Homemade almond milk. How to make almond milk at home

Lately I've been especially interested in cow's milk analogues. What are they made of? What useful qualities do they have? Today we will talk about sweet almond milk - a tasty and nutritious drink with great healing potential.

Despite the increasing popularity of almond drink, it is not able to provide you with the same amount of protein (1 g versus 8 g) and calcium (2 mg versus 300 mg) as cow's milk, although this does not detract from its many beneficial properties and high nutritional value.

The product contains high doses of manganese, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, selenium, phosphorus and riboflavin. And when compared with soy or soybean, it contains the largest amount of vitamins and minerals.

Helps manage weight

One cup of this milk contains only 60 calories, compared to 146 calories for whole cow's milk, 122 calories for 2% milk, 102 calories for 1% milk, and 86 calories for skim milk. The result is an almost ideal diet drink that helps you lose weight or maintain your current weight if the numbers on the scale suit you completely.

Good for the heart

There is simply no cholesterol or saturated fat in almond milk. Another plus is the low sodium content and high concentration of omega fatty acids, which curb high blood pressure and prevent heart disease.

Strengthens bones and teeth

The calcium in one glass of almond milk provides up to 30% of the recommended daily value. In addition, the drink is rich in vitamin D (up to 25%), which reduces the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis and strengthens the immune system. Together, these two nutrients ensure healthy bones and teeth.

Gives skin a radiant, healthy look

Does not affect blood sugar levels

Plain almond milk is low in carbohydrates and therefore does not significantly affect blood sugar levels. It is a low glycemic index (GI) product that reduces the risk of diabetes.

Strengthens muscles

Almond milk may only have 1 gram of protein per serving, but it is rich in B vitamins (riboflavin) and iron, which are essential for the growth and healthy functioning of muscle tissue.

Promotes digestion

About 1 gram of fiber per serving is important for healthy digestion.

Lactose free

An impressive portion of the world's adult population suffers from lactose intolerance. For example, in the USA the number of such people reaches 25%, in Russia – 15-18%. They have difficulty digesting the sugars contained in cow's milk. But almond milk does not contain lactose, so you can safely drink it without fear of digestive disorders.

For eye health

Moderate levels of vitamin A found in the drink strengthen vision and affect the eyes' ability to adjust to different lighting conditions.

Culinary bonuses

Tastes better than cow's milk

Almond milk has its own unique flavor and is light and fresh. It can be used in many recipes that call for cow's milk as one of the ingredients. The taste will be different, but the texture will not be too different.

Does not require cooling

You are not required to store the product in the refrigerator. For store-bought almond milk, storage at room temperature is recommended. Therefore, you can easily take it to work or on a hike without worrying about maintaining freshness and nutrients in their original form.

Easy to prepare

Almond milk is quite easy to make at home, which cannot be said about whole cow's milk, unless you live in a rural area and do not keep a cow in a barn.

Sweet almonds are finely ground in a powerful blender or coffee grinder, mixed with water and filtered through a sieve to separate the nutritional liquid.

By the way, almonds brought to a powdery state can be added to baking flour or protein shakes.

Home Recipes

In addition to nuts, this recipe includes: cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. You can also add agave, honey, dates, and your favorite spices to your almond milk.
Some recipes recommend removing the skin from each nut, but I find this unnecessary.

Servings: 4 cups

Time: 30 minutes plus 8-12 hours for soaking almonds

Ingredients:

1.5 cups raw almonds (unpeeled)
1 tbsp. l. maple syrup
0.5 tsp. vanilla extract
salt, ground cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Cooking method:

Place the almonds in a large bowl and add enough water to cover them by two fingers' width. Soak at room temperature for 8-12 hours. The easiest way to do this is at night. In the morning you will see that the nuts have noticeably swollen. Drain the water.
Place the soaked almonds in a blender or food processor, add 1 cup of room temperature water and turn on the appliance for 1-2 minutes. The mixture should acquire the consistency of a thick snow-white paste.
Place the almond paste in a bowl and pour in 2 cups of boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes.
Use a fine mesh plastic filter, strainer or cheesecloth to filter the mixture. Press the remaining mass on the filter with the back of a spoon to extract more nutrient liquid from it. Save the cake for cookies and diet almond cocktails.
Add maple syrup and vanilla to filtered almond milk, plus a pinch of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, beat with a mixer and serve at room temperature (you can pre-cool in hot weather).

Homemade almond milk is best stored in the refrigerator for several days in an airtight container.

Side effects and warnings

Almond milk is not safe for infants. The product is not able to completely replace breastfeeding, as well as traditional lactic acid products. Additionally, infants may develop nut allergies.

Some store-bought almond milks contain the dietary additive carrageenan, which is derived from red seaweed. This additive is widely used in the food industry for gelling, thickening and stabilization.

Until recently, carrageenan was considered a safe ingredient, but recent studies have shown that it can cause gastrointestinal inflammation, aggravate diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and coronary artery disease (CAD), and may also contribute to the development of cancer.

At the moment, the issue with this food additive remains open, but the European Union has already banned its use in baby food.

Look for organic almond milk without carrageenan, or best of all, make it yourself. And I ran to the store to look for raw unsalted almonds.

Almond milk is made from filtered water and almonds. The milk in this product is only the name, color and perhaps texture. It contains no lactose and is easily digestible by people intolerant to lactose.

Unlike regular milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol. Moreover, regularly eating almonds, in one form or another, can lower your cholesterol. These nuts are rich in what are called “good (monounsaturated) fats.” Increasing the level of monounsaturated fats in the diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Almonds are also a rich source of vitamin E, potassium and magnesium.

“Why make almond milk at home?” — you say, “You can buy it in the store!” But! Having made it ourselves, we will know for sure that it is made from almonds, and there are no strange additives in it. By preparing it at home, you have complete control over the final taste of the product and its content. Depending on what you want to use almond milk for, you can experiment and select different ingredients to suit your taste.

See also:

Recipe - How to make almond milk at home

Ingredients:

One cup of raw unsalted almonds, with skins on.
Four glasses of filtered water.
One and a half teaspoons of honey (optional).
A little salt (optional).

Optional equipment:

Blender or food processor.
A metal sieve with a fine mesh; if you don’t have one at hand, you can take a clean kitchen towel or several layers of gauze.
One glass jar or storage container.

Cooking method:

Soak raw almonds

Place the nuts in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let them sit for 12 hours to two days. After the almonds have settled in the water, strain them through a colander and rinse in cold water. If you decide to keep the grains in water for longer than one night, change the water every twelve hours!

Place the almonds in a blender

After soaking, drain the nuts in a colander and rinse them with cool water. Do not skin the grains, this will help reduce the graininess of the almond milk.
Place the almonds in a blender or food processor, add four cups of filtered water, and puree.

Adjust the texture and flavor of almond milk

For a texture more similar to whole milk, use a 4/1 ratio of four cups water to one cup almonds. Feel free to customize the texture to your liking.
First, beat the nuts at low speed, then gradually raise the blender speed to maximum and beat for another two to three minutes until there are no pieces of nuts left in the almond milk. If desired, you can add honey, vanilla to the almond milk, sweeten or add salt to taste. Customize the taste for yourself! Mix well again.

Strain the almond milk

Strain the nut milk into a small bowl through a fine metal sieve, kitchen towel or cheesecloth.

Lightly stir the solids in the sieve

If you are straining milk through a metal strainer, stir the solids lightly to help it drain. Stir rather than puree to avoid pushing solids into the finished milk.
If you are using a kitchen towel or cheesecloth to strain, gently squeeze it until all the liquid has been removed.

How to Store Homemade Almond Milk

Pour the finished product into a glass jar and refrigerate. You can store it refrigerated for three to four days. Remember to shake the jar slightly before use.
Use almond milk as usual. You can add it to tea or coffee, and to baked goods instead of regular.

How to make almond flour

After preparing the almond milk, there is some nut mixture left over. Make almond flour from it, which can be used in baking, or as a breading for chicken or fish.
Turn on the oven and preheat it to 80°C. Throw the nut mixture onto a metal grid and allow the remaining liquid to drain from it. Let it sit for about thirty minutes.

Dry the nut mass in the oven

Place parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet. Place the nut mass on the paper and spread it into a thin layer with a rubber spatula. The thinner the better. Place the baking sheet in the oven.

By the name you can understand that almond milk is obtained by processing the nuts of the same name. The product has become widespread due to its beneficial qualities. Therefore, more and more people are trying to prepare the composition at home to improve the health of the body. Today we will look at the basic principles and highlight important aspects.

Features of almond milk

Thanks to the fact that all major supermarkets are stocked with a variety of products, you can find almond milk with a completely natural (or almost) composition. This only doubles the benefits of the product.
If you buy milk with preservatives, it is usually oversaturated with granulated sugar and other flavoring and aromatic additives. Similar components are added to increase shelf life.
Homemade milk, on the contrary, does not last long, but is considered completely natural. You can prepare it yourself by following the recipes. The final product will have a creamy aftertaste and a number of beneficial properties.
During the cooking process, you can vary the amount of granulated sugar yourself. Some people use powdered substitutes or honey (recommended) instead. This product contains the daily requirement of minerals valuable for the heart and bones.
The simplest preparation method involves only water, salt, lemon and nuts. But you can make the taste richer and add other “notes”.
In order to increase the fat content of the product, it is more advisable to use almond oil, coconut oil, lecithin and other natural ingredients. Almond milk goes well with vanilla.
If you decide to skip the granulated sugar and not use it in the recipe, the final product will be tender. It can later be added to porridge, coffee or tea drinks, smoothies, etc.
You can make various first courses, broths, baked goods, sauces, and breakfast cereals using almond milk. During the cooking process, natural juice, chocolate chips, turmeric, fruits with berries or candied fruits are added.

Traditional almond milk

filtered water - 0.75 l.
almonds - 240 gr.
salt - 2 pinches
lemon juice - 5 ml.

Prepare a container for mixing ingredients, a glass jar will do. Pour nuts and salt into it, add lemon juice. Pour in water, stir and cover the container with a lid.
Leave in the dark and at medium temperature for about 11 hours, during which time the nuts will soak. Then drain the water; we will no longer use it to prepare the product.
Place the almonds in a strainer and rinse with filtered water. Remove the skins from the nuts, place them in a blender and add water according to the recipe. Turn all ingredients into a homogeneous mass.
Arm yourself with a fine-grained strainer. Line it with 3-5 layers of gauze and pour the mixture here. The liquid should drain into a separate container located under the sieve. Wring out the gauze thoroughly.
The nut cake left over from the procedure is used as a filling for baked goods, porridge, cocktails, smoothies and other delicacies. It is also used to make body scrub or face masks.
After straining, the milk must be poured into a sterilized container and covered with a lid. This composition is stored for about 3 days in the cold and in a dark bottle.

Almond milk with cocoa

Children love this treat very much. As an additional ingredient to traditional almond milk, you need to take cocoa powder or chocolate chips.
All ingredients, including almond milk, are sent to a blender and thoroughly beaten until a homogeneous structure and shade is obtained. This cocktail is consumed immediately.

Usually, washed and pitted dates are used as sweeteners. You will need about 5 pieces. Also take a tablespoon of coconut oil and about half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
The ingredients are added to milk prepared according to the traditional recipe indicated above. Pour out approximately 480 ml. mixture into a blender, beat together with the rest of the ingredients.
You can take not natural dates, but a syrup based on them. Some people prefer to replace coconut oil with almond oil to improve the taste.

Cinnamon Almond Milk

This drink is ideal for those losing weight, because it enhances metabolic processes and promotes comfortable weight loss. To curb hunger, add cinnamon or turmeric powder.
To determine the proportions you need to measure out about 450 ml. traditional almond milk, homemade, and a small teaspoon of cinnamon. All ingredients are whipped and the cocktail is drunk immediately.
If desired, you can supplement the main components with nutritious fruits, for example, banana. To do this, it is first crushed with a blender, then mixed into the total mass.

Almond milk with strawberries

As in all previous recipes, it is best to use ready-made almond milk as a basis. You will make it according to the recipe proposed above. Everything is simple and transparent.
As for the quantity of strawberries, you need to take them at your own discretion. At 0.6 l. Milk requires about 1.5 glasses of fresh berries. Rinse it, free it from the tails, and dry it.
Now add the berries separately into a blender cup and process them with a household appliance. If desired, add any sweetener, be it granulated sugar, honey or vanilla.
Pour in the almond milk in a small stream while whisking the ingredients at low power. When the cocktail becomes homogeneous, it is poured into a glass and consumed immediately.

It's easy to make milk from almonds if you follow the basic instructions carefully. If desired, the product using traditional technology can be supplemented with spices, berries, fruits and other ingredients.

Video: almond milk recipe

I always thought that making almond milk at home was very difficult and tedious. It turned out that this is not so! It is done very simply and quickly. And it tastes simply divine! For me personally, there is no comparison with cow's milk from the store. And I’m generally silent about the benefits! I haven't drunk cow's milk for many years because I think it's unhealthy. You can read about why I think so in the article. There you will find out where I get calcium from, if not from milk. Usually this question worries everyone)))

Fortunately, almond and any other plant milk (coconut, soy, sesame) perfectly replace cow's milk and do not harm your beloved body. I will make a reservation that you should not drink liters of almond milk per day, since almonds do not have a very favorable ratio of omega-3 and omega-67 fatty acids (read about this in the article). But you are unlikely to drink milk in liters. Personally, I can drink a mug of almond milk a day, and not every day, but depending on my mood. This is only good for the body!

How can you use almond milk?

Just drink it. This is delicious!
Add to any .
Use to make vegan puddings. For example, or.
Use in baking and any other dishes as a substitute for cow's milk. For example, in .

How to make almond milk?

1. Take the ingredients:

Almonds (raw) - 150 gr.

Water - 1.5 liters

Natural sweetener - I use coke sugar (2 tbsp)

Optional vanilla (powder or extract)

Gauze or thin cloth - for straining milk

Blender (preferably stationary rather than submersible)

It is necessary to use a sweetener, because... Without it, milk turns out tasteless. You don’t need much, since there is no goal to make sweet milk. It will be slightly sweet, almost not noticeable. Actually, fresh cow's milk also has a slightly sweet taste.

As a natural sweetener you can use: dates, coconut sugar, palm sugar, honey, agave syrup, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, carob syrup, stevia extract and other healthy sugar substitutes. I really like using dates - you will need 3-4 for the indicated amount of almonds and water. Or coconut sugar - 2 tablespoons is enough. Don't be alarmed, it's not the same as 2 tablespoons of white sugar. It's natural sugar and doesn't taste as sweet.

2. Soak almonds for 8-10 hours, more is possible! In the photo I have already soaked almonds.

3. When the soaking time has passed, drain the water and rinse the almonds. This is important, because when their nuts are soaked, pesticides and other chemicals, if any, are released into the water.

4. Place all the ingredients in a blender - almonds, water, sugar + I use vanilla extract (10 drops). Beat at high speed for 1-2 minutes.

I know that many people peel the almonds before grinding them in a blender. But I assure you - this is not at all necessary! This does not affect the taste in any way. It is believed that if you remove the brown skin, the milk will be whiter. But through experience, I realized that when straining, gauze perfectly retains the brown particles of almond skin, and the color of the milk turns out to be white. So don’t bother, especially since peeling almonds is not that easy.

5. Strain the milk. I usually do this. I take a jar or jug. I cover the top of the jar with gauze (I have 2 layers). And I pour milk from the blender. Then I carefully take the gauze with the cake that has not leaked into the jar and squeeze it thoroughly until the last drop)

That's it, delicious almond milk is ready! Enjoy! From 150 grams of almonds you get almost 1.5 liters of milk. It can be easily stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

If you have never tried almond milk or have only tried store-bought, then I highly recommend making it. It's very, very tasty!

Advice! Do not throw away the almond cake left after making milk. You can make delicious and healthy cookies from it!

To do this, mash a ripe banana and a couple of dates with a fork, mix the resulting banana-date puree with almond cake, add any spices you wish (cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla), form the resulting dough into thin round cookies and dry them in a dehydrator (vegetable dryer) and fruits). If you don't have a dehydrator, use the oven.

And this time I made two delicious puddings from milk - one, the other! This is how delicious it turned out: