You Should Be Freezing Your Leftover Tofu

I don’t know who, but long ago someone told me never to freeze tofu. “Freezing tofu ruins it!” “You’ll destroy the texture!” “Burn it down!” Maybe not the last one, but that’s how imperative it seemed—like frozen tofu was poisonous. Well, I’m glad I stopped listening. It’s true, the texture does change, but not only is this far from being ruined, it’s actually a nice option. So why not? Go ahead, fellow weirdos, freeze your tofu. 

Tofu has had a hard enough road making it onto the average American plate, and the supposed “inability” to freeze unused portions hasn’t helped. It’s unclear where the rumor started, but I’m guessing someone tried it and was put-off by the color change and more pocketed structure. They must have chucked it right away because if they had ever bothered to thaw and use it, this rumor would have never made its way to me. 

What happens when you freeze tofu?

The type of tofu packed in water soaks up plenty of it. Even if you squeeze out the water before using it, it’s undoubtedly a moist food. When you freeze tofu, like any food, those areas with water pockets expand and the tofu solids kind of make way for this expansion. When the frozen tofu is thawed afterward, the tofu solids permanently hold this new shape after the ice melts. This can look like many more holes or pockets have formed, or it can take on a flaky texture. That’s it. The flavor is the same, and though the color becomes yellow-ish when frozen, it returns to its original white-ish color after thawing. But now you have tofu that’s more akin to a sponge than ever. Sounds to me like pre-frozen tofu is a marinade’s best friend.

How to freeze tofu

After the tofu is frozen it becomes a yellow-brown color. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Technically you can take a whole package of tofu, water and all, and just freeze the whole thing. I’m more of a “prep now and make your life easier later” type. To make freezing faster and thawing easier, open the package of tofu and drain out the pool of water. You don’t have to squeeze or press out the water inside, just shake it dry and put it on a cutting board. Cut the tofu into cubes, planks, or sticks, whatever shape you see yourself needing. I cut half of my tofu into planks, and the other half into cubes.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and lay the tofu out with some space separating the pieces. Pop it in the freezer to do its thing. My one-inch cubes took an hour to freeze, and the planks took about 90 minutes to two hours. Then you can peel the pieces off the parchment and consolidate them all into a freezer bag or reusable container. Store them in the freezer until you need them.

How to thaw frozen tofu

After defrosting, the tofu has more pockets and cracks. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

The easiest way to thaw tofu is to simply chuck the pieces into the frying pan with the other ingredients as they fry up. Then season it as you go along. If you want to press the tofu for frying or marinading before you cook with it, the fastest way to thaw tofu is to put the frozen pieces into a large bowl and cover them with hot water. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and give them a squeeze. If the centers still feel hard, you can replace the water to warm it up again. When they feel soft through to the centers, they’re ready to use. Drain and press out the excess water using whatever method you like. Prepare as needed.

This air fried cube of once-frozen tofu has a pleasantly chewier and spongier consistency. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

I decided to make crunchy air fryer treats with my newly defrosted and pocketed tofu. This recipe for nutritional yeast-coated tofu nuggets was fantastic. Although I didn’t take advantage of the marinating opportunity presented by my tofu, I found the slightly spongier interior texture delightful. Plus, it only took a few minutes to flavor and “bread” the tofu with nutritional yeast, and I can’t argue with a quick snack. 

I’ve lost plenty of tofu over the years when I’ve used half a block and “saved” the rest in a container. No longer will I foster watery tombs in my fridge. Now I’ll slice up the remainder and freeze it for a bright and spongy future.