Tofu is a delicious food, and it’s even better when it’s been marinated in a tasty sauce. Marinating your own tofu at home is fun, easy, and almost always results in a great meal. But you might be wondering if it’s possible to mess up and over-marinate your tofu. Can too much marinating be bad?
The short answer is that yes, you can marinate your tofu for too long. For soft tofu, just 24 hours in the marinade can be too much time. For firmer tofu, it can last about 3 days (or 72 hours) in a marinade before it starts to break down.
The rest of this article is going to teach you all about marinating tofu and how to tell if it’s been marinated for too long.
How Do You Know If Tofu Has Been Over Marinated?
When tofu is left in a marinade for too long, the sauces in the marinade will start to break down the protein in the tofu. This results in a very crumbly or soft tofu that is no longer structured in the shape that you cut it into.
Do keep in mind that tofu is supposed to get a little bit softer when it’s marinated. The sauces should seep into it and soften it, and this is how the flavor gets distributed so nicely. It becomes a problem when the tofu is so soft that it can’t be picked up without crumbling immediately.
Can You Still Use Tofu That Has Been Over Marinated?
As long as your tofu hasn’t been sitting in the marinade for weeks, it should still be fine to use. Tofu that’s been marinating in the fridge for just a couple of days too long may be really soft, but that doesn’t mean it’s inedible.
If you can make a dish that requires more crumbly tofu to begin with, then it should be just fine to use the tofu that’s been marinated for a little too long. That being said, if your tofu is just too soft or crumbly to work with and you don’t know what to do with it, it may be best to throw it out and start over from scratch.
What Is The Best Amount Of Time To Marinate Tofu For?
The time in which you marinate your tofu really depends on what kind you’re using. If you are using tofu that is already super soft such as silken tofu, you’ll probably only need to marinate it for about 15 minutes for it to soak up most of the flavor. But other tofu may benefit from being marinated overnight, or even up to 24 hours.
Firm tofu that is already pressed will soak up marinade faster than unpressed firm tofu. Most people say that tofu should be soaked for 30 minutes at a minimum, but it’s ideal to let it sit overnight so that it can be as flavorful as possible.
It also depends on how you cut your tofu. If you have small tofu cubes, they have less area that needs to be covered and you should be able to get by with marinating them for just 15 minutes. But if you haven’t cut your tofu at all and you have a big block sitting in the marinade, it will definitely take longer to be ready, probably overnight.
Final Thoughts
Tofu can be marinated for too long, but this doesn’t necessarily leave it inedible. There are some rules to go by when figuring out how long to marinate tofu, but in the end, it’s up to you to experiment and find that perfect time that suits what you’re looking for.
