I get questions about non-dairy milk often. I use the phrase 'non-dairy milk' because there are so many varieties and sometimes it's really up to your preference there's nut milks, soy milk, hemp milk. A lot of people know that they can make their own almond or nut milk- did you know that you can also make your own rice milk? Rice milk is a grain milk made by processing rice. You probably already have the ingredients at home, it's super inexpensive- just a fraction of the price that rice milk sells for at stores!
All you need to make brown rice milk is brown rice, vanilla extract and an optional sweetener (such as agave) to taste. You also need a cheesecloth to use as a strainer. You can buy cheesecloth at cooking stores or health food stores, the tighter it's woven the better (ultra fine is the best). Here on the island, we found something similar to cheesecloth at Ace Hardware!
Brown Rice Milk
Makes 3 Cups
Ingredients:
1/3 cup uncooked rice
1 tsp vanilla extract
sweetener (such as agave nectar), to taste
Directions:
1. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
2. Add rice and bring to a boil again. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 40 minutes.
3. The rice will be soft and waterlogged; drain off any excess water if necessary.
4. Transfer rice to a blender and add 2 cups of warm water.
5. Blend until well incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add another 1 cup of warm water and blend again. If you prefer an even thinner non-dairy milk, add another 1/2 to 1 cup of warm water and blend again.
7. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, drape cheesecloth over the top of a pitcher or storage container and secure it around with a rubber band. Make sure the cheesecloth drapes down into the container and is not tightly fashioned straight across, as it needs to act as a strainer.
8. After 30 minutes, use a spoon to scoop any residue off the top of your milk mixture (usually a thin film forms during the cooling process). Once that is removed, slowly pour the milk into the container through the cheesecloth. Be sure not to pour all the bits that have collected at the bottom.
9. Optional: Add a few drops of vanilla extract and/or sweetener to taste.