There's a few reasons why I make raw almond milk. Since I don't drink cow's milk often, it's a tasty alternative. Commercial almond milk that you buy at the stores have an ingredient list that is a paragraph long containing all kinds of stuff like carrageenan. The only almond milk that I have found not containing carrageenan is Almond Dream and although I love it -- it's expensive to me. I can buy a pound of almonds for $4 - $5 and get a few half-gallons of almond milk. Typically, a half-gallon container of commercial almond milk runs $2 - $5. Fresh almond milk is easy to make and I know what I actually put in it and it's cost effective. It's considered a raw healthy food as well.
What you will need:
* blender, glass bowl, paint strainer bag, large bowl, pitcher, and tastebuds!
* 1 cup raw almonds (soaked)
* water for soaking nuts
* 5-6 cups water (to taste)
* 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
* 3-5 pitted dates or other sweetener to taste - stevia, agave nectar, etc. (optional)
Reasons for soaking nuts: To make soft to blend; more palatable taste; removal of dust, residue & tannins; greater increased enzyme activity for better absorption for food nutrient and increased digestibility.
Soak nuts in glass container anywhere from 20 minutes to 6 hours - even overnight in the refrigerator. I prefer soaking for a longer period of time (6 hours to overnight) since it makes blending easier. Also, soaking nuts in plastic is not recommended since plastic can leach into the water and into your food. Many raw food preparers keep nuts soaked in the fridge to have handy and if you do this, keep the water fresh and change it often so the food does not spoil.
After the almonds are soaked well and plump, rinse the soaked almonds with clean water and put the almonds into the blender with 5 - 6 cups of water (depending on your taste). Some people use 8. I prefer 6.
Blend almonds and water until smooth. It should look milky white.
Pour the mixture into through the paint-strainer bag (sprout bag, nut bag, strainer, cheesecloth, etc) over a big bowl. The grinds get very small so often a regular strainer is not good enough to make almond milk be very smooth. Squeeze the pulp thoroughly to extract as much milk.
(You can also save the almond milk pulp, dry, and make almond flour for cookies, pancakes, cracker recipes that require almonds. You can save the pulp in a plastic baggie and freeze).
You can restrain just to make sure that all particles are out of the milk if you are very picky about it being milky smooth.
Now place in a pitcher and put it in the fridge. The milk should should be used within a week Always shake well before using since it does settle.
Many almond milk recipes call for a "sprout bag" or "nut bag". I feel that they are way too expensive and more of a marketing ploy. You can go to a hardware store and get a paint-strainer bag for about $1.99 for 2 bags. I would recommend the 2 gallon size. It's a nylon mesh and there is no evidence (I've checked all the FDA sites) that straining almonds or various nuts through a nylon mesh is in any way a health hazard. It's just a tip.
TIP #2.
Take you almond pulp, dehydrate (dry @140 degrees in oven), grind, make flour, store in freezer. Recipes that use almond flour (http://www.elanaspantry.com/almond-flour-recipes/)
TIP #3.
You can use your almond pulp to make a dip. Try This Almond Dip.
3 cup Almond pulp (almond meal left over from making almond milk)
fresh juice of 1 medium size lemon
3 cloves of garlic mashed
fresh chopped parsley
Olive oil to good consistency
Spices of your choice
little salt & little pepper
Process & blend.
TIP #4.
It's delicious hot. Add some date paste and have a hot, creamy drink!
OTHER IDEAS:
Enjoy!!
