How to Make Shiro Miso (White Miso)

Instructions

1) The night before, measure the required amount of soy beans and add to a bowl. Add 4 cups of water. Soak overnight for 8 to 12 hours.

2) Drain soybeans. Place them into a pot and add 4 cups of water. Boil, adding more water when needed. The soybeans are cooked when you can easily crush them between your thumb and ring finger. It will take approximately 4 to 5 hours on a conventional stove top or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

3) Drain the cooked soybean, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Transfer the soybeans into a mixing bowl and mash them thoroughly using a masher or pickle packer. Sprinkle all the salt over the beans, add the 1 cup of reserved liquid and mix thoroughly. Allow the mixture to cool below 60 degrees celcius.

4) Empty the 400g of packet of rice koji into a seperate bowl. Add 100ml of water and leave to hydrate for 15 minutes.

5) Add the hydrated rice koji to soybean mixture and mix well. Make balls with the mixture (approximately the size of a tennis ball) 

6) Place a ball into a washed and sanitised quart mason jar and use your clean fist or a pickle packer to press firmly to remove air.  Repeat with the remaining balls until the jar is 3/4 filled.

7) Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt on the surface. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of ingredients and continuing up the side of the glass jar.

8) Place a glass weight or pickle pebble on top of the plastic wrap. 

 7) Loosely cover the entire mason jar with the mason jar lid to keep out dust and contamination. Some airflow must be maintained during fermentation.

8) Ferment at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks in a cupboard.

9) When the miso is ready, you can consume straight away or store in a refrigerator and consume within 6 months.