(Cheri Redgrave devoted more than two years in developing an entirely new plant-based product, dairy-free milk substitute | Photo courtesy of Cheri Redgrave)
A Dairy-Free Milk Substitute for Recipes
“The good news is that you’re doing something no one has ever done before. That’s also the bad news,” was the response Cheri Redgrave received from marketing experts at the Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas when presenting Cheri’s HazelCream, a dairy-free milk alternative made here in Bend.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love dairy,” she said. “But dairy just doesn’t love me anymore.” After suffering from autoimmune problems her entire life, Redgrave finally went to a naturopath who suggested testing for food allergies. Those tests revealed that she was very allergic to multiple foods, including her beloved dairy — one of 36 million Americans who are in similar straits.
Best described as feisty and determined, Redgrave wasn’t willing to give up the flavor and texture that dairy-based products lend to cooking and baking. “I’m someone who loves to entertain. And I just couldn’t give up gravy. Sorry, but that wasn’t an option,” she said. “I tried all the common dairy alternatives, but you can’t make gravy with almond milk. It has too much water. Coconut milk is too sweet and do you really want gravy that tastes like oatmeal?”
And so began a two-and-a-half-year effort to develop a dairy-free milk substitute that culminated in an entirely new plant-based product: Cheri’s HazelCream.
She and husband Chris, an industrial engineer, started by doing experiments to figure out what made a good milk substitute. “Non-dairy milk substitutes, which taste okay when used in coffee, have always been a problem for cooking. None work very well in recipes,” she noted. They tested viscosities, oil smoking temperatures and a myriad of other factors between existing products.
At the suggestion of their friend Eileen, a fourth generation Hazelnut farmer, food scientist, and chef, they began experimenting with hazelnuts as a possible milk substitute. Eventually, “we perfected our process, and I began using our hazelnut alternative — which resembles a very, very fine paste before water is added — for my recipes. The first time I made gravy with our new milk substitute, I cried,” she said.
“When people came over for dinner, they were amazed and wanted to try it for themselves. Soon we began sharing mason jars full of our milk with friends and family, who told us it was great and suggested that ‘You ought to go out and sell this stuff.’”
So, Redgrave continued, “Silly as we are, we decided to see if there was a way to share this great new idea with people everywhere. Researching the permits, approvals. and paperwork was a challenge. We made our way through all that, but one issue remained. We’re not some giant conglomerate with a multi-million-dollar budget for a packaging line so we had to find a different way of delivering our dairy-free delight to the masses.”
“We looked at bottles, cans and aseptic cartons like everyone else. But then we realized how much easier and efficient it was to ship and store the product in its paste form instead of as a liquid product,” she said. “It takes up less room in the pantry and better yet, it’s shelf stable.”
In addition, Cheri’s HazelCream is easy to mix, and makes any liquid dairy. That means that in addition to milk, it can easily make cream, buttermilk, and even condensed milk. According to the company’s website. It looks like milk, tastes like milk, and works like milk — a 1:1 replacement — so recipes don’t need to be altered.
“Compared to whole dairy milk, Cheri’s HazelCream has much lower sodium, carbohydrates, and total sugar (one gram of sugar in an 8-ounce serving versus 12 grams), with slightly fewer calories per serving,” said Garland. Most of the calories come from plant-based fat in the hazelnut oil, which has been documented as being naturally high in antioxidants, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The product contains no gums, carrageenan, or soy; is vegan and paleo friendly; and uses only non-GMO natural plant-based ingredients.
The product’s retail stand-up pouch contains two premeasured potion pods, each of which can produce a quart of milk. “This is a bonus for consumers,” noted Redgrave, “as they can control the amount of water that is added to the paste. Less water means a thicker product — from whole to condensed milk and everything in between. The product is both versatile and easy to use.”
One of Redgrave’s first promotions was a cooking competition at COCC’s Cascade Culinary Institute. Teams of student chefs used Cheri’s HazelCream to cream a range of dishes from baba ghanoush (a smoky eggplant dip) to chocolate bread pudding, bourbon sauce for steak. (These recipes are collected in a book available on the company’s website with all proceeds going back to the Culinary Institute.)
Additionally, Redgrave and her friend Eileen have developed dozens of allergy-friendly recipes including Indian buttermilk squash soup, pumpkin scones, chorizo hashbrown casserole, and lemon cake. (All of these are available at no charge on the company’s companion website 2cooks4allergies.com.)
“Today, we are working to grow Cheri’s HazelCream into a regional and national success,” Redgrave said, “and have online customers from all over the country.” Stores that stock Cheri’s Hazel Cream include Market of Choice stores throughout Oregon; JEM Organics, Local Acres, Newport Market, and C.E. Lovejoy’s Brookswood Market in Bend; and Schoolhouse Produce in Redmond.
Redgrave is “also busy marketing to both businesses that use milk in their products (including bakeries and restaurants), and to individual customers, which is the biggest challenge. But when I do in-store demonstrations, and people taste Cheri’s HazelCream, they understand and love what the product can do for them.”
