Can You Freeze Tofu?
Do you have tofu in your fridge right now and you aren't sure when you're going to have a chance to actually cook it? No worries — freeze it! Turns out, freezing tofu has a couple of serious benefits you might not expect. In addition to allowing you to stock up and have the ingredient on hand for an easy and quick meal, Food & Wine says freezing tofu is also a great cooking hack for a crunchier and tastier bean curd. Say good-bye to the tired "pressing out the water" method using heavy books and cumbersome cans (via Food With Feeling).
If you've made fried tofu before and were less than impressed by the lack of flavor or texture you were able to achieve, a great trick is to freeze it first. The cold temperature helps minimize the moisture content and allows your tofu to soak up more delicious sauce. According to Food & Wine, this works because "When you freeze tofu, you do two things, starting with consolidating the water into ice crystals, so it's easier to drain when you thaw it out. Second, the ice crystals that form create small holes in the tofu, making it spongier and firmer and easier to crisp up and absorb flavors." Sounds like a win-win, as we think creating a crispy texture with tofu is almost always the goal.
Frozen tofu will change color, don't fret!
Preferably, when freezing tofu you're using an extra firm or firm bean curd. Before tossing the tofu in the freezer, it's best to take it out of the packaging, drain the liquid, and then put it in a resealable bag. If you want, Food & Wine states that you can prep your tofu in advance by slicing it, chopping it, or cutting it as you wish. Then, place your tofu on a sheet pan and put in the freezer for a few hours or overnight, basically until it's completely frozen. This will save you a step later when you're ready to prepare it.
One thing you'll want to keep in mind, don't be alarmed if you pull out your tofu out of the freezer and notice it's no longer white. According to The Spruce Eats, "freezing tofu will give the tofu a yellowish color (how yellow depends on the brand of tofu), and a chewier texture," so no need to worry about any changes you see.
Ta-da! That's it. Now that you know this important tofu cooking trick, you can try replicating some of your favorite fried tofu restaurant dishes at home with more impressive results.