Homemade Almond Milk

   In the spirit of all that is A Kinder Katie (caring for your body, your health, and your environment), I thought I would share this simple and easy way to make your own homemade almond milk.

   While the cost of raw almonds is significantly greater than the cost of purchasing almond milk already made, making it yourself ensures that you are not drinking added preservatives, artificially made vitamins and minerals, and  processed sugar. And the taste? 100% different than the stuff you buy at the store. It tastes fresh, clean, and just like almonds. Who knew.

   While I don't drink dairy or even almond milk as a beverage, I do like to use it for cooking/baking. So it is easiest for me at times to organize ahead of time when I would be needing it in recipes and to simply make my own.

   The key to making your own almond milk is to purchase raw almonds. You don't want to purchase roasted or salted almonds (obviously) and you are going to need to soak them in water for up to 8 hours. Nuts and seeds contain an outer layer of enzyme inhibitors that prevent your body from fully digesting them, so soaking them in water will help to deactivate those enzymes. I personally believe it also helps to unlock the true flavor of the nut or seed and I'm all for it regardless. Just make sure to rinse any nut or seed after soaking them to make sure you wash away any residue.

Recipe:

4 cups filtered water
1 cup raw almonds, soaked in water overnight, drained

You will also need:

1 cheesecloth or mesh sieve

Directions:

In a high powered blender, combine pre soaked almonds and water. Blend on high for two minutes until smooth. Using a cheesecloth, pour mixture inside and squeeze milk from mixture. If using a mesh sieve, you will need to strain the liquid from the almond pulp. This will take a lot longer and may require several times of straining the mixture to ensure that no bits and pieces are left in the milk. Store in a liquid container for up to four days in the refrigerator.