Tofu

Two 14oz Packages will make about 6 cups

Directions

1. Drain the tofu. I recommended wrapping it in a kitchen towel and placing a heavy object on top of it. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes
2. Chop tofu into small 1”x1” cubes. OR crumble the tofu for a “crumbled meat” substitute.
3. Add spices. I like adding smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a little salt for the crumbles. For the cubes, add any spices you like
4. Add parchment paper to your trays
5. Spread the tofu evenly onto your trays
6. Pre Freeze when possible
7. Freeze dry (my cycle time was 36 hours)
8. Store in jars for short-term use or in mylar bags for long-term storage

Rehydration:

You can eat the cubes as is for a crunchy snack.  To rehydrate the cubes, submerge the tofu in hot water or broth.  Cover and allow to sit for 20-30 minutes.  Drain and enjoy.  For the crumbled tofu, add the tofu to a bowl and just barely cover it with hot water or broth.  Cover and allow to sit for about 20 minutes.  Drain any excess water.

Notes:

Tofu can be challenging to rehydrate, but adding it to a recipe with some extra liquid should rehydrate well. For example, we use it in “chicken” noodle soup, and we just add the tofu cubes directly to the soup broth and boil.  For chili, we use the tofu crumbles and add them directly to the pot to rehydrate with the chili juices.

Nutritional Value Per 1 cup of tofu

Calories 188   Carbohydrates 5 g   Protein 20 g   Fat 11 g   Fiber 2 g   Sugar 2 g

Cycle times & rehydration for reference only. Your results may vary