How to Make Homemade Almond Milk

I am not a big fan of pasteurized milk, even organic. It just seems like milk flavored water with much of the nutrition and all of the enzymes being killed during the pasteurization process. For several years now we have opted to buy raw milk or make homemade almond milk instead. Both are much healthier and easier on the stomach. Conventional milk is not an option for me in fact as the moment I drink I get dehibilitating stomach aches. To me this means I just shouldn’t be drinking it.

Making almond milk is incredibly easy once you get your system down and my kids think it is incredibly delicious. They will drink it straight, add it to cereal, or use it to make chocolate milk or banana milk smoothies. Since I use raw organic almonds, I get to rest easy knowing that their milk, or “mylk” as many refer to it, is healthier for their little bodies and healthier for the planet. Nuts are an essential fuel for the body too. To make it I just follow these simple steps:

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First I soak the almonds overnight in water. I do this because I want to deactivate the naturally occurring enzyme inhibitors that prevent the nut from sprouting until conditions are right for growth. By deactivating the inhibitors we have access to the beneficial enzymes that make the nut a living food.

After soaking I rinse the nuts and put them in a high speed blender along with 6 cups of filtered water. I recommend a Vita-Mix or a Blendtec for the best milk. I have both and they are equally awesome. Blend until smooth and creamy and then strain the milk through a cheesecloth to get rid of the brown almond skins and any leftover chunks. I end up having to really squeeze the cheesecloth to get the milk out. Then I pour the milk into a glass milk jug and put it in the refrigerator and we try to use it up within 4-5 days. We usually never have a problem drinking it all!

I also take the leftover pulp from the cheesecloth and spread it out on a dehydrater sheet and I dehydrate for several hours until it is dry and flaky. Then it goes back into the blender to be crushed into almond flour for other menu items.

Raw, healthy, and delicious!

Photos credit: Tiffanywashko

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