Sunday, January 23, 2011

How To Make Almond Milk

Unsweetened Almond Breeze is a staple in our house, but this year I decided I was going to make my own Almond Milk at least once a week.  The main reason is that it tastes a lot better and you get better nutrition consuming raw almond milk.  It also uses less packaging since I buy the almonds from the bulk container.  It takes about 15 minutes to make from start to finish but you could get it done faster if you have your older kids help you :)

STEP 1:  Soak 1-2 cups of almonds by covering with filtered water and place in refrigerator overnight. Don't worry about how much water is in there, it will be discarded.

STEP 2: In the morning drain the water and rinse the almonds.  The skins will come off easily, peel all the almonds and discard the outer peel.  Removing the peel gives the milk a smoother, less bitter taste.

STEP 3: Place the almonds in a high powered blender or food processor with 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of almonds you soaked.



STEP 4: Blend on high for about 20 seconds. It will look like the photo below  :)



STEP 5: Strain the pulp from the liquid using a Nut Milk Bag. You can place it inside a pitcher and cinch the sides so that when you pour the milk into the pitcher it stays in place.


STEP 6: Lift the bag out of the milk and squeeze the remaining milk out into the pitcher.  You will have some nice chunks of pulp from which you can make: a raw dessert, vegan cheese, or a facial mask. You could also put it in a smoothie for extra protein and fiber.



STEP 7: Pour into an airtight GLASS container unless you have a plastic one that is BPA free.  I found mine at IKEA for under $10.



Fresh almond milk stays good for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.  It doesn't last long in our house since I use it for green smoothies, so that's why I make a couple of jars at a time.  Have fun with it and post in the comments section if you decide to make it!

6 comments:

Jessica said...

Oh, I can't wait to try this! I've been wanting to make my own but couldn't remember where I saw the recipe for a good one. The ones I've tried have been terrible - I'm guessing because they didn't call for soaking, removing the skin or straining. Where did you get the bag?

Kristin said...

Very interesting! And it looks so easy! Yes, where did you get the bag?

Gretchen said...

If you click on the word "Nut Milk Bag" in step 4. That's an active link to Amazon where you can buy the same bag I have.

You can also sweeten the milk with a mejool date and vanilla (extract or bean), just add it too the blender. But try it plain, it really is good :)

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to try this method. A guest blogger posted another method on VITK which looks simple, too. (http://veganinthekitchen.com/2010/09/15/802/) But, I like how you do everything right in the Vitamix. ;)

Gretchen said...

Jill, try this recipe! You won't be disappointed :)

MPetschel said...

The left over pulp makes a great sandwich spread when you add in some sea salt, some avocado and the herbs of your choice. We haven't made almond milk yet, but a friend gives us her pulp and this is what we do with it.