We couldn't let the summer pass without the Valencian horchata de chufa recipe. Because if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that horchata and summer go hand in hand. And making homemade horchata is so easy! With just a few steps and 4 important tips to keep in mind, I bring you the top recipe to make it delicious.
At home I remember as if it were yesterday the summer snacks in which we would fill the ice bucket with horchata to make horchata slushies on hot afternoons. So sweet and refreshing, I think horchata is the first thing that comes to mind if I have to add flavor to summer.
Making horchata at home is super easy . All you need is a powerful food processor or blender to grind the tiger nut as much as possible. But even more important is a good mesh that doesn't let anything solid through and that will make the horchata smooth and completely liquid.
It should also be noted that it cannot be prepared overnight, but the tiger nuts must be soaked for at least 24 hours so that they swell and soften. The softer the tiger nuts are, the easier it will be to extract all their flavour.Finally, it is important to store it in a bottle with a stopper that isolates the horchata from the air, odors and flavors of the refrigerator. And I am in love with this airtight bottle from Luigi Bormioli made of Italian glass that is always full in my refrigerator.
Luigi Bormioli hermetic glass bottle and Mediterranean crystal glasses
Ingredients
- 500gr of tiger nuts*
- 2 liters of water
- 200gr of icing sugar
*It is recommended that they be from Valencia, and if they have a designation of origin, even better. This way you can ensure great flavour thanks to quality tiger nuts (with dried tiger nuts you will never get the best result, despite giving them good hydration).
Preparation
- Soak the tiger nuts in a large bowl . Cover with water and leave to rest for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Change the water at least once.
- The next day, wash and drain the tiger nuts. Put them in a food processor and blend them with half the water. Blend them well until they form a paste.
- On a large bowl (I love using this recycled glass one from Mediterranea ) we will place our Gefu cotton mesh . This mesh, apart from helping to retain the residue very well, is very easy to clean and makes squeezing very easy because it is very large and you can hold it easily even after adding a large amount of the mixture.
- Pour the crushed tiger nuts onto the mesh and squeeze them. Little by little, all the horchata will come out. Press it well with your hands, rotating it.
- When no more liquid comes out, we return the crushed tiger nuts to the blender, add the rest of the water and repeat the process. By repeating this process we get an extra flavour from the already crushed tiger nuts.
- We repeat the process and squeeze well. When we have finished, we discard the tiger nuts. We stir the horchata and add the icing sugar. We mix well and transfer it to a bottle. I have this one from Luigi Bormioli which is made of Italian glass and closes hermetically, which makes it perfect for storing the horchata, gazpacho or juices we make at home*.
- Chill in the fridge for a few hours (the colder the horchata is, the tastier it will be) and enjoy your homemade horchata!
*What is even better about Luigi Bormioli bottles is that the hermetic stopper separates completely from the bottle, allowing it to be served at the table with great elegance and comfort.
Comments
Charo said:
A mi hija le encanta¡¡ pero las dos últimas veces que la hice se estropeó y era como una cola de carpintero, horrible¡¡ no sé porqué ocurre esto pero eran horchatas ecológicas, un trabajo grande… así que no he vuelto a hacerla.
Claudia said:
Gracias, Hermela! Me apunto a lo de acompañarlo con unos fartons, sin duda!! :) Saludos para ti también, y feliz verano!
Claudia said:
Hola Ana Belén, personalmente creo que es una agua que debe desecharse, ciertamente por las impurezas que acaba conteniendo, pero para regar plantas sí te valdrá,sin duda. Un saludo!
Claudia said:
Sin duda, Emma!! Galletas, bizcochos o incluso pan, sin duda alguna podéis aprovechar los restos de chufa, especialmente en todo tipo de recetas dulces (incluso lo he visto en turrón) :) Gracias por la aportación, Emma, un saludo!
Emma said:
Lo que se puede aprovechar son los restos de las chufas trituradas para hacer galletas.
Ana Belén said:
Qué bien! quería una alternativa a las comerciales, que saben demasiado dulces para mí… y no son de mucha calidad… sustituiré el azúcar por dos cucharadas soperas de miel de castaño eco.. seguro que el resultado es espectacular :). Una pregunta, el agua de remojo, no es aprovechable, no, porque tendrá polvo y cosas desechables? porque supongo que la chufa suelte algo en ella,… la puedo aprovechar para regar las plantas?
Hermela said:
Riquísima,y con acompañamiento de unos fartons artesanos una merienda para las tardes de verano,saludos desde Valencia