Cooking & Baking

I added photos of a batch of tofu jerky I made in 2021.

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 to 4 tbsp liquid smoke
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove crushed fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu
Cut and drain the tofu. Take a 1-pound cube, cut it in half, and then slice it into strips on its short side. Strips should be about 4 to 5 millimeters in thickness. They may look big, but they'll shrink to about half their size.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together well. Put the tofu in a single layer in a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet and pour the marinade over it. Let soak for several hours or overnight.
Drain excess liquid (may be reused) and dry tofu in food dehydrator or warm (200 degrees F) oven. This will take 4 to 8 hours, depending on weather. If you live in a sunny, hot, dry climate, you can sun-dry it. It will take all day.
Flip the tofu over hourly so it dries evenly. Tofu jerky is delicious and keeps indefinitely. Dry the jerky until it is very chewy, but not crispy.
Be creative: Use low-sodium soy if you want less salt (it is rather salty). Use tabasco or ground cayenne if you want it hot. Chili powder makes chili jerky. Oregano and basil make pizza jerky.
If you like the recipe, tell me all about it at tofujerky@chairthrower.org.