A few people won’t use dairy products due to some health problems, lactose intolerance, or veganism. Thus the substitutes are used instead of the original cow or buffalo milk. Milk substitutes may sometimes boost the nutrients and reduce calories and fat. But due to many health problems, people like to use milk substitutes.
There are different milk substitutes. One of them is almond milk. It is a plant milk made from almonds. Also, almond milk has a watery consistency and a nutty flavor with water as the major component. People with lactose intolerance and those who eschew dairy products, like vegans, frequently drink almond milk. The tiny particles are combined together with water to form the almond milk. These tiny fragments are parts of almonds like cellulose, a small amount of fiber, proteins, and fat puddles.
A freezing point exists for each molecule. It is at the temperature level here that the molecules become harder and form a structure since the freezing point of water is more than that of almond milk. Also, the freezing point of different substances will occur at different temperature levels. While freezing almond milk, it undergoes chemical changes that may affect the flavor, the texture, and sometimes the color. Emulsifiers are added to improve the storage life.
Contents
What Is Almond Milk?
Almond milk is produced from almonds, pulverized, and added with purified water. To improve its consistency and storage life, thickeners, and starches are added. The emulsifiers are added to maintain consistency. The commonly used ones are lecithin and carrageenan. Emulsifiers added to the almond milk promote the suspension of one liquid in another, from mixing together.
Almond milk should not be consumed by those with nut or almond allergies. If it’s unsweetened, almond milk often has fewer calories than other milk. Certain producers add flavors to mimic those of cow’s milk. Almond milk is generally low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and lactose content. Almond milk produced for commercial purposes is added with micronutrients and sweetening agents. The various forms of almond milk are unsweetened ones, vanilla flavors, and chocolate flavors. Homely almond milk can be prepared using water, almonds, and a blender.
Benefits Of Almond Milk
Almond milk is a rich source of Vitamin E, and Vitamin D. Also it is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are those substances that stop oxidation, a chemical process that can result in the production of free radicals and a cascade of reactions that can harm a living organism’s cells. The following are the health benefits that we can expect from almond milk.
-
Safe And Hypoallergenic
Almond milk is less likely to cause allergic reactions than compared to similar products. Thus it is considered safer in triggering the reactions. Hypoallergenic refers to the fact that it contains few allergens, the substance that produces allergy.
-
Rich In Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for the health of bone, improving immunity, lessening inflammation, and improving mental health (lessening mental depression). If you are consuming one cup of almond milk daily, then your body can produce twenty percent of daily consumption of Vitamin D
-
Rich In Vitamin E
Almond milk is rich in Vitamin E, which is thus known as an antioxidant. Vitamin E is crucial for healthy skin, eyes, and a strong immune system. In recent days, Vitamin E supplements have gained popularity as antioxidants. These chemicals guard against cell damage. Also, it reduces the high risk of cognitive diseases.
-
Lactose-Free
Since almond milk is not an animal product, it does not contain lactose. Lactose-free choices are an excellent substitute for those who like the flavor of milk but have lactose intolerance. Almond milk is therefore the ideal alternative for those who are lactose intolerant. Any recipe that asks for animal milk can be substituted with almond milk.
-
Low-Carb
Unsweetened almond milk has fewer sugars and carbohydrates than animal milk. Almond milk is a low-carb health drink making it a great option for those following a low-carb diet and monitoring their blood sugar levels.
-
Nutritious
The content of Vitamins, calcium, and proteins, makes almond milk a nutritious health drink. It is an enriched refreshment for vegans. Also, the nutritious feature will not be lost while freezing.
-
Promote Bone Health
Almond milk is fortified with vitamin D and calcium contents to help strengthen the bones. Almond milk is a great source of calcium, which is essential for bone growth, and development in humans. Sometimes, the calcium deficit in humans might increase the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. Your bones become worse and breakable as a result of this disorder. Additionally, minor stressor-making activities like coughing raise the possibility of fractures in those suffering from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition of the human body that causes bones to become weaker and breakable.
Also Find Out: Can You Freeze Scrambled Eggs?
Needs Of Freezing Almond Milk
The freezing makes some biochemical changes to almond milk but the nutritional values will not be affected. After being frozen, almond milk separates into a solid part at the bottom, and liquid at the top level. As a result, the flavor changes. Before using defrosted almond milk, it must always be blended. If you are keeping it inside the freezer, it will not be wasted.
Uses Of Frozen Almond Milk
Frozen and blended almond milk is used as:
-
Coffee whitener
-
Tastemaker for cooked dishes (curries and stews)
-
Vegan-friendly recipes use frozen almond milk in baking
-
In shakes instead of ice cubes
-
Used as a puree in some beverages like Smoothies
Methods To Freeze Almond Milk
There are different methods that can be adopted for freezing almond milk. If you want a little frozen almond milk only, then you can use the ice tray in your refrigerator. If you wanted to consume it for baking or smoothies, then it is better to freeze almond milk in a container.
-
Freeze Almond Milk In A Cube Tray
Pour the almond milk prepared into the ice cube tray.
Place the ice cube tray in the freezer overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours to set.
Then pop out the ice cubes from the ice cube tray and transfer them into a
freezer bag. -
Freeze Almond Milk In A Container
Pour the almond milk prepared into a container.
Label the container before keeping it inside the freezer. The date of preparation and the content are to be labeled.
Place it inside the freezer overnight.
The frozen form texture is used for dishes, cookies, and smoothies.
Methods To Thaw Almond Milk
The frozen almond milk is to be kept for defrosting before you can do anything with it. Take on any method from the different methods available to thaw almond milk. You can do this either by keeping it inside the refrigerator (through defrosting) or outside the refrigerator.
-
In The Fridge
Thawing almond milk in the fridge is easy. Just place the almond milk in the fridge overnight (not in the freezer), and make it defrost
-
In Lukewarm Water
Luke water is slightly warmed water. Take some lukewarm water in a bowl. Place the container with almond milk into the bowl of lukewarm water. Wait for 2 to 3 hours. The process is a little bit faster than the previous one.
-
On The Stovetop
Almond milk can be thawed on the stovetop. There are some steps to be followed in the given order.
Take a saucepan and keep it on the stovetop.
Pop the almond milk cubes from the ice tray of the fridge and transfer them into the saucepan.
Alternatively, if you are using a container to freeze almond milk, then pour the almond milk from the container into the saucepan.
Keep the saucepan on the stovetop.
Warm the saucepan with a medium flame (heat).
FAQs
The almond milk is getting separated because of the biochemical reactions taking place while freezing. While blending we used to add thickeners and starches into it in order to make a longer shelf life. Frozen almond milk is to be kept for defrosting using different methods. After defrosting, the almond milk returns to its previous form and you can use it to make a cream or add it to the curries or dishes or anything else. You cannot use the almond milk as it is when it is frozen, as it will have a texture like liquid and solid parts got separated.
The thawed almond milk is to be kept inside the fridge in order to get a longer lifetime. The thawed almond milk lasts for 6 months, but the taste may change a little bit. This can be used in baking as well as in curries or dishes. Even though it gets separated, the thawing process makes the previous texture. Even though the texture may be changed (as per the emulsifiers or thickeners added), the nutritions present in the almond milk will remain unchanged.
When you keep it freezing for a long time the thickeners and starches added to the almond milk (while preparing) will keep its consistency. The texture gets changed but the nutrients remain as it is. It will become separated as the liquid part will stay at the top, and solid at the bottom. It will not lose any effect if you are using it within six months. But after taking it out from the freezer, you have to keep it for defrosting using any technique explained above. The defrosting takes back the almond milk into its previous state.
The first step is to make the almond milk from the almond. While blending almonds, you have to add emulsifiers in order to keep them for a long time. Then make it sometime to cool. Then pour it into the ice trays and keep it inside the freezer. If you want more, then pour it into a container instead of ice trays. Then keep the container inside the freezer. It takes the shape of a container or ice tray when kept for freezing.
Conclusion
Almond milk has been used as a substitute for animal milk. There are people who follow veganism. Those can use almond milk in place of animal milk as it is a plant-origin product. The only added item in the almond milk is the emulsifiers to keep the consistency. Those with lactose intolerance also can use almond milk as it does not contain lactose.
Almond milk is produced from blended almonds. It is widely used as a coffee whitener and add-on in curries. Also used in shakes and smoothies. Before using it as it is, the almond milk should be kept frozen. The freezing methods are adopted as per the usage. Ice trays are used for freezing very little amounts of almond milk, and a container is used if a large amount of almond milk is needed. Frozen almond milk is thawed using different methods available.
