How to Make Soya Milk

Soya milk, when made at home, has a much more fresh and sweet taste than the kind found in your local supermarket, and also lacks preservatives and artificial sweeteners. It has no cholesterol and is high in protein, but contains very little calcium. Homemade soya milk is great for making tofu, but can also be used for drinking or in recipes. This recipe yields approximately two quarts of homemade soya milk.

Things You'll Need

• Dried soybeans
• Large bowls
• Blender
• Large saucepan
• Large colander
• Piece of cheesecloth
• Ladle

Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup of dried soybeans into a large bowl. Add 4 cups of cold water, and soak overnight, but no longer than 15 hours. Eight hours is the optimal time period to soak the beans, in which they will expand to about 2 1/2 times their original size.

2. Drain the soybeans, and place 1 cup into a blender. Add 1 ½ cups of fresh water, and blend for about 2 minutes. Remove the processed soybeans from the blender and place them back into the bowl. Continue blending the beans in this way, one cup at a time, until all have been processed.

3. Transfer the processed soybeans to a large saucepan, and add 5 cups of fresh water. Bring the mixture to a full boil, and then lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Line a large colander with a piece of cheesecloth, and place it over a large bowl which will catch the soya milk. Transfer the soybean mixture into the colander using a ladle, and strain out the liquid into the bowl. Push the mixture down with the back of the ladle to get as much of the liquid out as possible.

5. Fill a large bowl with cold water, and gather up the cheesecloth from the colander. Hold the top of the cheesecloth closed with your hand, and dip it into the bowl of water. Move it back and forth through the water to extract any remaining soya milk from the soybeans.

6. Place the cheesecloth-wrapped soybean mixture back into the colander, and strain the liquid into the bowl again, pushing with the ladle to extract all the liquid. Pour 2 cups of water through the soybeans, and strain this through the cheesecloth. Press, squeeze and twist to get out as much liquid as you can. What's left in the bowl when you're finished is the soya milk.

Tips & Warnings

• Drink your homemade soya milk as it is, eat it on cereal, or use it in cooking or tofu-making. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week before discarding any unused portion.

• If the water in which the soybeans are soaking becomes foamy, or if the soybeans begin to sprout, they have been soaking too long. Discard and start again.

References

• Book: The tofu book: the new American cuisine; John Paino, Lisa Messinger; 1991