Tofu is an absolutely delicious food that is enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians, and meat lovers alike. Made from soybeans through an easy but careful process, tofu is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be prepared in so many ways. Making your own tofu can be a lot of fun and can really ensure that the final product is super fresh.
Here are 4 tips for making the perfect tofu at home.
1. Learn to Make the Perfect Soy Milk
To make the perfect tofu you first need to make the perfect soy milk. This is the main ingredient in tofu and if you get it right, all the next steps will follow easily. It is very important that you soak the soy beans overnight before you blend them. When you start cooking the blended beans, you need to be diligent in scooping off all of the froth and foam that forms on the surface. This is a waste product and you don’t want it in your soy milk as it will ruin the texture and flavor of your tofu. Do not let the milk boil but keep stirring until steam starts to rise. Then take it off the heat immediately. You will need to strain the milk through a cheesecloth-lined strainer and allow it cool for a few hours before repeating the process. The most important thing is that you cook stirring to prevent the soy milk from scorching.
2. Press the Tofu
There are many different traditional techniques for pressing tofu but the best way is to use a press. Using a modern tofu press is super easy to use and will enable you to press your tofu perfectly every time with no fuss. Pressing tofu by hand can be a messy business but using a press will drain all the excess liquid off and collect it so that you can easily dispose of it at the end of the process.
3. Press Tofu to the Right Consistency
There are various kinds of tofu that you can make which range from silken tofu to more dried out tofu. The texture and consistency you need will depend on what kind of recipe you want to use the tofu for. The more liquid you press out of the tofu, the denser and drier its texture will be. The best tofu presses have different settings so that you can choose the texture you want to produce and it will come out perfect every time.
4. Learn Some Delicious Tofu Recipes
Once you have the perfect tofu you will then need to learn some great recipes to make the most out of it. The fantastic thing about tofu is that it is so versatile that you can cook it in so many different ways. Tofu is an important ingredient in many types of Asian cooking so try frying it with some Vietnamese flavors or cooking a Korean-style tofu soup. 
Tofu is a fantastic food which is so delicious in a whole range of recipes. Follow this simple guide and you will be able to make the perfect tofu dishes every time.
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