Tofu - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 c. soy beans
approximately 16 c. water
solidifier (can be 2 tsp. Nigari, 2 tsp. Epsom salts, 4 Tbsp. lemon juice or 3 Tbsp. cider vinegar; I prefer Nigari, it is available at health food stores in the area)

Preparation

Soak the soy beans for 10 hours.
Rinse and drain.
Heat 7 1/2 cups water on stove.
While the water is heating, take about 1/2 the soy beans, put them in a blender with about 2 cups water. Blend 2 to 3 minutes until ground very fine.
Add to the heating water.
Do the same with the other portion of soy beans.
Continue heating pot on high, stirring frequently.
You are watching for a sudden rise in the mixture level.
When this happens, immediately remove from heat.
Pour into a colander that has been lined with a cheesecloth.
The colander should be over a bowl to catch the liquid.
Rinse out the pot and put it back on the stove.
Twist the ends of the cheesecloth closed.
With a glass jar or potato masher, press against the mass to force out the liquid.
When this is done, open the cheesecloth.
Add about a cup of cold water to the soy bean puree; mash again.
Discard.
Keep the juice; pour it back into the pot.
Bring to a boil.
Add a cup of water to solidifier. Stir the soy milk vigorously 5 to 6 times and pour 1/3 of the solidifier in while stirring.
Take spoon out of mix; wait until there is no turbulence.
Sprinkle another 1/3 on surface.
Cover pot; wait 3 minutes and sprinkle rest on top.
Very slowly stir upper 1/2 inch layer until you see definite \"curds and whey\".
With a soup ladle, gently press into mix; allow whey to seep in and dispose of as much as you can get to.