Freezing tofu is a game-changer. It alters tofu’s texture and allows it to absorb flavors more effectively. In this comprehensive guide I’ll talk about why you might want to freeze tofu, lead you through the step-by-step process of how to freeze tofu, and give you some tips on how to thaw and use your your tofu after freezing it. But in addition, freezing tofu actually makes it better, and more suitable for certain recipes. Once frozen, tofu takes on a chewier, more crumbly texture. Tofu that’s been frozen and thawed is an excellent meat substitute. It’s perfect for replicating ingredients like chicken, and works great in recipes where it gets crumbled up and used in ways one might normally use ground meat. Tofu tacos and tofu chili are a couple of great dishes to try with tofu that was frozen. But don’t feel limited! You can absolutely use it in recipes like this lemon and herb baked tofu, or a tofu stir-fry. It’ll cook up just like any other tofu — the texture will just be more interesting! This relates back to that texture thing we just talked about. Here’s the thing: tofu is full of water. This is pretty obvious, as it’s sold packed in water. When you freeze that water it expands and creates ice crystals. These crystals create pockets within the tofu. Once you thaw it out, all that ice melts and drains away, making little spaces, turning your tofu into basically a sponge for soaking up marinades and sauces. (And these pockets are also what give it that crumbly texture we just talked about!). Ready for this — grab a block of tofu. In needs to be in an airtight package of some sort, which can be it’s original packaging, or a freezer bag or other container of your choosing. Stick it in the freezer and leave it there until it’s frozen. That’s it! This easy method comes in handy when you have an unopened package of tofu that’s near it’s expiration date and you need to get in the freezer fast. Whatever prep you do, you will want to make sure your tofu is in an airtight container before popping it in the freezer. One thing I like to do is portion my tofu before freezing. If you generally only prepare a half block of tofu at a time, then cut your block in half and freeze each one separately.
Thaw it in the fridge for about 1 day. Thaw it on the counter. If this takes more than two hours, you should move it to the refrigerator. Thaw it in the microwave. Place it on a microwave safe dish to catch the water that will be released. Thaw it in a hot water bath. Stick the whole block in a container of hot water. Leave it in the packaging or take it out. Just make sure the water is super clean if you take it out.
If you press your tofu after freezing, be prepared for more water than normal to be released. This is a good thing, as water can stand in the way of things like browning and marinade absorption! At the very least you’ll want to blot it with a kitchen towel or paper towel to get rid of the excess water that’s released during thawing. From there, you can slice, dice or crumble it, then marinade, bake, fry, and/or pan-fry it. It works in soups, stir-fries, scrambles, sandwiches…you name it!
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