Tofu keeps it fresh while in stores.Too much water can make tofu hard to work with, and you'll need to drain it for a firm enough texture to fry, bake, or grill tofu.Most of the tofu block's water can be drained by pressing tofu.You can either hand press your tofu or use a tofu press to give it a dry texture.
Step 1: Take the excess water out of the tofu package.
Put all of the water in the sink and rinse off the tofu block.Put your tofu down on the table after drying it with a paper towel.The water helps keep the tofu fresh, but it's not necessary once you open it.
Step 2: The tofu can be wrapped in paper or cloth.
The tofu block should be covered with paper or cloth towels to absorb excess water.To get rid of water dripping from the tofu, press it firmly with your hands over the sink.You will have to change the towels every 30 minutes if you use paper towels.
Step 3: The tofu should be weighed with a cutting board and heavy objects.
Place the tofu on a plate or shallow bowl with a cutting board on top.To slowly press water out of tofu, place a pot, book, or weighted object on top of the cutting board.To weigh it down evenly, choose an object as long and wide as the tofu block.
Step 4: Tofu should be drained for about 3 hours.
The tofu will be more dry and firm if you leave it to drain.For a firm enough texture to fry, grill, or bake tofu, drain it for at least 2 hours.If you're in a hurry, you can apply manual pressure to the tofu with your hands.If you wrapped tofu in paper towels, you should remove the weighted object every 30 minutes and re-wrap it to prevent water from leaking around the table.
Step 5: Tofu is placed in the tofu press.
The tofu int should be set in the designated compartment and secured with the tofu press design in mind.For most tofu presses, you need to slide it into the tofu slot and tighten it with screws on the side.Put the tofu in the press by draining the excess water from the package and blotting it with a paper towel.If you want to evenly drain the tofu block of moisture, tofu presses are better than hand pressing it.
Step 6: Put a timer on the counter.
It takes up to 60 minutes for tofu to be pressed using a tofu press.Leave the tofu press on the counter to drain the excess water.If you are using an electric tofu press, you can leave it undisturbed for 45-60 minutes.
Step 7: Every 10 minutes, the tofu is re-tighten.
If you're using a manual tofu press instead of an electric one, you will need to tighten the screws one notch to the side to squeeze out more liquid.The tofu press screws need to be tightened every 10 minutes.Re-tighten the screws more often to speed up the draining time.You can press tofu in 30 minutes if you re-tighten the screws every few minutes.
Step 8: Take the tofu out of the press and cook it.
After draining tofu, take it out of the tofu press and place it on a plate.Depending on what your recipe calls for, you can either fry, grill, or cook it.