My pre soy milk preparation curdled on cooking
I had soaked some soybeans and kept them in the fridge for two to three days after removing the water. Today, I kept the mixture after blending with water for 3 hours. However, when I kept it on a high flame it curdled.
The recipe was-
1)Take a cup of soaked soybeans.
2)Add three and a half times the water and blend for 3 minutes.
4)Cook the mixture after boiling for 15 minutes.
5)Strain the okara using a cheesecloth
Will this thing be edible after cooking? What caused this curdling?
Best Answer
There are two potential causes here - either positive ions or bacterial activity.
Soy curdles easily in the presence of positive ions, that's the basic principle behind making tofu. I don't see many potential sources in your recipe, so if this is the case, my guess would be that there was some combination of hard water, possibly high-ish magnesium levels in the soy itself, and maybe some other deviations in the soy chemistry (not every cultivar or every batch of the same plant is equal chemically, and if you hit the right - or in this case wrong - combination of compound levels, curdling occurs easier).
The other possibility is that you had enough bacterial activity that it produced acid which curdled the soy proteins. While 3 days in the fridge and 3 hours on the counter are considered safe, there can be one-off cases where you get spoilage going on. This is much more typical for animal milks though (that's how you get buttermilk), I'm not sure how likely it is to happen for soy since I have never observed firsthand how it ferments.
You should be able to make the distinction. If you have off-smells, sour or acrid taste, or other signs of fermentation, this is likely bacterial activity. If the whole thing is bland and firm-ish and reminds you of tofu, it is likely a chemical curdling.
Pictures about "My pre soy milk preparation curdled on cooking"
Why does soy milk curdle when heated?
Heat accelerates the process; the hotter the soy milk, the less acid is needed to curdle it and the firmer the resulting curds.Why did my soy milk curdle?
The two factors behind the curdling of soy milk are acidity and temperature. Black coffee is more acidic than soy milk and can act like a coagulant, making a kind of loose tofu in your coffee cup.How do you stop soya milk from curdling?
Pour the plant milk into the mug first, then slowly pour in the desired amount of coffee. This will help temper the milk and bring it up to the coffee temp, preventing unwanted curdles in your cup of Joe.What to do if milk curdles while cooking?
If a dairy-based sauce curdles, immediately halt the cooking process. Take your pan off the heat and place it in an ice bath. Atomic Kitchen recommends adding an ice cube or two to your sauce to ensure it cools on the double.How To Make Soy Milk Easily At Home (with just 2 ingredients!) for drinking AND for making tofu!
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Images: August de Richelieu, August de Richelieu, Monserrat Soldú, Nicole Michalou