Soy milk is readily available in any supermarket these days, but commercial soy milks are expensive and usually contain fillers. Fresh, homemade soy milk is nutritious and cheap. If you have a Vitamix, it's also incredibly easy to make.
Instructions
1. Soak the beans. Rinse the beans in a sieve to make sure they are clean, then put them in a large pot, filled with 3 cups of cold water, to soak. They should soak at least 4 hours and up to 16 hours; if the beans might be old, let them soak the maximum time. Rinse the beans in warm water to ensure they are warm when they are being ground. Divide them into 3 equal portions.
2. Grind the beans. Have a kettle filled with 8 cups of boiling water ready. Put 2 cups of boiling water into your Vitamix and run it on high for about a minute to warm the container. Empty the container and add one portion of the beans with 2 cups of boiling water. Wrap a towel around the blender and grind for 2-3 minutes. Repeat with the other two batches.
3. Strain the beans. Place several layers of cheesecloth over the colander over a large bowl. Put the ground beans into the colander. Let sit for a few minutes to drain, then squeeze out the milk either by pressing down on the mass with a large spatula or by gathering up the cheesecloth into a ball and squeezing it with heat-resistant gloves.
4. Cook the milk. Pour the milk into a large measuring cup. Add sweeteners if desired, to your own taste. Note the amount of liquid. Put the milk into a double boiler over simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally, for half an hour. Recheck the liquid amount, and add warm water as necessary to equal the amount of milk you started with at the beginning of this step.
5. Refrigerate the milk. Store it in a glass or stainless steel container, for about a week.
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