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Showing posts with label soybeans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soybeans. Show all posts

Fresh and Tasty - Make Your Own Tofu in Less Than 25 Minutes.

Posted by Leah Bergman Friday, February 5, 2010 0 comments

Tofu is an Asian delight that has recently gained popularity in the West. This protein-packed super food has surprisingly almost as much calcium as a glass of milk, and it is low in calories, sodium, and cholesterol. Not only is it low in cholesterol, it is said to actually help reduce it. Tofu is often consumed by menopausal woman as the isoflavones increase the lowered estrogen levels and help regulate hormone fluctuations; however, it is not just for women, the isoflavones are also beneficial for prostate health.

With all of its health benefits, why not experience the freshness of homemade tofu? It is surprisingly easy to make in just a few steps, and you will be surprised how much better it tastes than its store bought counterpart. Tofu is made out of curdled soy milk so the majority of the work in making tofu is actually finished once the soymilk is made. (You can find the directions for making soy milk in my previous post).




Materials needed: (An inexpensive kit can be purchased)
-  Tofu Box
-  Cheese cloth
-  1 tsp Coagulant – Nigari (natural magnesium chloride) is used in Japan and Gypsum (natural calcium sulfate) is used in China
-  12-16 cups of freshly made, unsweetened soymilk


1. Prepare coagulant by dissolving 1 tsp in a cup of hot water. (The more coagulant used, the firmer the tofu becomes.)

2. While stirring, slowly pour ¾ of the dissolved coagulant in soymilk that has just been boiled and is still hot, but the burner is now turned off. (Please note that the soymilk needs to be near boiling point for the coagulant to curdle properly, but the burner should now be turned off.)

3. Stop stirring and wait 2-3 minutes. It should immediately start curdling.

4. Check to see if there are more white milky parts left.

5. If so, add the remaining ¼ tsp. Otherwise it is not necessary depending on how firm you wish your tofu to turn out.

6. The tofu should now be separated between the small white curds and the whey (amber liquid).

7. Put cheese cloth into a strainer and pour the whey and curds into it.

8. Place the cheese cloth with the strained curds into the mold.

9. Place a cup on top of the mold and let stand for 20 minutes.

So basically, you are just putting some coagulant in the prepared soymilk and then placing it into a mold. How easy is that? Now it is time for you to enjoy your fresh, nutritious creation!

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Nature’s Nectar- How to Easily Make Your Own Fresh Soy Milk

Posted by Leah Bergman Monday, December 7, 2009 0 comments

Soymilk has been enjoyed in the east for thousands of years. The fist document of its usage is a mural engraved in stone depicting its production in a culinary scene. There have been references made in a diary by the Shinto priest Nakaomi, and in cooking books dating back to 1782. This exotic nectar has now captured the west and graces restaurants, stores, and kitchens throughout America. I was surprised to see how easy it is to make it yourself, and gladly took on the challenge. This way I could cut out all the sugar, oils, and emulsifiers, and just enjoy it in its purist form. Here is the recipe:


1 lb of organic soy beans
1 gallon (16 cups) of filtered water.


1. Soak the soybeans for 10-16 hours

2. Knead the beans and flush with water to remove the hulls. This will make the extraction process more efficient and removes some of the phytic acid.

3. Heat the soybeans in a pan to remove the “beanie flavor” (Optional)

4. Put the beans and water in batches into the blender. Filter out the bean puree from the liquid with a sieve or cheese cloth. (The left over bean puree is called okra. The okra can be used in recipes to make bread, croquettes, etc)

5. Bring the liquid to a boil, and boil for 5-10 minutes. When it has cooled, it is ready and can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. (I like to put in a pinch of salt and 2 tbs. of agave nectar to flavor.)

Enjoy the soy milk by itself, in a smoothie, with cereal, or as traditional Chinese breakfast, Dou Jiang which can be either salty or sweet, and is served with bread

You can also purchase a soymilk machine to do the work for you.

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