Almond Milk

So I have been trying different some different non dairy alternatives to milk and my latest experiment was to make almond milk. I had a look on the internet and there is a surprising amount of information on making all kinds of milk.  Now I have never tried commercially made almond milk so I cannot advise on whether this is similar in taste or texture but if it is anything like rice and soy milk then I suspect there will be a big difference in taste from brand to brand anyway.  

I picked a recipe from Ohnuts although I used almonds with the skin on and cut down a little on the water as my blender is a little weak and didn't pulverise the almonds as much as I had hoped. I tried the milk without any sweeteners and it tasted good enough for pouring on cereal but for drinking straight it was nicer to add the additional flavorings.  It tasted great and was smooth and creamy and not overtly almondy like marzipan, which I hate. For this recipe you need a blender, a sieve and a piece of cheese cloth or I used a cloth coffee strainer. That way you really do feel like you are milking the almonds. I am looking forward to using the milk in some recipes as well as trying to figure out what to do with the almond meal I have left over so watch this space. 

Homemade Almond Milk (makes at nearly a 1 liter depending on desired consistency)

Can be vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free

Ingredients

340g/12oz/1.5 US cups Whole almonds, soaked overnight in enough water to cover them

800ml/ 28floz/3.5 US cups of Water 

Optional flavorings 

1-2 tbs Honey or for vegans, maple syrup 

1tsp Pure vanilla extract or gluten free vanilla essence

1/4tsp Cinnamon, ground
Pinch salt

Method

• Drain off the water that the almonds have been soaking in and discard. Put the almonds into the blender and add half the water and blend until you have a thick almond paste. Add the remaining water and blend again. Total blending time will be at least a couple of minutes depending on the strength of your blender. 
• To strain the milk pour the milk through a fine sieve to remove the large pieces of almond. Press the almond mixture gently with the back of a spoon to help remove some of the liquid. To make the milk smoother, strain through a piece of  cheese cloth or a cloth coffee filter. I also spooned the left over almond meal into the coffee filter and gave it a good squeeze to get all the almond milk out. 
• You can now add your flavourings to your taste and stir well to ensure all the honey or syrup has dissolved into the milk. Chill and serve straight or over cereal or in cooking. If the milk seperates at all the fridge just give it a good stir before using. Should keep in the fridge for a few days.