How to Be Dairy Free.... Start with Soy Milk

[Guest guest]

I've been a vegetarian for a couple decades but only recently within

the past few months took up with soy beans -- so far, for darkening

sourdough loaves with a little soy flour, making soymilk, soy yogurt

and okara burgers. I haven't made tofu or soy cheese yet, but in truth

soy yogurt and soy cheese have got to be much the same as fermented

tofu, at least nutritionally, and I already have enough cooking to do.

The basic soy beans are very inexpensive to buy, usually less than

$1 per pound delivered to your door, which works out to less than

$0.60 per gallon for (very good tasting) milk and maybe $1.25 per

gallon for soy yogurt that I like to eat, though it doesn't have the

creamy-smooth texture or sharp culture taste of good dairy yogurt. Of

course then the " meat " (okara used for burgers and in place of TVP) is

free, more than I can use, kinda like buying coffee and being able to

make hamburger with the grounds. If you invest in one of the

good-rated soy milk machines, for $90-150, the process can almost

become automatic, taking 30 minutes per 1.5 liter batch of soymilk.

 

To my taste the commercial soymilk is too expensive at $4-7 per

gallon. Storebought soy yogurt that I've tasted is not to my adult

liking, with way too much sugar and salt, and tasting nothing of the

live cultures. I much prefer my homemade soy yogurt for taste,

quantity, health and economy. But so far I do have to add no-sugar,

fruit pectin to my yogurt to get it to set with homemade soymilk. For

cultures I've gotten very good results with both regular and soy

yogurt live-cultures and also use piima, an on-going, room-temperature

culture which for me has a good lemon-buttery taste in soy and likes

to live there just fine with no added dairy. I like my yogurt for

spreading on bread, as it has body, flavor, protein and very little

fat (and is vegan too, I believe). Sorry to mention money or economy

here. Surely no one with families or children to feed up has to

consider this. But I'm a frugal old guy, and sometimes do so just for

the sake of perversity.

 

Slim

 

 

 

 

, " Thia .... " <bipolyf wrote:

>

> Hun, I have the same issue as you. And for *years* (way too many of

them)

> did the same as you. Tolerate, take an antihistamine, and *lots* of

water

> to flush it all down and through my system.

>

> Ugh.

 

> ....

>

> On 11/13/06, Melissa <mapalicka wrote:

> >

> > I have an allergy to dairy, but tolerate symptoms (or take an

> > antihistamine) and consume dairy...looking for tips, (again)

especially with

> > holidays coming up tobegin and maintain a vegan diet and like it?!

How have

> > you all transitioned away from dairy??? (specifically cheeses and

yogurt-I

> > find soy yogurt to be yuck)

> > thanks,

> > melissa p

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the simple description of your processes and costs. I guess

it is just my time to " get it " but haven't gotten it so far i.e. it is

simple and can replace my love/hate relationship with milk/yogart.

 

Living in Iowa, I think I'll go over the the grainery/bin in town and

see what they have. I used to haul it by the ton not thinking (getting

it) what I was pulling behind me I could make milk and replace the stuff

I was paying $3+ a half gallon for.

 

Off I go to search for another kitchen device. (soy milk maker) At

least the ones I'm buying now seem more purposeful than in the past, my

last was a pressure cooker.

 

Again thanks group for all the inspiration.

 

Paco

 

 

> The basic soy beans are very inexpensive to buy, usually less than

> $1 per pound delivered to your door, which works out to less than

> $0.60 per gallon for (very good tasting) milk and maybe $1.25 per

> gallon for soy yogurt that I like to eat, though it doesn't have the