Tips on making firm tofu

phlubup

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Ritzville, WA
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If anyone is interested, I've been making my own tofu from bulk, dry soybeans for close to a couple of years now, and I'm happy to share my technique. I use a slow-masticating juicer to make the milk, and an Instant Pot to heat it, so I would be most helpful if you have that equipment since I'm not a chef or anything, and only know what has worked for me.
 
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that is very kind of you to offer and there are some here that may be interested... for anyone who wishes to make their own and quicker, Sauce Stache has a cool video where you can make it simply from Soy milk that you buy - I would try that but do not have the patience to do it from scratch

Emma JC
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If you have some made from just beans and water, that would work. I'm in the sticks, so it's just the usual sweetened/stabilized brands, so I buy bulk soybeans and make my own. Making it using the Instant Pot once you have soy milk is very simple.
 
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If anyone is interested, I've been making my own tofu from bulk, dry soybeans for close to a couple of years now, and I'm happy to share my technique. I use a slow-masticating juicer to make the milk, and an Instant Pot to heat it, so I would be most helpful if you have that equipment since I'm not a chef or anything, and only know what has worked for me.
Does a slow-masticating juice mean no straining?
I'm very interested in your method! I have a Soya Joy I used to use pretty often when my son also drank soy milk. He doesn't like anymore, and i can't seem to get yogurt to set right with homemade so I stopped using it- I have made tofu a few times and fresh is so wonderful!

Most interested in what you use for coagulant. I have only used magnesium something
 
Does a slow-masticating juice mean no straining?
I'm very interested in your method! I have a Soya Joy I used to use pretty often when my son also drank soy milk. He doesn't like anymore, and i can't seem to get yogurt to set right with homemade so I stopped using it- I have made tofu a few times and fresh is so wonderful!

Most interested in what you use for coagulant. I have only used magnesium something
It cuts way down on the straining. I use a plant-milk pitcher rather than a bag (of which I also have a couple) and probably 95% of the okara comes out the waste chute of the juicer, so you're left with probably 2 or 3 minutes of tamping down on the soy milk over the pitcher, over the course of making a full Instant Pot's worth of milk.

My juicer has a 14 ounce basin, and I use 2 handfuls of beans and the rest water, let that go until there's no more movement coming out of the waste chute, empty the milk into the juice receptacle, and repeat. two cups of dry beans soaked overnight gets you right about 1 gallon of soymilk at those ratios. I could weigh everything out, but YMMV anyway depending on the specific model of juicer.

Then it's just set the IP to pressure for 5 minutes, then naturally release for 25 minutes, and you've got soy milk.

Then quick-release whatever pressure is left, and stir in 1 tsp of epsom salt, which is my preferred coagulant. I also use nigari from time to time, but I don't have the amount memorized on that and would just look it up before using it. Let it coagulate for about 20 minutes, and pour it into your cheesecloth-lined tofu mold.
 
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