The Perfect Recipe For Making Raw Living Sprouted Almond Milk in 5 Easy Steps

If you've never tried nut mylk, you're in for a treat! It tastes so much better than cow's milk and is easy to make. Today I've outlined, 5 easy steps to making the most nutritious and delicious almond mylk.

1) Soak 1 cup of raw organic almonds in 2 cups of filtered water with a few spritzes of food-grade 3% H2O2 to kill off any bacteria. Soak for 2 days, changing the water twice per day - once in the morning and once in the evening. (Double the quantity if you want to make a larger batch.)

2) Most almond mylk recipes call for soaking only between 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. I recommend 48 hours because it allows the almonds to begin sprouting which changes the nutritional composition.

Have you ever eaten shelled sunflower seeds? Then you know that they are slightly oily and contain fat. How about that same sunflower seed 10 days later after it's sprouted into a sunflower green? Now it's green crunchy, fresh and plump with water. Where did the fat go? The process of sprouting changed the nutritional composition of the seed.

When you sprout almonds, you will see a tiny bud starting to form at the tip of the almond and a crack down the center where the almond is about to split so the sprout can emerge. This will only happen if the almonds are truly raw, fresh and viable.

3) Although not necessary, I usually remove the skins from the almonds before making mylk because it makes the mylk smoother and less gritty. The skins are easier to peel after they've been soaking for a couple of days but to make it even easier, you can blanch the almonds quickly by putting them in boiling water and then into an ice water bath. I usually prefer not to cook them at all and just peel them by hand, but blanching is a quicker option.

4) Place the cup of almonds in a high-speed blender like the HP3 Blentec with two cups of water, a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt and an optional sweetener like vanilla bean seeds, honey, agave nectar, stevia or yacon syrup. I prefer just vanilla bean seeds scraped from an inch long piece of a vanilla pod. If you are making a flavored mylk like chocolate milk or chai, now is a good time to add the raw cacao or spices. Blend at high speed. Taste test your mylk and adjust to desired flavor.

5) Pour the almond mylk through a nut mylk bag and squeeze to separate the almond pulp from the mylk. The almond pulp can be used to make other treats like raw almond cookies, but the pulp will only keep fresh for 1-2 days refrigerated unless you dehydrate it into almond flour.

Yay! You're done and now you can enjoy your almond mylk straight or use it to make a creamy smoothie, soup, dessert, etc. Sky's the limit!

Rosemary "Kali Lilla" Vargas has been a raw food enthusiast for several years. She received her Living Food Lifestyle Total Well-Being Certification in 2003 from the Ann Wigmore Center in Puerto Rico and in 2006 went on to work for the prestigious Tree of Life Rejuvenation and Raw Food Center in Arizona. In 2007, she moved to Kauai to learn organic farming at the LaOla Health Center in Kilauea. Kali Lilla is also a certified yoga instructor and former owner of Yoga Bums Studio in NJ. In 2005, she went to India to study Ashtanga Yoga with Pattabhi Jois and published the book "Ashtanga City" shortly thereafter. She runs two websites currently. A health-related website entitled Healthy Simple Living and an Ashtanga website entitled Mysore Ashtanga.

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How to Make Almond Milk - In 8 Easy Steps!

In this article I will show you how easy it is to make almond milk in your own kitchen!
Nut milk is a creamy delicious alternative to cows milk full of vitamin E and heart healthy fats! And it's really easy to make.
1. Measure out a cup of raw almonds and rinse them really well.
2. Soak them in water to cover in the refrigerator or overnight.
3. Rinse the soaked almonds really well.
4. Put them in the blender with 3 cups of cold filtered water.
5. Blend them in the blender for about 30 seconds.
6. Strain the mixture through a sprout bag/nut milk bag, strainer, or cheese cloth into a big bowl.
7. Pour the milk back into the blender pitcher.
8. Blend the milk with your sweetener of choice such as dates, honey, or stevia. You can also add other flavorings such as lemon peel, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, and carob powder.
Use the milk quickly as it will only last a few days in the fridge. Use it as a base for smoothies, soups, desserts, or just drink as is. Don't put it in your hot tea as it will separate but you can easily pour it into your ice tea or iced coffee.
The best smoothie is when you take a cup of the nut milk, two frozen bananas, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can also freeze the vanilla banana smoothie and make popsicles for the kids.
Hope you enjoyed this recipe. For more easy recipes please check out the links below.

Almond Nutritional Info & Almond Milk Recipe

Raw almonds are high in protein, containing about 12% of our needs. They contain no cholesterol and are rich in vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus. They also contain potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and trace amounts of B vitamins. Almonds have a higher calcium level than other nuts and are high in fiber, high in fat, but low in unsaturated fat. Most of the fat is monounsaturated and considered quite beneficial.
Almonds are best kept in a cool location or altogether refrigerated, and rancidity can set in if they are allowed to sit for long periods in warm environments. They are successfully used to make a wide variety of food products that are healthy and nutritious in vegan diets as well as those of non-vegans. They are used to thicken sauces, chopped to make pie dough topped on cakes and use to make almond brittle. Almond butter is a great product of raw almond processing which is also high in protein. Almonds are also use to make almond milk which is rich in calcium, vitamin E and can be used by vegans to replace protein absent from their diets due to the lack of meat consumption.
To make a half gallon almond milk, the required items are needed:
* 1 lb shelled raw almonds
* Blender or food processor
* Large Bowl
* Cheesecloth
* Coffee strain
* Adequate sized pitcher
* Pinch of salt
* Sweetener if desired
Use three cups water for every 1 cup of almonds. Soak overnight to swell and soften, place almonds in blender or food processor and blend. Pour in cheesecloth, drain and squeeze, pour liquid in coffee strain for second strain. Strain again to remove traces of almond pulp, pour in pitcher, add pinch of salt sweetened if desired and chill in refrigerator.

Benefits Of Almond Milk

Almond milk has many benefits and hence, it serves as good alternative to dairy milk. It has low fat content and replete with calcium and vitamins. It is very good to prevent all kinds of heart diseases and even cancer. It is also very good for proper functioning of the brain, and helps in controlling the blood sugar levels. The milk can easily be used in the daily diet. Almond not only has health benefits, but it also assists in improving the skin and enhances the appearance of the skin.
Some of the benefits of almond milk are discussed in further details below.
The milk has a nutty flavor and tastes excellent. It is powered with essential nutrients and multivitamins. It is considered better than dairy or soy milk because of its low calorie content. It is also excellent for those suffering from lactose intolerance. It is free from all kinds of saturated fats, fiber and cholesterol. One can consume almond milk on a daily basis since. It is an excellent source of protein and consuming it on a daily basis will ensure that you get your daily requirement of protein without any problems. One of the good things about almond milk is that it contains very little sugar and hence, it helps in regulating the blood sugar level. It is also full of calcium and Vitamin D. These are a must for maintaining optimum bone health. One cannot miss its utility in maintaining skin texture. The Vitamin C present in the milk helps to lock in the natural moisture of the skin and thereby, keeping the skin soft and supple. The milk also has a fair amount of Vitamin A, which improves the functioning of eyes. Lastly, the milk also assists in building up the body muscles.