Cooking with tofu.... newbie question?

[springlillycrystal]

Ok, after a lot of research and thought, I've decided to become a vegetarian. I'm making my first dish with tofu. The recipe called for 1lb of soft and firm and that's what I got. I've been reading that you should squeeze the water out and I tried it, but it turns to like a mush. Is that what it's supposed to do? I just got done with the making of the dinner and the part with the tofu seems more of a pudding as I had a hard time getting the water out because it just went to mush. Any suggestions?
Ok, so it looks like I bought the firm in the silken brand and the soft in the Melissa's organic brand. These were the only two availble at the store. I think I'll go back and get a firm in the melissa's brand and see what that turns out like.
by the way it was a tofu/spinach lasagna recipe I tried making

 

[ideaguy83]

It sounds like there might be some confusion about the normal firm tofu and silken tofu. If you squeeze firm tofu it will not go through your fingers. Silken tofu has a custard like texture and is near impossible to squeeze. Where I'm from silken comes in a plastic container and is covered in a little water. Good firm tofu here comes in a clear plastic wrapped package. Silken tofu is used in smoothies, desserts, and fake mayo where as firm tofu is used as a meat substitute or cubed up in stir-fries. To add to the confusion the stores will label some tofu as "firm silken" and some firm tofu as "soft tofu". With the brands here those "firmness" descriptions essentially mean nothing, it's just either the silken custard kind or the firm block kind. Any firmness of those two can be subbed for another firmness in the same category.

 

[Julia S]

Try slicing it before you press it. Also, be sure you're using firm or extra firm tofu. The soft and silken varieties don't lend themselves well to being squished. Lastly, be sure you are using gentle and even pressure. You can put the tofu on a plate and put another plate on top. Stick a can on top of that. That will distribute the weight so you aren't actually mashing the tofu.

I also like to freeze the tofu. It improves the texture and makes it absorb flavors better. To do this, drain the tofu, slice it (if you want it sliced), pop it in a Ziplock bag (or Saran Wrap), and toss in the freezer overnight (or for a day or two... whatever... just be sure it's well-sealed or it will absorb freezer flavor). The morning of the day that you hope to eat it, toss it in the fridge. If, when you get home, it's still icy, defrost in the microwave (use the defrost setting). Drain all fluid, then put the tofu on a cutting board or other flat, clean surface, then put another cutting board or cookie sheet on top. Weight it down with cookbooks and let it be pressed like that for half an hour or so. Drain it off, wrap the tofu pieces in paper towels, and gently press between your hands to extract even more fluid. Marinate like that... the tofu will suck it up like a sponge.