Name: Almond Milk
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

Why This Recipe Works

Almond milk is a refreshing dairy-free alternative to milk. Since many store varieties include thickeners, stabilizers, and gums, we often like to make our own. We found it was essential to soak the nuts for at least 8 hours to soften them and ensure that our milk didn't turn out grainy. We tested several ratios of almonds to water, and found that blending 11/4 cups of soaked almonds with 4 cups of water gave us the ideal flavor and consistency. Straining was necessary to separate the almond milk from the pulp. Finally, to round out the flavor, we added a small amount of salt and some sugar.

Before You Begin

This recipe can be easily doubled.

Instructions

Place almonds in bowl and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Soak almonds at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

Line fine-mesh strainer with triple layer of cheesecloth that overhangs edges and set over large bowl. Process soaked almonds and 4 cups water in blender until almonds are finely ground, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to prepared strainer and press to extract as much liquid as possible. Gather sides of cheesecloth around almond pulp and gently squeeze remaining milk into bowl; discard spent pulp. Stir in salt and sugar, if using, until dissolved. (Almond milk can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)