Almond milk is a great addition not only for cocktails, liqueurs or coffee, but also for cooking fish and seafood. Many do not even realize that this is a real nut product, and not an almond flavor added to regular milk - the drink turns out so tasty. But I’ll warn you right away - this recipe is not for everyone, since not everyone likes the bitterness of almond nuts.

Homemade almond milk is very concentrated, so you will need to dilute it to your liking to add the drink to the dough or to another product, such as a smoothie.

Prepare 0.5 cups of peeled almond kernels or a full meal - as much as you can fit in your palm. By the way, almonds are best to choose not bitter varieties and they can be stored almost all year round if dry well beforehand.

To make the peel on the kernels less dense, it is necessary to soak them for 10-15 minutes in boiling water. Many cooks advise to boil the kernels for 5 minutes, but it is best not to heat them. If you want to get a pure white drink, remove the peel. If you want to create almond milk beige - do not remove.

Pour the kernels into the blender container and pour in 5 tbsp. chilled boiled water.

Grind everything into a homogeneous gruel for 3-5 minutes on a pulsating mode.

Strain the contents of the blender through a strainer into a cup or glass. You can dry the remaining mass of chopped almonds and also use them for culinary purposes!

Dilute the finished almond milk with the remaining amount of water and use it for its intended purpose, which is known only to you!

Good luck with your new culinary experiments!

I always thought that making almond milk at home is very difficult and dreary. It turned out that this is not so! It is done very simply and quickly. And it tastes just divine! Personally, for me, there is no comparison with cow's milk from the store. And I'm generally silent about the benefits! I have not drunk cow's milk for many years, as I consider it unhealthy. You can read about why I think so in the article. There you will also find out where I get calcium, if not from milk. This is usually the question everyone is concerned about.

Fortunately, almond and any other plant-based milk (coconut, soy, sesame) perfectly replaces cow's milk and does not harm your beloved body. I will make a reservation that you should not drink almond milk in liters per day, since almonds do not have a very favorable ratio of omega-3 and omega-67 fatty acids (read about this in the article). But you hardly drink milk by the liter. Personally, I can drink a mug of almond milk a day, and not every day, but according to my mood. This is good for the body!

How can almond milk be used?

1. Just drink it. This is delicious!
2. Add to any .
3. Use to make vegan puddings. For example, or.
4. Use in baking and in any other dishes as a substitute for cow's milk. For example, in .

How to prepare almond milk?

1. Take the ingredients:

Almonds (raw) - 150 gr.

Water - 1.5 liters

Natural sweetener - I have coke sugar (2 tbsp)

Vanilla (powder or extract) optional

Gauze or thin cloth - for straining milk

Blender (preferably stationary, not submersible)

It is imperative to use a sweetener, because. Without it, milk is tasteless. You don't need much, as there is no goal to make sweet milk. It will turn out slightly sweet, almost imperceptible. Actually, fresh cow's milk also has a slightly sweet taste.

As a natural sweetener, you can use: dates, coconut sugar, palm sugar, honey, agave syrup, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, carob syrup, stevia extract and other useful sugar substitutes. I really like using dates - for the indicated amount of almonds and water, you need 3-4 pieces. Or coconut sugar - 2 tablespoons is enough. Don't worry, it's not the same as 2 tablespoons of white sugar. It's natural sugar and doesn't taste as sweet.

2. Soak almonds for 8-10 hours, and more! I have already soaked almonds in the photo.

3. When the soaking time has passed, drain the water and wash the almonds. This is important, because when soaking their nuts, pesticides and other chemicals, if any, are released into the water.

4. We put all the ingredients in a blender - almonds, water, sugar + I have vanilla extract (10 drops). Beat at high speed for 1-2 minutes.

I know that many people peel almonds before grinding them in a blender. But I assure you, it's not necessary! It doesn't affect the taste in any way. It is believed that if you remove the brown peel, then the milk will be whiter. But by experience, I realized that when filtering, the gauze perfectly retains the brown particles of the almond skin, and the color of the milk turns white. So do not bother, especially since almonds are not so easy to clean.

5. We filter the milk. I usually do this. I take a jar or a jug. From above I close the jar with gauze (I have 2 layers). And pour milk from a blender. Then I carefully take the gauze with cake, which has not leaked into the jar and squeeze it well, to the last drop)

Everything, delicious almond milk is ready! Enjoy! From 150 grams of almonds, almost 1.5 liters of milk is obtained. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

If you have never tried almond milk or tried only store-bought, then I strongly recommend you to cook it. It's very, very tasty!

Advice! Do not throw away any leftover almond pulp after making milk. You can make delicious and healthy cookies out of it!

To do this, mash a ripe banana and a couple of dates with a fork, mix the resulting banana-date puree with almond cake, add any spices you wish (cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla), form thin round cookies from the resulting dough and dry them in a dehydrator (dryer for vegetables and fruits). If you don't have a dehydrator, use the oven.

And this time I made two delicious puddings from milk - one, the other -! This is how delicious it turned out:

Drink the right milk) And be healthy!

Almond milk is a drink of plant origin. It is made from almond kernels with water. Due to the fact that this type of milk is stored longer, in the Middle Ages they were replaced with cow's milk. In Russia, this drink was called orshad. They also drank it during fasts.

The uniqueness of almond milk is that it does not contain lactose and cholesterol. This milk is drunk by both vegetarians and people who cannot tolerate regular animal milk. Almond milk is very tasty with a delicate nutty flavor. Rich in vitamins and all other beneficial elements found in almonds.

calories

The calorie content of almond milk depends on the recipe for which it was made. That is, the more products were involved in the process, the higher the calorie content. Calorie content of almond milk prepared on your own simple recipe, more precisely from water and almonds, does not exceed 100 kcal.

The calorie content of 100 grams of almond milk with almonds, water, vanilla and honey is approximately 135.3 kcal. It contains:

• 3.6 gr. squirrel.
• 11.1 gr. fat.
• 5.6 gr. carbohydrates.

Chemical composition

Contains:

• calcium;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus;
• vitamin E;
• vitamin D;
• manganese;
• zinc;
• copper.

Beneficial features

• There is no cholesterol in almond milk.
• There is no lactose intolerant to many people.
• As a rich source of calcium, it greatly strengthens bones and teeth, improves the condition of hair and nails.
• It has a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels.
• Omega fatty acids help to normalize blood pressure. In addition, the risk of heart disease is reduced.
• Vitamin D in almond milk prevents the development of osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children.
• The B vitamins found in almond milk stimulate muscle growth and also improve the functioning of the nervous system.
• Vitamin A improves the condition of vision and eyes.
• It is a mild laxative.
• Helps with pneumonia, throat diseases, convulsions and migraines.

More about useful properties almond milk, you can from the following video of the program "Live Healthy".

Harm and contraindications

Homemade almond milk proper storage, harmless and contraindicated only for individuals with individual intolerance.

Purchased almond milk may contain carrageenan. It is a dietary supplement that can provoke inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, deterioration in gastric ulcers and coronary disease, as well as the occurrence of cancer.

In addition, almond milk cannot replace breast milk for babies. Moreover, there is a risk of allergies. For this reason, it is better not to give almond milk to infants.

• Almond milk, made from peeled almonds, looks like fresh cow's milk.
• Due to the fact that it is made from nuts, that is, it is of plant origin, you can also drink it during fasting. Because of this, vegetarians love it very much.
• Can keep fresh for a long time outside the refrigerator. It is thanks to this quality that this drink was popular in the Middle Ages.
• Regular consumption of this vegetable milk promotes weight loss.

How to choose and where to buy

Almond milk is easy to make, so it's best to make your own at home. However, if you wish, you can buy a ready-made almond drink. You can buy it in some stores and supermarkets, as well as in online stores.

When buying almond milk, pay attention to the expiration date, condition and integrity of the packaging. Industrially produced almond milk is usually stored for several days to several months.

Application

In cooking

Almond milk has a pleasant smell and taste, besides, like almonds themselves, they are a source of many vitamins. Because of this, it is widely used in cooking. Almond milk can be drunk and added to many desserts and dishes.

Recipes

Blancmange - the oldest cold dessert

There are many options for preparing this dessert. We will consider one of the most delicious. For this you will need:

• almond milk - 0.5 liters;
• sugar - 200 grams;
• gelatin - one sachet.

Mix milk with powdered sugar. Boil. Introduce soaked gelatin. Mix, cool, pour into molds, and then put on the shelf of the refrigerator.

Vegan pancakes

Necessary:

• 0.5 cup whole grain flour;
• 1 glass of almond milk;
• 2 tablespoons of flaxseed flour;
• 1 tablespoon of cane sugar;
• 0.5 teaspoon of soda;
• a pinch of salt.

Mix almond milk with flaxseed. Add salt, soda and sugar. Beat with a mixer for a few minutes. Leave until flaxseed flour swells. Then gradually add the whole grain flour. You can add water if necessary (if the dough is too thick). Heat up a frying pan with a small amount of oil and start baking pancakes.

"Almond Pleasure" - delicious almond jelly

Soak a handful of sweet almonds in cold water. After five hours, drain the water, add 1 tbsp. coconut flakes and 3 tbsp. powdered sugar.

Beat with a mixer or inside a blender with 300 ml of water.

Mix 100 ml of ten percent cream with one tablespoon of gelatin. After 35-40 minutes, that is, when the gelatin swells, heat it up, but avoid boiling. Filter the contents of the blender.

The cake from the contents is very tasty. You can bake cookies with it, the recipe of which is given below, or just eat it.

Mix the resulting milk with gelatin, distribute into molds and refrigerate. After a few hours, Almond Pleasure jelly with almond flavor will be ready.

• 300 grams of almond meal.
• 1 chicken egg.
• a little sugar.

To mix everything. Grease a baking sheet with oil. In the form of cakes, spread the dough with a spoon. Put in an oven preheated to 170 degrees. Bake for about 15 minutes. Instead of an egg, you can add 1 banana. In this case, the oven needs 25 minutes.

In medicine

In cosmetology

Like almonds, almond milk can be used in cosmetics. It has:

• emollient;
• moisturizing;
• whitening and cleansing properties. Almond milk is used to wash, wipe and make various masks.

It can remove makeup from your face. To do this, apply almond milk to the face, neck and décolleté area with cotton pads. Leave on for a few minutes and then wipe off any remaining makeup with a tissue. This makeup removal procedure will not harm your skin, moreover, under the influence of almond milk, the skin will become more elastic and elastic.

How to cook at home

There are many simple and intricate recipes for making almond milk. In all recipes, almonds and water are the main and indispensable ingredients. Consider several ways to make almond milk at home.

Watch the following video for making almond milk from raw almonds using a blender.

Method number 1

Take 50 grams of almond kernels and grind them in a mortar. Pour 100 ml of water and place in a boiling water bath. Boil for 5 minutes and then strain. Such a volume for the above diseases should be drunk 3 times a day for half an hour before meals.

Method number 2

Soak a certain amount of sweet almonds in water for several hours (you can soak at night and start cooking in the morning). After the almonds become soft, grind them together with water in a blender. For one glass of almonds, you need to take 3 glasses of water. Filter the resulting mixture with cheesecloth. The liquid that remains after filtering is almond milk.

Such milk can be simply drunk or added to dishes. At the same time, milk can be flavored with cocoa or vanillin, sweetened with sugar, honey or spices to taste.

The remaining cake can be diluted with water and milled to make more milk. Or make delicious marzipan sweets.

Store almond milk in the refrigerator for no more than three days.

Many healthy foods remain unnoticed and underestimated. For example, almond milk has fallen out of favor, although tsarist Russia the drink was popular.

Almond milk was suitable for Lent, it was used to make a refreshing drink - orshad. By origin, it has nothing to do with animal milk, but is called so because of the color and milk-like taste.

Composition of almond milk

The drink is obtained from ground almonds and water, without heat treatment, so it is similar in composition to almonds.

Vitamins:

• A - 0.02 mg;
• E - 24.6 mg;
• B1 - 0.25 mg;
• B2 - 0.65 mg;
• B3 - 6.2 mg;
• B4 - 52.1 mg;
• B5 - 0.4 mg;
• B6 - 0.3 mg;
• B9 - 0.04 mg;
• C - 1.5 mg.

Micro and macro elements:

• potassium - 748 mg;
• calcium - 273 mg;
• magnesium - 234 mg;
• phosphorus - 473 mg;
• chlorine - 39 mg;
• sulfur - 178 mg.

In 100 gr. product:

• 18.6 gr. proteins;
• 53.7 gr. fats;
• 13 gr. carbohydrates.

Calorie content of almond milk is 51 kcal.

In this milk, unlike cow's milk, there is no cholesterol and, therefore, it is more useful.

Benefits of almond milk

The drink has many advantages over animal milk, one of the main ones is the absence of lactose. The product can be an alternative for lactose intolerance.

General

For weight loss

If you have problems with being overweight, then almond milk can replace regular milk, as it is less caloric - the energy value cow's milk 0% fat - 86 kcal, and almond - 51 kcal.

The drink is not an "empty" product. Despite the lightness, useful elements and vitamins are preserved in it. What can not be said about skimmed cow's milk, from which calcium is not absorbed and where vitamins have been destroyed due to pasteurization.

For women

Almond milk is good for women of all ages. 200 gr. drink will provide the daily norm of vitamin E, will become a source of omega-3, omega-6, omega-9 fatty acids. Vitamin E inhibits the oxidation of free radicals and protects the skin from sun damage and harmful chemicals. Fatty acids nourish the skin from within.

For men

Usually men pay more attention to muscles than women. The secret of the benefits of almond milk for muscles is in the content of vitamin B2 and iron. Riboflavin is involved in protein metabolism, in the breakdown of molecules into energy in the form of ATP. Iron is needed to supply oxygen to the muscles during prolonged physical exertion.

During pregnancy

The drink contains vitamin B9 or folic acid which prevents deviations in the development of the fetus.

Calcium and vitamin D are needed for the formation of the baby's skeleton and the maintenance of the mother's bone tissue. Almond milk has a laxative effect, normalizes digestion and does not burden the gastrointestinal tract.

For kids

It does not hurt to regularly drink almond milk for children, as the drink contains calcium and vitamin D. Almond milk contains 273 mg of calcium, which is more than cottage cheese, kefir and cow's milk. The drink contains 25% of the required daily dose of vitamin D, without which calcium is not absorbed.

Regular consumption of almond milk will strengthen the bones, teeth and hair, and will help in the growth of the child. It is dangerous to completely replace cow or goat milk with almond milk, as the drink is inferior in vitamin C content, which is responsible for collagen production and connective tissue elasticity.

Harm and contraindications of almond milk

Almond milk can replace regular milk for an adult. But this does not apply to infants: they should not switch to a drink due to the low content of vitamin C and the risk of developing scurvy. In confirmation of this there will be a case from Spain. An infant suffering from an allergy to animal milk was prescribed a mixture based on almond milk, and by 10 months the child had a poorly developed bone corset and scurvy appeared. More doctors have not registered cases of harm to almond milk, excluding individual intolerance.

So what is almond milk? This is a plant-based product that is an excellent substitute for cream for those who are lactose intolerant. But that's not all. Almond milk is also beneficial. Compared to soy, the nut product is much better in taste. By the way, milk can be made not only from almonds. For this, any nuts will fit - walnuts, hazelnuts, coconuts ... And you can also get milk from poppy seeds, millet, wheat, rice and even pumpkin seeds. Probably, you have already tried such a purchased product of plant origin? Do not rush to label it "tasteless"! In the food industry, nut milk is made from overcooked product, besides, it is generously stuffed with preservatives and stabilizers, they put too much sugar, which makes it cloying. Therefore, our article will focus on how to make almond milk at home. It is very easy to make it with your own hands.

A bit of history

Unlike soy milk, almond milk is not a newfangled vegan invention. People enjoyed them even in those distant times, when nothing was known (at least to Europeans) about paneer cheese, carob beans and agar. Although they call the Middle Ages a dark time, people in that era knew a lot about food. Moreover, there were no refrigerators, and cow's milk could not be stored for more than one day. They drank it right away, or churned butter out of it, defended sour cream, made cheese. But do not forget how many fasts there were in Christian Europe! During them it was impossible to eat any products of animal origin. Therefore, a white drink, slightly reminiscent of sweet cream in taste, came in handy. Any medieval housewife knew how to make almond milk. In those countries, of course, where the trees that bear these nuts grew in abundance. But even in the northern regions vegetable milk was valued. The Greeks brought his recipe to us. By the way, the Bulgarian national drink "boza" is nothing more than milk from millet or wheat. True, it is fermented, which is why it is gaining a degree - 1%.

Many people are lactose intolerant. Even more milk can be drunk, but it causes indigestion and diarrhoea. Scientists have unraveled the reason for this. Cow's milk contains three times more casein protein than breast milk. Therefore, after coming out of infancy, people stop assimilating this product. Excess mucus is formed in the intestines from casein, which leads to poor health.

Not only is almond milk free of lactose and unhealthy protein, but it also has a number of health benefits. It contains the whole range of vitamins B and E, which is useful for memory, performance, growth of shiny thick hair and strong nails. Like all nuts, milk is very nutritious, perfectly satisfies the feeling of hunger. It contains more magnesium than oats and spinach, and the same amount of iron. Although they say that without cow's milk the body lacks calcium, there is a lot of this mineral in almonds. Phosphorus, unsaturated fatty acids in it as much as in fish. It also contains zinc and folic acid.

Drinking almond milk

The question arises: is it possible to use almond milk, the recipe for which we will reveal below, as universally as the product that a cow gives? That is, is it possible to make porridge on it, add it to the dough, prepare creams and mousses from it? Oh sure! This delicious milk can not only be drunk in pure form, but also add it to coffee. And what delicious cocktails come out with it! Even butter can be made from almond milk. It has a slightly creamy taste. Nuts are the main note in it. The density of the drink can be adjusted manually by adding water. And from the pomace you get delicious marzipans. We will talk more about how and with what to use almond milk. How to cook it at home - that's the question on the agenda for now.

Basic Recipe

To prepare the drink, we need almonds - raw, that is, unroasted. If you buy shelled nuts in factory packaging, make sure that they have not been heat-treated. For one glass of almonds, we need three times the amount of cold spring water. But first, rinse the nuts to remove possible debris. Now let's fill them with more cold water- can be ordinary, tap water. So the almonds should stand overnight. During this time, the nuts will increase slightly in volume. This means that they are swollen enough and ready to turn into a drink. Drain the water in which the nuts were soaked. Instead, add boiling water. Pour enough to cover the almonds completely. We leave it like that for a quarter of an hour. Now the nuts can be easily peeled. If you like almond bitterness in the taste of milk, you can skip this step. But the drink will come out not snow-white, but creamy, reminiscent of ryazhenka in color. We strain the almonds, transfer them to a blender, pour a glass of spring water. Grind the nuts until the drink is white. Now add two more glasses of water and work with a blender for about 40 seconds. After that, we filter homemade almond milk through a cloth and enjoy the delicate taste.

What to do with pulp?

Do not rush to throw it away! Squeezed crushed nuts, although they transferred their almond essence to the water, turning it into “milk”, are still very tasty. Make homemade bounty sweets from the cake. Only in this case, the filling will not be coconut pulp, but almonds. Add some sweetener to the squeezed nuts - honey will the best option. Form candies with your hands, dip each in hot chocolate, let dry on a wire rack.

Almond cake can be dried and stored long enough in the refrigerator. It can be added to salads, pates, yoghurts, almond milk itself to regulate the density of the drink. And the cake is used for cosmetic purposes. Mixed with honey or sour cream, it is good as a softening and wrinkle-smoothing facial mask. Just apply a layer of it on the skin, wash off with warm water after fifteen minutes.

delicious drinks

If you have prepared almond milk at home, you are free to adjust its sweetness and thickness. We have already mentioned that if you do not peel the nuts from the brown skin, the taste of the drink will turn out with a slight bitterness. You can not squeeze the cake at all, but drink milk with pulp. The nutritional value such a drink has 105 kcal per 100 grams of product. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than three days. Before use, the settled milk must be shaken.

The taste of the drink without any additives is neutral. To sweeten milk, you can add a little honey, vanilla sugar, cinnamon to it. Knowledgeable people advise putting some dried fruits in a blender along with almonds. Especially delicious, they say, is milk with dates. A drink with pulp can be whipped up as a milk shake with fruit or maple syrup, or it can be used to make a variety of smoothies.

Homemade pomace biscuits

Make another snack - an incredibly delicious cookie - after you have prepared almond milk. Its recipe is very simple. For three hundred grams of almond pulp, we need one egg. Just mix it with the pulp. Sweeten the mass as you wish with honey or sugar. With a spoon, place the cakes on a baking sheet. Bake such cookies for a quarter of an hour at a temperature of 170 degrees. The egg can be replaced with a very ripe banana. Mash it with a fork and mix it with the almond extracts. But in this case, the baking time should be increased to twenty-five minutes. The density of the “dough” without flour can be adjusted by adding almond milk to it.

Green "Roquefort"

But not only sweet desserts are obtained in this way. From nuts you can make not only almond milk, but also "cheese" without lactose. How? Easy peasy. Soak overnight 200 grams of nut kernels. Drain in a colander and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add an incomplete spoonful of salt, 2-3 cloves of garlic and juice from half a lemon. Grind until smooth. As you can see, there is no need to add water in this recipe. At first, the almonds will stick to the sides and blades. Don't let that stop you. Peel it off and grind again until you get a creamy paste. In order for our "Roquefort" to acquire the desired color, we add finely chopped greens to it - parsley, dill, green onions. Such "cheese" can be smeared on sandwiches, added to salads.

Variety of almond milk treats

A drink with pulp and various additives can be frozen and turned into a delicious sherbet. What to take as fillers? Grated chocolate, fresh or frozen berries, Nutella, bananas, nuts. If the cake is slightly diluted with almond milk, you get "yogurt". Here, too, you can experiment with additives. Here is the smoothie recipe. For a glass of almond milk, we take 100 grams of strawberries, a banana and four mint leaves. Blend everything in a blender for about 30 seconds. Sweeten to taste with honey or syrup. Another recipe is a chocolate smoothie that uses almond milk. How to prepare this delicious drink? Cut three bananas into circles and freeze. Dried apricots (4 pcs.) Soak in hot water for 10 minutes. In a blender, mix a glass of almond milk, 2 dates, banana mugs, dried apricots, two tablespoons of cocoa and the juice of half a lime. Pour into glasses. Sprinkle grated chocolate on top.