Subscribe by RSSUsing Soft or Silken Tofu for Jerky
Most tofu jerky recipes involve Extra Firm or Firm tofu varieties. I had success with that but I had a package of Silken tofu in the fridge and I was curious to see what'd happen if I dehydrated it.
The Tofu Drain
Because silken tofu is soft because it has a higher water content, I knew that draining it was more important.
To drain, just slice a slit in the plastic and let the water out. Then, wrap the block in paper towels and place in a dish. Then put a cooking sheet or similar item on top, with a few cans of food stacked over that.
Allow the weight to press down on the block for at least 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes or so, check on it to see if you need to replace the paper towels.
The Marinade
I made more changes to the tofu jerky recipe besides going with Silken. Instead of slicing and then marinating, I marinated the whole block. The marinade was different too.
I used soy sauce again, but this time added brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. I covered and marinated it for an hour. I didn't put it in the refrigerator because I wanted it to be room temperature when I put it in the Excalibur.
Dehydrating Silken Tofu
After marination, I sliced the block into 1/4" slices. Then placed them on the trays. I use two trays per block.
Here is the block just before the dehydrator was switched on.
After 3 hours, this is what the silken tofu jerky looked like:
They're almost done after 3 hours. It didn't take much longer than when using Firm or Extra Firm. To check if they're ready, just press on a piece and check for moisture. Then tear a piece and check the inside.
I left the tofu slices in for another 30 minutes. So, after 3.5 hours, here's what they looked like:
Silken Tofu Jerky Differences
The brown sugar and Worcestershire adds a subtle extra to the tofu jerky. As for the Silken part of it, it does seem to have a slight difference. The jerky had a little more "cheese" taste and texture to it.
Overall, the Silken tofu worked out just fine for dehydrator tofu jerky. As long as you press it adequately, the drying time is extended by much. Best of all, using a softer tofu gives you another variety of jerky.
