Making a Coagulant Mixture
Choose a coagulant. The most common coagulants used are nigari (magnesium chloride) or gypsum (calcium sulfate). You can also use vinegar, lemon juice, or fermented whey. Nigari and gypsum are the best coagulants for making tofu. They can be purchased online or at a local health food store.
Dissolve two teaspoons of coagulant in 1 cup (236 ml) of water. Simply dissolve two teaspoons of your chosen coagulant into one cup of water. This should be done immediately before you add it to the soy milk. If the coagulant is left in the water for too long it will begin to harden.
Use more coagulant if you want firmer tofu. If you prefer firm tofu than you can dissolve slightly more coagulant in water. Similarly, if you prefer softer tofu than you can use less coagulant in your mixture. You may need to experiment slightly with amount of coagulant until you come to a consistency that you like the best.
Combining the Soy Milk and Coagulant
Use fresh soy milk. When making tofu it is best to use homemade soy milk. This is because store bought soy milk contains added sweeteners and oils that will impact the texture of the tofu. If you decide to use a store bought soy milk, look for one that has been freshly made from a Japanese or artisanal grocer with no additives.
Heat soy milk to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). In a large pot on the stove heat 8 cups (2 liters) of soy milk. Heat the milk until it reaches approximately 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius). The milk should be hot, but not boiling.
Stir in the coagulant mixture. Once the soy milk has reached the proper temperature, stir in your coagulant. Only pour half of the mixture into the soy milk and begin to stir. Mix the coagulant into the soy milk while stirring constantly. Then, add a bit more of the mixture. The coagulant can have a strong taste so it is best to add as little as possible while still getting coagulation.
Remove from heat once small lumps begin to form. As you are stirring you will begin to notice the soy milk coagulating and forming small clumps or curds. Once this happens, remove the soy milk from the heat. If the mixture is not very lumpy, you can add more coagulate mixture to the soy milk.
Cover the pot and let the milk sit for 15 minutes. Once the time is finished look at the mixture. The curds should be fairly large and fully separated from the yellow liquid. If the curds are still small and floating around in the liquid then you should stir in more coagulant and let it sit for another 15 minutes or so.
Making the Mold
Moisten the cheesecloth or cotton muslin. While the soy milk mixture is resting for 15 minutes, you can begin preparing the tofu mold. Take your cheesecloth or cotton muslin and run it under water. Then, wring it out so that it is damp but not dripping wet.
Line your mold or strainer with the cloth. Place the cloth inside your tofu mold or strainer. The cloth should be three times the length and width of the mold you are using. This way you will be able to fully cover the tofu with the cloth. You can use a variety of different containers to make tofu, just make sure that the container you use has adequate drainage holes. A specialty tofu mold or strainer works best.
Strain excess liquid from the pot. Once the soy milk mixture is adequately coagulated, you may want to strain some of the excess liquid from the pot. The coagulated milk will sink to the bottom and you can use a ladle to scoop out as much liquid as possible.Be careful not to remove any of the coagulated milk.
Place the mold in a sink or large bowl. Before adding the curds to your tofu mold, place the mold inside a sink or large bowl. This will help to catch all of the liquid that strains out of the tofu. Make sure that the bowl is large enough to catch all of the liquid.
Add the curds to the mold. Using a ladle, pour the curds into the mold. Alternatively, you can remove the pot from the stove and pour the curds directly into the mold. If using this method, you may need to gently press down on the curds with your hand to make enough room for all of the curds in the mold.
Fold the cheesecloth over the curds. Take the excess cloth that is hanging out of the tofu mold, and fold it on top of the curds. The curds should be completely covered. At this point, you can also gently squeeze the cloth to help remove and drain some of the excess liquid.
Place a weight on top and press gently to remove excess liquid. If you are using a traditional tofu mold, then you can put the lid on top of the tofu and press down gently to help remove the excess liquid. If you are using a strainer, you will need to find some form of weight that can be placed onto the tofu to help strain it. For example, you could fill a glass bowl with water and rest it on top. Alternatively, you could place canned goods on top of the tofu to act as a weight.
Wait 15 minutes. Let the tofu sit in the mold with the weights on top for approximately 15 minutes. This will help to dry out the tofu and strain all of the remaining liquid.
Finalizing the Tofu
Feel if the tofu is firm. Remove the weights from the tofu and pull back the cloth. Press the tofu with your finger. It should be firm and not fall apart. If this is the case, then the tofu is ready. If it is still too soft, you can let it rest for another 10 minutes.
Fill a bowl with cold water. If the tofu is firm, it is time to remove it from the mold. To do this, fill a bowl with cold water. This will help solidify the tofu.
Invert the mold so the tofu falls out. Turn the mold upside down and allow the tofu to fall out into the bowl of cold water. Alternatively, you can pull the tofu out of the mold by lifting the cloth.
Peel off the cloth. Once the tofu is in the water, you can gently remove the cloth from the tofu. Now it is ready to serve!
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