Science Smarts: Got milk?
By Patty Rooks on May 13, 2023.
I recently had a friend who realized they are “lactose intolerant.” Simply, this means they are unable to digest the sugar in milk products. They were quite upset they were going to now miss out on so many delicious food items. Of course, there are alternatives to cow’s milk, I thought. After a bit of research, I discovered there are so many different kinds out there and you can actually make them at home – and learn a little bit about science at the same time. Let’s get started! *Remember to ask an adult before ding this experiment. Materials – Blender – Measuring cups – Spatula/spoon – Fine metal strainer – RAW almonds or cashews – HOT water – Container to store the milk in (jar) Procedure 1. Measure 750 mL (2 ½ cups) of nuts and pour into a blender. 2. Add just enough HOT water to cover the nuts in the blender. 3. Allow the nuts to sit for at least an hour (up to overnight). 4. Blend the nuts on HIGH for about one minute. You want to have completely smooth mixture in the blender. 5. Remove the mixture from the blender and slowly pour it through the strainer into a jar. You may have to gently push the mixture through with a spatula or spoon. What is going on? Can you believe how easy it is to make an alternative milk?! There are so many great non dairy alternatives out there. You may have seen soy milk, rice milk, cashew milk, almond milk; the list could go on. It is quite easy to make “milk” as some nuts and seeds have a high concentration of fats and proteins in them; these are the best kinds to make “milk” from. By soaking the nuts before you blended them up, you allowed for the oils to come out and become suspended in the water. When you strain the solids from the liquids, you are left with a great milk alternative! Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. We are located at: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca. 22-21
