What Is Potato Milk? Here’s How to Make Your Own

Potatoes and I am going approach again. They’re one among my oldest and dearest associates, one of many first issues I discovered find out how to cook dinner for myself, and the one factor I might eat within the first trimester of being pregnant. They’re low cost, all the time in season someplace, and with loads of potassium and a bit protein, fiber and even vitamin C, they’ve more nutritional value than they get credit for. Mashed, hashed, pierogi’d, or oven-fried, I’ve by no means met a potato I didn’t like.

So, I felt greater than a bit betrayed by their latest gig: potato milk. Potato milk?

Potato. Milk.

How might you, potato? How might you?

As a diet skilled, I like to attempt new issues in order that I can discuss to shoppers knowledgeably about unfamiliar meals … and since it’s enjoyable. We’re additionally an allergy household, so I believed I had tried each conceivable plant-based milk: coconut, walnut, flax, quinoa, pea, rice, banana. I’ve even made my very own almond and hemp milks.

Enter Swedish model Veg of Lund to burst my skilled foodie bubble with its new, shelf-stable various milk named Dug, constituted of the common-or-garden potato. Dug claims that, along with its allergen-friendly, vegan components, potatoes are extra environmentally sound than most different plant milk bases, requiring far much less water and land to develop. These issues are essential to me, so I’ve resolved to swallow my misgivings and give it a attempt. Sadly, it’s not but commercially accessible within the U.S., however there are recipes popping up everywhere in the internet so you can also make your individual at dwelling. Is it a scorching potato or not? Let’s give it a shot.

On the whole, the recipes online recommend boiling between 1 and 1½ cups of potato and mixing it with a complete of 3½ to 4 cups of milk. There’s a large variation within the quantities referred to as for, however most recommend including a pinch of salt, a bit sugar or maple syrup, vanilla and almonds, which I felt was dishonest. There are dozens of sorts of potatoes, with completely different textures, flavors and starch content material, all of that are more likely to have an effect on the character of the milk. I had a number of completely different ones to attempt, however I began with a Yukon Gold on a hunch, hoping the background butteriness and velvety texture would be the finest approximation of dairy.

I boiled about 1½ cups (240 grams) of sliced potato in 4 cups of water. All the recipes I learn stated to cook dinner till tender however not falling aside, more likely to attempt to guard towards extra breakdown of the starches. I went for about seven minutes for these 1/2-inch slices. 

I poured the liquid into the blender and added sufficient further water to make a complete of 4 cups. I additionally added a pinch of salt, however no sugar or vanilla but — I wished to know what the bottom tasted like first. Then I added the cooked potato and blended it on excessive. Most recipes say to mix for upwards of 5 minutes.

Now, not one of many recipes I learn talked about The Foam Problem. All of them say to pressure your potato milk by tremendous mesh or cheesecloth, however I actually really feel they glossed over the froth as an entity we’ll must take care of. I needed to scoop loads off earlier than straining, perhaps as a result of I used my trusty Vitamix. I adore it as a result of it might juice a brick, however perhaps 5 minutes is just too lengthy with a extremely high-powered blender. 

I strained it twice to do away with the froth. Principally. So, right here it’s. You may wish to sit down.

It’s unhealthy. Supremely unhealthy. It’s translucent yellow with the feel of skinny, boiled cornstarch. It smells like (shock!) boiled potatoes. It tastes like boiled potatoes. All of the recipes say you should use it as you’d any plant-based milk. Properly, to that I say, no. No, you can’t. To take action could be an affront to potatoes and to exploit. Have a look at these potato starch granules, floating within the water like penguins in a Florida swimming pool. They’re clearly approach off track and really embarrassed to be there.

So, I made a decision to cheat because the recipes inspired me to do. I nonetheless refused so as to add almonds on precept, however I did add two teaspoons of sugar, one other sprint of salt and a few drops of vanilla. It was a bit bit higher, not so potato-y, nevertheless it’s nonetheless probably not drinkable. Hoping it could be higher in a recipe than it’s solo, I made a decision to make made chai.

I added honey and poured in about half potato milk by quantity. The chai covers the potato taste and colour pretty nicely. The potato provides a touch of richer mouthfeel. If you happen to examine it to the thinner plant milks, it’s someplace within the ballpark, however that isn’t actually a praise. It’s too low-fat to actually spherical out the spice and too low in protein to be creamy.

I made a decision to attempt one other selection, russet, hoping that utilizing the last word traditional, the king of potatoes, would enhance the end result.

Once more, I boiled, blended and flavored as earlier than.

Once more with the froth.

I attempted chilling it. It fashioned an unlucky goo pores and skin on the high and I needed to shake it to redistribute. I struggled with find out how to put this meals in its finest mild. All the pieces seems higher in a wine glass, proper? It’s not as translucent or as yellow, however the taste continues to be the vegan equal of scorching canine water.

I used to be disturbed by the persistent layer of froth regardless of all my straining and skimming. Decided, I made a decision to lean in, with a cappotchino.

Admittedly, this didn’t have sufficient foam to qualify as an actual cappuccino, nevertheless it was virtually drinkable. The load of it was about like espresso with almond milk — skinny however extra heft than simply black espresso. The feel of the froth was really not unhealthy. It had some massive bubbles that correctly foamed milk doesn’t, however loads of them are tremendous and fluffy. The factor is, they style like potato (go determine), particularly on the end. It’s virtually bitter, fairly vegetal, most paying homage to the odor of uncooked potato, with a smidge of dust.

Briefly, completely not.

I skimmed it another time and tried it within the type that’s most basic in the event you’re searching for an actual various to exploit: over chilly cereal. It’s really not unhealthy, one thing like skim milk. I don’t get any potato. The resultant cereal milk isn’t as creamy as I wished it to be, nevertheless it wasn’t horrible.

The worst approach I attempted this one was “cream” gravy. No cream, no gravy. It’s unhappiness in corporeal type. Even with roux and broth focus, it was skinny and flavorless. As a Texan raised to consider cream gravy is without doubt one of the 4 meals teams, the primary component on the periodic desk, and a very powerful of the three branches of presidency, I used to be offended with each cell of my physique. Serving mashed potatoes with potato milk gravy ought to be a capital offense.

One of many recipes I learn famous that you can use candy potato. Candy potatoes are literally a root tuber member of the morning glory household moderately than a nightshade stem tuber like white potatoes, however they do cook dinner up very equally.

So, I dutifully sliced up 240 grams, boiled and blended. This one may be very candy, nevertheless it didn’t actually foam up, and there’s no bitter aftertaste. It’s additionally not as very similar to a gel, though it’s not very similar to a milk, both. It doesn’t require sweetening or flavoring, however I did add a pinch of salt.

It’s so candy that I don’t recommend making an attempt to make use of it in most savory dishes. It wouldn’t work nicely in typical cream sauces, for instance. You would use it as a base for smoothies, although, or a visually spectacular iced maple-chocolate macchiato. If I make this once more, I’ll add a bit coconut cream, nevertheless it was by some means fairly good as is. 

Nonetheless, I really feel like none of those pure potato efforts provide an actual various to exploit that might work in most recipes. I gave up and acquiesced to making an attempt including some almond. I’m actually irritated about this, as a result of it’s such a bait-and-switch that undoes a number of the purported environmental advantages of potato milk. Even Dug provides pea protein to their product, although; I believe it’s actually obligatory to take action to make it usable in all kinds of contexts. It provides expense and takes much more work however makes a far superior milk.

To make this model, I used rather less potato and added my very own secret ingredient for the best almond milk: almond flour, rather less than a tablespoon per cup of scorching water. You need to pressure it by extra-fine cheesecloth or a nut milk bag to do away with the powdery mouthfeel, however you’ll be able to freeze the remaining almond pulp and use it to exchange 1/4 of the flour in pancakes or muffins.

The ensuing milk is brighter white, opaque, creamier and a bit extra nutritious. It didn’t foam as a lot, and I might completely drink this plain. Is it value going to the difficulty so as to add the boiled potato to my in any other case fairly serviceable selfmade almond milk? I’ve to confess it appears to make it extra secure for cooking, much less more likely to cut up in a sauce, and it added a really superior texture to this pan pizza crust.

The mix of a starchy tuber with the fats and protein in a nut or legume is the perfect of each plant-milk worlds. I actually like that method each as a dietitian and a shopper. Nonetheless, I’m trying ahead to with the ability to purchase this off the shelf some day quickly. Dug is calcium- and vitamin-fortified to make it nearer to dairy milk in dietary worth, and so they say it solely makes cappuccino foam along with your consent. I can dig it.

Substances

1 medium russet potato (about 1¼ cups diced, or about 200 grams)

4 cups water, plus a bit extra to appropriate quantity

4 scant tablespoons almond flour

a splash or 2 of salt

2 teaspoons sugar (non-compulsory)

a number of drops of vanilla extract (non-compulsory)

Directions

Peel the potato and lower into half-inch slices.

Carry a pot of water to a boil, and boil potatoes till tender however not disintegrating, about 7 minutes.

Switch the new cooking water right into a blender, reserving the cooked potato, and add the remaining components to the new water. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes to melt the almonds.

Add sufficient further water to equal 4 cups complete, after which add the potato to the blender. Mix on excessive about 4 to five minutes.

Pressure by a really tremendous cheese fabric or nut milk bag. It can save you the remaining almond pulp so as to add to pancakes or muffins.

Retailer the potato-almond milk coated and refrigerated for as much as 4 days.