I finally did it. I bought a
Vitamix and it arrived yesterday! It's a little disturbing how excited I was to see it on the front porch when I got home from work. I immediately unpacked it and started thumbing through the recipe book that comes with it. One of the first things I wanted to try was
Cashew Milk. I tried a number of times to make cashew milk in my old blender but it just couldn't get the consistency I desired (and I'm just too lazy to use a nut milk bag!). In my old blender, I would soak the raw cashews for at least two hours, more often longer, but it seemed that it still needed straining. Grrr. With the Vitamix no soaking necessary! If you're wondering why in the world a person would want to make cashew milk... here's just a few reasons why:
- Cashew milk is a great (and great tasting) alternative to regular milk
- Requires no straining like almond milk (well, with a Vitamix anyway)
- Cashew Cream is an amazing replacement for heavy cream (think hearty bisque soups) and can be used as a dairy replacement for many desserts (ice cream, icing, etc).
- Homemade milk/cream is WAY better than the store bought stuff. Try it once and it will be hard to go back. Seriously.
If you want to give cashew milk a try, here's how you do it.
Vitamix Version
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- dash sweetener (optional)
High Powered Blender Version
- 3-4 cups water
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews soaked in cold water minimum 2 hours (overnight is best)
- dash sweetener (optional)
Drain cashews and put in blender. Add 3 cups water and blend. Depending on your blender or desired consistency, you may want to add more water. For the smooth, non-pulp version you will need a nut milk bag - or a fine mesh strainer. Strain your blended milk. Enjoy.
Cashew Cream
Chef Tal Ronnen gives some good instructions for making cashew cream in both a Vitamix or a high powered blender.
Let me know ways you might use or have used cashew milk and/or cream!
