Black Walnut Milk
Overview:
INGREDIENTS:
Preparation:
1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth and homogenous.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
3. Blend with filtered water, honey, vanilla, and salt.
4. Keep blending until it's smooth
5. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
You can make milk from black walnuts?
Of course! They’re high in fat and protein, making them perfect for blending up a milk that’s creamy and hearty.
Do I need to soak the nuts?
While we’d love to skip the overnight soak, in this case it’s really important for both the flavor and the texture of the final product. First, soaking overnight will draw out some of the bitter notes from the nuts – so be sure to drain the nuts and use fresh water to blend. Second, soaking allows the nuts to soften so they blend easily, giving you a creamy and bouncy finish.
And for what it’s worth: the shortcut method of simmering the nuts won’t work here. You’ll miss out on both the tempered flavor and the textural benefits from soaking.
Will it froth?
A bit! You won’t achieve the same cloud-like foam you get from specialty barista brands, but you’ll certainly get closer than other homemade nut milks. And while we’re talking applications: use this in teas, smoothies, and cereal, but skip the coffee. The pairing brings out the bitterness in both, and we want you to discover the many ways this wild nut milk delivers decadent flavor.
A Note on Sweeteners:
Normally we like to let the flavor of the nut shine, but in this case we highly recommend adding the honey and vanilla in the recipe. If you’re looking for an earthier (read: slightly smoky) flavor for a savory application, feel free to skip. But if you’re hoping to use this milk in your morning granola, the sweeteners we’ve included will neutralize the unwanted bitterness without detracting from the character of the black walnuts.
If honey’s not your thing, use an equal amount of maple syrup, a couple of fresh stevia leaves, or a single date.
