Introduction: The secret to making truly delicious tofu lies in the careful selection of soybeans and the water used for soaking. Therefore, the best choice is high-quality Northeast soybeans that are elastic, not hard, do not peel, have slightly convex cotyledons when rubbed open, and have brittle, not spongy, seed coats.
To learn more delicious ways to eat tofu, we recommend the daily feature: The Past and Present of Tofu
1. Soaking the Soybeans: Remember to pick them over for impurities and bad beans before soaking, then wash them. Soaking for about a night is sufficient. After soaking, wash them again and they are ready to use.
2. Making Soy Milk: At home, you can use a soy milk maker. The ratio is approximately one part soybeans to five parts water. Do not use the filter mesh that comes with the soy milk maker; remove it. The finer the soy milk is ground, the better. However, be sure to read the soy milk maker's instructions to avoid overheating and damaging the machine. Also, there will be a lot of foam during the process.
3. Filtering the Soy Pulp: Use a regular container or a pot to hold the soy milk. Line it with two layers of clean gauze. Pour the ground soy milk into the gauze and squeeze the soy milk out by hand. This step can be quite labor-intensive. We discard the leftover soy pulp, but it is also edible. You can find ways to use it, such as pan-frying it into small cakes or mixing it with flour to make various flour-based foods...
4. Boiling the Soy Milk: When boiling the soy milk, remember to use low heat and someone must be present to watch it. When soy milk boils, it produces a lot of foam and can easily overflow. At this point, you can reduce the heat to low and skim off the foam. After the soy milk comes to a boil, it must be simmered for at least another five minutes to be fully cooked; otherwise, it will have a beany flavor.
5. Coagulating with Coagulant: You can buy the coagulant (brine) from a tofu maker. It costs about one yuan for a 400ml bottle.
Coagulation Tips:
1. Temperature: The temperature must be maintained at around 80°C.
2. When making tofu at home, the quantity is small, so the coagulant must be added slowly; otherwise, the tofu will easily become too firm. Add the coagulant evenly to prevent some parts of the tofu from being firm and others being soft. Add the coagulant drop by drop into the soy milk while gently stirring in one direction with a spoon. The amount of coagulant is judged visually. When the soy milk begins to form flaky precipitates, it is time to stop. Adding more coagulant is how you control the firmness of the tofu.
3. After coagulating, keep it warm and let it sit still for half an hour to allow the precipitation reaction to complete fully. At this point, you have tofu pudding at home. To eat it, scoop it into a bowl and add toppings like chopped egg, dried shrimp, and seasonings...
This is the coagulant. Using a sharp liquor bottle is beneficial because the cap's nozzle can control the flow rate. Be sure to label the bottle and prevent it from being mistaken for food or from being accessed by children.
4. Filtering: Prepare a drainable basin and line it with clean gauze. Scoop the tofu pudding into the gauze.
5. Pressing: Wrap the tofu pudding in the gauze and place a heavy weight on top to help press out the water.
6. Finished Product: If the tofu is not to be eaten immediately, remember to cut it into blocks and store it in fresh water.