How To Press Frozen Sliced Tofu
Sliced frozen tofu can be pressed by hand. But using a tofu press gives more consistent results and allows a little more time for meal preparation. Read "How to Freeze Tofu" for detailed instructions on freezing your tofu.
Ingredients
- 1 tub extra firm tofu - - - 16 ounces, that has been sliced and frozen.
Instructions
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Place a pound of frozen sliced tofu on a plate covered with two thicknesses of paper towel. Let stand on a counter for about one hour to thaw (defrost). To speed the process up you can defrost the tofu in a microwave oven set on high for about 6 to 8 minutes.
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Lift the top of the tofu press and place six slices of the thawed tofu on the bottom. Place the tofu so that you have two stacks of three slices each resting next to each other. Press down on the top of the tofu press to start releasing some of the water from the tofu and to make room for the last two slices.
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Lift the top of the press so that you can place the last two pieces of tofu on top. Tighten the black plastic knobs in order to press the water out of the tofu. Be careful that you do not tighten it too tight. The tofu press is very strong and can press much harder on the tofu than you can with your hands. If you press down too hard, the tofu could start to crumble.
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Place the tofu press on its side on the baking sheet that you used to freeze the tofu. The baking sheet will catch the water pressed from the tofu. You will only need to press the tofu for two or three minutes before it can be removed. Now the pressed tofu is ready to used.
Recipe Notes
- For detailed instructions on freezing tofu please follow the recipe How To Freeze Tofu.
- Once you remove the tofu from the press, then it is ready to use to prepare Tofu Fish Sticks. The recipe How To Freeze Tofu also has more suggestions for using frozen tofu.
- Can I press a solid block of frozen tofu that has not been sliced? Yes. Just be careful that you do not press the tofu too hard. By using too much pressure, you could cause the tofu to fall apart. Pressing a solid block may also take a little longer.
- If for some reason there is not quite enough space to put your tofu slices in the press, then try the following suggestion. Use a pair of pliers or wrench to turn the nuts at the top of each post of the tofu press. Turn each nut counterclockwise exactly two complete turns. The nuts will not come off and it will give you just a little bit more room for your tofu slices.