Almond milk, used since the Middle Ages for the duration of its conservation compared to cow’s milk, is one of the many plant milk that has become an excellent option for vegans, vegetarians, and people who are lactose intolerant.
Many consumers are concerned about whether it can be heated or not. We will answer it below:
Can almond milk be heated?
Almond milk can be heated but you must take some considerations to do so. Depending on the type of dried fruit vegetable we will obtain very different results.
This is because these drinks are based on live foods and contain substances that, when heated, cause their texture to change.
For example, some will become like a mousse, some will heat up normally without any change, while others will become sticky or very creamy, almost like a cream. Unlike oat milk that thickens when heated, almond milk can stay runny.
Now, when talking about homemade almond milk, that is, the ones we manufacture in our homes, they are the ones that maintain their structure the most when heated, which makes them ideal for mixing with coffee, making purees, shakes, smoothies, and even rice pudding.
In fact, the so tasty traditional rice pudding is based on almonds, as it is cooked to perfection in almond milk. Next, we will give you some tips to heat almond milk with great success.
Tips for heating almond milk
- We must not boil the milk, that is, the first thing we must know is that no milk should come to a boil, since they lose part of their nutrients and lose their texture, some can even cut, and this is what we least want, they would take on an ugly appearance and could sometimes thicken.
- Heat it over low heat, whenever you heat almond milk or vegetable milk, it should be done over low heat and stir with a spoon or wooden utensil, to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
- Do not reheat or cool after heating it, since the milk is plant-based and made from live foods, these are sensitive to changes in temperature and can be damaged, so it is not convenient after heating to put it in the fridge.
When heating the milk in a pot, when we heat the milk in a pot over low heat the liquid evaporates, this happens even with cow’s milk and tends to create curds.
Almond milk when heated in a pot usually generates small creams, and finally, we can also recommend heating it in the microwave, since we do not do it by induction but by direct radiation.
That is, all the water molecules in the liquid are heated, this does not allow creams to be created or to thicken, having hot milk without changing its structure.
Heating homemade vegetable milk
When heating homemade vegetable milk we find a diversity of results, some milk separates, others settle and stick to the floor of the pot, others thicken until they become creams or mucous substances.
All this is due to the fact that homemade vegetable milk is made from live foods and as such maintains large amounts of enzymes, natural fibers, and vitamins that disappear in pasteurization.
Thanks to the fact that homemade milk is full of nutrients, it will provide us with different physical characteristics that we will take advantage of depending on where we are going to use it, whether in coffee, smoothies, puree, etc.
If what we are looking for is to add a delicious flavor to our plate and obtain unsaturated fats that help us to prevent cardiovascular diseases, without a doubt we should use almond, walnut, and hazelnut milk.
Today the consumption of almond milk is increasing all over the world, as it is an alternative to cow’s milk since it does not contain gluten-free lactose.
The production of almond milk has contributed throughout history the necessary proteins, fats, and minerals, even being recommended as a substitute for breast milk to women who had lactation problems.
Now, if you want to heat the almond milk you can do it, however, you must remember the tips and recommendations, never let it boil since it loses all its nutrients, you can change its texture, heat it better in a microwave than in a casserole, since in Microwave is heated with direct radiation which means that its texture does not change and we have the same ideal consistency to drink with coffee or to make recipes, finally try not to overheat it.
Is there a difference between homemade and industrial almond milk?
Both the homemade vegetable milk and the industrial milk that we get in supermarkets are used for cooking, drinking hot cocoa, tea, coffee, or making hot desserts.
The homemade one is perhaps more sensitive to changes in temperature than the industrial one, but in itself, there is not much difference when it comes to placing it at high temperatures.
For example, vegetable milk of oats, chia, or flax seeds, when heated they thicken because they do not contain mucilage but if it contains vegetable fat that when heated creates a kind of cream, this is ideal when you want to make bechamel creams or homemade desserts. Other milk separate, lump, or stick in the pan.
Consuming nuts today has become a staple for a low-calorie diet and a healthy life, of all nuts, almond milk is the best known because it contains 25% protein, they also contain a decent amount of copper, vitamin B2, and phosphorus which allows it to be very rich in nutrients and provide very few calories.
It can also be used in many recipes and food dishes, from hot knowing how to preserve it, without boiling it and stirring regularly, to cold dishes such as smoothies and meringues.
The almond is a great source of vitamin E, it is a powerful antioxidant that helps us to contribute to inflammation, aging, and diseases such as cancer, it contains prebiotic properties which provide us with lower levels of cortisol, reducing the level of cholesterol.
