Making Tofu Starter Guide | Learn to Make Tofu
Making Tofu Starter Guide
Getting Started Topics:
I'm Just Getting Started. Where Do I Begin?
Benefits of Making Your Own Tofu
Tofu, Soybeans & Food Storage
What About Soymilk & Other Vegan Milks?
Food Storage, Tofu, & Protein
Did you know that adults need to consume about 50 grams of protein every day? Most emergency food storage doesn’t provide nearly enough protein! You can easily convert your long-term storage dried soybeans to healthy, protein-rich tofu. One ounce of tofu costs under 25 cents to make has about 8 grams of protein.
I'm Just Getting Started. Where Do I Begin?
You might be surprised to know that tofu really only contains 2 ingredients: soybeans and water. In addition, you will need a tofu coagulant, cheese cloth, and tofu mold . You’ll also need a cooking pot, blender, and a few other household utensils to get the job done. But the bottom line is that it doesn’t take much to get started making your own fresh, delicious tofu.
- Molds – You can use a more traditional wood tofu mold, but our plastic mold is by far the most popular choice.
- Coagulants – Traditional coagulants include Japanese Nigari and Chinese Gypsum, but lemon juice works wonderfully and we recommend it for regular use. If adding tofu making supplies to your food storage, we recommend getting some gypsum.
- Soybeans – Our dried, organic yellow soybeans and black soybeans are available in small quantities to bulk. You can make fresh tofu from both types of soybeans. A pound of dried soybeans makes about a pound of tofu.
Benefits of Making Your Own Tofu
- Taste – You are probably used to store bought, rubbery tofu. If you have never tried freshly made tofu, then you have never really tried tofu! Once you have tried fresh, it’s hard to go back to the rubbery, bouncy, mass produced, store tofu.
- Cost – Store bought tofu can cost as much as 50 cents an ounce, and if you want organic tofu it can be as high as $1 per ounce! You can make your own organic tofu for as little 25 cents an ounce.
- Control – When you make your own tofu, you have complete control over the process. You can make it from soft to ultra firm. With our soybeans, your tofu will be organic and non-gmo; you control what goes in. No preservatives or other unwanted ingredients.
- Food Storage – Including tofu making ingredients and supplies in your long term food storage is an excellent idea for several reasons.
Tofu, Soybeans & Food Storage
Even if you don’t want to make your own tofu on a regular basis, you should seriously consider adding tofu making supplies to your long term emergency food storage.
- Long Shelf Life – Dried soybeans sealed in a BPA free bucket with an oxygen absorber will store safely for 10 years or more and still make awesome tofu. Making your own tofu is easy requiring only soybeans, water, and a coagulant like gypsum (ideal for long term storage).
- Inexpensive Protein Source - In your supplies of emergency stored foods, can you provide your family with enough protein? Most stored foods are notoriously high in carbs and frighteningly short on protein. Adding soybeans to your long term food supply means being able to easily convert them into fresh, delicious, high-protein tofu. Compared to the high cost of freeze dried meats and other high protein food storage options, soybeans are a wonderful and inexpensive option. Did you know that long term storage freeze dried meat can cost over $3 per ounce? Fresh-made tofu from your stored soybeans comes in at 25 cents an ounce.
- Fresh Nutritious Food – Tofu is a healthy food that is a tremendous source of protein, calcium, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin B1 and much more. If the worst should happen, you will be glad to be able to convert your soybeans into healthy, delicious, fresh tofu for your family.
What About Soymilk?
Indeed, making soymilk is the first step in making tofu, so if you have the supplies to make tofu, you automatically have the supplies to make soymilk too!