How to Press Tofu: Why and How?

When you cook a tofu recipe, do you drain the water by pressing it? It is an extra step, but it's an important process to make it delicious. Let me share how to do it properly and also why you have to do it.

Tofu contains a lot of water.

If you love tofu, then you already know some recipes require to press it to remove the extra moisture.

But, do you know how to do it and why?

This recipe is for you if:
• You want to know how to drain the water of tofu
• You want to know how to press tofu
• You want to know how long it takes to press tofu
• You wonder why it's necessary to press tofu

I will show you how I press tofu and also answer your questions.

So let's dive in!

Jump to:

• By the way, do you have to press tofu？
• Why you should press tofu
• How long does it take?
• How to press tofu
• Another way to drain the water out
• Thanks For Stopping By
• 📖 Recipe

By the way, do you have to press tofu？

Not always. It depends on the recipe you are going to cook.

When I cook soup, I don't. When I cook Teriyaki tofu, I do.

If you press for one hour or overnight, you will get a firm texture, and if you do it for 10 minutes, you will get a soft and fluffy texture. 

Pressing tofu is an important process to control the taste and texture of tofu. So if your recipe requires it, you should do it.

Why you should press tofu

#1 Prevent from becoming watery

About 90% of tofu is water, and the water tends to flow out by heating and the time passing. So if you don't press tofu beforehand, your finished dish will end up mushy and watery.

#2 Keep the shape

Since tofu is pretty soft, it is easy to lose its shape. If you make tofu hambagu, you don't need to care because you mix it with other ingredients. But if you make tofu salad, you want to keep the shape so it is better to press it and make it firm. 

#3 Soak in the flavor better

Tofu has a plain and simple taste because of its water content.

But, if you drain out the water, it creates more space for the flavor to soak in, then it will be more flavorful. 

How long does it take?

You should press it at least 30 minutes. 

If you are not in hurry, you can do it overnight. In that case, you have to keep it in the fridge.

How to press tofu

This is how I press tofu and I just use stuff I have in the kitchen (In Japan, we don't use a press).

Tools to use

• Paper towel
• A plate to place tofu
• A cutting board or something flat
• Heavy objects (canned food, heavy vegetables)
• A casserole dish (optional)

Instructions

1. Wrap with paper towels: Wrap tofu up with paper towels, and place it on a plate.
2. Place a cutting board: Place a cutting board on it.
3. Place heavy objects: Put heavy objects in a casserole dish and place it on the top. (I use a casserole dish to keeps the balance but you can skip it and place heavy objects on the cutting board directly.)
4. Wait: Leave it for 30 minutes to one hour.

By placing a cutting board, the weight is stable and the tofu can be pressed evenly without tilting.

Heavy objects can be canned food, vegetables (onions, potatoes, etc), bottles, a bowl of water. Anything is ok.

The picture above is after pressing for 30 minutes. You can see how much the water flows out.

Throw away the water, and go ahead and start cooking it.

Before and After

The left is before, the right is after pressing.

Tofu recipes

After pressing, why don't you try these yummy recipes??

• Vegan tofu cream cheese
• Vegan tofu nuggets
• Vegan tofu quiche
• Teriyaki tofu with mushrooms

Another way to drain the water out

These are quick and easy methods. If you don't need a firm texture, you can try these.

Wrap up with paper towels

Wrap it up with paper towels and leave it for 10 minutes. 

If you eat tofu raw like a hiyayakko(chilled tofu), it's ok to just drain it lightly like this way.

Microwave

Wrap it up with paper towels and microwave it for 3 minutes. 

If you are in hurry, this is the quickest method.

It won't get a firm texture like pressing but it's good enough to cook something like mapo tofu and stir fry.

Since it's heated up, it's more suitable for some recipes that require cooking (not for salad).

Thanks For Stopping By

Now you know pressing tofu is important for certain recipes and also how easy to do it.

You can also test pressing time and find out your favorite texture!

I hope you will enjoy your tofu dish.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this recipe(or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes include vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step by step instructions.

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📖 Recipe

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• Vegetarian Tofu Hambagu
• Tofu and Seaweed Salad
• Fried Tofu(Atsuage) Teriyaki
• Tofu and hijiki tamagoyaki