SC -spice and economics and Khazars

[Alderton, Philippa]

I buy whole organic raw almonds at my local health/natural food 
store. The almonds are quite fresh, compared to the often rancid 
things one finds in the supermarket.

I have some questions regarding almond milk:

1) How necessary is it really to remove the skins from the raw 
almonds before grinding? Do the skins impart an unpleasant flavor? Or 
is the objection just that the milk is less white? Or is there some 
other reason? I am using the almond milk for Andalusian and Near 
Eastern recipes which call for water as the diluant. Some European 
recipes call for wine or verjus as the liquid or in addition to 
water. Will either of these liquids interact differently with the 
almond skins than water?

2) Is it reasonable to grind the almonds to a flour or meal some time 
before using and store to preserve freshness? I certainly would keep 
it in a cool dark place at the very least, in order to reduce 
oxidation. Is it better to keep the almond meal very well sealed in 
the freezer or in the refrigerator? Will freezing make the oil turn, 
so that the fridge is preferable? Or should i only grind the almonds 
just before using?

3) Would it work to make the almond milk ahead of time and freeze it, 
then thaw it before using? Or would the almond milk be ruined by 
freezing? I know that not everything survives home-freezing in a good 
state...

4) Approximately how long does homemade almond milk keep in the 
refrigerator before going off?

Thanks for any hints or observations,
Anahita al-shazhiyya