Oat milk is a delicious and creamy alternative to dairy milk. However, the store-bought version is often filled with preservatives and toxic ingredients. The good news is that it's incredibly easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients. One downside to homemade oat milk is that it can sometimes become slimy. Oat milk is very delicious and creamy, but store-bought oat milk is filled with preservatives and toxic ingredients. It is so easy to make at home with a few ingredients, but a drawback to homemade oat milk is that it can get slimy.
I watched a YouTube video where a woman used digestive enzymes to break down the starch in oats, reducing their sliminess. I thought it was brilliant, I tried it, and it worked!
Here are some tips and tricks...
When choosing oats, rolled oats are the best option since quick oats are too processed, and steel-cut oats are not processed enough. Always buy certified organic, gluten-free oats to avoid unsafe glyphosate levels found in non-organic oats.
Ways to Avoid Slimy Oat Milk
When blending oats, use ice-cold water and ice cubes to prevent them from becoming starchy and gummy.
Blending the ingredients for over 25 seconds can cause them to warm up and become starchy and gummy. Heat is not your friend when combating slime!
To strain the liquid properly, it is recommended to use a high-quality nut milk bag with a very tight weave. This will ensure that there is hardly any sediment left in the liquid. Although dish towels can also be used, it is essential not to use a regular strainer or cheesecloth as they are not tightly woven enough and may not give the desired results. However, some very high-quality, tightly woven strainers do work well.
Don't over-squeeze: Be gentle as you strain and squee
ze the oat milk. DO NOT press firmly like you do with nut milks, as you'll squeeze out more of the starchy compounds, making it slimy.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
Enough water to cover oats (for soaking step)
2 digestive enzymes that contain amylase
4 cups of ice cold water
Some ice cubes
Salt
Maple syrup (optional for sweetness)
Vanilla extract (optional)
Steps
Add 1 1/2 cups rolled oats to a bowl
Pour enough water to cover the oats.
Open two capsules of digestive enzymes and stir into the oats and water in a bowl.
Soak /rest for 15 minutes.
Strain the mixture
Rinse well.
Transfer the washed oats to the blender
Add 4 cups of cold water.
Blend the oats for 20-30 seconds.
Strain the oat milk through a nut milk bag or high-quality tightly woven strainer.
Store oat milk in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
Why amylase? Amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch into sugars.
HOW TO STORE OAT MILK
After it's blended and strained, pour the oat milk into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Note: The milk will separate in the fridge due to the lack of stabilizers or emulsifiers. Simply shake before consuming.