how to make homemade tofu

By Sarah's Vegan Kitchen

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Rinse the dried soybeans in a fine mesh sieve, then soak them in cool water covering them by at least 2-3 inches at room temperature for 8+ hours or overnight, until they split easily when gently squeezed.
2. Drain and rinse the soaked beans, then blend them in a high-powered blender with 3 cups of fresh water until completely smooth.
3. Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a gentle boil in a very large, heavy-bottomed pot.
4. Pour the blended soybean mixture into the boiling water. Blend 1 cup of fresh water in the blender to pick up remnants, then add that to the pot so you have used all 8 cups of water.
5. Skim the foam from the top. Heat over medium-high, stirring and scraping the bottom often to prevent scorching. When it nears boiling it will foam up quickly, so remove it from the heat immediately as it starts to rise.
6. Strain the soy milk through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag into a second pot and let it cool for several minutes.
7. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the pulp to extract as much soy milk as possible. Save the pulp (okara) for other uses.
8. Bring the soy milk back to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat and let the soy milk cool for about 5 minutes, to around 180°F if you have a thermometer.
10. Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered nigari in water to make the coagulant solution. Line a wooden tofu mold with cheesecloth that has been wet and wrung out.
11. Pour in one third of the nigari solution and stir gently 3-4 times until the mixture starts to curdle slightly. Pour in another third, stir gently, cover, and let it sit for 2 minutes.
12. Pour in the remaining nigari solution and stir gently without breaking the curds, until the curds clearly separate from the liquid. If it does not curdle, reheat over low heat for a few minutes.
13. Press the curds with a fine mesh sieve to drain off a few cups of liquid, then ladle the curds into the lined mold. Level the top, fold the cheesecloth over, and cover with the lid.
14. Weigh the tofu down with a heavy object, such as a can of beans, for about 30 minutes for medium-firm tofu. Press longer for firmer tofu or shorter for softer.
15. Unwrap the pressed tofu and place it in a bowl of cold water to firm up and remove any bitterness or sourness.

Summarized from Sarah's Vegan Kitchen's video. Watch it for the details.

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