Why does my tofu keep turning out brittle?
I've been making my own tofu for a couple weeks now, first making fresh soy milk using my soy milk maker, and then combining the fresh and hot milk in a bowl with tofu coagulant (either gypsum or nigari), let it sit for a while, and then press it.
However, my tofu keeps turning out quite grainy and brittle, easily falling apart.
How can I stop this from happening?
Best Answer
This recipe uses more coagulant (1 tablespoon for 3 cups/600g of dried soy beans + 750g of water) and more weight (2.5 pounds), so I think you could also increase one or both of these factors in your next batch.
Pictures about "Why does my tofu keep turning out brittle?"
Why is my tofu not coagulating?
If you oversoak the beans they seem to lose their coagulating power. Don't under or overcook the ground up soy bean mixture. Bring it up to a boil then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. When adding the coagulant, make sure the soy milk is at the right temperature - around 75\xb0C / 165\xb0F, and no higher than 80\xb0C / 175\xb0F.Why is my tofu gritty?
You can use a few different ingredients to cause coagulation in your soy milk, and all of them will affect your tofu's texture. You can use acids such as vinegar and lemon juice as a tofu coagulant, but the resulting tofu is gritty and sour. It's best to stick to salt coagulants for creamy, slightly sweet tofu.Why I'm quitting Veganism after 8 years? What am I eating now?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Miguel Á. Padriñán, Miguel Á. Padriñán, Pavel Danilyuk, Нурлан