Dairy Free Nut Milk

Homemade nut milks are a wonderful alternative to regular milk if you can't tolerate dairy, soy or just want to cut down on your sugar intake. Yes, milk contains sugar called lactose. One cup of milk has about 12 grams of sugar. This equals 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar which is also the American Health Association's recommended maximum intake per day for women. It's 3 tablespoons max for men. Wow! That is not very much, especially when you think about everything else you consume each day.

I have bought store name brands of almond and hazelnut milk for years, but had never made my own until this morning, and I regret not doing it earlier. I used Diana Stobo's Nut-Milk Bag (paint strainer bags work, too) which was given to me as a gift. It had been sitting in my cupboard for about 6 months even though I had been told by friends who'd made their own almond milk that it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I think I thought it would be too much work to justify making it myself. However, I was totally wrong. It was super quick and easy and I made it in between flipping my eggs while cooking breakfast. Don't mind the fact that I had to soak the almonds in water the night before.

The freshly blended basic almond milk was light and refreshing with a hint of almond. I like to experiment so I threw in a few other ingredients to spice it up - cinnamon, carob, sea salt and vanilla. Now it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Not to mention the fact that almond milk is super nutritious providing protein, vitamins and minerals as well as being low in fat and calories. Okay, I think I'm sold, and I'm going to be making my own nut milks from now on; plus it's fun to experiment with different custom flavors. I also think it would be an excellent accompaniment to Chai tea.

Basic Ingredients:
• 1 cup raw almonds or your nut or mix of nuts of choice (think cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts), soaked 12 hours
• 4 cups purified water

Optional Recommended Flavorings:
• 1/2 tsp of alcohol-free vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp carob powder
• pinch of sea salt
• dash of xylitol

Directions (takes about 5 minutes):
1. Rinse and drain soaked almonds. Place almonds and water in a high-speed blender and process on high until completely broken down.
2. Place nut milk bag into a large pitcher or bowl, positioning it so that the bag stays open. Pour the nut milk mixture into the bag, allowing the liquid to drain through.
3. Gently squeeze the bag with your hand to press all the liquid through the mesh of the bag.

Keeps for about 4-5 days in the fridge.

The pulp can be discarded or frozen for later use in an inventive recipe. Check out 3 creative uses for the pulp on the Choosing Raw blog. I think I'll try out the dehydrated bread and hummus recipes.