ALMOND MILK

Makes 3 to 4 quarts

1 cup raw almonds

1 T. maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

12 to 16 cups hot water

Soak the raw almonds overnight or at least 4 hours. Blend the almonds with 1 of the 12-16 cups hot water for 30 seconds. Add an additional 2-4 cups of hot water to mixture in blender.

Strain milk mixture into a large bowl or 1 gallon pitcher through cheese cloth or a light textured white terry towel to extract as much milk as possible.

Pour 1 to 2 more cups of hot water over nut pulp, still on cheese cloth, and knead and squeeze out more milk. Repeat this procedure until the 12 to 16 cups hot water have been used and no more milk can be squeezed out of the pulp. Use pulp in your compost pile or make a spread or dip from it by adding seasonings.

Add pure maple syrup and salt to the bowl or pitcher and refrigerate milk.