There are lots of people who have food issues like Coeliac disease, Fructose intolerance, FODMAP, Anaphylaxis, Egg allergy, and Nightshade free, etc. This recipe is for people can’t have any Lactose. There are lots of cow’s milk, lactose free alternatives at supermarkets or shops, made from nuts, rice, oats etc, so you have plenty of commercial options to choose from. However, there’s something so much better about making your own.
Have you ever wondered about making Tofu? When you make Tofu you can also make soymilk. I know you can buy soymilk at the shop but if you have the time you can try to make so you know exactly what is in your milk and it tastes so much better. Fresh soymilk tastes kind of sweet. You can use fresh soymilk for coffee, breakfast cereal, when making pancakes, making soups, or just for drinking.
I use organic soybeans because the final product taste’s so much better. Sometimes my mother sends soybeans from Japan and Japanese soybeans have a much richer taste than what you get here in Australia. This could be because of the different soils and that Japan is a very wet country. If you chance to go to Japan be sure to try Japanese Tofu and soymilk.
When you make soymilk you will also will get the soy pulp, called “Okara” in Japanese, and this you can use for a variety of things. In my freezer I always keep Okara because you can use it in Vegan or Vegetarian as a good source of protein. You can also use it as an alternative for breadcrumbs when you are making Japanese style Hamburg steak or Menchi Katsu meat balls. Okara can also be used for sweet things, like cookies, banana bread, and scones, etc. I will post some sweet recipes using Okara and some other Okara dishes one day.
You can keep fresh soymilk in your fridge for 1-2days, there’s no preservatives so use it quickly. You can keep Okara in your freezer for a month. I will always make small portions so it’s easy to use when you need it.

Fresh SOYMILK and Okara

| Prep Time 16-20 hours | CookingTime 1hour30mins

Ingredients

Method

1. Weigh your soybeans, put them into a bowl, and wash them.
2. Drain the dirty water, rinse few times, and remove any cracked beans.
3. Put the soybeans into a decent sized bowl, add 800-1000ml of water, and leave soak for 16-20 hours. This is during winter; in summer you’ll only need 9-10 hours.
4. When ready the beans should be approx. three times their original size.
5. Drain the water.
6. Measure 1200ml of water.
7. Add half the soybeans and half the water into your blender and blend until smooth.
8. Add the blended mixture into a larger sized pot or saucepan.
9. Repeat this process with the remaining soybeans.
10. Line a strainer with a cloth, place it in a bowl, and set it aside for now.

1. Simmer the soymilk for 9-10mins over a low heat while STIRING CONTINIOUSLY as soymilk is easy to burn!! Burnt soymilk doesn’t taste good!!
2. Pour the soymilk into the bowl with cloth and strainer. Draw the cloth around the mixture and using a spatula press down on the mixture. Be careful it’s very hot. Continue squeezing the mixture in the cloth and filter out the pulp, or Okara, from the milk.
   
3. Repeat the same action until no more milk can be extracted.
4. Pour the soymilk into a jar, let it cool, and put it your fridge. You can keep it for 2-3 days. There’s no preservatives so use it quickly.
5. Let Okara cool and if you don’t use it keep in your freezer for up to a month. I always make small portions of Okara and defrost in my fridge when I want to use it.