EASY HOMEMADE HEMP MILK AND MORE

Shelled hemp seeds

In my last post I said I'd give you my homemade hemp milk recipe, so here it is....

The first recipe is for a very rich, creamy milk that could also be used like cream. It's fairly high in calories. The second recipe is a variation of that recipe, with half the calories and fat, but a nice light beverage. I hope you'll give it a try (maybe in one of the extra recipes that follow)-- it's easy and delicious.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S RICH HOMEMADE HEMP MILK OR CREME
Yield: 3 cups
This recipe produces a creamy, pleasant-tasting, rich white milk (or a light creme) with very little effort. When you strain it, there is very little residue-- just the green covering on the seeds that was left behind. I add some sweetener and salt so that it tastes more like dairy milk, which naturally contains sugar (milk sugars) and sodium.

This is a raw milk, so it must be used within a few days, and it needs to be shaken before use. You can double the recipe if you can use it up in that time. For a longer-lasting milk, you can make it in a soymilk maker that can be used with grains and seeds, such as the SoyQuick Premier Milk Maker 930P.
(Update March 2020: I understand that this company is no longer in operation. Here are some recent reviews of other soymilk makers.)

Ingredients:
3 cups cold boiled or purified water
1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds (sometimes called "hemp nuts")
1 tablespoon light agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Equipment: (scald everything with boiling water to sanitize before using)
1 blender
1 sieve or strainer
1/ 1 qt. pot or bowl that the strainer will fit into
1 square of very fine (90 weight) cheesecloth to line the strainer, with some overhang
OR you can use a "nut milk bag"
1 whisk
1/ 3-4 cup mason jar with a tight lid

Place the strainer or sieve inside of a pot or bowl, so that it rests on the edge and there is enough room underneath it to hold 3 cups liquid with some room to spare.

Place the water and shelled hemp seeds in the blender and blender on high speed for about 2 minutes.

Pour the blended mixture into your strainer set-up. Let it drip for a few minutes, then bring the cloth up and twist it, squeezing and twisting and "milking" the cloth gently until all of the liquid is released.

You should be left with a thin coating of greenish pulp on the inside of the cloth, which you can rinse off.

To the rich hemp milk in the bowl or pot, add the agave nectar and salt and whisk until dissolved.

Pour the rich hemp milk into the jar, cover and refrigerate. The milk will separate in the refrigerator-- just shake the jar well before using.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per cup): 221.3 calories; 53% calories from fat; 13.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 174.7mg sodium; 0.0mg potassium; 11.8g carbohydrates; 1.3g fiber; 3.8g sugar; 10.5g net carbs; 14.7g protein; 5.2 points.

Lighter Hemp Milk on the Left, and Rich Hemp milk on the Right

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S HOMEMADE LIGHTER HEMP MILK
Yield: 6 cups
This is a pleasant-tasting, light, white milk for drinking and cooking.

For a longer-lasting milk, make the recipe in a soymilk maker that can be used with grains and seeds, such as the SoyQuick Premier Milk Maker 930P. (Update March 2015: I understand that this company is no longer in operation. Here are some recent reviews of other soymilk makers.)

3 cups cold boiled or purified water
1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds (sometimes called "hemp nuts")
3 more cups cold boiled or purified water
2 tablespoons agave nectar (NOTE: Use organic sugar instead of agave if you are using a soy/seed/grain milk maker because the heat will cause acidity in the agave to curdle the hemp milk.)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Equipment: (scald everything with boiling water to sanitize before using)

1 blender
1 sieve or strainer
1/ 1 qt. pot or bowl that the strainer will fit into
1 square of very fine (90 weight) cheesecloth to line the strainer, with some overhang
OR you can use a "nut milk bag"
1 whisk

2/ 3-4 cup mason jars with a tight lid, or a 6-cup glass jug with a lid

Place the strainer or sieve inside of a pot or bowl, so that it rests on the edge and there is enough room underneath it to hold 6 cups liquid with some room to spare.

Place the first 3 cups water and shelled hemp seeds in the blender and blend on high speed for about 2 minutes.

Pour the blended mixture into your strainer set-up. Let it drip for a few minutes, then bring the cloth up and twist it, squeezing and twisting and "milking" the cloth gently until all of the liquid is released. You should be left with a thin coating of greenish pulp on the inside of the cloth, which you can rinse off.

To the hemp milk in the bowl or pot, add the second 3 cups of water, the agave nectar and salt,and whisk well. Pour the hemp milk into the jar, cover and refrigerate. The milk will separate in the refrigerator-- just shake the jar well before using.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per cup): 114.7 calories; 51% calories from fat; 6.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 168.1mg sodium; 0.0mg potassium; 7.2g carbohydrates; 0.7g fiber; 3.2g sugar; 6.5g net carbs; 7.3g protein; 2.7 points.

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FOR USING YOUR HOMEMADE HEMP MILK:

Top Left: Hemp seeds and homemade hemp milk; Top Right: Hemp Mayonnaise;
Bottom Left: Hemp Fruit Shake or Smoothie; Bottom Right: Hemp Milk Latte

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S HEMP MILK LATTE OR MOCHA LATTE
Servings: 1

1/2 cup freshly-brewed, hot espresso (can be decaffeinated)
(see this blog post)
1/2 cup Original or Vanilla commercial hemp milk, or homemade hemp milk (rich or light) , heated gently until almost boiling
sweetener to taste, if desired
Mocha variation:
Use chocolate hemp milk

Mix your sweetener in a coffee cup with the hot espresso. Pour in the hot hemp milk, stir and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 59.5 calories; 58% calories from fat; 3.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 79.3mg sodium; 260.8mg potassium; 3.5g carbohydrates; 0.5g fiber; 3.0g sugar; 3.0g net carbs; 2.8g protein; 1.4 points.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S FRUIT SALAD HEMP SHAKE
Servings: 2

1 1/2 cups Original or Vanilla commercial hemp milk or homemade hemp milk
1 cup frozen sliced mixed fruits and berries (some stores have bags of frozen 5-fruit mixes)
1 medium frozen banana, cut into chunks
2 teaspoons organic sugar or agave nectar (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend everything in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 222.1 calories; 24% calories from fat; 5.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 90.9mg sodium; 385.3mg potassium; 38.0g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 29.5g sugar; 34.4g net carbs; 5.2g protein; 4.2 points.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S HEMP MILK MAYONNAISE (EGG-FREE)

Yield: 2 cups

This vegan mayonnaise is smooth, rich-tasting, and creamy, and a little tangy, but not too much. It is nice and white in color, too-- no green tinge from the hemp oil, surprisingly!

Mixture A:

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon cold water

1/2 teaspoon agar powder

3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (or wheat starch--do not substitute other starches! You can buy organic cornstarch or wheat starch in health food stores and online.)

Mixture B: (place in a blender, food processor, or, if you are using a hand/immersion blender, a 1 qt. deep bowl, milkshake cup, beaker or measuring cup or pitcher):

1 cup homemade hemp milk (rich or light variety) or commercial Original hemp milk

2 tablespoons vinegar (a light variety-- I use cider vinegar), or lemon juice

1/4 cup hemp seed oil (or use 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons hemp seed oil)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder

Additional: 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. guar or xanthan gum (you can leave this out, but it makes the mayo more stable)

NOTE: Don’t add the guar or  xanthan gum to Mixture B until JUST before you add Mixture A, NOT with it.  

In a small saucepan (if you are going to cook it on the stovetop) or in 2 cup microwave-safe bowl (if you are using the Microwave Method, below), mix together the water, and agar powder. Let the mixture soak for a few minutes.

While the agar soaks, place the Mixture B ingredients, the hemp milk, vinegar, oil, salt, and dry mustard, in a blender (preferably) or food processor or container you are using with your hand/immersion blender. NOTE: Don’t add the guar or  xanthan gum to Mixture B until JUST before you add Mixture A, NOT with it. Set aside while you proceed with Mixture A.

Whisk the cornstarch into the soaked agar mixture. Whisk the mixture together well.

The Stovetop Method for Mixture A: Stir it constantly over high heat with a whisk at first, and then a wooden spoon, until it is very thick and translucent.

The Microwave Option for Mixture A:

Add the cornstarch to the water and agar powder in the microwavable bowl, whisk together well, and microwave on full power for 30 seconds. Whisk. Repeat 2 times, or until very thick and translucent. (The microwave works well with cornstarch mixtures.)

NOTE: If you don't cook Mixture A thoroughly (and "translucent" is the key word), the mayo won't thicken properly.

Finishing the Mayonnaise:

Add the guar or xanthan gum to Mixture B in the blender, food processor or container you are using with your hand/immersion blender, and then the Mixture A on top of that. NOTE: Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot or bowl with the whisk, so that no cornstarch gets left at the bottom.

Blend until the mixture is very smooth and you can't see any oil globules, which will take about 2 minutes.(NOTE: This mayo doesn't get thick as you blend it, like regular mayonnaise or soy mayonnaise made with lots of oil, so don't blend it and blend it, thinking it will thicken as it blends- it won't!! It will thicken after a few hours in the refrigerator.)

Scrape the mixture into a clean pint jar, cover and refrigerate until it is set. Keeps about 2 weeks.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per tablespoon): 26.6 calories; 73% calories from fat; 2.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 94.1mg sodium; 2.3mg potassium; 1.3g carbohydrates; 0.1g fiber; 0.1g sugar; 1.2g net carbs; 0.5g protein; 0.7 points.

Cooking Tips
VARIATION: Do you prefer Miracle Whip to mayonnaise? Try this:

Use 1 teaspoon mustard powder, and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon organic sugar or agave nectar to the recipe (sugar levels in this type of recipe vary, so start with this and then let your taste dictate).

Dark Green Hemp Oil

Enjoy!