Tofu

* Exported from MasterCook *

TOFU

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Info/tips Vegetarian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
***** NONE *****

2 cups washed soybeans, preferably a large, low oil
variety such as
Vintons (Pinetree Seeds), but any will do. 6
quarts boiling water

Cover beans with water and let soak for a few
hours--until the beans, when split, have flat surfaces
and break easily. The will have a pale color
throughout--if there are sunken yellow spots, soak
them longer. This is one of the most important steps!
Do not undersoak the beans, and do not let them
ferment (Bubbles rising to the top) or the results
will not be as good.

Drain the beans. Bring 6 quart of water to a boil in
one pan or kettle, and another 16 quarts to boil in a
large deep pan. Turn off heat. Blend one cup of beans
with 1 1/2 cups boiling water from the smaller pan
until well blended. The resulting mix will look kind
of like wet cream of wheat. Continue to blend the
beans 1 cup at a time and add the mix to the water in
the large pan. Stir.

Now you need a "tofu bag." Old flour sacks work very
well. So do 2 non terrycloth kitchen towels sewn
together into a sack. A large piece of cloth will
suffice. Do not use cheesecloth--you need a tighter
weave--something that the point of a straight pin can
go through without piercing a thread, but no looser...

Line a large colander with the sack (moistened with
water) or the cloth, and place it on a rack over yet
another large pan. (Canners work great.) Pour the
stuff from the large pan into the sack and drain,
pressing it to squeeze out all of the soymilk.

You now have soymilk and okara (the stuff in the
bag). Set the okara aside or freeze it for later.

Put the soymilk back on the stove and over med-low
heat bring it to a simmer. This takes awhile, but you
don't want to burn it. If you religiously stir it you
can heat it up faster. It will cling to the pan, and
skim over on top just like milk does. Bring it to a
simmering boil and boil for 7 minutes. If it gets a
good "skim" on the top, remove it in one piece with a
chopstick. This is called "Yuba" and is used in the
Orient as a meat substitute. Fried up in a little
butter or oil it tastes like chicken skin...

While the soymilk cooks, make up the coagulant: 2
teaspoons epsom salts in 1 cup warm water, or 2
tablespoons of nigari (and if you know of a source for
it tell me!) in 1 cup warm water, or 2 tablespoons of
lemon juice in 1 cup warm water... Take the soymilk
off the heat and sprinkle about 1/2 the coagulant
solution gently over the soymilk. Cut through--do not
stir--the soymilk to distribute the coagulant. Let
stand for a few minutes. The curds should begin to
form. Sprinkle 1/2 the remaining coagulant in the same
manner. Repeat as needed (you may need to mix up more
solution) until you have white curds in pale yellow
whey--no creaminess left. Now you need a pressing box
(a 6"x8" wooden box with holes on each surface, and a
removable top and bottom, or a colander will do ).
Place the box on a rack over a large pan, and line it
with a moistened cloth. Drain off as much whey as you
can from the curds without disturbing them too much.
Then gently ladle the curds into the pressing box.
Cover the tofu (that's what you've got in the box!)
with the cloth, put a board or plate on top and weight
it down with a 3-5 pound weight for 20 minutes.
Submerge the cloth wrapped tofu in cool water, remove
the cloth. Store tofu in water in the refrigerator,
changing water daily, or freeze it for an interesting
texture change. It takes awhile, but you will end up
with a couple of pounds of the best tofu you ever ate,
a gallon or more of okara, and a couple gallons of
whey--all for the cost of 2 cups of soybeans! Whey,
btw, is great stuff. It's good for your skin, gentle
enough to wash babies in (natural detergent+lecithin),
makes a good liquid for bread baking, is a natural
wood polish, and wonderful fertilizer. If you're still
with me, I'd suggest you go out and buy "The Book of
Tofu," some beans, and get cookin! I've got my tofu
and okara made. I'm gonna make soysage right
now--dontcha wish you were here?

FROM: Cissy Bowman



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