Hemp Seed Tofu
A quick word of caution. Homemade hemp seed tofu is not quite like soybean tofu. It makes a much denser and pastier tofu with a bitter flavour. Using the right amount of vinegar and seasoning it well before serving helps with the bitterness, but the texture is still very much a work in progress. Nonetheless, this tofu is an expression of what is possible with locally grown foods and takes some pressure of the much overused soybean.
Ingredients
- 300 g hemp seeds
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Pulse 100g of the hemp seeds in a food processor to break down slightly. Add 500 ml of water and blend until smooth. Filter the blended hemp seeds through a sieve into a sauce pan and use a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Discard the pulp or use in baking (you can mix it into Sourdough Rye Bread dough). Repeat the same step with the remaining hemp seeds (if your food processor holds enough volume, you can do more at a time, but I usually get better results by doing it in batches).
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, whisking it occasionally to avoid it from sticking. In the meantime, measure out the apple cider vinegar. You want around 60 ml.
- As the liquid heats up to boiling temperature, it will already begin to curdle. Don’t worry if that happens, just continue whisking it. Once it begins to boil, turn off the heat and let it sit for a minute to cool down slightly (it should be around 90°C). Then stir in the apple cider vinegar and set the pan aside for 10 minutes while it continues to curdle.
- Line a mold with a cheesecloth, place it into a deep tray (to catch any residue liquid) and use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to the mold. Fold the cloth over to cover the solids and place a weight (2 tins of beans) on top to press the tofu. Let it firm up for 60 minutes, then remove the tofu from the mold.
- To store the tofu, keep it in a bit of filtered water to avoid it from drying out. It will stay well in the fridge for around 3 - 4 days.