I should preface this with saying that I have never liked tofu. Blah. B-O-R-I-N-G. But I was interested in seeing what kind of non-meat high protein meals I could potentially make in future, using only produce from the property, and I’ve ordered (non-GMO) soy beans for next year’s crops. And so the adventure began. I’ve gotta say- I liked it. Took a couple of tries to get just the right texture but it worked out really well. So here it is, how to make tofu from scratch…
Start by soaking your beans. I used about 500 grams and left them to soak overnight. Add water as required to ensure the beans are fully immersed. Once your beans are soft, grind them to a paste in a blender or food processor. Add just enough water to ensure a nice, even mixture.
Transfer the soybean paste to a large pot and add about 4 cups of water. Heat the mixture over medium heat, for about 20 minutes. Stir regularly. You’re not looking to boil it so much as evenly heat it and allow the fibrous material to separate from the milk.
When you’ve just about hit the 20 minute mark, get your straining materials ready. Finally- a use for those couple of dozen embroidered table runners from the mother-in-law! At least that’s what I used- I don’t like the commercial cheesecloth available these days, too flimsy. I chopped a section of tablecloth and I positioned it over a bowl, to strain the soy mixture.
This stage of making tofu involves “milking the bean”- not nearly as sexy as you might expect, but just as messy. There’s way too much mixture to strain all at once, so I transferred some of it to a measuring cup and poured it a bit at a time through the cloth. You’ll have to squish what remains in the cloth- there’s an amazing amount of liquid left in what appears to be solid mass. Then scrape the remaining soy bean mess (otherwise known as okara) off the cloth and set aside- you can use this later.
Dump the filtered milk back into a clean pot, and repeat until you’ve worked your way through the mixture. (Note: this is where you’d stop if you simply want soy milk and not tofu. Refrigerate and drink plain or add a banana or berries and whip for a tasty smoothie.) Return the pot to the stovetop over low heat.
There are a few coagulants that can be used at this stage. The most commonly used agent is nigari but, not being a tofu-maker, I didn’t have any on hand so I used lemon juice. (Another coagulant that you may have on hand is apple cider vinegar.)
Add about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the hot mixture and give it a few swirls. Do not stir vigorously. Turn the heat off and put a tight fitting lid on the pot. Leave it sit for about 20 minutes. Once the time has elapsed, check the mixture. The solids should have separated from the (yellowy) liquid. If it hasn’t properly separated (i.e. if you have a grainy mix instead of fully separated chunks) add a little more lemon juice and let it sit a while longer.
Alright- more straining! When I said this process was messy, I meant it. Your kitchen will be splattered with soy bean milk and remnants and all of your dishes will be dirty. So get your tofu press ready if you have one. I don’t own one, so I made one by punching a bunch of holes in an ice cream container. (On my next try I punched holes in a rectangular margarine container which was a considerably nicer form.) Line the press with your straining material (cheesecloth or tablecloth) and carefully pour the tofu into the press. Cover the tofu with your cloth (wrapping it like a present) and gently press out the excess liquid. Place a weight on the tofu (I used cans) and leave it to sit for about 90 minutes.
Once the time has elapsed, unwrap the tofu and check for firmness. It should hold its shape nicely and be the consistency of store-bought tofu. Transfer the tofu to a plate and cut into squares. It’s now ready to use or store in the refrigerator for use later on.
Note: the okara can be dried on low heat on a baking sheet, and used in place of breadcrumbs, or sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon for a light topping for yogurts, etc. It has a slightly nutty flavour, I like it plain too. There is more protein in the okara than the soy milk or tofu, kind of a shame not to use it.
blending the beans
first stage straining
milking the bean
coagulated tofu
straining tofu
pressing the tofu
pressed tofu
okara
tofu, soy milk and okara- not bad for a bunch of beans
Glad to hear you’ve been ‘busy’ this winter! I, myself, have been pouring over seed catalogues and have finally come up with a list that I will be sending in next week. (almost $1000 worth!)
Have you ever tried quinoa? It does seem expensive from the store but soooo good for you, nothing like a common grain. I just bought the book ‘Quinoa 365′ and at least once a week we try something new. (and my kids like it too!) AND because I’m pretty sure we can grow it here! (although pricey from a seed) It’s the only complete protein, all 9 amino acids, and great for weight loss! The list goes on.
That’s what our ‘protein’ plan is.
Thanks for the tofu info, my kids aren’t too keen on it but whatever they’ll get used to whatever we feed them!
I can’t wait to see what’s next!
ps i use you’re updates to keep me motivated through the cold winter and see what I should be doing next!
Wow- a grand worth of seeds! Well, no doubt it’ll pay back more than that though. We did order quinoa actually- I’m still waiting to receive that order though, along with my soy beans, amaranth and a couple of other things. The Cottage Gardener had a considerably faster turnaround time than PR Seeds.
In between brick-making, landscape design and studying power I’m working on vegetarian meals that I can easily make. Tried my hand at gnocchi as well and that was tasty if nutritionally deficient but I’m going to give sweet potato gnocchi a try next, and then onto pasta. Trying to accommodate 3 veg meals a week, in preparation. I’m pretty picky though.
You were building, weren’t you? Or planning on it? How is that process going?
Yeah a grand worth of seeds definitely is more than I thought we would ‘need’! BUT my husband says ‘ya never know, they might become currency someday’. I guess I never thought of that! Plus most do keep for a few years too.
No were not building (5 kids! re-building isn’t really in our time frame) just really ramping up the efficiency on our current house. Re-insulating the entire outside then new siding. Same for the ceiling in the entire house room by room. Right now Jeff is working on solar hot water heating for the house and we’re building a greenhouse this summer too. (with the same for heating)
Just refinished renovating our living room. (new high e wood burning fireplace, and new insulation etc) We figure if/when things really go to sh*t that will be the room we spend the most time in so we better like it!
We will be building a house for my mom once she retires (2ish years) But we’re not exactly what kind yet…..your place looks amazing but may be too much work for us……but who knows. There are so many choices when you’re looking at only around 600sq ft!
Hey there,
nice to see your back online, I am a new person who follows your blog now!
There is a way to cook, enhance the Tofu after it is processed. Think of it as twice baked or fried potatoes, similar idea, infact the very same really.
Take the Tofu and coat it with honey, either bake or toss into a hot cast iron pan, and pan fry it lightly. Yum
You could also coat it in honey and garlic, make a non-milk garlic spread with honey, play with it that way, to taste.
Thanks for the info, I might be planting Soya Beans to try this spring now as well. Being allergic to Milk, making my own, just seems right!
Those who think they don’t like tofu may not understand that it easily takes on the flavor of things it is used with. For example, the Mori-Nu people have had recipes for years on their website that are often very good–such as a wonderful pumpkin pie to which the tofu adds protein while also resulting in a sort of pumpkin chiffon texture. It is one of my favorite pumpkin pie recipes, in fact…and very simple to make.
Tofu is also the basis for many meat replacements that can be surprisingly close to the real thing–especially good for kids or those who balk at the idea of vegetarian eating.
In stir-fry, I vastly prefer the soft tofu to the fried version you find occasionally.
There are automatic soymilk makers that can simplify the process greatly for those who want regular supplies of soymilk. The one I had before moving to Europe was super-simple to use and did a very good job–and it cut out many of the steps you describe so well. I’m seriously considering getting one with European voltage capability for use here. They can be used to make rice milk, cashew milk, nut milks, and to make various kinds of soups as well. The one I want is called the SoyaPower Plus from http://www.soymilkmaker.com.
With one of those, you presoak the beans, then put them in the maker with water, close it and press a button and the machine does the rest.
I’m in most cases something of a minimalist–but for frequent soymilk and tofu making, I think one of these machines would be well worthwhile. I loved the one I had and look forward to getting one that will work here.
I like extra-firm tofu cut up in small squares (sometimes coated with a little flour) and sauteed with lots of hot, spicy seasonings. I discovered about a year ago that I can’t eat soy or grains, so tofu and all grains – including rice – are out. Have you ever grown sprouts? Sprouted djukis, mungs, lentils, broccoli, etc., are suprisingly high in protein and many other fantastic nutrients. They are very easy to grow indoors and in small spaces, even when you’re place is deep in snow. My husband grows and sells them every week at our local farmers’ market. (Acknowledging that we live in a much milder climate… but we have had lots of freezing weather with highs in the single digits this year, and the sprouts thrive anyway. He harvests every Saturday.) Now that he’s mastered this skill, I know that when we make the jump to remote/off grid living, we will have fresh greens even if the garden doesn’t produce.
Wow
That is amazingly similar to how I make soft cheese.. Just substitute goat milk for the blended beans and you are good to go.
Maybe we will try some tofu. Our next project (well, one of the next anyways- we still have to finish the earthbag llama barn) is going to be sprouts, and maybe we’ll trow tofu in there as well.
I haven’t ever seen dried soybeans here, so i’ll have to do some research to find that.
Thanks for the great and informative post, and good luck with all the spring prep work.
Richard
We’ve been reading your blog in our kitchen and you’ve had us in stitches. We are planning to build an earthbag addition to our cob/cordwood/balecob cabin this summer here outside of Williams Lake, BC. We were wondering: What kind of foundation did you use? Did you insulate your foundation at all? What type of floor are you planning to put in the building? We built an earthbag root cellar last year and love the technique. Way faster than cob.
All the best.
We didn’t go with a traditional foundation. We live in a drought area, at least it has been up until this last year, so we dug the floor down about 2 feet and a rubble trench about 4 feet. With the flooding we did get this past summer, the trench held up beautifully and the work site itself was pretty much the only thing not under water. We’re going with earthen floors. I just love the look and feel of them and I think they’ll be beautiful in the scorching summers. We haven’t fully decided on insulation… There are mixed reviews. Many (most) recommend insulating but others suggest borrowing on the more steady temperature of the earth. The house is sunken, and will be bermed, so I’m sort of leaning towards not insulating… If we do insulate though, we’ll be using papercrete.