Raw Vanilla Almond Milk

Milks without gums and thickeners

When I was first diagnosed with SIBO, I was told to stick with plant based milks, as lactose is a major form of food for bacterial growth. But what I was unaware of, was the heavy contents of artificial preservatives, gums, and thickeners, (not to mention sugar and artificial flavors) in plant based milks. Meanwhile, when I was giving the Low FODMAP diet a shot for the first time, about three years ago, I was consuming as many plant based milk products as I wanted. Because I could, right? Yogurts, ice creams, milks, you name it. But as I continued to down spiral, I had no idea I was actually feeding the unfriendly bacteria, harboring a home in my gut.

So, this is yet another recipe, that touches on the importance of keeping gums and thickeners out of our diets, when healing our guts, because I believe it’s incredibly important.

Almond milk, and other plant based milks, tend to contain gums such as Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, or Locust Bean Gum, all which feed bacterial overgrowth. Xanthan gum is derived from a form of bacteria, so it’s best to steer absolutely clear of this specific type of gum.

When I first learned about making almond milk, I thought “what a drag!” but it ended up becoming a ritual of sorts, a form of meditation for me. Now, I spend every Saturday or Sunday morning making it, tending as you will, with my bare hands, and I simply love it. And if you ask me, homemade almond milk is ten times better than the store bought kind! Not to mention, this is just one simple way to make a difference in our environment, by decreasing our plastic production, consumption, waste, and manmade industrial pollution.

Recipe

What you’ll need:

- blender or Vitamix

- large mixing bowl

- an organic cotton mesh cheese cloth or straining bag

- raw, unpasteurized, organic almonds

- filtered water

- non-alcoholic vanilla extract

- pink Himalayan salt

Depending on your preferred almond milk consistency and thickness, your almond to water ratio will come into play. The less water you use, the thicker the almond milk, so keep this in mind as you play with your version of this recipe. For recipe purposes, I will be using a 1:3 ratio (one cup of almonds, to three cups of water)

When I make my almond milk, I like to make a large batch for the week, simply because I love iced almond milk lattes in the mornings, and I love using it in smoothies and oats. I usually like to start out with a base of two cups of raw, organic almonds.

Prep: Place two cups of raw, organic almonds in a large mixing bowl. Pour filtered water into the bowl, until the water sits about an inch above the almonds. Let them soak for 8 hours (or overnight.)

The next morning, strain the almonds, and give them a quick rinse with filtered water. Pour the soaked almonds into your blender of choice (I like to use a Vitamix) and pour six cups of filtered water into the blender, with the almonds. Add 1 tablespoon of non-alcoholic vanilla extract and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt. I really love using Simply Organic Non-Alcoholic Madagascar Vanilla because you get more bang for your buck. If you notice, regular vanilla extract isn’t exactly edible on it’s own, in fact, it’s pretty disgusting and has a strong, pungent alcohol flavor. But non- alcoholic vanilla extract is exactly what it sounds like - vanilla extract in it’s purest form, without the addition of alcohol. It’s thick, smooth, sweet, robust, and absolutely delicious. Vanilla extract is expensive as it is, so you might as well buy the real thing!

PS. If you’d like to sweeten your almond milk, feel free to add a tablespoon of maple syrup or two or three drops of stevia. Blend until even and smooth.

Whether you have an organic cheese cloth or straining bag, place the cloth or bag in the empty mixing bowl. Pour the blended almond, water, vanilla, and salt mixture, into the cloth/bag as it sits in the bowl. Once the mixture is poured out, grab the cloth/bag and give it a few good squeezes, straining the liquid out. The only thing left in the cloth/bag after straining well, is leftover almond pulp. Once your silky smooth almond milk is strained, sitting pretty in the bowl, pour it into a beautiful glass bottle or mason jar to keep! Refrigerate and keep for 7-8 days. Enjoy in your coffee, cereal, oats, smoothies, and more!