Almond milk

It wasn't often that I sought to drink a glass of milk straight up, but it never fails that once you can't have something, you want it that much more! I was, however, a big cereal eater and I'd regularly make my toasted rice cereal swim wildly in some milk when I was in a pinch and didn't know what to cook. It was only natural that the first thing on my list in this new line of dietary adventures was to make my own almond milk.

Lets talk for a minute about buying alternative milk versus making your own. Quite a few people told me that it wasn't worth the time, effort, or expense it took to make my own nut milk, but I wanted the full experience. Besides, SCIENCE! The first and most important factor is the flavor. Store bought almond milk has a disheartening flavor that lingers distastefully, barely hidden behind the mask of vanilla. Homemade has no such hangup, being light and delicate, and boasting the nutty flavor that such a milk should naturally have. I attribute this to it being fresh and not containing sodium who's-a-what's-it that only benefits shelf-life.

Then there is the price factor. A carton of almond milk retails for around three dollars for maybe a quart. If you go homemade, however, you can spend ten dollars on almonds, get six to eight quarts of almond milk, and then have the added bonus of the almond meal that is left over (more on that fun ingredient later). In the stores, this almond meal retails for around nine dollars a pound, so really, you're getting quite the deal.

Nuts are not cheap, especially if you go with certified organic. Costco carries almonds, walnuts, and pecans in their Kirkland brand and are the best deal for the price that I've found so far. It's certainly incentive to go and get myself a subscription. If you don't have or want one, Target's Archer Farms brand carries a two pound container of raw, unblanched almonds for ten dollars in their nut and trail mix section. This being my first attempt at making almond milk, I wasn't willing to shell out the money for the organic stuff.

There are two methods of straining in which you can use; cheese cloth and a nut milk bag. Both are good options and give you a clean milk. The only down side to using cheese cloth is that it's really not reusable (although it could be if you put a lot of time and effort into rinsing each sheet out and then drying it really well). Be warned that if you squeeze the cheese cloth too much when straining out the milk, you might blow a hole somewhere in the cloth making it hard to reuse later. In my opinion, it's much more cost effective and environmentally friendly to buy yourself a nut milk bag. I did so myself soon after going through my cheese cloth so quickly. Keep in mind that these handy nut milk bags also work for making fruit and veggie juices, cheeses, soups and stocks, the possibilities are endless!

So! On to the nut milking!

Tools:

Blender

Strainer

Cheese cloth or nut milk bag

Bowl large enough to hold four cups liquid during straining

Quart container, preferably sterilized if it's glass

Funnel

Ingredients:

Plain:

1 cup raw almonds

4 cups filtered water

For Vanilla/Almond:

1 tsp vanilla/almond extract

2-3 Tbsp preferred sweetener (honey, agave nectar, stevia, etc.)

For “Horchata”:

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 Tbsp preferred sweetener (honey, agave nectar, stevia, etc.)

Procedure:

Soak your almonds in a large bowl or pitcher with the water, anywhere from seven to twelve hours. I just let mine soak overnight. After soaking, drain and rinse your almonds, then place into a blender and add four cups of filtered water.

The first time that I made the almond milk, I just blended the whole thing up, soaking water and all. I found out later that during the process of soaking nuts, the enzyme inhibitor that is naturally in the skins to protect them is deactivated and is released into the soaking water. These enzyme inhibitors can complicate digestion, so whether you are making milk, or just wanting nuts for a handy snack, it's ideal to soak them. I could really taste the difference that draining and rinsing the nuts made in the finished product. The first batch that wasn't drained was bitter, while the batch that I drained and rinsed was light and delicate without the bitter undertones.

Set your blender to puree and let it run for about three to five minutes to get the nuts good and pulverized. While that is running, fit a fine mesh strainer with either cheese cloth or a nut milk bag, and prop it over a bowl that will be large enough to hold four cups of liquid. After running the blender, pour the contents slowly into your strainer setup. It may take a little bit for you to pour all of it in, but feel free to gently jiggle the strainer to help the liquid drain a little faster. Once you get all of it poured in, rinse the blender and set it aside if you plan on making a sweetened or flavored milk. The mixture now sitting in your strainer with be a bit frothy, so if you are working with cheese cloth, be mindful that it's going to be a little bit messy. Keeping an eye out at the gaps where the cheese cloth is gathered so that there isn't any froth or milk escaping there.

Gather up the corners of the cheese cloth, or nut milk bag, and gently start to twist the top together and squeeze. As you squeeze the bundle, keep twisting at the top, and do this until you feel that you can't squeeze anything else out. It will take you a little longer to squeeze the liquid out of the nut milk bag, compared to the cheese cloth, due to the difference in the mesh. You should be left with a ''packet'' of wet almond meal, which you can set to the side for just a moment, and a bowl full of a luscious nut milk! If you want to sweeten the milk or add flavorings, return it to the blender, add ingredients, and blend. Transfer the milk to your chosen container, using a funnel as needed, and refrigerate. Congratulations on making your very own almond milk!

A side note about almond milk in the refrigerator: Almond, or any nut milk, will experience a little bit of separation after sitting for a while. Just give it a good shake and you're ready to enjoy. The milk keeps for about a week if it's plain, and I would say four to five days if you add flavorings. If you find yourself not using it all before the time is up, try freezing it in ice cube trays for later use in cooking, or make yourself some tasty nut yogurt, or sour cream!

Remember that mound of wet almond meal that you have sitting on the counter? Here's what you do: heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the wet almond meal onto a sided sheet tray that's lined with parchment paper. Bake the meal in five to ten minute increments, stirring and redistributing the almond meal around, until it feels dry. If there are clumps in the almond meal, a quick spin in the food processor will take care of that. Voila, almond meal! Store this in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a week. Come back later for tasty recipes featuring almond meal.

Happy Drinking!