Can you freeze tofu? Tofu is a food made from soy milk that is used in many Asian cuisines. There are many varieties of this non-dairy food, but they all have one thing in common – they spoil pretty quickly. Therefore, one might wonder if it is possible to freeze tofu to store for later, and if it actually makes sense. Luckily, you can freeze leftover tofu, and it’s not difficult to freeze and thaw it with satisfactory results.
How to Freeze Tofu
Drain tofu
You should remember that only fairly dry and firm tofu freezes well. If your tofu is soft and tender because of this, you will need to drain it beforehand. You can easily do that with paper towels. Simply unwrap it from its original packaging and place it on a plate (or cookie sheet) covered with a few layers of paper towels. Once the tofu is on the paper towels, cover it with a paper towel and squeeze it a little. You can even put something on top to put constant pressure on the tofu. Leave the tofu in this way for some time to dry out. If the paper towels are soaked under the tofu, throw them out and put new ones in there.
Of course, you can freeze tofu in its original packaging if you don’t open it before freezing. Keep in mind that freezing the tofu this way will result in a softer texture and consistency of the product once thawed. Some people like him, others not so much. It’s really a matter of personal preference. Keep in mind that due to the moisture inside the package, some ice will form. If you decide to freeze tofu without any prep, simply pop the package in the freezer and that’s it.
Wrap the tofu and put it in the freezer
When it comes to tofu packaging, you have a few choices. First, you might want to freeze everything in one piece. Just wrap it tightly in a cellophane wrap or place it in a freezer bag. If you plan to freeze it for a longer period of time (e.g. a few months) I suggest wrapping it tightly and then placing it in a freezer bag. Before sealing the bag, remember to remove all air from the bag.
Read Also: Can you freeze Swiss chard?
If you want, you can cut the tofu into smaller portions before freezing. After slicing, you can freeze each portion individually (wrap as described in the previous section) or wrap each portion in foil and place a few portions in a freezer bag. Whichever way works best for you.
There is a third possibility. Cut tofu into small cubes, place them (so they don’t touch each other) on a cooking sheet or tray and place in the freezer. When the cubes are frozen, place them in a freezer bag. They are ready to be frozen long term. That way, you can just scoop some tofu out of the pack as needed.
Tips and additional information on freezing tofu
Keep in mind that tofu will darken slightly after freezing. The exact shade depends on how long the product is kept in the freezer. Another thing to note is that thawed tofu is quite clunky (depends on how moist it was when it was put in the freezer). It won’t work well in dishes where its chunky texture is undesirable.
Before you put the package in the freezer, remember to date and label it. For best quality, tofu should not be frozen longer than 5, maybe 6 months. Defrosting tofu is easy—just pop it in the fridge overnight. If it’s too watery after thawing, simply squeeze it over a sink to remove the excess water. If your tofu chunks are the appropriate size for the dish you are cooking, you can add frozen tofu (if it was drained before freezing, otherwise it could add too much water to your dish after thawing) directly into the dish given.
summary
As you can see, freezing tofu is fairly straightforward, and many people freeze it with satisfactory results.