I’ve been having a bit of a ‘dietary reshuffle’ as of late, not in a big way, simply challenging a few routines and habits and trying alternative ways of going about things things. This all ties in to my Lent Challenge, along my extra Six-Pack Challenge. 

So today we’re going to talk about milk!

There are so many dairy free choices out there, many of which can be found in regular supermarkets, the idea of dairy free cooking shouldn’t be a daunting one (though I appreciate the challenge of eating out is another thing entirely).

My choice of ‘milk’ would typically be organic soya due to its viscosity, widespread availability and low cost. However in more recent weeks and months I have begun questioning whether this is the best option out there since there are so many mixed reports of soy products. Almond milk does seem to be a favourite in the health world and it does taste wonderful...but it is so pricey in the stores (over here in the UK at least!)

So, I decided to make my own. I will step in here and say that I have NOT used a nut bag to strain my milk- most people do take this additional step (and you can by all means)

but since I predominantly use milk in my oatmeal or as a liquid in baking then straining was not a key concern for me and it sped up the process dramatically. This milk literally takes 1 minute from start to finish provided you made some almond butter up in advance, this is the easiest way and ensures the smoothest milk.I made a cup's worth which should keep me going for a while.

I added the milk to a bowl of oatmeal and it made for a super creamy bowl...so good! I am planning on making a 1.5ltr batch every weekend and then dividing into two smaller batches and freezing one whilst I use the other over the course of a few days, that way I always have fresh milk to hand for minimal effort.

Four easy steps....almonds....meal...butter...milk!  (plus bowl of creamy oats mmmm)

I will also be building up a bit of a product profile over the next few weeks and months, I will add posts like this to a separate category as soon as I have my new blog layout sorted!

This recipe can join the homemade coconut butter (from way back at the beginning- cue dodgy photos) and also the more recent homemade date sugar experiments.

Recipe: Fresh almond milk

Just over 1.5 ltr

Ingredients

• scant ¼ cup almond butter* (homemade from blanched or ground almonds without salt added)

• 1.5 ltr filtered water

• 1 tbs date paste or other sweetener (if desired for a touch of sweetness)

• *You can add more or less almond butter depending on preferred viscosity. You can also make a thicker cream this way by increasing the proportion of almond butter.

Method

Mix the almond butter and date paste with approx 200ml water until well blended, add the remaining water and blend for 1 minute until very smooth. 

Pour into a container and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days (or freeze). 

Note this milk has not been strained and is best used for adding to oatmeal etc where a little ‘texture’ is not noticeable. If you want a finer milk for drinking straight

you can strain this through a nut bag prior to bottling. Shake the container before using as there will be some settling occur.