Making your own milk from home can help to reduce the pile-up of non-recyclable packaging. Usually, non-milk milks such as soy milk, oat milk, almond milk (the list is endless, and growing all the time) come in packaging that is a mix of cardboard and plastic and can’t be recycled. Hemp “milk” isn’t as common as other, but it’s a great-tasting alternative. Plus it’s made even better by the fact that you can easily make it yourself, at home!

My family and I are actually part of a “dairy collective”, which means that once a week my family and I go out and we milk the cows shared by a few families in my village. This puts us in a unique position to be able to have plastic-free milk, and enough left over to make cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. BUT I realise that not everyone has this option available so here is the recipe to one of my favourite milk alternatives. 

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How to make hemp mylk

Here’s what you need:

1. 2 tbsp of hemp seeds (about enough to cover the bottom of a smoothie mixer)
2. 1 or 2 dates (without seeds)
3. 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
4. 500ml Water (approx)

Pour the ingredients into the mixer or a food processor, in the above order. Close the lid and mix them together for a few minutes. The good thing about this recipe is that you don’t need to strain it like you do with other Mylks.

If it’s not to your liking after the first mix, you can simply add another date, or some honey, or maple syrup. Or even a little bit of cinnamon or nutmeg. 

I find this recipe to be super creamy and just the right balance of sweetness. And, as you can see, it is so quick and easy! It’s also a very cheap, low price recipe and you can source a big bulk bag of hemp in a bulk foods store.

Something like this Mylk will last up to a week in the fridge if you keep it in a nice sealed container. I’ve got some nice glass jars that I put it in and then it just goes into the fridge as soon as I finish it. Hemp milk in a Supermarket is easily over $6 AUD in Australia. This is almost triple the price of other milks in the same isle, so having this recipe will easily save you some money. 

What milk alternatives are your favourites?

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the milk and please let me know if the recipe works for you. 

– Morag

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