How to make tempeh

Tempeh

Tempeh (TEM-pay) is a cultured soybean cake. Its tender, chewy consistency makes it a versatile meat substitute. Tempeh can be grilled, deep-fried, sauteed, steamed, baked, grated or microwaved and holds its shape very well.

How Tempeh is Made

Tempeh is made by cooking and dehulling beans or grains and inoculating them with the Rhizopus mold which binds the soybeans into a compact white cake. The product is then incubated, causing the beans to be bound together in a solid fermentated cake. Incubation makes the cakes tasty and digestible. Tempeh has been a staple food in Indonesia for centuries.

It's easy to make tempeh at home at a very low cost. Soybeans are soaked overnight, cooked for about 30 min and mixed with tempeh starter. After 28 to 32 hours incubation you have delicious fresh tempeh. Starter kit can produce more then 4 lbs tempeh.

Tempeh starter Kit

$5.95

Order here !

We have currently 2 types of Tempeh Starter available, you can make your choise in the order form.

Tempeh Starter Type "Original Style"

- Some sporulation is normal,.Organic, no msg, no preservatives.

- Original Indonesian style Tempeh,.with a delicious "nutty" taste.

-The tast is original Indonesian because our starters are developed from 100 % Indonesian yeast.

Tempeh Starter Type "Shining White"

- Special developed by TempehOnline.com

- Organic, no msg, no preservatives.

- Makes a delicious shining white tempeh.

-The tast is original Indonesian because our starters are developed from 100 % Indonesian yeast.

•	Try marinating tempeh in lemon juice, sherry, mirin (rice wine), or pineapple juice to enhance the flavor. Cut tempeh into small cubes or thin slices before marinating for better absorbtion of flavors.
•	Try tempeh on the grill. Steam the cakes; marinate in barbecue sauce; then grill until brown.
•	Add chunks of tempeh to spaghetti sauce, sloppy joe sauce or chili mix, or to favorite soups and casseroles.

Making Tempeh - Soybean Cake

INSTRUCTIONS:

Making tempeh is very easy. Here we explain how to make tempeh from 100% soy. This is the traditional Indonesian tempeh as it is consumed in the country of origin. To make 2.5 lbs tempeh you need the following ingredients:

- 300 grams of whole soybeans, dry
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon tempeh starter

Soak the soybeans in 1 gallon water overnight. If you use whole soybeans you should split them by squeezing them with a kneading motion. Stir gently causing the hulls to rise to the surface, then pour off water and hulls into a strainer. Add fresh water again and repeat until most hulls are removed. Don't worry if a few hulls remain attached, this happends also in the traditional way, in a way it adds a taste to your Temeh

Put the beans in a cooking pot and water to cover the soybeans, and cook for 30 min. Drain off the water and dry the soybeans by wrapping the beans in a cheese cloth, or paper towels, until most of the moist is gone, and the beans are dry. Allow the soybeans to cool down until "hand temperature" and add the vinegar, this is done to make the beans steryl for bacteries.

Sprinkle the soybeans with 2 teaspoons of tempeh starter. Mix with a clean spoon for about 1 minute to distribute the tempeh starter evenly. It's very important to mix the tempeh starter very well: it reduces the risk for spoilage and the fermentation will be faster.

Take 2 plastic bags 11" x 8 " and perforate them with holes at a distance of about 1 cm by a thick but sharp needle. Do not use a normal needle, because they are to thin, and will not allow to much air for circulation, this is veyr important for continue grown and breathe of the tempeh starter!
Divide the soybeans in the two bags and seal them. Press them flat, making sure that the total thickness of the beans is max 1 inch. Place the packed beans in an incubator at 85-90 F or at a warm place for about 28-32 hours during which the tempeh fermentation takes place. Then the container should be filled after 12-14 hrs completely with white mycelium and after 28 -32 hrs your tempeh will be done!

When ordering our tempeh starter we will inlcude a precise instruction how to make your own tempeh, and much more. Now you know how to make your own tempeh we hope that you will enjoy the home making of tempeh and ofcourse cosuming. If you have questions about how to make tempeh, please do Email us!