Baked Italian Herb Tofu Recipe + How To Press Tofu Like a Champ (2024)

FAQs

How do you press tofu? ›

Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel then put it on a large plate with a lip. Put something heavy such as a frying pan on top, weight it down further with cans and jars, and leave for 30 mins. The tofu will be about two-thirds its original thickness, and up to 100ml water will have been removed.

Why won't my tofu get crisp? This could likely be a result of not drying out the tofu enough to drain out the extra moisture. It's also possible that your oven temperature is not hot enough. Make sure it's preheated and heat the pan in the oven for extra crispness.

Place heavily-weighted objects on the top sheet pan. A few 28-ounce cans or a heavy bowl full of onions are a great choice. Try to space the weight across the surface for even pressing. Press the tofu for 30 minutes, ideally, or up to 1 hour.

Do You Need to Press Tofu? Not all types of tofu need to be pressed. For example, Japanese-style silken tofu and Chinese-style soft tofu are not pressed. Firm and extra-firm tofu, which is typically sliced or cubed, should be pressed.

For the best results, I recommend pressing tofu for at least 30 minutes before cooking, though longer is great if you're able to plan ahead. In a pinch, even less time can make a big difference. I pressed the left block of tofu in the photo above for just 20 minutes. An unpressed block of tofu is on the right.

Cooking Instructions

Completely wrap the tofu with the paper napkin and place on top of the towel. Stack a heavy pan on top of the tofu and allow it to press for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. The tofu is ready when there is no more liquid remaining. Cut the tofu into your preferred shape and cook as desired.

Step 3: Press the tofu by placing paper towels, and something heavy on top. I usually use a sheet pan, and put heavy cans on top. Press for at least 30 minutes if you want super firm tofu. You should see a pool of water that has come out, and it should look and feel very dense.

Why does tofu get rubbery? Because it was probably overcooked, it was probably exposed to too much heat. I don't know if it was roasted baked air fried or sauteed, but when it becomes, uh, overcooked, it's gonna get very, very tough.

Wrap the tofu block in paper towels and place it on a shallow plate. Grab a heavy pan like a cast iron and place it on top of the wrapped tofu. Place a few cans inside the pan and gently press down with your hands. Be careful not to press too hard where the block splits or breaks.

And if tofu is vacuumed packed or firm already, you definitely don't need to press it. Here's why: moisture in tofu is a good thing. Tofu is over 80% water, and that moisture is what makes it such a succulent, juicy source of protein. Pressing it can make the tofu unnecessarily dry and strip it of its intended texture.

Can you over press tofu? ›

Can you over-press tofu? You don't have to worry about over-pressing tofu when you follow instructions, and only do it when the recipe calls for it. If you press tofu for recipes when you don't really have to, it can result in crumbly and even mushy tofu.

If you cook firm tofu a lot, maybe you already know this: Pressing the tofu compresses it and squeezes out extra moisture, making it firmer and drier, which means you can get a more densely closegrained interior and wonderfully crisp exterior when you cook it.

Allow the tofu to press a minimum of ten minutes, but 30-60 minutes will result in firmer, drier tofu. What is this? After the tofu has been pressed, remove the skillet and its contents and discard the paper towels. Cut the tofu into whatever size is desired and proceed with your recipe.

Eat it raw: Tofu is completely safe to eat raw. Whether you press it or marinate it, you can use raw tofu in salads, smoothies, or have it as a protein-packed snack. Marinating: Since tofu has a bland flavor, marinating it is very popular.

To remove the excess water from your tofu, simply slice it in half like a book. Place a few folded paper towel sheets underneath one of the tofu slabs and a few on top. What is this?

Place a Weight on the Tofu

Place the bowl or another cutting board on top of the top layer of paper towels. Place the weight into the bowl or onto the cutting board. Your weight should be heavy enough to press down evenly across the top of the tofu, but not so heavy so as to cause the tofu block to crumble.