Tofu...fresh made

TOFU from scratch?

If you have read this blog you will have found that I have a relatively new love of tofu. However, I  have an old love of making food from scratch. Going back to basic ingredients is not only healthier, but it tastes better too. I prefer foods that are not overly processed with chemicals or grown by GMO farmers and are certified organic. Because of this I have discovered that many ingredients that I used to purchase to "save time" are simple to make.(it is usually cheaper too) At the end of the time well spent is usually a great reward. Making tofu from scratch was no different.

The hardest part was finding non GMO soy beans. Go on, give it a try. Just about every soy based product seems to be GMO. After an effort I found some and it was well worth the effort. It is much better than the store bought and every part of the process is useful. Nothing goes to waste.

 Where do I get these magic beans you ask? Insert shameless promotion here:

Bob's Red Mill is certified organic, this means NO GMO soy.

Now to the good stuff...

Tofu

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of dry soy beans and 2 TBSP of Epsom Salt.
• Instead of Epsom Salt, you can use 3tbs of lemon juice.

Equipment:

• Food processor or blender,
•  2 large pots, 
• 1 colander, 
• 1 strainer, 
•  cheesecloth. 

Process:

• Soak the dry soy beans over night in the refrigerator. They will expand so make sure to give the plenty of room and water.
• Rinse the soaked beans and discard any discolored ones if you spot any.
• Blend a little at a time with enough water to cover the beans. 
• Add the processed beans to your largest pot with 12 additional cups of water.
• Stir frequently and simmer for about 20 minutes. This will foam up a bit so be careful not to let it boil over. 
• Strain into your second pot. Use a spoon to press out as much of the milk as you can. The liquid is soy milk. The solids are okara. (Don't toss this! Its good. Hang on till the end to find out more about Okara.)
  
  (I took out a jar of soy milk for drinking and cooking at this point and continue making the rest into tofu.)
• heat the soy milk back up to around 180 degrees. 
• Dissolve 2 TBSP of Epsom Salt in 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water.
  (Alternatively you could use 75ml of lemon juice.)
• Remove from heat and gently stir together.
• In about 5 to 10 minutes the curds will separate.
• Use your cheese cloth and place in a mold. Skim out curds and pour into mold.
• Press down with a small plate and heavy object.
• Leave for about 20 minutes. Refrigerate and eat.

Okara:

Now...what is Okara you ask? No it is not a miss spelling of Okra. It is a useful byproduct of making tofu. Why should I keep it? Okara is the left over soy bean that did not dissolve into the water. It is great stuff. Want a healthier cookie? Replace 1/2 the flour with okara. Bread? sure why not. Out of bread crumbs for your meat balls? Okara will work. Get the idea? You can freeze it as is, or do like I do and stick it in your dehydrator. It will form into a bark that you can then grind up into a course powder.

The great thing about this recipe is that nothing goes to waste. It is a definite kitchen winner.