287617 Tue Sep 11 03:24:53 -0700 2001 3 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1548233 In an effort to figure out whether it's just me, or that the store bought soymilk taste diluted, I decided to make some at home. My mom used to make it at home years ago. Got myself some soybeans from Fairway's upstairs Organic section. Soaked the soybeans with cold water. Here's the strange part. Within 5 minutes, the beans were soft! That can't be. I called my mom, who said I need to soak the beans for at least 8 hours, which is how I remembered it, too. She was puzzled, when I told her how these soybeans are behaving. Are there such thing as "instant soybeans"? These seem smaller, and quite flimsy. I want those big soybeans that the Korean soybean sprouts sprout from, not these mushy ones. Can anyone help? Tue Sep 11 03:24:53 -0700 2001 0 HLing 1 1548238 What brand of soymilk tasted diluted to you? Many of them taste weak to me, but I find that a good gauge to use is the amount of isoflavones per serving a given product has. The higher the isoflavones, the higher the soy content. My fave refrigerated product is Silk, and for the non-refrigerated kind, I like EdenSoy. Both of these have a full-bodied flavor, and never taste thin or watery. Do you also make your own tofu at home? Tue Sep 11 09:49:52 -0700 2001 1548233 0 foodpimp 2 1548242 I haven't had either Silk or Edensoy, only the ones from Chinatown and from restaurants. Thanks for the tip regarding isoflavones, though. Maybe I'll try Silk. My mom used to make soymilk, and then from that the Dou4 Hua1, the soft tofu-pudding-like slurpy stuff.(which you can get from that place across the St's Alp in Manhattan's Chinatown). I'm not sure I'm ambitious enough to make firm tofu at home, but will if I can get good instructions, and if the soymilk turned out well. Tue Sep 11 11:06:00 -0700 2001 1548238 0 HLing 1 1548244 Weak or strong soymilk all depends on the water to bean ration when you are blending them. My mother makes it herself too, and she makes them more concentrated then restaurant stuff. But that's the same for all food isn't it? At home you are in control of the quality and can use better and more of the ingridents. Fresher beans are larger and as they get dryer they get smaller. Dried soybeans need to be soaked for a long time, perhaps the kind you bought weren't as dried as the kind your Mom uses. I would sugget you go to a Chinese supermarket and buy some dried soybeans and soak them. This way you can follow your Mom's recipe. Tue Sep 11 12:51:30 -0700 2001 1548233 0 Wendy Lai