Soy sauce has been used as a cooking spice for more than two thousand years. This sauce is very often found in Asian dishes. If you often cook Japanese, Chinese, or Korean dishes, it's a good idea to learn how to make your own soy sauce, especially if you're often worried about the origins of the ingredients used to make bottled soy sauce. The following recipe is a simple basic recipe. The ingredients used aren't hard to find, but making soy sauce is a long and smelly process! Even so, you will feel satisfied when the results of 3-6 months of work can be served on the dining table. Keep reading to learn more about the recipe.
Ingredients
- 450 grams of soybeans (you can choose to buy organic beans). Remove from the skin and cook until it breaks easily.
- 350 grams of flour of your choice (e.g. all-purpose flour, or organic flour if you prefer)
- 230 grams of salt
- 4 liters of water.
Step
Step 1. Cut the soybeans that have been removed from the skin until smooth
In addition to a knife, you can also use a food grinder to grind the nuts more easily.
Step 2. Transfer the soy 'paste' to a large bowl
Add flour and mix until smooth.
Step 3. Knead the dough well
Transfer the dough onto a flat surface and shape it into a cylinder.
Step 4. Cut the dough into 0.5 cm thick
The dough will be easier to cut with a serrated knife.
Step 5. Grow mushrooms
- Wet a paper towel with water and place it on a flat surface.
- Place the dough pieces on a damp paper towel and cover the dough with another damp paper towel, and so on. Start with paper towels and end with paper towels again.
- Use plastic to wrap the pile of dough. Make sure the dough is tightly wrapped.
- Place the package on the baking sheet. Keep it in a hidden place and leave it until the dough is covered with mold. This step can take a week or more.
Step 6. Now, the fun part
Open the package and place the dough pieces on a clean baking sheet. Leave a distance between the pieces as far as 2 to 5 cm. Allow the dough to become completely dry and brown. If possible, for best results, dry the dough in the sun.
Step 7. Combine salt and water in a large saucepan
Add all the pieces of dough and cover the pan with plastic wrap.
Step 8. Give the soy sauce time to ferment
Stir the soy sauce once a day with a wooden spoon.
After the dough has fully blended with the water, the fermentation process has been completed. This step can last from several weeks to several months
Step 9. Strain the soy sauce
Once the mixture is completely combined, strain the soy sauce using a cloth to put it in a container that can be used to pour the soy sauce (such as a measuring cup) into the next container.
Step 10. Put it in the bottle
Soy sauce is ready to serve.
Attach a label with your name, date, and if necessary, write down that you made the soy sauce yourself
Tips
- You can use homemade soy sauce instead of the soy sauce that is sold in stores.
- The ratio of salt and water in the above recipe will produce a solution containing 6% salt (230 grams of salt compared to 4000 ml of water). The recipe can be adapted to the tastes of the manufacturer, but it is recommended that you make a solution with a salt concentration of 15% (about 600 grams of water compared to 3700 ml of water) and 25% (about 900 grams of salt compared to 3700 ml of water). Strengthening the salt content can help grow the needed mold and repel other types of mold.
- Do an experiment. Try replacing the water with broth (vegetable, beef, or chicken) for a different taste of soy sauce
Warning
- This activity is not suitable for people who quickly get bored or impatient because it can take up to six months.
- If you can't stand bad smells, it's best to buy commercial soy sauce.
