great content. but the reason there is no different is cos you use soya( due to salt) so it work likes a brine, the salt water replaces the normal water. thats my theory anyway
I am going to advocate for the complete opposite of this video and strongly encourage all of you to try pressing your tofu for a LONG time, I'm talking 8+ hours. I did this on accident one time; I was going to make tofu for my friends & threw it in my tofu press, but then we went out to eat instead. So the tofu sat in the press overnight and became super-dense. The results were amazing! I generally dice my tofu into cubes, dust it with seasoning and flour/cornstarch, then pan-fry it. While I have enjoyed this method for a while, it entered a whole new dimension with my long-pressed method, and nowadays I will throw my block of tofu into the tofu press in the morning if I want to cook it in the evening.
Pressed tofu (dougan) is great, so I was curious about the title of this video. But as soon as I heard him say 15-20 minutes per time I understood. That will do nothing at all!
I press my tofu for 30 minutes, then freeze it UNCOVERED in bite sized pieces, then defrost and bake it at 325F for 20 minutes. Then I throw it in whatever recipe I'm using. They're gonna be super dry after the oven step, so you're gonna need at least a tiny bit of sauce or liquid in your food. The result is something that is somewhat meaty in texture. It doesn't crumble in your hands, really requires you to rip and tear it, but at the same time it still has a soft texture. That being said, I absolutely HATE tofu, but my wife likes to have it on occasion. This method is something I came up with to make tofu palatable to me. It's probably way too many steps to really be practical
extra firm is more of a western thing, since most tofu in asia is eaten without any intention to substitute meat edit: I talked in broad generalisations and 'Asia' isn't one place. Some regions and people in Asia might eat tofu with the intention to substitute meat. Some of their tofu might be very firm. Honestly idk anymore but it makes sense.
The whole soft -> firm scale is a western thing, tofu is described completely differently in Asia. That is because the coagulant makes a big difference, which is a fact that this video misses. Gypsum tofu is totally different the Nigari tofu, yet you will find "extra firm" tofu made from either. There is a Chinese equivalent to the western "Extra Firm" which is actually a pressed tofu. It's packaged in shrink wrap instead of water and has a very dense texture, but it's more of a specialty ingredient than a standard variety.
@@stosto3 I was vaguely aware of this, but its fascinating to learn more about tofu in a culture which have been eating it for what, 2 millennia? I just love authentic tofu dishes.
@@anonnymous4684 Nigari tofu has a smooth slightly slimy surface, is more delicate, has a slightly bitter taste, you can break it in half and it the break will have a smooth surface. Gypsum tofu is more grassy and mild, and tends to be sort of crumbly or rough and a little bit more resilient. Nigari tofu is great when deep fried or boiled. Gypsum tofu is usually pan fried.
@@stosto3 How was that a fact this video missed when it's irrelevant to whether or not you need to press tofu? While I'm sure some people in Asia watch his show, it's obvious he's targeting a mainly U.S. and Canada base and those people will be buying the type of tofu used in this video, so, it doesn't matter what kind of coagulant is used in other types of tofu not commonly found in the areas he's targeting. Had this been a video about the different types of tofu found all over the world, sure, that's an important fact, but this video was about if we need to press the tofu we get out of a plastic box from Walmart in rural places like Kalispell, Montana, which I've never heard of until now but they do have a Walmart. With that said, you did provide some interesting information I've never heard before, which is always cool, so, thanks, I'm always happy to learn something new.
Hi Sauce Stache! As a sensory scientist, I wanted to give you some recommendations on how to make your testing methods more reliable! Namely, try to include some sort of rinse between each sample; typical rinses include an unsalted saltine cracker or white bread, and always concludes with room temperature water to bring your palate back to baseline. My other recommendation is that when you are doing tests with many samples (I would say greater than 5), you should consider expectorating the samples and rinses so as to avoid any effect that fatigue may have on your evaluations. I recognize expectorating is not as fun, but the impact that tasting fatigue can have on your ability to perceive differences is actually quite large! Also, while your wife (congrats!) may have initially noticed a difference between the two tofu samples regarding texture, she may have actually been perceiving a difference in a specific texture parameter such as fracturability, rupture strength springiness, or work to penetrate/shear. Texture is such a diverse modality that is can be extremely hard to identify which aspect of texture you are actually evaluating. Hope this gives you some thoughts to ponder over! It makes me so happy to see people introducing sensory testing concepts into the mainstream :)
Cool info! I never knew tasting fatigue was a thing, though it makes sense. If you don't mind, could you elaborate on the firmness thing? You seem to be implying that what Mark's partner (wait, wife, I've definitely fallen out of the loop! Congrats to them both!) perceiving could've been something other than firmness, but the things you listed sound (to me, who knows nothing about these things) like they fall under the category of "firmness". Do you think pressing vs. not pressing may have made a difference in how easily the tofu, uh, breaks? (Sorry, I don't know the proper terminology!) Like, pressing may have cracked the tofu, and so the unpressed feels firmer (because it doesn't break as easily)?
I would definitely say freezing different types of tofus really makes more of a difference in texture and absorption of flavour than pressing. I do wonder if marinating while pressing them might help it absorb faster 🤷🏻♂️
@@99thmonkeyresonance66 I freeze store bought tofu. Just throw it in when I get it and thaw it the night before I need it. The water just pours out of it once you freeze and thaw it.
So, do you freeze as is and when defrost it then it absorbs the flavors, or do you freeze it in the flavors you wish it to absorb? This is so new to me. Thank you
@@jennifermerlynn from what I've done, I have taken it out of the package and then either left it whole or cut it then wrapped it. From there you put it in the freezer. I think if you dont cut it the texture wont be exactly what you're aiming for. I've done it for a big amount, as I work in the restaurant industry and have many vegetarian customers.
This video is accurate, if and only if, you only press for 15 mins and only marinate for 30 minutes. I can get out 1/2 cup or more of liquid when pressing for longer. On top of that marinating over night makes a huge difference.
I agree. If I’m pressing tofu it normally sit’s for at least an hour, and I generally marinade overnight. Tried this experiment on my own before and I hated the results. I think pressing and freezing both have a huge effect!
I completely agree, and I think it matters a lot that he had to exclude extra firm tofu because of a shortage. I think extra firm tofu actually loses more water when pressing than softer tofus that contain more water. Extra firm is a bit spongier and those pockets of water are more accessible.
I can taste and feel the difference if I don't press it. That's why I press it lol. I don't want that much additional liquid in my food, and I don't like the bitter flavor of it anyway
I was thinking the same thing. He was getting the same amount of liquid for both b/c after 15 min it is sitting in the tofu liquid and no longer draining from the tofu.
For a firmer mouth feel with a breaded and pan fried tofu recipe, I press extra firm OVERNIGHT. More water keeps coming out and it DOES make a big difference. Otherwise, your video makes sense and I'll stop pressing it for other recipes. Great testing!!!
Came here to say this as well. I press my tofu overnight and then start marinating it in the morning so it's ready for dinner that evening. So @saucestache, you didn't press or marinate for nearly long enough for it to make any difference.
...or you could use sheet tofu which is made way firmer to begin with and even come in dry varieties you can reconstitute to your liking in much less time you really don't have to go through all this trouble instead of just buying the right kinds of tofu
@@Tenshi6Tantou6Rei I've never heard of this :o i live in the US and i dont think any of my grocery stores have this, but i probably need to research online. any brand you recommend?
Pressing is a technique used to remove some of the moisture and make it easier to cook with. In some recipes, if the tofu is too wet, it can break up during cooking, which may not be what you wanted.
I used to marinate tofu for 8 hours or overnight, and I'd say it did make a flavor difference, and the marinade was noticeably visible in the tofu (also my cuts were smaller than yours, so more surface area to absorb and less volume/depth for the marinade to travel). MOST of the time that difference was not worth it - but for some recipes that extra little splash of flavor goes a long way.
I do that with semi-firm tofu for bbq skewers. I dont really press it but i do pat it dry so that it doesnt dilute the marinade. And to me it does make a difference, marinating right before I make the skewers does not yield something as flavourful
That’s what I do as well, presuming I’m going to marinade it at all. Long ago though I started almost exclusively baking it in whatever marinade or sauce I’m going to use. That’s been my preferred method for years. I bake it even if I’m going to just then fry it or prepare it some other way. Just have to be careful not to overcook it.
I came to the same conclusion and I stopped pressing tofu. And since I didn't want to throw my tofu press away, I started making my own homemade tofu once a week 🥳 This way I also learned how to use okara which is really delicious in many recipes👍 Thanks for sharing!!! Always enjoy your videos! 🙏
I would like to see Mark to do a video on how to make dehydrated okara )that can then be ground and sealed for shelf storage. My problem has been that wet okara may not be able to be freezer stored depending on space, etc. Also the dehydrated okara I have seen have been pricey here U.S. (tend to be packaged in small amounts) to Extremely Expensive shipping charges on overseas manufactured of the larger amounts of dry (or wet) okara products.
@@ridgleyhawthorne715 Yes, I agree on having a tutorial👍 I must say I've had great experience with okara so far, immediately after squeezing it (I made all kinds of cakes, meatless balls etc.) or by dehydrating for later use (some people do it in the oven at the lowest temp, I do it in dehydrator). This way you can keep it stored for a long time in an airtight container. I've never tried to freeze it tough...
@@cherryeve13 After I posted my previous text I realized with my past sad attempts (ie. fails), that I had also ended up with too much leftover soy milk that, like the wet okara, cannot be stored in too little freezer spaces. Given this issue, I seriously think I also need a tutorial on how to dehydrate the soy milk portion so I can then: grind, prep, shelf store, & use the resultant soy milk powder at a later date. (*sigh!*). 😬 ?...🍶🥛
Nice experiment! As a Chinese person, I've never pressed tofu and find it strange why all these westerners feel the need to. XD There's probably a case for pressing if you're going to use tofu in a mixture though (for example seitan or a vegan cream cheese), since the water content will be distributed throughout the mixture.
If you freeze it overnight, thaw it, and then press, you can for one example, crumble it and saute it with some oil and seasonings and use it like scrambled "sausage" or "hamburg" or taco "meat" for pizza, pasta sauce, etc.
@@elsapaton2993 frozen tofu is a big thing in a major dish in my culture - hot pot/steam boat. We’ll always have some of what we call “frofu” on hand for hot pots at home and always order when we go out for hot pot! Absolutely amazing and definitely that “sponge” aspect of tofu. Same as tofu puffs.
Honestly, I've found boiling tofu in a broth or just salted water is the best way to get flavor to permeate all the way through the protein (unless you're super patient and want to chuck your cooking in the fridge overnight to wait for flavor absorption). Salty boiling liquid > pressing. Osmosis is wonderful : )
I really appreciate videos like this one that test conventional cooking advice. I have pretty rough OCD, which means that I either follow cooking advice exactly or I feel guilty about failing to do so, even when I'm not up for it. So it's a huge comfort to my mind to know that this step isn't a big deal. What a relief. Thanks so much for all the work you do: I know it's helped make my life better, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Cool experiment.... But I actually bought a press after 5 years eating tofu because I DO notice a difference. Last night I pressed tofu and marinated chunks. In the morning almost all the liquid was soaked into the tofu. After pressing the tofu it's visibly smaller and after marinated, back to original size. Just my experience 🤷
Not having tested it myself, what you say makes sense. If you remove water by pressing the tofu, it would seem that it may soak up more marinade than tofu that isn't pressed. Cutting the tofu into smaller or thinner pieces may allow the marinade to soak up into the center of the tofu. Allowing the tofu to marinade for longer may also soak into the center of the tofu.
Yep. I finally started pressing my tofu, and it has made a big difference in flavor. Otherwise I'm just getting a mouthful of tofu water- not pleasant. Another trick I like is freezing and thawing a couple times. Gives it a meatier texture throughout.
@@xxvertcerizexx yes, if you freeze it, the texture changes completely. It loses all of the water, presses very flat (think 1/2 inch or less), and becomes very much a cutlet (ie bread and fry, for example)
@@xxvertcerizexx I don't know because I haven't tried it but if I were going to try, I'd wrap silken tofu tightly in cheesecloth and a few tea towels before putting it under a light weight to mitigate the impact on the texture. I'm not really sure if there's a good reason for pressing silken tofu though (hence why I haven't tried doing it.)
The Easy Vegan's method for tofu is my personal gold standard, with pressing, freezing, then pressing again, tossing with seasoning, then cornstarch and oil coating to bake, and then tossing in a sauce that sticks to the crusty surface.
RIP that channel. I hope that guy is well and happy. His channel was absolutely great but if it wasn't making his life great then I hope he has found whatever does make his life great.
Not a criticism, just a question: wouldn't it make more sense to freeze it unpressed, as then more water molecules expand and, after thawing and pressing, there would be more air pockets? And, hence, a spongier texture?
@@yuuri9064 This is a good instinct and I've wondered the same thing. There is a potential that not pressing before freezing might create larger pockets rather than layers but I am dubious that this would be the case and even if it did, my hunch is that sufficiently heavy pressure and enough time would get you to that same place where the tofu is more or less "laminated".
It's still necessary if you're making a seitan recipe or similar that uses tofu and needs the water pressed out, because the reason for doing so is that extra water will ruin the finished product. But otherwise I agree.
The real tofu texture secret is freezing until completely frozen, defrosting and then pressing and marinate overnight. It definitely takes more time but the texture is perfect for tofu nuggets/ tacos etc. I’m not a fan of cut tofu it has a much better mouth feel being torn with your fingers.
I do the same ☺️ 😂 it works great. When I do tofu ham I just soak the tofu and marinade for 2 days and it's so good and the marinade soaks through completely.
Likewise. I double freeze (freeze, thaw, freeze - time permitting) and simply hand squeeze out any extra water just to keep it from adding extra/bland moisture to my dish.
That's exactly what come to my mind when I see western people try to press tofu. We here in Asia (I'm Indonesian) never have a fuss to press them whatsoever, and they absorb the flavor and seasoning very well. You guys just need to cook it well and longer enough to allow all the flavors absorbed into it
How long do you cook yours then? I was thinking of using the tofu I have for my salads to make a “chicken salad “ but don’t have chicken flavored seasonings I’d like..how would I go about doing that for my salads to make the tofu like a chicken salad ?
Exactly. I don't know of Asians that press tofu. The trick is picking the right tofu and using the right preparation. Freezing or boiling/microwaving in salt water drives out the water though freezing changes the texture which can be great for soups. Firm tofu is better for stir fries while soft is great for soups or deep frying.
I've had this feeling a long time ago and, just like you did, I tested and concluded that pressing or no pressing doesn't make any difference in terms of suking up marinades. However, if you freeze the tofu with the water within it, ice crystals will form inside the tofu creating a network of pores and, after thawing and pressing, the tofu will really suck up everything. When you put pressed frozen tofu in the oil on a skillet, it will suck up all the oil. I like to do that and use the tofu prepared with chilli oil and add it to fried rice. It tastes amazing.
I'm going to be here a while learning all the great techniques from the comments! Here's what I currently do: 1. Freeze the tofu, that way it forms tiny ice crystals and changes the texture 2. Thaw the tofu and cut into slabs, whatever thickness you want 3. Boil the tofu slabs in salted water for a few minutes, this draws the water out of it 4. Place the tofu slabs on a kitchen towel and let the steam escape to draw even more water out 5. Cut down and cook the tofu however you like :) After this process, if marinating the tofu, you can lightly squish the tofu while in the marinate and it will suck up the marinate when you release - thanks to the space left by the tiny ice crystals.
I’m glad you made this video! I haven’t pressed tofu since I first went vegan because I never saw how it made any difference at all, it just added more effort to cooking lol.
I have but do not like the texture. I don’t like to marinate tofu either… IMO it doesn’t taste as good and im concerned with the amount of unnecessary sodium/sugar (depending on the recipe) it may soak up.
I found this because I started looking at other ways to use Tofu now that my kids are able to realize my food is very different from theirs. I have been vegetarian most of my life but 100% of my use of it is nowhere near anything Asian in appearance or flavor. Never pressed it but I am now considering messing with it.
To quote the channel Chinese Cooking Demystified" : "Tofu doesn't need to be pressed, it doesn't need cornstarch, it needs patience" I haven't been pressing tofu for years, instead, I cook it very slowly on an oiled pan.
Where I have actually seen a difference is when breading tofu to make it crispy. I've tried it both ways, and getting ALL the extra liquid out absolutely makes better crispy tofu!
In Taiwan and parts of China, there's brands of tofu at the market that already comes marinated and pressed (whether in 5 spice or other), and you cut them into matchsticks and saute it with celery. It's a great flavorful appetizer. I personally love the texture of super pressed tofu when cutting it into slices to make salads or stirfry. That aside, my household has personally never pressed tofu whether it's involved in our soups, steamed or stir fried. Thank you for the video.
We always press ours not with the intent of changing the flavor, but because it significantly changes the texture (to one that we prefer, but you may not). Also, we are typically frying ours in our wok and you'll get that golden brown crust on the tofu much faster. Without pressing you are competing against the steam the tofu generates as it seeps out and is vaporized in the oil. Oh, and it splatters the oil much much less when frying because it isn't constantly adding tofu water to the blazing hot oil. This is extra helpful if you are deep frying where a non-pressed tofu is going to net you oil all over you, your counter, your walls, etc.
I use a tofu press and leave it overnight or for a day in the refrigerator and it makes a huge difference. I much prefer it to not pressing my tofu for baked tofu or dry fried or sautéed tofu. It significantly changes the texture.
@Sauce Stache Thanks for doing this. The only thing I have ever noticed was, pressed tofu (I've never pre-baked) took less time to get a pan sear, because it has less water to hold back the Maillard. I've tried it both ways, and I recall it always taking about twice as long to get a sear on the (unbaked) unsqueezed. No difference in uptake of flavour, just cooking time. I don't use a press, just squeeze it by hand, in the tub. Btw, I _never_ discard the squeeze (nor marinade) liquid. The squeeze liquid has great nutrition in it. I add it to soups or casseroles, or pour it over my dogs' food. The marinade liquid I can use for sauces or soups.
I think for deep frying it's necessary. Coating wet tofu in starch is a bit tricky, plus the risk of oil explosions! Maybe also for following a recipe. Of I make seitan with tofu and I don't press it, I have to adjust the amount of water to add to account for the water in the tofu.
I had similar results when I pressed my tofu for 15 or 30 minutes. My conclusion wasn't to stop pressing, but press longer. Once I switched to overnight pressing, I saw real, noticeable results in the texture, especially when you combine it with double freezing the tofu.
This is great! I'm so lazy I only press tofu if the extra water is going to be a problem in the recipe which is not often. But when marinating tofu I never press it! I feel like there's an osmosis thing that happens with a salty brine when it marinates for several hours. The liquids trade places. And I might be totally imagining it, but I stick by it. 😆
Okay, first of all, this is THE FIRST TIME I'm ever seen your stuff, and I'm only 70 seconds in. and Im already subscribed lmao. excited to learn more about non meat cooking (!!!)
Like others have pointed out, I think it really depends on how long you press and how long you marinate. Overnight pressing/marinating may make for a tastier result, but you'd have to concede that most people don't use tofu like that.
As a suggestion if you're going to test these tofu's again. Marinate the tofu's in the sauce overnight, therefore the tofu will suck up all the liquids. This method works as I do this often, using firm tofu.
Great video, I just want to add a few notes. Both varieties are coagulated, the difference is that the coagulant is added to the Silken before heating it and it does not move or filter or press and the other variety does. For this reason, to obtain the best “meat” texture, the Silken type is used, but it has to be frozen with care not to break it and, once it has been defrosted, it is pressed and dried a little in the oven. Silken tofu's laminated coagulation gives it more chicken texture than the fluffy texture of the pressed tofu when frozen.
As a person with texture/sensory issues, pressing tofu is a necessity for me, otherwise it's inedible because it's still too mushy. I've had pressed and unpressed for 6 years and have NEVER had an unpressed tofu somehow come out firmer lol So what this vid and the comments boil down to for me: if you have sensory issues, you'll still notice a difference. if you're neurotypical you probably won't notice a difference.
This is exactly why I've always pressed my tofu, and it always made a huge difference. Had nothing to do with absorbing marinade and that was never discussed in my circles or recipes.
i'd recommend freezing tofu (and especially defrosting in the microwave)! the texture is much less mushy than both other methods that way (for me anyway, and i find it much easier than pressing, but ymmv ofc!)
I noticed raw and cubed in a salad that unpressed tofu did have a different texture to be off putting. Both me and my wife both preferred a pressed version. Italian dressing, matchstick carrots, black olives and baby kale.
Yeah, he cooked all the tofu but if you're not cooking it and are just going to eat it raw it makes a MASSIVE difference. One of my favorite quick things to eat is raw tofu squares with soy sauce, and if I don't press it all the liquid slowly oozes out and dilutes the sauce and it's so much harder to soak up the flavor.
I love tofu! Grew up with it and have prepared it many different ways. There is a huge difference with pressing imo, but it must be for longer pressing periods. I usually do it a day in advance. Skimmed through the comments and was surprised that one particular method of mine was not mentioned, which made me feel as if I have a "secret" style to euphoric tofu preparation 😂 I'm not a vegetarian or vegan by any means, but do enjoy plant based foods as much as meat. Grew up that way. We were poor, but always had a garden. This is one of my favorite channels to watch everyday. Good content 👍 I love the experimental aspect. Thank you for sharing 🙏
We've thought the same thing for a long time! From the package we squeeze it for about 10 seconds and then cook like normal and it's always turns out great. Thanks for the comparison!
Hey @Sauce Stache thanks alot for this experiment. It was really worth watching it. However I would Change a few boundary conditions as far as this experiment goes. 1) Use ( more) Salt/sodium in your marinade. The salt will drag the marinade into the marinated food you choose. Thats the reason why you should marinate red meat 1-2 days in advance. #osmisis #diffusion 2) marinating time: increase the marinating time. Give the salted marinate more time. 30 min might not be enough time. My exp. When i was marinating vegan salmon i saw that the marinade moved into the Tofu after one night but not after one hour. I think the time could be a factor. 3. Consistency of tofu. After pressing the tofu its structure looked really fragile. Maybe this is the reason for the identical consistencies of pressed and unpressed Tofu. What i do. I cut the Tofu in half and press it then. I really have the feeling that its consistency changes. Would be nice to hear of you... Wether These suggestions make sense to you
Great video and thank you very much… Couple of steps left out if you want tofu to absorb flavour. Press the tofu… put the tofu back into its original packaging fold down the flap and put it in the freezer overnight. The moisture still inside the tofu on freezing expands and creates small tears throughout that can suck up and retain a marinade… so the next day Defrost the tofuand you will see even more water will come out leaving open pores, pour this water off... Then press the tofu again for 30 to 40 minutes this is an important step… Doing it this way it creates these small openings that suck up flavour and this also allows you to have a really Krispy outer crumb like chicken schnitzel with that pullible fibrous texture. Pressing it only once doesn't make a great deal of difference and this method is transformative. This opens up a lot of different flavour options which finally makes it more interesting… I know this was posted sometime ago and you probably have already come across this howeverThank you again for all of your effort and hope this is useful.
I've found the only time there seems to be a difference is after it's been frozen. I think the freezing process draws the liquid away from the solids, and makes for a much better press.
I have wondered about this often. Lately I haven't been pressing my tofu and I wasn't noticing a difference in the final product. For myself I had already thought it just wasn't worth all the extra effort to press tofu and was skipping all the time involved with that process. I just took it out of the fridge, cut a couple of drain holes in the tofu package and set it in the sink to drain. Then later came back to cook it when I was ready. But it is really rewarding to see you substantiate my beliefs. So glad you guys went through all the testing and posted these results. Maybe more people will start skipping the pressing steps involved.
While ideally you would have done a double blind test, blindfolded ideally, with multiple people… we’re talking about tasting tofu here, not clinical drug trials lol, so I trust you to simply taste it and judge what you’re tasting. Great video.
First, thank you for the great video! second, a question: I wonder if you could use silken tofu for mozzarella sticks "you can fry silken tofu but it will be very soft and squishy" though you already have a video on making vegan mozzarella so its probably an unessicary experiment :P
Hahahaaaaa I absolutely LOVE this video!!!!! Thanks for taking the time to do it so detailed! I've always suspected it doesn't make a difference and never found it a benefit for me. And gave up pressing, and glad I havent spent money on an expensive press!!!!!
I find that cutting up the tofu into thin strips or cubes works best for marinades. It doesn't matter what you are marinating smaller pieces absorb more.
@@SauceStache also I don't know if you have a Sprouts or Trader Joe's, but they seem to have a more consistent supply of tofu and Sprouts is cheaper than most Western stores.
Dude, I've found that poking holes in tofu prior to marinating it is about the only sure way to get the flavor you want. I use a thin, serrated steak knife for that. Just stab the block all the way through really well, like, a dozen times or more. That'll get the flavor in there.
omg I thought I was just crazy for never ever noticing a difference. it always seemed so useless to me whenever I tried it so I just don't press it lol I love tofu no matter the texture!
I suspect that your pressing technique is what's causing the similarity between 'your "pressed" and unpressed versions. When we press, we put the tofu in the press, and then into the refrigerator for a few hours. Lots of water comes out, AND when we take it out of the press it doesn't just POP BACK UP LIKE IT HAD NEVER BEEN PRESSED. We totally notice the difference in texture and depending on how it's cooked, the taste too. Vegetarian for 37 years and Vegan for 2 years.
Great video. I have absolutely found this to be true. Any time I follow the instructions about how to cook tofu, it doesn't turn out any better. In fact, I've found my own methods much better. I either cut it into thin strips and pan fry it straight from the box and then add sauce near the end, or just mash it into a scramble and add sauce because then there's so much surface area, the sauce/marinade is in every bite no matter what just by sheer blunt force hahaha. Either way, the key to getting lots of flavor is smaller chunks.
I’ve been vegan since I was born, and we never pressed our tofu ever lol. I heard about that once I got to college, it always seemed like too much of a hassle for me to adopt lol.
Man. I haven’t seen one of your videos in a while, but two today. I missed them. And I have been saying the same about pressing tofu for decades. Almost 30 years vegan and I have never pressed my tofu. The stuff just does not like to let flavor inside! Haha. Thank you for doing an actual test to confirm this.
Thank you!! I haven’t stopped making videos… TH-cam is just showing them less often :( As far as the tofu I was 100% with you… I needed to test it to really see. Im going to go more in depth with it because I’ve gotten a lot of flack for this video haha so I have a few more tests to do!
VERY interesting! I know that Cheap Lazy Vegan doesn't press hers, and swears that it is a waste of time. I'm guessing there might be less splattering if you press it before pan-frying it in oil. Please do a test to see if there is a difference between frozen/thawed tofu and off-the-shelf tofu!
I recently got a press and I definitely notice the difference. I used to press before if I had time but frequently didn’t. Freezing and squeezing usually worked pretty well. With the press now, it’ s much less hassle and I think it’s worth doing. I still freeze sometimes before still though.
I definitely can tell the difference between pressed currents between pressed and not pressed tofu especially if you marinate it and meet immediately after and give it a chance to soak off everything. It works even better if you freeze the tofu to change the consistency and then press it literally turns it into a sponge
Why would you perform the tasting nonblinded? Also, why would you not weigh the marinade before and after marinading to determine absorbtion? It seems pressing doesn't do a whole lot, which I think anyone who cooks with tofu often has probably figured out from experience, but this was a bad experiment.
If you double freeze the tofu it absorbs marinades, the expansion inside of the tofu from the water freezing creates pockets inside for penetration of other liquids and changes the texture of the tofu into a more spongey/"meaty" texture. I use that method to make chicken nuggets sometimes. But the pressing was interesting!
@@rangerannie5636 freeze, thaw (in the fridge), squeeze in pack a bit to move the water around, refreeze I just find I get a texture I prefer more consistently when I freeze it twice.
Hey, there! Your “Lady Friend” is a dear. She doesn’t seem to have a pretentious bone in her body. Such a delight. Quite rare in this day and time…especially on TH-cam.
I think one of the problems with the experiment is that the marinade for the tofu would actually pull a lot of liquid out of it rather than be drawn into it (high sodium tingz). Also, the 30 min wait I don't think is enough time for permeation to take effect - just look at how the sauce colour only affects the skin.
I have said this for a while, seemed a waste of time. My ex Aunt who is Malaysian said about blanching it in water which actually firms it up. But I absolutely recommend freezing it aswell. Changes textures dramatically. (Btw she is alive just split up with my uncle 😅)
When I want the marinade to absorb, I start by pressing it down and letting it expand as it pulls in the marinade like a sponge. Does it go all the way through? No, but just sitting it in liquid doesn’t make it absorb anything. It 100% takes a marinade if you do what I’ve said
I usually do a “chicken “ marinade that way, using plastic bags. Not vacuum sealed but you get what I mean I’m sure. Thanks for the great channel. My wife and I are 13 year vegans and we love your channel (we are Ohioans too!)
@@stephaniemacfarlane7297 you take the pressed tofu and treat it like a sponge trying to draw the marinade in by pressing the block into the marinade with pressure. As you release pressure it will draw some in. I usually do an overly seasoned marinade and try to get it on both sides. Also, doing in in a ziplock compressed and then stuck in the freezer will help,
Gooooood morning Christopher!!!! YESS!! haha I just got mine and still love it! I will keep using it, BUT I dont think for basic recipes you really need to!
@@VaughnTaylor31 ohh that's quite difficult to describe! i don't think tofu compares to anything else (besides soy milk) the softer tofus have a quite mild flavour. Tofu soaks up any flavour you pair it with, but personally i also like it on it's own.
I HAVE A TOFU PRESS (the tofu press with a spring you showed) AND PRESSING FIRM TOFU FOR HOURS DOESN'T DO CRAP. The braised tofu from my Chinese grocery is so good the braising liquid actually absorbs into the tofu but no matter what I do at home no flavour gets absorbed into tofu. It only gets absorbed at the surface level at most. I'm thinking I need to buy dried tofu and soak it flavoured liquid to actually get flavoured tofu that soaks it in.
I would prefer not to press tofu, but it holds together better for me when pressed. Some of the marinades I use are not liquid but more of a paste and i have to gently mix it up. If I don't press it first, it just crumbles all to pieces, even the extra firm. The only tofu I don't press is the super firm.
You missed the point here. Pressing tofu isn’t about flavor or texture. The point is to remove liquids for more even and consistent frying and a crispier result, and because frying a wet block in hot oil is messy at best and dangerous at worst. Your pressed pieces were visibly more golden brown. If you were to fry your tofu properly in a layer of oil instead of a bit of spray, you’d see the difference in cooking time and quality of the outcome. Also, when it comes to marinating and cooking tofu, smaller pieces are the way to go. Marinade doesn’t penetrate tofu very well in the best of circumstances, and the greatest flavor is only on the outside, cooked, surface area. I wouldn’t be surprised if this experiment was botched because you used such large chunks, and if the difference would be more noticeable with pieces of a realistic size for use in a recipe.
Yeah I only press when I fry to not have the splattering from the water coming out. No pressing necessary for frying Heiwa's extra firm tofu since it isn't packed in a container of water.
What I've heard is that in order to get the sponge-like effect, you need to freeze your tofu before squeezing. Drain the tofu, then pop it in the freezer to get rock solid, pull it out and let it thaw, and THEN press it. The water inside the tofu expands as it freezes, creating tiny pockets throughout the tofu (like a sponge!) after the ice melts. Squeeze the water out of those pockets, and now the sauce has a place to go.
Regardless, squeezing the water out in a Western, meat-replacement context was never about soaking up a sauce, it was about making tofu denser and firmer to be a more satisfying alternative to meat that will actually fry instead of steam.
Click the LIKE BUTTON 10000 times for me!!!
Just 10,000???
Well I'm number 5.
great content. but the reason there is no different is cos you use soya( due to salt) so it work likes a brine, the salt water replaces the normal water. thats my theory anyway
But if I do that I'm just liking and disliking the video 5000 times 🤔
I clicked it more than once and it "unliked" 😂 Careful what you ask for!
I am going to advocate for the complete opposite of this video and strongly encourage all of you to try pressing your tofu for a LONG time, I'm talking 8+ hours. I did this on accident one time; I was going to make tofu for my friends & threw it in my tofu press, but then we went out to eat instead. So the tofu sat in the press overnight and became super-dense. The results were amazing! I generally dice my tofu into cubes, dust it with seasoning and flour/cornstarch, then pan-fry it. While I have enjoyed this method for a while, it entered a whole new dimension with my long-pressed method, and nowadays I will throw my block of tofu into the tofu press in the morning if I want to cook it in the evening.
This sounds amazing, and I am going to try this! Thank you for the tip!!!
Ya I can't believe I didn't think of this!
@@SauceStache Sounds like a good video idea especially mixed in with freezing!
Pressed tofu (dougan) is great, so I was curious about the title of this video. But as soon as I heard him say 15-20 minutes per time I understood. That will do nothing at all!
I press my tofu for 30 minutes, then freeze it UNCOVERED in bite sized pieces, then defrost and bake it at 325F for 20 minutes.
Then I throw it in whatever recipe I'm using. They're gonna be super dry after the oven step, so you're gonna need at least a tiny bit of sauce or liquid in your food.
The result is something that is somewhat meaty in texture. It doesn't crumble in your hands, really requires you to rip and tear it, but at the same time it still has a soft texture.
That being said, I absolutely HATE tofu, but my wife likes to have it on occasion. This method is something I came up with to make tofu palatable to me. It's probably way too many steps to really be practical
extra firm is more of a western thing, since most tofu in asia is eaten without any intention to substitute meat
edit: I talked in broad generalisations and 'Asia' isn't one place. Some regions and people in Asia might eat tofu with the intention to substitute meat. Some of their tofu might be very firm. Honestly idk anymore but it makes sense.
The whole soft -> firm scale is a western thing, tofu is described completely differently in Asia. That is because the coagulant makes a big difference, which is a fact that this video misses. Gypsum tofu is totally different the Nigari tofu, yet you will find "extra firm" tofu made from either.
There is a Chinese equivalent to the western "Extra Firm" which is actually a pressed tofu. It's packaged in shrink wrap instead of water and has a very dense texture, but it's more of a specialty ingredient than a standard variety.
@@stosto3 How does gypsum tofu differ from nigari?
@@stosto3 I was vaguely aware of this, but its fascinating to learn more about tofu in a culture which have been eating it for what, 2 millennia? I just love authentic tofu dishes.
@@anonnymous4684 Nigari tofu has a smooth slightly slimy surface, is more delicate, has a slightly bitter taste, you can break it in half and it the break will have a smooth surface. Gypsum tofu is more grassy and mild, and tends to be sort of crumbly or rough and a little bit more resilient. Nigari tofu is great when deep fried or boiled. Gypsum tofu is usually pan fried.
@@stosto3
How was that a fact this video missed when it's irrelevant to whether or not you need to press tofu? While I'm sure some people in Asia watch his show, it's obvious he's targeting a mainly U.S. and Canada base and those people will be buying the type of tofu used in this video, so, it doesn't matter what kind of coagulant is used in other types of tofu not commonly found in the areas he's targeting.
Had this been a video about the different types of tofu found all over the world, sure, that's an important fact, but this video was about if we need to press the tofu we get out of a plastic box from Walmart in rural places like Kalispell, Montana, which I've never heard of until now but they do have a Walmart.
With that said, you did provide some interesting information I've never heard before, which is always cool, so, thanks, I'm always happy to learn something new.
Hi Sauce Stache! As a sensory scientist, I wanted to give you some recommendations on how to make your testing methods more reliable! Namely, try to include some sort of rinse between each sample; typical rinses include an unsalted saltine cracker or white bread, and always concludes with room temperature water to bring your palate back to baseline. My other recommendation is that when you are doing tests with many samples (I would say greater than 5), you should consider expectorating the samples and rinses so as to avoid any effect that fatigue may have on your evaluations. I recognize expectorating is not as fun, but the impact that tasting fatigue can have on your ability to perceive differences is actually quite large! Also, while your wife (congrats!) may have initially noticed a difference between the two tofu samples regarding texture, she may have actually been perceiving a difference in a specific texture parameter such as fracturability, rupture strength springiness, or work to penetrate/shear. Texture is such a diverse modality that is can be extremely hard to identify which aspect of texture you are actually evaluating. Hope this gives you some thoughts to ponder over! It makes me so happy to see people introducing sensory testing concepts into the mainstream :)
Cool info! I never knew tasting fatigue was a thing, though it makes sense. If you don't mind, could you elaborate on the firmness thing? You seem to be implying that what Mark's partner (wait, wife, I've definitely fallen out of the loop! Congrats to them both!) perceiving could've been something other than firmness, but the things you listed sound (to me, who knows nothing about these things) like they fall under the category of "firmness". Do you think pressing vs. not pressing may have made a difference in how easily the tofu, uh, breaks? (Sorry, I don't know the proper terminology!) Like, pressing may have cracked the tofu, and so the unpressed feels firmer (because it doesn't break as easily)?
Kind of like the horse radish and ginger at a sushi joint. Makes sense.
I would definitely say freezing different types of tofus really makes more of a difference in texture and absorption of flavour than pressing. I do wonder if marinating while pressing them might help it absorb faster 🤷🏻♂️
Freezing totally works!! I love the freezing technique
@@SauceStache make a video :) this helps!
Are you freezing store bought tofu?
Have you made any tofu's at home?! (IF yes, what kinds?!)
In love, light & gratitude,
S.G.A.⭐🤍💜💛
@@99thmonkeyresonance66 I freeze store bought tofu. Just throw it in when I get it and thaw it the night before I need it. The water just pours out of it once you freeze and thaw it.
I'd say yes, but I am too scared of doing it. I massage the marinade into soy chunks, but that stuff is squeezable. Tofu breaks too easily.
Don't know if you already tried it, but freezing tofu changes the taste and texture a lot. Seems to absorb much more flavor too.
Dramatically.
@Marija yeh it look l’info gross but work well I think air bubble/water expand when they freeze and make a lot of tiny holes in it
So, do you freeze as is and when defrost it then it absorbs the flavors, or do you freeze it in the flavors you wish it to absorb? This is so new to me. Thank you
100% agree freezing tofu is totally worth doing
@@jennifermerlynn from what I've done, I have taken it out of the package and then either left it whole or cut it then wrapped it. From there you put it in the freezer. I think if you dont cut it the texture wont be exactly what you're aiming for. I've done it for a big amount, as I work in the restaurant industry and have many vegetarian customers.
This video is accurate, if and only if, you only press for 15 mins and only marinate for 30 minutes. I can get out 1/2 cup or more of liquid when pressing for longer. On top of that marinating over night makes a huge difference.
I agree. If I’m pressing tofu it normally sit’s for at least an hour, and I generally marinade overnight. Tried this experiment on my own before and I hated the results. I think pressing and freezing both have a huge effect!
I completely agree, and I think it matters a lot that he had to exclude extra firm tofu because of a shortage. I think extra firm tofu actually loses more water when pressing than softer tofus that contain more water. Extra firm is a bit spongier and those pockets of water are more accessible.
Totally agree! I usually press my tofu all day and then marinate overnight!
I can taste and feel the difference if I don't press it. That's why I press it lol. I don't want that much additional liquid in my food, and I don't like the bitter flavor of it anyway
I was thinking the same thing. He was getting the same amount of liquid for both b/c after 15 min it is sitting in the tofu liquid and no longer draining from the tofu.
For a firmer mouth feel with a breaded and pan fried tofu recipe, I press extra firm OVERNIGHT. More water keeps coming out and it DOES make a big difference. Otherwise, your video makes sense and I'll stop pressing it for other recipes. Great testing!!!
Came here to say this as well. I press my tofu overnight and then start marinating it in the morning so it's ready for dinner that evening. So @saucestache, you didn't press or marinate for nearly long enough for it to make any difference.
I’ve tried freezing and double freezing so many times. It’s just ends up tasting weird Ake freezer burn.
I've always pressed overnight, a half hour doesn't seem very long.
...or you could use sheet tofu which is made way firmer to begin with and even come in dry varieties you can reconstitute to your liking in much less time
you really don't have to go through all this trouble instead of just buying the right kinds of tofu
@@Tenshi6Tantou6Rei I've never heard of this :o i live in the US and i dont think any of my grocery stores have this, but i probably need to research online. any brand you recommend?
Pressing is a technique used to remove some of the moisture and make it easier to cook with. In some recipes, if the tofu is too wet, it can break up during cooking, which may not be what you wanted.
"Pressing is a technique used to remove some of the moisture and make it easier to cook with"
I used to marinate tofu for 8 hours or overnight, and I'd say it did make a flavor difference, and the marinade was noticeably visible in the tofu (also my cuts were smaller than yours, so more surface area to absorb and less volume/depth for the marinade to travel). MOST of the time that difference was not worth it - but for some recipes that extra little splash of flavor goes a long way.
I do that with semi-firm tofu for bbq skewers. I dont really press it but i do pat it dry so that it doesnt dilute the marinade. And to me it does make a difference, marinating right before I make the skewers does not yield something as flavourful
That’s what I do as well, presuming I’m going to marinade it at all. Long ago though I started almost exclusively baking it in whatever marinade or sauce I’m going to use. That’s been my preferred method for years. I bake it even if I’m going to just then fry it or prepare it some other way. Just have to be careful not to overcook it.
Me too. I marinate overnight or sometimes longer in fridge, in smaller pieces. I think it makes a difference.
I came to the same conclusion and I stopped pressing tofu. And since I didn't want to throw my tofu press away, I started making my own homemade tofu once a week 🥳 This way I also learned how to use okara which is really delicious in many recipes👍 Thanks for sharing!!! Always enjoy your videos! 🙏
Boom!! Thats awesome... and thank you!!
@@SauceStache We need okara recipes Mark. 😉
I would like to see Mark to do a video on how to make dehydrated okara )that can then be ground and sealed for shelf storage. My problem has been that wet okara may not be able to be freezer stored depending on space, etc.
Also the dehydrated okara I have seen have been pricey here U.S. (tend to be packaged in small amounts) to Extremely Expensive shipping charges on overseas manufactured of the larger amounts of dry (or wet) okara products.
@@ridgleyhawthorne715 Yes, I agree on having a tutorial👍 I must say I've had great experience with okara so far, immediately after squeezing it (I made all kinds of cakes, meatless balls etc.) or by dehydrating for later use (some people do it in the oven at the lowest temp, I do it in dehydrator). This way you can keep it stored for a long time in an airtight container. I've never tried to freeze it tough...
@@cherryeve13 After I posted my previous text I realized with my past sad attempts (ie. fails), that I had also ended up with too much leftover soy milk that, like the wet okara, cannot be stored in too little freezer spaces.
Given this issue, I seriously think I also need a tutorial on how to dehydrate the soy milk portion so I can then: grind, prep, shelf store, & use the resultant soy milk powder at a later date.
(*sigh!*). 😬 ?...🍶🥛
Nice experiment! As a Chinese person, I've never pressed tofu and find it strange why all these westerners feel the need to. XD
There's probably a case for pressing if you're going to use tofu in a mixture though (for example seitan or a vegan cream cheese), since the water content will be distributed throughout the mixture.
If you freeze it overnight, thaw it, and then press, you can for one example, crumble it and saute it with some oil and seasonings and use it like scrambled "sausage" or "hamburg" or taco "meat" for pizza, pasta sauce, etc.
It can only soak up so much liquid so it’s good to get as much out if you’re trying to marinate it.
I think there’s more calcium ya?
The tofus they sold in Europe in the 90's were poor quality, so people tried to come up with ways to make them taste like something a human might eat.
@@elsapaton2993 frozen tofu is a big thing in a major dish in my culture - hot pot/steam boat. We’ll always have some of what we call “frofu” on hand for hot pots at home and always order when we go out for hot pot! Absolutely amazing and definitely that “sponge” aspect of tofu. Same as tofu puffs.
Honestly, I've found boiling tofu in a broth or just salted water is the best way to get flavor to permeate all the way through the protein (unless you're super patient and want to chuck your cooking in the fridge overnight to wait for flavor absorption). Salty boiling liquid > pressing. Osmosis is wonderful : )
Agree! So many people don’t know about this little tofu trick.
how does that affect the texture? I've never thought to boil tofu
So you boil it to flavor it and then what do you do?
@@pugtales then drain on a colander. I toss mine in cornstarch then pan fry with veg. Sooo good
@@imadiny
Thank you! Will try tomorrow
I really appreciate videos like this one that test conventional cooking advice. I have pretty rough OCD, which means that I either follow cooking advice exactly or I feel guilty about failing to do so, even when I'm not up for it. So it's a huge comfort to my mind to know that this step isn't a big deal. What a relief. Thanks so much for all the work you do: I know it's helped make my life better, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Cool experiment.... But I actually bought a press after 5 years eating tofu because I DO notice a difference. Last night I pressed tofu and marinated chunks. In the morning almost all the liquid was soaked into the tofu. After pressing the tofu it's visibly smaller and after marinated, back to original size. Just my experience 🤷
Not having tested it myself, what you say makes sense.
If you remove water by pressing the tofu, it would seem that it may soak up more marinade than tofu that isn't pressed.
Cutting the tofu into smaller or thinner pieces may allow the marinade to soak up into the center of the tofu. Allowing the tofu to marinade for longer may also soak into the center of the tofu.
I do it that way too.
Yep. I finally started pressing my tofu, and it has made a big difference in flavor. Otherwise I'm just getting a mouthful of tofu water- not pleasant.
Another trick I like is freezing and thawing a couple times. Gives it a meatier texture throughout.
Exactly. He only did it for half an hour which isn't enough time
I will press my tofu all day if I can. Freezing makes a big difference as well.
Freeze and press silken tofu, and it's a beautiful cutlet. Completely different. It's a GREAT meat replacement.
Totally agree!
You can press silken tofu without it being destroyed/mashed?
@@xxvertcerizexx yes, if you freeze it, the texture changes completely. It loses all of the water, presses very flat (think 1/2 inch or less), and becomes very much a cutlet (ie bread and fry, for example)
@@xxvertcerizexx I don't know because I haven't tried it but if I were going to try, I'd wrap silken tofu tightly in cheesecloth and a few tea towels before putting it under a light weight to mitigate the impact on the texture.
I'm not really sure if there's a good reason for pressing silken tofu though (hence why I haven't tried doing it.)
Is there a reason to use silken rather than firm? Do you find silken to be better in some aspects?
The Easy Vegan's method for tofu is my personal gold standard, with pressing, freezing, then pressing again, tossing with seasoning, then cornstarch and oil coating to bake, and then tossing in a sauce that sticks to the crusty surface.
My girlfriend stumbled across this same method on her own and holy moly does it make a difference. It REALLY adds to the texture and bite.
RIP that channel.
I hope that guy is well and happy. His channel was absolutely great but if it wasn't making his life great then I hope he has found whatever does make his life great.
Yup! Except I don’t press it before freezing.
Not a criticism, just a question: wouldn't it make more sense to freeze it unpressed, as then more water molecules expand and, after thawing and pressing, there would be more air pockets? And, hence, a spongier texture?
@@yuuri9064 This is a good instinct and I've wondered the same thing.
There is a potential that not pressing before freezing might create larger pockets rather than layers but I am dubious that this would be the case and even if it did, my hunch is that sufficiently heavy pressure and enough time would get you to that same place where the tofu is more or less "laminated".
This is great because I HATE pressing my tofu lol. Never doing it again!
It's still necessary if you're making a seitan recipe or similar that uses tofu and needs the water pressed out, because the reason for doing so is that extra water will ruin the finished product. But otherwise I agree.
Just microwave it for a few minutes. All the water comes out. Easy peazy
The real tofu texture secret is freezing until completely frozen, defrosting and then pressing and marinate overnight. It definitely takes more time but the texture is perfect for tofu nuggets/ tacos etc. I’m not a fan of cut tofu it has a much better mouth feel being torn with your fingers.
Double freezing is even better, I've found. After you squeeze that forth time get rid of the water then freeze again
I don't tend to press my tofu often, I just freeze it, defrost it then squeeze out some of the water with my hands, then toss it in a dry spice mix.
Yo great tip thanks
I do the same ☺️ 😂 it works great. When I do tofu ham I just soak the tofu and marinade for 2 days and it's so good and the marinade soaks through completely.
I found the firm tofus to reall change texture when frozen, even the silken ones get more crumbly. Not a fan of it.
Likewise. I double freeze (freeze, thaw, freeze - time permitting) and simply hand squeeze out any extra water just to keep it from adding extra/bland moisture to my dish.
This is a great tip! It works great too. Makes the texture awesome.
That's exactly what come to my mind when I see western people try to press tofu.
We here in Asia (I'm Indonesian) never have a fuss to press them whatsoever, and they absorb the flavor and seasoning very well.
You guys just need to cook it well and longer enough to allow all the flavors absorbed into it
How long do you cook yours then? I was thinking of using the tofu I have for my salads to make a “chicken salad “ but don’t have chicken flavored seasonings I’d like..how would I go about doing that for my salads to make the tofu like a chicken salad ?
Exactly. I don't know of Asians that press tofu. The trick is picking the right tofu and using the right preparation. Freezing or boiling/microwaving in salt water drives out the water though freezing changes the texture which can be great for soups. Firm tofu is better for stir fries while soft is great for soups or deep frying.
Thanks!
@@yennlowintresting i also don't press tofu however I want try to air fry it. Would i then need to press it to marinate it
I've had this feeling a long time ago and, just like you did, I tested and concluded that pressing or no pressing doesn't make any difference in terms of suking up marinades. However, if you freeze the tofu with the water within it, ice crystals will form inside the tofu creating a network of pores and, after thawing and pressing, the tofu will really suck up everything. When you put pressed frozen tofu in the oil on a skillet, it will suck up all the oil. I like to do that and use the tofu prepared with chilli oil and add it to fried rice. It tastes amazing.
I'm going to be here a while learning all the great techniques from the comments!
Here's what I currently do:
1. Freeze the tofu, that way it forms tiny ice crystals and changes the texture
2. Thaw the tofu and cut into slabs, whatever thickness you want
3. Boil the tofu slabs in salted water for a few minutes, this draws the water out of it
4. Place the tofu slabs on a kitchen towel and let the steam escape to draw even more water out
5. Cut down and cook the tofu however you like :)
After this process, if marinating the tofu, you can lightly squish the tofu while in the marinate and it will suck up the marinate when you release - thanks to the space left by the tiny ice crystals.
I’m glad you made this video! I haven’t pressed tofu since I first went vegan because I never saw how it made any difference at all, it just added more effort to cooking lol.
I have but do not like the texture. I don’t like to marinate tofu either… IMO it doesn’t taste as good and im concerned with the amount of unnecessary sodium/sugar (depending on the recipe) it may soak up.
I found this because I started looking at other ways to use Tofu now that my kids are able to realize my food is very different from theirs. I have been vegetarian most of my life but 100% of my use of it is nowhere near anything Asian in appearance or flavor. Never pressed it but I am now considering messing with it.
I have never pressed tofu, but have always pressed like on your videos. This video confirms both decisions!
hahahah YES!!! hahah thank you so much as always!!
Eyyy
I grew up with tofu and my family never pressed our tofu. Glad to see the test results. Thanks
To quote the channel Chinese Cooking Demystified" :
"Tofu doesn't need to be pressed, it doesn't need cornstarch, it needs patience"
I haven't been pressing tofu for years, instead, I cook it very slowly on an oiled pan.
"A lot of times they use skillets, sometimes bigger than this one" *holds up a skillet for ants*
🐜💚😂
For me, pressing has always been about texture. For flavor, I usually cut smaller cubes to increase surface area for spices and such to stick to.
Where I have actually seen a difference is when breading tofu to make it crispy. I've tried it both ways, and getting ALL the extra liquid out absolutely makes better crispy tofu!
In Taiwan and parts of China, there's brands of tofu at the market that already comes marinated and pressed (whether in 5 spice or other), and you cut them into matchsticks and saute it with celery. It's a great flavorful appetizer. I personally love the texture of super pressed tofu when cutting it into slices to make salads or stirfry.
That aside, my household has personally never pressed tofu whether it's involved in our soups, steamed or stir fried. Thank you for the video.
I like the pre fried tofu. Imo it takes a lot of patience to fry on each side
We always press ours not with the intent of changing the flavor, but because it significantly changes the texture (to one that we prefer, but you may not). Also, we are typically frying ours in our wok and you'll get that golden brown crust on the tofu much faster. Without pressing you are competing against the steam the tofu generates as it seeps out and is vaporized in the oil. Oh, and it splatters the oil much much less when frying because it isn't constantly adding tofu water to the blazing hot oil. This is extra helpful if you are deep frying where a non-pressed tofu is going to net you oil all over you, your counter, your walls, etc.
I use a tofu press and leave it overnight or for a day in the refrigerator and it makes a huge difference. I much prefer it to not pressing my tofu for baked tofu or dry fried or sautéed tofu. It significantly changes the texture.
I agree. Couple weeks ago, I quit pressing our tofu. Loved the results. 🌱🕊👏
Thats so awesome!! I think people are starting to realize its not really that needed.
@Sauce Stache Thanks for doing this. The only thing I have ever noticed was, pressed tofu (I've never pre-baked) took less time to get a pan sear, because it has less water to hold back the Maillard. I've tried it both ways, and I recall it always taking about twice as long to get a sear on the (unbaked) unsqueezed. No difference in uptake of flavour, just cooking time. I don't use a press, just squeeze it by hand, in the tub.
Btw, I _never_ discard the squeeze (nor marinade) liquid. The squeeze liquid has great nutrition in it. I add it to soups or casseroles, or pour it over my dogs' food. The marinade liquid I can use for sauces or soups.
I think for deep frying it's necessary. Coating wet tofu in starch is a bit tricky, plus the risk of oil explosions!
Maybe also for following a recipe. Of I make seitan with tofu and I don't press it, I have to adjust the amount of water to add to account for the water in the tofu.
You know a woman loves you when she'll wade through fifty shades of tofu (and with a smile.) Respect.
I had similar results when I pressed my tofu for 15 or 30 minutes. My conclusion wasn't to stop pressing, but press longer. Once I switched to overnight pressing, I saw real, noticeable results in the texture, especially when you combine it with double freezing the tofu.
That’s just too much
Double freezing? Man, I ain’t got time for that .
This is great! I'm so lazy I only press tofu if the extra water is going to be a problem in the recipe which is not often. But when marinating tofu I never press it! I feel like there's an osmosis thing that happens with a salty brine when it marinates for several hours. The liquids trade places. And I might be totally imagining it, but I stick by it. 😆
Chemically speaking you are right but it will really take hours.
I always put soft tofu in soup-based food because it tastes refreshing and warm. I never knew it can sucked up more marinate lol
It was a great discovery!
Okay, first of all, this is THE FIRST TIME I'm ever seen your stuff, and I'm only 70 seconds in. and Im already subscribed lmao. excited to learn more about non meat cooking (!!!)
Like others have pointed out, I think it really depends on how long you press and how long you marinate. Overnight pressing/marinating may make for a tastier result, but you'd have to concede that most people don't use tofu like that.
Glad this was your conclusion - I stopped pressing a couple years ago for efficiencies sake!
As a suggestion if you're going to test these tofu's again. Marinate the tofu's in the sauce overnight, therefore the tofu will suck up all the liquids. This method works as I do this often, using firm tofu.
Great video, I just want to add a few notes. Both varieties are coagulated, the difference is that the coagulant is added to the Silken before heating it and it does not move or filter or press and the other variety does. For this reason, to obtain the best “meat” texture, the Silken type is used, but it has to be frozen with care not to break it and, once it has been defrosted, it is pressed and dried a little in the oven. Silken tofu's laminated coagulation gives it more chicken texture than the fluffy texture of the pressed tofu when frozen.
microwave the tofu for 15min and it will become dry and thirsty
BOOM what a great tip!!! I knew knew this video would be loaded with awesome comments!!
@@SauceStache you should test this out
Microwaving more than 7~8 minutes is not good, i heard ...
On high, low? What setting?
@@christopherkinnaird2881 i don't know 😭
Great. I’ve been wanting a tofu press for two years and finally got around to buying one last week. 😂
hahahah you will still use it!! I have one that I really like that I know ill still use... but maybe not as much
As a person with texture/sensory issues, pressing tofu is a necessity for me, otherwise it's inedible because it's still too mushy. I've had pressed and unpressed for 6 years and have NEVER had an unpressed tofu somehow come out firmer lol
So what this vid and the comments boil down to for me: if you have sensory issues, you'll still notice a difference. if you're neurotypical you probably won't notice a difference.
Hi neurodivergent friend! Thank you for this comment !
Yep I know what you mean! Just a bit on the squishy side! Not my favourite texture! 🤣
This is exactly why I've always pressed my tofu, and it always made a huge difference. Had nothing to do with absorbing marinade and that was never discussed in my circles or recipes.
i'd recommend freezing tofu (and especially defrosting in the microwave)! the texture is much less mushy than both other methods that way (for me anyway, and i find it much easier than pressing, but ymmv ofc!)
This 100%!!!
I only press mine to dry it for some recipes, but really I never bother for most recipes. Thank you for solving the question!
I noticed raw and cubed in a salad that unpressed tofu did have a different texture to be off putting. Both me and my wife both preferred a pressed version. Italian dressing, matchstick carrots, black olives and baby kale.
Yeah, he cooked all the tofu but if you're not cooking it and are just going to eat it raw it makes a MASSIVE difference. One of my favorite quick things to eat is raw tofu squares with soy sauce, and if I don't press it all the liquid slowly oozes out and dilutes the sauce and it's so much harder to soak up the flavor.
I love tofu! Grew up with it and have prepared it many different ways. There is a huge difference with pressing imo, but it must be for longer pressing periods. I usually do it a day in advance. Skimmed through the comments and was surprised that one particular method of mine was not mentioned, which made me feel as if I have a "secret" style to euphoric tofu preparation 😂
I'm not a vegetarian or vegan by any means, but do enjoy plant based foods as much as meat. Grew up that way. We were poor, but always had a garden.
This is one of my favorite channels to watch everyday. Good content 👍 I love the experimental aspect. Thank you for sharing 🙏
We've thought the same thing for a long time! From the package we squeeze it for about 10 seconds and then cook like normal and it's always turns out great. Thanks for the comparison!
Hey @Sauce Stache thanks alot for this experiment. It was really worth watching it.
However I would Change a few boundary conditions as far as this experiment goes.
1) Use ( more) Salt/sodium in your marinade. The salt will drag the marinade into the marinated food you choose. Thats the reason why you should marinate red meat 1-2 days in advance. #osmisis #diffusion
2) marinating time: increase the marinating time. Give the salted marinate more time. 30 min might not be enough time.
My exp. When i was marinating vegan salmon i saw that the marinade moved into the Tofu after one night but not after one hour. I think the time could be a factor.
3. Consistency of tofu. After pressing the tofu its structure looked really fragile. Maybe this is the reason for the identical consistencies of pressed and unpressed Tofu.
What i do. I cut the Tofu in half and press it then. I really have the feeling that its consistency changes.
Would be nice to hear of you... Wether These suggestions make sense to you
Asia- we do perfectly fine without pressing our tofu for literally thousands of years, so i don't know what you are on about.
Great video and thank you very much… Couple of steps left out if you want tofu to absorb flavour. Press the tofu… put the tofu back into its original packaging fold down the flap and put it in the freezer overnight. The moisture still inside the tofu on freezing expands and creates small tears throughout that can suck up and retain a marinade… so the next day Defrost the tofuand you will see even more water will come out leaving open pores, pour this water off... Then press the tofu again for 30 to 40 minutes this is an important step… Doing it this way it creates these small openings that suck up flavour and this also allows you to have a really Krispy outer crumb like chicken schnitzel with that pullible fibrous texture. Pressing it only once doesn't make a great deal of difference and this method is transformative. This opens up a lot of different flavour options which finally makes it more interesting… I know this was posted sometime ago and you probably have already come across this howeverThank you again for all of your effort and hope this is useful.
I've found the only time there seems to be a difference is after it's been frozen. I think the freezing process draws the liquid away from the solids, and makes for a much better press.
I have wondered about this often. Lately I haven't been pressing my tofu and I wasn't noticing a difference in the final product. For myself I had already thought it just wasn't worth all the extra effort to press tofu and was skipping all the time involved with that process. I just took it out of the fridge, cut a couple of drain holes in the tofu package and set it in the sink to drain. Then later came back to cook it when I was ready. But it is really rewarding to see you substantiate my beliefs. So glad you guys went through all the testing and posted these results. Maybe more people will start skipping the pressing steps involved.
1,000 likes from me! Thank you sooooo much for this because I despise the added mess and work of pressing tofu.
Thank you so much!!!
While ideally you would have done a double blind test, blindfolded ideally, with multiple people… we’re talking about tasting tofu here, not clinical drug trials lol, so I trust you to simply taste it and judge what you’re tasting. Great video.
I agree completely. This one was not very scientific.
First, thank you for the great video!
second, a question:
I wonder if you could use silken tofu for mozzarella sticks "you can fry silken tofu but it will be very soft and squishy"
though you already have a video on making vegan mozzarella so its probably an unessicary experiment :P
You are such a big TH-camr now. I remember stated following you when you had just a few thousands followers. Great job and congratulations
I feel so validated in my non-tofu pressing ways!
Hahahaaaaa I absolutely LOVE this video!!!!! Thanks for taking the time to do it so detailed!
I've always suspected it doesn't make a difference and never found it a benefit for me. And gave up pressing, and glad I havent spent money on an expensive press!!!!!
I find that cutting up the tofu into thin strips or cubes works best for marinades. It doesn't matter what you are marinating smaller pieces absorb more.
I should have made mine thinner for sure... but I wanted to get the most dramatic result. But you are correct smaller pieces might have absorbed more
@@SauceStache also I don't know if you have a Sprouts or Trader Joe's, but they seem to have a more consistent supply of tofu and Sprouts is cheaper than most Western stores.
Dude, I've found that poking holes in tofu prior to marinating it is about the only sure way to get the flavor you want. I use a thin, serrated steak knife for that. Just stab the block all the way through really well, like, a dozen times or more. That'll get the flavor in there.
omg I thought I was just crazy for never ever noticing a difference. it always seemed so useless to me whenever I tried it so I just don't press it lol I love tofu no matter the texture!
It is certainly amazing regardless!
I suspect that your pressing technique is what's causing the similarity between 'your "pressed" and unpressed versions. When we press, we put the tofu in the press, and then into the refrigerator for a few hours. Lots of water comes out, AND when we take it out of the press it doesn't just POP BACK UP LIKE IT HAD NEVER BEEN PRESSED. We totally notice the difference in texture and depending on how it's cooked, the taste too. Vegetarian for 37 years and Vegan for 2 years.
Thank you for doing this! Makes life so much easier!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. I have absolutely found this to be true. Any time I follow the instructions about how to cook tofu, it doesn't turn out any better. In fact, I've found my own methods much better. I either cut it into thin strips and pan fry it straight from the box and then add sauce near the end, or just mash it into a scramble and add sauce because then there's so much surface area, the sauce/marinade is in every bite no matter what just by sheer blunt force hahaha. Either way, the key to getting lots of flavor is smaller chunks.
I’ve been vegan since I was born, and we never pressed our tofu ever lol. I heard about that once I got to college, it always seemed like too much of a hassle for me to adopt lol.
Man. I haven’t seen one of your videos in a while, but two today. I missed them. And I have been saying the same about pressing tofu for decades. Almost 30 years vegan and I have never pressed my tofu. The stuff just does not like to let flavor inside! Haha. Thank you for doing an actual test to confirm this.
Thank you!! I haven’t stopped making videos… TH-cam is just showing them less often :(
As far as the tofu I was 100% with you… I needed to test it to really see. Im going to go more in depth with it because I’ve gotten a lot of flack for this video haha so I have a few more tests to do!
VERY interesting! I know that Cheap Lazy Vegan doesn't press hers, and swears that it is a waste of time. I'm guessing there might be less splattering if you press it before pan-frying it in oil.
Please do a test to see if there is a difference between frozen/thawed tofu and off-the-shelf tofu!
Interesting. This cheap lazy vegan sounds pretty lazy!
I recently got a press and I definitely notice the difference. I used to press before if I had time but frequently didn’t. Freezing and squeezing usually worked pretty well. With the press now, it’ s much less hassle and I think it’s worth doing. I still freeze sometimes before still though.
I definitely can tell the difference between pressed currents between pressed and not pressed tofu especially if you marinate it and meet immediately after and give it a chance to soak off everything.
It works even better if you freeze the tofu to change the consistency and then press it literally turns it into a sponge
I appreciate this video - I've never pressed my tofu in 20+ years and always wondered if I was missing out
That brand is a bit odd with the naming. It's "extra-firm" *silken* tofu. I found out the same way you did. Haha.
I really don't like eating cotton wool whether it's deep fried, baked or sautéed. I'll keep on pressing my tofu!
We feeeze and squeeze over here lol 😆
Love the freezing method!!! That totally works!!
Why would you perform the tasting nonblinded?
Also, why would you not weigh the marinade before and after marinading to determine absorbtion?
It seems pressing doesn't do a whole lot, which I think anyone who cooks with tofu often has probably figured out from experience, but this was a bad experiment.
If you double freeze the tofu it absorbs marinades, the expansion inside of the tofu from the water freezing creates pockets inside for penetration of other liquids and changes the texture of the tofu into a more spongey/"meaty" texture. I use that method to make chicken nuggets sometimes.
But the pressing was interesting!
How do you "double freeze"?
Does this mean you freeze to -64°F? 🤔
@@rangerannie5636 freeze, thaw (in the fridge), squeeze in pack a bit to move the water around, refreeze
I just find I get a texture I prefer more consistently when I freeze it twice.
I have used this method several times and it is excellent for texture and absorbing flavor! You're right that it's great for that meaty texture.
Hey, there! Your “Lady Friend” is a dear. She doesn’t seem to have a pretentious bone in her body. Such a delight. Quite rare in this day and time…especially on TH-cam.
I have never pressed my tofu and I don´t think it´s necessary, unless you really want and need that extra "dry" tofu for some special recipe! :)
Exactly!! Thats awesome
I think one of the problems with the experiment is that the marinade for the tofu would actually pull a lot of liquid out of it rather than be drawn into it (high sodium tingz). Also, the 30 min wait I don't think is enough time for permeation to take effect - just look at how the sauce colour only affects the skin.
This is oddly very timely.
Nice!!!
Ha ha. Mark, your look at 11:07 i crack up every time. Thank you for this it has been something of interest for a while.
I have said this for a while, seemed a waste of time. My ex Aunt who is Malaysian said about blanching it in water which actually firms it up.
But I absolutely recommend freezing it aswell. Changes textures dramatically. (Btw she is alive just split up with my uncle 😅)
A miss without the extra firm. Much longer pressing is also worth exploring.
When I want the marinade to absorb, I start by pressing it down and letting it expand as it pulls in the marinade like a sponge. Does it go all the way through? No, but just sitting it in liquid doesn’t make it absorb anything. It 100% takes a marinade if you do what I’ve said
LOVE that tip!
I usually do a “chicken “ marinade that way, using plastic bags. Not vacuum sealed but you get what I mean I’m sure. Thanks for the great channel. My wife and I are 13 year vegans and we love your channel (we are Ohioans too!)
You are absolutely right, Chris.I also simetimes inject marinade into my tofu so the flavor gets in alot deeper.
So you marinate it while you press it? I really want to learn this tip but I'm not sure I understood. Thanks!
@@stephaniemacfarlane7297 you take the pressed tofu and treat it like a sponge trying to draw the marinade in by pressing the block into the marinade with pressure. As you release pressure it will draw some in. I usually do an overly seasoned marinade and try to get it on both sides. Also, doing in in a ziplock compressed and then stuck in the freezer will help,
I do a light press, just a quick squish really, mostly so whatever I'm throwing it in doesn't get diluted by the extra liquid. Love this video!
That totally works!!
BUT I JUST GOT MY PRESS!
Also, ahem.... GOOD MORNING SAUCYMAN!!!
Gooooood morning Christopher!!!! YESS!! haha I just got mine and still love it! I will keep using it, BUT I dont think for basic recipes you really need to!
@@SauceStache Lol, that EZ press is the one I have. :)
The tiny skillet is so funny! You'd have to do it about 20X to do an entire pkg.
yes yes yess looooove tofu, but i never liked it pressed! i love the softer texture and the versatility
Right... it seems more useful not pressed!!
What does it taste like ?
@@SauceStache yes! and it saves time! loved watching your experiment
@@VaughnTaylor31 ohh that's quite difficult to describe! i don't think tofu compares to anything else (besides soy milk) the softer tofus have a quite mild flavour. Tofu soaks up any flavour you pair it with, but personally i also like it on it's own.
I HAVE A TOFU PRESS (the tofu press with a spring you showed) AND PRESSING FIRM TOFU FOR HOURS DOESN'T DO CRAP.
The braised tofu from my Chinese grocery is so good the braising liquid actually absorbs into the tofu but no matter what I do at home no flavour gets absorbed into tofu. It only gets absorbed at the surface level at most. I'm thinking I need to buy dried tofu and soak it flavoured liquid to actually get flavoured tofu that soaks it in.
I would prefer not to press tofu, but it holds together better for me when pressed. Some of the marinades I use are not liquid but more of a paste and i have to gently mix it up. If I don't press it first, it just crumbles all to pieces, even the extra firm. The only tofu I don't press is the super firm.
Awesome video! Love this format, so interesting and informative
You missed the point here. Pressing tofu isn’t about flavor or texture. The point is to remove liquids for more even and consistent frying and a crispier result, and because frying a wet block in hot oil is messy at best and dangerous at worst. Your pressed pieces were visibly more golden brown. If you were to fry your tofu properly in a layer of oil instead of a bit of spray, you’d see the difference in cooking time and quality of the outcome.
Also, when it comes to marinating and cooking tofu, smaller pieces are the way to go. Marinade doesn’t penetrate tofu very well in the best of circumstances, and the greatest flavor is only on the outside, cooked, surface area. I wouldn’t be surprised if this experiment was botched because you used such large chunks, and if the difference would be more noticeable with pieces of a realistic size for use in a recipe.
Yeah I only press when I fry to not have the splattering from the water coming out.
No pressing necessary for frying Heiwa's extra firm tofu since it isn't packed in a container of water.
I've been making tofu scramble since the 80s I never pressed it always tasted great.Carry on :)
Who wants to see Mark and Guga come together for a dry aged tofu steak? :D let's make it happen.
What I've heard is that in order to get the sponge-like effect, you need to freeze your tofu before squeezing. Drain the tofu, then pop it in the freezer to get rock solid, pull it out and let it thaw, and THEN press it.
The water inside the tofu expands as it freezes, creating tiny pockets throughout the tofu (like a sponge!) after the ice melts. Squeeze the water out of those pockets, and now the sauce has a place to go.
Regardless, squeezing the water out in a Western, meat-replacement context was never about soaking up a sauce, it was about making tofu denser and firmer to be a more satisfying alternative to meat that will actually fry instead of steam.
Now put it all in a spreadsheet 🤣
I should have hahah