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Tofu

Our Tofu Kit is perfect for making homemade tofu that is tastier, cheaper, fresher, and additive-free. Once you’ve made fresh soymilk, which is a breeze with our SoyaJoy and SoyaPower machines, you’re halfway there!

A rule of thumb is that 1 oz of dry soybeans makes about 2 oz of tofu, which varies depending on whether you’re making soft tofu or hard tofu. The following instructions make about 1 lb of tofu.

photo of tofu soybeans and soy milk against white background
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Ingredients

  • 1-2 US Customary cups of dry soybeans
  • Coagulant of choice (choose 1). Note that slightly more or less coagulant may be needed depending on your water hardness and preferred tofu firmness, but these amounts are a good starting point.
    • 1 tsp of nigari (natural magnesium chloride) (included in our Tofu Kit)
    • 2 tsp of gypsum (natural calcium sulfate)

Instructions

  1. Soak the soybeans overnight in water.
  2. Make two batches of soy milk with your SoyaJoy or SoyaPower soy milk maker, straining the soymilk with a the provided sieve or a nut milk bag. Refer to our soymilk instructions for more details.
  3. Prepare your coagulant solution by adding your coagulant of choice (see Ingredients) to 1 cup of warm or hot water and mixing to dissolve.
  4. If the soymilk is freshly made and still very hot, proceed to the next step. If the soymilk has cooled, or you just want to make sure it is hot enough, combine all of the soymilk in a pot and bring to a simmer. This is because soymilk must be hot for the coagulant to work.
  5. Turn off the heat. While stirring, slowly pour 3/4 of the coagulant solution into the soy milk, and wait for 2-3 minutes for curds to begin forming.
  6. Gently stir the forming curds. If any milky areas remain, drizzle the remaining 1/4 of the coagulant solution into the milky areas. The soymilk will have now separated into small curds and a liquid whey.
  7. Transfer the curds to a tofu press/box/mold lined with cheesecloth. A slotted spoon works best for transferring curds with less whey, but simply pouring is fine too.
  8. To press the curds into a block, fold the cheesecloth over the top of the mixture and place the lid of the press on top. Weigh down the lid with a 3-5 pound object such as a jar filled with water on top of the lid.
  9. Let the tofu drain in the press for about 20 minutes, or until desired firmness is reached.
  10. Gently remove the block of tofu from the press into a container of cold water.
  11. Enjoy fresh or keep in the refrigerator covered with cold water until ready to enjoy!

Cooking Ideas

Once you’ve made fresh tofu, a world of possibility awaits. Here are just a few of our favorite ways to cook with tofu.

  • Slice up some tofu and drizzle with soy sauce – a simple yet delicious side dish
  • Add it to stir fries with ingredients such as
    • Cashews and bell peppers
    • Teriyaki sauce and broccoli
    • Mushrooms, mixed greens, and oyster sauce (or vegetarian stir-fry sauce)
  • Cube it and add it to miso soup
  • Coat with breading and/or beaten eggs and pan-fry
  • Blend it in a vegan quiche filling
  • Season with turmeric and kala namak and make the vegan classic tofu scramble
  • Sear slices on both sides and use in sandwiches
  • Marinate cubes to make “vegan feta” for salads