If you have no tolerance for lactose, then you would be glad to know that there is a new contender in the plant-based drinks market. Soy and Almond milk watch out; potato milk could be the next big dairy alternative in 2022?
Unfortunately, commercially-made potato milk is not that widely available in supermarkets yet. However, you can make potato milk at home quite easily.
But before you embark on the mission of making your own potato milk at home, let’s see what makes this beverage worth considering.
What Is Potato Milk?
Potato milk is exactly what its name implies—a milk-like beverage made from potatoes. It is mainly marketed as a milk substitute akin to other plant-based beverages such as soy or oat milk, emphasizing sustainability and affordability.
The hype around potato milk is big. Waitrose—an important British supermarket chain—declared that potato milk would become the most significant alt-milk trend of 2022 [1], with Forbes tentatively backing up this prediction.
However, the truth is the market is overflowing with plant-based milk options. After trying coconut milk, hazelnut, pea, or soy milk—why should you give spuds a chance?
The key is in sustainability and nutrients.
Is Potato Milk Sustainable?
We are in a new era when it comes to food. Day after day, more people proclaim their concerns about sustainability and the environmental impact of their food. For these people, potato milk is the answer.
Developed in Sweden, potato milk results from Eva Tornberg’s arduous research at the Lund University in Sweden. As a professor in the food technology department and head of innovation at development at a Swedish food company, her goal was to create sustainable milk with high-quality proteins [2].
Her efforts worked and culminated with the release of DUG, the world’s first potato milk, and the trendsetter worldwide.
According to Prof. Tornberg, Potato milk outperforms other alternative milk options in terms of sustainability, as it is very efficient. Potato crops require less water than almonds, less land use than oats, and minimal greenhouse emission compared to soy.
Potato Milk Nutrition
The appeal behind the concept of potato milk also lies in its nutritional value. It is allergen-friendly, free from lactose, soy, or gluten, and relatively low-risk for most people to consume. Likewise, potatoes have many complex carbohydrates, vitamins, fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.
The original brand-name potato milk developed by Professor Tornberg claims a high nutritional value. Per every 100 ml, it boasts of just 39 calories, 4.4 g of carbohydrates, 1.1 g of fiber, and 1.3 g of protein. Likewise, it provides 15% of the recommended daily dose of calcium, riboflavin, folic acid, and vitamin D.
Of course, the nutritional value will slightly differ for homemade recipes like the one below.
But the big question is—is it tasty?
What Does Potato Milk Taste Like?
According to Rachel Hosie from Insider, DUG milk has a mild and pleasant flavor that borders on “generic.” It’s not strong and does not resemble the taste of potatoes at all. Likewise, it has a creamy texture that is relatively thick in comparison to other dairy alternatives.
However, many Amazon UK reviews complain that the beverage splits when mixed with hot drinks, and Hosie also claims it has a bit curious flavor when used in coffee.
On the other hand, plenty of other comments affirm the opposite—it does not split and adds a mild and pleasant taste with a slightly sweet flavor that is perfect for miscellaneous recipes.
Overall, it seems to be a matter of taste and discussion and depends on brewing methods. But of course, this only applies to the commercial version of the milk.
What Potato Milk Should You Buy?
There are not many options in the market—to buy potato milk, you will have to buy DUG, Prof. Tornberg’s pioneering brand.
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Originating in Sweden, it quickly spread across Europe and is now reaching American soil. It comes in three versions—Original, Unsweetened, and Barista. They have a long shelf life and a vast range, but they will remain hard to acquire as long as there is only one manufacturer.
But luckily, there is a rather way to make this drink at home.
How To Make Potato Milk
4
servings10
minutes12
minutes121
kcal22
minutesPotato milk is essentially potato water with some extra steps. Potatoes do not have a high-fat content, so in order to mimic the texture and feel of dairy milk, it needs to have additional fat content.
Checking DUG’s ingredient list, it is clear the beverage is a combination of potato water with rapeseed oil, additional sugars, additional vitamins, and emulsifiers. Naturally, it is nearly impossible to make a perfect copy at home, but you can get pretty close to the real deal with some creativity.
Best part? It is much easier to make at home than most other milk alternatives, and it can last around two to three days in your fridge.
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Ingredients
One (1) large white potato. Avoid russet potatoes as they can give a bitter flavor
2 to 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, agave, or liquid stevia
3 to 4 cups of cold, filtered water
A small pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
¼ cup of raw blanched almonds for added nutty flavor (optional)
Directions
- If desired, soak the blanched almonds one hour before preparing the milk. Set aside.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small 1-inch chunks. Place them inside a pot and cover them with water until submerged.
- Boil over medium-high heat until potatoes feel tender when poked with a fork. Don’t over-boil as potatoes will turn mushy.
- While the potatoes are boiling, put the almonds on a cutting board and chop them into smaller pieces.
- Remove the potatoes from heat and drain them.
- Place the chunks in the blender or a food processor together with the water. Add the sweetener of choice, pinch of salt, almonds, and/or vanilla if desired. Blend until smooth.
- Once the mixture is smooth, use a strainer lined with cheesecloth to strain the milk to remove any small bits.
- If the milk turned out a bit too thick, add a bit of cold water.
- Use just like any other plant-based milk on your morning coffee, making governing oats, or on your breakfast cereal.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Some good potato varieties for making potato milk are Cascade, White Rose, Superior, Kennebec, Cobble, Snowden, La Chipper, and Atlantic. Or you can even use White Sweet Potatoes.
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Is Potato Milk Worth The Hype?
At the end of the day, it’s a matter of trial and error when it comes to using it.
Each milk alternative brings something new to the table that may appeal to someone’s tastes or be more beneficial for specific uses. Whether or not the flavor is good depends on each person’s taste preferences and also how well you mastered the recipe.
However, until potato milk becomes more commercially available, the homemade version is an easy and quick recipe to try out. The ease of preparation and high nutritional value makes it worth it.