Almond milk is great warm or cold. Between lattes, smoothies, baking, or just a nice warm elixir the options are endless. I recommend using organic raw almonds so you can get all the nutrients and avoid propylene oxide, a chemical used in pasteurization that even the CDC has admitted causes cancer.
Using unpeeled whole almonds is also good for the environment and reduces food waste. You can leave the pulp and produce a thicker texture for your milk or strain it and use the pulp for almond crackers later. Sometimes I use it for my chia pudding, as it gives a great texture and different layers of flavor.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw almonds soaked overnight in two cups of filtered water (I recommend rinsing the almonds before soaking in case they been contaminated on the way to the market)
4 cups filtered water
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Preparation:
Soak the almonds overnight in a sealed glass jar inside the fridge.
Drain almonds and discard the soaking liquid (do not use this to make the milk). Rinse the almonds several times to remove the anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors.
In a blender add the soaked almonds, filtered water, sea salt, vanilla and blend for about a minute or until smooth and silky.
If you choose to strain the milk use cheese cloth for better results, however a regular strainer should do the job just fine.
Make sure to store in the fridge.
Enjoy!