Tofu gets bad rep for being bland and boring. Admittedly, I was one of those people who didn’t like it. Even well in my vegan years, the only way I enjoyed tofu was when it was fried. In fact, almost all my recipes had the tofu fried! On top of that, I prefer firm, extra firm tofu that won’t fall apart. Fried, extra-firm tofu, yum.
My preference over fried tofu changed after one small incident. The company Uncommon Goods approached me to do a collaboration. They let me choose out of their product line which one I’d like to review for the blog. I thought, why the heck not, I’ll give a tofu kit a try. I’m glad I did, because after learning the difference between good-quality tofu and bad ones, there’s no going back.
The tofu kit prides itself for promoting the authentic kind of tofu – rich and complex. I do have to admit that the tofu-making process took me a while. Not only it took me while, it also took a lot of my patience especially during the part of squeezing out the soymilk. But like some good things in life, adding a bit of love and labor could yield to amazing results.
The kit included organic soybeans, cheesecloth, tofu mold, and instructions. The only other thing I needed to get was the coagulant, lemon. Everything else was available in my kitchen. The written instructions came with illustrations for easy reading.
The lemon didn’t make the tofu sour. In fact, I tasted a hint of sweetness from the tofu. So far, I’ve cooked my homemade tofu with Bistek and Easy Stir Fry (recipe included in the kit). I didn’t even have to fry the tofu but the result was AH-MAZING. The tofu absorbed the seasoning and aromatics through and through while keeping its rich and creamy flavor. I didn’t mind that the texture wasn’t firm; It had enough bite.
- 3 cups soybeans (non gmo and organic for best results)
- 3½ quarts water
- 1 large lemon
Equipment:- 1 large pot
- 1 medium pot
- blender (or food processor)
- 1 large bowl
- colander
- wooden spoon, spatula, spoon, or tongs (to press out soymilk)
- cheesecloth (included in the kit)
- tofu mold (included in the kit)
- heavy weight like books or cans from your pantry
- Soak soybeans in at least 6 cups water overnight.
- Drain and rinse soybeans.
- Add half of the soybeans in a blender with 3 cups hot water. Blend until smooth (about 30-60 seconds)
- Pour soy mixture to a pot with 2 cups hot water. Repeat steps for blending the remaining soybeans and pour to the pot.
- Heat to medium heat and let the mixture boil. Always stir to not boil over or burn the bottom of the pot (about 20-30 minutes). Turn off heat.
- Place a colander on top of large bowl. Fold cheesecloth twice and place on top of colander. Slowly pour a little bit of the soy mixture (be careful, it's hot!)
- Join edges of cheesecloth and twist to wring out soymilk. Use back of the spoon or a wooden spoon or tongs to press down the cheesecloth. This part takes some patience as you do it in batches. Once the soy is cool enough to touch, use hands to squeeze out soymilk.
- Set aside grounded soy or "okara". You could use it for making vegan fish fillets.
- Pour collected soymilk to a medium size pot and put to a boil. Always stir to not boil over or burn the bottom of the pot. Turn off heat and let cool for 2 minutes.
- While waiting, cut lemon in half and squeeze out juice to a small bowl. Remove seeds.
- Pour lemon juice to the pot of soymilk and mix well to evenly distribute the lemon juice.
- Let it stand for 15 minutes to form curds.
- Place tofu mold on top of a bowl. Rinse cheesecloth, fold twice, and place in the tofu mold.
- Using a spoon or a small strainer, scoop out soy curds and transfer to the mold.
- Fold cheesecloth on top of the curds.
- Place tofu mold in the fridge and put lid on top of the mold. Press down to release more liquid.
- Put a heavy weight (book or canned good) on top of the tofu lid. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Remove from the fridge and peel back cheesecloth.
- Use tofu immediately or soak in cold water and place back in the fridge.
When squeezing out soymilk, it's best to do it in small, multiple batches.
You could use other kinds of coagulants like nigari, feel free to experiment.
Here’s a video of how I made my tofu:
I used to care about tofu only if it’s fried. After learning how to make my own, I now prefer to enjoy tofu in its soft, original form, mildly cooked with my favorite sauces and spices. Making tofu may take a while but it’s time well spent when you have something better than most store-bought versions.
The tofu kit from Uncommon Goods did help with the process. The kit not only had the tofu mold but also the soybeans, cheesecloth, and a well written and illustrated manual. I am looking forward to make more authentic tofu at home. Perhaps I could make it a weekly routine. I’m a new tofu convert and I might never go back!
Kain na, let’s eat!
*This post was a collaboration with Uncommon Goods. Astig Vegan was compensated for the collaboration but all views expressed here represented my own. Astig Vegan will not feature or endorse any product that won’t work well (as it is counterproductive).