Making milk-like drinks from cereals or legumes is a technology known for more than two thousand years. The Chinese were the first to think of it, and then the tradition spread to Japan, Vietnam, and Korea. The most famous product of this class is soy milk, made, as one can easily guess, from soy beans. It has been used both on its own, as a drink, and in the preparation of various products, the most popular of which is tofu soy cheese.
Using traditional technology, Europe has begun to make milk first from almonds and then from the variety of other crops: grains such as rice, oats and buckwheat and nuts such as cashew and Brazil nuts. Milk is also made from hemp seeds. For the production of food products technical cannabis seeds are used, which don’t contain even trace amounts of THC. If necessary, you can get maryland medical card https://dr-weedy.com/maryland/.
Who needs hemp milk in the first place
Lactose (milk sugar) is found in whole milk and in much smaller amounts in dairy products. Children digest lactose just fine. But as they get older, many people develop an intolerance to the substance. Lactose intolerance is purely genetic. The percentage of people suffering from it varies greatly depending on the race and ethnicity of the person.
For example, in Holland, a country that traditionally produces and drinks a lot of milk, only 1% of people with lactose intolerance. In northern Europe, the average is 5-10%; in the European south, it is 50-70%. In China and neighboring countries of South-East Asia it is over 90%. The worst situation is with the American Indians – almost 100% of adults are not able to assimilate whole milk. Eastern Slavs are 16-18% susceptible to lactose intolerance. But no matter how small the percentage may seem, on a national scale this is a huge number of people. For them, plant-based milk substitutes (including a hemp seed analog) are the only alternative to the natural animal product.
Also hemp milk will solve the problems of those whose bodies do not absorb casein, a specific milk protein, or have high cholesterol levels. The hemp seed product is gluten-free.
Nutritional value of hemp milk
Hemp milk is a nutritious product that contains a full range of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In its composition, it is much closer to cow’s milk than other plant analogues, and in some ways even surpasses it.
Getting the necessary amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates today is not a great difficulty, except in the poorest countries, where the problem of hunger is still relevant. But in addition to the calories the body needs, the set of amino acids, minerals and vitamins plays a major role in the value of the product.
Hemp Seed Milk has a unique blend of vital nutrients:
omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids in an optimal ratio;
Amino acids: alanine, valine, threonine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, asparagic acid;
Vitamins: A (retinol), B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), PP (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), E (tocopherol)
useful minerals and trace elements: phosphorus, manganese, copper, magnesium, iron.
But the most important thing is not only the high concentration of these substances in the hemp milk, but also that they are in easily digestible form.
How to make hemp milk at home
Although in many countries hemp milk has already become an available mass product, and you can just buy it in the store, for our retail chains it is still a gimmick. But nothing prevents you from making it yourself at home.
To begin with you have to soak hemp seeds in water and leave them for 12 hours. Then rinse, add three parts water to one part of the seeds and grind in a blender until you get a homogeneous mass. Some recipes also recommend pre-cooking the seeds for 10-15 minutes, but it is better not to do this. Yes, there will be more milk in this case, but many useful elements are destroyed by heat treatment.
All that remains is to strain or filter the mixture, depending on how thick you want the drink to be. If you want a thick, smoothie-like consistency, you can strain it through a sieve or a French press. If you want something that resembles regular milk as much as possible, use a reusable coffee machine filter, filter cloth, or double-folded gauze.
Milk from raw seeds sometimes has a greenish grassy hue. This can be a plus for some, but it can also be confusing for others. To get a product with a creamy white color, you need to use peeled hemp seeds, without the husks. The taste of the drink is very delicate, with a slight flavor of walnut. You can enhance it by adding vanilla, honey or dates to the mixture (at the grinding stage). You can use other additives, to your taste. No one prevents you from making the milk sweet or vice versa, salty. You can also mix it with fruit and vegetable juices.
Industrial hemp milk
As mentioned above, hemp milk is quite possible to buy in regular stores outside of our vastness – this product is not considered either narcotic or medicinal, its sale is not subject to any special regulation. The main brands are Pacific Foods, Living Harvest, Good Milk, Ecomil.
Most manufacturers claim to sell a 100% organic product, but always look at the composition anyway. Ideally it should only contain cannabis seeds and water. Natural additives in the form of fruit, dates and vanilla are not bad for quality – it’s just a matter of taste. But sugar and preservatives are definitely not allowed.
The choice between homemade hemp milk and a mass-produced product is about the same as the choice between freshly squeezed juice and store-bought juice. Yes, quality products meet all sanitary standards, but homemade, prepared with your own hands will always be better.