MAKING HOMEMADE TOFU by Brenda Wiley

Note from Bryanna: Fresh tofu is a treat that most of us have never had the pleasure of experiencing. Far from being "tasteless", it has the delicate flavor of, say, ricotta cheese. But it loses flavor with each day, so enjoy some right away, if you can! You'll be surprised at how delicious your fresh tofu is on the day it's made! And you'll be so proud of this achievement!

I would like to thank Brenda for writing these very clear instructions for us, and giving us the benefit of her experience-- she makes fresh tofu several times a week. And the photos are such a help! Thank you Brenda for all your work!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE "GOURMET TOFU" BY INCORPORATING HERBS AND VEGETABLES?

IT'S EASY! CHECK IT OUT ON MY BLOG HERE AND HERE.

**DON'T HAVE A SOYMILK MAKER??
See the FAQS page for how to make soymilk
without a soymilk-making machine!
You can use a heavy-duty blender or Vita-Mix.

How to Make Tofu at Home

Supplies needed:

Big pot (6 quarts or larger) with a heavy bottom for heating the milk

Cheesecloth

Sieve

Tofu pressing box

Optional.

This just makes the tofu come out in the shape of a rectangle. Alternatively, you can press right in the sieve. (PS from Bryanna: Online sources for wooden tofu press are here, and here. "The Book of Tofu" has instructions for making a box. This page shows you how to make a unique tofu press! )

Coagulant

I use Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate), since it is easily available and cheap. You can also purchase nigari (magnesium chloride) or gypsum (calcium sulfate), both of which are sold specifically for making tofu. The advantage of gypsum is that makes your tofu a great source of calcium. Sources for these products are Gem Cultures , soymilkmaker, and Soyquick (in Canada and the US). (Note from Bryanna: I purchase calcium sulfate from my pharmacy, so be sure to ask if they can get it in for you.)

Soymilk machine

Optional.

You can make tofu either with or without a soymilk maker. The machine just makes the first step of making the soymilk somewhat easier and definitely less messy. (See this page for how to make soymilk in a machine; and here for how to make it without a machine.)

I like a very firm, dry tofu (like extra-firm tofu), so I use 4 1/2 quarts of soymilk (3 batches from my soymilk machine) to make one pound of tofu. If you prefer a softer, less firm tofu (like firm tofu), you could use about 3 quarts, or two batches from a soymilk machine. (NOTE FROM BRYANNA: USE ONLY ALL-SOY SOYMILK. USE THE ORIGINAL RECIPE, WITH THE SMALLER AMOUNT OF SOYBEANS, AND DO NOT FLAVOR THE SOYMILK WITH SALT AND SWEETENER BEFORE MAKING TOFU! IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE SKI NS OF THE BEANS BEFORE MAKING SOYMILK FOR TOFU-MAKING!)

As each batch gets made, pour into a large, heavy bottomed pot.

Once I have all 3 batches of milk in the pot, I heat the milk to 180° F. If you use a soymilk making machine to make the milk, you’ll find the milk comes out of the machine right around this temperature, so it's a fairly short period of time needed to reheat it. You do have to stir almost constantly during this time to prevent scorching on the bottom.

Once the milk is at 180° or higher, I add the coagulant.

For this amount of milk, I use two heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts, dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water.

I drizzle this over the top of the heated soymilk and give it one GENTLE stir (too much agitation tends to impede coagulation).

I let the milk sit for 10 minutes or so and then give the pot another gentle stir and within 30 seconds or so, what had been a homogenous, white opaque mixture, has now separated into soft white curds, and clear amber whey.

.... place in sink and line the sieve with your cheesecloth (dampened)....

..... then pour the six quarts of curds and whey into the cheesecloth lined sieve.

Some directions for making tofu that I have read speak about cooking the curd further to increase firmness. I have never done this. I just use extra weight and a longer pressing time to dictate firmness.

Once the soymilk separates into curds and whey, I pour it into my press. After umpteen tofu making sessions, spending most of my time trying to spoon 6 quarts of curds and whey into this small tofu box, I finally found a solution:

Set your sieve ON TOP of the tofu box ...

All curds are now in the sieve.

Pick up the corners of the cheesecloth and transfer the curds in the cheesecloth to the pressing box.





Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the top of the tofu to make a tight "package".

Press with 20 pounds for about 45 minutes. This makes for a VERY firm, dry curd. If you want softer, moister tofu, I'd suggest using about 5 pounds for 10 minutes or so. Your yield (in weight and volume of tofu) would then be higher.

Here is my set up for pressing (weights from hubby’s free weights on top of a tomato can).

If you don’t have a tofu pressing box, you can press the tofu right in the sieve ... just top with a small plate and put your weight on that. I just happen to like box shaped tofu instead of sieve shaped tofu :-) !!

Once the pressing is complete, the curds will reduce in volume by about half:

After you have admired your beautiful tofu (!), place it in a container, cover it with fresh, cold water, and cover the container. Refrigerate and change the water every day. It will keep about a week.

Other notes:

**I'd suggest always using organic soybeans since soybeans are one of the heaviest sprayed commercial crops. Buying organic also assures you that the soybeans are not GMO ... genetically modified.

**The amount of soybeans needed for each batch of soymilk (in the soymilk maker) is 100 grams. They include a plastic measure which in volume is a little more than 1/2 cup. Soak the soybeans in water for at least 6 hours before making the milk.

**If you do use a soymilk maker to make your milk, remember that a BIG time saver for cleaning is the dishwasher. I put the stainless steel filter basket and the pitcher into the dishwasher for cleaning, as well as all the other utensils used. This makes short work of cleaning up the sticky, gooey, soymilk film that is on everything that the soymilk touched!!

**Since I make tofu regularly (2-3 times/week), I invested in 2 machines, plus an additional filter. I get the two soymilk machines working for my first two batches of milk. For the third batch, I have the soybeans already to go in the extra filter basket, and just have to do a quick clean of the pitcher and and element/head of one of the two machines. I can get the third batch started pretty quickly that way.

ABOUT BRENDA:

Brenda Wiley has been a vegetarian since 1976. In the mid 80’s, her diet changed from ovo-lacto veggie to vegan. One of her passions is to share vegan food that is tasty and visually appealing with omnivores, showing them that “vegan” equals “yum!!”. At her place of work, she frequently gets requests for “Brenda food”.

She works as a registered nurse at her local hospital and sees first hand the negative effects that an animal food based diet has on the human body.

When not at work in the hospital or in her kitchen, Brenda loves to hike the mountain trails around her western North Carolina home. She can be contacted at wilfamban@yahoo.com.