I love almond milk – it is by far my “milk” of choice. Although store bought it’s not as “clean” as I like. Containing triacalcium phosphate, almond flavor, salt and gellan gum, making my own seems like the best way to have pure almond milk.
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Ingredients:
- one cup of raw almonds
- 4 cups of filtered water – either cool or room temperature
You will also need a blender, cheese cloth or a sieve, and a large pitcher or container to store the milk in.
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Start with soaking a cup of raw almonds over night in filtered water.
Drain the almonds and place in a blender. Add 4 cups of filtered water.
Blend, blend and blend! I like to blend for at least a good minute. It will be frothy – look at all the bubbles.
Let rest for a few minutes. Then take a large pitcher, place cheese cloth or a nut bag over the top and pour some of the milk in slowly. Take a spoon and gently stir to help the milk drain. You will have almond mush once the milk has drained. I like to do this several times in small batches.
Take the cloth and gently squeeze it dry. Once it’s dry, place pulp in a separate bowl for later use. Do not throw this away as it has great baking potential.
Store in a covered pitcher and keep refrigerated for up to a week. I used a piece of plastic wrap to cover my milk but if you have something that has a lid that works even better.
There are other variations of milk that you can make. If you want a vanilla almond milk add 6 dates or 1/4 cup agave nectar and a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
You can also add less water if you want a thicker “cream” type milk or more water if want a thinner consistency; like non-fat milk.
Feel free to also add a variation of spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg for a special treat. Or add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to the vanilla milk recipe and you have instant chocolate milk!
I hope this shows you how easy making your own nut milk is. You can also experiment with other nuts; like cashews. Just remember to keep the nut pulp and freeze it; a lot of raw dessert recipes call for this pulp.
Enjoy!
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