# The different milks!



## blissful (Dec 15, 2011)

This isn't about dairy milk, though it's another kind of milk.

What do you think about all the kind of new milks out there? Do you make your own, do you buy into all the different kinds?

Soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, flavored milks, 1%, 2%, whole milk. Some flavored with almond or vanilla, some unflavored.

I wanted coconut milk (a can of liquid from the coconut) and ended up with something from the refrigerated section called coconut milk (it was still good, yummy).

How do YOU use them, do you like them, do you use them? How do you use them, do you drink them instead of cow's or goat's milk?


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## jennyema (Dec 15, 2011)

Most are not really new.  Soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk have been around for ages.

I think what you got was coconut water, which is sort of new and is commonley used by athletes to avioid dehydration -- a healthier gatorade.

We use rice milk. I use is like regular milk.


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## bakechef (Dec 15, 2011)

I would agree that they are not new, but many are now being mass produced and merchandised in the dairy section instead of the organic/natural aisle, so they are more readily available, even in "basic" grocery stores.

I use vanilla almond milk.  I use it for cereal and drinking.  I still cook with regular milk though.  I like that the sweetened vanilla milk has similar calories to regular low fat milk, but feels and tastes as rich as half and half, but I don't feel the need to add sugar to unsweetened cereal.

I have tried coconut milk, and even though I love coconut, I didn't like it for similar uses as almond milk, it was OK for drinking.


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## LPBeier (Dec 15, 2011)

My hubby can't have dairy or soy so we have run the gamut of alternatives.

There is a soy free Almond milk that we find great for drinking and using on cereal, etc.  I have tried rice milk for baking with mixed results.  Neither of us are too keen on drinking it.  We get canned coconut milk and he dilutes it with filtered water.  I use this and a powdered potato milk for most of my cooking.  The potato "milk" powder is specially good for things like scalloped potatoes and other savoury dishes.


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## buckytom (Dec 15, 2011)

i used to love silk brand chocolate soy milk until i read the label. as much sugar as a king sized candy bar!


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## LPBeier (Dec 15, 2011)

buckytom said:


> i used to love silk brand chocolate soy milk until i read the label. as much sugar as a king sized candy bar!


Yeah, before we found out DH couldn't have soy, we bought the unsweetened silk - but were shocked at the amount of sugar even in that one!


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## Zereh (Dec 15, 2011)

I do not eat cereal; I don't like milk & never have. LOVE love all things cheese and yogurt though ...   

I use Almond milk for oatmeal. I buy a four-pack of the handy little 8-oz containers so I always have some on hand and I don't have any waste like when I open a larger box.

I will readily use half & half / cream to cook with.

I adore coconut milk, I could probably eat rocks if they were simmered in it.  I'm also on my second container of coconut oil and am mightily impressed with it's super clean taste & high heat point.

I've not had goat's milk, I should try it. I do love Chevre ...


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## Steve Kroll (Dec 15, 2011)

blissful said:


> How do YOU use them, do you like them, do you use them? How do you use them, do you drink them instead of cow's or goat's milk?


I don't consume a lot of dairy to begin with. I eat cheese once a week, and maybe a couple of bowls of cereal with milk. But that's about it.

I'm a little dubious of milk-like products, especially soy milk. A lot of people think of soy as a magic bullet, but I've read too many scientific articles that paint a different picture. Most seem to agree that some soy is okay, but it's not something you should consume a lot of, and certainly not on a daily basis. The biggest problem is that it contains isoflavones, which your body "sees" as an estrogen compound. Enzymes in soy also inhibit absorption of minerals that your body needs, such as zinc and iodine.

Not to put a damper on things, but it's worth reading about and making up your own mind.

What Are The Dangers Of Daily Soymilk Consumption? | LIVESTRONG.COM
Could Eating Too Much Soy Be Bad for You?: Scientific American


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## blissful (Dec 15, 2011)

I appreciate ALL the posts.
I've been 'not out there' for a year, and have not seen the different types of milks until recently. (broken car, not renewing license, saving money, not working outside the home)
Anyways, in reading all about these, I see that there are political and medical discussions about 'not monsanto', about estrogens--it's just not my grandmother's cookbook anymore.Definitely something to think about--I'm unsure what I want to do about it.

So I'll have to do more research to find what I can accept or not accept.
In making these kinds of milks, there is a LOT of information.

For almond milk--it's soaked and not cooked at any point.
For Rice milk--it's cooked a long time in a lot of water.
For Soy milk--it's cooked at some point and sometimes oatmeal is added to give it stability. Remove or don't remove the skins--to get rid of the 'beany taste'.

All of them are then ground, or blended, then strained. Sweetened and flavored, if you like mostly with maple syrup, honey or sugar and then vanilla.Some are unflavored to use in savory dishes too. Soy coffees seem popular.

At first here, I just want to make some 'milk' they can eat with their cereal (BLAU)--they eat this sugary crunchy not good for you cereal, and I'll use it with my granola, or oatmeal w/chopped apples and cinnamon.
I'll have to call it something like Silk Milk--since rice and soy are frowned upon by the naysayers in the house, for now anyways. (don't feed me rice or couscous or tofu)

Today I'm making rice milk, it's a secret, don't tell anyone. Thanks


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## Addie (Dec 15, 2011)

I read a report this morning about soy milk and other soy products. For couples trying to conceive, soy lowers the fertility of both women and men. The sperm count on men who use soy on a regular basis drops considerably and also reduces the ovulation on women. I am way past child bearing age, but I wonder if I would have had six pregnacies if I or my husband had used soy products. We must have been eating fertility foods without even knowing it.


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## Timothy (Dec 15, 2011)

Zereh said:


> I've not had goat's milk, I should try it. I do love Chevre ...


I tried some Chevre last night for the first time ever and LOVED it! Man, that stuff is tastey!

I drink all the various milks, but prefer ice cold skim milk over all of them.


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## spork (Dec 15, 2011)

A timely reminder!  My aunt's coming for the holidays, she drinks soy milk, so I need to get a carton in the frig.  She's a marathoner.  I think it's because the medals come easy when so few people her age can run that far in one stretch.

I've always wondered...  I learned in elementary school that mammals are defined by a set of glands that produce...  milk.  How can milk be extracted from plants?  What exactly is the definition of "milk?"

I don't consume much of it, so mine, some of it frozen, is chock full of fat.


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## Dawgluver (Dec 15, 2011)

spork said:
			
		

> I've always wondered...  I learned in elementary school that mammals are defined by a set of glands that produce...  milk.  How can milk be extracted from plants?
> 
> .



Teeny tiny nipples....  (Sorry Spork!)


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## spork (Dec 15, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Teeny tiny nipples....  (Sorry Spork!)


Dawg!!  How many times do I have to send you to my DC-pound list!  

Actually, that might be a fun title to compose in slack key...  logging off for the evening to fiddle with my guitar...


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## blissful (Dec 15, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Teeny tiny nipples....  (Sorry Spork!)



The subject of the post should be .........fake milk.
It just doesn't rhyme like Silk Milk.
Fake anything never seems very appetizing as a descriptor.
Hi Honey, want some rice water? care for a little soy water? how about a little almond water?


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## taxlady (Dec 15, 2011)

Steve Kroll said:


> I don't consume a lot of dairy to begin with. I eat cheese once a week, and maybe a couple of bowls of cereal with milk. But that's about it.
> 
> I'm a little dubious of milk-like products, especially soy milk. A lot of people think of soy as a magic bullet, but I've read too many scientific articles that paint a different picture. Most seem to agree that some soy is okay, but it's not something you should consume a lot of, and certainly not on a daily basis. The biggest problem is that it contains isoflavones, which your body "sees" as an estrogen compound. Enzymes in soy also inhibit absorption of minerals that your body needs, such as zinc and iodine.
> 
> ...



My doctor told me to avoid soy and all estrogenic foods. I just use regular old cow's milk. I would be happy to use goat's milk, but it's lots more expensive than cow's milk around here. I sometimes buy goat's milk yoghurt, because it tends to break less in cooking.


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