Desperate times call for desperate measures. And the desperate times and measures we face individually will vary. Some of us run out of milk because we didn't store enough powdered, or we're limited to one gallon (which, incidentally, doesn't go far for a family of six) due to COVID-19 rationing. And going to the store every day in the current environment is ridiculous.
So maybe there's something to be said for oat milk. I have to admit, I find the idea a little sketchy. But I'll give it a try in the name of research. It's quick and cheap. Now to see whether it's worthwhile.
Oat Milk
1 cup oats
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Blend for one minute. Strain through a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or a clean t-shirt into a quart jar. Use the oat solids in bread or cookies or feed them to the chickens. Serve the oat milk immediately or store it in the refrigerator. Shake before serving as it separates a bit.
Alternate method of preparation: Soak overnight and strain in the morning. No blender (or electricity) necessary.
Some people say blended oat milk feels slimy and prefer overnight soaking.
Now for the honest truth. Somebody's been smoking some powerful stuff.
I had my son, the one who absolutely loves milk but cannot have it so he drinks almond or rice milk instead, take the first swig. And he was very willing to give it a try. He wasn't coerced in any way. It was well chilled and he shook it thoroughly and poured. We both figured that if nothing else, it would at least work for cereal.
No. It's not that it tastes bad. It kinda even resembles real milk, though a little brownish. But it just tastes like oat water. It was absolutely pointless. It was a waste of time and perfectly good well water and perfectly good oats.
I realize that some hopes just got dashed here and that you might think we wasted a tree and ink here, but the fact that I tried this out so that you don't have to means that I saved you time and money. And I had to tell you about it. Because stuff like this starts circling the net and people think there must be something to it. And there isn't, other than someone wanted to make sure she wasn't the only one suckered by something so stupid.
Have you or your son tried store bought oat milk? I think that would be a more useful comparison than expecting it to be like rice or almond milk.
ReplyDeleteOops, I failed to click on the reply button. My reply to you is below.
DeleteNo, we haven't, and we weren't comparing it to rice or almond milk. I actually don't think I've ever tried rice milk and probably only had a sip of almond milk. I was just thinking that something like oat milk might work for cereal, and for me, it just wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people read that you can make this or that using whatever, and they tuck the thought away without ever trying it out. And then they're disappointed or shocked when it doesn't work.
The other issue is that we all have different taste buds and expectations, even within families. I can tell people that my yogurt recipe is great, Magic Mix helps make some really awesome soups and main dishes, and that the banana cream pie and caramel syrup are to die for. And I can confidently say that at least 90% of people who try these will agree. But there's always that 10% who taste or expect something different.
I came across a statement yesterday that everyone should plan on losing 20% of their food storage to something or other. I think that's a bit high and might be a reflection of poor planning, storage, and rotation practices. However, I also think there could be some loss due to people not learning how to use their food well or planning an being able to make something because of something they read, without actually having tried it out in real life or for a long enough period of time.