.....

mine is in the fridge but i don't think it's necessary though, as it's too
salty. [i might be wrong]

FujiGirl wrote:
>
> mine is in the fridge but i don't think it's necessary though, as it's too
> salty. [i might be wrong]

In general, very traditional food that came from anyplace not constantly
cold *must* do okay outside the fridge...like tahini or Turkish delight.
Things that didn't keep weren't kept, and, I might argue, were
originally invented when something overlooked was delved into in a time
of want. What I am careful with in miso is not sticking a dirty utensil
in. I do keep it in the fridge, but I wouldn't not eat some that had
been left out.
blacksalt

"FujiGirl" > wrote in message >...
> mine is in the fridge but i don't think it's necessary though, as it's too
> salty. [i might be wrong]

Even if miso is salty it is still prone to spoilage as there are what
is called halophilic or ' salt loving bacteria' that can thrive in it
and spoil in a matter of time.
I also kept mine under refrigeration for the same reason.
Roy

On 11 May 2004 19:29:08 -0700, (werewolf) wrote:

>....

I make my own miso and it's kept in the closet. The longer it stays
there, the mellower it will get. Good miso requires very long
fermentation time. If you go to a miso specialized store in Japan, it
advertises miso by it's age. The top portion of my miso sometimes
gets moldy at times, but it just gets scraped off. I made my current
miso 3 years ago and it's getting better and better.
Nona

On 11 May 2004 19:29:08 -0700, (werewolf) wrote:

>....

I make my own miso and it's kept in the closet. The longer it stays
there, the mellower it will get. Good miso requires very long
fermentation time. If you go to a miso specialized store in Japan, it
advertises miso by it's age. The top portion of my miso sometimes
gets moldy at times, but it just gets scraped off. I made my current
miso 3 years ago and it's getting better and better.
Nona

Nona dayo wrote:

>
> I make my own miso and it's kept in the closet. The longer it stays
> there, the mellower it will get. Good miso requires very long
> fermentation time. If you go to a miso specialized store in Japan, it
> advertises miso by it's age. The top portion of my miso sometimes
> gets moldy at times, but it just gets scraped off. I made my current
> miso 3 years ago and it's getting better and better.

Impressive. How hard is it to make? And how does it compare to store
bought variety?

--
Dan

On Tue, 18 May 2004 09:54:01 -0400, Dan Logcher
> wrote:

>
>Impressive. How hard is it to make? And how does it compare to store
>bought variety?

Hi Dan. It's very easy to make miso. Have you ever heard of hatcho
miso (it's dark brown) and more expensive miso? Not red or mellow or
salty white kind. I believe it originated in Kansai region of Japan,
and it's my favorite miso. I really got hooked on it after having
miso soup made with hatcho miso with clams at one of the sushi place
in Tokyo. It was so good and since then I've used it to make miso
soup. My miso is very similar tasting to hatcho miso and I used a
small portion of store bought kind when starting my miso. The color
is the same as hatcho (dark brown). When you make miso, you also get
a bonus - wonderful tamari that floats to the top. You can pour some
of this out for dipping sashimi and such, but don't pour too much out
or miso will get too dry. This is a only type of miso that I've made
so far. I like to give others a go again - could not really cook for
about a year (we were remodeling), but now I have my kitchen back!



Nona Myers

Nona wrote:

>
> Hi Dan. It's very easy to make miso. Have you ever heard of hatcho
> miso (it's dark brown) and more expensive miso? Not red or mellow or
> salty white kind. I believe it originated in Kansai region of Japan,
> and it's my favorite miso. I really got hooked on it after having
> miso soup made with hatcho miso with clams at one of the sushi place
> in Tokyo. It was so good and since then I've used it to make miso
> soup. My miso is very similar tasting to hatcho miso and I used a
> small portion of store bought kind when starting my miso. The color
> is the same as hatcho (dark brown). When you make miso, you also get
> a bonus - wonderful tamari that floats to the top. You can pour some
> of this out for dipping sashimi and such, but don't pour too much out
> or miso will get too dry. This is a only type of miso that I've made
> so far. I like to give others a go again - could not really cook for
> about a year (we were remodeling), but now I have my kitchen back!

What is the process for making your own? Do you cook it up like beer
and let it ferment? In a seal vat? or test tubes

How did you learn this?

--
Dan

On Wed, 19 May 2004 10:41:16 -0400, Dan Logcher
> wrote:


>What is the process for making your own? Do you cook it up like beer
>and let it ferment? In a seal vat? or test tubes
>
>How did you learn this?

My relatives in Japan make their own miso sometimes and although I
wanted to watch them when they actually made their own, I've not have
an opportunity to do so yet. I had their homemade miso for the first
time 7-8 years ago and that got me interested in making my own. At
the same time, I really got interested in making my own tofu and soy
milk. I've made tofu many times and now it's quite automatic process
for me. I can whip up tofu whenever I like as long as I have beans
soaked for 12 -16 hours. I've purchased a large amount of soy beans,
nigari (for making tofu), and rice koji (needed for making miso)
online. I use a large ceramic container for keeping miso going
covered with two kitchen towels and tied (need oxygen) with strings.
It is best to let miso rest for at least 1 year. Just check to see
once in a while how it's going (checking the amount of liquid (tamari)
that floats to the top. Too much liquid means that there is too much
weight on the miso (I used 2-3 large rocks). Too little means not
enough weight.

Here is a simple Homemade Red Miso Recipe:

2 cups whole dry soy beans, well rinsed
4 cups water
9 T salt
1 T miso (of your choice)
2 1/2 cups firm granular rice koji

Combine soybeans with 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker and soak
for 4-8 hours. Bring to full pressure, reduce heat to very low, and
simmer for 25 minutes. You can also cook beans in a pot. Remove from
heat and drain, but keep the liquid because you will use this later.
Return beans to cooker and using a pestle or potato masher, mash beans
(you can also use food processor - pulse). You want 1/5 of beans
remaining whole for more chunkier miso. If you prefer very smooth
miso, then mash all the beans. Allow to cool.

In a 1 1/2 to 2 gallon pot, combine 8 1/2 salt and store bought miso
(this is optional though) and mix well. Then slowly stir in 1 1/2
cups of the soybean cooking liquid and add the rice koji and and
mashed soybeans. Mix well.

Wash and dry a 2-4 quart wide mouthed earthenware, glass, or plastic
crock. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over its bottom, then spoon in miso
mixture and pack firmly. Smooth Surface and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon
salt. Cover surface with plastic wrap, top with rocks or any weight
(about 5 pound). Cover entire mouth of container with kitchen towel
and tie closed keep out dust. Place in a cool location and allow to
age, at least 1 year. When miso is ready, scrape off and discard any
(harmless) mold on surface if you see some. Miso will improve with
time.

Good luck.


Nona Myers

"Storage

Storing the miso in the refrigerator at below 50 F will keep it
fresh and flavorful for a long time,
Its colour may turn a little red, but this has no effect on its
taste or nutritional value."




http://www.miyasaka-jozo.com/english/miso/recipes.htm




That's from the website whose address I found on my miso container.



ww