How to Make Tofu From Scratch ♥
If it has happened to you that in the place where you live (in Mexico), the tofu that you find in the store and that says “Firm” on the box (but that it is not firm at all), when you cooked it for the first time, you did not understand anything in this life... well, that was my case too.
I said, why do people on Instagram love tofu so much if it tastes terrible. But, I wanted to give it another chance. I decided to do it myself and BOOM, that's where my relationship with tofu changed forever. That's when we went from being enemies to best friends for life. I found that the level of firmness in tofu are for some things and not for others.
For example, the softest ones are perfect to make vegan cream, yogurt, to make a creamy sauce, mousses, cheesecake, etc. And that the firmer ones are the ideal ones for frying, baking, etc., the kind of meals you would expect to have a more pleasant and enjoyable consistency when chewing.
So, when I learned how to make tofu from scratch, the whole problem was solved, yay! because now I could make a lot of recipes without the tofu tasting like a savoury flan, lol.
In addition to the fact that, at least in Morelia (Mexico), tofu is somewhat expensive, which was another motivation for making it myself.
What do I need to make tofu from scratch?
You literally only need dry soybeans, water (I use tap water, because it ends up boiling), and an acid, be it white or apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. That's all.
What is the procedure for making tofu from scratch?
In a nutshell, you’ll need to do the following:
- Soak the soybeans
- Blend them with water
- Strain the mix to extract the soy milk and separate it from the formed residue (called okara)
- Boil the milk
- Add vinegar or lemon juice to create the soy curd
- Press the curd
- Let the tofu rest so that it has a firmer consistency
WATCH THE TUTORIAL ON HOW TO MAKE TOFU FROM SCRATCH
Do I need to buy molds to make tofu from scratch?
Not necessarily. Although if you want to have some beautiful and perfectly square molds, you can buy them (in Asian stores or online). The molds that I have used since I began to prepare my tofu for several years now, are some elongated metal pans that my grandmother had and that fit inside each other.
So, I just made a few holes in one of them (to drain the liquid), and that's it. You can do the exact same thing with two matching molds or even use a strainer and put something heavy on top (with the tofu covered in a cloth, of course).
Where can I buy dry soybeans?
I buy them from a bulk store that sells grains and seeds. I literally buy a huge sack (it’s also cheaper too), because at home we love tofu and we make it several times a week. So I'm sure you can find them in a store where they sell grains and seeds or even in health food stores.
Now, let's prepare this delicious Tofu from Scratch ♥
How to Make Tofu from Scratch
INGREDIENTS
- 2 ½ cups dry soybeans
- Enough water to soak the beans
- 8-12 cups water
- 2-4 tablespoon vinegar or lime juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the soybeans in enough water (at least twice the level of the beans) for 5-7 hours or overnight.
- Once soaked, the ratio is 1:2 for the blending step; for each cup of hydrated beans blend with two cups of water (tap water). Cover a strainer with the cheese cloth and pour the previous mix into a large bowl, keep just the liquid (you can keep the soy fiber 'okara' to make other recipes or just use it as plant "fertilizer"). Repeat the same process with the rest of the soybeans. Remove the foam created on the surface.
- Transfer the liquid (soy milk) to a large saucepan. Heat the milk over medium heat and remove the foam on top as it appears. Mix occasionally and when the milk starts to boil and the foam rises even faster, turn the heat off.
- Addvinegar or lime juice. Mix a couple of times and the curd will start to form; the liquid that separates from the curd should be completely transparent, if it looks slightly white, add more vinegar or lemon juice and mix.
- Let cool for 15 minutes.
- Place the other piece of cloth in the tofu mold, pour in the milk curd and cover with the ends of the cloth, place the second mold on top and press until the maximum amount of water possible is strained.
- It’s highly suggested to place a heavy object on top of the mold that is pressing the tofu and let it rest for 2-3 hours (so it can keep draining the water and make the tofu firmer).
- Transfer to the refrigerator to make the consistency even firmer (still covered in the cloth pieces)
- Store the tofu in a container with water, in the refrigerator.
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Kiley says
How long will this stay good in the fridge? Can you freeze it?
Annie says
Hi Kiley! 10 days approximately (in a container with water) and yup, you can freeze it 🙂
Nidhi says
Easy work instructions to make Tofu. I really liked the mould !
Just curious , is the water in curdled mix is of any use? Or it's just a waste?
Nidhi says
Easy work instructions to make Tofu. I really liked the mold !
Just curious , is the water in curdled mix is of any use? Or it's just a waste?
Annie says
Hi Nidhi! I'm glad you found it useful! I always use it to water my plants because it has lots of nutrients 😉 but other than that, I haven't used it in a different way 😉
Andreea A says
👍🏻 Thank you ! 🙏🏻
I can't wait to try it
Annie says
Yay! Let me know how it goes 😉
SD says
The recipe states 2-4 Tbl but it looked as if you added more than that in the video? When you take it off the stove, is there a temperature range that the milk should be before adding the lemon juice? Or do you add the lemon juice immediately after you have taken the soy milk off the burner?
Annie says
Hi!! Yes! The quantity always varies because sometimes limes/lemons can be more sour or less (depending on the type and season), I also love to use apple cider vinegar, it works just as good. But going back to the quantity, just make sure that after you add lemon juice or vinegar and mix, the water that separates from the curdle stays 100% transparent, if it still looks a little white-ish, it means you need to add more lime/lemon juice or vinegar. And the temperature doesn't matter, I always do it right after I turn the stove off 😉
Lesedi says
Can you bake the tofu instead of doing that boiling? Like how Seitan can be steamed, boiled, or baked?
Annie says
To make tofu from scratch you have to follow the exact same steps in the recipe 😉
Lanti says
I got useful tips on making tofa thanks
Annie says
Awesome! I'm glad you found it helpful 😉
Sage says
New vegan here! This recipe was so easy to follow and tuned out so delicious! I recently had my cabinets refinished and now I'm feeling so inspired to spend more time in the kitchen. This was such a fun recipe to try out, thank you for sharing!
Annie says
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it :)!
Landi says
Thanks for this great recipe! It worked perfectly. I used fresh lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar and it worked like a charm. Perfectly firm tofu!
Annie says
Yay! So glad you had great results Landi :)!