Homemade Soy Milk or How To Make Soy Milk
I’ve never been a fan of cow milk. The smell makes me gag and never in my life have I ever been able to drink a glass of plain cow milk. Even so we do buy organic whole fat milk for our morning coffee, English style tea, and for cooking and baking purposes. Now and then I like to take a break from regular milk and replace it with non-dairy alternatives. Typically I would run to the health food store and buy whatever option they happen to have or one I was craving that week. While the prices tend to be a tad higher than standard milk I always felt it was worth the extra cost.
A few years ago it finally dawned on me that I could easily make my own soy and almond milks at home. Once I started I was not only saving money but also enjoying my versions much more than store bought brands. My homemade versions guarantee no preservatives, no additives, no sugar syrups or artificial sweeteners and colors, and no thickening agents. Yes, I am aware that every brand is different and I do read every package before I buy it. But making my own I know exactly what is going into the milk.
The only drawback about making non-dairy milks is that they are not fortified with vitamins and minerals like some of the commercial brands. But as long as you make sure to consume the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals then there’s no worries. It’s all about a balanced healthy diet and a multi-vitamin doesn’t hurt either. Of course if you have a soy allergy or special dietary needs it is best to stay away from soy milk and consult your doctor first.
Over the few years of making soy milk at home I have picked up some helpful tips.
– use the freshest dried soy beans possible.
– if buying organic is in your budget I highly suggest you do. If it isn’t then choose a brand with no GMO and read the label to double check.
– soaking the beans overnight for a minimum of 10 hours will really help in easier blending and better milking. They should be doubled, or more, in size after soaking. The container should be large enough to allow the beans to expand.
– either a cheese or muslin cloth can be used for straining. I use a muslin cloth and am happy with the results.
– to reduce the beanie taste remove the outer skins after soaking. This adds more work to the process and it can be skipped. It depends how much time I have and I do skip it sometimes.
– prevent a messy spill by keeping heat down and an eye on it
– the boiling causes a layer of “skin” to form on top, skim off and either discard or save for cooking. For more information read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu_skin
– thickness can be adjusted by adding or omitting water
– it can be sweetened or flavored if desired
– after milking the ground soybean meal is called okara. It can be saved, dried and used in baking, for fried foods or many other options. Read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okara_(food)
– the soy milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week
– to prevent it from curdling in your coffee or tea first pour the milk into the mug then add the coffee or brewed tea to it. I don’t understand the physics behind it but it just works:)
Homemade Soy Milk or How To Make Soy Milk
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 cup or 160 g dry organic soy beans
- 6-8 cups of water 1.5 to 2 liters
- salt to taste
- sugar to taste and optional
- vanilla cinnamon, chocolate or flavoring of choice, optional
Equipment Needed:
- strainer or fine sieve
- muslin or cheese cloth
- large pot
- blender or food processor
Instructions
- Wash and sort the soy beans then place in a large bowl and fill with water. Allow to soak overnight, change the water at least once and if needed add more water if beans soak it up. The next day beans should be doubled or more in size. Check that they are soft and can easily be cut through, if not they need to soak longer. Rinse thoroughly.
- If you would like to remove the outer shells do so now otherwise skip this step. Pour the soaked beans into a large bowl and cover with water. Grab some beans between your palms and start rubbing them together. (refer to the photo collage) This will loosen the shells so continue to do so until they separate. Place the beans back into the water and give a gentle stir with your hands. The shells will float to the top of the water or just above the beans, scoop then out and rinse the soybeans.
- Place a cheese or muslin cloth over the strainer and set on top of a large pot. No we blend the soybeans. I like to do so in batches. Place 1 cup of the soaked soybeans in the blender then add either 2 or 3 cups of water (500 or 750 ml) Cover and blend for about 3-5 minutes until the beans have completely broken down. Pour liquid into the cloth covered strainer. Allow to strain for a minute or two then bring all the ends of the cloth together and twist until all the liquid is squeezed out. Remove the ground soybean/okara and set aside, place cloth back on strainer. Blend the next batch of soaked beans and water, strain and repeat until all of the soybeans have been processed and strained. (There are 3 batches with the amount of beans I soaked.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium low heat and bring to a boil, stir from time to time. Keep an eye on the soy milk because it can bubble and over flow. Once the milk has boiled add the salt, flavoring and sweeteners you may want to add. Turn the heat down to low and allow to cook for another 20 minutes, again keep an eye on it otherwise it will make an ugly mess on the stove. Turn the heat off and allow the milk to completely cool before you use it or store it. Scoop out the "skin" or film that forms on top. Discard it or use it in cooking.
- Once soy milk has come to room temperature it can be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure to remove any skin that may have formed on top. Store in the refrigerator no more than one week.
Notes
The photo above is the leftover soybean meal after milking, this is called Okara. It has many cooking and baking uses so before discarding it do a quick recipe search.
I know this post and recipe are long. But don’t let that discourage you in any way. Most of the text is my over explaining the process.
Once you make soy milk for the first time you’ll see how easy, delicious and inexpensive it is. I love that I can decide if I want it sweet and if I want to experiment with any other flavours. Mostly I leave the soy milk plain so that I can use it in drinks, savory cooking and sweet baking.
I can never wait until it has cooled down. So I make myself a cup of English style tea in my antique tin cup with a swirl of plain homemade soy milk and some grab a few sweet biscuits too. A little bit of heaven! Enjoy the recipe and your homemade soy milk.
P.S.
If you are allergic to soy or just don’t care for the taste then try almond milk. This recipe is for raw almond milk and this one is for slightly cooked. Enjoy!
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
Marvelous! That is something I have never made myself…
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa and I hope you give it a try.
I mostly drink cow’s milk but I do really like soy milk, too. In fact, I sometimes have cravings for it. I bet your homemade version is far superior to anything I can buy at the store. I’m so impressed that you make your own!
Hi Jean,
I’m the same way. Thanks, it’s actually quite easy.
I made tofu once with an 85-year-old friend, but never soy milk. Great idea as we consume a lot of it!
Wow that’s great Victoria! I’d love to give tofu a try sometime. Thanks!
Great post! I am very much like you. We use a bit of dairy (mostly in cheese form) here and there but never drink cows milk. We mostly stick to almond, coconut and some soy. Have you ever tried the Soy Milk Creamer from Trader Joe’s for your coffee and tea? It’s pretty tasty!
Cheese is also the majority of dairy we consume. I love making almond milk. No I haven’t, I actually live in Europe and not Trader Joe here. I’ll check my health food store and see if they have it though. Thanks for the tip!
I have never even thought of trying this. You make it look so tempting. I will have to give this a try as my daughter is allergic to milk. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the wonderful photos!
It is so simple Cynthia. I hope you do give it a try and maybe even let your daughter help. Thanks!
So many people I know drink soy milk, what a great recipe! I will send them your way :).
Thanks Laura!
Love reading recipes like this where you make a basic ingredient one would just buy. I have to admit I am a milk addict but once in a while I’ll get soy. This more economical and you used the by products too. Reminds me of the time I tried making almond milk.
Yes, it is pretty amazing how we can transform and get so much of one simple ingredient. Almond milk is great too!
Oh, I am the same way! People always assume I don’t drink dairy milk because I’m vegan, but it’s because I can’t stand the smell. It makes me feel sick! I could never stomach it as a kid either. I always buy soy milk, but I’m curious to try making it myself. 🙂
Haha glad to meet someone who agrees with me.
Loved ur post and loved ur pitcher too 🙂 where did u buy it from?
Thanks SB! I bought it at small local home supplies store.
I agree.. I don’t like cow’s milk either. This is such a cool process to make soy milk. I have also seen almond milk being made at home. Love the alternative to store bought soy milk. 🙂
Thanks Ramona! Yep I also make my own almond milk.
Great how- to, Nancy. We are lucky in the UK to be able to easily get organic beans, & GMO not allowed here. We gripe a lot about government but this is one thing they have right. Btw, have you ever considered a tofu maker? Jean- Francois at 222million tons.com has info on this, & cool ideas for the pants. Thoroughly nice bloke too 🙂
Yes Kellie in all of Europe it is the same. The food protections are really good. Thanks I just checked out his website. You’re write he has so many great ideas. Thanks for sharing Kellie!
Gah! please undo the autocorrect ‘ pants’ to say ‘ okara’! Just getting used to my kindlefire, & it’s 5 am here.
Haha, no problem!
Bookmarked! Making this!
Have fun and let me know how you like it.
Cool Nancy, homemade soy milk…taste much better than the store bought one.
Love the pictures Nancy and have a great week!
Agreed Juliana. Thank you and you too!
It something I definitely need to try. I’m in love with a soy milk for a long time now, but I have my favorite brand and always buy it. It will be so much nicer to make it myself.
You should at least once Marta and if you don’t like it then there’s always the brand you like.
Although I have no issues with cows milk, my hubby does when it comes to drinking it straight. Soy milk though is something that we can both agree with and I’ve always wanted to make it from scratch but never tried. Now as long as I can find the soy beans, I have no excuse not to do it now 😀
Good luck finding them and I hope you can give it a try soon.
Great recipe Nancy we love soy milk and it is sometimes hard to find in my little city!
vianney~
Thanks Vianney!
i had no idea it’s so easy to make soy milk.
my family switched over to almond milk and soy milk at the end of last year and they are both so pricey. it’s good to know i can make my own now and save money 😀
pinned this recipe! everyone needs to know how simple this is…hehe
It really is simple Abeer! Almond milk is basically the same process. Enjoy and thanks for the pin!
This is SO creative! I love being able to make milk at home, and will definitely give this a try.
Thank you Ashley! I hope you can give it a try soon.
I’m actually a little bit lactose and I should be drinking soy milk…but I do not like ready-made soy milk. I have tried some homemade version and it tasted amazing. I know I have to try this one day but I’ve been lazy all this time and keep drinking cow milk (but control amount…). Thank you for inspiring me. Saving this recipe for future!
Thank you, this is terrific! I look forward to trying this. I was wondering… do you have any tips on purchasing whole soybeans. I understand many soy beans are grown in South America where they are truly hurting the rainforests. I’d like to purchase something that I know is more environmentally friendly. Also, do you buy in a bag like rice or from a wholefoods bin and measure it out? Thanks! Beautiful! Inspiring!
Hi Bri,
My advice on soybeans is to make sure they are not a GMO product, if you can purchase locally and organic I recommend that. I always buy a small bag, like rice, but I as long as the bin is non-GMO then there shouldn’t be any problems with it. Thank you and enjoy the soy milk!:)
Thank you. You have made the process look so simple. I will try this and I am sure I am going to prepare good and tasty Soy milk…..
Thanks and enjoy it!
I just tried your recipe today and the soymilk turned out great! Thanks for the easy to follow instructions!
Thank you Molida, glad to hear it.:)
Wow. I’ll be trying this soon. I have no problems with cow’s milk, or goat’s milk for that matter, but I have a nephew who’ll be visiting in the Spring (I’m in Chile, where it’s winter now), and he’s a vegan. Here in Santiago, soy milk is extremely hard to find, outrageously expensive when you do find it, and invariably vanilla or chocolate – – impossible to cook with.
I’m really glad to find this recipe, and to learn how easy it is to make. Thanks a lot!
Hi Stephen,
Glad you found my recipe and can now make it for your nephew. Enjoy!