How to make nut milk

Delicious nut milks, seed milks or nut-and-seed milks will last well for up to 3 days if kept chilled. Adding warm water and linseeds when blending the milk helps it to emulsify evenly, making it luxuriously creamy and smooth.

Brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkins seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, macadamias, hazelnuts and pistachios are all good choices on their own or in combination, but do make sure your nuts and seeds are unroasted and buy organic if possible.

step 1

Put 100g (3½oz) of your choice of shelled nuts and/or seeds in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave to soak in a cool place overnight, or for at least 8 hours. The nuts and/or seeds will soften and plump up.

step 2

If the milk is destined for a refined recipe, or if you want it to be particularly smooth, remove any skins that remain on the nuts after their soaking time. Almonds are easy to skin by blanching – just nick with a knife and slip out the white nuts. Other nuts such as walnuts and pecans will need to be vigorously rubbed with a clean tea towel to remove as much skin as possible.

step 3

Put the soaked nuts in a blender and add 450ml (16floz) warm water. Add 1 tablespoon ground linseeds to help the milk emulsify (this is not essential). Blend on a high speed for a couple of minutes until very smooth.

step 4

Line a sieve with two layers of muslin and set the sieve over a bowl. Pour the milk through slowly to filter out the remaining nut pieces.

step 5

Gather up the muslin and squeeze it over the bowl to extract all of the liquid from the solids.

step 6

You can sweeten the nut milk with 1–2 tablespoons maple syrup, mild honey, unrefined sugar or a few pitted dates. To do this, return the milk to the rinsed blender, add the sweetener and blend again. Don’t add anything more if the milk is to be used in savoury recipes, or in smoothies or shakes, as they will be sweetened as you make them. You could also add vanilla seeds, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg or cocoa powder at this stage. Dilute with extra water if you wish. Chill and store in the fridge.