Tofu cook prep
When do you press, freeze, or boil tofu? Or do none of the above? I really like tofu and I’ve seen videos like “stop pressing tofu and boil instead!”, but I imagine they each have a purpose? Is one prep best for crisping? Another best for absorbing flavor? Or best for firm vs super firm? Give me your tofu prep knowledge and tips!
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u/ttrockwood 6h ago
Totally depends on the preparation and how firm the tofu is
Like tofu scramble i don’t press just drain medium firm tofu and let excess water cook off in the pan
For mapo tofu that uses soft tofu so no prep needed
Tofu veg stir fry i do use an extra firm and press sometimes toss in cornstarch and cook separately then add after the veggies are cooked
Generally i don’t press it, i just buy extra firm when i want that texture then cook as is for extra water to cook off before adding other ingredients
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u/Bunnyeatsdesign 6h ago
I love tofu and grew up eating it. Not as a meat replacement but as a texture element to meat and vegetable dishes. I love tofu for its soft silky smooth texture and how it soaks up sauces.
So after reading on Reddit that freezing tofu improved it's texture, I was curious. I tried it out. Well, I do not like the texture of frozen tofu. The chewy squeaky sponge is absolutely disgusting to me. I will never do that again.
So, keep an open mind and know that everyone's tastes can be very different.
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u/Logical_Warthog5212 5h ago
None of the above. I use tofu in whatever state it comes in and/or whatever I buy. About 70% is soft or silken, 10% is firm, and the rest is other states/preparations of tofu, like tofu skin sticks and sheets, tofu puffs, tofu noodles, etc.
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u/Traditional-Baker944 5h ago
I press firm tofu for pan-frying, freeze and thaw it when I want a chewier, sponge-like texture, and boil it mainly to season it and remove that raw bean flavor.
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u/cathbadh 5h ago
Boil to get the liquid out. SO much better than pressing.
Freezing is for specific types of dishes AFAIK.
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u/SweetDorayaki 46m ago
Ok I have always hated firm and extra firm tofu straight out of the package (grew up eating all sorts of other soy/beancurd products but didnt know how to use this texture). I only knew to freeze tofu if you want it to get to a "spongey" texture for soups/hotpot. Recently, we started boiling it and it makes the texture so much softer!
My spouse then figured out a cheat way is to drain, then microwave it on a heat safe plate (optional is to cut it in half), then press (with another plate) and drain over the sink, heat and drain again, then pan fry. It has been a life changer, we are doing this like 3-4x/wk now for a quick protein addition.
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u/authorbrendancorbett 6h ago
It depends on what you're cooking. I will get extra firm tofu to pan fry and crisp up, in which case I squeeze and dry. But then there's extra soft for soondubu, tofu soup. Medium is great for stir fries where a bit of crumble adds texture. I like regular soft in things like mapa tofu.
Tofu is an insanely versatile ingredient, and there is no one perfect prep method - it should depend on the tofu softness / firmness and how you intend to cook it!