Tofu texture for shelf stable tofu

[blissful]

Check this out.
We found shelf stable tofu available this past year.
The usual treatment we give it is to freeze it but shelf stable says not to freeze it in containers so I opened them and froze them in a bag in the freezer. Then thaw and drain. It was not the same texture and refrigerated or homemade tofu, so I baked them whole. Then once dried out, I sliced them and then into cubes. I marinated them in soy sauce, water, and miso paste. Then baked to dry them a little. They are a different texture! More like chicken. I was happily surprised. Take a look.

I'm sure this has something to do with the processing and isolated soybean extracts that aren't in the refrigerated or homemade tofu. It turned out okay! Not that I like isolated soybean extracts in my food at all, but at least it wasn't a waste and in a pinch this works.

 

[taxlady]

Why did you do anything but store it in the pantry, if it was shelf stable?

 

[blissful]

If you try tofu, the taste and texture change when you cook it, or marinate it, or bread and fry it.
It's something you can process into a paste or a sauce, eat by the slab or cube.
Now I can put it in a stir fry or a salad.

We rarely eat it right out of the container. You can but it might not be what you want.

 

[Sheetal3v]

Tofu texture and soft stays up to 3-5 says only if unopened, if you opened and stored in fridge you should have used the air tight container. You used plastic bag which may effected the texture and color of the tofu.

 

[Janet H]

Wow - these are cool results! I have a love/hate relationship with shelf-stable tofu and may try this.

 

[CharlieD]

That's nice not freezing that is, because freezing ruins the texture. Found out the hard way. It was bad.

 

[blissful]

That's nice not freezing that is, because freezing ruins the texture. Found out the hard way. It was bad.

How do you make it and what do you have it with?

 

[CharlieD]

How do you make it and what do you have it with?

Do you make what?
I use it in a soup.

 

[larry_stewart]

Some people actually prefer the tofu frozen, as it changes the texture from silky to more chewy. In a soup, I would definitely not use it from the frozen state or would I press it, but if frying or breading it adds a nice texture ( at least I think it does). I do press the tofu many times to get rid of a lot of the liquid it has absorbed. It's amazing how much liquid one block of tofu can absorb.

 

[blissful]

@larry_stewart I think regular refrigerated tofu does have a good texture after freezing and pressing. It then acts like a sponge with a marinade to take in flavor. I usually bake it after that. The shelf stable stuff doesn't press after freezing-it stays pretty waterlogged, which is why I baked it whole to dry it out a bit.

@CharlieD I can understand that you'd use right out of the package for soup. It's very delicate and smooth in that state. Another way to use fresh tofu is to blend it with lemon juice and garlic, with a hand blender, then spread it on bread, bake it for 15 minutes and it is like a bit of cream cheese on the bread. It doesn't melt but solidifies on top of the bread in a creamy way.