Almond Milk

Keter Shapiro, who we met in Israel in 2009, contributed this almond milk recipe to Cooking with Wisdom. 

Because we have barely been in our own home (our RV) at all in the last 15 months and have been living pillar to post, I have not been able to make almond milk for quite some time. 



I used almonds that Sondra and Val from Fresno, California gave us, a piece of a vanilla bean that we bought in the Mahane Yehuda Market the last time we were in Jerusalem, and medjool dates from my mother-in-law's fridge! 

It is so delicious. If you have tasted almond milk from the store and did not like it very much, trust me, this is much, much better. Actually, there is no comparison between the two. This is the real deal. The stuff in the carton, well, it tastes a little bitter and artificial, to say the least. I buy it from time to time, but I much prefer to make my own when I have the opportunity. 

Today, I combined my Amazing Grass Green Superfood with this almond milk. Absolutely delicious and a powerhouse of natural, long-lasting energy.

1 cup raw almonds
Water
15 small dates or 8 medjool dates
Small piece of one vanilla bean, optional

Place almonds in a glass bowl with 2 cups water. Allow almonds to soak overnight, or about 8 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly. 

Place almonds and 4 cups water in a blender. Blend until the mixture is completely white and smooth. (No chunks of almonds should remain.)

Place a strainer over a bowl. Place a piece of cheesecloth or a cotton napkin in the strainer. Pour the almond-water mixture through. What is left in the bowl is the almond milk. (The almond pulp can be discarded or kept for use in another recipe. Some people use this pulp as a gluten-free wheat flour substitute.)

Pit dates. Place milk, dates, and piece of vanilla bean in blender; blend well. Voila! You have fresh almond milk.

~ Almond milk is delicious when poured into a bowl with fresh fruit and cinnamon. You can also freeze the almond milk, and then blend it with frozen fruit to make ice cream. Or, just pour into a glass and enjoy. Yum!

Want more recipes like this one? Order your copy of Cooking with Wisdom today by emailing me at sylviaferrin@hotmail.com.