Experimentation Sunday: Freezing Tofu

Okay, this is why I love the Internet. You can find anything. I've been looking for information on how to cook tofu and came up with nothing on my favorite food websites (Allrecipes and FoodTV). Instead, I find a three-year-old blog post. I've read about freezing tofu but never could really figure out how to do it best. After her tutorial, I've found it to be a piece of cake.


Why freeze tofu? As I've learned first-hand in my attempt at Senegalese Tofu, it doesn't get firm just from cooking it. Freezing firm tofu changes the texture and makes it toothier, chewier, and better at soaking up flavors, a far cry from the squishy cheese texture you find in the tub.

First, you have to drain the tofu. Some people say to press it first, and I guess that would help, but you could also press it after. This is what I've done, and I'm inclined to say it doesn't matter when you do it as long as you do it.

If you want to divide it into serving portions, do so now.

Freeze in a baggy overnight, or as long as you desire. This is the time-consuming part; you have to plan ahead to freeze and thaw the tofu before you use it. I think I'm going to try to keep some on hand now that I know how tasty and easy this is.

Don't worry that the tofu turns yellow in the freezer. It'll change back as it thaws.

I thawed mine by leaving on the counter. You can also leave it in the fridge or place the block in hot water. Reviews are mixed on thawing it in the microwave; I've not tried that (yet). The thawing tofu will be watery if you didn't press it prior to freezing, but you can just pour the water out of the bag or press it between towels after it's thawed.

I'll be sharing the results of our frozen tofu dish shortly. I was very, very pleased.