When it comes to kitchen waste, Australians go through around75,000 tonnes of cartons per year. Beyond this, only about 2 in 5 milk cartons are actually recycled. 

Now we know what your thinking - skipping the milk in your morning coffee or the kiddos cereal is just not an option. We agree! 

Fortunately, skipping your daily dose of plant milk is not the only way to reduce the number of cartons you empty. All you need is a container, some almonds or other nut milk base, and your trusty pal, the nut milk bag. 

But isn’t making your own nut milk messy and time-consuming?! Think again! Follow along to discover how to use this nifty bag to make your own delicious milk (and more!) without the hassle.

The Benefits of a Nut Milk Bag

Before we jump into the dos and don’ts of making your own plant milk at home, let’s talk about the undeniable benefits of making this switch. 

Like any sustainable swap, staying motivated is much easier and more meaningful when we know just how much impact our efforts are making!

Less Waste

First things first - making your own milk produces substantially less waste than buying packaged plant milk. Not only are hundreds of thousands of milk cartons thrown away each year, but the energy used to produce, deliver, and break down those cartons is exponential. 

Making your own homemade nut milk cuts down on both water and energy and helps to reduce greenhouse gasses! This is because paper carton products in the landfill break down into methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21x more powerful than carbon dioxide. 

Just by switching to this waste-free alternative, you can rescue hundreds of cartons from polluting our air (how’s that for a positive impact?)!

Better for You

We’re sure it comes as no surprise to hear that long-life milk isn’t exactly preservative-free. In fact, plant milk is only about 2% nuts! The rest of the carton is topped off with water, fillers, and pesky chemicals (no thanks carrageenan) to keep the milk tasting good for months on end. 

When you make your own nut milk, you are in complete control of what goes into your cereal, coffee, or even smoothie. With no preservatives, plastic leaching, or unnecessary fillers, you can trust that you are consuming the healthiest (and tastiest) plant milk!

Multipurpose 

Think your nut milk bag is just for almond milk? Think again!

Because these specially designed bags are the perfect strainers, you can use them all over the kitchen. From filtering your kombucha to sprouting, theseorganic cotton nut milk bags are soon to be your favourite kitchen helper. 

Get crafty with your own cheese, ensure the smoothest green juices, or even filter your favourite loose leaf tea with ease. 

Simple and Easy

Homemade doesn’t have to mean hard - especially when it comes to plant milk. Our nut milk bag is the perfect design to make your entire milk-making process easier, from straining to clean up. 

With organic cotton, our plastic-free bag is compostable at end of life and has a unique U shaped design for easy cleaning!Beyond this, the organic cotton nut milk bag is durable and long-lasting, so you can say goodbye to carton waste for good!

How to Make Nut Milk

Now that you know why we love our nut bags so much, it’s time to put them to work! Whether you love creamy coconut milk or crave that almond milk latte, we’ve got the perfect recipes to get you started.

Almond Milk or Cashew Milk

1. Begin by soaking 1 cup of almonds or cashews overnight or for at least 12 hours. Soak in water with ½ teaspoon of salt. 
2. Drain the water and rinse the nuts well - no need to save or re-use this water. 
3. Add your soaked nuts, 4 cups of water, and a sweetener of choice to a blender. You can use vanilla, cacao powder, or any other sweetener to suit your milk’s purpose. Blend for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and creamy. 
4. From the blender, pour your almond milk mixture into your organic cotton nut milk bag. Strain the milk by twisting and squeezing the liquid through the bag. 
5. Pour your almond milk into a glass jar or bottle and store it in your fridge. This milk is fresh and tasty to use for up to 4 days! 

Oat Milk or Coconut Milk

1. Blend 1 cup of oats or grated coconut with 4 cups of cold water for 30 seconds. Try using less water to produce thicker, more creamy variations for cooking or baking. The most important step here is to remember to use cold water. If you use warm or hot water, your milk may come out ‘gluggy’ and unappetising. 
2. Pour into Nut Milk Bag & strain the mixture
3. Voolah!

Try adding in extra flavour by adding 

• A pinch of sea salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pitted whole date
• 2 tbsp cacao powder or ¼ cup fresh berries (or both!)

Honey Walnut Cheese Spread

Not sure what to do with the leftover pulp from your nut milk? Try out making your own tasty cheese!

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups raw unsalted cashews
• 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• ¼ cup lemon juice 
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• ¼ cup walnuts plus more for serving
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Place cashews in a medium bowl and cover with cool water. Cover using asilicone food cover and soak in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight. 
2. Drain cashews and add to blender with garlic, lemon juice, water, honey, yeast, walnuts, sea salt, and olive oil. 
3. Blend for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy
4. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and place a fine-mesh strainer or calendar on top of the bowl. Place the nut milk bag on top of the strainer. 
5. Pour your blended cheese mixture into the nut milk bag and strain off the liquid. Gently form the cheese in the bag into a flat disk then twist the bag to secure. 
6. Place the disk on top of the strainer and return the disk, strainer, and bowl to the fridge to drain thoroughly. This should take at least 6 hours. 
7. Unwrap the nut milk bag and gently place your homemade cheese onto a serving platter. Top with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey. 
8. Serve chilled with crackers, vegetables, or any other platter favourites and store in the fridge for up to 5 days!

Using Your Pulp!

Get even more use out of your nut milk bag by using it for yourkombucha andmore! 

Better yet, use up every little bit of leftover nuts and oats by trying out creative recipes for yourself! If you don’t have time, or can’t find a recipe to use it all up, pop your pulp into yourSubpod composter and let the worms nourish your garden with the nutritious goodness!

Here are a couple of easy, waste-free recipes to inspire your nut bag leftover cleanup!

No-Bake Almond Pulp Energy Balls

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup leftover almond pulp
• 1 cup soft dates
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• 2 tsp cacao
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 slice of orange
• Pinch of salt

Topping:

• 2 tsp coconut flour
• 2 tsp cacao powder (sweetened)
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Pulse 1 cup of leftover almond pulp and 1 cup soft dates together in your food processor to break the ingredients apart.
2. Add in coconut, cacao, melted coconut oil, a slice of orange, and a pinch of salt. Blend in a food processor until thoroughly combined. Your mixture should be sticky and hold together easily. 
3. Roll mixture into small balls and place on a plate. 
4. Roll each ball in either coconut flour, cacao powder or cinnamon until thoroughly coated and store. Mix it up or keep each ball the same, it’s up to you!
5. Store in fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

Oat Pulp Bath Soak

Not in the mood for oatmeal cookies? Use up your leftover oat pulp in the bath with a nourishing and relaxing oat milk soak. 

Store your oat pulp in a glass jar for up to a week in the fridge then simply mix it into your bath water when ready. Add in your favourite essential oils or soak in the moisturising goodness of your oats on their own!

Easy as 1,2,3 and great for your skin and the planet!

Your New Nut Milk Bag

Whether you are brand new to reducing your waste and reducing toxins or you’ve been around the zero waste block, you’ll love how easy, fun, and handy our organic cotton nut milk bag can really be! 

From saving our planet to feeding your family the best nutrients, we can’t wait to hear about your nut milk bag experience!

Ready to get started? Pick up your newnut milk bag today and discover the homemade plant milk difference for yourself!