Homemade Tempeh: Before you get started
To make tempeh you will need soybeans, some starter, and an incubator or other warm place. The process requires only about one hour of work plus some 24 hours of incubation.To ensure the good result always:
- see that the proper incubation temperature is maintained;
- work with well-washed utensils in a clean, dust-free location; and
- dry beans well before inoculation to inhibit growth of unwanted bacteria.
Utensils
To prepare tempeh on a small scale, you will need the following common kitchen utensils and an incubator:
- A 2 gallon cooking pot (the larger the better)
- A large colander or strainer
- A large spoon (not wooden)
- 2 standard (12x17 inch) baking tins or serving trays, well washed and dried; one lined with 3 or 4 layers of absorbent paper toweling or a very clean dishcloth
A Tempeh Container
A good container allows the temperature enough air to grow. Choose one of the following:
- Polyethylene (plastic/sandwich) bags: Polyethylene (plastic/sandwich) bags are available at most supermarkets.Polyethylene is very enzyme and heat resistant, insulates well, and has a desireable slight permeability to oxygen.
- Bread pans, skillet, casserole or pie plate: 2 or 3 standard loaf pans, or a 9-inch-square casserole, or a inch-diameter skillet or pie plate. Wash each thoroughly to get rid of all oil or fat, then cover with a tightly-stretched piece of aluminum foil or wax paper, or loose-fitting lid.
- Aluminum-foil baking pans or pie tins: 2 or 3 of the rectangular or round reusable or disposable types work well, allowing the bottom to be perforated easily.
An Incubator
The incubator keeps the inoculated soy beans warm as they become tempeh. A good design should be easy and inexpensive to make, require low energy input, and be able to maintain a temperature of about 31°C. If you have an area (such as above a hot-water heater, wood stove, or space heater, or almost anywhere in very warm weather)simply use a large cardboard box as an incubator to keep the tempeh clean.
Ingredients
- Tempeh Starter: Tempeh starter is available here. The quality of the starter has a clear and pronounced effect on the quality and flavour of the tempeh.To preserve the starter's potency, it should be refrigerated (or at least kept in a cool place), preferably together with a desiccant, in sealed plastic bags inside a sealed jar. Do not freeze.
- Soybeans: Either whole soybeans or dehulled cracked soybeans can be used to make tempeh.
- Water: Tempeh microorganisms seem to grow well on beans that have been cooked in commercial tap water. However if the water contains large amounts of chlorine or other purifying agents, the mold may take a few hours longer to form a good mycelium. The mold grow best when pure, soft spring or well water is used for cooking the soybeans.
- Vinegar or Lactic Acid: Mixing either of these substances with the soak water or the inoculated beans creates an acidic condition and lowers the pH, thereby making it more difficult for alien bacteria to grow and allowing the use of a smaller amount of starter.
Homemade Tempeh: STEP BY STEP
2½ cups whole dry soybeans, washed and drained
15½ to 20 cups water
1 to 1½ tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon tempeh starter
Step 1: Combine soybeans and water in the cooking pot and bring just to aboil. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand at room temperature for 8 to 16 hours for prefermentation. Or, to shorten soaking time, simmer for 20 minutes and allow to stand for 2 hours.
Step 2: Pour off water in pot, then rub beans in pot vigorously between the palms of both hands (or squeeze repeatedly in one hand) for 3 minutes in order to remove hulls.Add water to pot until it is almost full, stir gently in a circle, causing hulls to rise to surface, then pour off water and hulls into a colander or strainer. Refill pot with water, stir and again pour off water and hulls. Now repeat process of rubbing beans have been dehulled and, in the process, split lengthwise into halves. Don't worry if a few detached hulls remain mixed with the dehulled cotyledons. Transfer any beans from colander back into pot.
Step 3: Add 10 cups (hot) water and 1½ tablespoons vinegar to drained beans in cooking pot. Bring to a boil cook, uncovered, at an active boil for 45 minutes. Do not pressure cook.
Step 4: Pour beans into large colander set in the sink. Allow to drain dry for several minutes, then shake well to expel as much moisture as possible. Now transfer beans to a baking tin or tray, lined with toweling (or to a large-diameter, shallow colander). Spread them in an even layer, and allow to stand for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have cooled to body temperature and their surface is almost dry.
Step 5: Pat the surface of bean layer with toweling (or fan it) to remove excess moisture, then transfer beans to another well-washed baking tin, large mixing bowl, or plastic bag. sprinkle tempeh starter evenly over beans and mix for about 2 minutes with a large spoon to distribute evenly. Or cover mixing bowl with a plate or seal mouth of bag and shake vigorously to mix.
Step 6: Wash hands well, then prepare and fill the incubation containers you have chosen:
- Polyethylene (plastic/sandwich) bags: Lay two bags congruently on top of one another atop a clean wooden board or four thicknesses of clean, soft cloth. Using a sharp icepick, slender clean nail, or fat sewing needle, poke holes simultaneously through both bags in a grid pattern at intervals of ½ to ¾ inch; this will let in oxygen, allowing the mold to breathe.spoon beans into bags so that each is about half full. Seal mouth with Ziploc or candle flame, then place bag on a flat surface and press upper surface of bag with the palm of the hand or a flat board or spatula to distribute beans in a uniform layer ½ to 1 inch thick.
- Baking pans, skillet, etc: Spoon inoculated beans to a depth of ½ to 1 inch into one or more well-washed containers. Level surface of beans and pack firmly, then cover each container with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent both drying and contamination. There should be a space of ½ to 2 inches between beans and foil.
- Aluminum-foil baking pans or pie tins: Perforate the bottom of each container as for the polyethylene/sandwich bags, then proceed to fill, pack and cover as described above. Shallow (1/2 to 3/4 inch deep) containers sholud be filled to the brim and covered tightly with perforated plastic wrap.