Chinese Silken Tofu - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I use silken tofu for? ›

For Eating Raw: Pretty straightforward. Soft and silken tofu are ready to go right out of the package (though, technically, any tofu can be eaten raw). Drain off the excess water, and eat up!

Frying silken tofu adds a golden crispy exterior while maintaining its soft and silky interior. This cooking method enhances the tofu's flavor and gives it a delightful texture. It also allows you to create a variety of dishes, from stir-fries to tofu nuggets or even crispy tofu sandwiches.

Pressing won't work with any type of silken tofu as silken tofu is too soft and the process will crush it completely. Silken tofu is best used in dishes where it is lightly cooked or blended, like in our vegan mayonnaise.

Generally speaking, raw tofu means tofu that hasn't been cooked since it was pressed and packaged. You can eat raw tofu straight from the pack if you like, but you'll probably want to drain off some of the excess water first, as it can be messy, and it doesn't really add anything to the experience.

Tofu Nutrition

For relatively similar serving sizes, the nutrition differences between silken and firm tofu are pretty big. Silken tofu contains only about half the calories and fat, while firm tofu contains over twice the protein. The reason for this is water content.

Use a food processor or blender to make the silken tofu as creamy as possible, add flavor enhancers, and mix it into any sauce. Stir it into your quick tomato sauce recipe, or use your classic penne alla vodka recipe with tofu instead of cream and butter. Don't forget to top it all off with fresh basil!

To Keep It Together, Think Dry and Firm

One of the most important steps in preparing tofu is drying out or firming up its exterior in some way to help it hold together. For pan-frying, draining it and then drying and pressing the exterior with paper towels works well.

Raw tofu is safe to eat but here's what to keep in mind before you do. Since tofu is technically already cooked, eating it "raw" isn't the same as eating raw meat. Still, tofu is as prone to contamination as any other food – whether that's due to improper handling or exposure to other raw foods.

Why does my silken tofu taste sour? ›

Tofu that has gone bad also tends to be slimy and have a sour or rotten odor – fresh tofu has no odor. If you find any of these signs of spoilage, toss the tofu. Bottom Line: Even though tofu is a plant-based food, it can still spoil and should be handled with care.

For anyone asking: “Can you freeze tofu?”, the answer is a big yes! Freezing tofu helps lengthen its shelf-life and enhances the soy-based protein's texture. Just be sure to freeze uncooked tofu and take it out of the original packaging first.

Silken tofu in an aseptic container has a shelf life of up to a year, unopened. Once opened, submerge any used portion with water in a container, cover, and refrigerate for up to a week. Silken tofu crumbles very easily. It is not recommended that you press silken tofu; only regular or firm tofu needs to be pressed.

Boiling tofu for texture and firmness

The act of adding tofu to salted hot water for a time and then removing it to drain and dry firms up the texture.

A quick dunk in boiling salted water will give this protein a new lease on life.

The texture is determined by the water content in the tofu. The more water, the softer or 'silkier' the tofu; with less water, the tofu is firmer. Tofu is categorized as silken, regular, firm, extra-firm and super-firm. Silken, the softest type of tofu, can be compared to a young white cheese.

How long can i keep mori-nu silken tofu after opening the box? Refrigerate any unused portions promptly in an airtight container and use within 2-3 days maximum. You should not cover Mori-Nu Silken Tofu with water. As a source of protein, tofu is highly perishable once removed from the airtight package.

You can freeze any kind of tofu; anything from silken all the way to extra firm, depending on the texture you want at the end. The soft tofu will remain soft, and the firm tofu will remain firm, but everything will be a little firmer and less fragile than it originally was.

Yes, silken tofu is the perfect substitute for heavy cream in pasta sauces. When blended, it's smooth and creamy and will take on whatever flavor you add to it.