The Best Way to Store Leftover Tofu

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A couple quick and easy tips for storing your leftover tofu, for a few days or a few months.

If you cook with tofu there are probably going to be times when you don’t use the whole block, and it gets all gross and hard if you just stick in back in the fridge.

Most of you probably already know these tips, but they took me a while to figure out so I’ll assume there are at least one or two people out there who might find it helpful. (Or I’m just really slow, but humor me here!)

Basically you have two options for storing tofu: 1) store it for a few days in the refrigerator, or 2) store if for a few months in the freezer.

Storing Tofu in the Refrigerator

The secret to keeping tofu fresh in the refrigerator is to keep it in water — just put your leftover tofu in a dish and add enough water to cover it. Cover the dish and it will now stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days or so.

Some people change the water daily, which can supposedly keep your tofu fresh for even longer. Your mileage may vary, so try it yourself and let me know what works best for you.

Storing Tofu in the Freezer

Yes, tofu can also be frozen, although you’ll probably have better luck freezing firm tofu and not the silken variety. It can be stored in the freezer for several months.

To freeze tofu, cut it up into cubes and spread them out on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer until the cubes are frozen solid. Once frozen, place the cubes into a freezer bag for long-term storage.

Freezing tofu and squeezing out the excess water once thawed results in a spongier tofu that’s slightly more chewy. It might darken a bit, too. Because of those qualities, freezing is often done intentionally to get a more meat-like texture that crisps when cooked and readily absorbs sauces.

How Easy Was That?

So the fact that tofu can be stored in the fridge might have been obvious, but come on, there’s got to be at least one of you who used to think that if you didn’t use the whole block you were going to have to waste some tofu. Anyone? Anyone? ….Bueller?

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10 thoughts on “The Best Way to Store Leftover Tofu”

  1. I suspected this to be so, but had my doubts. Thanks for the confirmation! Didn’t want to open my first block of tofu without knowing what to do with the leftovers.

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  2. Oh this is so useful! I usually just eat tofu done in different ways the whole day to finish the whole block (since I’m veg, and my husband isn’t, so finishing a block is a one-woman job in my kitchen)! Thanks!

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  3. With the tofu I use it’s no problem at all to keep it in the fridge for a week when covered in water. Which is great, as I rarely use the whole block and I dislike always having to eat the same stuff for days (living alone)

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  4. Thanks so much for the tips! They are so useful since I ‘m just starting now to learn how to cook! I didn’t know about this one either. Cheers!

    Reply