Making Homemade Almond Milk

[Shel_B]

I want to make some almond milk strawberry smoothies, and I bought some almond milk to use in the recipe. I was aghast at the list of ingredients the milk contained, and not at all satisfied with the taste. Looking at other brands, the ingredients were just as plentiful and annoying. So, I'd like to make my own.

I went on line, grabbed a few recipes and ideas, and will attempt a batch or two in the next couple of days. However, I thought I'd ask here if anyone's made almond milk, and what sugestions or caveats they may have. Thanks!

[sigma]

Err on the side of thicker. Since it is just almonds and water, you an always thin it.

[Franci]

I soak almonds (which I've already peeled) overnight with a bit of salt (2 cups almonds and 1 teaspoon salt). In the morning, I rinse them, then put in the blender with some lukewarm water and blend. Let it sit for half an hour. Drain and repeat. Take the almond meal and put back in the blender with more lukewarm water blend, let sit for a bit and drain. Of course the first milk is thicker. You can decide if you want to blend them together or keep them separated for different uses. I use 1 liter water in total for 2 cups almonds.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Franci (log)

[Shel_B]

I soak almonds (which I've already peeled) overnight with a bit of salt (2 cups almonds and 1 teaspoon salt). In the morning, I rinse them, then put in the blender with some lukewarm water and blend. Let it sit for half an hour. Drain and repeat. Take the almond meal and put back in the blender with more lukewarm water blend, let sit for a bit and drain. Of course the first milk is thicker. You can decide if you want to blend them together or keep them separated for different uses. I use 1 liter water in total for 2 cups almonds.

Do you find warm water to give a better or different result than cold or room temp water? Does it dissolve the almonds better and extract more milk?

Yours is the first suggestion I've come across to blend the pulp. Certainly worth a try ... and it's a nice, thrifty suggestion.

[Shel_B]

This morning I made my first batch of almond milk. The result was far superior to any commercial product I tried. Thanks to all for your suggestions.

[andiesenji]

I used the same process as Franci for years - blanched almonds soaked overnight with a little salt, rinse and blend with water, usually a quart of water (I use warm) to two cups of whole nuts.

If I wanted it for drinking, or for cereal, etc., I strained it using a jelly bag.

About 5 years ago I got one of these not particularly for soy milk but for nut milks, rice milk and especially almond milk.

I have experimented with various processes to get a special effect. I make a batch of the almond milk and remove the pulp (which I spread on a sheet pan and dry in the oven to use as almond "flour" - also works with hazelnuts & etc.)

I add more soaked, blanched almonds to the cup and process again - usually 3 times - to get a richer, thicker product (like cream) which I have used to make a yogurt-like and/or a cream cheese-like result. This also works beautifully in cooked custards, pies & etc., something that I never perfected making the almond milk in the blender.

I also use it to make coconut milk and the result is much better than the canned stuff - is similar to the fresh-frozen which is quite expensive at the local Asian markets.

The price has come down quite a bit since I bought mine. I saw it at Costco a few months ago for less than $100. $89.00 comes to mind.

I have also used it to make soy milk but I order the non-GMO soybeans that are certified organic. I only make it when vegetarian friends, who prefer it to nut milk, are visiting.

[Franci]

Shel, glad you liked your almond milk!

Andiesenji, nice tool! Good to know you can buy at Costco. You are the queen of gadgets to me. You also have a Thermomix, right? How does this soymilk maker perform compared to a Thermomix (or a Vitamix) in these situations?

I need to buy all my kitchen appliances soon and I need some smart thinking. I don't want to buy too many gadgets at the same time.

[Franci]

Ah, Andie, do you use dry unsweetened coconut for your coconut milk?
That's how I've done so far.

Thanks

[Shel_B]

About 5 years ago I got one of these not particularly for soy milk but for nut milks, rice milk and especially almond milk.

I have experimented with various processes to get a special effect. I make a batch of the almond milk and remove the pulp (which I spread on a sheet pan and dry in the oven to use as almond "flour" - also works with hazelnuts & etc.)

I don't think I want another kitchen gadget or tool. Making the milk the "old fashioned" way is just fine for me, and the process is very satisfying. I would like to try your and Franci's technique of resoaking the pulp with added, fresh almonds. I wouldn't mind a richer milk.

BTW, I grabbed some organic, unpasteurized almonds yesterday at the Berkeley farmers market. I'm excited about trying them in my next batch. Usually the almonds we buy are pasteurized, regardless of where they are purchased.

I made a strawberry banana smoothie for Toots yesterday, using the vanilla almond milk I made, and she loved it. Her smile when she tasted it was worth whatever effort I put out making the milk

[andiesenji]

Shel, glad you liked your almond milk!

Andiesenji, nice tool! Good to know you can buy at Costco. You are the queen of gadgets to me. You also have a Thermomix, right? How does this soymilk maker perform compared to a Thermomix (or a Vitamix) in these situations?

I need to buy all my kitchen appliances soon and I need some smart thinking. I don't want to buy too many gadgets at the same time.

The soy milk appliance does a better job at this particular task without the mess of having to strain out the pulp - and I like the smoothness or creaminess of the end product. I've also used to to make soups - I have a little cookbook (that at present is hiding) that has some interesting recipes for various ways to use it.

The Thermomix has its uses but there are some things that other appliances do better - I have never been able to successfully beat egg whites to the consistency I want in it, no matter how well I clean it, etc. I use my stand mixer.

I use dry unsweetened coconut - the local Asian markets carry it in bulk and have a rapid turnover so it is always fresh (and cheap). In that also I make a batch, remove the solids, add "fresh" coconut (that I have soaked) and run through the process again and sometimes repeat it to get a much richer result - more like coconut "cream" which I like to use in curry as the various spices seem to "bloom" and produce more flavor with the extra fat.

When I first began making nut milks when I got my first Vita Mix, back in the late '60s, I relied on straining out the pulp. We also had a Champion juicer and I tried using that but while it did strain out the pulp, it did not extract enough of the oils to make a rich "milk" at least to my satisfaction.

So I have been experimenting with this process for more than 4 decades and was more or less satisfied with the results with the various machines but I am really thrilled with the Soyabella.

I do love appliances but they really have to WORK to get top marks from me.

[Shel_B]

This morning I tried something different, mixing some homemade coconut milk with the homemade almond milk. I've not perfected the proportions yet, but the first two blends tested were pretty good suggesting that the idea has the promise for making a very nice, refreshing beverage. I made a batch of coconut milk from dried coconut and added some of the strained liquid to the previously prepared almond milk. The next step in the experiment is to mix the dried coconut with the soaked almonds, and process them together. It may take a little more time to get the right proportions, but then, only one batch of milk need be produced.

When making the almond milk this morning, I added a vanilla bean and a couple of medjool dates for a little more flavor and sweetness. I've been doing that occasionally since I first started making almond milk. Adding fresh fruit to that makes a nice smoothie, and since I was gifted with a nice supply of vanilla beans, I'll be adding the beans more often.

[Shel_B]

The last two batches of almond milk were somewhat disappointing.  The soaking almond produced a very cloudy and somewhat slimy soaking water, and I had to change the water about four times during the 16-hour soak.  The current batch of almonds that have been soaking now for about six or seven hours produced a much cleaner, slime-free water.

 

The two problem batches were from organic, unpasteurized, Spanish almonds.  I purchased them from the local Natural Grocery, which gets much of their grocery items from corporate organics rather than local, small, independent vendors, although their produce items are generally locally sourced.

 

Today's batch is from a nearby orchard, organic, and unpasteurized.  I've used almonds from that orchard before with excellent results.

 

So, any idea what causes the slimy, cloudy soaking water?  I read that a lot of "raw" almonds have been pasteurized, some with a chemical called PPO  (http://www.almondboard.com/Handlers/FoodQualitySafety/Pasteurization/Pages/Default.aspx)  Could this be causing the slimy water?

[Chris Hennes]

According to this site (among others, but I don't have a truly authoritative source), propylene oxide cannot be used in conjunction with organic labeling, so if the problem almonds were certified organic then PPO was not the culprit in the sliminess. Were they actually labeled as "organic" and "unpasteurized"?

[Shel_B]

According to this site (among others, but I don't have a truly authoritative source), propylene oxide cannot be used in conjunction with organic labeling, so if the problem almonds were certified organic then PPO was not the culprit in the sliminess. Were they actually labeled as "organic" and "unpasteurized"?

 

I am not 100% sure that the almonds I bought were labeled "organic."  They were in a bulk bin, and I am certain that they were labeled as unpasteurized.  I'll double check when I next visit the store, which may even be today, but definitely this week some time.  The store does claim to carry 100% organic produce,however, I don't know if their bulk items are 100% organic.

[Shel_B]

According to this site (among others, but I don't have a truly authoritative source), propylene oxide cannot be used in conjunction with organic labeling, so if the problem almonds were certified organic then PPO was not the culprit in the sliminess. Were they actually labeled as "organic" and "unpasteurized"?

 

I stopped in at the Natural Grocery earlier today, and the troublesome almonds were marked as organic and unpasteurized.  There must be something strange going on with them because the local organic, unpasteurized almonds do not cloud up the water nearly as much, and there is no slime or scum on the surface.  I certainly won't buy them ever again.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Shel_B (log)