Vegan day 319: TOFU: fresh & homemade

“The Art and Technique of Homemade Tofu”
This class at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health has been up high up on my list of cooking classes that I wanted to try out. Peter Berley is the Chef and Instructor here. I have taken a class with Peter on fermentation when I learned how to make sauerkraut, kimchee and sourdough bread– AMAZING! 

I am personally a fan of tofu and fermented soy products. I have to admit though that my opinion went back and forth a few times as I wrote and edited this blog. There really is an abundance of research on soy and in the end, it will come down to bio-individuality! Read through the issues here and then do your own research if you feel you are in an affected category. Otherwise, like my Mom always says… enjoy… in moderation!

TOFU:

• Tofu adapts nicely to any meal. It’s been called the “FOOD OF 10,000 flavors”!
• Tofu is low in overall fat and specifically saturated fat
• Tofu is low in cholesterol, sodium and calories. 
• It has zero sugar
• Tofu is HIGH IN PROTEIN 
• Tofu is a good source for calcium, iron, maganese, magnesium, phosphorus and omega 3
• There are cardiovascular benefits from soy overall: “Research on soy protein in recent years has shown that regular intake of soy protein can help to lower total cholesterol levels by as much as 30%, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 35-40%, lower triglyceride levels, reduce the tendency of platelets to form blood clots, and possibly even raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol).” The World’s Healthiest Foods
• Soybean production in general is a better solution (than the animal based farming industries) for world issues such as starvation, hunger, addressing nutritional deficiencies, reducing animal cruelty; saving the land, eco-systems, our earth and bio-diversity. “Raising soybeans can provide 20 times the protein per acre that raising beef can.” (Haas 2006)

The soy debate may possibly go on forever so it’s best to see what works for your own individuality. I like to eat soy products but I try to keep it close to healthy fermented choices and not overly processed and packaged foods. That brings us to the PROCESSING question in general. THE SOYBEAN: you can’t just eat them hard. I remembering experimenting with sprouting and I ate soybean sprouts that I had soaked and left out myself. This is how I learn- trial and error. Be careful to fully read up on sprouting if that’s your thing. There is the possibility of toxicity depending on what you venture into. I personally, didn’t feel well after eating some soybean sprouts I had prepared. I may have used the wrong type of soybean. SOYBEANS and products derived from them should ALWAYS BE ORGANIC to avoid genetically modified beans. The soy market is over 95% GMO.

Some of the negatives or controversies associated with soy have to do with phytic acid, phytoestrogens and activities involving the thyroid.

PHYTIC ACID

“Phytic acid, in large amounts, can block the uptake of essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc in the intestinal tract. Soy also inhibits the uptake of one of the most important minerals needed for growth and metabolism, iodine, which is used by the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormones.” (Skae 2008)

Phytates and phytic acid are found in whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. One helpful way to lessen these effects is to soak them, and then throw away the soak water instead of cooking with it. 

PHYTOESTROGENS include herbs or foods that act like estrogen attaching themselves to estrogen receptor sites. This may be good for some people such as those approaching or in menopause and then not good for others due to the activities of endocrine disruptors.

“Phytoestrogens are plant derived compounds found in a wide variety of foods, most notably soy. A litany of health benefits including a lowered risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer, and menopausal symptoms, are frequently attributed to phytoestrogens but many are also considered endocrine disruptors, indicating that they have the potential to cause adverse health effects as well.” (Patisaul/ Jefferson 2012)

THYROID CONCERNS
“Soy falls into a category of foods known as goitrogens — vegetables, grains and foods that promote formation of goiter — an enlarged thyroid. Some goitrogens also have a definite antithyroid effect, and appear to be able to slow thyroid function, and in some cases, trigger thyroid disease.” (Shomon 2012) 

It may not be just the goitrogen food itself; it may be possible that there has to be an iodine deficiency as well, issues with hormone synthesis or the presence of other goitrogens. (This was mentioned in the Shomon article). It could also be true that Americans in particular are simply consuming TOO MUCH soy since it’s not just in vegan meats and tofu- it’s in processed soy foods and then goes un-suspectedly in MANY NORMAL PROCESSED AND PACKAGED FOODS. Many people believe they don’t even eat soy but they do because as mentioned it’s in packaged products and then also in animal feed. The fact that it’s GMO- just puts everything over the top and adds variations to an already confusing debate. 

It’s possible that the soy benefits would be worth the decision. For me, this is the case. Personally, I will eat tofu as one of my protein choices but not too much and certainly not everyday. Tofu seems to be in between on the scale of the overly processed soy products (not healthy in abundance- like soy milk, soy cheese, soy fake meats etc.) and the more healthy fermented products mentioned below. I’m not even mentioning the everyday refined, processed and packaged junk foods which sneak soy into it’s ingredient lists.


FERMENTED soy products 
are more digestible and nutritious. 
These include:

• Tempeh
• Miso
• Natto
• Pickled tofu
• Shoyu

So how does one make tofu? 

step 4

How do you get from a very hard and undigestible soybean to a soft and nutritious bean curd? Tofu is also a good source of calcium and iron. (Approximately 20% and 10 % respectively of RDA levels.)

I will take you through it step by step: 

(1) SOAK 2 cups of ORGANIC YELLOW SOYBEANS in cold water for 10 hours
(2) Drain and rinse
(3) Mix soybeans and 4 cups of cold water in a vitamix or blender. Do half at a time if it’s doesn’t fit. 

step 5

(4) Take puree into a large pot with 7 1/2 cups of water on a medium stove top flame. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. You will know when it’s ready as it will bulge up. 

(5) Pour mixture into another large pot with a colander on top lined with cheesecloth or possibly a nut milk type bag. 

(6) Extract soy milk

(7) Take the pot of extracted soy milk back to the stove, cover and heat again to increase digestive quality of the soy milk. Bring to a boil, then uncover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. 

step 6

(8) Remove the pot from the heat

(9) Dissolve 2 teaspoons of NIGARI or epsom salt INTO 1 CUP OF WATER. (1/2 cup lemon juice or 1/2 cup of vinegar can also be used.) Use 1/3 of this solidifier mixture at a time.

(10) Use 1/3 of the solidifier and add it to the hot soy milk. Cover and allow to stand for 3 minutes- stir it in for a moment and then do not stir.
(11) Use the next 1/3 – gently stir it in using a figure 8 motion; replace cover and wait 3 more minutes.  

Step 12

(12) Use the final 1/3 – same way. The soy milk should begin to turn into curds. 

(13) Using a steel mesh ladle that allows water to flow through it- ladle the bean curd into a wooden steamer basket lined with cheesecloth. Leave as is for softer tofu or press down for 20 minutes for firm tofu. 

Ingredients

step 13

2 cups of organic yellow soybeans
12 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of Nigari or Epsom salt; you can also use 1/2 cup lemon juice or 1/2 cup of vinegar 

Equipment
Colander
Cheesecloth or nut milk bag
Small rectangular bamboo basket (about the size of a tofu package or slightly higher)
Stainless steel bowls and pots
Wooden spoon




References:
Berley, P. (2012) Homemade Tofu. The Art and Technique of Homemade Tofu. Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health.

Haas, E. (2006) Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Celestial Arts: Berkeley, CA. 

Patisaul, H., Jefferson, W. 2012. The Pros and Cons of Phytoestrogens. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074428/

Reichert, R. How to Reduce Phytic Acid in Food. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_5163244_reduce-phytic-acid-food.html

Shomon, M. 2012. Soy and the Thyroid. The Controversy Over Soy and Thyroid Health. Retrieved from http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm

Skae. T. (2008) The Truth about Soy and It’s Harmful Effects. Retrieved from Natural News. 

**Skipped vegan days 310-318
Disclaimer: The information given here is for educational purposes only. You should not use this to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.