What Is Almond Milk, Is It Really Milk?
What exactly is almond milk?
“Almond milk” is the milk like liquid produced by grinding almonds in water with sweeteners if desired.
Is almond milk really milk as you’ve known it? No.
It may be more exact to call it “almond water” or “almond juice” since almond milk does not come from mammals and it is made primarily from almonds and water.
So why is it called almond milk? Almond milk does resemble milk in color, taste, texture and common uses.
Milk from mammals is essentially fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and water.
Similarly almond milk contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and water.
READ : Almond Milk Vs Soy Milk
Commercial Almond Milk Ingredients
Almond milk can be purchased at most local grocery stores and online.
If you pick up a carton or box of commercially produced almond milk you can read that it typically has several additional ingredients not necessary in homemade almond milk.
In addition to almonds and filtered water, manufacturers of almond milk typically include: evaporated cane juice, calcium carbonate, sea salt, potassium citrate, carrageenan, sunflower lecithin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, and D-Alpha-Tocopherol.
Uses For Almond Milk
Almond milk can be used as a milk substitute drinking beverage (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), for breakfast in cereal, coffee or tea and in savory and sweet recipes.
In the skincare and beauty industry, almond milk is often a key ingredient in many products.
If almond milk is new for you, this site is a guide for making almond milk.
To read the basics about making almond milk you can start here.
READ : How to make almond butter
Why Make Almond Milk?
Almond milk is easily available in most grocery stores making it super convenient to just pick up a carton during your next grocery run.
Almond milk can also be purchased online and delivered directly to your door. So why would anyone want to make almond milk at home?
Here are a few reasons why people choose to make almond milk homemade:
1-You Do It:
Most people do not make their own milk and are utterly dependent on manufacturers and grocery stores to supply milk.
So when you make your own almond milk you are doing something unique.
It’s sort of like experimenting and trying something new.
You get a feeling of accomplishment while taking out the mystery of how to make almond milk.
When you serve homemade almond milk to others they will at least be intrigued if not impressed.
2-You Know What’s In It:
Homemade almond milk is organic almond milk.
There’s nothing wrong with almond milk available in stores but there are fillers, additives and preservatives.
When you make almond milk at home you know exactly what’s in it.
For some people this means better control over what they consume and health benefits.
3-You Can Reuse It:
There are innumerable recipes and uses for almonds.
Depending on how you make almond milk, a byproduct of homemade almond milk could be almond pulp or almond butter.
Like almonds, almond pulp and almond butter have many uses and recipes for other foods and meals.
Homemade almond milk also freezes well, see this post for tips – can you freeze almond milk?
4-You Save Money:
If you already purchase almonds there is a cost savings when you make almond milk at home because you don’t need to buy milk or creamer too!
All you need to make almond milk is almonds, water and sweeteners.
So there you have it, a few reasons to make almond milk at home.
Sales of commercially produced almond milk are going up, but now you have a few reasons to consider making almond milk at home.
READ : Is Milk Bad For You
