Almonds, along with dates, grapes and olives, are among the earliest cultivated foods, probably before 3000 BCE. That’s the way it is with a lot of natural foods. It takes your breath away knowing how long these powerful and amazing foods have been available to us.
My household when I was growing up stuck strictly to the Standard American Diet. Back then, we considered modern foods ‘hot dogs, fast food pizzas, white bread’, and on and on. If you had set an almond or date in front of us we would have drawn a blank.
So I was totally surprised to discover that almond milk had been around since the Middle Ages. Medieval Europe learned to make the precious raw milk from Arab and Middle Eastern travelers. It was often a staple in medieval kitchens, because, unlike cow’s milk which spoiled easily, almonds could be ground with water, then strained when needed.
Because almonds are not truly a nut, but a fruit, they are low in fat and high in protein and easy to absorb calcium.
Studies have revealed certain amino acids in almonds that prevent tumor growth, making this alkaline nut a great choice in cancer prevention. When you learn how easy it is to make almond milk, you’re going to want to get started right away. At Diet For Living Center we keep a quart jar of raw almond milk in the fridge at all times for our yummy smoothies, and to go with our raw granola.
Ingredients
- 1 glass Ball jar
- 1 nut bag
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 3 cups purified water
Begin by soaking your cup of almonds in water overnight. Soaking overnight initiates a chemical transformation causing the nut to come ‘alive’, making the nutrition of the nut more available to the body.
The next day, drain your almonds and put them in the blender with 1 cup purified water. Start the blender on low, and build up to full speed. When all the almonds are well ground, pour in the other two cups of water, and blend on high speed. Take the liquid and pour it through a nut bag, and squeeze the beautiful white liquid into a bowl. That’s your almond milk. Save the pulp in the freezer for later use in raw cakes and cookies.
One of Our Favorite Smoothie Recipes
- 1 cup raw almond milk
- 1 small ripe banana
- 1 tablespoon agave
- ½ teaspoon pure high quality vanilla
Blend on high speed. Store the rest of your almond milk in the fridge for up to 3 days. Shake well before using. Enjoy!