How to Freeze Tofu
Frozen tofu is one of the best kept secrets of tofu cuisine. Once you discover how to freeze sliced tofu, you may never use fresh tofu again.
Ingredients
- 1 tub extra firm tofu 16 ounces
Instructions
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Drain the tub of extra firm tofu and place on a cutting board. Cut the tofu in half across its width so that you have two pieces of the same size. Repeat cutting into halves until you have eight slices of tofu about one-half inch in thickness.
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Place the tofu slices on a baking sheet so that they do not touch.
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Place the baking sheet in the freezer. The tofu should stay in the freezer overnight or for at least 8 hours. You want to make sure that the tofu slices are frozen all of the way through. Once the tofu is frozen, the slices can be stored in a plastic Ziploc bag until needed.
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To thaw, place the sliced tofu on a paper towel in the middle of a microwave safe plate. Microwave the tofu on high for 6 to 8 minutes. Gently press the tofu with a finger to see if any ice crystals remain. If there is still some ice, then microwave for another 30 seconds. The general rule is to microwave for 45 seconds to one minute for each slice of tofu that you defrost at the same time. Once thawed, press each slice between the palms of your hands over the sink. This should remove most of the water in the tofu. This should remove most of the water in the tofu. You can also use a tofu press to remove water from your frozen tofu. For detailed instructions, please read this post on how to press frozen sliced tofu.
Recipe Notes
- The best practice for frozen tofu is to keep some in the freezer at all times. I usually keep at least one pound of frozen tofu in the freezer. This makes it possible to prepare a meal that requires frozen tofu, on the spur of the moment. All I have to do is defrost the tofu and it is ready to prepare.
- What Kind of Tofu Can Be Frozen? - - - There are three types of tofu available at most markets; silken, firm, and extra firm. The silken tofu is the softest because it has not been pressed as much as the other two forms of tofu. Therefore, it contains more water. It does not work very well when frozen because all of that water turns to ice and leaves large cavities in the tofu when thawed. The preferred tofu for freezing is the extra firm. It has the least amount of water so it has fewer pockets or cavities when thawed. This means that it will hold together better. The firm tofu can be frozen even though it has a little more water than the extra firm. It will still hold together fairly well when thawed as long as you handle it gently.
- Is My Tofu Spoiled? - - - Tofu will change color when frozen. It turns to the amber color of the soybeans that it was originally made from. This does not mean that the tofu is spoiled or has freezer burn. It is completely normal. When you defrost the frozen tofu, it turns to a light tan color similar to the original creamy white color of fresh tofu.
- How can I use Frozen Tofu? - - - There are many ways to use frozen tofu. It can be fried in a little oil to give it a crispier texture. It can be marinated and fried just like fresh tofu. Either one of these can be added to you favorite stir fry vegetables. You can also use it to make Tofu Fish Sticks. Our recipe for Tofu Fish Sticks is probably one of the most popular ways that we use frozen tofu. If you have the tofu frozen ahead of time, then the fish sticks can be prepared in about half an hour.