Homemade soy milk is richer and more flavorful, there’s no doubt about it, and it cannot be compared to store-bought milk, even if that is already ready and convenient to use. I know it takes more time to prepare, but I prefer to drink or make Tofu with homemade soy milk.
In this recipe I did not improvise the proportions, but followed a precise formula that will give you excellent results as well. (read below for the soy-to-water ratio)
Homemade soy milk can be made plain or sweetened. Flavored with vanilla it is tastier to drink as a beverage or to use for creams and desserts.
The soy-to-water ratio is as follows:
– 3.5 oz (about 1/2 cup) organic yellow soybeans
– 3 3/4 cups (about 900 ml) purified water (no tap water; filtered or bottled)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Portions: 1.5 liters (about 6 1/3 cups)
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Yield to obtain 1 1/2 liters of soy milk that you can use as a beverage or to make Tofu.
- 1 2/3 cups yellow soybeans (dried, organic)
- 11 1/2 cups water (for cooking)
Tools for making soy milk
- Large pot (roomy)
- Blender
- 1 Colander
- 1 Cotton cheesecloth cotton
Preparation
1 – Rinse the soybeans under plenty of running water and place them to soak in a bowl with cold water.
2 – After about 10–12 hours the soybeans will have roughly doubled in volume. Rinse them again under water and drain.
3 – Measure the cooking water for the soybeans: 2.7 liters (about 11 1/2 cups). Put a portion of the soybeans into the blender, add a few ladles of water and start blending.
4 – Continue to blend the soybeans in batches with the water until you have used both ingredients.5 – Pour the mixture into a large pot and, using a skimmer, remove the foam that forms on the surface.
6 – Turn the heat to low and cook the mixture. From the moment the milk starts to boil, cook for 15–20 minutes uncovered.
7 – When cooking is finished, turn off the heat and let the milk cool slightly before straining it.
8 – I recommend not straining it while it is still boiling, otherwise you may burn your fingers when squeezing the cloth.
9 – Take a colander and place it over a large container to collect the strained milk. Line the colander with a cotton cheesecloth and pour the milk in with a ladle, a little at a time.
10 – Squeeze the soybean pulp left in the cloth by lifting the corners of the cheesecloth, as if making a little bundle.
11 – The solids will remain in the cotton cheesecloth; don’t throw them away. Nothing of the soybean is wasted. This pulp is called Okara and you can use it for many recipes, such as the delicious potato and okara croquettes.
11 – The natural soy milk is ready to be consumed. Store it in a glass bottle in the refrigerator if you want to drink it, or use this exact amount to make Tofu.
12 – To make a more pleasant beverage simply add 1 2/3 tbsp (about 20 g) sugar and one vanilla pod for each liter of milk while it is still warm. Then let it cool, remove the vanilla pod, and store in the refrigerator.
