25 kilograms of amaranth stems, 25 kilograms of bamboo shoot roots, 20 kilograms of fresh grass heads (alfalfa), 20 kilograms of fresh pickled vegetables, 5 kilograms of ginger, 4 kilograms of licorice, 1 kilogram of Sichuan peppercorns, (*** total 100 kg) 80 kg of cold boiled water (additional), 1 kg of salt (additional).

Black stinky tofu

Black stinky tofu (5 photos)

Production steps

Steps

Specific operations

Step 1

Master the cutting time: start cutting from the amaranth growing season. Various materials can be added according to the different growing seasons, according to 5 kilograms of fresh material. The ratio of 4 kilograms of cold boiled water and 0.5 kilograms of salt is determined one by one. That is to say, what ingredients are available in the season will be added in proportion first, and only until all the ingredients in the formula are used up.

Step 2

Prepare raw brine: wash, drain, chop, cook and cool the fresh seasonal ingredients (excluding pickles) according to the recipe and add In the tank, it is better if there is old brine in the tank. Gently flatten the licorice with the back of a knife and cut into about 50-100 mm. In addition, add peppercorns, salt and cold boiled water in proportion (if you have bamboo shoot soup, you can directly replace the cold boiled water). If you have pickled cabbage, you don’t need to cook it. Just wash it, drain it, pickle it with salt and chop it into small pieces before adding it.

Step 3

Natural fermentation: After the ingredients are put into the tank, let them ferment naturally. It can only be used after one year after the stinky brine develops a strong aroma and umami flavor. During the natural fermentation period, stir the marinade two to three times to make it ferment evenly. When used, after removing the marinade, the residue can still be stored in the container as the old marinade and allowed to continue fermenting. This is great for adding flavor to the brine. If it has been aged for too long and there are too many crude fiber residues in the tank, you can fish out part of it and add some new materials in proportion. Stinky brine can be used repeatedly for a long time. The more mature it is, the more valuable it is, the richer the flavor, and the better the taste of the brewed stinky tofu.

Step 4

Put the paste in. The production process is similar to that of ordinary salt-marinated tofu, but the tofu curd needs to be more tender. The specific method is: dilute the salt brine (magnesium chloride) with water to a Baume degree of 8% as a coagulant. The brine strips inserted should be as thin as a mung bean. When dotting the paste, use a copper spoon to stir slowly. Only in this way can the soybean protein network structure be intertwined relatively firmly, the tofu curd be soft and strong, and the water-holding capacity be good.

Step 5

Rise the dough, open the vat and spread the noodles similar to ordinary tofu.

Step 6

Pouring The dough of stinky tofu requires a high moisture content, but it is also stronger than ordinary soft tofu and not easy to break. When pouring, special attention should be paid to falling into the water quickly and neatly. First scoop the tofu curd into a ring with a thickness of 20 mm covered with wrapping cloth. When the amount of tofu pudding exceeds the ring by 10 mm, smooth the tofu pudding with a bamboo slice, and then wrap the four corners of the tofu wrapping cloth tightly to cover the tofu pudding. According to this method, cast one plate after another. When the stack reaches a height of 15 boards, the weight of the tofu curd is used to slowly accumulate the water. In order to maintain even pressure and drainage from top to bottom, the 15 layers of tofu should be turned upside down in order and continue to be pressed. Wait until the water that overwhelms the blank is released to the short line of dripping water.

Step 7

Create the blank: Uncover the wrapping cloth of the dried stinky tofu blank, turn it over on the square board, and then score the blank according to the specifications. (The volume of each piece is 5.3 cm*5.3 cm*1.8-2.2 cm).

Step 8

Soaking method: Cool the tofu base thoroughly and then immerse it in bittern. The blank should be completely immersed in the smelly brine, so that the upper and lower parts are completely soaked in the brine. The soaking time is 3-4 hours. 50 kilograms of stinky brine can soak 300 pieces of tofu. Some salt should be added every time to increase the saltiness of the brine. After two or three consecutive dips, 2-3 kg of brine can be added. On average, every 100 pieces of stinky tofu paste consumes about 250 yuan of stinky bittern. Need to be washed with clean water before use.

Step 9

Storage method: The product contains a certain amount of salt after being soaked in brine, so it is not easy to go rancid. In hot summer, it can be stored for one to two days. However, due to the high water content, they are extremely tender and easy to shatter, so whether it is transported, sold or carried, frames or containers must be used, and direct stacking or collision must be avoided to maintain the integrity of the product's appearance. At the same time, attention should be paid to keeping it in a cool and ventilated place.