Are you thinking about going the extra distance to make your own tofu? Here’s how to make Sprouted Tofu with only soybeans, water, and lemon juice. This method will assist you step-by-step from the beginning to end!

Sprouted Tofu has long been a top protein choice for plant-based diet people, including me. It’s versatile, tasty, and easy to use in most recipes, from main dishes to healthy dessert, you name it!

For years, I never thought about making my own tofu–especially sprouted. I thought it was too difficult, plus it’s so easy to buy in most grocery stores–even in most countries.

However, not long ago I had an opportunity to travel across the world. Seeing that the biggest garbage problems everywhere are from what we eat, I seriously started to form uncomfortable feelings buying packaged (and processed) foods all the time.

The process of getting foods to eat creates a lot of unnecessary garbage, and I was overwhelmed thinking about it. How many people are in this world? Everyone has to cook, or buy foods to eat. How much garbage do we produce each day? I felt I had to do something, and making my own foods from scratch was my first thought.

I’m aware of phytic acid in whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and I usually soak or sprout them before eating. With tofu it’s the same, and I start by sprouting the soybeans to reduce phytic acid. The method is not hard, but I have to admit it’s not that easy either. Like any other good thing we want, it takes some planning and patience!

Homemade Sprouted Tofu is extraordinarily tasty and easy to digest. It’s so dense, and the process of sprouting the soybeans gives a fermented flavor you can’t get from store-bought tofu. For better health and for the environment, I highly encourage you to try making your own Sprouted Tofu.

If you are ready to give it a try, here are things you need: You can make 1/2 of this recipe for a smaller batch. 

To sprout the soybeans:

1. 2 cups (680 g) of organic dried soybeans.
2. Two glass jars. I use one-quart (1L), wide mouth mason glass jars with lid rings. (you can use 1 big glass jar to sprout 2 cups (680 g) of soybeans, but I find it’s much easier to do it in smaller jars)
3. 2 pieces of screen, about 4 ½” x 4 ½” (11-12 cm sq).
4. Filtered water to soak the beans, and fresh water to rinse.

To make soy milk:

1. 6 Cups (2,040 g) of sprouted soybeans.
2. 10 cups (2.4 L) of filtered water.
3. A Blender.
4. A container to put the milk in.
5. A nut-milk-bag, or cheesecloth.
6. A pot to boil the milk.

To make Sprouted Tofu:

1. 10 cups (2.4L) of sprouted soy milk.
2. 1 cup (0.25L) of filtered water.
3. 3 TBSP (1.5 oz) of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Don’t be too stiff, a little bit less or more is ok (I usually use 1 medium-size lemon)
4. A makeshift tofu mold. (I use what I have in my kitchen: two glass bread baking pans, a sushi mat, a few bamboo sticks).
5. A muslin-cheesecloth.
6. Something to weight down the soy milk curd to make tofu. (I use glass jar with water).

Now, let’s start by sprouting the soybeans

1. Put 1 cup (0.25L) of soybeans in each jar, cover with the screen, and secure them with the rings.
2. Rinse them thoroughly and cover the beans with filtered water for one day and night.
3. The next day, dump the water, and rinse the beans thoroughly. Put the jars over something to catch the water (I use a glass bread-baking pan) and set it somewhere dark and quiet to sprout. (I put mine in a corner of my counter and cover them with kitchen towels).
4. The next day, you might see some tiny sprouts trying to break out. Rinse them thoroughly again and put them back to sprout more.
5. On day 3, you can see that all the beans have tails and are ready for you to turn them into sprouted soy milk, and tofu thereafter. The beans triple in volume, and now you should have about 6 cups (1.4L) of sprouted soybeans!
   

   things you need to sprout the soybeans

   

   cover the beans with filtered water and let them soak overnight

   

   put the jar on a container to sprout for 2 day, and rinse them everyday

Then, making soy milk

1. In a blender put 3 cups (1,020 g) of sprouted soybeans with 5 cups (1.25 L) of filtered water. (if you are using a smaller blender, just use your own judgement of how much you can blend at a time)
2. In a container, pour the blended mixture into a nut-milk-bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze to separate the liquid and the pulp as much as you can. (to make it easier, you can try  squeezing only half of the blended mixture at a time).
3. Repeat the process ‘til done.
4. Pour the milk in a pot, and cook on medium heat. Stir it frequently ‘til boiled. At this point you have to pay good attention to the pot when you see any sign of boiling, because it gets hot and overflows very easily. When it reaches a full boil, turn the heat off. Now, you have sprouted soy milk.
   

   rinse sprouted soybeans and drain them well

   

   3 cups of sprouted soybeans with 5 cups of filtered water

   

   blend them ’til smooth

   

   squeeze the blended beans in a nut-milk-bag

   

   cook the milk on medium heat ’til boiled

Finally, let’s make Sprouted Tofu!

1. Mix the 3 TBSP (1.5 oz) of fresh-squeezed lemon juice with 1 cup (.25 L) of filtered water (prepared while cooking the soy milk).
2. After the soy milk boils and the heat is off, let it rest for a few minutes.
3. Use a wooden spoon to stir the cooked soy milk in a circular motion, and pour half of the lemon juice mixture in. Continue to stir in a circular motion for a few more seconds.
4. Use the spoon to stop the motion, and pour the rest of the lemon juice mixture in. This time stir it from side to side, and you can see the milk separates from the water and forms the curds. The water should look clear with a light yellow color.
5. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes while getting your makeshift tofu mold set up.
6. Scoop the curds into the mold, and try to get rid of the liquid as much as you can. Fold the cheesecloth tightly, and put weight on it (keep in mind that the heavier the weight, the firmer the tofu you get).
7. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. I usually leave it for more than 1 hour.
8. Unfold the cloth, and voila: you have  Sprouted Tofu.
9. Put the tofu in cold water, and keep it in the fridge, or use it according to your recipes.
   

   prepare lemon juice mixture

   

   the soy milk mixed with the lemon juice

   

   prepare a makeshift tofu mold

   

   scoop the curds into the muslin-cheesecloth

   

   fold it tightly

   

   put some weight on it to press the water out

   

   it’s done

   

   keep it under water, or use it right away

   

   homemade sprouted tofu

Congratulations, now you know how to make your own tofu!

I know, it takes a lot of work, time, and patience, but I hope this inspires you to give making Sprouted Tofu a try. Please share with me how yours turns out, I’d love to hear from you!