Re: Miso & Koji

[Guest guest]

G'day GB,

>Someone suggested I get " The Book of Miso " . I just received it. I

>plan to make the miso tomorrow. I have some koji.

Did you get koji rice (rice infected with the fungus) or koji-kin / tane

koji (the grey-green spore of the fungus)?

>However, the

>recipe calls for a lot of koji. I also has a recipe for koji but it

>seems very involved. It seem that one has to check it every few

>hours for 3 days. Is there an easier and more modern way to make

>it?

Cook up some rice, and spread it out to cool. If you have the spore,

sprinkle it over the rice (I mixed mine with a little rice flour to make

it easier to distribute evenly); if you have the rice, I guess you mix

it in with the cooked / cooled rice in a bowl, then spread it out again

in a flat dish. Then you keep it warm, and wait for it to ferment - it

will get a fluffy layer on the surface as the mould grows on the rice.

Once the rice has that fluffy layer, you can mix it into your cooked /

cooled / mashed or puréed soybeans, and start the miso fermentation

part.

Here's another reference for you - first, making koji, then making miso:

http://www.geocities.co.jp/Foodpia/1751/koji.html

http://www.geocities.co.jp/Foodpia/1751/miso.html

>The miso seems fairly easy to make except for the long wait. The

>recipe said one needs to add more soy mixture every day for a few

>days. Is it possible to just make a batch one day and then wait?

The recipes in the book I have, " How to Cook with Miso " , have all the

soybeans added to the koji rice all at once. You still need to fuss

around occasionally for the first month or so, but no further additions

(from memory - that's how I'm doing it anyway!)

But with the exception of a sweet miso, miso isn't set and forget until

about 1.5 to 2 months into the process.

--

Ross McKay, Toronto, NSW Australia

The planet is in a pickle, but fermenting will help save us

[Guest guest]

Ross

Thanks for the good information you always give. I have koji rice.

I don't have the koji-kin. The way you make it is much easier than

the book. They wrap it in blankets and sheets and check it every few

hours. I saw here earlier that people made things like garlic and

onion miso. Are these added at the original making or later on in

the process?

Thanks a lot,

GB

>

> G'day GB,

>

> >Someone suggested I get " The Book of Miso " . I just received it.

I

> >plan to make the miso tomorrow. I have some koji.

>

> Did you get koji rice (rice infected with the fungus) or koji-kin /

tane

> koji (the grey-green spore of the fungus)?

>

> >However, the

> >recipe calls for a lot of koji. I also has a recipe for koji but

it

> >seems very involved. It seem that one has to check it every few

> >hours for 3 days. Is there an easier and more modern way to make

> >it?

>

> Cook up some rice, and spread it out to cool. If you have the spore,

> sprinkle it over the rice (I mixed mine with a little rice flour to

make

> it easier to distribute evenly); if you have the rice, I guess you

mix

> it in with the cooked / cooled rice in a bowl, then spread it out

again

> in a flat dish. Then you keep it warm, and wait for it to ferment -

it

> will get a fluffy layer on the surface as the mould grows on the

rice.

>

> Once the rice has that fluffy layer, you can mix it into your

cooked /

> cooled / mashed or puréed soybeans, and start the miso fermentation

> part.

>

> Here's another reference for you - first, making koji, then making

miso:

>

> http://www.geocities.co.jp/Foodpia/1751/koji.html

> http://www.geocities.co.jp/Foodpia/1751/miso.html

>

> >The miso seems fairly easy to make except for the long wait. The

> >recipe said one needs to add more soy mixture every day for a few

> >days. Is it possible to just make a batch one day and then wait?

>

> The recipes in the book I have, " How to Cook with Miso " , have all

the

> soybeans added to the koji rice all at once. You still need to fuss

> around occasionally for the first month or so, but no further

additions

> (from memory - that's how I'm doing it anyway!)

>

> But with the exception of a sweet miso, miso isn't set and forget

until

> about 1.5 to 2 months into the process.

> --

> Ross McKay, Toronto, NSW Australia

> The planet is in a pickle, but fermenting will help save us

>

[Guest guest]

Guru K wrote:

>[...] I saw here earlier that people made things like garlic and

>onion miso. Are these added at the original making or later on in

>the process?

Actually, I'd like to know that too. I want to make some doubanjiang,

for putting in one of my favourite dishes - mapo doufu. It is a mix of

fava beans, soybeans, and chilis, but I don't know the proportions of

each, nor when to add the chilis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubanjiang

I'm guessing that you get the mould fermentation started first, then mix

in the extras when you stir it well before packing into a jar - but I'd

love to hear it from someone who does this stuff!

--

Ross McKay, Toronto, NSW Australia

" Let the laddie play wi the knife - he'll learn "

- The Wee Book of Calvin

[Guest guest]

> Guru K wrote:

>[...] I saw here earlier that people made things like garlic and

>onion miso. Are these added at the original making or later on in

>the process?

Hello,GuruK,

When you are to make miso, it would be the most natural thing to hold

garlic and onion from their way until the miso is well fermented.

Do not interfere their (I mean bean and koji) love process. Leave

them alone! ;-)

Chilli peppers can be added on the surface to prevent from other mold

invasion.

You can add garlic and onion anytime and make combined flavors.

Likewise, the Chinese DoubanJiang/ToubanLarJiang which is the famous

and outstanding condiment maybe the combined product.

Touban is a fava bean miso. Larjiang is chilli pepper sauce.

You may make fava bean miso

1 portion favabean

1 portion koji

12% salt

some chilli combined.

Since ToubanLarJiang sold in Japan seems to contain quite lot of

chilli pepper sauce in them, so substituting with ordinary red miso

does work, I think.

You want chilli and peppers's spike/bite at first rather than miso's

overall backing-up-layer of flavors at second.

You may want to experience with

1 portion of miso,

some portion of chilli pepper sauce depending upon your favorite one.

hope it helps,

isao

[Guest guest]

Just for your information,

You may want to look at this site.

KOJIYA HONTEN.

This is the site of a KOJI and MISO shop family owned and

continuously running for over 330 years. The owner/master is 88 years

old and stil active in operation.

http://www.saikikoujiya.com/guide/kodawari.html

His motto is " Being active for all life. "

WOW, amazing and impressed !

Maybe living with koji-kin canbe a key to longevity ! :-)

I am glad to find his shop is not very far, within 1 hour distance.

I shall visit him very soon.

They sell KOJI and MISO on the internet, where they show how to

homemake MISO.

You may want to look at it.

There they show making miso-base into around 1Kg tapper ware

container.

It is quite ideal for home experimenters.

http://www.saikikoujiya.com/tedukuri.html#howto

The brief interpretation as belows.

Time

10 hours to soak soy beans

2 hours to boil

2-6 month to ferment / maturation

The younger the stroger koji aroma,the longer the deeper taste.

1) Lightly wash soy beans.

2) Soak beans for 8-12 hours with 4 times amount of water.

3) Boil in strong heat to boil then in midium heat till softened with

adding water.

4) Soy should be pinched and crushed with a thumb and baby finger.

5) Drain while hot and keep 1/2 drained water

6) Put in a strong plastic bag and crush with finger while hot.

7) Cool to regular temperature

8) Add in RICE KOJI

9) Add in MUGI KOJI (Barley koji)

10) Mix very well

11) Marinate with hands until the soy become as hard as earlobe or

add reserved boiled water to soften

12) Make balls so that we can put in container without air.

13) Put and push balls in the container and flatten with hands. Make

sure NO AIR.

14) Salt the surface

15) Cover salt with hands

16) Clean the corners with cloth

17) Use plastic wrap

18) Make sure No air . The air inside oxidizes soy to blacken.

19) Keep and store in the area of 25C

White Miso ready in 2 month,Red miso ready in 6 month.

My advice here PUT it into plastic bag and completely deair it.

Autumn preparation canbe used less salt. Lower salt fermentation.

Preparing with several batches of containers may give you a great joy.

Just forget for 2 months (How can you do that ?) and enjoy.

Cheers,

isao

[Guest guest]

G'day Isao,

Thanks for your comments on doubanjiang et al. I'm hoping to get some

going soon, and have some fava beans fermenting now for a simple bean

paste.

cheers,

Ross.

--

Ross McKay, Toronto, NSW Australia

" Let the laddie play wi the knife - he'll learn "

- The Wee Book of Calvin

[Guest guest]

Isao,

Thank your for this timely advice! Two weeks ago I put in my order to

Gem Cultures for koji spores. One week ago I emptied the last of my

first batch of miso, made 3 years ago. (It's very good! I have been

so afraid to look for fear it was full of bugs or weird molds.)

Yesterday I started 6 batches of koji, and today my husband and I have

been tending them. Tonight we boil up chickpeas to experiment with the

yellow miso, tomorrow the soybeans for red miso. The instructions I

have are good, but I wondered if it would be better to mash the beans

while they were still hot, that sort of thing. Seeing all the different

possible recipes, I'm sorry to be doing it all at once, but I have

access to a much bigger kitchen than my own, so it's a good time to do

it.

I used to make my own bread till I found out I was gluten intolerant.

It's fun to have something live in the kitchen again. Donna

[Guest guest]

Isao

Thanks for the advice. I never even thought that people fermented

the things I see in this group. It is pretty amazing.

GB

> >[...] I saw here earlier that people made things like garlic and

> >onion miso. Are these added at the original making or later on in

> >the process?

>

> Hello,GuruK,

>

> When you are to make miso, it would be the most natural thing to

hold

> garlic and onion from their way until the miso is well fermented.

> Do not interfere their (I mean bean and koji) love process. Leave

> them alone! ;-)

> Chilli peppers can be added on the surface to prevent from other

mold

> invasion.

>

> You can add garlic and onion anytime and make combined flavors.

>

> Likewise, the Chinese DoubanJiang/ToubanLarJiang which is the

famous

> and outstanding condiment maybe the combined product.

> Touban is a fava bean miso. Larjiang is chilli pepper sauce.

>

> You may make fava bean miso

> 1 portion favabean

> 1 portion koji

> 12% salt

> some chilli combined.

>

> Since ToubanLarJiang sold in Japan seems to contain quite lot of

> chilli pepper sauce in them, so substituting with ordinary red miso

> does work, I think.

> You want chilli and peppers's spike/bite at first rather than

miso's

> overall backing-up-layer of flavors at second.

> You may want to experience with

> 1 portion of miso,

> some portion of chilli pepper sauce depending upon your favorite

one.

>

> hope it helps,

> isao

>