How to make almond milk

Eva, author of Bake-Street, brings us the secrets to make a delicious almond milk: a recipe you'll love to prepare at home for its simplicity, flavor, and health benefits.

The almond milk it is one of my favorite plant milks, followed by hazelnut and cashew milk.

The first time I heard about them, they really caught my attention; in fact, I was already thinking about giving up cow’s milk because of all the contraindications it has—and I’m not talking about lactose.

I admit that the first time I tried almond milk I really liked it, but when I saw the amount of almonds it had and, worse yet, the amount of sugars they added, I decided to take it a step further and make it at home.

The result was spectacular, a white milk, with an incredible texture and an unbeatable flavor. The recipe I’m sharing with you doesn’t contain any added sugar, but if you prefer, you can sweeten it by adding a couple of dates, agave syrup, honey, or even banana.

This way we set aside refined sugars and sweeten in a more natural way. We can also flavor it with cocoa, vanilla…

Tellier juicer mesh

It is a type of plant-based milk that does not contain lactose, gluten, or cholesterol, which makes it a perfect option for people with intolerances. It is high in potassium and vitamins A, E, B1, and B2, helps improve gastritis or gastrointestinal issues, is very rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, protecting the intestinal wall, helps combat osteoporosis and, in addition, regulates sugar and cholesterol levels.

This type of milk was already being made in the Middle Ages and was known as "amygdalate." It was widely consumed in European countries as far as East Asia. It appeared in a medieval cookbook called "Viander" by Guillaume Tirel in 1375, dedicated to the chefs of the French kings Charles V and Charles VI.

In Taiwan, after the Chinese Civil War, it was a widely consumed type of milk, even more than soy milk.

There really is nothing better than making your own plant-based milk at home; you control all the factors involved, and we ensure our body receives many benefits.

INGREDIENTS (for approx. 1L of almond milk)

• 200 g of raw almonds with skin
• 900 g of water

PRODUCTION

1. We rinse the almonds with water to remove any traces of naturally occurring dust.
2. We soak the almonds in water, we can use filtered water if you like. We'll add enough to cover them. We'll let them soak for about 8-12 hours; this way they'll be much easier to process and digest. If you're going to extend the soak beyond 12 hours, I recommend changing the water and keeping them in the refrigerator.
3. Drain the almonds very well and rinse with cold water.
4. We add the almonds to a shaker cup along with half the water, Grind until you achieve a very fine, powdery texture.
5. We prepare a large bowl and our Tellier juicer mesh. We pour the mixture into the mesh, place the wooden ring, and lower it to firmly press the pulp.
6. The wooden ring alone won't be enough to get all the juice out: we'll have to use our hands and wring the mesh well so that only the almond pulp remains inside.
7. Add the rest of the water and mix very well with some rods.
8. We pour the almond milk into bottles, preferably made of glass (those of Bormioli you'll love them for this purpose), and we refrigerate for a maximum of 3-4 days.

NOTES:

• Don't throw away the leftover almond pulp; with it we can make spreads, cakes, cookies, or even dry it to make almond flour.

• When refrigerated, sediment may appear at the bottom, even after straining it through a mesh. This is normal; just shake it before consuming.

As you can see, making your own plant-based milk is very easy—you only need to soak the chosen nut or seed for between 8–24 hours, blend, strain, and enjoy.

This Tellier mesh It’s very practical for making any type of plant-based milk. Its striking design isn’t just for looks; the ring helps you press the nut until the mesh is fully tightened, instead of tying a knot. What’s more, it lets you place one hand on it to hold the mesh, and squeeze with the other hand to extract the milk. This way you’ll extract all the liquid, leaving only the pulp inside.

It washes very well under the faucet, dries very quickly, and the folded fabric can be conveniently stored inside the ring.

This almond milk is nothing like the ones we can buy in stores; the taste isn't even similar. Plus, we'll have a greater presence of the fruit it's made with, we can control the amount of sugar (or omit it entirely) and the chemical additives such as preservatives, additives… which are very harmful to our health.

Go for it and tell us about your experience!

How to make hazelnut milk

If you try this almond milk and find that making milk at home becomes your passion, you should know that you can make other types of plant-based milk. If you’re excited about nut-based ones for their flavor and benefits, you should know that hazelnut milk is also delicious and you can prepare it by following exactly the same steps that we have described for almond milk... Of course, you can also add cocoa to give it a different twist that kids and adults will love.

How to make coconut milk

Like other plant-based milks, you can also make coconut milk. Whether with whole fresh coconut or shredded coconut, making it is also very easy. You'll see how to do it in this post.