Recipe
Brazil nut milk
- Herb:
- Brazil nut Bertholletia excelsa
- Method:
- Culinary use
- Plant part:
- Fruit
About 15 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Soak 100 g of Brazil nuts overnight in cold water, then drain and rinse.
- Blend with 1 l of fresh water and a pinch of salt for 1–2 minutes until smooth.
- Strain through cloth or a fine sieve and squeeze well; add the pulp (okara) to porridge or baking.
- Keep in the fridge and shake before serving; sweeten with a date or vanilla to taste.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 100 g para ořechů na 1 l vody
- Solvent:
- namočení přes noc, rozmixování ve vodě, přecezení
- Shelf life:
- 3 dny v lednici
- Target compounds:
- tuk a bílkoviny tvoří emulzi; selen zůstává převážně v pevném podílu i v mléce
Notes
Brazil nuts are the richest food source of selenium: two nuts a day cover the need, a handful daily for weeks can push selenium over the top. This milk uses 100 g per litre — a glass corresponds to roughly 2–3 nuts. Not for people with nut allergy.
Why it works
Blending breaks the cells and forms an emulsion of fat and protein in water. Thomson et al. showed that just two nuts a day raise blood selenium like a 100 µg supplement — which is why with Brazil nuts the question is the ceiling rather than the minimum.
Literature
- Thomson CD, Chisholm A, McLachlan SK, Campbell JM (2008): Brazil nuts: an effective way to improve selenium status. Am J Clin Nutr 87:379–384 — Dva ořechy denně zvýšily hladinu selenu podobně jako doplněk 100 µg.
Related
Brazil nut — Herb card
Culinary use — Processing method detail