A HEALTHFUL AND MEATLESS DIET

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The answer to our predicament was a homemade wooden press that can hold as much as 15 or as little as 2 pounds of soy cheese at one time. This efficient device enables me to strain the initial soymilk-and-mash mixture and to press the bean curd while the liquid is still near boiling, thus speeding up the tofu-making operation and sparing me some burned fingers and spilled whey. The press cuts down on the waste of useful by-products, as well: Since the bottom edge of the contraption fits snugly over a large basin, it's an easy matter to save the whey for use in baked goods, soups, or pet food. And when the tofu is firm, the front panel of the press lifts out to let the curd be cut and removed easily. What's more, the implement cost us only about $5.00 in materials and took a mere two hours to construct . . . and it saves us more than a dollar per pound of tofu each time we use it.

BUILDING THE PRESS . . .

To make a tofu press, you'll need an assortment of pine lumber and plywood (our design requires 5' of 1 X 6 pine board for the sides, a 1' section of 1 X 12 pine board for the lid, and a 12-1/2" X 13-1/2" piece of 1/4" plywood for the base)... 18 to 20 No. 6 X 1-1/4" rustproof wood screws... a drill with 1/8", 9/64", and 3/16" bits... a circular saw or a handsaw... a chisel... a screwdriver... some sandpaper... and enough vegetable oil to coat the finished product.

First off, you'll need to decide what you'll be using to catch the soymilk and whey as they strain through the press, because it's best to make that container a permanent part of your tofu operation. The catching vessel should hold at least five gallons of liquid and be able to withstand temperatures up to 212°F. Our press is designed to fit snugly over a stainless steel basin that sits in our kitchen sink. Whatever container you choose—whether it's a plastic tub, large bucket, enameled canning pot, or similar vessel—you'll want to design your press so that two of its sides hang several inches over the edge of your catching pot, while the perforated bottom rests almost an inch below the top. (This design prevents the press from sliding off center and splashing out boiling liquid.)

Once you've calculated the size of your press, cut the two sides out of the 1 X 6 pine board (ours measure 16-1/2" in length). At each end of the side sections, cut out a small rectangle 3/4" up from the base and 2" in from the sides. Directly in from this indentation, cut a 3/4 "-wide vertical slice 1/4" into the panel, as shown in the drawing. (Because commercial lumber is measured before it runs through a planer, your 1 X 6 board will actually be 3/4" X 5-3/8". . . which is why the groove is 3/4" wide.)

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