Author Topic: diy almond milk?  (Read 1907 times)

billy

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diy almond milk?
« on: July 25, 2019, 05:04:55 PM »
I like the idea of make your own almond milk, I buy blue diamond almond milk jug 96oz/12C $4, but costco's almonds are $4.13lb, so if it's 12C per lb of almonds, it's a bit cheaper to buy premade stuff it looks like? I just saw Almondie Almond Butter on amazon 12 oz for $25 which looks way more expensive than the premade stuff or whole almonds. Has anyone found a way to get/make almond milk cheaper than $4 per 96 oz?



seemsright

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2019, 06:21:54 PM »
sorta. I use sunflower seeds. I buy them in Bulk and use those instead of Almonds.

I soak them for a bit, or use hot water to start put a handful in my Vitamix, some water (how much depends on what I am going to use it for...thinner for things like pancakes, less for my chai tea)  I add a pinch of salt a touch of vanilla then I blend for a full minute on high speed. Then through a milk nut bag.

I do not eat or drink any dairy. I also do not buy or use much nut milk. I just learned how to live without much of it at all. Pancakes will cook just fine with water but I like them a touch more fluffy so I use the sunflower milk I make. I can keep a container of the sunflower seeds in my pantry and make what I need.


Jenny Wren

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2019, 06:28:04 PM »
I love almond milk, but it is really an environmental nightmare. I've made my own before, but for DIY to be less you really have to have a cheap source of almonds.

My favorite super cheap non-dairy DIY milk is oat milk.Same technique as making almond milk, and it's much easier for me to use up the oat pulp than it ever was the almond pulp.

dodojojo

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2019, 06:50:31 PM »
I tried it, buying almonds from Trader Joe's and IIRC, it was cheaper but at a very modest level. Plus, I hated dealing with the pulp, in particular, cleaning the mesh bag.  The amount of water and time devoted to cleaning the bag really didn't make the DIY effort worth it.

Daley

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2019, 07:55:21 PM »
What I do is buy some bulk Bob's Red Mill almond flour (not meal, but blanched flour) from Sam's Club using a guest pass, and throw 1/8th of a cup of it and 8-16oz of water along with a pinch of salt into a cheap smoothie blender and run that for about 30 seconds, let it sit for a few minutes, and run it again for another 30 seconds.

Best almond milk ever, and it's literally made on demand - though you could probably do larger batches to refrigerate if you wanted. You can even control and add your own sweetener, a little oil, or flavors in small batches, too. No cheesecloth filtering, no soaking, just almond milk in a couple minutes. And if you want thicker almond milk, toss in a half teaspoon of unflavored fiber supplement at the same time. The psyllium does wonders to thicken.

Technically, 1/8c to 16oz gives you a similar calorie profile to unsweetened premade. At that ratio, even with the 10% premium for non-members, $15.40+tax and that 3lb sack gives you around 12.25 gallons of shelf stable almond milk mix, or $1.26/gallon, or 63¢/half gallon. Even if you double the almond flour (which I do), it's still cheaper than the cheapest almond milk on the market - and far richer and tastier.

Walmart also has a 4lb. bag of almond flour from Nature's Eats for $20 (so less hassle than trying to get it from Sam's without the membership), but the quality of almond flour just isn't the same. The Bob's makes a far creamier and less stale tasting milk.

Prices and brand have changed since I originally posted, as has the guest pass availability in store, but the basics are still there.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2019, 07:58:14 PM by Daley »

dodojojo

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2019, 08:00:38 PM »
What I do is buy some bulk Bob's Red Mill almond flour (not meal, but blanched flour) from Sam's Club using a guest pass, and throw 1/8th of a cup of it and 8-16oz of water along with a pinch of salt into a cheap smoothie blender and run that for about 30 seconds, let it sit for a few minutes, and run it again for another 30 seconds.

Best almond milk ever, and it's literally made on demand - though you could probably do larger batches to refrigerate if you wanted. You can even control and add your own sweetener, a little oil, or flavors in small batches, too. No cheesecloth filtering, no soaking, just almond milk in a couple minutes. And if you want thicker almond milk, toss in a half teaspoon of unflavored fiber supplement at the same time. The psyllium does wonders to thicken.

Technically, 1/8c to 16oz gives you a similar calorie profile to unsweetened premade. At that ratio, even with the 10% premium for non-members, $15.40+tax and that 3lb sack gives you around 12.25 gallons of shelf stable almond milk mix, or $1.26/gallon, or 63¢/half gallon. Even if you double the almond flour (which I do), it's still cheaper than the cheapest almond milk on the market - and far richer and tastier.

Walmart also has a 4lb. bag of almond flour from Nature's Eats for $20 (so less hassle than trying to get it from Sam's without the membership), but the quality of almond flour just isn't the same. The Bob's makes a far creamier and less stale tasting milk.

Prices and brand have changed since I originally posted, as has the guest pass availability in store, but the basics are still there.

Intriguing!

I'm going to see how much the Bob's almond flour is at my local stores.  If I can get milk at 1/2 the price of Trader Joe's (which is what I buy), then it's worth the DIY effort.

billy

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2019, 05:18:06 AM »
I have not tried cashew milk yet, I'll look into all these good ideas for sure thanks.

mistymoney

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2019, 06:09:12 AM »
good bulk pricing on nuts.com

slow hand slow plan

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2019, 11:34:09 AM »
Rice milk is super easy too if you are just looking for an alternative to dairy.

noplaceliketheroad

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2019, 05:13:14 PM »
Suggesting a Soyabella, game changer when making alt milks. No nut bag to clean!

The amount of nuts needed with it is a lot less than when using a vitamix. I usually do a mix of cashews, oats, coconut, hemp seeds, almonds, walnuts or whatever I have in the pantry. Peanut milk is also a fave, and peanuts are one of the cheapest nuts to buy. If you roast them a bit before it tastes like heaven.

dodojojo

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2019, 06:44:00 PM »
One pound of Trader Joe's blanched almond flour is $7.49.  A lot more expensive than I expected.  TJ's 32 ounces of milk is, I think, $1.79.  Of the top of my head the almond flour would get more milk if used judiciously. 

Civex

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Re: diy almond milk?
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2019, 07:55:00 PM »
I considered making my own nut milk, but was recommended against it by a dietician. If you make your own, you are missing out on the fortification with calcium and vitamin D. If you also consume diary, it probably isn't an issue, but if it is your main source of calcium and vitamin D I would stick with the store bought.

 

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