Ingredients
We investigated the best way to keep tofu fresh and when it’s time to toss it.
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Published Sept. 21, 2023.
We love tofu. It’s relatively inexpensive, versatile, and nutritious.
And unlike raw meat, it’s easy to pick up a package at the beginning of the week and leave it in your fridge without worrying about it going bad before you can use it.
But that doesn’t mean it lasts forever. Here are our tips for keeping your tofu fresher for longer.
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1. Don’t Open the Package Until You’re Ready to Use It
If you’re buying tofu from the supermarket, it typically comes sealed in a cardboard box or water-packed in a plastic tub. The tofu in a cardboard box (using a technology patented by the brand Morinaga Mori-Nu) is shelf-stable and can be stored at room temperature for a year.
Tofu that comes in a plastic tub must be stored in the fridge and its “best-by” or “best-if-used-by” date varies depending on the brand, but that can be as far out as a month. The dates for both products only apply if the package is unopened, so keep it sealed until it’s time to cook with it.
If you’re lucky and have a freshly made tofu source near you, counterintuitively, it has a slightly shorter shelf life. When you take it home, put it in a plastic or glass storage container and cover it with water. Change the water every day and your extra tofu will stay good for around three days.
2. Once Opened, Store Tofu in Water
It’s not hard to use a whole package of tofu in one go, as most recipes call for an entire 14-ounce container. But if you happen to have some left over, put it in a container and submerge it in water. Again, change the water every day and your extra tofu will stay good for up to five days.
3. If It Smells Off or Changes Color, Toss It
Tofu should be a creamy white or off-white color and have a neutral scent, smelling of soybeans and not much else. If it darkens in color, begins to smell, or feels slimy, it should be thrown away.
Bottom line: Open packages of tofu are good in the fridge for up to five days, provided you change the water daily.
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