I've been reading a lot lately about how we should limit dairy and how good almond milk is for us. After being very disatisfied with the commercial brands available I thought I'd try making it from scratch.
Last week Jermaine from French Kissed did a beautiful blog post on making almond milk. That did it. I had to try it. She made it all look so elegant and easy.
As I washed and soaked my two cups of almonds I fantasized about sharing with my friends
bringing them bottles of pure homemade goodness.
After all, a batch lasts only a couple of days in the refrigerator and since I only use milk on my oatmeal I surely would have plenty to share.
Em...right.
Here's what they don't tell you:
1. Two cups of raw unsalted almonds in two and a half cups of purified water yields just two cups of almond milk. There is a whole lot of pulp that gets thrown away.
2. It is terribly slow going. I worked in small batches and it took me more than an hour to get just two cups.
3. It's a messy job.
4. Almond Milk is expensive to make.
Here's the process:
Once I soaked the nuts overnight I rinsed them and added four dates and two and a half cups of purified water to my blender and blended them well. Then, working in small batches, I pushed the nut mixture through a strainer, pushing out all of the liquid.
I poured the milk that filtered through the strainer into cheesecloth and strained it again
by squeezing the cheesecloth and letting the milk
SLOWLY collect in a cup.
If you're thinking of making almond milk for a family I'd consider getting a goat.
At this point in the process I was convinced his would be my first and last batch of almond milk.
But what I wasn't prepared for was the unbelievably wonderful favor and texture of homemade almond milk compared to what I had purchased in the grocery store. There is just a hint of sweetness from the dates and the consistency was perfect; thick and rich like cream and nothing like the nasty stuff I'd bought in the store.
Now that I've experienced homemade almond milk I will definitely make it again.
Costco has raw almonds in four pound bags for a little over $9.00 and Sunday I noticed they had Vitamix blenders for around $350. If you make a lot I figure you can get the price down to oh, say 30 bucks a quart.
Here's the recipe just in case you want to try it:
2 cups raw almonds soaked overnight
2 1/2 cups filtered water (add more or less depending on how thick you like your milk)
4 dates optional (pits removed)
Rinse the soaked nuts well in a strainer. Place soaked nuts, dates and water in a good blender and blend on high until smooth. Strain as shown above. Enjoy!
PS: I just ordered a nut bag from Amazon. I'm hoping it will make the straining process quicker. Next time I'll add a bit more water which should help too.
Encourage one another,
