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On store shelves you can often find cocktails made from almond milk with chocolate, vanilla or strawberry filling. However, almond milk is not just a delicious dessert, but also nutritious. Almond milk is widely used in the preparation of cosmetic and medicinal preparations, in cooking, during dieting and breastfeeding. It is not necessary to buy a store-bought product; preparing it at home will not be difficult.
Beneficial properties of almond milk
Few people know that almond juice, which is known as almond milk due to its similar color to milk, is a natural substitute for cow's milk. The advantage of almond milk is that, unlike animal products, almond milk does not contain lactose, which causes allergies in many people. Because of this, they cannot take milk, which contains substances necessary to maintain certain processes in the body.
The use of almond milk is widely used in medicine and cosmetology. Milk contains:
- proteins – 18.6 g;
- carbohydrates – 13 g;
- fats – 53.7 g;
- vitamins E, D, B, A;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- manganese;
- zinc;
- copper;
- sulfur.
Unlike cow's milk, which contains 62 kcal per 100 g, or goat's milk, which contains 69 kcal per 100 g, almond milk is not very high in calories. 100 ml of almond milk contains 51 kcal, most of which are natural fats and carbohydrates. That is why it is given to children who suffer from poor weight gain in infancy or at a time when the nursing mother is unable to feed on her own. Also, due to the increased natural fat content, almond milk is given to children and pregnant women suffering from constipation.
Due to the absence of animal fats in the product, almond milk is considered dietary and is used for weight loss and to reduce blood cholesterol. Due to the presence of phosphorus and calcium, almond juice is able to restore damaged bones and strengthen them during the period of senile osteoporosis and childhood rickets.
Ingredients
To buy nut milk, you don’t have to go to the store, where the milk will contain dyes, preservatives and other unknown ingredients that irritate the stomach and are harmful to pregnant women, children and the elderly. All you need to make almond milk at home is the nuts themselves and drinking water.
The finished product itself does not have a rich taste. Almond milk is rather tasteless, so factory producers add flavoring agents to it so that mothers are more willing to buy it for their children. You can cook porridge with natural almond milk, add it to coffee and cocktails. But to drink it for health purposes, it is permissible to mix it with additives such as:
- cinnamon;
- ginger;
- vanilla;
- cocoa;
- honey;
- sugar;
- turmeric;
- cardamom;
- pepper;
- nutmeg;
- coffee;
- fruit syrups.
When choosing additional ingredients, you should consider their compatibility. You can experiment with berries and fruits whipped in a blender, diluted with nut juice.
How to prepare milk
To prepare almond milk at home, it will take 4 to 8 hours. The whole secret is to soften the nuts, which contain the desired ingredient, and take it out. The recipe is simple:
- First prepare the nuts themselves. They should be raw, not fried.
- In order for the nut to become pliable for grinding, it must be softened. To do this, mix nuts with water 1:3, that is, 1 cup of nuts to 3 cups of water. Pour the nuts into a deep container and leave them to soak overnight or for at least 4 hours.
- When the nut swells and becomes soft, drain the water and begin to beat the product with a blender until smooth. The longer you beat the nut, the less pulp will remain.
- The whipped nuts should be strained through cheesecloth.
- Mix the resulting mass with drinking water in a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4 and add flavorings as desired.
The remaining pulp from the nut can be used for cosmetic purposes, for example, to wipe the face. The product moisturizes the skin by supplying healthy fats that protect the epithelium from drying out. Cookies are also baked from the pulp.
Uses of almond milk
Almond milk is a multifunctional product from which a variety of culinary dishes are prepared, just like regular milk.Its advantage is that ground almonds do not have their own taste, so they do not change the taste of the main ingredients. Various dishes are also made from the remaining pulp.
Almond milk is popular in cosmetics, skin and hair care products. In official and folk medicine, almond milk is also in demand. Almond oil is used to make remedies for coughs, migraines, and anemia.
In cooking
Almond milk itself is used as a substitute for regular milk. It is added to dough, porridge and vegetables are cooked on it, smoothies and cocktails are whipped up. Almond juice is an excellent addition to desserts. And if you freeze it in ice cube trays, the cubes can be added to coffee. It is worth considering two simple recipes using milk.
Chocolate spread with hazelnuts
The dish serves 4 servings and takes 25 minutes to prepare. One serving includes 867 kcal.
Ingredients:
- 300 g of dark chocolate in bars or confectionery;
- 150 g hazelnuts;
- 80 g butter;
- 100 ml cow's milk;
- 100 ml almond milk.
Cooking method:
- Separate the pre-dried hazelnuts from the husks and beat with a blender to a powder.
- Mix both types of milk, butter and chocolate broken into pieces, beat everything until smooth.
- Add hazelnuts, stir.
The paste is ready, it can be spread on bread or added as a filling to cakes, cookies and croissants. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. You can use walnuts instead of hazelnuts.
Thick raspberry smoothie
The recipe describes the preparation of one serving, that is, one glass of smoothie. This dessert nutritious drink is dietary and suitable for consumption in the morning. It contains 1043 kcal.It consists mainly of carbohydrates of plant origin.
Ingredients:
- 75 g fresh or frozen raspberries;
- 1 banana;
- 50 g almond milk;
- 1 teaspoon liquid honey;
- half a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Cooking method:
- Press the raspberries through a sieve and set aside.
- Cut the banana into slices and let stand in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Mix all ingredients in one bowl and beat with a blender until smooth.
Use the drink chilled, but not frozen. You can decorate a light pink smoothie with a mint leaf or a whole raspberry. If the drink seems too sweet, you can add more lemon juice or lime.
In folk medicine
Almond milk is not used in folk medicine; recipes are prepared only from the whole nut. But if there is a certain amount of this vitamin-rich product in its raw form, then part of it can be used to make milk from almonds, and the other part can be used to make medicines.
Where can you use almonds:
- Raw bitter almonds break down alcohol. If you need to stay sober in a company drinking alcohol, then you need to swallow 5 pieces of kernels, which will reduce the effect of intoxication.
- If you suffer from tachycardia and have no appetite, you can eat a sugar cube dipped in nut oil. To do this, you need to crush it so that it begins to release an oily liquid, and add sugar there.
- For constipation, it is recommended to eat almonds due to the presence of a large amount of vegetable fat in them. For the same purpose, nursing mothers consume nut products if the baby suffers from constipation.
The kernels cleanse the liver well.If jaundice is diagnosed, you should eat 5-8 pieces 2 times a day for three days to promote rapid recovery.
In cosmetology
Almond milk is also used for topical use. The product has a moisturizing and softening effect on the skin. Milk is used as a tonic for the body and scalp. The composition also serves as one of the ingredients when making homemade soaps and creams. The remaining pulp is used to make face masks, and if you add ground walnut peel to the composition, you get a natural body scrub that polishes the top layer of the skin.
- To prepare a hair mask, you need to grate almonds until it becomes porridge, then mix with milk until it becomes sour cream. Once every 2 days, apply the mask to the scalp for 30 minutes, wrapping it in cellophane and topping it with a towel. This recipe is designed to heal the follicles responsible for hair growth.
- In the Middle Ages, the Armenian healer Amirdovlat Amasiatsi discovered that if you mix ground bitter almonds with red wine and rub your head with this product, you can get rid of dandruff.
- Bitter almond root is used to make a remedy that whitens skin, freckles, tans and bruises.
Almond husks can be useful as an ingredient in a facial cleansing tincture. To do this, mix 2 tablespoons of husk with 3 cups of boiling water and leave for 4 hours. Wipe your face with filtered infusion.
Calorie content
The nutritional value of almond milk includes only 51 kcal per 100 g of juice with water. Its name milk is based only on its similarity to a natural animal product. But essentially it is nut juice with water and cannot replace milk.You can adjust its concentration by diluting the product with water 1:2, 1:3 or 1:4, increasing the caloric content and nutritional value, as well as the consistency similar to real milk.
The prepared mixture is considered a light, dietary product, suitable as the main ingredient of dishes allowed during the period of weight loss. A person cannot eat a lot, but he needs to take nutrients from somewhere in order not to have problems with teeth and hair. In this case, a low-calorie vegetable substitute is the best option.
Contraindications
Like any other product, almond milk has contraindications and side effects. It should not be taken by people suffering from nut allergies and allergic dermatitis. It should also be borne in mind that excessive consumption of any nut affects weight gain. People prone to obesity should eat almonds and their milk with caution, in small doses.
People suffering from cardiovascular diseases may experience side effects from consuming almonds due to the essential oil contained in the product. If a person has such a diagnosis, then even for cosmetic purposes the kernels are contraindicated for him.
The fruit of the almond tree stimulates the nervous system. Therefore, you should not eat it at night to avoid problems with sleep. This also applies to people suffering from neuralgia and headaches. The daily intake of kernels should not exceed 20 pieces.
Terms and conditions of storage
Almond milk is distinguished by its stability during storage. It can be kept out of the refrigerator for up to two weeks at room temperature. This is due to the fact that the almond product does not contain biologically active bacteria that provoke fermentation and are found in regular milk. In the refrigerator at above-zero temperatures (from 0 to 20 degrees), almond milk will last for 12 months.
It is better to store the mixture in glass containers than in plastic. But if there is nothing but a plastic bottle, before pouring milk into it, it should be washed and dried well.
Conclusion
The diverse use of a product such as almond milk makes nut kernels a sought-after product in various areas of its application. You don’t need to be a scientist or a doctor to find the use of this gift of nature in home cosmetology and cooking.
