I prepared a soy bean miso this last April.
Now it’s ready. I divided it into jars and put it in the fridge.
It was the first time for me to make miso.
***** Ingredients *****
rice koji 500g
soy beans 500g
sea salt 225g
First, soak the soy beans overnight. I soaked them for about 12 hours. Put the soy beans and water (enough water to cover the beans) in a large pot and boil. Simmer until the soy beans get soft, about 1 hour. You can check the doneness by splitting a soy bean in half and check the center. When you squeeze a cooked soy bean, it usually breaks in half easily, if not, it’s too early to check. Then if the colour is lighter in the center, cook some more.
While cooking the soy beans, mix the koji and salt. Mush the cooked soy beans and let them cool at least to body temperature. Then add the koji and salt mixture, and stir evenly. Now you have a miso paste. Transfer it to a clean container, like a crock pot or a bucket. Flatten the surface and wipe out any miso paste residue from the container wall, then cover with a plastic wrap. It’s important to cover tight, with no air trapped between the miso paste and the wrap. Finally cover with a plate or a dish and weight it down. (I wash these equipments and sanitize with alcohol beforehand.)
Cover the container with a cheesecloth or paper.
It needs to be stirred once a month.
In the first month, liquid should come up. If not, change the weight to a heavier one.
If there is air between the miso paste and the wrap, there is a possibility to have mould. If this happens, scoop it out carefully and discard, then stir, level out the surface again, wipe out the paste inside of the container and put a new plastic wrap. Then set the plate and the weight and cover the container.
It will be done in about 3 months.
It took about 4 months for this fermentation.
***** Variable conditions and improvable points *****
*The room temperature was between 10°C and 23°C. It was below 20°C degrees most of the time.
*For the first month, liquid didn’t come up on the surface of the miso. I changed the stone to a heavier one.
Again, this is the first time for me to make it. I am still figuring out the best quantities and timing. It all varies according to circumstance, like temperature, humidity, quality of ingredients, etc. I would love to hear about if somebody has tried it and how it worked. Enjoy the wonders of fermentation!
Risingsungardens 