Soy Milk

For me, making soy milk is an fun and relaxing process and I enjoy preparing it frequently in my home kitchen. There is something about the simple process of making a milk from plants that I find grounding and even therapeutic. I love the taste and I love that it is incredibly nutritious. Also, the recipe couldn't be easier.  The process begins by cooking the soy beans, then blending them with water. The frothy, milky mixture gets strained through a mesh bag. The pulp gets reserved for another use, and the soy milk is simmered and seasoned to taste. For seasoning I just add a pinch of salt, but it is common to add in a splash of vanilla and maple syrup if that's your thing. I LOVE soy milk in my coffee. Don't get me wrong, black coffee is great, but in my afternoon cup I crave this combination. 

Soy Milk Pulp (Okara) Uses
When you make soy milk, a byproduct is the leftover pulp from the blitzed up soybeans. This can be used to make vegan fish cakes, nuggets, stirred into dog food and apparently a tasty snack for chickens. I'm definitely going to work on recipes using this byproduct. 

Environmental Impact
Below I'm sharing a resource concerning the environmental impact of soy that I found useful, It's a You Tube Video by Ed Winters, (one of the most important vegan educators) if you are concerned or interested to know more about it. 
Environmental Impact of Soy (YouTube)

The Homemade Vegan Pantry, by Miyoko Schinner 
I followed & slightly adapted the soy milk recipe from a wonderful cookbook that I have. I definitely recommend it. That's where I learned what I know about okara and it's uses. You can check it out by clicking the link below. 
The Homemade Vegan Pantry, by Miyoko Schinner 

Why you shouldn't soak your soybeans overnight for soy milk. 
The process for cooking the soy beans in this book is slightly different than many of the recipes you see online. What I learned while reading the intro to this recipe in The Homemade Vegan Pantry cookbook, is that it is better to use a quick soak method using heat (hot water) compared to soaking your beans overnight in cold water before cooking. There is an enzyme in soybeans that gets triggered by cold water, and will yield milk with a strong beany taste. Instead, this recipe results in a milk that is creamy, light tasting, and delicious. (if you aren't convinced, you'll just have to trust me and try it!)

Soy Milk

Yield 1.5 - 2 L soy milk

​Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried soy beans
• 8 cups of water for blending (more for cooking)
• Pinch of salt 
• Splash of Maple and or Vanilla extract (optional)

Method:

1. Add dried soybeans to a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. 
2. Simmer for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat, and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. Strain soybeans in a colander, discard water.
5. Blend soybeans with 8 cups of water in a blender. Do this in two batches using half the soy beans and 4 cups of water each time.  
6. Strain mixture through a fine mesh bag into a large pot. Squeeze as much of the liquid out as possible. (you can buy nut milk bags, they are inexpensive and are easier to deal with and clean compared to cheesecloth.) You can watch the process on the video above. 
7. You can save the pulp (Okara) for other uses. See above in the intro. 
8. Season the soy milk as desired (I add a couple pinches of salt).
9. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soy milk will foam up a lot when it comes to a boil. Lift the pot off the heat momentarily if it looks like it will overflow. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.  
10. Pour soy milk into clean glass jars with lids and store in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. Shake well before serving.