If you are vegan or just prefer not to consume dairy products, here is an almond milk recipe which you can use over cereal or as desired. You can leave the skins on the almonds as it will not harm you, but it does leave little pieces in the milk which is not very attractive.
Therefore, you may prefer to take the skins off of the almonds, for this almond milk recipe, which leaves a white looking liquid that resembles thin cow’s milk or skim milk. It does involve a bit of work to achieve, though. Kids usually find it fun to do, at least the initial time.The first thing you need to do for this almond milk recipe is to soak the almonds for 8-10 hours (overnight is ideal). Nuts are soaked to remove the enzyme inhibitors from them so always pour off the water from them when finished.
Enzyme inhibitors are on all seeds to keep them safe until the conditions are right for them to grow. These conditions are light, warmth, and water, usually with soil included too, except in the case of hydroponics.
Getting the Skins Off the Almonds
1. Take the soaked almonds and put them in an enamel or metal (non-glass) bowl.
2. Heat water in a separate pan until boiling.
3. Pour the boiling water over the almonds and stir them for about a minute, no longer, so as to not cook them.
4. Immediately transfer them into cold water. The skins should come off easily but if they don’t, repeat the process.
5. Take off the skins by holding them between the thumb and index finger and pushing on the skin. Be careful, as they have a tendency to shoot across the room.
This will leave a white almond for your almond milk recipe.
Plain Almond Milk Recipe
1 cup of almonds, skins off if preferred
3 cups of good filtered water
1. Put the almonds into the Vita-mix with one and a half cups of the good filtered or well water and blend until smooth.
2. Then add another one and a half cups of water and continue blending.
This will leave you with a somewhat chunky kind of milk. If the pieces of almonds are a problem, blend them more or strain them out of the milk through cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
Sweet Almond Milk Recipe
1 cup almonds, with or without skins
3 cups good filtered water
1 teaspoon Vanilla
a dash of stevia or lo han guo to taste
Process as for the plain recipe but add the sweetener and vanilla after the water but while still blending.
Making Yogurt From Almond Milk
If you so desire, you can make yogurt from the almond milk recipe too, although I did not care for the consistency. You can use the cultures as listed in the How to Make Yogurt section or take two or three probiotic capsules per blender full and break them into the blender.
Use the Yolife yogurt maker with the almond milk recipe the same way you would for other milk. Or if you don’t have a yogurt maker, you can pour the contents of the almond milk recipe into a non-metal bowl and let it sit out on the counter, covered, for five to eight hours at room temperature.
Taste it after 5 or 6 hours to see if it's slightly sour, because when it is sour, it is finished. The more sour it is, the more cultured it is, but it is up to your individual taste.
Add the sweetener of your choice (see Natural Sweeteners) and maybe some vanilla if desired. Use it over cereal, with fruit or in a smoothie, the same way you would use other types of yogurt.
See the "How to Make Yogurt" link above for more information on how to make yogurt.
Essential News About Raw Almonds
Here is some vital information about almonds, compliments of D and S Ranches of California, whose web site is found at www.california-almonds.com. The information is still applicable today.
“Important News About Our Shippable 2008 Almond Crop!
D&S Ranches, an Orchard Grower in the San Joaquin Valley of California, has an Important Announcement to make regarding Pasteurization of our Naturally Grown California Almonds! After the Almond Board Rule went into effect we began to extensively research the Best, most Non-Intrusive methods available to reduce bacteria on the skin of the nut without affecting the nut meat itself.
The Good News:
The Good news is that we have found a process that does just that! This method was developed for the Spices Food Group where any alteration or destruction of the interior of the nut or spice kernel would destroy the delicate value of the item. As it turns out we were able to get this technology approved for application on our Selma California Grown Nut Crop!
How It Works:
The process is very expensive and requires the latest in production technology. It is centered on Water Based Botanical Principles. We call this process H20-UN-Pasteurization. The almonds are held in a chamber that draws down the air to a vacuum, so all the air born bacteria and pathogens are removed from the chamber, then a computer controlled mist of sterile distilled water dry stream is injected in to the chamber. This steam is computer controlled and balanced against the known weight of each nut. As the small amount of Steam condenses on the skin of the nut it transfers only minimal heat energy just to the surface it contacts! The nut meat is never heated internally!
After the dry steam injection, a 4 to 6 second process, the chamber is then evacuated again causing the condensed purified water to evaporate from the skin of the nut. Next the chamber is brought back to normal conditions with HEPA Filtered Air.
This process preserves the internal natural balance of enzymes, amino acids, proteins, and most importantly it preserves the natural living nature of the nut! You can sprout these Almonds !
We are sure you will be very satisified with this process, and as far as we know we are the only Ranch Direct Almond Grower in the San Joaquian Valley of California that is using this expensive, and time consuming process, so that we may bring you the very finest in US Graded Fancy #1 California Almonds !
Please beware of other processes:
We are concerned that there are a good number of other processes out there that are very inferior and some are outright dangerous! The most common is simple autoclave sterilization and this is, essentially, just cooking the nut. After an autoclave process, the nut is no longer living, it is dead, and all the valuable nutrients of the nut have been cooked and destroyed. Unfortunately the Almond Board, under presser from the Big Almonds Handlers, Processors and Growers are calling and labeling, in the stores, these nuts as RAW ! They ARE NOT RAW! They are COOKED !
Other processes are using PPO (Propylene Oxide Gas). You should never, ever under any circumstances eat nuts exposed to PPO Gas. PPO is a known carcinogen (causes cancer). It is toxic and poisonous! The European Union (EU) has prohibited the use of PPO Gas on any Human Food Product. The USDA and the FDA still allow it. Inquire with your store if their nuts have been exposed to PPO ! Make sure you know! This is serious business.”
Order nuts directly from the growers online
You may purchase these almonds directly from the growers by accessing their web site above. You can purchase them in bulk and share with your neighbors and friends for the best deal. See Soaking nuts, grains and fruits in the Eating Raw Food Guidelines for additional information about optimal health from these sources.
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