Two ingredients - almonds & water, are blended together for a rich, creamy & thick almond milk that everyone can enjoy. A bonus is making your own almond flour as a result from straining.
For the past several months, we have been purchasing this Silk Almond milk at Costco. Hubby is a big milk drinker and loves Silk Almond milk for his Keto diet, since it has no sugar.
My daughter in law drinks non dairy soy milk and I asked her if she had tried almond milk. She told me that she didn't like the taste of the almond milk because it "didn't taste like almonds."
That prompted me to take a look at the ingredients...
This Silk almond milk is mostly water and contains agents (bean gum, lecithin, gellan gum) to give it more of a milk-like "mouth feel." Store bought almond milk has only about 4-5 almonds per serving, with 98% water!
I found almonds to be a good price at Costco, about $12.50 for a 3 pound bag. I store my nuts in the freezer, for a longer shelf life. I use them to make Cinnamon Candied Almonds, but now I'll be using them to make almond milk.
TIP: Did you know that almonds have a 2 year shelf life? You can extend its shelf life by putting them in the freezer.
Making almond milk is super easy, so let's get started!
1. Put one cup of raw, unseasoned, almonds into a container. Cover with water and a lid. Place it in the fridge overnight to soak. You can soak almonds up to 2 days.
Why Do Almonds Need to Soak?
Soaking helps soften the skins for easier removal. Almond skins contain tannin & phylic acid, which inhibits nutrients absorption. Soaked almonds release lipase, an enzyme beneficial for fat digestion.
Soaking improves the yield, texture and flavor, softening the nuts, making them less bitter, and more buttery-tasting. You can find more information on soaking almonds here.
2. Rinse the almonds & drain, using a strainer.
3. Put 3 cups of water into a high speed quality blender, then your drained nuts.
Your nut milk will only be as good as your blender. The more finely you can grind the nuts, the more flavor and yield you will have. I purchased my Vitamix 6300 at Costco several years ago and love it. They now come with a shorter jar that fits under your counter. BlendTec was my next choice, but I chose the Vitamix, as it had a tamper included, which is great for shakes & smoothies.
4. Starting at the lowest setting, blend your nut mixture, slowly increasing to its highest setting. Blend on this high setting for at least 45 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Store your thick, creamy almond milk in the fridge, shake and enjoy!
OPTIONAL - STRAINING
Straining almond milk removes the skins, resulting in an ultra smooth almond milk; however, it has less fiber. The bonus of straining is that you can dry the pulp and blend it into almond flour. You can find a few different straining options here:
Cheesecloth, Butter Muslin
I had this cheesecloth left over from my cheesemaking days and tried it with my almond milk. It works better when the cloth is laid over a metal strainer for support. Cheesecloth, or butter muslin, is inexpensive and reusable. Simply rinse in cold water and washed (no scented detergent or fabric softener). After a few uses, I noticed that the cheesecloth was beginning to rip or tear, especially when squeezing the milk out.
Cheesecloth comes in "grades," with 90 being the finest possible. The lower the number, the more loosely the weave and more likely your pulp will go through with the milk.
90 grade cheesecloth
Pros: Inexpensive, quick & easy to use, washable & reusable.
Cons: Must use unscented detergent, no fabric softener & can tear after several uses
Nut Milk Bags
Straining bags come in all sizes, shapes and in a variety of materials. I looked for one that has rounded edges for easier cleaning and a washable material that won't tear or rip. A double bag package found here on Amazon have good reviews and for under $10, is a great deal worth trying.
Nut Milk Strainer
I found this nifty strainer on Amazon that had good reviews. The price was under $20, so I thought, "Why not?"
I found it easier to let the milk drain in the fridge overnight, and then use the included tamper to press the pulp to release more milk. It was definitely easier than using the cheesecloth, but it felt like it took longer to get the milk out.
Pros: Under $20, strains 3-4 cups, easy to use, washable
Cons: takes more time to extract the milk
Don't throw away the pulp! Spread it in a thin layer and let it dry. You can speed up the process by using a dehydrator, air fryer or oven with a dehydrator setting. I use my Instant Pot Vortex for dehydrating: 105°F for four hours. After drying, pulse it in your blender to make about 3/4 cup almond flour.
Enjoy!!
Homemade Almond Milk
Making your own thick, creamy, fresh almond milk is incredibly simple and easy. Prepare the almonds the night before for soaking and make sure you rinse them before blending.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 3 cups of water
- High speed blender
- Fine mesh strainer, if desired
Instructions
1. Put almonds in a small container, cover with water, then a lid. Put covered container in the fridge for 8 hours or up to 2 days.2. Drain water from soaked almonds, using a fine mesh strainer and rinse well.3. Pour 3 cups of water into the blender, followed by the soaked & rinsed almonds. Put the lid on the blender.4. Blend the almonds, starting at the lowest setting, gradually reaching the highest speed. Continue blending at this speed for 45 seconds to 1 minute.5. Store your almond milk in a well covered container for up to 4-5 days, shaking well before pouring.OPTIONAL STRAINING for ALMOND FLOUR.1. For a smoother consistency, you can use 90 grade cheesecloth, nut milk bag or designated strainer. 2. Squeeze as much of the liquid out as you can, reserving the pulp. 3. Spread the pulp in a thin layer to dry. You can use a dehydrator, oven or air fryer with a dehydrator setting, set at 105°F for four hours. 4. When completely dry, put in a blender to make almond flour (about 3/4 cup.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 3-4.5 cups
