I fell in love the first time I tasted Almond milk as this was by far the creamiest nut milk I have ever tried. As tasty as this delicious drink was, they are on the expensive side. I also noticed there were more ingredients listed in the back of the label when I thought it should be just almonds and water.
This had me wondering just how much water vs. almonds ratio is on the store bought kind. Is the nutrient content really is the same as eating a handful of almond or is it just a gallon of water with a teaspoon of almond?
And this what sparked this blog entry.
Almonds are famous in supporting cardiovascular heath because they are high in Vitamin E, Magnesium and Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA).
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects our body from damaging free radicals.
Magnesium is important for coordinating our heart muscle and nerves that regulate our heart beat.
MUFA is a healthy fat that can lower our bad cholesterol level or Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL). It is the same kind of fat in olive oil.
Almonds are also good source of protein. A handful of almond (approx. 28 grams) contains 6 grams of protein; almost the same protein content of an egg. This is why almonds are also a good pre/post workout snacks.
I am so glad I found this blog that provided the step by step on how to make this drink. This particular recipe calls for 1 cup of raw almonds for 4 cups of water ratio and uses dates as a sweetener. The result is a creamier milk than store bought without the preservatives and additives.
Ingredients :
1 cup of raw almonds
4 cups of water
2-4 dates (or any sweetener of your preference)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
a pinch of salt
Equipment
Blender
Cheesecloth or nut bag (made in Indonesia!)
Measuring cup
Bowl
Methods
- Soak the almonds 1-2 nights in the container with lid in a cool place (TIP: the longer you soak the creamier the milk). The water will become muddy/cloudy but nothing to worry about.
- After the soaking period, rinse the almonds in cold running water.
- Place the almonds, water, salt, vanilla extract and dates in a blender.
- Blend for 4 minutes or until the nuts are well blended.There will be froth on the top of the milk.
- Using either a nut bag or cheesecloth, strain the milk a container of your choosing to remove any chunks and pulp.
- Slowly squeeze any remaining milk from the bottom of the cheesecloth (as if how I would imagine milking a cow would be.)
- Refrigerate the milk for up to 3 days in a tight sealed container.
- Or you can heat the milk to pasteurize it. This will make the milk last longer.
You will have a lot of almond pulp. A good use of it is to spread the pulp into a baking plan and slow bake them at low heat for approximately up to 3 hours (until dry). I add this almond meal in my oatmeals, cereal or smoothies so we are not wasting any ingredients.
Good luck trying and enjoy!
domesticatedmd 