc.)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender.

Some recipes for unshelled hemp seeds are more complex, ”>but here is an example.

HORCHATA
Inspired by a recipe by Gale Gand from the Food Network
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups almonds
1-inch piece cinnamon bark
8 cups water
1/2 organic sugar (or your favorite sweetener)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Wash and drain the rice.
2. Use a spice grinder, or electric coffee grinder, and grind the rice until fine.

3. Combine rice with the almonds and cinnamon bark. Add 3 1/2 cups water, cover, and let sit overnight.
4. In a blender, blend rice mixture until smooth. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and continue blending. Add sweetener and vanilla extract.
5. Strain horchata with a metal strainer, and then again using a double layer of cheesecloth.
6. Add up to an additional 2 cups of water until it you get the consistency you like.

MACADAMIA MILK
Inspired by Raw Food, Real World (Regan Books, 2005)
1 cup macadmaia nuts, soaked 1 hour or more
3 cups filtered water
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons coconut butter (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
pinch of sea salt
(optional)

1. In a blender, blend the nuts and water on high speed for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to combine.
3. Strain if you want it super creamy, or drink as is.

OAT MILK
2 cups cooked oatmeal
4 cups water
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt (optional)
Sweetener to taste (if desired)

1. Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth about 2-3 minutes.
2. Chill, and shake before using.

RICE MILK
Inspired by a recipe from Mothering Magazine

1/2 cup brown rice
8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Place rice, 8 cups water, and salt in pan.
2. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer 3 hours, or until rice is very soft. (You can also do this in a slow cooker overnight.)
3. In blender, puree rice mixture with remaining ingredients. You will have to do it in two batches. Puree each batch at least 2 or 3 minutes to completely liquefy the rice.
4. Add more water if you prefer it thinner.

Milk Alternatives - A Three Part Series, Part III

Some people have pretty compelling arguments against drinking milk. And while it’s true that we are the only species to drink the milk of another species—we are also the only species that cooks its food and can open a bottle of red wine (should we give that up too?). Truth be told, there are a number of persuasive reasons to wean oneself from cow milk—find out here if you should stop drinking milk, and read about non-dairy alternatives.

Personally, I’ve hopped on and off the milk-drinking fence so many times I am not sure which side I’m on. But a few things are sure: If you are vegan, lactose intolerant, or have a milk allergy, you probably use milk alternatives. Some might also switch to milk alternatives for taste, or to lower their saturated fat intake (although skim cow’s milk is non-fat, some find milk alternatives are a better tasting way to avoid saturated fat). I would convert, once and for all, to non-dairy milk if I couldn’t get milk from rBGH-free cows.

The Vegan Case
Animal rights proponents point to the cruelty inherent in industrial farming. The animals are treated terribly and the milk is can be quite unhealthy. (See "Cow Milk" from a couple of posts ago). In addition, there are serious environmental problems that dairy farms create. The dairy-products industry is the primary source of smog-forming pollutants in California; a single cow emits more of these harmful gases than a car does. The last common argument for a dairy free life is that cow’s milk is made for cows. We are the only mammal that drinks the milk of another mammal—and we were just not meant to do that, as evidenced by our inadequate lactase production.

Intolerance and Allergies
Lactase is the enzyme produced in our small intestine that breaks down lactose, the natural sugar in any milk. In toddler-hood we begin producing less lactase. It is the reduction of lactase that leads to lactose intolerance—which is the inability to properly digest milk. Millions of Americans are lactose intolerant, and an estimated 90 percent of Asian-Americans and 75 percent of Native- and African-Americans suffer from the condition. Lactose intolerance can cause bloating, gas, cramps, vomiting, headaches, rashes, and asthma. Having a milk allergy is different: in this case the body has an allergic reaction to one or more of the proteins in milk (casein, whey, and lactalbumin). Milk allergies can incite gastric distress, as well as skin problems like rashes and eczema, and runny noses or nasal congestion.

The Calcium Issue
But if we require so much calcium, it might seem that our bodies really do need milk. According to an authoritative article in the British newspaper The Guardian, Anne Karpf exhaustively explores the problems with milk. Here is just one fascinating fact she doles out: “American women are among the biggest consumers of calcium in the world, yet still have one of the highest levels of osteoporosis in the world…Most Chinese people eat and drink no dairy products and consume only half the calcium of Americans…yet osteoporosis is uncommon in China despite an average life expectancy of 70.” She goes on to propose that the bone loss and deteriorating bone tissue that take place in osteoporosis are due not to calcium deficiency but rather to its resorption: it’s not that our bodies don’t get enough calcium, rather that they excrete too much of what they already have. Is our need for calcium from dairy just a very deep-seated myth? Okay, I am grappling with this one. We have been programmed since childhood to believe in the necessity of milk and calcium, but those statistics are hard to ignore.

The Alternatives
With all of that in mind, here’s a quick round up of the alternatives. One of the reasons that milk is so popular is because it’s an excellent source of fortified (added) calcium, B12, riboflavin, and vitamin D. (As well as a very strong dairy industry and their lobbying arms.) Milk alternatives won’t automatically contain those ingredients, so be sure to look for a brand that is fortified.

Read the Labels
Also, when selecting a milk alternative be sure to compare nutritional labels. You’ll be amazed by the amount of sugar some of these products have. One popular brand of soy milk rang in with a dizzying 19 grams of sugar per serving: that’s the equivalent of almost five teaspoons of sugar!

Almond Milk
With only 2 grams of protein per 8 ounces, almond milk is not that impressive in the protein department—but almonds are one of the healthiest foods around. They’re rich in magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium, and calcium. Almond milk has a nice sweet, nutty flavor and a good consistency, which makes it good for drinking as well as a good dairy substitute in cooking.

Hemp Milk
A personal favorite: Hemp milk is new to the market and is made from seeds grown in Canada, where growing hemp is legal. It is a good source of omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids, calcium, and phosphorous, and is commonly fortified with other vitamins and minerals. One (very delicious) brand, Living Harvest, states that unlike soy protein, hemp protein doesn’t contain high levels of enzyme inhibitors, phytates, which can interfere with the proper assimilation of essential minerals, or oligosaccharides which cause flatulence and stomach distress.

Oat Milk
Oat milk is gaining in popularity and availability. It is high in fiber, is cholesterol and lactose free, and contains vitamin E, folic acid, and other trace elements and minerals. Oats are also rich in phytochemicals, naturally occurring chemicals in plants that help fight diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It is said to be highly tolerated by people with multiple allergies—however it’s not good for people with gluten intolerance.

Rice Milk
Rice milk is processed from brown rice and typically contains rice syrup, evaporated cane juice or another natural sweetener. It is usually fortified with calcium or vitamin D. It is generally very sweet, and pretty watery. The main drawback of rice milk is that it is mainly just a source of carbohydrates—it is a good dairy substitute for cooking, but shouldn’t be used as a replacement for nutrients.

Soy Milk
There was a time when soy was considered nothing short of a miracle bean. But times have changed. The preponderance of GMO strains drifting into soy fields is alarming (it is estimated that 90 percent of soy is genetically modified), and people are increasingly acquiring quite serious allergies to soy. If you drink a lot of soy milk, you might want to read the arguments about possible health issues associated with soy. Dr. Kaayle Daniel, author of the book The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Health Food says: “Soy isoflavones–the plant estrogens in soy most often credited with cancer prevention–are listed as carcinogens in many toxicology textbooks. They have also been proven to be mutagenic, clastogenic and teratogenic.” Excessive soy intake has also been linked to an increased risk of thyroid disease, and some feel that soy’s phytoestrogens may attenuate testosterone levels in boys. The jury may still be out on soy, but the bottom line might just be that soy milk is significantly more processed than the other milk alternatives.

Not-Milk Milk Recipes
Milk alternatives are surprisingly easy to make at home. See our collection of simple, delicious, and quick nut, seed and grain milk recipes in the next post!

Raw Milk - A Three Part Series, Part II

One day my boyfriend announced that he wanted to buy a cow so that we could drink raw (non-pasteurized) milk. Now this wouldn’t be a new animal for our farm, since we live in New York. Hmmm. And, isn’t pasteurization a good thing? The debate about raw milk versus pasteurized is a heated one, and comprises the second part of our series on milk. Here’s what I found about raw milk (and whether or not we bought the cow).

The Raw Milk Laws
As it turns out, my boyfriend didn’t want to install a cow in our urban garden, he wanted to join a cow-share program; a covert way of gaining access to a beverage pretty difficult to buy in our state. Drinking raw milk is not illegal, but in many areas, purchasing it for human consumption is. Each state determines the details of raw milk sales. It is illegal to sell it for human consumption in 15 states, and available with restrictions in 26 states. Around these restrictions raw milk lovers have been scrambling to set up clandestine routines to get their milk. One of several loopholes used by consumers is a cow-share program, which allows the shareholder a percentage of milk from “their” cow. The cow lives on a dairy farm and is cared for and milked by a farmer, the milk is then delivered to you-thus no money is actually exchanged for the milk itself.

Why Pasteurize?
When I first starting hearing about raw milk my mind went straight back to a grade school black and white educational film about the miracle of pasteurization-how treating milk with heat followed by rapid cooling would kill all of the evil pathogens lurking in there. And looking at the history of the dairy industry, pasteurization was indeed a bit of a miracle. With 19th century industrialization came very unsanitary dairy farms. When pasteurization was introduced to dirty Victorian milk, infant survival rates saw a dramatic increase. By 1917, pasteurization was legally required or officially encouraged in most big cities.

By eliminating most of the pathogens that cause disease, including E. coli, salmonella and listeria, health official say that pasteurization has helped lower infectious-disease rates in the U.S. more than 90 percent over the past century. So pasteurization seems good-but I am also inclined to have a deeper trust in food that has seen as little processing as possible, albiet from clean farms, so the idea of raw milk was very intriguing. And if it’s so unhealthy, why are so many seemingly intelligent people drinking it?!

Types of Pasteurization
There are four types of pasteurization, each with a designated minimum temperature to which the milk must be subjected for a minimum amount of time. They range from Vat Pasteurization which requires that milk be held at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, to Ultra Pasteurization (UP) which requires a minimum temperature of 280 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 seconds. Most national brands of milk are ultra-pasteurized because it is quick and dramatically increases shelf life (UP milk can stay fresh for up to two months). Vat pasteurization, the most gentle of the methods, is a costlier process and the milk has a shorter shelf life. (Hence it is not viable for large-scale dairy farms.) Vat pasteurization is the method for preparing milk for starter cultures in the processing of cheese, yogurt, and buttermilk-that suggests to me that the vat process leaves some life in the milk.

Why Raw?
Advocates for raw milk claim that the process of pasteurization destroys the beneficial bacteria, proteins, and enzymes that aid in digestion. Specifically, raw milk contains immunoglobins, lipase and phosphates that are killed by heat. Raw milk contains vitamins C, B12 and B6, much of which can be lost to pasteurization. Healthy bacteria naturally found in milk, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, is also lost during heat treatment. Raw milk proponents point out that these “friendly” bacteria aid in digestion and boost immunity. According to an article in Time Magazine, some people with a history of digestive-tract problems, such as Crohn’s disease, swear by the curative powers of non-pasteurized milk. Others praise its nutritional value and its ability to strengthen the immune system.

A common observation among raw milk proponents is that the dangerous pathogens found in raw milk are directly connected to the outrageously awful conditions of factory farming-mostly due to diseased animals. It is far easier to pasteurize milk than to stop industrialized farming. When you get milk from a clean, smaller farm where the animals are healthy, raw milk is not dangerous.

Our Cows
Quite frankly, the argument for raw milk makes perfect sense to me, but in the end I just couldn’t completely shake a lifetime of pasteurization dogma. Maybe if my boyfriend and I could buy raw milk legally and locally I would have been swayed-but as it is we ended up with a compromise. We take occasional trips two hours north to buy raw milk at Hawthorne Valley Farm, one of the farms in our state that is certified to sell raw milk. But the bulk of our milk is purchased weekly at our local farmers market. We are fortunate to have an amazing dairy farm that supplies high-quality milk to the city markets. The milk is minimally processed-it is not homogenized (meaning that the cream can separate to the top) and it is vat pasteurized, retaining some of that healthy bacteria.

By purchasing this less processed milk we get clean milk that hasn’t had the daylights zapped out of it, we support a local family farm, cut down on waste with returnable glass bottles, and it is actually cheaper than supermarket organic milk. But the best part? We get to drive upstate to the farm and visit the 55 hormone-free, grass-chomping cows that are making our milk-it’s almost like having our own cows.