Raw Food Alchemy by Amie Sue
I have shared a little bit about this before, when I was just starting to tinker with other methods of making nut milks. You might remember how I used an old antique cheese press to squeeze out the milk. So with those same thoughts still rolling around in my head I started to do a little research about cheese presses. 
During my late night Google searches I found a company that sells several different sized ones. I took a gamble and ordered their smallest model, hoping it would be a nice and manageable size for the kitchen counter.
I love making nut milks for two reasons: for the milk of course but more so for the nut pulp which I love to use in my recipes. So, when I do make nut milks, I make large quantities and my hands get so tired and cramped from all the squeezing of the nut milk bag.
My husband had a great idea using a book press that we have. But it is so large and heavy! Not to mention not everyone can easily get their hands on one. :) So, I spied our antique cheese press that was on display above our kitchen cabinets. It worked beautifully but had a few design flaws. This new cheese press that I ordered works like a charm!!! Not only does it make for pain-free hands, it really squeezes the pulp dry! I took some pictures and I hope you can see the amazing results. I have never been able to get so much nut milk out of the pulp before. In the picture to the right you can see where we added some tubing from Home Depot to the spout. It worked perfectly. You can click on each of the pictures below to enlarge them.
I ordered this unit through the Beverage People. I am impressed with their quality and service. This is the exact one I ordered, but be aware the photo on their site showed an all silver one and when it came to the house, it had red on it.
Micro Press Stainless Steel (Cheese, Fruit, Herbs) Screw with Basket (small) part # WE56
Click here for nut milk recipes.
Wow– that was creative and impressive! Thanks for sharing such a brilliant idea.
You bet Cindy…always trying to find ways to make things easier for all of us in the kitchen. Besides be easier, it is actually a fun process now. hehe Have a wonderful day! amie sue
Hi Amie Sue, thanks for your awesome website, it’s sooo.. professional. I have a question about almond pulp – is there a way to produce the pulp without making the milk? Would soaking and grinding almonds get the same result do you think?
Hi Kim,
No, it would give you a different texture. For starters if you try to grind soaked almonds you will get more of a nut butter consistency. Been there, done that. You could soak them and dehydrate them, then grind them into a powder (flour). Almond pulp adds bulk but in a less dense way. I have a post all ready to be released this weekend that talks about nut pulp, flour and meal. It should prove to be helpful. I tried experimenting with ground almonds and almond pulp. I made raw croutons…the end result; both tastes good but the ones with almond pulp were my favorite, they were lighter and crunchier. I hope this helps, but keep an eye out for the post this weekend. Have a great evening, amie sue
I too make large quantities of almond milk and have been on a search for some other method of getting the last bit of milk from my almonds without tiring out my hands. I am so grateful that I found your site. Thanks for the link to the cheese press.
You are welcome. I love this technique. :)
Amie Sue,
Love your website, thanks for your dedication to Raw food. We have only made one choc cheese cake and it was outrageous. We are looking forward to making keylime pie but cannot find Irish Moss. When previously on your website, it looked asthough I could order it from you. Is that still a possibility?
Sorry I am technilogically impaired and just cannot find the spot on your website.
I am hoping to make it for Easter but if not we will make it once the we get our hands on the Irish Moss.
Love,
Mary Jane
856 905 7790
Good evening Mary Jane :) It is wonderful to have you here. I hope my site brings you joy and help. Never hesitate to ask questions and don’t worry about being technologically impaired, I know that feeling. hehe Here is a link to the Irish moss.. http://astore.amazon.com/nouraw-20/detail/B002EUZEVY
Also, you can make the Key-Lime pie without it, it just won’t be as firm. I tend to make single serving cups when I make these desserts for gatherings. They are adorable and easy for people to eat out of as they walk and mingle. When they scoop it out of a cup, you don’t have to worry about it holding up. Does that make sense. It tastes just as amazing!
Have a wonderful evening, amie sue
Hi Amie Sue! Quick question. The way you have the milk packaged makes me think you are freezing it…is that so? Can you share details about it? Thanks!
Good evening Shelly,
Yes, in this post I was making large amounts of milk and froze it. I don’t make it a habit but it works. I make the nut milk as directed and pour measured amounts into Zip-lock bags. I work all the air bubbles out, lay the bags flat on a cookie tray and freeze. Once frozen I can stack them laying down or sideways. Works great! What details would you like to know?
Besides the details you already shared (which were great!), does the milk separate at all when thawed? If so, can it be re-blended? Can you use in the same recipes as you would fresh nut milk? Thanks so much! I am really enjoying your blog. So much helpful information. :)
Hi Shelly, nut milk in general separates. when I make it fresh and store it in the fridge, I have to shake it to mix it…same effect after freezing it. And yes, I use nut milks in the place of dairy milk. I never was a huge milk drinker growing up so I don’t drink it much now. I mainly use nut milks for raw granola cereals, smoothies, and so forth. Have a great evening, amie sue
I happened to stumble upon your website when aimlessly looking for some kind of contraption for my mom to make making almond milk easier. I now how the cheese press wrapped up for her as a Christmas gift. Thank you for sharing! I am wondering what size (diameter and length) tubing you purchased for the spout? Thank you for your help. I can’t wait to see my mom’s reaction to the gift.
Hi Rachel, that is awesome. TO be honest I can’t answer that question atm. My cheesepress is in Tucson and I am in Oregon right now so I can’t measure it. If you have the unit with you, measure the diameter across the spout and go to your local hardware store, they will help you out. Length wise, mine is about 12″ I think… you can always cut it shorter, just depends on the kitchen set up. I would love to hear how this works for her! Happy Holidays, amie sue
What a great idea! Where to get the mesh bag? What size do you use?
This is the one that order… very well made and seem to last a long time so far. :)
Amie Sue, Your almond meal in the mesh bag looks so white. Mine is speckled brown because of the peels. My almond meal cookies and crackers would probably be a lot better if I had no peels in the mix. I am wondering if that is a necessary step for raw baking success? What is your method for peeling and is it something you always do or just for certain recipes with the resulting meal?
All the best,
Naomi
You read my mind. I’ve been wanting a more hygienic way to press the milk out. Will be purchasing one of these. Is it the mini that handles 1 gallon?
Thanks again.
Naomi
Hello Naomi,
This technique works beautifully for those who make a lot of nut milks or have weak hands (which one can get after hand squeezing a lot of nut milk haha). I wish I could link to the exact one, but their site doesn’t allow it to that… I ordered the Micro Press Stainless Steel (Cheese, Fruit, Herbs) Screw with Basket (small) part # WE56. This size works perfectly for us. Let me know if you order one. amie sue :)
Good evening Naomi….
Sorry for getting to your questions so late in the day. I just now got the chance to sit down and start answering all the comments. :) I like to remove the almond skins as much as I can. The skins can be irritating for some people and for myself, I will try and do anything that I think might help my digestion! The second reason for removing the skins is for ascetic purposes. If you are creating a light colored recipe, removing the skins from the almonds will make a big difference. Plus, I love the white almond pulp… a thing of beauty to me. hehe
For the peeling process…. I have a post for this…. (ya gotta check out my pictures on it, they look like aliens or something haha)
http://nouveauraw.com/raw-techniques/skinned-almonds/
I hope this answered your questions. Have a wonderful day! amie sue
Hi Amie Sue!
Thank you so much for your replies. After writing my questions above I dug a bit deeper into your site and found the info you provide on peeling almonds. They are funny looking things:) This is a step I used to do when I first started making almond milk and found it was so time consuming . However with your hot water tip, and the fact that I now have all your wonderful recipes using almond meal, it will now be effort well spent.
I am experiencing a huge learning curve right now thanks to your website. I had so many dissapointments in the past with raw food recipes. But I knew there had to be a way, and that I would need a lot of practice. Now it’s happening and my results are coming out really good, thanks to all the love you’ve put in. Can’t thank you enough.
No problem Naomi :) I am so grateful that I am able to help you in your learning curve. That is what this site is about! I actually love popping the skins off of the almonds. Therapeutic maybe? haha Plus it’s always fun to chase that one that shot across the kitchen and bounced off the fridge and slide under the stove. :P Have fun! amie sue
I am ordering my press right now! I have been loving my fresh almond milk but I hate the milking process. It kind of grosses me out even though it’s my own hands. I find myself going back to the store bought kind between batches because I don’t want to deal with making it from scratch. This looks so much easier and sanitary. Thanks so much for posting your brilliant idea.
Oh wonderful Rhonda. I hope you enjoy the ease of using the press as I have. You will have to keep me posted if you would. Have a blessed evening! amie sue
So far so good…have made 2 batches. I have a couple questions for you though. The press doesn’t come with much info. How do you clean yours? I’m having a hard time cleaning the circle part that does the pressing on the nut milk bag. Does that piece come off? If so, I haven’t figured out how. Also, how much do you do at a time? If I fill the container I can’t seem to get all of the milk out of the pulp.
Thanks for any info!!
Oh gosh Rhonda… I totally missed answering your questions on this. Please accept my apologies. I didn’t mean to leave you hanging! So to address your questions: To wash it, I just hold it under hot water and with a soapy rag in the other hand, wash it. I do this right after making the milk so it doesn’t dry with nut pulp bits caked on. That disc can come off with a tool but I don’t it is necessary or expected for cleaning purposes. When I make nut milk I use 4 cups of water and 3 cups of almonds (I like mine more on the creamy side). I blend and then pour into the nut bag which is positioned in the cheese press basket. Make sure you have it set up first; tube in place and being feed into a bowl. I then make sure the whole bag is within the basket before pressing. I don’t want part of it hanging out, risking the bag to get damaged because once that happens it is ruined. I then start the pressing action by twisting the top handle. This works great for me. I hope this helps and I am sorry once again for not responding promptly. Have a great day, amie sue
Dear Aimee-Sue,
You have the greatest raw food website ever! Thank you so much for following your heart. I just love your entire friendly, cheerful, helpful, easygoing, humble attitude!
I would appreciate your feedback about 3 questions. I am on the Q & A portion of your website under “Nutmilk – A New Technique.” Questions:
1) “Rhonda” asked you how you clean your little cheesepress, whether an inner part comes out — awaiting your answer.
2) Also, ~how much milk do you filter thru this cheesepress at one time? (Ex. Would you pour a whole gallon of milk into the nutmilk bag before filtering?)
3) Where did you say you got your nutmilk bag that you use with this cheesepress for milks? I see you answered, “This is the one that order… very well made and seem to last a long time so far.” Does this mean that we can order it from you, or that you ordered it elsewhere (if so please share).
Thank you immensely for you time and attention.
Sincerely,
Anna Simon
Mt Prospect, IL
Thank you Anna! I appreciate all your kind words. :)
I just answered Rhonda’s questions the other day, somehow that comment was hanging out there unanswered. Ack! To recap your questions:
Q ~ “Rhonda” asked you how you clean your little cheesepress, whether an inner part comes out — awaiting your answer.
A ~ I answered that in the comment above.
Q ~ How much milk do you filter thru this cheesepress at one time? (Ex. Would you pour a whole gallon of milk into the nutmilk bag before filtering?)
A ~ When I make a batch of nut milk I do 4 cups of water and 3 cups of nuts. I like mine on the creamier side. I place the nut bag in the silver basket while it is on the press and pour it in. Make sure that you have the tube on and the bowl in place. I then lay the opening in the bag and start the press. You could pour the nut milk into the nut bag while it is in a large bowl and allow the bulk of the milk to go through the bag, then put it in the press and really press it. This is up to you.
Q ~ Where did you say you got your nutmilk bag that you use with this cheesepress for milks? I see you answered, “This is the one that order… very well made and seem to last a long time so far.” Does this mean that we can order it from you, or that you ordered it elsewhere (if so please share).
A ~ You can order them through my Amazon store. http://nouveauraw.com/equipment/nut-milk-supplies/nut-milk-bag-new-improved/ I LOVE these bags and I have tried many.
I hope this all helps, please don’t hesitate to ask more questions if you have any. Have a blessed evening, amie sue
I saw a You Tube demonstration for making almond milk that made it look so simple! The soaked almonds PLUS water (3 cups fresh filtered water/1 cup almonds) were put through the Omega VRT 330HD juicer and then the milk was simply poured through a regular stainless steel strainer into a glass pitcher. I was surprised that no mesh bag was used and how little pulp was caught. I guess the juicer had already separated out most of the pulp. Seemed too easy to be true ;)
Oh wow… sounds good but scary. I would be afraid of sending nuts through my machine. haha I wonder if that voids the warranty. :) Thanks for sharing! amie sue