The other day I was complaining how Japan doesn't sell almond milk. WHY?! Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to make my own.
Super easy to do, but I don't/won't be making this so often because its so much easier to just buy non dairy milk. Raw organic almonds are expensive and since I hardly drink milk (not a staple in my diet), I'd rather use my almonds to eat just as is or in other forms. But non the less, almond milk is a healthy alternative to dairy. And far more superior to rice milk or soy milk. Almond pulp, the "garbage" of the milk works really well in cookies and crackers as well. If you Google on how to make almond milk, you'll definitely get a better pictorial how-to, but heres my experience with it.
First things first, you want/NEED to soak your raw almonds over night. Soaking the nuts (goes for majority of nuts) overnight removes enzyme inhibitors which allows for easier digestion. It'll also soften the nuts to make it easier to blend.
Simply wash the almonds and cover them in purified water over night for 8-12 hours. Rinse them very well the next day and drain all the water. You do not want to use the water!
Washing and draining my presoaked nuts
Next, prepare the equipment you'll need. A blender, a large bowl, and mesh cloth. There are specially designed milk bags, cheese bags etc. But there's really no need to buy anything expensive. I've even seen people drain their milk through a thin kitchen towel or an old shirt. I use a mesh cloth and it works well.
Blend the almonds in purified water. The ratio will be: 1 cup almonds with 3 cups of water. Blend until smooth. I have a crummy blender so I blend for a couple minutes.
The taste can be modified to personal taste. I added vanilla extract and would have added a date if I had any.
And here's the fun part! Time to get our hands a little wet, but a also a nice natural moisturizer.
And wala, you are left with beautiful almond milk in the bowl and left over almond pulp. Almond milk lasts up to 3-5 days in the fridge
If you aren't going to use the pulp immediately, its best to freeze the pulp and defrost on the counter when you plan to use it.
There you have it Lils :) Happy almond milk making!
