If you told me 6 months ago I would be drinking almond milk much less making it I would have told you that stuff is for the birds! Well, apparently I am eating with the birds now. 😉 Not really, but I am loving some almond milk! I usually by the unsweetened stuff in the refrigerator section at grocer but I find that it has a strange consistency that does not allow me to drink it by itself. It’s oddly thick and has more ingredients than just almonds and milk. I admit, I probably won’t always make my own almond milk but it was so easy so I encourage you to give it a try!
Be sure to start with raw almonds. They are going to need to soak over night or leave them in some water in the morning before going to work and they will be ready when you get home. You will also need to prepare the the best mini food processor to produce the delectable results that you desire.
Almonds contain an enzyme inhibitor that protects the almond.. Soaking the almonds releases the enzymes and allows the nut to be more easily digested.
There are a few reasons to opt for almond (or coconut) milk over cow’s milk. The cow’s milk we get in the store is hard to digest for most people. The pasteurization process has denatured the enzymes that allow us to break down the milk sugar, lactose. Also, through homogenization, the milk is further turned into a non-food by forcing the milk through a powerful sprayer that breaks down the fat molecules so small that it is too easily absorbed through the arterial walls instead of being digested by enzymes in your digestive track. For more information, see http://primalhealthandfitness.com/blog/2010/08/14/homogenized-milk-does-a-body-bad/. Raw is always the best but in some states, like Louisiana, it is illegal to sell raw milk so in this case, cow’s milk is best to be avoided. This almond milk is a great, and natural alternative to cow’s milk to use in cooking, baking and to drink!
Give this a try, kinda neat how just almonds and water make this wonderful and versatile “milk”. The first batch I just added stevia and vanilla and then the next batch I made chocolate milk by adding some unsweetened cocoa. I even made strawberry milk by adding some strawberries.
Some people use much more water to almonds. I like the 2:3 ratio of almonds to water but feel free to use a bit more water if you want to stretch out your almond milk.
Soaking Almonds
4 cups almonds
6 cups of water
Yields about 4 1/2 cups of almond milk (maybe more if you can get nuts finer)
To make “Milk”
6 cups of water
1/8 tsp stevia (to taste)
1-2 tbsp vanilla
Optional Add ins: Unsweetened Cocoa, strawberries,
- Soak almonds for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Drain almonds and add to food processor, Vitimix, or blender.
- Add water. (You will need to do in 2 batches) and blend 3-5 minutes to break down almonds as much as possible
- Drain. I just used a wire drainer because my Ninja Blender didn’t get the pieces all that fine. You can also use a few pieces of cheese cloth in a strainer over a large bowl. Continue to press nuts to squeeze all of milk out.
- Flavor milk with stevia to taste and vanilla.
- If making chocolate milk, be sure to rinse out blender and return milk to blender and add cocoa.
- If making strawberry milk, add strawberries and blend.
- Store in refrigerator in air tight container. Will keep for 5-7 days.
- Shake well before use.
- To freeze for future use, pour in ice trays.
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| Recipe for Milk Shake coming soon! |
