Making Tofu

The process of making tofu is a relatively straightforward process. It is a little like making soft cheese but much less time-consuming. Soya beans are soaked, boiled, mashed and then sieved to produce soya ‘milk’. Curds are then produced with the addition of a coagulant and, while warm, these are set in moulds for several hours. Finally, the tofu is released into a water tank to firm and cool further. The curds are processed differently depending on the form of tofu that is being made. For the standard firm tofu, the curd is cut and strained of excess liquid using cheesecloth or muslin, and then lightly pressed to produce a soft cake. If a firmer tofu is required then the tofu is further pressed to remove even more liquid. Soft silken tofu is made from thicker soya milk and isn’t pressed at all, instead the soya milk is curdled directly in the tofu’s packaging.