Raw Homemade Almond Milk

One of my goals in 2015 is to buy less, and make more. And since I spend most of my money on food, that means making more of my own whole ingredients.

I use almond milk almost every day in my smoothies. Making my own almond milk ensures not only that it is fresh, and contains no additives or chemicals, but that I am not utilizing excess packaging.

NOTE: this recipe can also be used with any other sort of nut, including cashews, pistachio, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. My favorite is walnut milk!

I buy my almonds raw & organic in bulk at Whole Foods and use mason jars to bring them home. I purchased a cheese cloth strainer online (they cost about 10.99). 

What you will need:

• a high-performance blender (blend-tec or Vitamix)

• 3 dates or 1 tsp honey

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 cup raw and organic almonds

• 3 cups filtered water

Start by soaking your raw almonds for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator in filtered water. In the morning, rinse them well as they release toxins as they soak.

Place your 1 cup of almonds and 3 cups of fresh filtered water into the vitamix. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes.

Get a large bowl to place underneath the cheese cloth. Pour the mixture into a cheese cloth and squeeze the milk into the large bowl. Be gentle as cheese clothes are very delicate. It’s very similar to milking a cow, not that  many of you would know how to do that. 

Once all of the liquid has been squeezed into the bowl, pour the milk back into the blender, add salt and dates. Blend for 1 minute. Pour into mason jar and enjoy. 

Note: this keeps for 3 days maximum. No additives means it must be used immediately. Small batches work best.

Keep the extra nut mixture in a fridge for up to 3 days. Use it in flours, cookies, or pancake mixtures. Zero waste!