Instructions to Make Your Own Soy Milk

Many people like to drink soy milk. Vegetarians and vegans drink it as an alternative to cow's milk, as do people who may have lactose intolerance. Soybeans are a good source of protein and are high in iron, potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, and omega-3 fatty acids making them a healthy choice to add to the diet. Another benefit to soy, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, is that consuming soy protein was shown to be beneficial for people with Type 2 Diabetes. It is important to note that commercial soy milk is enriched with calcium. Because homemade soy milk is not enriched you will need to make sure you are getting your calcium from other sources.

To make the soy milk

• Measure out 1/2 C. soybeans, remove any stones or other debris from the beans
• Rinse the beans well
• Put the beans in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight
• Drain the soybeans and rinse a second time
• Grind the soybeans in a blender with just enough water to blend
• Put ground beans into a pot and add 1 quart of water
• Bring soybeans and water to a boil
• Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly
• Put the bean and water mixture into a doubled-over cheese cloth and hang to drain into a bowl
• Let this drain for approximately 15 minutes
• After draining squeeze the cheesecloth to remove the rest of the liquid

The milk is ready to drink as is, it can also be refrigerated before serving.

Note: the pulp leftover from preparing the soy milk is called Okara which is a high fiber, high protein solid that can be used in baking.

References
Journal of Nutrition, 2009 Jul 15
Wikipedia, Soy Milk, 30 July 2009
The World's Healthiest Foods, 31 July 2009

Mira Dessy is a certified Nutrition Educator and writes about holistic nutrition