Almond Milk, The Grocery-Shopper's Favorite

By this point, I have been making my own milks long enough to know what I like and what I don't. Almond milk has sparked perhaps an unnecessary amount of rage in me. This is in part due to the fact that the almond milk you buy at the store is heavily processed, full of fillers and pretty devoid of natural nutrition. Too many people think it's so natural and healthy that they give it to their babies and toddlers instead of human milk. For the longest time, I wouldn't consider making almond milk because I was sure it would be as nasty as the almond milk I've bought at the store. I don't like it. Again, it's the carageenan getting my goat (or almond, as the case may be).

As it turns out, homemade almond milk is a perfectly acceptable drink. I prefer cashew milk, because the cashews are softer and blend smoother. But, if you love almonds and you can't get cashews for whatever reason, you are fine to make almond milk. Let's get started.

There seems to be a couple of different schools of thought about making your own almond milk. Some prefer the slivered almonds because they're cut in pieces and have the skins removed. Others prefer the whole almonds because it's more natural. I chose slivered because I thought I would have to strain less out at the end.

Take your cup of raw, slivered almonds and soak them overnight. If this was a video, there would be a time-lapse and then I would magically open the fridge and the almonds would be nice and soft. You, on the other hand, will have to wait awhile. Once they're soaked, drain and rinse them. Toss them into the blender and turn it to high.

Once you are developing a nice almond paste, add some water. Start with one cup and blend on high for a minute. Then, add the remaining three cups and blend on high for another two minutes. Run it through your strainer and store the milk in an airtight container in your fridge.

After blending, I noticed something interesting. The almond milk wasn't crunchy or fiber-y, like coconut milk is if you don't strain it. And actually, the first time I strained it, it pulled very little out. But, when I drank it, the texture was gritty and not at all to my liking. I strained it a second time, more slowly, with the same strainer, and pulled out about a half-cup of byproduct. The texture was far better the second time. But, if you were really determined to use all that you produce, and you didn't mind it being a little gritty or chewy, I suppose it would be fine.

Almond Milk
1 cup raw, slivered almonds (plus 1.5 cups water for soaking)
4 cups water
Soak almonds in a bowl of water for several hours. Drain and rinse almonds. Blend in blender until softened. Add one cup of water and blend for one minute. Add remaining water and blend on high for about two more minutes. Strain to desired consistency. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.