Making Almond Milk

I enjoy making things. That could mean crafts or food. There is something great about the temporary state and the experience when making food. It is making art that you get to experience. It also is good for the time and then gone. There is something special about the temporary nature of it, it's an experience, not a monument and it is enjoyable. 

I also like knowing what is in my food. Plus there is a sense of satisfaction, "I did that." Recently, I have started making almond milk. It turns out, it is pretty easy. (and tasty) 

I have gotten really excited about how easy almond milk is to make and have told many people about it. Since so many people have asked for the steps, I thought I would share them here. Ready?

1. Soak 1 cup almonds in water for at least 7 hours. 

2. Rinse them and drain the water.  

 3. Add 25 ounces of water, filtered perhaps, to the blender, then add your almonds. Blend for a little bit.

4. Pour the mixture through cheese cloth, a milk bag, or I use a thin white kitchen towel. Squeeze the almond pulp to get all of the milk.

5. That's it! I add some vanilla and put it in a jar in the fridge. It separates more than the store bought, so you may need to shake it. It lasts about 5 days or so. Sometimes, I make less by just adjusting the almonds/water amount but keeping the ratio.

I also have found use for the almond meal too. I use it on waffles, pancakes or salads. Also, I have made various muffins, cookies and bars that call for almond meal or almond flour. It seems to keep in the fridge for about a week also if you do not have time right away to use it. 

Almond Chocolate Pear muffins from Five and Spice were tasty. Almond Joy Protein Bar from My Whole Food Life was good too. In the almond joy bars, I used the almond meal instead of the cup of almonds. I did not use the hemp hearts. Enjoy!

I figured out the cost to making the almond milk versus buying it, it is not a cost savings, but it is fun, delicious, and is only almonds, water, and vanilla if you add it.