Post #337396 by Sgirl on Tue, Oct 9, 2007 10:47 AM

Okay, so I just reread the thread (not for the first time) and am guessing that it is the suspended particles that is the problem

On 2007-06-25 09:10, The Gnomon wrote:
Important – Make sure the store-bought almond milk has had a chance for its almond residue to settle back down to the bottom of the carton before using.

If you do disturb it, and if you don't then remove it from the milk, it will remain suspended in your orgeat for a long time before it finally settles to the bottom. That will cause all of your drinks to become very cloudy. They'll taste fine, but they'll be cloudy and will stratify in the drink if it's allowed to sit for any length of time.

Clearly my home made almond milk does have more particles in it than store bought. I just checked my orgeat and it does have some particles settling to the bottom. I'm going to leave it undisturbed for aother day or two and see if more particles will settle out. So far the liquid above still looks like cow's milk, but I will keep my fingers crossed, that eventually they will all be at the bottom and I can salvage it and make a proper mai tai.

Oh and to answer your question, I've found the best way to filter the almond milk in one step is to use a thin lint free linen cloth (the kind you use to dry wine glasses). It works like a cheese cloth but is much sturdier and stands up to strong squuezing/milking. I rinse the towel after the milking and then throw it it the wash. Maybe I'll try one of those nylon bags Scottes found and see if it's any easier.

My almonds are wet when I start since I actually blanche them myself and then throw them in whole to the VitaMix with water. Still get lots of foam, which is easy to remove. If my orgeat separates I'll have to experiment with how long it takes to separate in the future.

[ Edited by: Sgirl 2007-10-09 11:13 ]