Effect of soybean aging on the quality of soymilk, firmness of tofu and optimum coagulant concentration

This study investigated the influence of soybean aging (cultivars Coodetec 214 and BRS 267) on the physicochemical properties of soymilk and tofu. Two aging conditions were adopted: accelerated aging (84% relative humidity and 30 °C, up to 9 months) and natural aging (ambient temperature and relative humidity, up to 18 months) and a control condition (47% relative humidity, −20 °C). Tofu was coagulated with MgSO4. Optimum coagulant concentration (OCC) decreased with increasing coagulation temperature and soybean aging time. OCC showed positive correlation with total solids, protein, ash, Ca, Mg and P contents of soymilk. The products showed, in general, reduced color parameters (L∗ and h°), proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, ash, Ca, Mg, P and total solids (except in the tofu) and firmness (tofu) with increasing aging time. Tofu yields decreased with accelerated aging time.