Put Your Canned Foods To Good Use When Preparing Tofu

Preparing tofu almost always starts with a good press — that is, unless your recipe calls for the soft or silken varieties. There's also the exception of pre-pressed tofu, which happens to be a real life hack for tofu lovers. Otherwise, any other block requires some good squeezing in order to hold up to a recipe's demands. But, while it might seem worthwhile to invest in a dedicated tofu press, it's not always necessary. In fact, without one, pressing tofu is a great way to put your canned foods to good use.

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The process of pressing tofu is, essentially, applying weight to it for a prolonged period of time. Doing so squeezes out the excess water, leaving behind space for more exciting flavors to seep in. Tasting Table has gotten creative with pressing tofu in the past, wrapping blocks in towels and using other heavy items such as a cast iron pot to get the job done. But should you find yourself limited to the means of your apocalypse bunker (or pantry shelves), your stock of canned foods will prove to be useful.

Grabbing anywhere from 4 to 6 cans from your cupboard, wrap your tofu blocks in towels before placing an oven tray or cutting board on top of them. Then, simply stack or balance your cans on the surface so that the weight gets distributed evenly across the block ... and wait. In about 30 minutes to an hour, your tofu will be pressed and ready to shine in dishes like this maple sesame tofu or another of our 22 tasty tofu recipes.

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Other helpful tofu pressing tips

There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to tofu. As explained before, different varieties will require different approaches. Many also depend on your desired outcome, with different pressing times required depending on the kind of texture you're aiming for. Still, while it's possible to over press your tofu when you're making a vegan scramble, and it's true that no amount of pressing will make a package of silken tofu crisp up like a block of extra firm, it's not usually a step you want to skip. Not only does pressing make it easier to achieve a chewy and crispy texture, but it also better enables your tofu to absorb all the flavors you add to it.

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So, aside from utilizing the weight of your canned foods when you press your tofu, consider some other helpful tips. Instead of pressing your block whole, cut it into slices or cubes first — expanding the surface area and, in turn, allowing the water to drain more quickly. The pressing time will still vary depending on what you're making. Lighter dishes might only need half an hour, but for the crispiest results, aim for the latter of the 30 minutes to an hour mark. If you're using tofu as a meat substitute, consider freezing it before or after pressing for an even denser, chewier, and overall more meat-like consistency that also maximizes flavor.

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