Homemade Tofu!

Tofu isn't much of a staple in this house anymore.  My bod has enough estrogen in it, thankyouverymuch.  I figure if I don't cook it at home then I can have it as a treat when Joe and I get Thai takeout.  Which, let's face it, is pretty dang often.  We didn't name our cats Coconut and Curry for nothing!

So, as I said, very little tofu in the house.  Until I was leafing through my Joy of Cooking yesterday (trying to figure out how the heck to cook a turnip, but that's another story) and found a recipe for homemade tofu.  Homemade tofu! I've been a vegetarian since I was eight and I've never attempted this? I consulted with Joy and Google, and came up with this:

1) Your mold - I gather you could strain your mixture with some cheesecloth and a colander, but you wouldn't have that nice cube shape.  There are also tofu molds out there, but I'm assuming you're not reading about a first-timer's tofu making attempt if you own one of those bad boys. I went the JoC route, which suggests using two plastic freezer boxes that nest.  AKA whatever Gladware Target has on sale! (I got 3-cup rectangular ones, BPA free). One, you'll fill with water to use as a weight.  The other, you'll puncture the bottom and sides.  I used a hammer and nail to make holes in the bottom, and then widened them a bit with a screwdriver.  I cut slits in the sides, 'cause I was sick of making holes. Wash this before you use it! Nobody wants tofu that tastes like nails.  Next, line your punctured plastic box with some cheesecloth and you're ready to get cooking!

 


2) Ingredients (Apparently freshly made soymilk is the way to go.  I'm already making homemade tofu, and I certainly don't have it in me to make the soymilk first. Google says it's doable, but not preferred, to use store bought, so I'm giving it a shot. I'm sure there's an Asian grandmother turning in her grave and for that I apologize.)

•  4 cups store bought soymilk
• 40mL apple cider vinegar

3) How to

• Boil soymilk.
• Remove from heat and gently stir in half the vinegar.  
• Stir in the remaining vinegar.  Curds will start to form right away.  

• Put your cheesecloth-lined perforated Gladware in your (clean!) sink.  Pour the soymilk/vinegar mixture in the container.  Pretty soon you'll be left with just the curds.  Wrap the cheesecloth over the top and weigh it down with your other plastic container filled with water.   
• Let it hang out for 20 minutes or so.  
• Unmold your tofu in a container filled with cold water.  Store it refrigerated, in water, and be sure to change that water once a day. 

Yay! Tofu! Now I need to consult Moosewood and find something yummy to make for dinner.