Soya bean milk

[hzrt8w]

We drink a lot of soya bean milk. Mostly in the morning. Now that the weather gets warm, I had a couple of unhappy purchases. The soya bean milk just turned into curd in the refrigerator. The soya bean milk can be kept for a few weeks if kept refrigerated. I found that if the bottle was taken outside, warmed to room temperature, then brought back to the refrigerator, the soya bean milk will turn into curd the following day. I just don't understand the reason behind this. Why would it turn into curd (solidified) when changed from warm to cold? Does anybody?

Also, I have seen some recent newspaper ads that they have developed these "automatic" soya bean milk maker. Apparently all you need to do is to add dry soya bean and water, power it on and a few minutes later (or whatever the time period is) you will have freshly made soya bean milk. These machines are selling at about US$100 each.

I am skeptical about these "automatic" machines. Most machines are not really fire-and-forget types and you have to put in a bit of work.

Has anybody used such a soya bean maker machine? How good do they work? Do you think it worths the price?

[Tepee]

Do you have a lot of counter space or cupboard space? Will you promise to have and to hold this gadget till death (of the machine) do you part?

I haven't got one, like I don't have a bread maker. Hubby, the stronger one of the 2 when it comes to being swept away by waves of new gadgets in the market, will not allow for it. He says sooner or later, it'll be a white elephant and gather dust. Indeed, I've friends who have this machine, but I don't hear them using it often.

Making it is easy enough without a machine. My Recipe. I just heard that it's good if you can remove as much of the skin as possible, as the skin contains toxins and nitrogen which "triggers the release of neuric acid that causes pain in joints".

So, what are you waiting for?

[mudbug]

Tepee,

Your recipe sounds delicious!

hzrt8w,

If you can track down the book The Book of Tofu by Shurtleff & Aoyagi, there is a recipe for Homemade Soymilk starting on page 299 that takes 20 minutes to prepare.

Also, then buying soybeans, make sure they are less than a year old and that they have not been genetically modified. Otherwise you are most likely ingesting beans which are registered as pesticides with the USDA.

Edited June 21, 2006 by mudbug (log)

[SuzySushi]

Here's an older thread on making Soy Milk.

[hzrt8w]

Thanks for the links and comments. Well, I would make my own if the machine is really "automatic" and all I need to do is to add soy beans, water and plug it in (and clean up, of course). I don't want to do any more work... Making taro cake is time consuming enough...

[Shiewie]

Thanks for the links and comments.  Well, I would make my own if the machine is really "automatic" and all I need to do is to add soy beans, water and plug it in (and clean up, of course).  I don't want to do any more work...      Making taro cake is time consuming enough...

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I haven't got one ...don't drink enough for the purchase to be worthwhile.

Know of others who have them and use them daily - they were all the rage here some time back. There are the semi-automatic ones (where you have to soak the beans before putting them in and then you need to boil it once the machine has done its work) and fully-automatic ones where all you need to do is dump the beans and water into machine and it does the rest (uh...doesn't wash up itself though ).

[JasonZ]

Just in case anyone finds this thread and wants more current information, a mail-order source for organically grown, non-GMO bulk soybeans is Fairview Farms "Chambers Family Farm".

[I_call_the_duck]

My brother in law has one of those automatic types. He and my sister are not big into kitchen gadgets, so for them to buy something, it's a big deal. He loves it and uses it all the time.

[jasie]

I have one of those automatic ones too. I got it off of criagslist for really cheap as compared to buying it off of the website- http://www.soymilkmaker.com . I used to use it really frequently to make tofu, and soy milk but its in storage now because I ran out of organic soy beans, and alot of places that sell soybeans here have really old soybeans (doesn't taste very nice). Might have to give that link above a try, and start using it again!

Its really so easy to make the soymilk with the machine as compared to making it by hand... All I had to do was soak soybeans every night (I made a fresh batch everyday since it made abit less than 2 liters) and then put it in the machine, add water and press the start button (it had buttons to start (both heat and grind), and then 2 others just to heat or grind)... it did the grinding, boiling etc. Washing up was easy too, since nothing was oily. The only thing was I felt bad about was wasting the okara, but I really didn't know what to make with it.

Oh, and a friend of mine borrowed it to make almond, cashew and rice milks for her kid because he was allergic to cow and slightly to soy milk and she said it works really well for that too. So I'd say it's worth the price if you drink alot of soy milk and want it fresh daily... but if you just drink it occasionally, its might be too much $$ for something you use occasionally. I'd have to say though, making your own fresh tofu, from machine made or hand made soy milk.. is really awesome. Oh man, I really need to get some more soy beans to make tau fu fa.

[hzrt8w]

Thank you for the first hand account. Soaking soya beans I can deal with. We drink a few cups of soya milk everyday so it may worths the price in the long run. Where we are soya milk is not expensive (e.g. 64oz for US$1.50) and the shops are close by.

Do they provide user instructions? What's the difference in your steps/additives between making tofu, soy milk and tofu fa using that machine?

[jasie]

Thank you for the first hand account.  Soaking soya beans I can deal with.  We drink a few cups of soya milk everyday so it may worths the price in the long run.  Where we are soya milk is not expensive (e.g. 64oz for US$1.50) and the shops are close by.

Do they provide user instructions?  What's the difference in your steps/additives between making tofu, soy milk and tofu fa using that machine?

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If you get it from the store, I believe they include a recipe book with it, and instructions. I got it without instructions since I got it off of craigslist.. but it was really easy! There were markings on the metal part of the machine that showed where the water was suposed to be up to, and I'd read the website a little and it had some too. You're suposed to measure about 80-100grams of soybeans per batch and soak for 6-8 hours. I usually do that at night before i sleep, and when I wake up I rub the beans a little between my hands to try to get off some of the skin. I wash it, and alot of the skin comes and floats off. I then set the machine (fill it with the beans/water etc) and then go brush teeth etc. Hehe, by the time I finish that, the machine has usually beep'ed and I have hot soy milk for breakfast! The remainder I put into a container in the fridge. One thing though, because it has a mesh filter, there might still be very very tiny pieces of soybeans in the soymilk that sinks to the bottom of the container. Sometimes I strain it with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, sometimes I don't... they don't really bug me.

I'm used to the asian style soy milk, without the vanilla, guar gum and other junk that they put in it. I sometimes add blended pandan leaves and strain, being that I love pandan flavored anything. lol. I also tend to add a little bit of sugar syrup but it tastes pretty good without too. If you look at the soymilkmaker site, there's a few recipes that gives ideas on how to replicate the taste of silk/edenjoy soymilk and how to make rice milk too...

For tau fu fa, I sometimes use...agar agar powder, and sometimes use gypsum or GDL. hehe. GDL gives a slight sour taste that I don't mind and can't tell the difference if I make tofu for savory foods like mapo tofu.. but in tau fu fa, its really obvious! For making of the tofu, I use those plastic containers that tofu is sold in- I kept a couple of them, and cut slits in them for water to seep out and use those to make tofu with a couple pieces of cheesecloth/muslin and a heavy can of tomatos! Works out pretty well, but sometimes i wish I had a proper tofu mold as they're rather flimsy. The steps for making them... its exactly the same as handmade soymilk, I can add the gypsum/nigari/GDL right after it beeps as it is boiled already etc.

I have to say though, if I didn't have the machine... I probably won't drink as much soymilk or even make tofu. Its alot of hassle compared to using the machine and I really hated dealing with the cleaning up of everything (the blender, the pots and pans, the cloths, strainers etc). It was actually wanting fresh soy milk, and hating the hassle that made me buy the soymilk maker. If i wanted fresh soy milk (that's a relative term as its really made and bottled somewhere else and then shipped and sold at the asian grocery stores and I have NO IDEA how fresh they really are ), I'd have to drive at least 10 miles each way and pay like $5-6/gallon at uwajimaya. I haven't regretted the purchase. hehe. Ick. I sound like a walking advertisement!

[hzrt8w]

Thank you for the detail description, jasie.

One more question: from the moment you switch on the machine (after you added the soaked soya beans and water), how long would it take to "brew" a whole pot of soya milk, ready to drink?

[jasie]

I'd say give/take about 10-15 minutes.

[phage]

I have a SoyaJoy soymilk maker - bought it a couple years ago from http://www.soyajoy.com/ I have used it a number of times though I'd hafta say not enough to save me any money yet. But it has been interesting to try different combinations:

- make milk, then process another batch of beans, using the first batch of milk as the liquid. You get double-strength soymilk that way.

- Add things to the soybeans: sesame seeds, roasted rice, someone already mentioned pandan. Make Korean corn or barley tea, then use that for the liquid instead of water. Peanuts or other nuts, grains.

- You can get away from the overly-sweet commercial soymilk by not adding any sugar at all.

- add anchovies! (do as I say, not as I do - well, it COULD come out interesting.....

I got a number of 1/2 gallons of soymilk at the Grocery Outlet for only 50 cents each, the week before last. Still have one left in the freezer. I seldom pay anywhere near full price for soymilk, which is one reason I don't use the machine as much as I might.

For a couple of months I used soymilk mixed with grape juice a lot - when I get it just right which is not always, the juice curdles the soymilk in such a way as to make it thicker and creamier. And so very tasty. Works only occasionally with other juices.

A little tofu mold came with the machine. I still haven't used it for that....

With this machine I hafta soak beans 10-12 hours, then put them in with the liquid and the rest of the process is automated. Cleaning the machine afterwards is a bit of a hassle. But a brush comes with the machine so I can scrub the filter holes clean.

In regards to the original post who said their soymilk curdled - did it ferment into "soy-yogurt", coagulated into unpressed tofu, or just rot into something foul. I've always wondered how to make soy yogurt that didn't taste like pudding or candy.

- Phage

[hzrt8w]

In regards to the original post who said their soymilk curdled - did it ferment into "soy-yogurt", coagulated into unpressed tofu, or just rot into something foul.  I've always wondered how to make soy yogurt that didn't taste like pudding or candy. 

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Phage: Welcome to eGullet and the China forum!

No the soya milk did not rot and there was no foul smell. The liquid just turned into a curd. It can no longer be poured. One needs to spoon it out.

It's quite easy to reproduce as it happened to me a few times: just take the soya milk bottle out of the fridge, leave it in room temperature overnight (12-14 hour is my guess) and put it back in the fridge. Once it chills again, the curd will form.

Thanks for more details on the soya milk machine. Something for me to think about...

[Devagi Sanmugam]

We drink a lot of soya bean milk.  Mostly in the morning.  Now that the weather gets warm, I had a couple of unhappy purchases.  The soya bean milk just turned into curd in the refrigerator.  The soya bean milk can be kept for a few weeks if kept refrigerated.  I found that if the bottle was taken outside, warmed to room temperature, then brought back to the refrigerator, the soya bean milk will turn into curd the following day.  I just don't understand the reason behind this.  Why would it turn into curd (solidified) when changed from warm to cold?  Does anybody?

Also, I have seen some recent newspaper ads that they have developed these "automatic" soya bean milk maker.  Apparently all you need to do is to add dry soya bean and water, power it on and a few minutes later (or whatever the time period is) you will have freshly made soya bean milk.  These machines are selling at about US$100 each.

I am skeptical about these "automatic" machines.  Most machines are not really fire-and-forget types and you have to put in a bit of work.

Has anybody used such a soya bean maker machine?  How good do they work?  Do you think it worths the price?

←

Hi,

I have tried one of those soy milk makers and gave it away after trying to use it for a couple of times. Firstly, it makes very watered down soy milk. Secondly it takes a long long time to clean it. You will have to dismantle it into parts and then clean the grits with a brush, then dry it and then assemble it again to make the next round of soy milk.

I prefer to soak the soy beans for 6 hoursto throw away the water used for soaking as this cause flatulence.

Put the soy beans with some water in a blender and blender till smooth. Drain in a muslin cloth. Put back the grits into the blender and blend with more water and strain this too. Preferably use a non stick pan - boil the soy milk for at least 10 minutes. "under boiling' it will upset your stomach.

After boiling it cool it thoroughly and then bottle it and refrigerate. In Asia we have the pandanus leaves (screwpine leaves) and we drop 2-3 leaves into the soy milk when boiling. It give a nice aroma.

Well after this you can use the soy milk for making soy yorghurt or ice cream.

Devagi Sanmugam

www.devagi.com

[hzrt8w]

Devagi Sanmugam: Welcome to eGullet and the China forum!

Thanks for the additional info on the soya milk machine. That's what I was afraid of... a lot of work for making the soya milk. For dinner cooking, more work is not an issue. Cooking is part of the enjoyment. But for day-to-day consumption, a lot of work everyday is not that desirable. Something to think about... Thanks!

[wonderbread]

I agree with Devagi.

I have a soy milk maker and the soy milk it makes is very watery.

I had to watch it very carefully to make sure it didn't burn, because the coils are a pain to clean once the milk burns on them. And it tended to boil over frequently, so I would get soy milk all over the kitchen.

I can't remember whether I've given it away or not, but now I buy it at the store.

[origamicrane]

yeah i had one of those too it worked really well

for a few weeks but then it broke down.

but that might have been to do with my mother making 2 weeks worth of soya milk in the space of a day.

They work but i think you have to go easy on them

they not for making industrial size quantities.

[hzrt8w]

We bought ourselves a Christmas present: A soya bean milk machine.

(Sorry, the contrast of the picture didn't come out too well.)

We passed by our regular grocery store on Saturday and saw this one on sale for only US$39.00 (versus most around US$80.00 to $100 that I have seen). Couldn't resist to give is a try.

Evaluation:

Pros:

- The taste of soya bean milk made taste just like the store-bought ones. No perceivable difference. We know ours are made with 100% soya bean and no preservatives added.

- It is easy to clean.

- Economical in the long run. 1 bag of dry soya bean (14 oz), costs about US $0.50, can make about 10 jars, about 5 regular coffee-mugs worth per jar. I think this is roughly equivalent to 3 of those 64oz bottles that they sell at the stores. The 64oz bottle soya bean milk usually sells for US$1.60 where I am. So it is $0.50 trading for $4.80. The machine pays for itself pretty quickly (about 2 to 3 months).

- Save a trip to go to the grocery store whenever we run out of soya bean milk.

- No more heart burn from buying bad soya bean milk from the stores. (Ya!)

Cons:

- Need to soak the soya beans for a minimum of 8 hours before use. The machine instructions say you can use dry soya beans too. But I am not sure if the effect would be as good.

- You can make only about 5 coffee-mug worth of soya bean milk each round. Have to clear out the residue between each round.

- It takes 30 minutes to make each round. But the process is all automatic. We just need to plug in the power cord and press the button to start.

- It produces a lot of foams in the soya bean milk. Need to use a strainer to filter it.

Overall: It is worth it if you drink soya bean milk often, and buy a machine when they come down on prices. US $40 is easier to absorb than US $100.

Edited December 25, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[hzrt8w]

After working with this soya milk machine for a day, I would say this:

- There is some cleaning efforts involved. I certainly don't want to operate this machine for only 1 round (5 mugs) everyday.

- Making soya bean milk in a batch: 4 to 5 rounds for one week's supply. Keep the soya milk in the fridge - that's workable.

- Soaking the soya beans takes overnight. Cleaning the machine takes about 10 minutes.

[v. gautam]

I used soymilk mixed with grape juice a lot - when I get it just right which is not always, the juice curdles the soymilk in such a way as to make it thicker and creamier.  And so very tasty.  Works only occasionally with other juices. 

Found exactly the same effect mixing in frozen Goya passionfruit pulp. Really delicious. Requires some sweetening, though. Not quite as successful with guanabana.

As you remark, getting the right amount makes the whole difference. Sadly, i never stop to measure when i get it right; a little too much, and you see the curdling effect, or if you let it sit. Therefore, although it must be slightly in excess, you have to drink it immediately.

Or, if you want it to wait in the refrigerator, buffer the drink with a bit of dry egg white powder, whirled in with a hand blender....slightly messy.

g