how to milk a nut
milking nuts is not as difficult as it might seem.
i justify eating cannolies, carmelitas and cocktails (alright, many cocktails), by cleaning up my act twice a year. for a few weeks in march and a few weeks in september, i remove all the bad stuff from my diet. including dairy, coffee, alcohol, wheat, refined sugars, and most cooked food. i used to eat this way all the time, and when i did, one of the first recipes i learned was nut milk. you will need a blender and a nut bag
- soak 1 cup of almonds in filtered water for 8 hours, or overnight.
- drain and rinse with fresh water.
- add nuts and 3 cups of filtered water to blender. blend on high until the nuts have broken down and the milk is white and foamy.
- pour milk through the nut bag into a large bowl. squeeze the bag to get as much liquid from it as possible.
- what you're left with is the nut paste from in bag, and the liquid in the bowl. throw out the paste, and decide what flavor you want the milk to have.
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- dash of sea salt
the milk by itself is rather bland. you can add any flavorings you choose, but i like it to taste like what it came from.
- rinse out blender and pour back in the milk and flavorings. blend on high until combined.
- store in the fridge for 4-5 days. it has a tendency to separate, but a quick shake brings it back together.
makes about 4 cups of milk.
don't be fooled- this doesn't taste like cow milk. if you are adamant about drinking cow milk, than this isn't for you. i've tried a number of commercial almond milks and haven't found any more delicious than this. it's nice to have a base you can customize with the amount of flavor and sweetness you like.
