Soybeans will double its size after 6 to 8 hours of soaking in room temperature water. One ounce of dry soybean makes about two ounces of tofu although this varies quite a bit for soft tofu or hard tofu. The following instructions are for making about one lb of tofu.
- Make two batches of soy milk per SoyaJoy, SoyaPower soy milk maker. Once the soy milk is made, the major part of the work for making tofu is done!
- Pour both batches into a pot and simmer it to boiling. Then turn off the heat and add the coagulant solution into the soy milk. Soymilk needs to be near boiling hot when adding coagulant. Thus this step is just in case the first batch of soymilk has cooled off too much while the second batch is being made. If you make the second batch of soymilk immediately after the first batch, it may be OK simply mixing the two batches together without simmer it. You can reduce the time for making second batch by using boiling hot water.
- Coagulant – you can do this while the soymilk is simmering. Dissolve either 1 tsp. nigari (natural magnesium chloride) or 2 tsp. natural calcium sulfate in 1 cup (8 oz.) hot water. Less coagulant produces softer tofu, while more produces firmer tofu.
- Pour the prepared coagulant solution slowly into the soy milk, stirring gently. Stop stirring when 3/4 of coagulant solution has been added. Wait 2-3 minutes. Now, gently stir the forming curds and sprinkle the last 1/4 of the coagulant solution into any milky areas. If there are no milky areas, you do not need to add the rest of the coagulant solution. If there are still some milky areas after adding all the solution, mix and add some more. Depending on the water quality, etc., you may need slightly more or less coagulant.
- Once the soymilk has separated into small white curds of tofu and an amber liquid (whey) as shown on pictures above, transfer curds to a tofu mold (or tofu box) lined with cheesecloth. Any container that has many small holes to allow residual whey to drain can serve as a tofu mold. A lid is then placed on the forming container, after which a small weight of 3 - 5 pounds is placed on the lid of the container and allowed to sit for 20 minutes or so. A pot or jar of water can serve as the weight.
- Empty the resulting block of tofu into a tub of cold water and allow it to sit for another hour, then store the tofu in the refrigerator and change the soaking water daily.
You can eat the fresh tofu while it is still warm. Freshly made warm tofu tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff! If you use soybeans from a new crop, the tofu tastes even better. It is very satisfying to see tofu taking shape from soy milk. Most everyone who tries it enjoys the process.
Natural calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride are the most commonly used tofu coagulants. They have been used for hundreds of years in Japan and China.
Natural calcium sulfate (gypsum) and magnesium chloride (nigari) are the most common tofu coagulants used. They have been used for hundreds years in Japan and China. Nigari is composed mainly of magnesium chloride, but also contains other minerals found in seawater, with the exception of sodium chloride (sea salt). Gypsum is a naturally occurring calcium sulfate.
16 ounces of nigari can make about 250 pounds of tofu, depending on firmness. 16 ounces of gypsum can make about 120 pounds of tofu.
Don't be fooled into buying those 50 bags of tofu coagulators - each makes only 0.4 lb. of tofu! Worse, they are synthetic (man-made) without FDA approval and are intentionally mislabeled.
Please note that both calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride are also available in other grades for industrial use. Ours are food grade, specifically for making tofu.
What type to buy, gypsum or nigari? It really depends on you. Nigari is believed to make better tasting tofu, but gypsum contains calcium. Why not try both and see which type you prefer?
We sell nigari in 16 ounce bags and gypsum in 12 ounce bags. If you order with the SoyaJoy Soy Milk Maker, shipping is free.
