By Mountain Mama
Alternatives to milk are something I never thought I would like, but life can be funny sometimes. My first try was almond milk. I love its richness and its versatility. Plus, unlike cow or goat milk, it can be stored on the shelf which is great when the power goes out. But almond milk and I didn’t work out. We broke up when my kids told me it takes more than a gallon of water to produce one almond. It was a tough breakup but I moved on. I got a little experimental with all the options on the shelf. I tried hemp, hazelnut, rice, and soy, and then I found it. The one I could see myself with for the long haul. I found oat milk. It was great in my chai, my coffee, my cereal, with my cookies and it can be stored on the shelf.
I knew it was true love when I took it one step further. I wanted to make blueberry muffins one day. But I had run out of milk. Instead of accepting defeat, I looked up how to make oat milk. I was so excited when I learned how easy it is, and you can make it in minutes and in small batches.
So here it is. How to make oat milk: You add one cup rolled oats to 4 cups water, put it in a blender for 30-40 seconds. That is the tricky part, you really have to stick to that time frame. Any more will make straining difficult any less, and it will not be rich enough. So stick to 30-40 seconds. Then strain into a mason jar. For best results strain it again. Twice is very nice in this case.
In order for this relationship to move forward, I had to take it to the next level. Being self-reliant means I would have to grow the oats too. This alternative to dairy cows or goats makes sense for my family, which is what the mountain mama column is all about… finding what makes sense for your unique family situation. So I did some research.
It turns out it is not hard to grow oats. Start with moist rich soil, pH of 6 to 7.5. Then just throw out the seeds. It’s called broadcasting. Try to distribute them evenly. Rake the soil so the seeds are ¼ inch underground. Just enough soil so the birds won’t get them. Keep the soil moist. That’s it. No other care is needed. In about 45 days when your stalks are 2 to 5 feet and the tops turn from green to a cream color, it’s time to harvest.
Harvesting is easy. Just cut off part of what looks like the bud. Try to cut it as close to the bud as possible. The rest of the plant is just straw and can be used as such. (Ladies, Oatstraw makes awesome sweet tea that keeps us juicy as we age!)
At this point, it needs to be cured. Yes, just like the other kind of buds. Leave them in a warm dark place for a few days up to a couple of weeks. Then comes the fun part. Place all the kernels on a tarp and thrash them. Fold the tarp in half covering the kernels with half the tarp. Beat the heck out of them. You can use a broom or a bat or just stomp on them. You want to break the kernels apart to get the oats out from the inside. Once this is done you will have a pile of light straw and the oat. You can use the wind to take out the fluffy part. Just toss it in the air. The fluffy part will flow away leaving only the oats.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Homegrown Oat Grains –
Learn How To Grow Oats At Home For Food https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/grains/oats/homegrown-oat-grains.htm
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