Miso 手前味噌

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4.4 from 116 votes

Miso 手前味噌 is a traditional fermented soybean paste made by cooking and mashing soybeans, then mixing them with rice koji and salt. The process involves soaking soybeans, pressure cooking them until soft, and combining with koji and salt at controlled temperatures before fermentation. This homemade miso develops deep umami flavors over time, commonly used in soups and other Japanese dishes.

Prep Time

18 hrs

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

18 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 1

Calories: 2692 kcal

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

200 g soybean dry
450 g rice koji
130 g salt
1/2 cup water used for soybean cooking
2 tbs salt for sprinkle

Instructions

Cup of Yum

Wash the dry soybeans under running water until the water become clear.
Soak the washed dry soybeans for over 18 hours
After over 18 hours have passed, drain the water and place the soaked soybeans in a pressure cooker. *1
Add enough water to cover the soybeans, lock on the lid in place and select pressure cooker. *2
Set the timer to pressure cook for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes is up, let the pressure come down naturally.
While the soybean is being cooked, place salt and koji in a mixing bowl and combine them well and set aside.
Pick one bean and check if you can squish the bean with your finger tips. If it can be squished, it is the right softness to mash.
Mash the cooked soybean. I used a stand mixer with a mincer attachment, but if you don't have it, just use a potato masher and mash them finely.
Place the mashed soybean in a large mixing bowl while it is still hot and add koji and salt to the bowl. *3
Mix them well with your hands and add some liquid if necessary. I add about 1/2 cup of liquid.
Make the mashed soybeans into baseball sized balls.
Slam the mashed soybean mixture balls into a container that is going to be used for fermenting 2-3 balls at a time and press them compactly in order to let any air bubbles out. Repeat the process until all soybean balls are compressed into the container.
Smoothe the surface and wipe off any soybean mash from the container.
Sprinkle salt to cover the surface.
Place 20% of the mixtures weight over the salt sprinkled surface. I used salt in a ziplock bag. *4
Cover the container with cling wrap and place a lid.
Store the container in dark and cool place for at least 3 months. Write the date prepared on the lid.
After 3 months, open the lid, remove the weight and turn the mixture with an wooden spatula.
Smooth the surface again and place a cling wrap on top.
Place the container back to a dark and cool place for another 2-3 months.
After 2-3 months, transfer the container to a cooler place like the fridge in order to stop the Miso from over fermenting. *5

Notes

Soak soybeans for over 18 hours to ensure proper softening during cooking.
If no pressure cooker is available, simmer soybeans in water for 3-4 hours until soft.
Temperature of mashed soybeans should be below 40°C when adding koji to avoid killing fermentation cultures.
This recipe yields about 1 kg of miso paste; adjust container size accordingly.
After fermentation, transfer miso to a smaller container for storage in the refrigerator if space is limited.
Shochu is traditionally used for sterilization; vodka is a suitable substitute outside Japan.

Nutrition Information

Calories 2692kcal (135%) Carbohydrates 450g (150%) Protein 92g (184%) Fat 45g (69%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Sodium 64353mg (2681%) Potassium 3594mg (76%) Fiber 18g (72%) Sugar 385g (770%) Vitamin C 12mg (13%) Calcium 585mg (59%) Iron 31.8mg (177%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 2692

% Daily Value*

Calories	2692kcal	135%
Carbohydrates	450g	150%
Protein	92g	184%
Fat	45g	69%
Saturated Fat	7g	35%
Sodium	64353mg	2681%
Potassium	3594mg	76%
Fiber	18g	72%
Sugar	385g	770%
Vitamin C	12mg	13%
Calcium	585mg	59%
Iron	31.8mg	177%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.