Almond Milk
I crave this on hot days just because it’s insanely delicious and it makes me feel purely hydrated when I imbibe it. Kinda nutty, kinda creamy, it’s a nice change on cereal, warmed up in your chai, or as a substitute for the milk in ice cream. My favorite, however, is drinking it straight from the Mason jar. Oh, and feel free to sweeten it up to your taste: a lot of people like to blend in dates, maple syrup, agave syrup, barley malt, or some other natural sugar. For me, almond milk is sweet enough on its own. While soaking the almonds yields a much sweeter, smoother, more full-flavored milk, you can get by in a pinch just using raw, dry almonds (or hazelnuts, or cashews). Note that a blender is required.
Preparation Time - TextAt least 6 hours
CostInexpensive
Total Timehalf-day
Make Ahead RecipeYes
Kid FriendlyYes
Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, halal, kosher, lactose-free, peanut free, soy free, vegan, vegetarian
Equipmentblender
Five Ingredients or LessYes
Mealbreakfast, snack
Taste and Texturecreamy, nutty
Type of Dishbeverage, non-alcoholic beverage
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 4 cups water
Instructions
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Soak the almonds in water to cover by 1 inch for at least 6 hours or overnight. They will plump up by about 30 percent while soaking.
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Drain the almonds and place them and the water in the blender. Blend on the highest setting for a full 2 minutes.
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Pour the milk: through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing down on the solids as you go. Discard the solids and strain the milk one more time, this time not squeezing the solids.
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The milk is ready to drink immediately: try it straight up or over ice.
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Kept refrigerated, almond milk: will last for 5 days. Frozen, it will last for up to 4 months.
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2011 Karen Solomon
