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Miso




Source of Recipe


Internet
To make miso by yourself, you need to get the ingredients such as soybeans,rice( or barley),salt and koji fungi spore.

SOYBEAN
There are many kinds of soybeans in the world. It is important to get the good quality soy
beans . It must be fresh one.
SALT

It is recommended to use the sea salt because of the contents of metal elements such as magnesium,calcium that affects on the fermentation.

RICE or BARLEY
It must be fresh one . It is not good to use the old crops. Rice of the short grain type is recommended.
KOJI SPORE
It is available in Japan,..It only needs a small amount. The seed (spore)is almost the same one for japanese sake making.

HOW to make miso.
The most important point to make miso is to breed the good koji fungi. So the rice must be cooked into the best conditioned soft rice(7) Amount of the rice ,soybeans,salt , water for the preparatio to breed the fungi. And it is also very important to cook the soybeans soft enough.

Amount of the rice ,soybeans & salt ,for the preparation

Soybean 1.5kg
Rice 1.5kg
Salt 650g

The processed miso will contain about 47-52% water and about 12% salt.


The whole procedure to make miso is
(1)Cooking the rice
(2)Making koji
(3)Cooking the soybean
(4)Mix and pack into the vessel
(5)Fermentation
(6)Care for the fermentation

Let's explain the process

(1)Cooking the rice

First of all, wash and polish the rice in the water. Soak it whole night. Put the soaked rice in the mesh net basket to remove the water for 4 hours. Then steam it in the steamer to cook . Cool it in the air,(send the winds.) The cooked rice particle must have the elasticity and softness. And the surface of the rice must be dry but wet inside ,to make good koji.


(2)Making koji

Cool down the temp.of the cooked rice to the 25-30 degree (centigrade). Add small amount of the fungi spore. Mix them well to spread the spore over the rice grains. Make the small piles of rice on the cotton cloth cleaned well with 10cm depth. About 10 hrs after it makes heat . It is the evidence that the fungi is growing. Control the depth of the rice pile to maintain 35-40 degree (centigrade) for about 40 hrs. Never make its temp over 40 degree. You may find koji rice white with the short white feather like fungi fiber whole over the rice particles.


(3)Cooking the soybeans

Soy bean must be cooked just on the time that koji is completed. First, soy bean is soaked in the water whole night before cooking. Then boil the soybeans to the it's softness extent that boiled soybean is mashed with the little stress between the thumb and the little finger. It may needs about 3 hours-boiling. Usually boiled soy beans may be increased to the double weight of the raw beans. Put the boiled beans in the net vessels to remove the water . Then smash it while it is hot.

(4)Preparation of the ingredients

The temperature of the smashed soy beans must be cooled down to the 35-40 degree(centigrade) before mixing.
Prepare the vessels to mix the koji and salt and the boiled soybeans.

First, mix the koji and the salt well. Then add boiled soybeans .Mix well. If the mixture is hard ,it may be allowed to add some water(cooled after boiled). You can control the salt content on this step. 10-12% salt content is recommended.
Ram the mixture into the keg or some plastic bucket firmly. Smooth the surface and rub in the remaining a spoon of salt. Place the plastic sheet on the surface to prevent the air . Set some pressing lid (3kg preferable)and weight on it. Cover the container with wrapping paper and tie in place with strings.

(5)Fermentation

Store it in a cool place where receives no sunlight ,such as a garage,or ,store-room for the natural fermentation. After a month you may check the degree of fermentation.But do not open the vessel cover more than is necessary ,to prevent the incoming the mold . If no liquid tamari (just like soy sauce)is seen on the surface, then the pressing weight must be too light.
For over several months through a summer or two summers it will smells good and have the color of yellow to brown . It may be completed the fermentation process.

(6)The care during the fermentation
To make the whole fermenting mixture perfect,it may needs to mix the mixture at least 2nd times. It is the first timing when some liquid appears on the surface of the miso.(Maybe a month after the preparation). Mix as the miso in the bottom comes to the top.Then make it as it was in the container. And the 2nd timing comes another month after.
Take care not to leave it in the so warm place like in the sun-light place.
The miso obtain the color and the smell gradually. A half year after you may taste it.