We made another batch of miso from scrath...with all American ingredients this time.
Soybeans are Laura Soybeans from Iowa. These are much smaller than the Hokkaido "Toyomasari" soybeans I've used for making miso in the past. But, I've been happy with the quality of Laura Soybeans for making tofu and other dishes, and hopefully they will turn into a good miso! Dry soybeans were soaked in water overnight and simmered for over 3 hours.
I found packages of Rice Koji from a Japanese grocery store. Yes, these are made in America with the American-grown rice. Unlike the rice koji I used last times (premium kind from Japan), the grains of this American rice koji were all broken uneven shapes. Also, the rice didn't have any distinctive koji aroma (smells like raw sake). Maybe it's just the way American rice koji is made. I mixed the rice koji with sea salt and set aside.
The cooked soybeans were pounded into paste.
Then, the mashed soybeans were mixed with the rice koji/ sea salt mixture and some cooking water for the beans. After mixing very well, the mixture was stored in a container with the weights.
We'll check the development in a few months. If the miso with these all-American ingredients succeeds, it would be ready in 9 months or so. I can't wait to try!
You can find the original miso recipe in this link.
