Almond Milk

How To Make Almond Milk

If you like almond milk as much as I do, why not try make it with your own almonds at home? It’s simple to do and you can control the quality of the milk. Here a simple tutorial on how to make almond milk at home.

But first, did you know that almond milk has been consumed since the Middle Ages? While almond milk has emerged to become one of our favourite plant milks, it was a staple in the medieval kitchen, as it keeps longer than cow’s milk (and it’s better for the health, too).

Nowadays you can find almond milk almost everywhere. However, most of the brands you see at the stores contain such a small quantity of almonds that you’re essentially paying for water and thickener. According to Choice, the most common content is 2.5% almond, which is equivalent to 2-3 almond kernels in 100 millilitres of almond milk. Shocking, isn’t it? This is why I never buy almond milk at the shop, unless I can find Inside Out Nutritious Goods, which contains 12% almonds. You pay a bit more, yes, but you’ll get better quality almond milk.

But if you have a bit of time, making your own almond milk is very fulfilling, not to mention tasty. Seriously, home made, fresh, almond milk. There’s nothing like it.

How to make almond milk at home

It involves three basic steps. Firstly you need to do is to soak the almonds in water overnight (you can also refrigerate them for about two or three days in the fridge to give yourself more time). After that you need to drain and rinse the almonds and then blend them with water. The resulting liquid, once you squeeze out every drop from the blended almond mixture, is fresh almond milk. It only lasts around three days in the fridge, because it’s raw and unpasteurised, so make just enough to keep you going for a few days.

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[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io_nYtOZ5Zg&width=1500&height=873[/embedyt]

How To Make Almond Milk

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 4 cups water, plus more for soaking
    A pinch of sea salt
  • A few drops of vanilla extract

Equipment

  • Nut bag or cheese cloth
  • A good blender
  • Two clean 500ml glass bottles

Instructions

  1. Place almonds in a large bowl and cover with about two cm of water (I use a large measuring cup to save on washing up). Cover and let stand on the kitchen bench overnight, or refrigerate for up to two days. The longer the almonds soak, the creamier the almond milk.
  2. Drain and rinse the soaked almonds (they should look big and plump). Transfer the almonds into the blender and add the water.
  3. Blend for one to two minutes until you get a smooth almond mixture.
  4. Line a large measuring cup with a nut bag or cheese cloth. Wash your hands.
  5. Pour the almond mixture into the bag or the cloth and the squeeze and press to extract as much almond milk as possible. Transfer into the clean glass bottles.
  6. Add sea salt and vanilla extract to flavour the almond milk. See notes for making other flavours. Store the in the fridge for up to three days. 

Chocolate Flavour

  • 500 ml fresh coconut milk
  • 1 tsp cacao powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Caramel Flavour

  • 500 ml fresh coconut milk
  • 1 tsp lucuma powder
  • 1 tsp mesquite powder
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar

 

What to do with the leftover almond meal:

You can use the leftover almond meal to add to smoothies, oat porridge, muffins or other baked goods. I keep mine flattened in a ziplock bag in the freezer and just break off a piece each time I need it.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and/or share a picture on Instagram and tag me in the picture.

Keren x

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