The
sweet miso I started last month is finally done! Well, it's a little overdone, but more on that later. When I first opened the crock, it smelled strongly of sake, a logical smell since koji is used in sake production.
I spooned it into the food processor and let it whiz about until it was blended to a velvety smooth paste, about 3 minutes.
The end result was 5 cups of sweet miso. Due to the actual summer temperatures early on during the fermentation time, I think I could have pulled this miso out of the crock about a week earlier. I can taste lactic acid, one of the main acids that gives sauerkraut and sourdough bread their tang, in the miso. Still, I made a batch of miso soup with it, and it was very warm and comforting on this drizzly, gray day. I even got the boy to down a mug, without force, which was a surprise. He wasn't thrilled when I fed him a spoonful of plain miso paste earlier in the day, so the fact that he voluntarily drank that soup is a testament that it wasn't too sour.
I don't know if I'll be using this batch of miso for salad dressings, but I do think it will be a wonderful addition to marinades. Any additional thoughts on what to do with tangy miso?
I am ashamed to say I've never tried Miso. NEVER! I have no idea what it is or how to use it. Sad, I know. But wild rice? Yes! I can make a damn good cranberry wild rice salad...
ReplyDeletejust sayin. . .
how will you use it?
Rani, your rice sounds good! I don't cook enough with wild rice. Miso is a fermented soybean paste that can be used as a soup base. In its simplest form, heat up water (don't let it boil!), then put a dollop of miso paste into it and stir. So, besides, soup, I'll try to use it as a fish marinade. But, I'd love some more ideas!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the results! Since it grows on rice and can be used in various grains and beans, I hope to make some at home:
ReplyDelete1. Get it to become a "SOURDOUGH
starter" for rice flour (for
my gluten-free daughter-n-law).
2. Make some for the many uses listed, including soup.
3. Maybe use it as the base fermentation for variations
on some of the grain-based fermented beverages,such as
that famous Rejuvelac.
Perhaps your readers would like to
check-out (like I did at local library) Katz's book:
"Wild Fermentation: the Flavor,
Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Cultured Food.
Thanks!
Ralph in Gladstone, OR