22 July 2020 Soy Tempeh

[Durgan]

22 July 2020 Soy Tempeh
Posted on July 22, 2020 by Durgan
http://durgan.org/2020/July%202020/22%2 ... mpeh/HTML/ 22 July 2020 Soy Tempeh
Five hundred ml of soy beans were made into soy tempeh. Process was dehull, steam pressure cook for 1.5 hours, add two tablespoons of vinegar, add half a teaspoon of tempeh starter. Place in cotton lined molds. Place in fermenter set at 31C for 40 hours. The result is perfect tempeh.Annotated pictures depict the procedure. I ingest about 60 grams as is for breakfast. A large cake is about 9 servings.

[SBear]

Hi, Durgan--

These photos answer many of the questions I've had about your procedures. I gather that you have settled on punctured plastic/tupperware containers as molds.

Is the cotton fabric lining just the sort if material usually used for tea towels? Is it put in the mold as single thickness, or doubled, or what?

I have generally used punctured plastic molds. I've had some good results, and a few disasters, and some mediocre results.

When the results are mediocre, the middle of the tempeh cake does not consolidate. I'm attributing this to moisture. I dry my beans/grains very thoroughly, so that isn't the problem. The problem seems to be condensation inside the container that then drips back down on center of the cake.

Is that the reason for the cotton liner--to prevent collection of moisture?

Thanks for any insights you have.

[Durgan]

I buy the cotton clothes from Walmart and clean it numerous times in the microwave.It is used just to contain the material It keeps the cake slightly moist while fermenting. I never have any failure with my technique be it soy, chickpea or lentil.The cloth is just thin cotton.Much thinner than a tea towel.Nothing special about the cloth,

I find cooking to have been the big variable. Now I can reproduce perfectly. I just drain normally. Never have a failure and don't expect such.

I experimented considerably at the start and am now completely satisfied that I can reproduce with confidence.

I have a small stock frozen in the refrigerator and make as required. I eat a piece daily.

[SBear]

Thanks for the quick reply!

When you say you find cooking to be the main variable, do you mean overcooking/undercooking, or what exactly?

[Durgan]

I suspect over cooking, may be a problem. Mush is a disaster.

Soy in pressure cooker for about an hour at 15 PSI, lentils for about two minutes in boiling water, chickpeas about an hour in boiling water. Drain well with no visible water. I mix in a colander to insure no water.

Lentil are red and bought dehulled from Bulk Barn. I dehull the chickpeas and soy.

I am experimenting with boiling the soy now.

[SBear]

Thanks for the clarification.

Yes, the times I have cooked them to softness have been my biggest fails!