Can I eat this not-so-firm tofu?

October 22, 2018 9:26 AM

Package of Nasoya extra firm organic tofu. Not firm when opened: squishy and sticky and soft, more like scrambled eggs. Expiration date was October 17. Safe to stir-fry and eat? I never use anything but extra firm, so I don't know if this texture is just firmness error or a sign that this is not good eatin'.
posted by HeroZero to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

I would say firm is the firmness of scrambled eggs, depending on the done-ness of the eggs, so that doesn't necessarily sound like it's off to me.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:35 AM on October 22, 2018

Best answer: Tofu shouldn't be sticky. Does it smell normal? Tofu that's gone off sometimes has a funky/sour smell.
posted by heatherlogan at 9:41 AM on October 22, 2018

Best answer: Tofu a few days past its expiration date wouldn't put me off, all other things being equal. The "sticky" part would because...it shouldn't be.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:47 AM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Is it slimy at all? Does it smell extra fermented or rancid at all? If either of those things are true I wouldn't eat it.
posted by terretu at 9:52 AM on October 22, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: It shouldn't be sticky. Your health is not worth the price of a new package of tofu.
posted by Mizu at 9:59 AM on October 22, 2018 [9 favorites]

Best answer: Don't eat it.

Expiration dates are an estimation of when something might go bad if it's been handled properly - sealed, refrigerated, etc.

Softer tofu than you're used to is ... just softer. It still can be cubed, etc - it's just more likely to fall apart as you cook it. It doesn't have the texture of scrambled eggs.

Tofu is made by pressing curds, but by the time it's in your package it should be ... formed ... regardless of whether it's extra firm or soft. It definitely shouldn't be sticky. Something has happened to yours. This definitely isn't worth the risk.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:13 AM on October 22, 2018 [6 favorites]

A YEAR past the expiration date--no. Tofu is a perishable. This tofu has perished.

Edit: I read this as "October '17." I'm probably wrong. I'm still going to uphold my answer, though. I eat a lot of Nasoya Extra Firm and I've never run across anything like you describe, so I think that package is just not right.
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:17 AM on October 22, 2018 [4 favorites]

My mother has been known to eat half-rotted tomatoes off the ground. Are there worms in this apple? Just cut off that part of the apple, and don't worry about any wiggly half-worms that you see! She regularly defrosts meat in the sink, uncovered and unwrapped for 12+ hours.

She will not touch tofu that looks even 1/3rd as shady as what you're describing. In no circumstances should extra firm tofu be "sticky."
posted by joyceanmachine at 10:18 AM on October 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

Diana Ross posted a tweet a few weeks ago that made me think of Metafilter, and now I give it to you:

THROW IT OUT ,If you think you got a smell something to see whether it’s good for you or not it’s better just to throw it out ,if you got a put it up to your nose for a SMELL Check -best to just throw it out .THROW IT OUT .WHY TAKE THE CHANCE !
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:30 AM on October 22, 2018 [5 favorites]

If the date was Oct. 17 and the texture and smell were OK, I'd cook it well and eat it.

But extra-firm tofu should be quite firm and dense. Sticky, squishy scrambled egg texture is a HELL NO!
posted by maudlin at 10:45 AM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Based on the experience I and my spouse had, jockying for the toilet for two full days after a bad batch of tofu. . . don't risk it. It's a medium designed for bacterial growth.

Tofu is cheap. Donating to the tofu industry is, at worst, harmless. Buy new tofu.
posted by eotvos at 11:38 AM on October 22, 2018

I believe the Nope Badger GIF says it best. Nope, and run screaming into the hills!
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 12:33 PM on October 22, 2018

I’ve eaten that and been fine, more than once. But it smelled fine, and I cooked it thoroughly. If it smells bad, I throw it out.

In my world, I buy tofu from trusted sources, and when it goes bad, if smells bad, and it’s that simple.

As for why people need the sniff test: because throwing out food might mean you don’t eat that meal, or you would have to spend a lot of time or money that you don’t have to spare in order to eat. Because you do know how to tell if milk is good or bad, or because you are using basic experience and perception in addition to other information available. Etc.

Or because you just don’t like food waste.
posted by SaltySalticid at 12:36 PM on October 22, 2018 [3 favorites]

Yeah, no - that's gone bad.
posted by salvia at 12:44 PM on October 22, 2018

I had some Nasoya tofu with that same issue a month or so ago. It's not supposed be that texture. I called the customer support line and they sent me a coupon for a free tofu.
posted by purple_bird at 1:41 PM on October 22, 2018 [6 favorites]

Funnily enough, I (as well as eotvos!) was present for another tofu question last year: CanIEatThis: Expired Refrigerated Tofu.

Here's my comment in that thread but the short version is that -- according to the guidelines from The Soyfoods Association of North America (section titled "In the Kitchen" which has more info) -- "discard any tofu that exceeds the expiration date on the package."

I'm generally not a stickler for food expiration dates but tofu is one of the foods I'm more careful about.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 11:08 PM on October 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

My response to these questions is *always* that I would eat it, until now. Nope no way.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:24 PM on October 23, 2018 [1 favorite]