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Tempeh Starter - DRIED Powder (Net Wt. 0.42g) - Includes Instructions
Tempeh
is a traditional Indonesian food made by fermenting soybeans with a
starter culture. Traditional tempeh is a soybean cake that has a rich
smoky flavor and aroma, and a firm nutty texture. It is a great source
of protein and vitamin B-12.
Tempeh
is fermented at 88°F (31ºC) which is the normal outdoor temperature in
Indonesia. This traditional food often replaces meat in dishes and can
be sliced, marinated, and seasoned as desired.
Each box contains 4 individual serving packets; each packet makes one batch of tempeh.
Ingredients: Rice Flour, Soy, Rhizophus Oryzae Culture.
Does not contain MSG or preservatives. GMO free.
This product is manufactured in Belgium and packaged in a facility that produces wheat, dairy, nut, and fish products.
Storage: Shelf stable. This starter culture should be stored in the freezer for longer-term potency.
Note: This product is stored in the freezer, it is still a dried powder and can ship throughout the year via regular service. Please store appropriately upon receipt.
How to make Tempeh
Ingredients
- 2 cups hulled soy beans (if
using beans with the hulls intact, see below for extra steps)
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon (1
packet)
tempeh
starter
Instructions
- Boil the soybeans for 1 hour
to cook.
- Discard the cooking water
and dry the beans (either using a towel to pat them dry or setting over
low heat in the pot to evaporate the water off the beans). It is important
for the beans to be dry to the touch, as too much moisture can ruin the
batch.
- Place the beans in a dry
bowl and allow the beans to cool to a lukewarm temperature (same
temperature as your skin).
- Add the vinegar and mix
well.
- Add the tempeh starter and
mix well to evenly distribute the starter in the beans.
- Place the beans in two
vented containers (or quart-size plastic bags with needle-size holes poked
through at 1/2-inch intervals). The beans should be 1 to 1-1/2 inches
thick.
- Incubate the beans at 88°F
for 24 to 48 hours. See below for ideas for incubating the beans.
- Check the beans after 12
hours. At this point in the process the fermentation will cause the beans
to generate their own heat so you will normally need to reduce or even
eliminate the external heat source. Be sure to use a thermometer to check
the actual temperature (see below).
- After 24 hours or so, the
white mycelium will start to cover the surface of the beans. Over the next
few hours the white mycelium will grow through the beans and will smell
nutty.
- After 24 to 48 hours, when
the beans have become a single mass held together by the white spores, the
tempeh can be refrigerated.
Tips for
Making Tempeh
- It's not unusual for there
to be a bit of a learning curve when making tempeh. If your first batch
doesn't turn out, just try again.
- Use a thermometer to verify
the ongoing temperature of the tempeh during fermentation. (A meat
thermometer with an alarm often sold for baking and for the BBQ are very
useful as they will warn you if the temperature falls outside a set
range.)
- If you wish to freeze the
finished tempeh, steam the tempeh over boiling water for 20 minutes to
cook then slice into patties and soak overnight in salt water (2 teaspoons
salt to one pint water). The patties can then be patted dried and frozen
for future use.
Incubation
Methods (Heat Sources) for Making Tempeh
Proper
temperature is vital for the fermentation process. While a temperature range of
85° to 91ºF is technically acceptable, ideally the tempeh should ferment at 86°
to 88ºF. Regardless of which method you choose to keep your tempeh warm during
the process, be sure to verify that the method you are using will achieve and
maintain the proper temperature and check the temperature often during the
process. Here are a few possible methods for maintaining the proper
temperature:
- Large cube-shaped dehydrator
(i.e., Excalibur or TSM Dehydrator).
- Oven with a low temperature
setting or with just the light turned on. (Check the temperature of your
oven first as ovens vary in heat.)
- Cupboard with a low-level
heat source (like a high-wattage light bulb).
- Styrofoam or plastic
"cooler" with warm water bottles to maintain the heat.
- Low-temperature mat such as
those sold for reptiles (pet store) or to maintain sprout seedlings
(gardening store). Please note, these mats generally keep the tempeh about
10 degrees above the ambient temperature so they will still require a
rather warm room. This is not the same as a commercial heating pad
which normally runs far too warm for this purpose.
- Incubate outside if you live
in a warm climate.
- A warm part of your home
during the summer months (e.g., a non-climate controlled attic, etc.).
Removing
Soybean Hulls
The
easiest way to make tempeh is to use de-hulled soybeans, but if they are not
available you will need to remove the hulls prior to making tempeh.
- Soften the soy beans either
by soaking or boiling:
- Soak the beans in 6 cups of
water for 6 to 18 hours OR
- Boil the beans for 15
minutes, turn off the heat, and allow the beans to sit for two hours
- Separate the hulls from the
soy beans:
- Split the beans by
squeezing them with a kneading motion. The hulls will float on the
water and can be skimmed off. OR
- Remove the beans from the
water and place in a shallow baking dish. Use a potato masher to split
the beans and loosen the hulls. Add the beans and hulls back to the water
so the beans will sink and the hulls will float. The hulls can then be
skimmed off. You may need to repeat this process several times to remove
all the hulls and it can take approximately 10 minutes.
- Boil the now hulled beans
for 30+ minutes until they are cooked through. (You can then skip the
alternative cooking process in the above recipe and proceed directly to
drying the beans.)
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