How to Make Tofu

1. Wash beans in fresh water.

2. Soak overnight in plenty of water.

3. Drain beans and vitamize with plenty of water and pour fluid into a saucepan.

4. Heat the thick soya bean fluid but don't allow to boil.

5. Line a colander with the loosely woven muslin clothe with saucepan underneath.

6. Pour the soya mixture into the clothe and squeeze the milk out though the clothe. Continue with all the mixture. Add more boiling water as necessary to extract more milk through the cloth.

7. Bring what essentially issoya milk slowly to the boil and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Now turn the heat off.

8. While the milk is simmering make up a solution of epsom salts in a cup of cold water.

9. Pour about ½ of the epsom solution into the soya milk stirring gently. Watch the milk coagulate. Pour the remainder in and close the lid of the sauce pan. Allow to cool a bit, take a peek and if the fluid is not clear at the top then add some more epsom solution.

10. Now line the colander with the closely woven clothe and pour the fluid and settled curd. Don't squeeze the clothe allow the contents to drain through. Place a heavy object, say a water kettle, water bottle onto the wrapped up clothe and leave it for a few hours, or better still overnight.

11. Now you have tofu or soya bean curd. Unlike what you get in the shops it is round. Cut up and place in a container. Cover with water and refridgerate.

* Makes about 400 - 600g of tofu depending on it hardness.

* Purists would use nigari but is rather expensive. Lemon works fine as the coagulant but it tends to shorten the shelf life of the tofu.

Don't throw away the soya bean pulp, unless you have chooks. Use it in cakes or bread. Put it in a bag and store in the freezer.

Don't throw out the whey. I use it to wash the dishes. Rich in lecithin cuts through fats. I have heard some wash their hair in it. Perhaps use it as a base for soups.

Your How to Make Tofu is ready. Happy cooking!