Making almond milk at home is incredibly satisfying. It gives you that feeling of accomplishment

similar to making homemade jam or bread, and it also tastes infinitely better than anything you can buy at the store. Homemade almond milk is creamy, wholesome and 100% natural – no artificial flavors or stabilizers. It does take a bit of time – but that’s mostly inactive time that includes soaking. Once you get the method down, it will be done in a flash. I make almond milk once or twice a week at home.

HOW TO MAKE ALMOND MILK

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STEP 1: HAVE THE SUPPLIES READY.

Here’s what you need to make some amazing almond milk:

1 cup of raw almonds, organic if possible
filtered water
fresh squeezed lemon juice
pinch sea salt
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment needed:  fine mesh strainer, cheese cloth (or nut milk bag), blender

STEP 2: SOAK THE ALMONDS:

Place the 1 cup of almonds in a medium bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top and fill it up with filtered water. Allow to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. The almonds will really absorb a lot of water, so be sure to use enough water! Add more if needed.

The water will become a little cloudy – totally normal. You’ll notice that the almonds have swelled and absorbed a lot of water.

STEP 3: DRAIN AND BLEND.

Drain off the soaking water and rinse the almonds well. Place in a blender along with 3 cups filtered water.

Blend on high speed for several minutes until thick and smooth. There will be quite a bit of almond pulp mixed in with the milk.

STEP 4: STRAIN.

Straining the almond milk isn’t 100% necessary, but it does remove the pulp which can make the milk taste gritty. Some people prefer to use the milk unstrained, so it’s totally up to you! If you do strain it, you can use just a sieve, which will leave some sediment, or a cloth, either a nut milk bag, tea towel, or several layers of cheesecloth. For almond milk, I tend to go with cheesecloth.

To remove the almond pulp from the milk, simply line a fine mesh sieve with several layers of cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl. Pour the almond milk into the lined strainer and let the milk drain through.

Gather up the cheese cloth and twist it at the top so none of the pulp can escape, and gently squeeze to extract as much milk as possible. If using a nut milk bag, simply pour the pureed almonds into the bag and strain, squeezing to extract the milk. (Nut milk bags have a finer mesh than cheesecloth and will remove almost all of the pulp or sediment.)

STEP 5: STORAGE.

After the straining is complete, add the sea salt, maple syrup (if using), and the vanilla. Then it’s time to store the fresh almond milk.

Transfer the milk to a quart size jar or bottle with a lid. For a thinner milk, add a little more filtered water to make it an even quart. Refrigerate immediately. The milk is best consumed the first 2-3 days and must be kept refrigerated. It will separate as it sits. It is fine to drink and use, simply shake the bottle and the milk will be creamy again.

Notes:
-Be sure to sanitize all of your bowls, utensils, blender, jar and lids before making the milk to prevent any contamination.
-If the milk smells “off” best not to drink it in case it has spoiled. Drink or use within 3-4 days, but sometimes it will keep for a week.
-Add other flavors or spices, as desired. Example – cinnamon and a little almond extract.
-Honey can be used in place of the maple syrup.
-Do not freeze the almond milk, the texture will be affected.

http://simplegreensmoothies.com/healthy-eating/diy-almond-milk