notes
how much almond is actually in almond milk?
The number on our label is 25%. Here is what that means in grams, and why the number on most cartons is so much smaller.
the number, plainly
Our almond milk is about 25% almonds, 72 grams of them in every 300 ml bottle. The rest is water and a pinch of pink salt. Three ingredients, and the almonds are the point.
A typical long-life carton runs 2–4% almonds. That is not a scandal, it is printed on the label, in the fine print under ‘ingredients’. But at 2%, a 300 ml serving carries roughly 6 grams of almonds. Ours carries 72.
why cartons are built that way
A drink that is 96% water and needs to survive months at room temperature needs help: emulsifiers to hold the suspension together, gums for body, added vitamins to put back what dilution left out. That is not cheating, it is simply what shelf-stable means.
It is also a different product from milk made mostly of almonds. Ours separates in the bottle precisely because nothing is holding it together, that layer at the top is almond, not a fault. Shake it.
how to read any almond milk label
Look for a stated almond percentage, brands that use a lot of almonds tend to say so, because it costs them real money and they want credit for it. If there is no percentage and the ingredient list runs past five items, assume single digits.
Then hold the bottle to the light. A pour that is dense with almonds is opaque. A 2% pour glows thin, like the memory of a nut.