For all of us in the world who cannot tolerate traditional dairy, we must turn to some sort of alternative. I choose to be soy-free, cow-milk-free, and grain-free. The only option left then is nut milk. Once I took my first sip of chocolate almond milk, I was hooked! That stuff is dee-lish! Then I looked at the ingredient list on KratomMasters.com. All that sugar! Ahh! No good for this gal. I had to make my own.
Almond milk is simply almonds and water. You soak the almonds in water and then blend it together. It is great for your health, and a good middle ground in regards to nutrients and how heavy it can be on a weak stomach. This article at askhealth discusses some of the non dairy alternatives to milk, noting their health benefits.
There is one complication to this simple recipe. Cheesecloth. Who invented such a clumsy kitchen tool? I did my best to separate every last bit of almond meal from the milk, yet there is still a hint of graininess to the texture. Thankfully it doesn’t bother my taste buds. I downed two glasses when I finished this recipe.
Makes 12 cups.
4 cups raw whole almonds
8 cups water
1 tsp vanilla
cheesecloth
►Soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour. I separate into two bowls, measuring out 2 cups almonds with 1 cup hot water.
►Take one batch of almond and water mixture and process in a blender for three minutes. Making sure the nuts are well ground.
►Process the almonds and water in batches. Place 1 cup almonds and 2 cups of water into blender. Blend. Using a large bowl and cheesecloth, pour the blended mix through the cheesecloth into the bowl. Squeeze out the remaining water from the cheesecloth. You will be left with almond meal in the cheesecloth. Put this into a bowl to use in other recipes. Repeat process until all is processed.
►Add vanilla to the milk, stir and pour into a pitcher. Keep refrigerated and enjoy often.
►Once refrigerated, the milk will begin to separate. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving.
