Milky Oats - Info & Recipes
Milky Oats!
You've heard the term but you're wondering:
What are they?
Should I be taking them?
What do I even do with them?!
Milky Oats are a prized plant medicine in the herbal community. As herbalist, I look to supporting whole system health as a first step to any healing protocol. Incorporating herbs & foods that are nutrient-rich and restorative is an important (and often over-looked) way to bring balance to our bodies and address larger imbalances we may be experiencing. Nutritive herbs provide the building blocks for our bodies to rebuild, recover, and restore optimal functioning.
Milky Oats are an amazing herb for nervous system restoration. They are high in nourishing minerals necessary for healthy nerve function like silica, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, vitamins A, B, C, and E. These minerals are water-soluble and extract well by steeping fresh or dried Milky Oats in hot water, ideally for a minimum of 30 minutes and as long as 12 hours (the longer it steeps, the more minerals are drawn out into the tea).
In addition to the nutritive mineral content, fresh Milky Oats contain medicinal constituents that restore proper nervous system functioning. When we experience stress, chronic or acute, our nervous system is taxed and every system in our body is affected in some way. Over time, we can begin to feel depleted, exhausted, and at the end of our rope. Fresh Milky Oats tincture made via alcohol extraction is the best way to receive these ultra-restorative nervous system alkaloids.
Milky Oats are a revitalizing, fortifying, and nourishing herb that is safe for most people. They are especially helpful for anyone who is experiencing chronic stress and feels any of the following: burnout, fatigue, lethargy, over-wired and under-slept, anxiousness, emotional fragility, and/or poor focus & cognitive ability.
I like to think of Milky Oats as an herbal multi-vitamin of sorts. If you take one, that's great and will offer a small dose of the right raw materials for your body. If you take it regularly and over a period of time, the benefits will multiply and you will really feel a change in your life! Most people experience a shift within the first 2-3 weeks of incorporating Milky Oats into their routine and these are some of the positive outcomes:
- Improved energy and cognitive function
- Better sleep
- Less reactive to stress
- More calm, balanced, and centered
- A feeling of comfort
Three Ways to Process Fresh Milky Oats
1) Tincture
Herbal tinctures are concentrated liquid plant extracts. Most tinctures are made through alcohol extraction (steeping fresh or dried plant material in alcohol for a period of time) though some are made with glycerin or vinegar for an alcohol-free alternative.
Fresh Milky Oat Tincture made via alcohol extraction will contain those incredibly restorative alkaloids that are present in the fresh milky liquid of the Milky Oat. These alkaloids are mostly lost when the plant is dried (though the nutritive minerals still remain).
Fresh Milky Oats Tincture Recipe:
Ratio of Fresh Herb to Alcohol - 1:2
For each ounce of fresh Milky Oats by weight, measure out twice the amount of alcohol by volume. For example, if you have 8 oz of fresh Milky Oats, you'll measure out 16 oz of alcohol.
Alcohol Strength - an ABV (Alcohol By Volume) of 50% or higher is recommended, with 75% being ideal. Everclear 151 (75% ABV) can usually be found in most liquor stores. Fresh Milky Oats have a high water content and when making a tincture, the final ABV will be less than the strength of alcohol used by 10-15%. Herbal tinctures need to be 30% ABV or higher to be shelf-stable at room temperature. If 40% vodka is the only available alcohol to you that is absolutely fine, just make sure you don't exceed the 1:2 Fresh Herb to Alcohol Ratio.
1) Put your fresh Milky Oats in a blender or food processor.
2) Pour your measured amount of alcohol over the oats.
3) Blend on high until the oats are mostly pulverized. It should turn a vibrant shade of green.
4) Pour into a glass jar and cover. You may choose to put a small amount of parchment paper between the lid and the oats tincture. There should not be much space at the top of the jar - use an appropriate size jar for the amount of tincture you have.
5) Label and date your tincture.
6) Let it sit at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.
7) In approximately one month, strain through a cheesecloth into a clean jar or bottle. Squeeze as much liquid out as possible! Using a potato ricer is an effective method for smaller batches.
8) Dispense into a 1 oz, 2 oz, or 4 oz dropper bottle for easy taking. 1-2 dropperfuls (30-60 drops) 1-2x/day is an average dose, adjust to your needs.
Don't be alarmed if you see a layer of white sediment at the bottom of the jar. This is the milky oat medicine! Settling and separation is a normal part of Milky Oats tincture. Shake well before dispensing and before taking to distribute the constituents evenly.
Store at room temperature (or in the fridge if you tinctured with 40% ABV alcohol). Take daily and share the Milky Oats magic with all your friends!
2) Vinegar Extraction
Vinegar is an effective liquid to draw out the minerals and nutrients in the fresh Milky Oats, and it will also extract the alkaloids but to a lesser degree than an alcohol tincture. Vinegar extraction is a great alcohol-free way to get a more full-spectrum extract.
Ratio of Fresh Herb to Vinegar: 1:3
For each ounce by weight of fresh Milky Oats, measure 3 times the amount of vinegar by volume (I like raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar but you can use what you'd like). For example, 8 oz of fresh milky oats will need 24 oz of vinegar.
1) Add fresh Milky Oats to a blender or food processor.
2) Pour measured vinegar over the oats.
3) Blend on high until oats are mostly pulverized.
4) Pour into a glass jar and cover. Place a piece of parchment paper between the lid and the oats tincture or the vinegar will corrode the aluminum band. There should not be much space at the top of the jar - use an appropriate size jar for the amount of vinegar tincture you have.
5) Label and date your vinegar tincture.
6) Let it sit at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.
7) In approximately one month, strain through a cheesecloth into a clean jar or bottle. Squeeze as much liquid out as possible! Using a potato ricer is an effective method for smaller batches.
Optional - add honey (now you've made an oxymel!) to balance the acidity. You can also add other herbs of your choice into the vinegar extraction process to make a flavorful concoction.
Suggested dosage for a Milky Oats Vinegar Tincture is 1-2 tbsp 1-2x/day. Store in the refrigerator and consume within 1 year.
3) Drying Milky Oat Tops
Milky Oats are an excellent herb for teas and infusions - dehydrate them so you have them on hand for loose leaf tea throughout the year. Dried Milky Oats have a mild and pleasant taste, somewhat vegetal like fresh-cut straw, and they blend well with almost all other herbs. Plus, they add beautiful texture to any tea blend! Drying does diminish some of the potency of the alkaloids but it is a great way to consume the minerals and nutritive constituents.
To dry, place oats in a dehydrator and dry on low. Test for dryness by opening a cracking a few oats open - they should be dry in the center but not brittle. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can spread the oats on a baking sheet and place in a warm oven until dry. Do not let the temperature exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Store in an airtight container.
To make an infusion, steel 1 tbsp herbs to 10 oz boiling water. The longer you let the tea infuse, the more minerals will be drawn out into the water. Sip and be nourished!
Try our herbal remedies featuring our farm-grown Milky Oats!