You need to keep a few things in mind when boiling oat milk just like cow milk. What is the risk of boiling oat milk? Boiling oat milk can make it slimy and thicken the mixture. This makes it ideal to cook and make sauces, but is not desirable for drinking. For typical use, oat milk should only be heated to 160°F. Find out how oat milk is made, how to keep it from thickening, and how to heat it in the article below.
What Is Oat Milk?
A type of plant-based milk that is made from oat grains is oat milk.
To make oat milk, seeds or grains are ground with water and other flavorings, then strained.
Oat milk is made in a similar way to nut milk, with a few minor differences.
Since oats tend to soak up a lot of water, they are usually ground directly in cold water. This avoids you from coming up with a slimy and thick mixture when you grind soaked oats.
Commercial oat milk products use additives, preservatives, and stabilizers to fix the consistency of the milk due to this property.
Heat is another huge factor that can affect the quality and consistency of your oat milk, even if you process the grains correctly.
Boiling Oat Milk
The visual and textural characteristics of oat milk are strikingly similar to those of regular cow milk – a natural dairy-free and vegan alternative.
In contrast to regular milk, oat milk can either thicken or curdle at boiling temperatures.
During high temperatures, oats undergo chemical changes that cause them to thicken.
Whenever you overheat regular oats, they can become thick and slimy. Oat milk is no different.
The nutritional value of oat milk is lower than that of regular milk, so it is usually fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Oil and stabilizers are also common additives, which make milk creamier while also increasing its viscosity at higher temperatures.
Commercial oat milk products are less healthy than homemade oat milk. Adding simple ingredients like vanilla extract and honey can go a long way in making your grain milk healthier and tastier.
Let’s look at how you can make your own oat milk before discussing the best method for heating it.
By understanding the techniques used to make oat milk, we can gain a better understanding of how heat affects its properties.
How To Make Oat Milk At Home
Oat milk is extremely easy to make and only requires 4 ingredients:
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Water
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Oats rolled
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Extract of vanilla
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The sweetener
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When oats are heated, one cup of rolled oats will result in a different consistency than quick-cooking oats and steel-cut oats.
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Gluten-free, organic oats free of wheat contamination and pesticides will make your oat milk taste better and be smoother.
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Pour 4 cups of cold water into a blender and add the rolled oats. The oats will not be soaked beforehand as is suggested in many recipes.
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By presoaking the oats, you will get a slimier mixture and the oat milk may curdle when heated.
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Blend the mixture for no longer than 20-30 seconds to avoid curdling or thickening the oat milk.
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When the milk is heated even slightly, the friction created by the blades will dramatically affect the overall texture of the milk.
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You will need to strain the mixture in a high-quality and tightly woven nut milk bag to achieve the best results.
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You can double-filter the mixture with a new bag if you do not want the pulp to be added after straining.
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Oat milk will remain fresh for up to a week in an airtight jar kept in the back of the refrigerator.
In this recipe, extra steps are taken to reduce residual heat, which results in a better-heated product.
Check out this YouTube video from Downshiftology for a visual tutorial.
How To Heat Oat Milk
Having made oat milk, let’s discuss some techniques for heating it.
Oat milk can be warmed in three main ways if you are using it as a substitute for regular milk in beverages.
Remember, the keyword here is “warm up” and not “boil.”
Heat oat milk without changing its consistency by following these steps:
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Method using microwaves
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Method based on the stove
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Method of baking in the oven
Microwave Method
In order to prevent oat milk from curdling or becoming slimy, we will use the start-stop technique.
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Heat a glass of water at the maximum setting for 30-45 seconds. Carefully remove the glass and close the microwave.
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For better results, let the oat milk mixture rest at room temperature before you microwave it.
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Microwave the milk on a medium setting for 15 seconds at a time, checking after each cycle. Do not overheat the milk in a microwave; it is very easy to do.
Alternatively, you can use a cooking thermometer to determine the milk’s temperature, which shouldn’t exceed 160°F.
Stove Method
In comparison to other methods of heating milk, this method gives you a lot more control over how much the milk heats.
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Heat the pot on medium-low with the desired serving size.
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You want to heat the mixture enough to your liking without agitating it or causing it to violently bubble. Wait until it steams or bubbles on the sides.
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Through a heat diffuser, you can indirectly warm the oat milk to great results.
The best texture is achieved by removing the mixture from the heat as soon as it reaches 150°F using a cooking thermometer.
Oven Method
Using the oven method is tedious and time-consuming, but it produces consistent results since it uses ambient heat instead of direct heat to warm up the mixture. Anyone who wants to safely warm up large batches of milk without affecting the texture should use this method.
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The oven should be preheated to 200°F.
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Place the container on the middle rack of your oven in an oven-safe container of the appropriate size.
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The mixture should be heated for about 5-8 minutes at 150°F. After 5 minutes, check to see if it is adequately heated and adjust the remaining heating time if necessary.
Related Questions
In the same way that regular milk can be heated, oat milk can be heated in the same way by using some precise techniques. The following questions are related to heating oat milk:
Can you add oil to homemade oat milk?
Oil can improve the consistency and prevent thickening of homemade oat milk, but it may also change its flavor and even make it less healthy. As an alternative, digestive enzyme capsules containing amylase can help break down the carbohydrate in the mixture, resulting in a runnier mixture that is heat-resistant.
Can you freeze oat milk?
You can freeze oat milk, which will extend its shelf life by several months. It is best to store it in an airtight container. To prevent mushy and slimy oat milk, always thaw it in the fridge overnight.