Pressing Tofu

Something I learned relatively late in my meat-free eating years was that in order for tofu to cook properly it needs to be pressed to get rid of the excess water. Tofu has a really high water content and if not pressed, it takes much longer to cook and doesn't crisp/sear/brown as well. If you are blending tofu to make a spread or other type of cream substitute you may want it wetter, however unless the recipe calls for un-pressed tofu, I usually press it. You can always add more water if needed!

I recommend using a thick, absorbent towel (totally unlike the one pictured here). The longer it is, the better. You will also need a heavy object with at least one flat side - like a sturdy cutting board, a large pan or pot, or a book. The longer you press tofu, the more water you will get out of it, assuming your towel is absorbent enough (or just switch towels in the middle). Pressing for an hour is about as good as you're gonna get it, but 15 minutes is usually sufficient to make a difference.

To start, place the tofu sideways on a cutting board. Cut it into slabs (not "chunks") - the thinner they are, they more they will press. I usually cut it into 4 slabs, because that corresponds to the length of my dish towels.

Next, fold your towel so it is the width of your tofu and as long as possible. Place one piece of tofu at the end and continue folding the towel-with-tofu-in-it until you have incorporated all of the slabs, with at least one layer of towel in between each of them.

When you're done, your towel/tofu block should look like this:

Place your heavy object on top, and let. it. sit.

Regardless of your views on the DSM, I think anyone in a healthcare field will share my frustration that version IV is now worthless. Thank you to my friend Grace for teaching me that it is not in fact worthless,. It is the perfect size, shape, and weight for pressing tofu.

When the tofu is pressed to your liking, unroll and do whatever it is you are doing with it.