One of your 2014 resolutions to cut back on dairy or maybe to eliminate it completely? Maybe you’ve decided to replace your whole or skim milk with coconut, oat, soy or almond milk. A lot of the nut milks on the shelves contain chemicals and preservatives to help keep them stay shelf stable and on the shelves longer.
What if I told you, you could make your own fresh, homemade almond milk with just a little prep time and extra 10 minutes to make it. It lasts for 4-5 days in the refrigerator if you don’t drink it all first! Use it for cereal, smoothies, milk shakes, anything your heart desires. Reap in all the nutrients, fiber, and heart healthy oils! It will be hard to go back to almond milk from a box, I promise.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups almonds
- 6 cups water
- 1-2 tablespoons agave or honey (optional)
In a large bowl soak almonds in water for 4-6 hours. Rinse and change water once or twice. Make sure to rinse well after the almonds have softened. Add softened almonds and 6 cups of water to an immersion or high speed blender and blend until it becomes a milk. Add agave or honey if you wish to sweeten the milk and blend again.
In a container- preferable a glass milk container or something that will easily pour later. Place a funnel over the container. Using a piece of cheese cloth or nut bag, pour milk mixture in to the bag a little at a time. Squeeze the bag to allow the milk to go thru the nut bag or cheese cloth. (Think of milking a cow) Once you’ve squeezed all the milk thru the bag. Almond milk will be in the container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The remaining almond pulp inside the bag, can be saved in an airtight container and stored in the freezer for up to 4 months. The almond pulp can be used to make flour later or for other types of baking.
Farm, Foodie & Fitness 