Home made Horchata and Soy Milk

Soy milk and horchata is kind of like mayonaisse. When asked where it comes from you respond "Obviously, it comes in a jar or container." It never really occurs to most people that these foods can be made at home. There's good reason why...it's a bit labor intensive for what you get. But, the results are fantastic.


For soy milk:

Step 1: Soak beans overnight by covering them with water so that there's 1/4 inch of water on top. About a cup of dry beans (50 cents!) will make well over a half gallon of milk depending on how "beany" you like your drink.
Step 2+3: Once the beans are soft, use a food processor to blend them. Boil blended beans in pot with 4-5 cups of water over medium heat. Make sure you don't burn the beans or you'll get a burnt flavor. Boil for 20-25 minutes. Strain mixture.
Step 4: Adjust flavor, dilute with water to the consistency you like and if you like add sugar 1 tsp at a time until you get it to the sweetness you like. I like my soy milk very beany with just barely a touch of sweetness.

How to make Horchata:

Step 1: Take 3/4 cup of white rice and pulse to break into small powdery pieces. In large pot, add blended rice, 1 cup of blanched or slivered almonds, 2 cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder and cover mixture with 6 cups of water. Set for 3 hours. After 3 hours, remove cinnamon sticks, blend the mixture in a food processor and strain liquid.



Horchata is the perfect drink for a humid day.