Almond Milk

I have been on a smoothie kick of late.

Being a Produce Manager I am handling fresh fruit 40 plus hours a week so thinking about what I can make with it is always on my mind.

In an effort to be healthier I have been using Almond milk in said smoothies.

Then one day on my Instagram feed I noticed a shot of a fabulous glass of milk, made from almonds. Instantly intrigued I knew I had to make some.

Try it once, you’ll never go back to store bought.

I promise.

Almond Milk

I cup of natural almonds

water

maple syrup

Cover the almonds with water and let soak for 10 hours.

After 10 hours strain and rinse.

Place them in a blender with 3-4 cups of water and a squirt of maple syrup.

Blend on high for 4 minutes. Let settle for a minute then blend again for 2 minutes.

Pour into a cheesecloth lined colander that is placed over a bowl.

After a few minutes gather up the cheese cloth and squeeze it well getting every last bit of the milk. Place the ground almonds in a bowl and set aside.

Pour the milk into a mason jar, cover and refrigerate.

Use anywhere you would use milk.

I have made 4 batches in the past week. The cool thing is you can control the thickness of the finished product.

For my first batch I used 3 glasses of water. After a night in the fridge it was a thick luxurious cream, very much like a 35% cream. I poured some into a glass to drink, it was almost sinful.

The next batch I used the full 4 glasses of water. It was like regular milk. Both amazing! When you make some I suggest trying it both ways.

I used maple syrup to sweeten it but you can have a few options here. I have read of honey or dates being used. Play with the ingredients until you find what you prefer to use.

Your almond milk should last 4 days.

Now back to the ground almond meal we set aside earlier. Not wanting to throw it out I am working on different ways to use it up.

I spread it out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and popped it into a 225 degree oven to dry. I kept it low and slow as to not burn it. Once dried I put it into the blender and ground it into a flour.