Save money by making your own almond milk
Many nuts, grains and seeds make a great milk alternative. Almond milk is a perfect way to balance your pH as it alkalizes and is packed with great nutrients. Always start with good fresh almonds and remember to soak them to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors, bring out the full nutrient content, and make them easier to blend. I have found that Costco actually carries a Kirkland almond that is usually priced very reasonably.
You can certainly buy almond milk but watch for added ingredients and also be aware that it is really over-priced. Fresh raw almond milk that you make at home contains live enzymes with no additives or preservatives. Unsweetened almond milk can be used in most recipes and in soups, salad dressings, sauces, in smoothies and even baked goods. For drinking or pouring onto your favorite cereals you may want to sweeten the milk slightly using an all natural sweetener.
Amazing Almond Milk
To make unsweetened almond milk:
- 1 cup raw almonds soaked for 12 hours
- 3 cups filtered water
- To soak the almonds, place the almonds in a glass bowl or large jar, and cover with filtered water and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt for about 12 hours. Next drain and discard the soaking liquid (do not use this to make the milk). Rinse the nuts several times to remove any of the anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors.
- Throw the rinsed almonds and water in your blender and blend on high for 1 minute until completely pulverized. You can drink this without straining if you like thick and frothy milk. It retains the most nutrients and fiber if you do not strain it.
- To strain the milk use a nut milk bag, fine mesh strainer, or you can even use a new knee-high pair of pantyhose. A bag will yield the best results. Place a nut bag over the opening of the blender. Pour small amounts of almond milk into the bag, and then squeeze it until every last drop is out. Then remove the almond pulp, set aside and keep repeating the process. Make sure you squeeze the cloth to get all the liquid out. This is the creamiest and tastiest part of the milk. Keep the almond meal as you can dehydrate it and use it for almond meal/flour making this even more cost effective.
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge. Activated almond milk (made with soaked almonds) will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
To make sweetened milk:
Use the basic recipe above and add 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or other natural sweetener. You can make it even creamier if you add 1 Tablespoon of coconut butter or raw almond butter to your milk. You can even make chocolate milk by adding 2-3 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and natural sweetener to taste. So you can see how easy it is to save money by making your own almond milk.
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