A Quick and Easy Guide on How to Press Tofu by Hand

You may have noticed that whenever I share tofu recipes, one of the steps instructs you to “press” the tofu.  I think I have generally been pretty good at remembering to explain what this means, but it’s about time I show you.  From the perspective of this omnivore who cooks a lot of vegan food, pressing your tofu before cooking it is the single most important factor in the outcome of your dish.  Regardless of whether you’re baking it, pan-frying it in slabs, or throwing chunks into a stir-fry, you should never skip this step.

You may come across recipes that tell you to “press” tofu for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or even an hour by wrapping in paper towel and adding weight.  My impatience led to the discovery that this isn’t at all necessary… you can do it in just a few minutes using nothing but paper towel and your hands.  It’s really simple, have a look see!

First, slice the block of tofu into slabs that are approximately 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick.  The whole purpose of pressing tofu is to remove the excess water; this creates additional surface area to absorb the liquid.  You don’t want them too thin, or it will be very difficult to press without the pieces crumbling.

Now lay the slices single file on a doubled-up piece of paper towel.

Top with another doubled up piece of paper towel (yes, this takes a good bit of paper towel!) and press with your hands, carefully but firmly.

You may need to repeat this process using dry portions of the paper towel.  You really want to remove as much of the moisture as possible so that the tofu is very firm!

“That was easy!”

Johanna