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Homemade Tofu can be a delicious and inexpensive way to
get protein in your diet along with healthful soy isoflavones.
The finer the soybeans mixed into your soymilk, the more
protein your tofu will have.
Make Your Own Tofu at Home!
Large, heavy potor double boiler
Strainer
Blender or grain mill
Cheesecloth or floursack towel
Tofu press
3 cups soaked soybeans
9 cups water
1 1/2 - 2 tsp nigari OR
1 1/2 epsom salts OR
1/4 vinegar or lemon juice
Step 1 - Preparation of Soybeans
Rinse 3 cups whole soybeans and soak in 9
cups water for 8-10 hours or overnight. During hot weather,
refrigerate the soaking beans to prevent souring.
For a quick soak, pour boiling water over rinsed soybeans
and soak for 2-4 hours. When ready, the soybeans should
be double in size and wrinkle free.
Step 2 - Make the Soymilk
Combine 1 cup soaked soybeans with 3 cups
of cold or nearly boiling water and blend until you get
a fine slurry - about 1 minute. Pour into a heavy pot or
double boiler. OR Grind the soaked beans in a food grinder
using the plate with the smallest holes, to create a fine,
gritty soybean paste. Add ground bean paste to pot with
boiling water (13 cups).
Cook the soymilk in 1-2 gallon pot or double
boiler. Bring to a boil watching carefully to prevent scorching,
then turn down for a low boil for 20 minutes.
Strain the soymilk through a seive set over
a pot lined with a cloth. Pour it through the cloth and
catch the pulp in the cloth, then twist the cloth at the
top and squeeze to extract as much milk as possible. To
extract a little more, stir pulp back in another 2 cups
boiling water, and press again.
Use hot soymilk to make the tofu in the next
step.
Step 3 - Make the Tofu
Make solidifier solution by combining nigari,
epsom salts, lemon juice OR vinegar with 1 cup of
water. Nigari makes a firmer textured tofu, lemon juice
or cinegar will make a softer version. Take hot, strained
soymilk and stir slowly in circular direction. Pour in half
of the solidifier solution. Stir mixture in the opposite
direction to mix solidifier in well. Sprinkle another 1/4
cup of solidifier solution over the top of the soymilk and
cover the pot for 5 minutes to allow curds to form.
After 5 minutes, soft tofu curds should form
- if not - poke the top few inches of the soymilk to activate
the solidifier. If necessary, stir in the rest of the solidifier.
Cover again and let set a few more minutes.
Uncover and you should see large, white curds
and clear yellow liquid called "Whey." If you
still see any milky liquid, stir gently to activate curd.
Stir gently to avoid breaking up the soft curds. Stir gently
to the bottom of the pot to make sure all milk is formed
into curds. If you have alot of whey and not alot of curds,
the solidifier may be too strong and you will need to adjust
the strength, or the solidfier was added to fast , or the
soymilk was too thin.
Step 4 - Press the Tofu
Get the tofu press ready or use a colander
in the sink lined with cheesecloth or white towel. Ladle
the tofu curds into the cloth in the colander. Remove as
much whey as possible, cover over with cloth and place a
plate over the top and use a heavy weight on the plate like
a heavy rock or brick and allow to drain for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the weight and uncover
tofu. It should be firm to the touch. Store by placing in
bowl or container with clean, cool water and store in the
refrigerator. The tofu will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator,
changing the water every couple days.
More info and pictures
http://www.maketofu.com/ - great tofu making
info!
http://www.fairviewfarms.com/laura%20beans.htm
- Fresh. non-GMO Soybeans from the grower.
http://www.vegtv.com/?clipId=V1037&channel=VegTV%20Recipes
- Make your own tofu video from VegTV!
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