Tofu
Tofu is actually fairly simple to make. You just need the right ingredients and a couple of tools and you're all set. I think it tastes so much better than store-bought, so it's worth the little bit of effort to make it from scratch. This recipe makes one standard-sized block of firm tofu.
Ingredients
- 8 cups soy milk
- 5 tsp Epsom Salts dissolved in 2 cup of water, or
- 1½ tsp Nigari solution divided two ¾ tsp amounts. Use either Epsom salts or nigari solution, NOT both
Instructions
- Heat your soy milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick or burn on the bottom.
- If using Epsom salts, dissolve them in water while the milk is heating.
- When the soy milk hits 180˚F, turn off the heat and add half of the Epsom salt or nigari solution and stir gently.
- Put the lid on your pot and let this sit about 8 minutes. Then remove the lid and add the last half of the Epsom salt or nigari solution to the top, cover, and let sit another 4 minutes. As you do this, you’ll see the soy milk start to curdle and separate from a yellowish liquid–this is the whey. If the whey is cloudy, not yellowy-clear, add a little more coagulant (Epsom salts or nigari solution) and let set a few minutes more.
- Gently ladle the curds and whey into a cheesecloth-lined form you want to use. You can use a colander, a tofu press, or a metal loaf pan with holes drilled in it. Take care not to break up the curds as you transfer it to your form.
- Fold the edges of the cheesecloth on top of the curds. Put a solid, weighted object on top to help press the whey out of the curds and form your block of tofu.
- Let this sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours. The longer you press, the more whey that comes out, and the firmer your tofu will be.
- Once your tofu is cooled and at the firmness you want, remove it from the cheesecloth and either use or store in fresh water. This fresh tofu should store well in the refrigerator for a week in this water.
Notes
You can find nigari at Asian markets or online.