Homemade Soy Milk
Homemade Soy Milk is a healthy and delicious milk alternative to cow’s milk. If you are vegan or lactose intolerant you don’t want to miss this super easy recipe!
Why buy soy milk when you can learn how to make it at home? Soy milk, derived from soybeans, is a popular dairy milk alternative with a rich source of protein, essential vitamins, and minerals, making it a nutritious choice for those seeking a plant-based option. With its neutral taste, soy milk can seamlessly replace dairy milk in a wide range of recipes, from breakfast favorites to decadent desserts.
If you spend a lot of money on non-dairy milk, you may consider making your own. Whether you are lactose intolerant, following a plant-based diet, or simply love the taste, soy milk can be a fantastic ingredient to incorporate into your daily life.
Why Make Soy Milk at Home?
Nowadays, every single grocery store carries soy milk, and you may wonder why you need to bother to make your own.
- Soy milk is easy to make.
- Making Homemade soy milk is much more cost-effective than buying it at the store.
- You can also customize it to your taste. You can control the thickness, creaminess, and sweetness.
- No additives or preservatives in your milk.
Variations
Experiment with different sweeteners and flavors to find the perfect combination for you.
- Sweetener – If you like your soy milk on the sweeter side, you can add granulated sugar or rock sugar to sweeten it. You can also blend the soy milk with dates or honey if you prefer to use natural sweeteners.
- Flavor – Use pandan leaves to remove the grassy aroma and infuse pandan flavor into the soy milk. If you don’t have pandan leaves, you can substitute them with vanilla extract to add depth and complexity to the flavor. Or add cocoa powder to make the milk chocolatey.
Is It Necessary to Remove Skins of Soybeans?
Yes and no. For me personally, I think it is not necessary to remove the skins of soybeans. For some people, the skins cause a beanie flavor to the milk. I think it depends on your preference and the quality of soybeans.
How to Remove Skins of Soybeans
- Soak the dried soybeans overnight. It allows the beans to absorb the water so that the skin can be easily peeled off.
- Rub the beans between your hands to loosen and remove the skins from the beans.
- The loosened skins will come off and float to the surface of the water. Transfer the soybeans and water into a rice washing bowl and drain the water. The skins will gather at the drainage holes. Discard them. Add water and strain again until most of the skins are removed. Don’t worry if there are a few left.
How to Make Homemade Soy Milk
- Soak the dried soybeans for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the skins of soybeans. This step is optional.
- Blend the soybeans with 2 cups water in a blender until smooth.
- Strain the raw soy milk using a cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Mix the soybean grounds with water and strain again.
- Cook the soy milk with pandan leaves until it boils. Simmer until the milk is sweet and has lost its raw bean flavor. Add sweetener or additional flavoring if preferred.
- Serve the soy milk warm or chilled.
What to Do with the Soybean Pulp?
The leftover soybean pulp from making homemade soy milk is called “okara” in Japanese. It is fibrous and nutritious. You can make delicious dishes out of okara, so don’t throw them away.
Fresh okara can be kept in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days. After that, it may start to turn rancid and go bad. For longer storage, you can divide it into small portions and freeze for up to 6 months.
How to Store
Store this Homemade Soy Milk in a tightly sealed container or bottle in the fridge. Be sure to give the milk a good shake before using it, as it may separate a bit in the fridge.
Due to the lack of preservatives, it should last for at least 3 days, sometimes up to 5 days. If you have passed the three-day mark, smell the soy milk before using it. If it smells sour or off in any way, then it has gone bad and you should not drink it.
You can freeze soy milk to extend its shelf life for up to 3 months. The nutritional content will remain the same. However, freezing can cause separation and texture changes since we’re not using any gums or stabilizers.
Homemade Soy Milk
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (200 gr) dried soybeans
- 4 cups (1 liter) water
- 3 pandan leaves, knotted
- Sweetener/additional flavoring, if preferred
Instructions
- Soak the soybeans – Cover the dried soybeans with water, making sure the water covers 2 inches/5 cm over the beans. Soak the dried soybeans for at least 8 hours or overnight. Once the beans are done, you should notice that they have swelled up. The beans should split easily if you squeeze them.
- Remove the skins – Rub the beans between your hands to loosen and remove the skins from the beans. The loosened skins will come off and float to the surface of the water. Transfer the soybeans and water into a rice washing bowl and drain the water. The skins will gather at the drainage holes. Discard them. Add water and strain again until most of the skins are removed. Don't worry if there are a few left. This step is optional and can be omitted.
- Rinse the soybeans with clean water.
- Blend the soybeans with 2 cups water in a blender until smooth.
- Strain the raw soy milk using a cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Mix the soybean grounds with the remaining water until well combined. Strain the milk again.
- Transfer the raw soy milk to a large pot and add pandan leaves.
- Cook the soy milk on medium heat until it boils while stirring constantly to prevent the bottom from getting scorched. Skim off the foam on top. Simmer until the milk is sweet and has lost its raw bean flavor.
- Stir in sweetener or additional flavoring, if desired.
- Serve warm or cold.
