So, you’re here because you’re one of the smart ones. There’s just no substitute for a deeply delicious, roasty toasty, mouth watering homemade orgeat, and I’m going to tell YOU how to make it for yourself at home.
WHAT IS ORGEAT?
Orgeat is, at its heart, a simple syrup. However unlike your typical simple syrup made from sugar and water, orgeat uses a nut milk in place of water as its main liquid component. It is also often fortified with booze and/or extracts.
Although Orgeat typically refers to an almond flavored syrup, it can be made from many different kinds if nuts and even seeds!
We have had or seen orgeat made from sunflower seeds, pecans, pistachio, and even avocado seed! The possibilities here are vast and it’s completely up to you what kind of orgeat will work best for your use case.
In this post we will be making the most incredible cashew orgeat for use in our Thai inspired Mai Tai. However, using this technique, you’ll be armed and ready to go forth into the world and tiki your lil heart out. ❤️
OKAY, LET US ORGEAT.
Step 1.
Toast your cashews in a dry pan over medium-low heat.
Step 2.
Cover toasted cashews with equal parts water in a sealed container. Make sure that all cashews are covered and allow to soak overnight.
Step 3.
Add soaked cashews and any remaining water to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Step 4.
Using a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag, extract as much cashew “milk” from the solids as possible. Be sure to press and squeeze out every last drop!
Step 5.
Measure yield of toasted cashew milk, and add equal parts coconut palm sugar to a medium sauce pot.
Step 6.
Simmer on low heat until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth, creamy, and slightly foamy at the edges.
Step 7.
After allowing your syrup to cool, you can go ahead and bottle your orgeat and use it for at least a month.
HOWEVER this is the point were you can really take your orgeat to the next level!
Add in approx. 1 oz of aged (or any) rum per quart for extended shelf life and flavor.
You can even boost the aromatics of your syrup EVEN MORE with a few DROPS (be careful not to over do it) of rose water, maybe some almond or vanilla extract, the world is your oyster so to speak.
aaaaaand that’s it. You have officially joined the B.O.E.C. (BIG ORGEAT ENERGY CLUB)!
Let us know how your orgeat came out and what you used it for!
Cheers!
-Very Good Drinks
Toasted Cashew Orgeat
This creamy, nutty, goodness will take any tiki cocktail TO THE NEXT LEVEL. This would also be sooooo good in coffee drinks too!
Ingredients
- Cashews
- Salt
- Coconut Palm Sugar
- Distilled Water
- Rum for Preservation
Instructions
Toast the cashews in a dry pan over medium-low heat (we started with 2 cups of cashews).
Cover toasted cashews with equal parts water in a sealed container and allow to soak overnight.
Add soaked cashews and any remaining water to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Using a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag, extract as much cashew “milk” from the solids as possible. Be sure to gently press to squeeze out every last drop!
Measure yield of toasted cashew milk.
Add Cashew milk and equal parts coconut palm sugar to a medium sauce pot.
Simmer on low heat until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth, creamy, and slightly foamy at the edges.
After allowing your syrup to cool, bottle your orgeat and use it for at least a month.
Notes
Feel free to swap out ingredients and get creative!