Tempeh is a nutrient-dense soy product with a high amount of protein, as well as various vitamins and minerals. It may decrease cholesterol levels, oxidative stress and appetite while improving bone health. Tempeh also contains prebiotics, which may improve digestive health and reduce inflammation. Original tempeh is made from soybeans that you have to hull the skin out for best quality of tempeh, if you don’t want to deal with the hull skin, it is recommended to make from chickpeas.
Ingredients
• 2 cups dried soybeans (400 g), or 5 cups [900 g] cooked soybeans
• 4 tablespoons vinegar (any kind will do)
• 3/4 teaspoon tempeh starter (3 g)
Instructions
1. Soak the beans overnight or for at least 8 hours. Then drain the water
2. Rinse the beans a couple of times, do the best you can to hull the skin out. then place them in a large pot and fill with water to cover them about an inch above the beans.
3. Cover and cook on medium heat, may take from 30 minutes to one hour to cook.
4. Cook the beans until they are almost done or to about 80% done. Then add in the vinegar. Continue to cook the beans until they are soft but not mushy.
5. Drain almost all of the water.
6. Return the beans onto the heat and evaporate the remaining liquid from the pot. Make sure not to dry out the beans but all the liquid should be gone.
7. Allow the beans to cool to about 35°Celsius (or 95°Fahrenheit).
8. Then add the tempeh starter to the beans and mix well.
9. Place the beans in quart-size plastic bags with needle-size holes poked through at 1-inch which will allow the beans to breathe. Distribute the beans evenly.
10. Wrap the bags with a damp cloth to keep them warm and moist.
11. Keep in a warm place. You may place them in an incubator or in the oven with only the lights turned on for 12-24 hours. I keep in the box with a tray of water close to the heater.
12. After 12-24 hours, remove from the incubator or oven and keep in a warm place for the rest of the fermentation.
13. After 36 to 48 hours the spores should be fully grown and smell nutty which means they are ready.
14. Tempeh will keep for a week in the refrigerator or for several months in the freezer. I freeze mine for up to 6 months. Tempeh has to be properly cooked before consuming. It can be steamed or boiled, marinated and pan fried or used according to your recipes.

** For Tempeh from soy bean, you need at least to break the hulls (split or crack the beans) so the mold can reach the inside of the beans. If you keep the hulls the quality of tempeh will be a bit lower and it will be more difficult to remove excess water resulting in higher spoilage risk.
Proper temperature range of 85° to 91ºF is vital for successful tempeh fermentation, ideally the tempeh should ferment at 86° to 88ºF.
#fermentedsoybeans #tempeh #veganmeat