Anyone Make Their Own Soymilk?

17 years ago

I did it once --- on the way to making tofu --- in college, when I was in a student co-op and the designated tofu maker was away. But I don't consume it myself.

My sister, however, gave up red meat and is leaning more toward a vegetarian diet. Lately she uses a lot of it, and was asking about soymilk makers. Here's what she says:

>>> I've read some online feedback and I'm just dithering over putting the money into one (they're up to $150!!!). At the rate we go through it, I'm sure I'll save money, but I'm just wondering about time, effort, etc. The soyquick milk maker is supposed to only take fifteen minutes but I read an article by some woman (who a bunch of veggies quoted as if she were some sort of minor deity) who talked about her "special" method of using it so you got a less "beany" tasting soy milk...she used a lot of words like "scalding all the equipment", "squeezing the soy through sterilized cloths"...and that's not what I want to sign on for.

Anyone have any wisdom I could share? I would much appreciate it. (My sister has four kids and needs all the help she can get in keeping life simple.......)

Cheers,

Zabby

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Comments (6)

readinglady
17 years ago
I've made it; didn't like it.

I'm very willing to invest time and effort for a superior product, but in this instance I decided the commercial makers did a lot better job than I did, so from then on I just bought mine.

Carol
zabby17
Original Author
17 years ago
Have you tried one of these commercial makers like this "soyquick"?

Zabby
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david52 Zone 6
17 years ago
I did this several years ago when we worked overseas. Soak the beans, grind the beans in a food processor, let sit, simmer, strain, add sweetener, and refrigerate. I've tried it using dry, pre-ground soybean meal, but somehow that didn't work out very well, although I was just winging it and didn't follow any set course.

What does a $150 soy milk maker do?

They do have powdered soy milk available, I've never tried it. I belong to an organic food coop that sells the stuff in 25 kg bags.

There are, I dunno, 25 different kinds of soy milk now available in a standard supermarket here, with prices that vary considerably.
zabby17
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, David.

> What does a $150 soy milk maker do?

Well, my sister says they CLAIM to make finished soy milk in fifteen to thirty minutes, presumably from soy beans. But she's never had the opportunity to try one out, doesn't know anyone who has one, and is reluctant to spend the $$ without a test.

>> There are, I dunno, 25 different kinds of soy milk now available in a standard supermarket here, with prices that vary considerably

This sister lives in Deepest Conservative Canadian Suburbia, but even so apparently has enough brands of soy milk that her various children quarrel over their favourites. But she says she's drinking it exclusively, and at least some of the kids are, and she's moving away from eating meat, so they go through a lot.

I'm startled by this development --- this is a household known, until recently, more for its vast consumption of Fruitopia and brand-name sodas than soy milk. But hey, if you'd asked my sister a few years ago whether I would ever move to a small town, she'd probably have said "not a chance..."

Z
readinglady
17 years ago
Hi Zabby,

Sorry, my experience is only with the old-fashioned method david52 described. When I said "commercial makers" I meant the commercial product as sold in stores, not the machines. I should have been clearer about that.

Did you happen to look on Amazon? I was surprised to see 7 reviews on the SoyQuick; some are quite specific about pros and cons.

I see one website says the SoyQuick makes soymilk for 10 cents per quart, so if she hasn't already done so, your sister might want to amortize the cost of a $99 SoyQuick maker (or the fancier $119 package) and see how long it would take to pay off the machine.

I hope this is some help.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: SoyQuick at Amazon
jimster
17 years ago
I buy soy milk and probably will continue to do so because it's just for me and it's not a big expense. But I am following this thread with interest.

How much does the machine produce in one batch? Suppose you were to run several successive batches, enough for a week's supply. Would the machine have to be cleaned between batches or could it just be emptied out? And, if it didn't have to be cleaned until the end of the run, would the machine make the job easier than using the food processor method, then cooking it all in one fell swoop?

Jim

Anyone Make Their Own Soymilk?

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Anyone Make Their Own Soymilk?

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