Making Milk from Rice

I have made another culinary discovery. I can make milk with rice, and it tastes great :)!

For awhile now I have been on the alternate milk wagon. I have never really liked cow's milk. Then a couple years ago I started doing research about what they feed the cows, how they process it, and what they add to the milk. Let's just say, for me it was an easy choice and for the most part I try to stay away from dairy. Besides the occasional bowl of ice-cream and cheese on my pizza :). Fortunately, there are many substitutes, and I have tried hemp, coconut, almond, rice, and soy. I like all of them for different reasons and different uses. Unfortunately, they either have so many additives and fillers to preserve it and give it a certain consistency, or they are super expensive. I am sure many of you can relate, we are on a pretty tight budget for food, and I try to be thrifty and save money where I can. That is why I was so excited to find a recipe for making it myself. I found it off of Kim's blog at Affairs of Living, and you can find the recipe and other helpful info here.

Basically, you start with 1/2 cup short grain brown rice. Rinse and place in a bowl to soak for 6-8 hours. Rinse again and place in a large pot with 6-8 cups of water. Then you can either cook it on the stove for an hour or put it in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

After it is done cooking, place in a blender and blend well.

After it is blended up you can let it cool down and put it in jars to go in the fridge. Or after it has cooled for a bit, you can add a tablespoon of miso and let it culture for 12-24 hours. Stir it every so often, but don't use a metal utensil(it reacts to the fermentation process). I have gone the miso route both times I have made it so far and I love it! It gives it a slightly sweet and more complex flavor. You can taste it along the way and once it is the way you like it, you have the option to add flavors like dates to sweeten or cinnamon and vanilla, or after it is done culturing put it in jars and place in the fridge. If you look at the recipe on Kim's site she can give you a bunch of ideas to change up the flavors and more information on why homemade rice milk is better for you.

Letting it culture and create some awesome probiotics!

Enjoying my rice milk with a big slice of banana bread!

I don't have any pitchers that would work to keep it sealed tightly, so I put the milk in old spaghetti sauce and peanut butter jars. Both times I have made it I haven't added any sweeteners or extras besides the miso and I think it is delicious. Next time I make it though, I think I will try a variation of brown rice and amaranth and use some dates to sweeten. I will let you know how that goes.

If you try making some tell know how it turns out :).