Forums: September 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Need the 411 on tofu
Created on: 09/22/10 08:22 AM Views: 1502 Replies: 6
changing Joined: 09/09/10 Posts: 22	Need the 411 on tofu Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 8:22 AM I was shut in with my asthma, so my husband did the grocery shopping. Rather than silken tofu, he brought home "soft." Now, I'm new to tofu and have absolutely no idea what to do with this stuff. It was a stretch to plan a recipe using the "silken." Can someone please teach me about tofu? What's the difference between silken, soft, firm, and extra firm? How is each used? Why do some recipes say to freeze it then thaw? What is pressing, and how is it done? I want to use what was purchased, but I'm kinda scared of the stuff. It just looks so squishy!
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 999	RE: Need the 411 on tofu Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 8:34 AM the only thing i am sure of is that you are supposed to discard the water it comes in... there is a good chocolate mousse recipe for the soft tofu.
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1189	RE: Need the 411 on tofu Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 9:27 AM Silken tofu is the tofu that comes in a shelf stable container (no refrigeration required). It can be soft, firm, or extra firm. But it is definitely creamier and much better for baking or mixing into recipes such as smoothies, mousses, and desserts. Tofu that is refrigerated can also be soft, firm, and extra firm. However, its texture is a little tougher. This is the kind that can be frozen and thawed in order to squeeze out even more water before you cook with it. This process makes it less "slimy" and chewier like meat. It's also so dry from squeezing out the water that it tends to soak up and hold sauces better. Without freezing tofu, you can still press out some of the water. You just have to be more careful as the block may fall apart in your hands. Some people will gingerly place the tofu between two plates with a little weight on top (cookbooks or whatever is handy). You leave it like that for several minutes and then pour off the excreted water. Personally, I'm a big fan of the freezing, thawing, and squeezing process. It makes tofu really delicious. You just have to plan ahead. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 999	RE: Need the 411 on tofu Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 10:46 AM so do i find tofu in 2 different sections in my grocery store? the only tofu i have found says silken.. and is in the health food dairy dept. is the tofu that can be kept on the shelf have the water around it? just trying to determine how i could tell if the one in my store is just kept in the dairy dept so people can find it.
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1189	RE: Need the 411 on tofu Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 10:51 AM Yes, there are two places that tofu can be shelved in a store. The kind that must be refrigerated looks like this: http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/product/1201-house-organic-tofu-med-firm. The kind that does not, looks like this: http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/product/silken-soft-tofu-12-3-oz. However, I have been in stores where the latter is stored in the cooler. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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changing Joined: 09/09/10 Posts: 22	RE: Need the 411 on tofu Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 11:04 AM That helps a lot! Thank you!!! Do you happen to have a good recipe for a tub of soft tofu? All of the ones I have are for firm, extra firm or silken.
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revolutionoftheheart Joined: 01/07/10 Location: NYC Posts: 164	RE: Need the 411 on tofu Posted Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 11:25 AM Here's a tip that I don't think alot of people do. I drain and freeze the same block of tofu twice. For the draining, I used to use a clean towel and weights, but recently I got the Tofu Xpress as a gift. So I drain, freeze, defrost, then drain again. I find with draining only once there's still a good amount of liquid in there. When you freeze, defrost and drain again you get it out. I like to drain the heck out of the tofu because it really can absorb your marinade. "In their behavior toward creatures, all men are Nazis. Human beings see oppression vividly when they're the victims. Otherwise they victimize blindly and without a thought." Isaac Bashevis Singer, author, Nobel Prize 1978
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