.png)
When we decide to transform our food - and life! - one of the points that can become expensive over time is to buy ready-made versions of plant milk. Although convenient, they are not necessarily the best choice: most options contain added fats and sugars, in addition to being not so budget-friendly.
But that's no reason to give up plant milks!! That's because making our own plant milk at home is very simple, fast and much cheaper! Win-win-win!!
Basic Rule
The plant-based milk recipe isn't even a "recipe". It is more of a standard formula that we can use with various foods, from oats, rice, seeds, nuts, soy, etc.
A basic ratio is: for 1 cup of grains or nuts, we use around 4 cups of water.
Want thicker milk? Lower the water. Maybe a more liquid milk? Gradually add more water! Easy Peasy!
Differences from soy milk
Calcium
If your concern when switching to plant-based milks is calcium, don't worry. Soy milk is the milk option that contains the same amount of calcium as cow's milk. Studies have even gone further, analyzing whether our body can absorb calcium in the same way. And the answer is yes! So, there's only benefits.
Taste
Each plant-based milk has a different flavor, so the first step is to look for what we like best. Soy milk has a stronger flavor, which we can change by adding more water, as well as mixing with the soy beans some dates or even vanilla extract. The taste will be sweeter and lighter.
Boil
A unique feature of soy milk is the need to boil it. As the soy bean is a legume, like beans and lentils, a light boil after the milk is strained is highly recommended so that the soy milk does not cause unwanted gas and bloating.
This step is necessary mainly if the intention is to drink the soy milk at room temperature or cold. However, if it is used in baked recipes or heated before consumption, putting it on fire at the time of preparation is not necessary.
I prefer to boil it at the time of preparation to know that I don't necessarily need to pay attention to this step, and I can use milk at any temperature!
How to use soy milk
This milk option can be used as we please, whether mixed with coffee, oatmeal or cereal, shakes and smoothies, or even in cakes.
This last option is amazing, mainly because soy milk reacts best with acidic ingredients, such as lemon or vinegar, giving the same effect as buttermilk, or curdled milk.
In Plant-Based cake recipes, mixing plant-based milk with lemon juice or vinegar ensures a greater lightness in the dough!
Now that we know the details of soy milk, let's get to the recipe!
Soy Milk
Prep Time
4 hours of soaking
15 min prep.
Ingredients
1 cup soy beans
5 cup water
Method
1. In a bowl, soak the soy beans for approximately 4 hours.
2. Afterwards, strain the beans and transfer them to the blender, along with the 5 cups of water.
3. Blend for 5 minutes, until creamy.
4. Strain through a fine sieve or a voal bag (cheese or milk bag), preferably already in a pan.
5. Bring the milk to a low heat, until it reaches the first boil - until the first air bubbles appear.
6. Turn off the heat, let it cool and store in a tightly closed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
In the step by step above the recipe we have more information about the steps needed for the best result!
Did you like this recipe? So comment here below if you've already put it into practice! We'd love to read what you think of our creations!
