I want to share a really simple, delicious and inexpensive alternative to “store-bought” almond milk. I hope you try it and enjoy it. I’ve made this twice now and am really thankful for it! You’ll find a number of recipes in the Trim Healthy Mama book calling for almond milk. I found it to be pretty expensive at the grocery store — plus, from time to time I haven’t been able to get to the store, so this method is a nice alternative for me.
I fill a quart mason jar about 1/3 full of raw almonds and then I fill to the top with water. I let this stand over night and pour off the water in the morning–refilling with fresh water. Before bedtime, I pour off that water and refill with fresh. The following morning, I pour off the water and put 1/2 of the soaked almonds and 1 and 1/2 cups of fresh water into my food processor and blend (with the blade attachment) for several minutes. Pour that portion off into a strainer over a bowl.
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then pour the rest of the soaked almonds into the food processor along with another 1 and 1/2 cups of water and, again, blend very well for several minutes. And then pour the final amount into the strainer over the bowl.
If I had a blender, I might be able to do the whole process in one blender pitcher. But since I don’t, I just use this method. It works out pretty well.
After I allow that mixture to strain through the strainer, I take a clean strainer and line it with a paper towel and put that over a clean bowl and then I pour the strained almond milk over the paper lined strainer in order to more finely strain the milk.
I let that strain for several minutes and lightly squeeze or press out the milk.
Then I have some beautiful almond milk to chill in the fridge or use in a smoothie or whatever other recipe I might like to make! Try it! I think you’ll like it! You can add some vanilla to it, too! Yum!
You can dry the “mash” in the oven — and then use it as ground almonds or almond flour in your recipes.