Homemade Almond Milk

The advent of  commercial nut milks is upon us. While you can purchase almond milk, I am here to entice you to make some from scratch. Almond milk is very refreshing and quite unlike the store bought kind. It's not thick and overly sweet. It also makes a great base for smoothies -a lower sugar option to fruit juices.

 I love how plump and beautiful the almonds look after being rehydrated for 24 hours.

Homemade  Almond Milk
The almond milk can be used in any smoothie recipes, as a replacement for milk or soy milk. If you like, add some vanilla flavor or almond extract.

1 cup raw  non-pareil almonds
4 cups water, divided
1 large piece cheese cloth
Pinch of sea salt

Choose a large bowl and soak the almonds in half of the water overnight. They will plump up as they absorb the water. Soaking the nuts helps to soften them so that they puree more efficiently. The next day, drain the almonds and place in a blender. Add 2 cups of fresh water and a pinch of salt. Place lid on blender and liquify for a few minutes. You might have to do this in two batches.

Place cheese cloth in a strainer over a large container and then pour the almond mixture through. Once the "milk" has drained through, squeeze the cheese cloth together to get the remaining liquid out.

This "milk” will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. If you want a big almond flavor, then add  1/4 tsp – 1 tsp. of almond extract.

You can use the remaining nuggets as a topping for salads or in cereal or grain dishes for added fiber. Or stay tuned for my grainless tabouleh recipe.