Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Great use for leftover almond pulp

We have been making our own almond milk now for a while with great success.  It saves a ton on the grocery bill and my son loves it.  I have found that soaking the almonds overnight is sometimes too much, so I usually only soak them for an hour.  Using our recipe of 1 c almonds (soaked for an hour and then drained), 3 c water, 2 T sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla (optional), we blend it all together in our VitaMix and then pour it through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth (I use a spoon to push out the excess milk or twist the cheesecloth and squeeze the milk out over a pitcher (I wash my hands really well to do this)).  We then chill until ready to use.  This method produces roughly 3 c of almond milk or so, costing about $1 (buying almonds in bulk).  That said, I have found that when I save the "paste" or leftover almond pulp in a tupperware, I can use it in baking.  There is enough paste leftover to make 4 c of almond milk.  I put the pulp in a measuring cup and add enough water to make 4 c.  I then stir it together to make the reconstituted "milk."  I use this in muffins and pancakes and sometimes cake.  We can't really taste the difference.  Using this method, I can get around 7 c of almond milk for $1!  This totally makes the effort worth it considering 1/2 gallon of almond milk costs almost $4 where we live.  Happy baking:)

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