Soybean Tempeh

Background

This is a first attempt at making Tempeh from scratch. The goal is to compare the flavor and texture of a homemade version with commercial products and to establish a baseline process for future experiments with other substrates. This is a traditional version using soybeans.

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Recipe

Ingredients

900g Soy Beans

3g Tempeh Start

Equipment

Incubation Chamber

Instructions

1. Preparation
   Soak the beans overnight, then boil them until cooked through but still firm.

2. Inoculation
   Drain the beans and allow them to cool to at least as low as incubation temperature before mixing in the tempeh starter.

3. Incubation
   Place the inoculated beans in an incubation chamber at 88°F for 48 hours.

Notes and Observations

• After 48 hours, the beans formed a firm, solid white cake of mycelium.
• The taste is a cross between mushroom and chestnut. It is far more flavorful than store-bought tempeh, but still quite mild.
• It fries up very well.
• The next step is to test this process with alternate substrates.