Learn how to make your own Homemade Almond Milk that lasts longer than 5 days, so you’re not making a fresh batch every week!
Why do things spoil faster that it should?
The answer is almost always sanitation. Food spoils faster when it is either handled improperly, or stored poorly.
Last week, I asked my Instagram community how long their homemade nut milks keep, because mine lasts for 2 weeks, IF I stick to my one-cup-of-coffee-a-day deal, and even then, it’s a matter of running out rather than spoilage. It became clear from the responses I received that this post had to be written, especially when people were giving up dairy-free milks or going for the store-bought version simply because ‘it was just too much work!’.
I have nothing against store-bought plant-based milks – in fact, I loved using Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond milk for almost a year until I noticed the pile of plastic bottles in the recycle bin. While I do occasionally reach for a bottle of Califia when I’m too busy or need that extra boost of Calcium, I mostly make my own now, FOR THE PLANET, which is why I became vegan in the first place.
And so, this right here is how I make my own Homemade Almond Milk, which apparently keeps longer for me than it does for others – I will break down the process, and troubleshoot along the way, so you can enjoy your stress-free Almond Milk, made from scratch, without any additives that alters texture or taste.
Disclaimer: This resource on making Almond Milk is based on my own personal experience. No extensive tests or experiments have been conducted to establish or claim superiority of my method against others. Follow at your own discretion.
1.Soak, yes, but first we blanch!
Seems like an insignificant step, but I think this is where the ‘sterilization’ process begins. I don’t make almond milk with the skin, rather blanch my almonds to remove the skin before soaking overnight.
WHY should you soak nuts? Soaking removes phytic acid, a component of most grains, nuts and cereals that inhibits absorption of some nutrition like calcium, iron and zinc. Blanching partly sterilizes your almonds; I buy my raw almonds from a bulk bin ( to reduce packaging) – from a store where people use a scoop to take what they need, and sterilizing makes sense to me, particularly since I won’t be cooking or boiling the milk prior to consumption in my coffee.
This is the process I follow to blanch my almonds, and it’s fast and perfect. It seems like an extra step, but I reserve chores like this for after dinner, while I’m watching TV on the couch. I always blanch almonds for an entire month’s worth of almond milk (2-3 cups), and freeze the excess. Soak what you need, and next week, you can save time on the blanching and go directly to the soaking step.
Step 1: Boil water in a saucepan, enough to immerse the almonds.
Step 2: Add almonds, wait one minute, remove from heat, drain and peel.
Step 3: Transfer blanched almonds to a bowl, pour FILTERED WATER to immerse, cover and refrigerate. Yes, SOAK YOUR ALMONDS INSIDE THE REFRIGERATOR.
THE DIFFERENCE: Blanching, then soaking in the fridge.
2. From the Almonds cometh the milk!
Once your almonds have soaked for atleast 8 hours, and no more than 24 hours, it’s time to get grinding. But before that, drain the water it was soaking in. Soaking leeches phytic acid from grains and nuts, and it’s best to toss that out.
In a clean, high powered blender, free from any residue (pesto, carrot soup, smoothie, harissa, whatever you last used it for), add your soaked almonds, along with filtered water to immerse. Blend until smooth. Top with more filtered water, as much as the jar can hold and blend for a few more seconds.
Get your ‘filtration’ system ready as below:
Clockwise from the top: 1. Sterile bottle 2. Ground Almonds in blender jar 3. A large, clean bowl fitted with a super fine nylon mesh strainer 4. more filtered water
Pour the almond puree into the strainer, and using a spoon, push it down to extract the milk. DON’T USE YOUR HANDS!
WHY? Human hands contain natural oils (even after you’ve just washed it), which causes food to spoil. It’s why museums tell you not to touch any of the exhibits, and why food spoils faster when you use your fingers to scoop it. So the whole squeezing-the-nut-bag step is probably what is reducing the shelf life of your almond milk. Also your nut bag might have old batch residues, if you aren’t washing it extra clean.
The nylon mesh strainer I use here is double layered, ultra-fine, and gives the smoothest milk. After each use, it gets tossed into the top rack of the dishwasher for sterilization. If you don’t have one of these, line a colander with your nut bag and replicate the process.
Step 4: Drain the soaking water from the almonds.
Step 5: Toss almonds into a clean blender jar, along with filtered water to immerse. Blend until smooth.
Step 6: Strain via a fine meshed sieve, using a spoon to press the milk out of the almond puree, adding upto 5 cups of water for every 1 cup of raw almonds.
THE DIFFERENCE: Not using hands for milk extraction, filtered water, nylon mesh strainer.
3. Let’s bottle that up, shall we?
Another place where people make mistakes that leads to shorter shelf life of your almond milk (or any of your foods) is using a bottle that is not sterile.
Do not be alarmed with the word ‘sterile’. It’s not as difficult as you think. Here are a few ways to sterilize:
- Microwave your pre-washed glass bottles and jars on high for 1 minute.
- If you washed your bottle in a dishwasher, soap residue (it’s always there!) can ruin your milk. So pour a little boiling water inside, swish around, pour out and let air dry.
- Wash your bottle by hand (use a bottle brush), and let it dry out in full sun. Cheap and absolutely effective. If you’re worried about dust outside, place the bottle upside down on a wire rack to dry.
Step 7: Transfer pressed almond milk into a clean, sterile glass jar. If you are using a funnel, make sure it’s clean and sterile as well.
Step 8: Refrigerate immediately.
THE DIFFERENCE: Using a sterilized bottle to store your almond milk.
Quick Recap
- Blanch your almonds before soaking.
- Soak in the fridge, and drain out the soaking water before grinding.
- Use filtered water for soaking and grinding.
- Do not use your fingers to press the milk out.
- Sterilize your bottles.
Finally…
I’ve seen people who do this with their milk (whether it came from cows or plants, I don’t think you should do it): in the morning, they take the milk out and leave it out while they go about making their coffee or assembling their cereal. The milk is there, sitting on the counter, waiting for you to be ready to start using it.
STOP DOING THAT!
Whether it’s milk or a condiment that you store in the refrigerator, take it out for as little time as possible. Use, and immediately return back into refrigeration. The constant temperature fluctuations can encourage bacteria growth, spoiling your food faster than it otherwise would.
REDUCE WASTE TIP:
- Almond Skin – If you have a compost at home, toss the skins in there. If you have potted plants, the skins can be added as a top dressing/mulch. It’ll dry, decompose naturally and return nutrients back into your plants. If you have neither, then I found this recipe that lets you bake the skin as a snack!
- Almond pulp – you know the white mushy, nearly flavorless pulp that is the remnant of your extraction process? Don’t throw it out! I have a few ways of using them up in cooking, and I’ll keep linking to it here as I post the recipe for them on the blog.
While I cannot guarantee your almond milk will keep for 2 weeks like mine does (so many factors at play here), I can definitely say, with some confidence, it will keep longer than the 2-4 days that seems to be the norm for everyone.
And when you make your Homemade Almond Milk using this method (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to hear how long your batches are keeping!
Homemade Almond Milk
Learn how to make your own Homemade Almond Milk that lasts longer than 5 days, so you're not making a fresh batch every week!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of raw almonds
- 5 cups filtered water
- More filtered water for soaking and blanching
Instructions
Blanch Almonds
- Boil water in a small saucepan, enough to immerse the almonds. Wait till the water begins a rolling boil.
- Add almonds to boiling water, wait exactly one minute (use a timer to be precise), remove from heat, drain and peel. Detailed instructions here.
Soak
- Place blanched almonds in a bowl, pour FILTERED WATER to immerse, cover and refrigerate overnight. Do not soak for more than 24 hours.
Grind
- Drain the soaking water from the almonds.
- Place almonds into a clean blender jar, along with 1 cup of filtered water to immerse. Blend until smooth.
- Top blender with more filtered water, as much as will fit in the jar. Blend for 3 seconds to combine.
Filter
- Place a fine meshed nylon sieve on a large container. Pour the almond puree into the strainer, and using a spoon (not your fingers), press the milk down to extract. Keep topping the sieve with the remaining water, always using the spoon to stir and press to extract.
- Once you're pressed the last drop of almond milk and all that remains is dry pulp, transfer the milk into a clean, sterile container and refrigerate immediately.
- Almond milk extracted with this method will keep longer than the usual 4 days. If you notice any discoloration, or sour smell, discard immediately. Read the post fully to avoid common mistakes that lead to early spoilage.
Notes
- I always blanch more almonds than I need for this recipe. Freeze the excess, it makes the next batch of milk extraction a little easier.
- If you cannot find a nylon mesh sieve fine enough to get very smooth almond milk, you can line a colander with your nut bag, and extract. Don't use your hands.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
Ahmad says
Hey Tina!
Thank you for your post. It is really helpful. We tried using the same methods with coconut milk as well and the it did stay longer! We are very excited about this! I have a couple of questions though:
1- Did you use this same method with other plant-based milks (oat, cashew, coconut)?
2- Can you use nut milk bag and wear latex gloves rather than using your bare hands or using a spoon (the latter takes too long)?
3- Can we boil the almonds but not remove the skin and still have the same effect? What i know is that the skin got most of the nutrients, am I right?
4- Would you freeze the almond pulp (for a week maybe) until you collect enough to make almond flour out of it? Thank you
Again thank you. appreciate it!
Tina Dawson says
I’m so glad it helped! Yaay!
1. No, I haven’t tried with any other nuts, but I assume it would help to be hygenic no matter the type of nut.
2. Yes, the nut milk bag + gloves would keep your skin oils off the milk, but I would take extra care to sterilize the bag after each use just in case.
3. I haven’t tried it (not a huge fan of the skin flavor or color myself), but it might work. Let me know if you try and it does!
4. YES! Absolutely! I completely freeze eacth batch of pulp and use them in recipes. Almond flour too sounds like a great idea!
Thank you for your questions and good luck!
Par says
I used to soak my almond 8 hrs & use a cold press juicer. Will try to blanch & remove the skin & see if it can lasts a week. Thx!
Tina Garrett says
I mix the pulp into my oatmeal. As I consume my whole oats without sugar or butter. I merely use cinnamon and whole fruits.
Tina Dawson says
That is an excellent idea! I’ll try this with my next extraction batch! Thank you so very much!!
Lauren says
I started making homemade almond milk about 6 weeks ago. The 1st maybe 5 batches were delicious & easily last at least a week! Then I started using a new bag of almonds & the milk was sour in about 2 days. I played with the amount of salt I added for preserving it, but it didn’t matter so I went back to the original brand of almonds I used in the beginning, but same outcome: sour milk in about 2 days time 🙁 The ONLY thing I can think of is that the container I am using is not getting cleaned well enough after use? I use a 32 oz growler meant for beer, so it is hard to get in there to scrub it but I use hot water, a little soap, more hot water. But what’s up? I can’t figure it out. I use the soyabella machine btw, soak the almonds for at least 4 hours, add a touch of vanilla, a bit of cacao then blend it up. Any advice? Thank you!!
Tina Dawson says
A growler is a difficult thing to clean and sanitize. I use a wide mouthed glass jar that I can really get in and scrub without having to rely on a bottle brush (which doesn’t do a very thorough job!). It could also be this batch of almonds, since the first few batches lasted a while for you. Sanitize everything, and don’t use your hands to press the milk out. I hope this helps!
Thamara says
Hi Tina,
Thank you for this insightful blog post…My almond cashew milk was sour this morning after only 2 days 🙁 This answered a lot for me…especially the part about not using your (washed) hands to squeeze the milk out of the muslin cloth!!
Cheers.
Ramya says
Brilliant and very helpful . .thank you you sweety!! ?
Kindra McFarland says
Wish I read this yesterday before making my first batch of almond milk. I was close to your suggestions, but next time will be better. Thanks for your efforats putting this together!
Tina Dawson says
Absolutely, Kindra! Good luck!
CJ says
So if you’re using cashews, skip the blanching and just sterilize the container?
Tina Dawson says
Yup, that sounds about right!
Elze says
Do you have a link for a good nylon mesh sieve? Recommendation would be helpful!
Tina Dawson says
The one I’m using in these images is something I picked up from India, but I think this one from Amazon would work quite nicely.
Jennifer says
Please what can l do with the pulps
Tina Dawson says
I’m working on a series of recipes using almond pulp, but so far I’ve only been able to publish one. You’ll find the published recipe + all future recipes under this link. Thank you for your patience!
Tania says
I have made nut milks twice, and they only lasted for 24 hours before going bad. While Googleing for some
answers, just stumbled with you post, definitely going to try your method. Thanks for the tips
Tina Dawson says
I hope this helps! The idea is to keep the process sterile (not use hands for squeezing the milk) and you should be fine.
Rosie Lee says
Thanks for writing this article!!
Unfortunately, I followed the method and on the third day, my milk tasted sour.
I am wondering if it’s because I put my milk at the fridge door.. My milk was barely used. What a sad scene to throw all of it out. 🙁
Tina Dawson says
I’m so sorry that happened Rosie – it is a heartache to throw away all that goodness. Maybe try moving it into the fridge next time – they do say foods kept in the door tend to go through temp fluctuations every time we open the fridge. Again, I’m sorry this didn’t work for you.
Geraldine Radovanovich says
Thanks for your blog. I love reading Almond Milk recipes. Its always good to learn new stuff. Im pretty happy with mine. I buy my almonds from Wildsoilalmonds.com I make half a gallon twice a week. I soak 8oz Almonds with a few added Hazelnuts in boiling water for well over twelve hrs. Sometimes I drain off and add fresh boiling water. I stopped peeling the almonds. Too much trouble. I rinse them off in hot water and a final rinse in Filtered water. I put them in the blender and add 1/4 cup ground flax seed, which I store in the refrigerator and 1/4 cup Hemp hearts. I add a bit of salt and fill the blender with filtered water – 5 cups. I soak this for a few hrs. I use a mesh bag to strain the milk after blending. I add another 3 -4 cups of water to the bag after the first squeeze and squeeze again to get the remainder to make up half a gallon. I always wash some dishes in the sink bowl and rinse my hands to get the detergent off before squeezing the milk. Mine lasts 3-4 days. I drink at least one cup of chai a day. I figure the washing hands in detergent gets a lot of oil off. I have one problem and that is getting the residue off the inside of the glass bottle. I have to wash and brush repeatedly and often microwave for two minutes which helps. I also add two droppers of stevia and Vanilla to the milk before bottling. The birds and squirrels love the Almond pulp in the winter but dont come round in the summer.
Baash says
Thanks for the post. Great Info!
Quick question I just made almond milk today before reading your post. I got a nut milk bag and I put my blended almonds in the nut bag and squeeze. You said not use your hands? Why is that? I washed my hands throughly and dried it up with towel and then squeezed milk. Looking forward for your response. Thank you!!
Tina Dawson says
Our hands contain natural oils that encourage spoiling – it’s something we were taught as kids when we made coconut milk at home from scratch for recipes. If you’ve thoroughly washed your hands with soap and dried, it might be ok, I’m not sure though. Let me know how long your milk keeps. I’m curious!
Ivan Santoso says
I am producing 20-30 bottles per day for home industry business, and struggling in keeping my almond milk last long. I will try this method hope it helps. can you just sterilize the bottle using boiled water and then shake it out?
Tina Dawson says
The bottle needs to really heat up, to sterilize. Boiling the bottle might be a safer choice, I think? And if you are doing this as a home business, maybe look into pasteurizing methods to really extend the lifetime of the milk.
Hany El Masry says
Can you tell us more about pasteurization methods.
Tina Dawson says
Never tried it, sorry!
Fahad says
Seems like someone wasting too much pulp. Why not add some more water and grind that pulp enough until there is almost no pulp left. It’ll drastically increase quantity of milk. But will certainly increase nutrition and taste in milk. Sweet almond milk ( Local name Thandai/Sardai) is favorite summers beverage of us Pakistani’s. We also add few more ingredients to enhance taste and nutritional value ?
Fun fact; I just made it and it was delicious ?
Oh yeah, Your Site is great..!!! Very detailed recipes with neat visuals. You just forgot to write nutritional value and benefits of almond milk. Great work ? Keep Up The Good Work ??
I’ll be definitely following you from now..!!!
Tina Dawson says
Vegans (like me) use Almond milk (and other nut milks) in coffee in place of dairy milk – and using pulpy milk affects the texture of the beverage, hence the filtering with very fine mesh cloth to catch the fiber.
Ram says
I think he meant to take the pulp after first strain, add to blender again with some more water and strain once more. Actually a few runs of this yields excellent tasting milk. It is because the blender cannot blend all microparticles homogenously.
Thanks for your recipe by the way !
Jasmine says
Hi, how do you sterilize the bottles? I was excited to begin homemaking almond milk but sad when I read the 2-4 day shelf life. Excited to try your method.
Tina Dawson says
Microwave a clean, dry bottle for two minutes – that should normally do it. Making sure there’s absolutely no soap residue when you wash the bottles is also key.
Ruth-Ann says
Do you rinse the almonds after you soak them, if you do so, do you rinse with filtered water, or can you use tap or purified water?
Tina Dawson says
I don’t rinse. Just drain and use.
M says
Great share! I also never use my hands and prefer to use a fine mesh strainer (even large tea ball or herb ball) versus a nutbag, and the back of spoon works perfectly well to press and extract milk. I use a cup less water, usually 4 cups to 1 cup of almonds.
Roxayn Wright says
Hi! When you say blanch – do you take the skin off after boiling or leave on?
Thanks!
Tina Dawson says
The purpose of the blanching is to remove the skin easily. the skin comes off. You can compost the skins or use it as mulch for your plants. Waste not, want not! I hope it helps!
Ron Bednar says
Yes almond milk tastes really good and homemade almond milk is even better than commercial brands.
Now for the bad news…it takes 1/2 gal of water to produce 1 almond. And even though the almond trees depend on bees to pollinate them because of the wide variety of pesticides the almond growers use, billions of bees are killed by the almond trees they pollinate each year.
Maybe it’s time to rethink your commitment to almonds and almond milk? Oat milk is good as are many other different nut milks. At least give it a thought my friends.
Ineke says
I use biodynamic almonds- no pesticides used?
Nicole says
Do you freeze the almonds dry, or in water?? I’m really excited I found your article. I’ve been so frustrated with the shelf life of my almond milk.
Tina Dawson says
Hey Nicole. I freeze blanched almonds dry, if that’s what you’re asking? When soaking them, I put 1 cup of blanched almonds in water, and put it in the fridge for soaking (immersed in water). This prevents almonds from accidentally fermenting, which can sometimes lead to earlier spoilage. I hope that answers your question.
Teresa says
I love homemade almond milk. I use mine up before 5 days I’m curious to know what you are making with the pulp. It seems like such a waste to throw it out. I’m usually making 2 batches a week.
Tina Dawson says
I’ve been using the pulp to thicken curries, to make arancini-type balls with potato and almond pulp instead of rice – I’ll post the recipe for that one in a few weeks. You can also dry them in the oven and use as almond flour.
Jayasri says
I haven’t ever sterilised the bottles I store them in and use it quickly as I afraid it might go off! As I call myself partial vegan? because I am unable to give up my chai! I should seriously give myself a go!
Tina Dawson says
Such a simple step, but it makes a huge difference. Good luck! I hope this helps you go fully vegan!
Zee says
Wow! I’ll definitely try this. I must be honest, the almond milk that I buy from the shops tastes more like just “white liquid”. I’ll see if this method gives me something tastier.
Tina Dawson says
I have to agree, and I hope this helps!