I got 50 lbs. of soy beans so I could make my own tofu. Just made my first batch today and it came out great. But, the soaked beans have to be run through a blender or such so the soy milk can be extracted. How did the Chinese, Japanese, etc. make tofu in "the good old days?" They've been making tofu for a lot longer than there have been handy electric gizmos, so I know it can be done. Has anyone done this?

-- Shivani Arjuna (SArjuna@aol.com), September 13, 1999

Answers

Somewhere on this site I read you can now buy manual food processors. They have them at Big Lots for $9.00

-- FOX (ardrinc@aol.com), September 13, 1999.

Grind them up with a hand meat grinder. Soak them, drain them, grind them. I see lots of small, clamp-to-the-table size of meat grinders at garage sales, and they are still available new from places like Lehman's.

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), September 13, 1999.

Could you give a few more little details on the tofu process?

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

Grind the beans in a grain mill. Simmer the flour with plenty of
water for 1= hours. Strain out the solids. Add Nigari (Seaweed
extract). When curdled (overnight), put in cheese cloth and
press. I used a crock and a few bricks. Voila!

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), September 14, 1999.

Pass some soybeans through your GI tract; let ferment for one week.

-- A (A@AisA.com), September 17, 1999.

You soak soybeans overnight, then whiz them up in a blender with simmering hot water, to make soy milk. Then using fine cheese cloth of jelly bag strain out the solids. Then curdle the milk. Then press the curds. It's the grinding up part I need something for. Has to be a very fine grind to release all the good stuff from the beans. Bits and pieces won't do. Yes, it can be done using soy flour, but the quality's not the same. Anyhow, our grinders don't like grinding the beans into flour.

-- Shivani Arjuna (SArjuna@aol.com), September 20, 1999.