oat milk

One of the ingredients hanging around in my cupboard, not being used, is oats. I try to like oatmeal, and it's not awful, but Erik doesn't care much for it so I forget to make it. A few nights ago, I came across this awesome post about making a variety of things with your juicer, one of which was oat milk! Suddenly, my juicer use has been taken to an all time high. 

I don't like milk very much, and tend to only use it to make yogurt. Almond milk is my usual purchase in the way of milk alternatives, but I'm completely willing to make a switch if it means not needing to buy anything. Finally, a use for all those oats.

One thing to note, however, is if your juicer has a small top opening, it's a little painful trying to get all the oats and water through without making a giant mess. I managed to, for the most part, contain my mess, but it was a little annoying having oat water spill around the juicer and countertops. I suggest something like a funnel or a small ladle (not a giant one, like I was silly enough to use) for a less likely chance of creating a lake on your counters.

If you don't own a juicer, here is a recipe for making oat milk with a blender and strainer. You can add sweeteners or seasonings to your milk if you care to, but I left mine plain.

Oat Milk

1 cup oats (anything but quick, I have steel cut)

3 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Soak oats in 1 cup of water overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, add the rest of the water to the oats and stir. Pour mixture into juicer, using funnel or ladle. When all the mixture has been juiced, take out the oat pulp and re-juice, just to get every last bit out. Pour into a jar or bottle, cover and store in the refrigerator up to a week or so.