Homemade Miso
Miso is a traditional Japanese ingredient. It is fermented over a month and is prepared using soybeans, salt, and rice koji. It can be used every day in miso soup and many other dishes such as marinades for meats and vegetables, dressings for salads, spreads for toasts, and everything you’d like to bring some umami flavor! . My grandmother and mother produced handmade miso using traditional black soybeans in a small miso manufacturer in Kyoto. Black soybeans miso takes longer to make, so now we would like to show you how to easily make it at home using regular and easy-to-find soybeans. Handmade miso takes longer, but the taste is extraordinary and it is worth giving it a try.
Wash and strain <quantity>200<unit>g</unit></quantity> of dried soybeans. Repeat this process three times
Transfer the beans to a bowl and cover it with water. Place a clean kitchen towel over it and let it soak for 18h
Strain the beans and transfer them to a pot. Cover with water
Place over medium-high heat until the water starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low
Periodically remove any foam that forms on the surface. Make sure the soybeans are always covered in water by adding more if necessary
Simmer the beans for 3h until they are completely soft and can be easily smashed with your fingers. Turn off the heat
Strain the beans through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid
Add the cooked soybeans to a freezer bag. Close it while still warm and let it cool down to around <temperature>37<unit>ºC</unit></temperature>, close to the human body temperature
Sterilize a airtight jar and a fermentation weight with alcohol
Press the freezer bag onto a working surface until the beans turn into a paste
Add <quantity>200<unit>g</unit></quantity> of rice koji to a bowl. Smash it using your hands to separate the rice koji
Add <quantity>80<unit>g</unit></quantity> of salt and mix until combined
Transfer the mixture to the freezer bag with the soybeans paste and seal it
Knead the beans until completely homogeneous. If it is too stiff to knead, add <quantity>1</quantity> or <quantity>2<unit>tbsp</unit></quantity> of the cooking liquid
Shape the bean mixture into equal medium-sized balls
Add <quantity>1</quantity> ball at a time to the sterilized airtight container. Press each one down to an even layer before adding the next one to make sure there will be no air gaps
Cover the entire surface with a thin layer of salt to prevent mold
Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the soybean paste. Add a fermentation weight on top of it and cover with more plastic wrap
Place the airtight container inside a paper bag and wrap it. Keep it in a cool and dark place for 3 months until fermented
The homemade miso is ready! Enjoy using it in various dishes, such as noodles or grilled proteins!
I'm here to answer any questions you have about Homemade Miso. Try me!