Easily make tempeh at home (+ step by step instructions)

Category: fermentation,Learn

There’s a new funky, fermented rockstar in town, and it’s taking the food scene by storm! Meet Tempeh – the soybean sensation that’s not your average tofu wannabe. Healthy, notoriously nutritious, easy to prepare and downright pretty. But how do you make tempeh at home? And how do you prepare it? Questions, questions! Read on to learn all about it.

What is Tempeh made out of?

What is tempeh made out of? Traditionally, tempeh is made solely from soybeans, but modern variations may include other legumes, grains, or even seeds. Furthermore an acidifying agent like white vinegar or rice vinegar is added to the soybeans during the tempeh-making process. This directs the fermentation in the right direction by lowering the pH level.

And most important: the fermentation process requires a specific type of mold culture. These spores act as a starter culture and help bind the soybeans together to form a firm cake-like structure and give it it’s mushroom-y and nutty aroma, pleasant bite and great flavor.

Tempeh small 2

How is Tempeh made?

Tempeh is made by first soaking whole (soy)beans, cooking them, and then fermenting them with a specific mold culture to form a dense cake-like structure. The fermentation process takes around 24 to 48 hours at warm and humid conditions (it’s an Indonesian product after all!), during which the mold binds the soybeans together, creating a nutty, flavorful, and protein-rich tempeh.

The essential ingredient: the Tempeh starter

The critical ingredient for tempeh is the starter culture. It contains the mold, or molds that are needed to ferment your beans into tempeh. We recommend using the original Indonesian variety with both the Rhizopus Oligosporis and Rhizopus Oryzae fungi.

tempeh starter

What other ingredients or tools do I need?

You’ll be surprised to find out how few tools you need to make tempeh at home- basically all you need are some kind of container, with a few holes in it and a warm spot. The only other ingredient needed is some vinegar for acidifying. Well, and your favorite beans of course.

How to make tempeh at home – step by step?

But how to make tempeh from scratch? We made an easy guide that shows you the process on how to make tempeh step by step.

Ingredients:

  • 4 1/2 cups hulled soy beans (if using beans with the hulls intact, see below for extra steps)
  • 2 tbsp. Vinegar
  • 2 ½ tsp. Tempeh Starter

The amount of tempeh starter needed per kilogram of soybeans depends on the specific tempeh recipe being used. However, as a general guideline, you can use around 2-3 grams of tempeh starter per kilogram of soybeans

Steps to make your own tempeh:

Place the beans in a large bowl of water with an extra 10 cm on top. Leave it over night or for at least 12 hours.

Other beans require shorter cooking times.

The hulls will start to flow on top. Scoop them off. Not all beans require dehulling, or can be dehulled.

Dry either using a towel to pat them dry or setting over low heat in the pot to evaporate the water off the beans. It is important for the beans to be dry to the touch, as too much moisture can ruin the batch.

Place the beans in a dry bowl and allow the beans to cool to skin temperature (appr. 37˚ C)

Quite well!

Add the tempeh starter and mix well to evenly distribute the starter in the beans.

Place the beans in vented plastic bags (e.g. ziplocks ) with needle-size holes poked through for ventilation. Any other container will work as well, as long as the beans are tightly packed and the container has lots of airhole.s The beans should be 2,5 – 4 cm thick at the most. Make sure the bags “fits” and is not too big, and press the beans flat up to the corners of the bags.

Incubate the beans at 25-35 °C for 24-48 hours.

Check the beans after 12 hours. At this point in the process the fermentation will cause the beans to generate their own heat so you will normally need to reduce or even eliminate the external heat source. Be sure to use a thermometer to check the actual temperature.

After 24 hours or so, the white mycelium will start to cover the surface of the beans. Over the next few hours the white mycelium will grow through the beans and will smell nutty.

That easy? Now how do I prepare my delicious tempeh?

  1. Slice or dice the tempeh: Start by cutting the tempeh into thin slices, cubes, or any desired shape. Smaller pieces tend to cook faster and absorb more flavor.
  2. Marinate (optional): If you prefer, marinate the tempeh in your chosen marinade or seasoning for about 30 minutes. This step is optional but can enhance the flavor. You can also brush the marinade directly onto the tempeh while cooking.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet, add the tempeh and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the tempeh turns golden brown and slightly crispy. Use a spatula to flip the pieces gently.
  4. Add extra flavors (optional): You can add additional seasonings or sauces during the cooking process to enhance the taste. For example, you can drizzle soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or a squeeze of lemon or lime juice over the tempeh while it’s cooking.
  5. Serve: Once the tempeh is cooked to your desired level of crispiness, remove it from the pan and serve it hot. You can enjoy it as a main protein in a dish, in sandwiches, salads, stir-fries, or any other creative way you like.

 

Life is better when you’re sinking your teeth into a delicious tempeh burger. – YT

Want to learn more? Take our comprehensive tempeh course

Safely and creatively

In 30 bite sized English spoken video lessons you will learn all about making your own tempeh at home, without the need for special tools.

  • Make tempeh out of every bean
  • No need to ever buy tempeh again
  • Become a better plant-based chef
  • Many free bonuses
  • Permanent access

by Fermentation fundamentals

This Kombucha course is part of our Fermentation Fundamentals education program.

About the author (Meneer Wateetons)

Meneer Wateetons (a pseudonym derived from the name of his blog, which literally means ‘Mr. what-eats-us’) is a renowned Dutch food writer, PhD scientist, teacher, fermentation expert, sausage maker, and the owner of startercultures.eu. He has written nine books on culinary topics such as fermentation, alcohol production, sausage and charcuterie making, and deep-frying. Through his books, (online) courses, and corporate trainings, he has shared his knowledge with countless hobby cooks, chefs, and food professionals. Learn more about Meneer Wateetons.

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