This Is When You Need To Press Tofu

When you open a package of tofu, you might find that it's pretty wet. This is because it's packed in tofu water (which is key to vegan dessert magic). While you may dry the tofu before you cook with it, some recipes call for an extra step — asking you to press it to remove as much water as possible. (Doing so will also make it considerably flatter.) This may be unnecessary, though. According to Nisha Vora, a vegan cookbook author who also blogs at Rainbow Plant Life, you don't always need to press tofu.

"If you want tofu to crisp up, get chewy, or absorb a marinade well, pressing helps," she said. "If you want it tender or creamy, skip it." Tofu comes in a variety of textures — anywhere from extra-firm to silken. Firmer types of tofu take well to pressing, Vora says, while the softer ones contain too much water for pressing to be effective. "You can press soft tofu to make it slightly easier to handle, but it has a lot of water, so pressing won't provide too much benefit," she said. "As for silken tofu, it's meant to stay soft and creamy (excellent in sauces, desserts, or blending into soups), so no need to press this kind of tofu [because] it will fall apart if you do."

Pressing tofu affects the texture, since the less watery it is, the more body and crunch the final product will have. This is especially important if you're making something like crispy tofu popcorn, a protein-rich snack that can be baked in the oven to cut down on fat. Even extra-firm tofu may need a little boost. As per Nisha Vora, "Pressing extra-firm tofu makes it more compact and chewy, which is great if you're going for a meatier, chewier texture."

Pressing tofu can also help it brown better, which stands to reason as wetter foods tend to steam cook. Removing excess moisture also helps prevent oil from splattering when you fry tofu, instead of tossing wet cubes straight into the pan. Pressing can even make tofu taste better, as well. "Flavor-wise, tofu is pretty neutral, but removing water makes room for seasoning to really soak in, so the final result tastes more savory and concentrated," Vora explained.

Firm tofu may need pressing, but you can skip this step with the softer types. What of medium tofu, then? Some people may have the belief that taking medium tofu and pressing it will transform it into the extra-firm variety, but Nisha Vora says at best it'll remove some water and make it noticeably denser. "The structure will likely still be softer than true extra-firm, but pressing helps it hold together better," she said.

The main reason you might want to press medium tofu is if it's all you have on hand and you want to make a dish where the recipe calls for a firmer variety. When choosing the best tofu for frying, medium tofu, like any other kind but silken, can be used, but firmer types tend to work better. Medium will do in a pinch, but Vora advised getting the most water out by pressing it between two paper towels for 10 minutes, then changing the towels and pressing a second time.