Homemade Tofu anyone?

katieowl_2

Now don't laugh, I have done this before years ago, and it wasn't difficult either, but newly fired after reading a book (Radical Simplicity - Jim Merkel) I thought I might give it another go!! We eat way to much meat,eggs,dairy and the Bean Phobic DS will actually eat tofu, but like all other things, in huge quantities, making it an unrealistic purchase to be OS money saver.

Question is does anybody else do this who can tell me where I can buy "Nigari" the coagulant I need. I can have it shipped in in little liquid sachets from Australia, or by the kilo from a Macrobiotics place in Holland, but this seems to be defeating the 'sustainable' local approach I was hoping for LOL!!! I have combed the internet for two days, and keep going in circles.

I used to buy it from a firm in north London called Countryside wholefoods. It is like salt (well it is a salt - magnesium chloride - the residue from extracting salt from sea water - see I'm virtually an expert! ) I'm pretty sure I only bought a little bag (4oz or so) Anybody have it in their local health food shop???

Regards

Kate

shammyjack

Why not have a word with your friendly local Chemist preferably an old fashioned privat owned one if there is still one that Boots and Loyds have not driven out of business, if you explain they will probably supply you a reasonable amount at a decent price or try one of the larg Chinese supermarkets !

shammy

Jolaaled

katieowl wrote:

Now don't laugh, I have done this before years ago, and it wasn't difficult either, but newly fired after reading a book (Radical Simplicity - Jim Merkel) I thought I might give it another go!!

Regards

Kate

I"d love to make my own tofu..Kate...please can you pm me the recipe..thanks

Sena

Hi

I wonder if you could help me as you have done in the past. I have had recently had to change my diet to vegan for medical reasons and I have bought lots of books and searched the internet for recipes and some of the ones that I would like to try have silken tofu in them. I have heard of Tofu but have never heard of silken tofu. Do you know where I can get it from and where it is in the supermarket?

Many thanks
Sena

Claire70_2

Recipes - http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/article/52.html



The smoother silken version is a better choice for making into dips and spreads

http://www.veg-world.com/articles/tofu.htm

Claire

maryjane01

silken tofu is the white slippery tofu, it is used in Japanese miso soup, amoungst other stuff

I much prefer the harder tofu in stirfrys or spongy tofu in soups/curries. Chinese and japanese grocery stores I find have a much better range of tofus than the supermarket or healthfood store normally has.

I know you are vegan so this migth be difficult, but for other reading this thread, if you have a decent japanese of chinese restaurant, order a tofu dish to see the potential it has, sometimes it is translated in menus as 'beancurd'. It is a very good protein substitute, not just some poor salad munching vegetarians sad sorry alternative to meat. I always turn my meat eating friends onto tofu/beancurd when we go to a Thai or Chinese restaurant (I am a meat eater myself BTW).

do_it_today!

Hi :hello:
check out your local chinese supermarket/ wholesalers - they will definitely sell it and generally cheaper than the average health shop

Gingernutmeg

If you can't find tofu locally it might be worthwhile checking out the Japan Centre. The tofu looks fairly cheap and although the postage rates aren't brilliant if you can make a fairly big order up it might be worthwhile.

Fen1

You can get both silken and firm tofu from Tesco, Waitrose, etc.

Silken tofu can be found in packets (like mini-UHT cartons) in the Asian foods section of the shelves. I think one of the brands is Blue Dragon. This is good for soft savoury and sweet cooking: dips, shakes, even cakes. Not very good for stir-frying as it just sticks to the wok and disintegrates.
http://www.bluedragon.co.uk/products/ingredients/firm-silken-tofu.aspx

Firm tofu will be in the refrigerator and is great for stirfries, kebabs etc as is stays in solid chunks. A common brand is Cauldron: they do a range of veggie foods.
http://www.cauldronfoods.co.uk/CMSPage.aspx

Sena

Hi Everbody Thanks for you replies I was a bit stuck as I didn't even know where to begin to look and since I don't like Chinese food I owuld never have found the stuff.

Many thanks again
Sena

gooseinatree

Is there a machine for home use to make tofu? Like the soya milk maker to make soya milk.
I really love to eat more fresh tofu. I dont like the taste of packed longlife tofu from sainsburys.
But driving half an hour to the nearest chinese supermarket just to get a pack of fresh tofu.....is too expensive thing to do on a regular basis.