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Are you interested in learning how to make tofu at home? Whether good quality tofu isn't available at your local market, or you just like the idea of making it yourself, making tofu at home is easy to do. Read on to learn how to make tofu, step by step.
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Introduction
Tofu is soybean curd, made from healthy soy milk. To make tofu at home, you need to add a coagulant to separate separate the curds from the soy milk. The process is simple. You can purchase specialized tofu molds or you can make your own. The base of a half gallon cardboard milk carton, pierced with holes to let the liquid escape, makes a fine tofu mold. -
Step 1: What You Need to Make Tofu
This recipe produces a little more than one pound of tofu.Tofu Ingredients
- 4 1/2 quarts of soy milk
- 2-4 tablespoons Epsom salts
- 1/2 - 1 cup boiling water
Tofu Equipment
- 6 quart pot
- Cooking thermometer
- Sieve
- Cheesecloth
- Tofu mold or milk carton studded with holes
- Thick cardboard covered with plastic wrap to press the tofu, or lid to tofu mold
- Heavy can
Step 2: How to Make Tofu
- Heat the soy milk in the 6 quart pot to to 180 degrees, stirring constantly.
- Do not boil.
- Dissolve the Epsom salts in the boiling water.
- Turn off the pot.
- Sprinkle the Epsom salts mixture over the soy milk and stir once.
- Cover the pot, and allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Check the pot. If the curds have separated, and the liquid is a clear amber, you can proceed. If not , mix a second batch of Epsom salts and water, and repeat the process.
- Once the curds have formed, line the sieve with cheesecloth.
- Pour the curdled soy milk into the sieve a bowl or in the sink. The liquid will pass through the sieve, leaving the curds in the cheesecloth.
- Pick up the cheesecloth with the curds, and transfer it into the mold or prepared milk carton.
- The mold should be in a bowl, or in the sink, as the liquid be be pressed out.
- Place the lid or prepared cardboard on the tofu.
- Place a weight on the lid, and leave it for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid. Your tofu is ready to use.
Step 3: Tofu Variations
- For firmer tofu, increase both the amount of weight on the tofu, and the length of time the weight is applied. 20 pounds of weight applied for 45 minutes produces an extra firm tofu.
- For soft tofu, remove the can after 5 minutes.
- There are a number of other coagulants you can use instead of Epsom salts. You can use Japanese nigari, or try calcium sulfate which adds extra calcium to the tofu.http://www.soya.be/how-to-make-tofu.php