Homemade Organic Soymilk
When I decide to do a food experiment, I’m pretty good at predicting how the final product will turn out. I’ve been thinking about making my own soymilk for a while now, even though I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like the end result. So I spent some time looking for tips on how to make the best tasting soymilk at home. With those tricks up my sleeve, I started soaking the beans last night and crossed my fingers, hoping my initial prediction would be wrong.
But I was right. As pretty as my soymilk is, I wouldn’t drink a glass if you paid me.
Now, it’s not terrible. It’s not even bad. It’s just different. I was REALLY hoping I’d be all “homemade soymilk tastes better!” and “commercial soymilk sucks!” but sadly, my palate is keenly attuned to Silk brand soymilk, which has been processed and messed with to such a degree that I think it might be impossible to replicate it at home.
It bums me out that I like commercial stuff better, but them’s the breaks.
Usually I don’t share recipes on my blog that I don’t approve of (on the rare occasions that I do, I’m not shy about saying so), but I think the process of making soymilk is interesting. I thought you might like to see how you can make it at home without a fancy $100 machine. I hear the machines are great, mind you, but if you’re considering buying one you should definitely give this a go before you invest in one to make sure you’ll like the taste.
And just because I don’t like the taste of homemade soymilk, it doesn’t mean you won’t. It’s… beany. And… well? Beany is the best word for it. I’m also hoping that someone who makes tasty soymilk at home all the time will read this, discover a flaw in my recipe or technique, and give me the secret to tasty soymilk. This was my first time making it, afterall, so it’s possible the I just screwed the whole thing up.
Soaking the beans
Right. So the first thing you’ll need is organic dried soybeans. I hear there’s a particular variety called Laura soybeans that have a better taste, but they’re expensive and only available online. I picked mine up at my local grocery store in the bulk section. The night before you make your soymilk, soak the beans in a large amount of cool water overnight.
It’s amazing how much water these babies soak up, so give them ample space to expand. If you’re going to soak them for more than 8-10 hours, soak ‘em in the refrigerator. They’ll keep refrigerated for a few days, just change the water whenever you think of it. (At left: dry vs. soaked)
Removng the Skins
I read that you can reduce the beany taste of your soymilk by removing the skins before blending them with water. They were supposed to “slip right off” after soaking, but mine required a fair amount of agitation to remove. I ended up scrubbing them mercilessly between my palms, like I was washing the plague off my hands, but, you know, with soybeans instead of soap. After about 10 minutes I gave up.
After removal, the skins were also supposed to float to the top of the water for easy scooping, but mine didn’t seem to be all that buoyant. To separate them from the beans, I ran the faucet at full-tilt into the large pot the beans were in, so that the overflowing water would carry the skins with it. That worked alright, but I did need to use a slotted spoon to help the process along. I think I removed just over a cup of skins, and I’m sure I didn’t get all of them. Below is a bowl full of throughly abused soybeans.
Blending the Beans
Now it’s time for blending. I have a crazy Vita-Mix blender, which pulverizes anything in its path. I think that a regular blender will work fine for this. Your okara (the bean pulp, more on that in a second) might not be as fine, but that probably makes for easier straining. You’ll need to blend in batches:
1 Batch, for 1+ Cup Finished Soymilk*:
1 Cup Soaked, Skinned Soybeans
3 1/2 Cups Water
Let your blender run for at least two minutes. You want to make the mixture as smooth as possible. If your blender won’t fit the batches as measured above you can blend less, but keep the proportions of beans:water the same. I made two batches.
*It’s possible I over-reduced my soymilk by simmering it too long and/or failing to use a lid, which may be why the flavor is so intense. Boil yours with a lid for a higher yield.
Straining
Strain your blended soymilk into a large bowl. I used a nutmilk bag, which is essentially a fine mesh bag with drawstring that strains out even the even very tiny particulate. If you don’t have a nutmik bag, use several layers of cheesecloth, or a very fine chinois strainer. You can not over-strain your soymilk.
Really. I strained mine five times: three times before cooking and twice after it was finished and cooled.
The pulp leftover from straining is called okara. There are many recipes that call for okara, so save it to use later. Keep in mind, though, that many recipes call for okara that comes out of soymilk machines, which is cooked okara. This okara is raw and REQUIRES cooking of some sort to break down/neutralize nasty enzymes that we humans can’t digest very well. I think I’m going to try Susan V’s Okara “Crab” Cakes, myself!
Boiling the Milk
Bring your strained soymik to a boil. Once it’s simmering, cook it for 20-30 minutes. While it’s cooking, yuba (a skin) will form on top. Skim it, and any foam, off. Yuba is edible, an a lot of people really enjoy it, so check out recipes for that, too!
Flavoring, Cooling and Storing
At the end of cooking, flavor your soymilk. I added a pinch of salt and a scant tablespoon of sugar. Add a little bit at a time and taste it as you go until you reach the flavor you like the best. Transfer it to the refrigerator and cool. After cooling, I strained mine again to remove any extra yuba that had formed, and removed even more particulate that had settled at the bottom. Your soymilk should last about a week in the fridge. Glass containers with lids are best
Final Thoughts
I’m pissed that I don’t like it more, but it was a neat project. It was only recently that I realized it was even possible to make soymilk at home. I think I’ll stick to buying mine. I’ve had great success making nutmilks at home (specifically almond milk), and they’re not only easier to make but really, really tasty to boot. If I try to make soymilk again, I might add rice, or oats, which I hear helps the reduce the beany flavor, but other than that, I’m not sure how much more palatable I can make it.
Soymilk experts, any advice?
A+ for effort!
I make all of my own soy products and in my experimentation, I have found that home-made soymilk is better with a little oat milk. I also want a more nutty flavour. I’m hoping to perfect my recipe soon. If I do, I’ll be sure to report back :P
Maybe one day I will try this.. Never thought about making it homemade..
I have a SoyQuick machine and love the taste and ease.
I cringed reading your process. The machine method is so easy, and clean up is not that bad. The secret is to clean up right away.
I prefer unsweetened rich tasting soy milk. I once met someone involved with making commercial soy milk. He said the secret to a non-beany flavour was making it in an oxygen-free environment. Obviously this can’t be done at home, but my machine is fast – taking only about 15 minutes – so perhaps the nice flavour is due to there being less time for oxygen to do its thing.
I soak the beans unrefrigerated for one day sometimes two. Just rinse the water occasionally. Sometimes I add whole sesame seeds to the mix. They add a nice subtle flavour.
Once the machine is finished, I immediately pour the piping hot soy milk into jars. The heat allows the lids to make a vacuum seal, thus helping to preserve it. I let the jars cool, then refrigerate them. There is also some soy foam generated ideal for making cappuccinos.
When using the milk, I don’t shake it. The richest, best tasting milk naturally rises to the top. Near the bottom of the jar, the milk can taste thinner and at the very bottom is sediment.
Here is a link to the machine I have. Got it about 8 years ago.
http://www.soymilkquick.com/soyquicksoymilkmakersdz4.php
Also see http://www.vegsource.com/talk/soy/messages/429.html
and http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/638376.htm
Oh,soy milk! A cookie made from soybean milk is popular very much in Japan. I am interested in the food culture of your country. And I support your site. If there is time, please come in my site. From Japan
In Asia, there is more water in the blend and we boil it with pandan leaves for a really nice fragrance.
Then, the milk can be further blended with fruits and vegetables like papaya, honey dew (or cantaloupe), water melon, almonds or even celery.
Have a look at the kind of concoctions a local franchise is serves up: http://mrbean.com.sg/product.asp
Oh..!! This is a amazing I am interesting this type of milks all this item very good and cookie is very nice.
I don’t like the taste of homemade soymilk either (too beany) but I do like with everything else: cooking, baking, etc. The beany flavor disappears when using in making other dishes. So you could still buy store bought stuff for drinking and use the homemade one for everything else.
I’ve tried all the suggestions mentioned above (adding salt/vanilla essence/etc) to no avail. My husband doesn’t mind the flavor of homemade soy milk, but I don’t care for it too much.
have you tried nutmilks? with a vitamix blender, i think it is pretty easy to make almond or hazelnut milk. (though, i haven’t myself, i have seen many recipes in raw foods cookbooks)
Can I just say that I think that: If you’re really going to go to the trouble of making your own milks, soya is certainly the least rewarding AND least tasty option there is? I can? Oh, thanks.
But Nick, it’s the most nutritious and versatile. Try making tofu out of rice milk, for example.
And how much trouble is raising, breeding, and milking a cow, goat or sheep… for just the part of the year she is a milk maker?
Homemade soymilk? I will share a secret: You do have some of process right, like the soaking. i never heard of the skins ordeal. But here is a trick!!!!!
Bring your beans to a low boil in fresh water before you blenderize them. This is the secret: use a candy thermometer if you have it. when your beans reach 180 Degrees F, immed rinse in cold water. I can;t stress it enough. this is a low boil with a bit of foam forming on top. hot enough to sting your finger. DO NOT OVERBOIL or your beans are ruined. If your beans do not get hot enough, beany flavor. Overcooked, a different beany flavor. after you have cold water rinsed them, taste them. they actually taste sweet. you can eat these now. you can toast them in oven like nepalese soynuts, too.
Puree 1 cup beans to 3 cups water and cheese cloth strain.
creamy, frothy, good, rich. add flavors tastes like consistentcy of silkmilk. this is a bit of a process to do it all however.
this okara is more coarse. I use it in a recipe called:
No Egg Eggsalad. Mix okara with mayo, tumeric, maybe cashew butter, great sandwich filler. I have made this soymilk without electric blender: use a corn/masa grinder. grind these
beans several times then put in a mayo jar with enough water and shake shake shake!!!. strain thru cheese cloth. I tried new t-shirts. work great but can’t clean them well enough and it sours my next batch of milk. good luck:)
i
Recently i bought a kit to make sprouts and tofu.
In the booklet there was a recipe for making soy milk. I tried the recipe and i was really desapointed. It’s not good at all!
I don,t know if i will try again…
Next test is the tofu.
:)
We recently began making our own soymilk (using a machine) and like it a lot. The one problem is that it seems to have a lot of sediment in it. Any advice?
When I first made homemade soymilk, I also thought it was too beany. And people told me I’d get used to it. But I didn’t want to get used to ut–I wanted my Silky goodness. But I did get used to it (ehich is strange, I know), and now I love it and prefer it to Silk. I’ve even moved further away from the Silk spectrum and now prefer my homemade soymilk unsweetened.
My gf prefers Silk though, and won’t drink my homemade, so we’re a split household.
Bryanna’s mixture of soy, rice, and oats is vey tasty, too.
i didnt even read your whole post but saw u werent happy. i have a soymilk machine and dont use it often due to time constraints. i run a vegan bakery out of my home in philadelphia. i love soydream vanilla personally. But anyways a nice trick ive dicovered is using a little bit (a tbl or 2) of raw cashews ground in a coffee grinder added when i add sugar. this helps thicken and richen the smilk. most commercial soymilk is so good because its really fuckin sweet and its consistently smooth. Eating tons of guar, locust, xanthum, etc gums is not necessary and probably not great for your guts tho. i love cashews more than guar gum. also i usually triple strain the milk before adding cashews and sweeties. i love your blog.
In Korea, this soymilk is used as a noodle soupbase for summer delicacy
Hi! I ‘m new to ur blog…the pictures and explanation are clear and love reading it. You’re indeed a very neat person. My mum used to make soy milk when we were small. We loved it and use to take it chillled.
To avoid the beany flavour and smell, we use screwpine leaves or in Malaysia, we call it ‘pandan’ leaves. It gives a fragrant smell to the drink. Yummy!
Being a vegan I taught myself to make a variety of soymilk especially hemp soymilk. I also make the best tasting vegan tofu in the world from a variety of fruits. I also make vegan tofu from organic wines and sodas. The most important part of the tofu is the whey. It nutritious and tasty. I make tofu a thousands ways. Its never boring or tasteless. I make tofu sherbert and tofu popcicles.
Being a vegan I taught myself to make a variety of soymilk especially hemp soymilk. I also make the best tasting vegan tofu in the world from a variety of fruits juices organic wines and sodas. I make tofu sherbet and tofu popsicles. It’s never boring or tasteless. Asians have followed the same recipe for thousands of years. No one has experimented other ways to make tofu like I have. The most important part of the tofu is the whey. It’s a tofu sin not to drink the tofu whey. It’s nutritious and tasty. But tofu makers disregard it as waste. The whey let you know the coagulating process is completed or not. I learned that nigari or other bitter minerals did not complete the tofu making process like fruit juices and aloe vera. My whey help you digest the oil in tofu and keep your muscles healthy and strong. It also balances your electrolyte and oxygenates your cells. The protein vitamins and minerals from the tofu curds end up in the whey. I use it as probiotic dietary supplement. It is a perfect food for anoxia individuals and cancer patients. The cow industry came along and added cows’ whey to soybeans and called it a health drinks? What a joke. It’s a vegan sin to keep fresh tofu in water. It removes the nutritious whey and nutrients. I eat my tofu right after it’s made. I also make the yuba skin to from rice soymilk to wrap my tofu meals in. Everyone should know how to make soymilk and vegan tofu it’s easy and fun. It does not taste like commercial soymilk or tofu.
I normally drink Silk soymilk (vanilla) and am happy with the wide variety of vitamins it contains. Would anyone happen to know homemade soymilk’s nutritional content?
Also, what is the cost difference when soymilk is made at home?
Thanks!
We like the soymilk we make better than packaged. First you may be addicted to the MSG in packaged products (its not reqired on the label). I soak my beans until the water runs clear. Soaking in the fridge works best after the initial soak. Cook the beans until soft. Cuisinart them and add only a small amount of water at a time to get a fine mix. Cool the mash and store in jars in the fridge. The stuff should be so thick it won’t pour out of the jar. This is your mother which will keep better with so little water. Keep a quart of water cold in the fridge. When you want some get another quart jar, add the amount of soy mash you like, add the cold water, maple syrup and vanilla. Tastes great, no carcinogenic carageenan, no msg, no chemicals.
Hi, I read in some books on soy beans that there are several methods possible at home to reduce the beany flavor. One is the Illinois method which requires you to soak the beans overnight and boil them for 10 mins. or just boil the beans for 20 mins w/o soaking. This however produces a ‘chalky’ taste that some may not like. Another method, the ‘rural’ method is soaking the soy beans overnight and dipping them in boiling water for 15-30 sec. This also removes sugars which cause a person to fart. So basically boiling for some period of time helps to make it less beany.
I haven’t much experience in these methods but am trying the ‘Illinois’ method right now.
See Google books:
-Soybeans: Chemistry, Technology and Utilization by KeShun Liu, p. 146
-Food Uses of Whole Oil and Protein Seeds – Page 67 by Edmund Lusas
Okay, even though I love the Silk flavor and texture, I’ve got my homemade soymilk (no machines for me) down to where I don’t have that “beany” smell/taste.
(The method I used was soaking soybeans overnight, blending with near boiling water, straining once through a t-shirt/cloth, bringing back to a boil and adding sugar and salt)
That’s all well and good. BUT…has anyone gotten their homemade soymilk to NOT curdle in coffee? Cause I’m stumped.
Thanks in advance.
No wonder you tasted beans.. way too many beans for the amount of water used. You were making soybean soup. Try less than half a cup of soaked beans.. you’ll get something closer to soy milk. And I see no reason to boil, simply raise to a simmer for a short while.
Lastly, just because some commercial producers try to make soy milk seem close to cow’s milk for American consumer’s tastes, I would argue that it is better to accept that soy milk has some flavors from the plant kingdom in it, and enjoy it for what it is.. .
I was once like you and made my soymilk the old-fashioned way on the stove top. But I knew there had to be an easier way and I discovered a Korean soymilk maker. I used any soybeans, laura beans, whatever I bought and had on hand, making tofu, using the yuba to wrap tofu chunks for agedashi-dofu (fried tofu). My latest soymilk maker is the Soyabella, and I make a batch every day, with the every other day batch used for tofu. The okara is stir-fried with salt and seasonings to use as a protein addition to almost anything. I like a little of that in fried dumplings, or sprinkled on a salad. Extra okara goes into the compost heap or earthworm bin. I drink the soymilk straight, without sweeteners or salt, and I enjoy it cold. Yes, I love Silk soymilk, but I have acquired the taste for plain, cold soymilk. I just drank my last glass of the day and have a half cup of beans soaking now to put into the Soybella tonight.
Truly, you should try cold, plain soymilk for three days straight–you won’t want to go back to the burden of schlepping cartons from the store, and wasting the paper and the energy used for the packaging, transportation, and storage of commercial soymilk.
Yes. Laura beans are better. I sometimes add some cashew milk to the soymild. Cashew milk is pretty good as you might imagine. Once in a while I also add some cherry flavoring I got from Boyjavon for a change. It is hard to find additives that taste good with soy milk because it’s just not that good. I recommend blending it with something you do like, and cashew milk works for me. Have fun…
I forget, sometimes i add malt to the soymilk.
I am seconding someone from above as I just made my newest batch of soy milk and was hoping for less of the beaniness or grassiness…
For the first time, instead of just chomping the beans in my food process with water, I brought the beans up to ~180 F first; just had a glass of the warm stuff after straining and it was the best I’ve every made!!! And nothing added :-) Also, I soaked the beans for a lot less time (only 8 hours); not sure that mattered, though…
One more thing – I say to all you soy milk maker lovers – get your hands dirty!!! Homemade soy milk with a big ole pot and a food processor (and strainer, and handkerchief…) is where it’s at!!!
Great to do with kids, or on a rainy afternoon… and the tofu, which comes next with a little more work is out of this world!
If you don’t have time to do this every once in a while, either you’re drinking too much soy or you just need to slow your life down a bit!
Are you using SLR?
dear all
im also extream lover of soya like all of you and after so many worst attemts i have develops technics to make soymilk without beany flavour and creamy tofu . for this mission first we have to choose 100gms of good quality beans and 20gm wheat.now wash it very well and put it in enough water than mix 1/2tsp baking soda and1/2 tsp salt in water and leave it for 12 hours to socking process .after 12 hours wash it again and remove covers of beans very gently by your hands (dont try to crush it because lipoxigenes is very sensitive from phisical damage of beans)after removel of covers (cottyladens)wash it again and put it into grider put a pinch baking soda 1/4 tsp salt and 1tsp suger in grinder and finly put 1/2 ltr boiling water into grinder and grind beans for less than two minuts in warm water.now take the resulted slury to a big pot for boiling it. after boiling stair it with a chees cloth and kneed it for last drop as you can .now see the colour , yeild , smell ,and taste this is the soy milk of my style .i will tell you about tofu in next comment thanks good night
I read the ingredients in the commercial soy milk and there is natural flavor in it. That is probably what makes it taste different than home made. And I read that “natural flavor” is truly unnatural because if it was natural it would say “extract” or “juice” of whatever. That is why I want to make homemade soy milk. It is a gamble trusting commercial food products even the ” organic natural ” foods they almost always have natural flavor in it.
I have food allergies and Silk uses corn alcohol to extract the flavor of the beans. That is what the lady told me. They have additives in it.
LOVE YOUR BLOG!
Thanks for this post & thanks to all the helpful comments and tips… I’ve been so excited to make my own soymilk & now I am going to TRY!
We just tried our first batch of soy milk by hand. We love the process. Here’s the question:
How does a 32 oz home-made batch made with 3 parts water, 1 part beans, compare nutritionally to a store-bought 32 oz carton – like Westsoy organic unsweetened? It feels like you’re getting more protein in the home made. Anyone know?
Hello again, Morgen from Kootsac here:)
I came across this article on your site while searching for what to do with the ‘okara after making soy milk’.
I have made three batches of soy milk so far and drank it all.
First batch was a bit beany – my recipe had me boil the milk in a double boiler which I think accounted for the beany taste.
Definitely it’s important to blend the beans with boiling water – this eliminates the beany taste.
I don’t use a double boiler now, I just cook in the usual way.
My third batch was very creamy and yummy. I used different beans for this. They were really tiny compared to the first batches but swelled up huge. I think that it does make a difference what kind of bean you use.
I would encourage you to give it another go. It’s great not to be bringing home the non-recyclable tetra paks.
I am considering buying a soy milk maker though:)
Thanks for a great article and consequent discussion.
Love your website.
After reading all of the comments on your soy milk, I decided to try it. My daughter enjoys soy. It’s very expensive. I the recipe, and added some oats as suggested in one of the other comments. I thought it turned out pretty good. Better than store bought. I had a colicy baby and cut dairy out of my diet, which seemed to help while breast feeding. Now my daughter will only drink soy. She just loved it. Thank you. I will be drinking it more often now because it was cheap to make, and better for me having diabetes. It dosen’t affect your blood sugar levels the way that milk does.
anyone who drinks soy should try this. You’ll be surprised.
This recipe I’ve attached calls for 1/2 cup of brown/cane sugar and some vanilla. Maybe that’s what your recipe is missing.
What can I say…
I also tried to do it at home- seemed so easy and it was really great fun to do it, but…
That is the point- it looked fabulous- so white, and smooth, and than I tasted it…
It was awful- a bit sour, and for me it wasn’t milk- some kind of drink, but no milk!
I decided to make tofu, and it was delicious! So small, but delicious;)
I went to the trouble and initial expense of making my own soy milk because unsweetened kind – made with soybeans and water! go figure! – is the hardest kind to find in the stores, and often the most expensive (go figure) and not on sale.
Stores sell shelves-full of that sweet goo. Calling it “creamy” doesn’t make it any less nasty. (Do any men like this stuff, or just broads?)
I hate eggnog-thick, sweet goop! That’s why I just now began making my own soy milk!
I like learning from other vegans and soy eaters, but I hate the idiots (my opinion) who get on the soy milk boards and ask how they can make their home made soy milk all thick, sweet and goopy just like like the store crap!
Thanks for all the advice! I’m just looking into making soy milk for the first time.
Also, if Silk bothers you, realize that it is dairy. (Look for the little “D” next to the hecksher–the OU on the package). It has some dairy ingredients in it–though they are not obvious.
Hi Barb! Just wanted to mention that there aren’t any dairy ingredients in Silk, but it is made on shared equipment that also processes dairy, so that’s why I gets the kosher D status. Here is the word from Silk:
I have a soymilk maker (love it) but between the taste and the gag-reflex to the residual okara, I couldn’t get the kids (or hubby) to drink it. I have tried every strainer known to man but JUST solved the problem this week. I went to the fabric store and bought unbleached muslin material. I came home and sewed it into a bag. It works SO WELL!!!! I FINALLY have “smooth” soy milk. It’s a lot easier than trying to use coffee filters, too.
Now, on to the flavor. I have tried every suggestion I have read (except for the maple syrup–going to try that now)…I’ve done every type of sugar (brown rice syrup, organic cane, etc etc)….
Our homemade soy milk curtles in our coffee. Any way to avoid that? Thanks
ive noticed a few people have mentioned there soy milk curdling in there coffee. i drink plunger coffee an have never had an issue with it curdling. when im offered instant coffee at mates places it almost always curdles. go figure!! merely an observation
My late mom used to make soy milk a lot,because I love it. In Indonesia, there are loads of people/shops that sells homemade soymilk…
Thanks for the info on how to make soy milk. Can anyone tell me what stores carried the white dried soybeans for making soy milk. I live in the New York area and my e-mail is [email protected]