And the Soymilk Maker Goes to...
751 comments! In my wildest dreams (or scariest nightmares, depending on how you look at it) I never imagined I'd get that many responses to my contest. I'm bleary-eyed from reading them all--yes, I read them all, though they began to run together after the first hundred, so I can't tell you who said what! It was worth it, though, to see how many of you are interested in making your own soymilk and tofu at home.
Just minutes after I closed the contest, I had the random number generator pick a winner. Without further ado, here are the results:
The winner is number 722, Caitlin Hyland, who wrote, "This looks great! I am a penny-pinching college student on a budget and always try to focus on reducing my higher food costs because I choose quality organic ingredients. I love new ideas like this and it would be awesome to win this soy milk-maker!!" Congratulations, Caitlin! Please email me your mailing address.
Thank you all for entering. I wish I could afford to hand out prizes to everyone.
Several of you had questions about the process of making soymilk or tofu, and rather than answer them in the comments, I'll try to answer them here. In no particular order...
What form of soybeans do you use? in the pod, shelled or...? Because when you said you remove the skins by rubbing, I really was confused, since I just eat them in the pod or shelled and have never noticed a skin to rub off. HELP please!
Sorry for the confusion. The soybeans are dried. If you squeeze one after it's been soaking, you'll find that it has a translucent skin that will come off. When the soybeans are green, as in edamame, I think this skin adheres to the inside of the pod, so you never notice it.
Do you have a recommendation for calcium supplements?
I like VegLife vitamins because they are all vegan and reasonably priced. Also, the vegan version of Dr. Fuhrman's Osteo-Sun is very good because it combines Vitamin D with calcium in the correct proportions. It's more expensive, though.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL THE OKARA????? I can't make cookies every day (well, I could, but I shouldn't).
It does get to be a lot, and I can't make cookies every day either. Lately I've been adding vanilla extract after the soymilk is made so that I don't have vanilla-flavored okara. I've been using it to make veggie burgers and "crab" cakes, and I plan to start adding it to homemade bread. I'll be posting my burger recipe, though maybe not right away.
Can you pre-flavor into your tofu while you are making it, not after?
You can add herbs or spices after the soymilk has curdled and before pressing it. I haven't done it yet, though.
Is fresh tofu easily "freezable"?
Yes, you can freeze it just like packaged tofu--and its texture will change like regular tofu, becoming spongy and coarser in texture. Just wrap it well in plastic before freezing.
Can the soymilk maker be used to make other kinds of milk too?
Yes, it will also make milk from rice, oats, millet and other grains, almonds, hazelnuts, and mung beans--as well as combinations of those ingredients. It will not make raw milks, though the older version of the machine will.
How long does the homemade soymilk keep? Is the fridge life much shorter than commercial brands?
Since it doesn't contain any preservatives, I wouldn't feel safe using it after 5 or 6 days. When in doubt, smell it to make sure it hasn't gone bad.
Does one batch of soy milk make one block of tofu?
I'm able to get about 8 ounces, or a half-sized block, out of one double-strength batch of soymilk (soymilk made using twice as many soybeans as usual). Using a different coagulator and letting it curdle for a longer time might increase the amount of tofu.
Is there a substitute for agave nectar?
I'm not sure if you mean specifically in soymilk, but generally you can use another sweetener, such as granulated sugar, maple syrup, or rice syrup, anywhere agave nectar is called for. I like agave in soymilk because it has a light taste and dissolves easily.
Can you make silken tofu at home?
From what I've read, it's very difficult to make silken tofu at home, and I've never tried.
Have you ever made homemade tempeh? I've been wanting to try that for some time now, but I still haven't figured out what to use for an incubator.
I'm afraid I haven't. I once bought tempeh starter on a whim, but I never got around to using it. Like you, I'd like to give it a try someday. Fresh tempeh is supposed to be very delicious.
Can you send or post on this blog the exact name of the product and the item number for us in case we want to order one off Amazon?
Here's a link to the SoyQuick Premier 930P at Amazon. If you look carefully, there are instructions there on how to get free shipping. You can also order it directly from the SoyQuick website. Just click SoyQuick website!
If there are any questions I missed, just ask and I'll try to answer them in the comments. I promise to post the recipe I made with my fresh tofu tomorrow . For now, I need to rest my eyes a little!
Just minutes after I closed the contest, I had the random number generator pick a winner. Without further ado, here are the results:
The winner is number 722, Caitlin Hyland, who wrote, "This looks great! I am a penny-pinching college student on a budget and always try to focus on reducing my higher food costs because I choose quality organic ingredients. I love new ideas like this and it would be awesome to win this soy milk-maker!!" Congratulations, Caitlin! Please email me your mailing address.
Thank you all for entering. I wish I could afford to hand out prizes to everyone.
Several of you had questions about the process of making soymilk or tofu, and rather than answer them in the comments, I'll try to answer them here. In no particular order...
What form of soybeans do you use? in the pod, shelled or...? Because when you said you remove the skins by rubbing, I really was confused, since I just eat them in the pod or shelled and have never noticed a skin to rub off. HELP please!
Sorry for the confusion. The soybeans are dried. If you squeeze one after it's been soaking, you'll find that it has a translucent skin that will come off. When the soybeans are green, as in edamame, I think this skin adheres to the inside of the pod, so you never notice it.
Do you have a recommendation for calcium supplements?
I like VegLife vitamins because they are all vegan and reasonably priced. Also, the vegan version of Dr. Fuhrman's Osteo-Sun is very good because it combines Vitamin D with calcium in the correct proportions. It's more expensive, though.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL THE OKARA????? I can't make cookies every day (well, I could, but I shouldn't).
It does get to be a lot, and I can't make cookies every day either. Lately I've been adding vanilla extract after the soymilk is made so that I don't have vanilla-flavored okara. I've been using it to make veggie burgers and "crab" cakes, and I plan to start adding it to homemade bread. I'll be posting my burger recipe, though maybe not right away.
Can you pre-flavor into your tofu while you are making it, not after?
You can add herbs or spices after the soymilk has curdled and before pressing it. I haven't done it yet, though.
Is fresh tofu easily "freezable"?
Yes, you can freeze it just like packaged tofu--and its texture will change like regular tofu, becoming spongy and coarser in texture. Just wrap it well in plastic before freezing.
Can the soymilk maker be used to make other kinds of milk too?
Yes, it will also make milk from rice, oats, millet and other grains, almonds, hazelnuts, and mung beans--as well as combinations of those ingredients. It will not make raw milks, though the older version of the machine will.
How long does the homemade soymilk keep? Is the fridge life much shorter than commercial brands?
Since it doesn't contain any preservatives, I wouldn't feel safe using it after 5 or 6 days. When in doubt, smell it to make sure it hasn't gone bad.
Does one batch of soy milk make one block of tofu?
I'm able to get about 8 ounces, or a half-sized block, out of one double-strength batch of soymilk (soymilk made using twice as many soybeans as usual). Using a different coagulator and letting it curdle for a longer time might increase the amount of tofu.
Is there a substitute for agave nectar?
I'm not sure if you mean specifically in soymilk, but generally you can use another sweetener, such as granulated sugar, maple syrup, or rice syrup, anywhere agave nectar is called for. I like agave in soymilk because it has a light taste and dissolves easily.
Can you make silken tofu at home?
From what I've read, it's very difficult to make silken tofu at home, and I've never tried.
Have you ever made homemade tempeh? I've been wanting to try that for some time now, but I still haven't figured out what to use for an incubator.
I'm afraid I haven't. I once bought tempeh starter on a whim, but I never got around to using it. Like you, I'd like to give it a try someday. Fresh tempeh is supposed to be very delicious.
Can you send or post on this blog the exact name of the product and the item number for us in case we want to order one off Amazon?
Here's a link to the SoyQuick Premier 930P at Amazon. If you look carefully, there are instructions there on how to get free shipping. You can also order it directly from the SoyQuick website. Just click SoyQuick website!
If there are any questions I missed, just ask and I'll try to answer them in the comments. I promise to post the recipe I made with my fresh tofu tomorrow . For now, I need to rest my eyes a little!
Labels: soy
posted by SusanV at 2:50 PM
12 Comments:
Oh, darn - well, when I saw how many comments had accumulated, I didn't really expect to win anyway. Hooray for Caitlin! :) Poor college students unite!
Congratulations to Caitin! What better recipient than a college student to recieve the soy milk maker! I hope she makes great use of it!
Congrats to Caitin!
I decided that I really could cut costs by owning a soy milk maker, so I purchased one! (I used your amazon link so I hope you reap any benefits from my purchase.) That's so much, Susan, for the okara recipes and tutorial that shows that soymilk and tofu making isn't too difficult.
Great job winning Caitlin! I don't really need it anyway, since I am only 13...but I thought it would be fun!
If you live near an asian market or appliance store, soy milk makers are usually pretty cheap. I think we paid $60-80 for ours. I don't really recommend it personally unless you use a *lot* of soy milk. Fresh hot soy milk is delicious, but the soy milk maker is just one more clutter-causing gadget.
It is very easy to make home made silken tofu. The only thing you need is the right coagulant, namely glucono delta lactone, also called GDL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucono_delta-lactone).
It is a natural product that is metabolized in glucose in the body.
You only need one teaspoon of GDL for 1L of warm soymilk (see GDL indications on this wikipedia page : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu)
Recipe on my blog : http://www.metagama.com/pap/index.php/2007/11/19/315-tofu-soyeux-maison
Doh!
Well, I practically had to hide my credit card to prevent myself from purchasing one myself as I waited for the winner to be announced! Time to take that baby out of deep freeze and give it a work out! ;~)
Susan--will you get credit for the referral? If so, is there a specific link to use?
Thanks!
Laurie
Laurie, thanks for thinking of me! I get a small percentage (4% I think) if you use the Amazon link. But if you order direct from the SoyQuick site, I know for sure you get free shipping. Also, you can add the tofu press to your order for just $6.95. So forget about me and get the best deal for yourself! :-)
This was such a nice giveaway. :) I didn't post on the original because I don't need a soy milk maker, but I was thinking that it was a great idea! Congratulations to the winner!
Susan - we made a LOT of tofu in my co-op during college, and every once in a while someone would make silken tofu - it's possible, but i think you need the right kind/amount of coagulant, and then you don't press the tofu - just let it set, i think. maybe you press it lightly. I don't know - but if you're interested in silken tofu, it should be do-able at home.
Thanks for your blog.
I have been making soymilk for a number of years. we add cashews and amaranth to the maker before processing. it comes out a good consistency, foams well and is less beany.
Thanks for clarifying so many questions about soymilk!
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