If you are looking for an alternative to cow’s milk with nearly similar nutritional value, soy milk is the best option. A homemade soy milk recipe is also very simple and easy, requiring just soybeans, water, and a blender, juicer, or slow juicer.
Homemade Soy Milk Nutrition and Benefits
Made from whole soybeans, soy milk has gained popularity for its nutritional value and potential health benefits, especially for those who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or looking to reduce their consumption of animal products. Here are some key things to know about the nutrition and benefits of homemade soy milk:
Nutrition
The nutritional value of homemade soy milk primarily derives from soybeans, which have the highest protein content among all types of beans, reaching up to 36g/100g (source: USDA). As a result, the protein content in soy milk is equivalent to that in cow’s milk, making it a low-fat protein source.
Homemade soy milk’s nutrition is typically lower than commercially sold milk in supermarkets that have fortified nutritional content, including calcium and vitamins. Some of the nutrients found in soy milk include:
- Protein: It typically contains about 6-9 grams of protein per 8-ounce (240 ml) serving, a protein content similar to that of cow’s milk.
- Fat: Soy milk is lower in saturated fat compared to cow’s milk and is cholesterol-free, making it a heart-healthy choice.
- Carbohydrate: Homemade soy milk contains carbohydrates from naturally occurring sugars and typically has fewer carbohydrates than store-bought soy milk.
- Phytonutrients: Soy milk contains phytonutrients like isoflavones, which have antioxidant properties and may offer health benefits.
- Calcium and Vitamins: Homemade soy milk naturally contains a small amount of calcium and several vitamins, although the levels may not be as high as those found in fortified versions. Some of the naturally occurring vitamins in soy milk include vitamin K, C, D, B3, B5, and B9.
Benefits
Homemade soy milk is not only lactose-free, but also preservatives-free. Let’s discover some of its benefits for our health:
- Lactose-Free: For people with lactose intolerance and dairy allergies like me, soy milk is an excellent option to replace cow’s milk in the daily diet.
- Heart Health: Some studies suggest that the consumption of soy products, including soy milk, may be associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. This is partly thanks to the lower saturated fat content and the presence of heart-healthy unsaturated fats in soy milk.
- Plant-Based Protein: With an equal protein content to cow’s milk, soy milk becomes the best choice for vegetarians and vegans. Moreover, with homemade soy milk, we can also transform it into tofu or yogurt instead of using cow’s milk.
- Hormone Balance: Soy isoflavones, found in soy milk, have been studied for their potential role in managing hormonal fluctuations in women, particularly during menopause. It doesn’t mean that men cannot consume soy milk. Research on soy consumption in men has generally shown no adverse effects on testosterone levels or other aspects of male reproductive health when soy foods are consumed in moderate amounts as part of a balanced diet.
- Preservative-free: Homemade soy milk can be preservative-free if you make it from scratch using just soybeans and water, without adding any additional preservatives or additives. Without preservatives, you can use your homemade soy milk to make homemade tofu, which store-bought soy milk can’t do.
It’s important to note that while soy milk offers various benefits, individuals with soy allergies should avoid it, and people with thyroid conditions may want to consume soy products in moderation due to their potential impact on thyroid hormone levels.
Equipment to Make Soy Milk at Home
Although the ingredients to make soy milk are super simple with soybeans and water, you’ll need equipment to blend or grind the soybeans. In the past, people used a stone mill/grinder to grind soybeans for making milk and tofu. Nowadays, you can use a blender or a juicer/slow juicer to do this job. However, I don’t recommend using an immersion blender (sometimes called a stick blender) because, from my experience, it can’t blend the beans as well as a traditional blender.
How to Choose the Best Soybeans
The most important thing when selecting dried soybeans is to check if the beans show any signs of mold. Look for soybeans that are uniform in color and have a smooth, unblemished surface. Avoid soybeans that have visible cracks, splits, or discoloration.
Regarding the color, high-quality soybeans are typically a uniform light yellow or beige color. Avoid soybeans with a dark or brownish hue, as this may indicate aging or poor quality.
How to Make Soy Milk At Home
As long as you have a blender or juicer, you can make homemade soy milk in just a few minutes. Let’s follow these steps:
Step 1. Soaking Dried Soy Beans:
- Washing and soaking the beans: Carefully wash the dried soybeans and remove any cracked or blemished beans. You must soak the dried soybeans for at least 6-8 hours to allow them to fully absorb water. After soaking, wash them again to eliminate any dust and impurities.
- Peeling the skin of soy beans (optional): If desired, you can peel the skin of soaked soybeans. However, it doesn’t significantly affect the final taste and texture of soy milk, so it’s optional.
Step 2. Blending/Grinding Soy Beans:
- (If you use a blender): Blend all the beans with water. The typical ratio of dried soybeans to water is 1 dried soybean to 5 parts water.
- (If you use a juicer/slow juicer): You should proceed with two rounds of grinding. In the first round, use 1 part of soybeans and 4 parts of water. Divide the beans into small batches, then gradually add each batch and water to the juicer. Wait for about 30-40 seconds for each batch of blending to ensure the soy juice is thoroughly mixed with the added water. Continue until all the beans are ground, and then drain the milk out. After completing the first round, grind the soybean pulp again with 1 part of water to extract all possible soy milk.
- After obtaining raw soy milk, you should filter it using cheesecloth to remove all the residue. Stretch the cheesecloth over a bowl, then pour the soy milk over it to filter it.
Step 3. Boiling Soy Milk
- Use the largest pot available to boil your soy milk. It’s important to use a large pot because when it boils, soy milk can expand to 3-4 times its volume. If you don’t have a large enough pot, you can divide the soy milk into smaller batches for heating. During the heating process, stir the soy milk regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If you don’t stir occasionally, a thin layer of soybean skin can also form on the surface of the soy milk after it’s cooked. After the soy milk has boiled, you can add sugar if desired, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
- You can add a bunch of pandan leaves to the pot while boiling to give your soy milk a pleasant fragrance.
Enjoy Homemade Soy Milk
Soy milk can be drunk hot or cold, depending on your preference. With homemade soy milk, after letting it cool down at room temperature, always remember to store it in the fridge because it contains no preservatives. Try to consume it within a day or two for the best quality and flavor.
Homemade Soy Milk Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200g (7oz) dried soy beans
- 1L (33.8oz) water
- Sugar if desired
Instructions
Step 1. Soaking Dried Soy Beans:
- Washing and soaking the beans: Carefully wash the dried soybeans and remove any cracked or blemished beans. You must soak the dried soybeans for at least 6-8 hours to allow them to fully absorb water. After soaking, wash them again to eliminate any dust and impurities.
- Peeling the skin of soy beans (optional): If desired, you can peel the skin of soaked soybeans. However, it doesn't significantly affect the final taste and texture of soy milk, so it's optional.
Step 2. Blending/Grinding Soy Beans:
- (If you use a blender): Blend all the beans with water. The typical ratio of dried soybeans to water is 1 dried soybean to 5 parts water.
- (If you use a juicer/slow juicer): You should proceed with two rounds of grinding. In the first round, use 1 part of soybeans and 4 parts of water. Divide the beans into small batches, then gradually add each batch and water to the juicer. Wait for about 30-40 seconds for each batch of blending to ensure the soy juice is thoroughly mixed with the added water. Continue until all the beans are ground, and then drain the milk out. After completing the first round, grind the soybean pulp again with 1 part of water to extract all possible soy milk.
- After obtaining raw soy milk, you should filter it using cheesecloth to remove all the residue. Stretch the cheesecloth over a bowl, then pour the soy milk over it to filter it.
Step 3. Boiling Soy Milk
- Use the largest pot available to boil your soy milk. It's important to use a large pot because when it boils, soy milk can expand to 3-4 times its volume. If you don't have a large enough pot, you can divide the soy milk into smaller batches for heating. During the heating process, stir the soy milk regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If you don't stir occasionally, a thin layer of soybean skin can also form on the surface of the soy milk after it's cooked. After the soy milk has boiled, you can add sugar if desired, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
- You can add a bunch of pandan leaves to the pot while boiling to give your soy milk a pleasant fragrance.
obviously like your website but you need to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to inform the reality on the other hand Ill certainly come back again
Thank you for your recommendation. I’m not an English native speaker so I made spelling and grammar mistakes sometimes. I’ll fix them asap!