tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91704562218985498302024-03-05T07:51:47.188-08:00Homemade Natto in the USAn explanation of making natto at home with ingredients and equipment available in the US by Natto DadNatto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553277606631262135noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-67150120438082505262017-07-04T15:20:00.001-07:002018-06-19T15:13:13.699-07:00Two Fermentation Heat Sources Compared<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I have tried using different heating methods to keep the fermentation temperature at an optimum. I like to use the oven as my fermentation vessel because I can scale up production when I want to share natto with friends. So for me, the heating source has to be strong enough to heat the inside of an oven and I do not want to manually manage the temperature.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I have tried using a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSC7F2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000BSC7F2&linkId=4959ded08de98503588bed32365bee70" target="_blank">yutanpo</a> (japanese water bottle heater), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S9M2U4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000S9M2U4&linkId=a317c9c2d63a8945d75b21afc1ea21a4" target="_blank">pet heating pad </a>and the oven warm setting. They all lacked the control I was looking for. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So I bought a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WQZHNFC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00WQZHNFC&linkId=170e3a32bcacd3e39d32f82066c62059" target="_blank">Single Burner Electrical Coil</a> along with a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000NZZG3S&linkId=9262224ffcdb9cfba691862c91e186b6" target="_blank">Digital Controller Thermostat</a>. This turned out to be the two most important pieces of equipment to give me a reliable fermentation regardless of the season or ambient temperature. I have been using this setup for more than three years. (Note: This is not the proper use of the single burner electrical coil so use at your own risk).</span><br />
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<tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSI50K5HhNY9aRUpo2s55U1BazYRvCaRx4uji2ezX-gLfw2Fj-IR8YOtzngc5DOtFhvRlC8a3LF9LyMZFMn_v7Cq8kUJS0vZ7FUKZoQkggJ_JUK5VTCsRHmfF8HpboDvCWIpWubN6p2-tL/s640/burner_l.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0px;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Single Burner Electrical Coil and Digital Controller Thermostat</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSI50K5HhNY9aRUpo2s55U1BazYRvCaRx4uji2ezX-gLfw2Fj-IR8YOtzngc5DOtFhvRlC8a3LF9LyMZFMn_v7Cq8kUJS0vZ7FUKZoQkggJ_JUK5VTCsRHmfF8HpboDvCWIpWubN6p2-tL/s1600/burner_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I recently found a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFNZ59Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00HFNZ59Q&linkId=a1d9c49a8284f0bb8febb0bcd65499e3" target="_blank">150 watt Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter</a> online (plus the white socket power plug) and was curious to see if it would be powerful enough to heat the inside of an oven up to 98F (37C) needed to ferment natto. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">(Note: Again, this is not the proper use of the ceramic infrared heat emitter so use at your own risk)</span><br />
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<tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYqG2LU8AiOtlHHIIqWkYUcZub4Wcqp9kHPpRTD77EHeCSbMEYcjJzKsNwmw1gOVbPPSeG29MMK-CB_L6bhG4mddxukg3oE9VpPe-Ba0CQciRaYEcbs14Vzz71izwvIM1KT0DrUo_bjrk/s640/emitter_l.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0px;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">150W Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter, Socket with plug, and Digital Controller Thermostat</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYqG2LU8AiOtlHHIIqWkYUcZub4Wcqp9kHPpRTD77EHeCSbMEYcjJzKsNwmw1gOVbPPSeG29MMK-CB_L6bhG4mddxukg3oE9VpPe-Ba0CQciRaYEcbs14Vzz71izwvIM1KT0DrUo_bjrk/s1600/emitter_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In order to test the two heating sources, I used a temperature data logger (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074DC6ML8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B074DC6ML8&linkId=1b8a82106841ac0252580ebcd7a2195d" target="_blank">Elitech GSP-6 Temp Logger</a>) to follow the two heating sources. I charted this over some time measured in minutes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgFKQV2azfFQd1LWgdf6mgHoIhBtNC9ospCv_G2gWr7Y3a_ThAnGPHNR-MQ8Hd33uIpavj1DtRsPz5dUgcRGK6fZCXCpz2eIgriNAehIFSV2fGttTYALUVUNnfGIcTUm4tnfwF6dW2yjy/s1600/Heat+Source+Charted.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1253" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgFKQV2azfFQd1LWgdf6mgHoIhBtNC9ospCv_G2gWr7Y3a_ThAnGPHNR-MQ8Hd33uIpavj1DtRsPz5dUgcRGK6fZCXCpz2eIgriNAehIFSV2fGttTYALUVUNnfGIcTUm4tnfwF6dW2yjy/s640/Heat+Source+Charted.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Set Temp: 98F (37C)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Single burner</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Max: 108F (42.4C)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Min: 95F (34.9C)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Avg: 101F (38.3C)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Ceramic Emitter</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Max: 103F (39.4C)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Min: 94F (34.5C)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Avg.: 98F (36.8C)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The set temp for the digital controller thermostat was 98F (36.7C) for both runs. The ambient temp was around 80F (27C). It can be seen that the Single Burner Electrical Coil (Red line) had a higher peak temperature and it took longer to cool. This is because the particular single burner I use has a solid metal plate instead of a metal coil found in most. One disadvantage is that the dial is getting finicky and I have to jiggle it until it switches on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">In contrast, the 150 watt </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> had shorter On/Off cycle and had a lower max temp. It is simpler in design so there are fewer things that can break compared to the single burner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Both of them are great heat sources in conjunction with a digital controller thermostat. I use a glass baking pan as the fermenting vessel so the higher max temp of the single burner is not much of an issue due to the insulating properties of glass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">The 150W Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter is a new addition so I will be using this to test it out. Moving forward, my recommendation will be for the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFNZ59Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00HFNZ59Q&linkId=a1d9c49a8284f0bb8febb0bcd65499e3" target="_blank">150 watt Ceramic Emitter</a>. I will post any new info if my recommendation changes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">If you have any questions, please "Contact Me" instead of leaving a comment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Natto Dad</span></div>
<br />Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553277606631262135noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-79379747330697031812015-04-15T17:12:00.001-07:002015-04-15T17:23:27.109-07:00Two Frozen Natto Starters Compared<span style="font-size: large;"> I have been using packaged frozen natto as the starter for a long time. I did this by saving a portion of the freshly made natto and freezing it. When this became low, I saved a portion again and successfully did it until the third generation when it suddenly became unstringy. This was probably due to contamination or due to prolonged freezing killing the natto. I will never know the reason and for many batches after that, I tried to use the third generation starter to see if I could change the fermentation conditions to make stringy natto again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a while, I got tired of eating unstringy natto and gave up using my third generation starter. This was hard to do as I initially thought that I would be able to keep a starter culture indefinitely. To start over, I went to the Japanese market and got 3 packaged natto. The first two that I tried were, Tokyo Natto and Okame Natto. I forget what the third was... So I fermemted two batches side by side to see how the natto would turn out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mw3Iq6ZvoOn8T8esV-DAJeOtCyt1KL8APsPeSQGQnps4HpI8Ob1WtTQXFue1CKw_aDB2KCP9SxrwsHdIpjwv_XQi7rYanGkBuFwo_ZdCN_Xh0DAwwm3jM_yORPHWsPqxPaiHOnRR5LlR/s1600/Natto+Packages.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mw3Iq6ZvoOn8T8esV-DAJeOtCyt1KL8APsPeSQGQnps4HpI8Ob1WtTQXFue1CKw_aDB2KCP9SxrwsHdIpjwv_XQi7rYanGkBuFwo_ZdCN_Xh0DAwwm3jM_yORPHWsPqxPaiHOnRR5LlR/s1600/Natto+Packages.png" height="320" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1457126305"></span><span id="goog_1457126306"></span>On the left is Tokyo Natto. I randomly picked this so there is no logical reason for this choice. On the right, Okame natto. A widely distributed long seller that is one of the most common natto brands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">These packages are kept in the freezer at all times. When frozen, I cut them into 12 small frozen pieces per package. So a 3 pack will yield 36 frozen natto starter cubes. I plop a cube into the steamed soybeans and mix it in. For full instructions refer to the <a href="http://nattodad.blogspot.com/2013/05/homemade-natto-using-packaged-natto.html" target="_blank">Homemade Natto Recipe</a>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Results</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k6fv-axDo0I6JlXaX4ZBk-2WUFHq3N5dJiiJp-cSaeBD00rIa7JtBL3rzbvchd-56cFJ8AhvAVzmRgU90OCqv_SZsEwqTo9SDhjQxLkaFbl-Y-RJS1NaW-szrl1qNGUzooPjX2BUGNJX/s1600/Natto1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k6fv-axDo0I6JlXaX4ZBk-2WUFHq3N5dJiiJp-cSaeBD00rIa7JtBL3rzbvchd-56cFJ8AhvAVzmRgU90OCqv_SZsEwqTo9SDhjQxLkaFbl-Y-RJS1NaW-szrl1qNGUzooPjX2BUGNJX/s1600/Natto1.png" height="238" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Might be hard to see, but Tokyo natto is a little bit weak visible by the shinnier appearance and thinner natto growth on the bean. Also when the cling wrap was pulled, stringyness was not too visible. As for the Okame natto, the natto growth was much stronger and stringyness was seen when the cling wrap was pulled back.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKx1faGlWfPNV1f28ygZtiUnBeMACDPkjEvSp1U9-2jwcmqmqwfZusUlrFkngWV6W3bQwsKy3t9MhvI0bIT2oeFVAoHvRSRU2obbwDVTlH4h4MZsMIcLA2pXwhs60GW4qzDLIaFmtZ6d8/s1600/Natto2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKx1faGlWfPNV1f28ygZtiUnBeMACDPkjEvSp1U9-2jwcmqmqwfZusUlrFkngWV6W3bQwsKy3t9MhvI0bIT2oeFVAoHvRSRU2obbwDVTlH4h4MZsMIcLA2pXwhs60GW4qzDLIaFmtZ6d8/s1600/Natto2.png" height="240" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This to me is the moment of truth when the natto is stirred with chopsticks. Here, the difference in natto is obvious. Tokyo natto on the left is very loose compared to Okame natto which is thick and almost gummy in texture.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ct3bAwaQDgTnoaW1YPlN_lIUD7gMp31AkJOcA9eenBxHIuA-ADbTH1XXdW3FqBKn8B-1YV6XfTboxF-BuN6FkPZapnwVX1RuANiay0O0mgZ6p8kCd04KOKG3xIy8XNFt8NyC_bG0RW-g/s1600/Natto3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ct3bAwaQDgTnoaW1YPlN_lIUD7gMp31AkJOcA9eenBxHIuA-ADbTH1XXdW3FqBKn8B-1YV6XfTboxF-BuN6FkPZapnwVX1RuANiay0O0mgZ6p8kCd04KOKG3xIy8XNFt8NyC_bG0RW-g/s1600/Natto3.png" height="240" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Adding liquid seasoning such as shoyu or mentsuyu is the ultimate stringiness test as the weaker natto will decrease in stringiness when seasoning is added (left). Okame natto is going strong with the liquid seasoning added and becomes almost frothy when stirred vigorously.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sD6KKW70-3tvLuNaSDWcZIFVhQ3ZWNyEWOWAQuM-11GzpkLlH281oYQNrTY8RRO9Wxj698FCk7u2r9JfYDrV9f-sU6CDo-jBG04LvncaJ205sgidRvH1Vqv9HPWgx7vMPkn4ABN6H9SD/s1600/Natto4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sD6KKW70-3tvLuNaSDWcZIFVhQ3ZWNyEWOWAQuM-11GzpkLlH281oYQNrTY8RRO9Wxj698FCk7u2r9JfYDrV9f-sU6CDo-jBG04LvncaJ205sgidRvH1Vqv9HPWgx7vMPkn4ABN6H9SD/s1600/Natto4.png" height="240" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the pull test, the weaker Tokyo natto has a loose appearance and the strings do not hold the beans. In comparison, the Okame natto has strong thick strings which hold the beans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Okame natto is the winner!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-pGJQXXj08WgPsXAyl6Sd8DOVa-Jj2k1gD7cFZ1Gu1YJlrCA77PNHLXIR3QASwOOX-RDGn2AhVWOIZspF3LhVoivWtTyP56gVyE-wUt1BI2RI0T4v2rrZ3r1q90HbgbwqAa9IU1zQXNG/s1600/Okame+6+1_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-pGJQXXj08WgPsXAyl6Sd8DOVa-Jj2k1gD7cFZ1Gu1YJlrCA77PNHLXIR3QASwOOX-RDGn2AhVWOIZspF3LhVoivWtTyP56gVyE-wUt1BI2RI0T4v2rrZ3r1q90HbgbwqAa9IU1zQXNG/s1600/Okame+6+1_l.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Concluding thoughts:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After running this side-by-side fermemtation, it is apparent that the natto starter used will have a big impact on the finished natto. Furthermore, the existence of "Niowa Natto", or low smelling natto tells me that there are different strains of natto used by the natto manufacturers. My assumption would be that older strains would be more stinky and may be linked to more stringiness. Okame Natto, which has been around for decades may be using an older, more traditional strain of natto that is more stringy and more stinky. This being based on my assumptions concocted by my perceptions are more for discussion than to inform you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The other possible explanation is that the Okame natto package that I happen to pick up was fresher thus had a stronger livelier population of natto-kin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The take home message to fellow natto makers is to weigh-in more on the natto starter if you have perfected the cooking conditions and are still getting poor results. As of now, my working hierarchy of making good natto in descending order of importance is:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1) Proper soaking of soybeans: At least 12 hours in the summer with a preference towards 16 hours, up to 22 hours in the winter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are two test that can be done to check full hydration. First, split the soybean in half. The two halves should not have a gap in the middle. When fully hydrated, the two halves will touch in the middle. Second, foam will start to appear on the surface of the water. Probably due to respiration of the soybean getting ready to germinate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When not properly soaked, the natto will turn hard when finished fermemting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2) Proper steaming of soybeans: The soybeans should be steamed under pressure with a pressure cooker for 40 minutes. You can steam them in a regular pot, but expect up to 6 hours of steaming to achieve what can be done in 40 minutes steamed under pressure. By cutting corners here, the natto will turn hard when finished fermenting. The natto-kin might also have a hard time getting nutrients. I do not recommend boiling soybeans as the flavors will leach out into the water and the natto will lack flavor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3) Fermenting Temperature: The standard is to ferment at 40C or 104F at least for the first 6-8 hours, when the natto start growing vigorously. You can tell that they are starting to grow by the pleasant nutty fermenting aroma. After this critical period, the natto will start to generate heat by its metabolism and you can be more relaxed about temperature on the last 10-12 hours of fermentation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4) Natto starter: If you have the top three conditions under control and you are still not getting good results, this will more than likely be the culprit. I have used Mitoku Natto Starter in the powder form, but I have never made a stringy batch using it. Use frozen packaged natto, and try different brands if available as the results will vary as shown above.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5) More trivial, non-crucial matters: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">-Moisture and aeration. I usually use enough water from the bottom of the pressure cooker to wet cooked soybeans so water does not pool in the fermenting vat (about 3 spoonfuls). Having said that, I have forgotten to put the water and it still comes out fine. I have read online that natto needs lots of air, but I have found that this is not true. When the fermenting natto is exposed to air, the surface will start to dry out and harden and will look dark brown. I recommend the poked double cling method explained on the <a href="http://nattodad.blogspot.com/2013/05/homemade-natto-using-packaged-natto.html" target="_blank">Homemade Natto Recipe</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">-Adding sugar and/or salt: I have also seen this where sugar is added to make the natto happy. I have never used sugar and I get consistently good results. Same is true with salt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I went a little longer than intended, but if this helps a fellow natto maker out there, my mission is accomplished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy natto making and cheers to you for improving your well-being by eating natto!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Natto Dad</span></div>
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Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-46428216730886401742014-05-14T11:52:00.002-07:002017-09-01T10:27:53.083-07:00Natto: Essential fermenting conditions<span style="font-size: large;">We will look at the natto fermentation from the perspective of our main character, <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> natto. It is a bacteria commonly found in nature and for this reason is also referred to as hay bacillus or grass bacillus. The relation to hay goes back to 1086 AD in Japan when soybeans spontaneously fermented when wrapped in hay (Natto, wikipedia). Due to this spontaneous nature, I am sure that the origin of natto fermetation goes back even further.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Natto is unique in its fermentation as it does not produce acids when fermenting with lactobacillus ie. yogurt and pickles. It also does not produce alcohol as is the case with yeast fermentation. Natto produces stringyness, which comes from long-chain polysaccharides. The stringiness is very unique to fermented products and is what makes natto so cool!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The essential conditions to produce this wonderful stringiness are as follows,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: large;"><b>-Properly Soaked and Cooked Beans</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Soybeans have a really tough skin and take a long time to cook. The natto-kin (natto bacteria) has to penetrate to skin in order to get to the nutrients inside. I do not know if the natto-kin actually grow into the soybean or if they absorb the nutrients and grow on the surface, but the result is the same. The nutrients have to be available for the natto-kin and in order to do this, the soybeans have to be soaked long enough for full hydration. I soak the beans for 10-12 hours in the summer and 20-24 hours in the winter time. A good way to tell is to split the soybean in half to see if the two halves touch in the middle. If there is a gap, they need to be soaked longer for full hydration. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Boiling the soybeans is usually the first method people try for its ease. The disadvantage is that the flavors leach out of the bean and the amount of time it takes, 4-6 hours. The next solution is to steam the beans over boiling water. This will make tastier natto, but it also takes hours to cook. Then there is boiling the soybeans under pressure. This will take 40 minutes, but again one runs into the problem of leaching flavors out of the bean. The best method and the only method I use now is to steam to soybeans under pressure. This solves both problems of time and flavor. Steaming under pressure will retain the flavors and take 40 minutes. From the natto-kin perspective, this is important because more flavor equals more food for them and softness of the beans means that nutrients will be easier to access from within the bean.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: large;"><b>-Optimum Temperature</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Natto-kin is interesting that although it is tolerant to extreme conditions, it grows slowly and is vulnerable to other bacteria in the initial stages of growth. I have not experienced this personally, but there are anecdotes of contamination in the fermentation. To favor ideal growth conditions, natto should be fermented at a higher temperature when compared to a lactic fermentation. I usually shoot for 95F-108F (34C-42C). It is important to keep this temperature the initial 6 hours of fermentation to establish a strong natto-kin population. After 12 hours, the natto-kin start to generate heat and so one can be more relaxed about maintaining temperature. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: large;"><b>-Moisture and Air</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This relationship was really difficult to maintain as there is an inverse relationship. Many natto makers stress the importance of having good ventilation so the natto-kin can breath. This makes absolute sense, as B. subtilis is classified as an obligate aerobe, meaning it needs air to grow. Unfortunately, moisture is impossible to maintain if you keep the fermentation container open. The surface of the natto would become dehydrated and brown and the growth of the natto-kin would decrease. I took a hint from packaged natto which is packaged in a styrofoam container. On top of that, the natto is covered directly with a plastic sheet with small holes. This is how I came up with the double cling-wrap method. I put a cling-wrap with small holes, poked with a tooth pick, directly over the soybeans and another with holes on the baking sheet. Having a cling-wrap directly over the soybeans really helps to prevent drying of the surface. The air gap formed between the sheets also helps slow down evaporation.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: large;"><b>-Time</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The intial 6 hours as mentioned above are very crucial to establish a healthy population of natto-kin. Not much is visible, but the natto-kin is busy getting settled in, absorbing nutrients and later starting to multiply. Then in the 6-12 hours of fermentation, the bacteria go through a population explosion and you can start smelling the aromas coming from the fermentation. After 12 hours of so, the natto start to generate heat from metabolism and will continue fermenting until they start to slow down due to overcrowding and depletion of nutrients at around 18-20 hours. From experience, I have found that under ideal conditions, the fermentation will be done in 18 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not mentioned here is about the starter used and this deserves a post of its own. </span><br />
<br />Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-33969734942712023952013-07-02T11:31:00.000-07:002014-04-14T19:51:44.441-07:00The Perfect Fermentation Baking Dish<span style="font-size: large;">This was a good find for me. Amazon has a plethora of good baking dishes. They come in all shapes and sizes and the prices vary too. Being frugal and curious to find what else was out there, I stumbled upon this perfect baking dish for natto making.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS_IUq8q-GLmobY6iejAPR7DYeWO1fDN8ZlG-6NgLTk4S6N_yTX4_lcCXbCzSPISljM9N6IqnYr9PHJf5AMC_47PmMIykTtcQxXND3WlD8W69wKX1LgWBe5OyjjY1X4lgUq7iJ3d-E25N/s474/Baking+Dish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS_IUq8q-GLmobY6iejAPR7DYeWO1fDN8ZlG-6NgLTk4S6N_yTX4_lcCXbCzSPISljM9N6IqnYr9PHJf5AMC_47PmMIykTtcQxXND3WlD8W69wKX1LgWBe5OyjjY1X4lgUq7iJ3d-E25N/s320/Baking+Dish.JPG" height="166" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">MIXTUR Oven/Serving Dish (14" x 10")</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I found it at IKEA for $6.99. It is a generic baking dish and that is all there is to it, but for $6.99 it is a steal!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One thing I like about glass dishes is that it is non-reactive and plastic wrap sticks to it very well. I had used a plastic container but I always wondered about chemicals fumes coming out of the plastic when exposed to long warm conditions. Also, plastic wrap did not stick to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One advantage that I later found about using a glass container was that it retains heat well and also evenly disperses the heat rising from the coil heater which I use to warm up the oven.</span>
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Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-23827013714283374502013-06-04T21:31:00.001-07:002020-05-30T23:20:51.041-07:00Troubleshooting Guide for Homemade Natto<span style="font-size: large;">I have made many bad batches of natto. Hopefully this troubleshooting guide will help homemade natto makers out there make better natto. If you have any questions that are not listed here, please email me at "Contact Me" or directly at my email if you want to attach pics.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Hi all again, I have updated this as of May-2020, so please take a look if you had visited the guide before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before going through the Q&A, here are the most basic requirements to make good natto.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Fully hydrate soybeans. 16-20 hours for Summer time and 20-24 hours for Winter time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: Better to soak for longer than for shorter if time allows. So even in the warmer months, soak for 20 hours. For me, I will wash and soak the beans before I go to sleep and then make natto after coming home the next day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Cook beans by steaming under pressure. This means putting beans in a basket and steaming them in a pressure cooker making sure that most of the beans do not touch the water. The cooked beans should be soft enough to squish with your thumb and pinky and should have the consistency of a thick paste.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: For my pressure cooker, it takes about 40 minutes, but this may vary with your setup.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: The beans should be light beige in color and not yellow after proper cooking time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: If the soybeans are hard after fermentation, the beans did not cook for long enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: Boiling under pressure (beans immersed in water while cooking) results in wet beans and can cause a waxy low thread natto and/or high ammonia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Use frozen packaged natto as starter. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: you can also use spore starter and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">but make sure to dissolve the spore in 80 celcius water. Using spore starter for me, tends to result in higher failure rates when compared to frozen packaged natto. Refer to the 'Spore Starter Natto' on Youtube for optimized instructions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Update: Ferment beans and hit at least 42C (108F) earlier in the fermentation, with a temp range of 40-42C (104F-108F). Total fermenation time is 18-22 hours. Fermenting longer will not fix any issues or produce more threads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: My natto is not stringy, what's up?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: This one is the hardest question and probably deserves its own post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: Low temperature will result in the natto not growing properly. It is important to reach 42C (108F) during the fermenation. Shoot for 40C - 42C (104F-108F) for 18-22 hours. Natto is okay with temperature fluctuation and will survive heat spikes up to 45C (113F) and maybe even up to 50C (122F) for short amounts of time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: The soybeans were not cooked long enough. The cooked beans should be easily squished with the thumb and pinky and have a creamy texture. Steamed under pressure takes 40 minutes to reach this with soybeans.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Update: If the soybeans are hard after fermentation, the beans were not pressure steamed for long enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: Another possibility noted on some natto blogs is that the fermentation temperature is too high.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: Usually 9 out of 10, the fermentation temp was too low which made the fermentation fail, not because the fermantation was too high. Natto is okay with short heat spikes up to 113F and maybe higher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: I used to think that overcooking the soybeans somehow destroyed a nutrient to make the silky threads, but this is not the case. Overcooking should not be a concern from what I have seen. As a note, I have noticed that boiling soybeans will make the natto have a non-stringy rubbery growth on the beans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: My natto looks white and leathery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: This is related to the question above. When the natto is not stringy, it usually turns out leathery and white. This might be related to lower fermenting temps. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Update: Make sure you are reaching at least 42C (108F) in the fermenation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: The soybeans were too wet which can happen if you boil or pressure boil the beans. Pressure steaming is the best way to cook the beans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: My natto stinks of ammonia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: I associate this with temperature problems. One of my earlier batches smelled strongly of ammonia and the natto was not stringy. If I remember correctly this was because the temperature was too low and I left the natto batch fermenting for more than 24 hours waiting for the stringyness to appear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: My natto does not have flavor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: Boiling the soybeans is the reason why natto turns out flavorless. Boiling them in a regular pot or boiling them under pressure will do this. Curiously the skin of the soybean will come off when boiled. To resolve this, you must cook the soybeans in a steamer basket or strainer above the boiling water so most of the beans do not touch the water. I use a small glass bowl to suspend the steamer basket over the boiling water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: My boiled soybeans are soft, but the natto is hard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: The reason is that the soybeans were not cooked long enough. This is hard to accept when you spend 4-6 hours of your valuable time to steam (without pressure) the soybeans. I have done this and there is that transitional stage when they are almost soft enough, but not quite. The soybeans should be a dark beige color and not yellow. Also, when eaten, it should have an almost creamy texture. I recommend steaming them under pressure which only takes 40 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: My natto is dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: I initially thought that natto needed a lot of ventilation for the natto to breathe and to blow off the ammonia produced in the fermentation. So I covered the natto with paper towels and newspaper and then put it in a paper bag. This was a very long path to a dead end which led to not so tasty dry natto. Turns out that natto does not need that much air. So now I use the <a href="http://nattodad.blogspot.com/2013/05/homemade-natto-using-packaged-natto.html" target="_blank">Double Cling Wrap Method</a> (scroll down to the middle of the post). I poke holes on the cling wrap with a tooth pick so there is a hole every 1-2 cm (1/2" to 1") apart. This is tedious, but I enjoy this mindless repetitive work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: My fermented natto tastes like boiled soybeans and not natto.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: The temperature of the fermentation was too low. Make sure you are reaching 42C (108F).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: I do not have a vendetta against the Mitoku Natto Spore Starter, but the spore starter has given me this result. Mitoku Natto Spore Starter has resulted in leathery white natto or unfermented natto that tastes like cooked beans. Make sure to dissolve the spore starter in 80C (176F) water. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Or use packaged frozen natto as the starter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: Packaged frozen natto starter was weak. Try a different brand of packaged frozen natto if available. </span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Q: How much packaged natto starter should I add?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: When I use the frozen packaged natto, I chop up the package into 9 cubes. For Okame Natto, one package is 50 grams, so one cube is 5-6 grams. One cube will easily ferment 400 grams of dry soybeans (a little less than 1 lb). So a 3-pack of 150 grams will yield 27 cubes, or 27 batches of natto!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Q: What is the conversion rate of Dry soybeans to fully hydrated soybeans (after 18 hours). </span><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- inside article --><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A: For soybeans, I use x2 as the conversion factor. So 400 grams of dry soybeans will become 800 grams of fully hydrated soybeans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Note: Please use the "Contact Me" or email me directly at nattodad[at]gmail.com if you want direct replies. </span><br />
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Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-16253501473619745132013-05-27T17:43:00.001-07:002014-04-14T19:52:54.556-07:00Batch # 40: Back on track<span style="font-size: large;">After the last batch which turned out okay, I made a really good batch of natto. Mainly it is due to the new frozen natto pack that I used to ferment this batch. I did note the brand: Shukuba Nattou by Murakami. I bought it a few weeks ago probably because it was on sale.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjRAQcDjD2O-mKjb54PqtZtK9L-2iaeCeQxcdUDkBGjQvxLk_TJ8_9gI62jelvDF_N7avl1Q7gvxolPSRqXjxbH9hzE6ZD7RJPyBWQqXyC5GWUpuBBjnGxfpiyBBrxVP6zsd1QKDcdcAl/s1600/Shukuba+Nattou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjRAQcDjD2O-mKjb54PqtZtK9L-2iaeCeQxcdUDkBGjQvxLk_TJ8_9gI62jelvDF_N7avl1Q7gvxolPSRqXjxbH9hzE6ZD7RJPyBWQqXyC5GWUpuBBjnGxfpiyBBrxVP6zsd1QKDcdcAl/s200/Shukuba+Nattou.png" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Batch #40 looked slightly wet but had good sticking power. With shoyu, it formed thick long threads.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbYVAnU-k6_6XYb7CQuqZhOj4rDnhG3Tv9JHc5o24-nNCjyC_iWR4pML1paAXFuqvGaJGixDrWXL_5LN7411MKldf3YnKYwEI-BxAdsMgMFKZUuq4lY05UGeE4IAgrG74F_VdFVOen_YS/s1600/Batch+40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbYVAnU-k6_6XYb7CQuqZhOj4rDnhG3Tv9JHc5o24-nNCjyC_iWR4pML1paAXFuqvGaJGixDrWXL_5LN7411MKldf3YnKYwEI-BxAdsMgMFKZUuq4lY05UGeE4IAgrG74F_VdFVOen_YS/s400/Batch+40.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The freshly made natto almost had a pleasant apricot smell</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One thing I like about making natto in the summer is that the fermentation seems to go smoother. I have come to associate this with temperature. This is especially true when I was making natto with only a yutanpo as the heat source. I have not seen many homemade natto makers mention this, but natto fermentation is truly a metabolic marvel. Each individual natto bacteria is going about its life eating and multiplying. This in itself is an insignificant event that is too small in scale to matter but in large numbers, it takes a whole new dimension.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I mention this in relation to natto making in the summer time because I have noticed that when the ambient temperature is high enough, the natto fermentation can continue with its own generated heat. I did not notice this at the beginning and was baffled why the natto fermentations in the summer seemed to go better than the winter fermemtations when using a yutanpo. After a while, I bought a thermometer to keep track of the fermentation temperature and I discovered something truly amazing. Seven hours into the fermentation to somewhere around the fifteenth hour of fermentation, the natto superorganism consisting of billions of individual natto bacteria metabolize the food in soybeans and generate enough heat to keep it at its ideal growth temperature without requiring an external heat source. This is evident when making large quantities of natto, in my case 400 grams of dry soybeans (~1 lb), when the ambient temperature is somewhere around 23C/75F or higher. The glass baking dish which has insulating qualities in addition to the double cling wrap to cover the top helps to retain the heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So in essence, it is possible to make natto if it is possible to maintain an ideal temperature in the first 6 hours of the fermentation using a low tech, cheap method such as warming the oven for a few seconds every hour or by using a yutanpo. Using a small cooler or styrofoam box, which I have not tried, would probably suffice to make good natto if ideal temperatures can be kept for the first 6 hours until the natto kick in to generate its own heat. After the natto slows down, the natto could be kept in the cooler for another few hours to let it ferment with the latent heat.</span>
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Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-2489460876887571472013-05-25T08:37:00.004-07:002013-05-29T13:40:58.005-07:00Fail: Homemade Natto Using Packaged Natto -Batch #39<span style="font-size: large;">A timely failure to keep me humble. After a few successful runs which can be seen on <a href="http://nattodad.blogspot.com/2013/05/homemade-natto-using-packaged-natto.html" target="_blank">Batch #37</a>, Batch #39 fails on me. I guess I am a little bit harsh on myself because it was not a complete fail. I had mentioned previously that one important criteria for good natto was its silky long strings. I love to make a batch that has strong threads that hold the beans within the string even when lifted.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVik0JqSNkmK0DwxIhBlO-R-vS1mOPhBnkilVRHAwzgWnIkIlCZt0Rk3zbZB61Go4E-F8xmsIhEgw7ZCAlYArHsxH1W14ULfB_HHbY28sovWjZ5TmmS7VIH2PHoSVXpqJRckJkVjPtl4rd/s1600/Beans+in+string.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVik0JqSNkmK0DwxIhBlO-R-vS1mOPhBnkilVRHAwzgWnIkIlCZt0Rk3zbZB61Go4E-F8xmsIhEgw7ZCAlYArHsxH1W14ULfB_HHbY28sovWjZ5TmmS7VIH2PHoSVXpqJRckJkVjPtl4rd/s320/Beans+in+string.png" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Batch #39, the fermentation looked fine and I was looking forward to eating natto. One quick test is to take out a small portion of the freshly fermented natto and do the wet seasoning test. You can use shoyu or mentsuyu. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On a successful batch, the freshly made natto looks almost gummy and will stick to each other. When mentsuyu is added, it will still be gummy and sticky.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpuMFStSdvWgI7jc7ZiVoifNlsS5Ym9015nOGz_MIEOmvbh001YBcZiuS5PuitBIGLIj9_28W6AfyaiZadRH4JiiyuRWbupkgqo983FhKNZsoB7p7xCZgke1GuGpt7curmYiAM1eTLeP3/s1600/Gummy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpuMFStSdvWgI7jc7ZiVoifNlsS5Ym9015nOGz_MIEOmvbh001YBcZiuS5PuitBIGLIj9_28W6AfyaiZadRH4JiiyuRWbupkgqo983FhKNZsoB7p7xCZgke1GuGpt7curmYiAM1eTLeP3/s640/Gummy.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand, unsuccessful batches will almost have flaky natto growth with thin strings. When this is mixed with mentsuyu, the strings will have a wet look and will not have sticking power. You can see how the natto has not clumped together in the bowl after mixing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONv2OqEKA8tTr-7FBw4h_KtDNhFDtWoVtErwtg1AatbUYuxA2a_Igm8fUBLRS2LqDJZ_M0xLKLGEPjILA21q4KjLaJY2VfhtrQb9ksAIbmlxOSf66RETAXE8v7JCn8s6tg30l_WqsmWnx/s1600/Flaky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONv2OqEKA8tTr-7FBw4h_KtDNhFDtWoVtErwtg1AatbUYuxA2a_Igm8fUBLRS2LqDJZ_M0xLKLGEPjILA21q4KjLaJY2VfhtrQb9ksAIbmlxOSf66RETAXE8v7JCn8s6tg30l_WqsmWnx/s640/Flaky.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I always thought this was due to a problem with the fermentation, but on this batch I used the same method as the successful batch #37. The only thing that I did different this time was to use a different starter. I had ran out of the old frozen natto so I used a new package. Unfortunately, I did not keep the outer label so I have no idea what the brand was. So assuming that I used a different brand of frozen natto starter, the outcome of the fermentation could be strongly linked to the strain of natto used for the fermentation. I am sure different brands use different strains of natto to establish their style. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will start noting what brands I use as the starter to see if there are strains that are more stringy than others. I have heard that in Japan, there is a trend towards less stinky natto. There could be a correlation to natto that turns out less stringy when this less stinky natto is used. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a good remainder to me not to be discouraged by a bad batch. It is very possible that your natto did not turn stringy because of the starter used. If possible, try to use a different brand to see how the natto turns out.</span></div>
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Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-25537714185871057082013-05-15T12:57:00.001-07:002013-05-24T20:55:31.945-07:00Discovering Lauras Natto Soybeans (Kotsubu Soybean)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the majority of my natto making year, I bought the organic soybeans found in the bulk section of Whole Foods. They taste great and are of very good quality. Initially, I made the natto with this and enjoyed it. After a few months my wife pointed out that they were too large and texturally were not ideal. So we settled on making "hikiwari natto" which is the chopped up version. Usually, hikiwari natto is said to be chopped before fermenting it. This was too hard at home so I chopped it right before we ate it.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.w3.org/International/articles/idn-and-iri/JP%E7%B4%8D%E8%B1%86/%E5%BC%95%E3%81%8D%E5%89%B2%E3%82%8A%E7%B4%8D%E8%B1%86.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">photo link</span></a></div>
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The only thought that was nagging me was that they were not the "kotsubu" (small bean) variety. The natto that is store bought is made of this kotsubu variety and it was impossible to find in the US. On one of my deep googling expeditions late at night, I hit upon the gem I was looking for. Finally, I found kotsubu soybeans at <a href="http://www.fairviewfarms.com/category3.asp?id=7" target="_blank">Lauras Soybeans</a>!</span><br />
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<br />Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-4235723531272567712013-05-15T12:35:00.001-07:002020-05-30T23:32:30.238-07:00Homemade Natto Using Packaged Natto -Batch #37<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Updated May-2020. Please read again if you came before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Note: Please use the "Contact Me" or email me directly at nattodad[at]gmail.com if you would like a reply. I will not reply to comments made in the "Comment" section.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preparation:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Day 0, 9pm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-400gr <a href="http://nattodad.blogspot.com/2013/05/discovering-laura-natto-soybeans.html" target="_blank">Kotsubu Laura's Soybean</a> 16-20 hour soak, summer time 25C (77F). 20-24 hour soak, winter time 10C (50F).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Note: I prefer longer soaks over short soaks. So even in the summer, my tendency will be to soak it the night before even if I am steaming the soybeans the next day in the evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Day 1, 630pm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Place beans in strainer and discard hard beans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Set up pressure cooker with water and place ramekin/small plate in the pot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Once boiling, put soybeans into strainer and place on top of ramekin inside the pressure cooker so the beans are not touching the water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Close lid on pressure cooker and build pressure. (My pressure cooker starts to whistle, at 1.5 bars or ~21 psi).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-<u>After</u> it builds pressure, set timer to 40 mins and lower range temp to medium-low. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GD1WHU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B001GD1WHU&linkId=84e094802527ca9fde37a41b6d356c6c" target="_blank">The Taylor thermometer</a> is really handy as a timer and as a thermometer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-While cooking, set oven temp 104-108F (40-42C) with a heat source (yutanpo, lamps, pre-heat, etc). In my case I use a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HFNZ59Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00HFNZ59Q&linkId=a1d9c49a8284f0bb8febb0bcd65499e3" target="_blank">150W Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter</a> (plus a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LFYVW7O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01LFYVW7O&linkId=1bce2e6239ba01ca8043e7fa6447394e" target="_blank">socket power plug</a>) connected to a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000NZZG3S&linkId=ab677a6879fc405cfa0908a7422643e0" target="_blank">Digital Controller Thermostat</a>. I now set the temp to 108F (42C).</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Note: Due to fire safety reasons, use at your own risk.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alternatively, you can use a single coil cooking range (</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WQZHNFC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00WQZHNFC&linkId=c36d87c5c7196d292f93436887a2fe17" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">like this one</span></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">) inside on the very bottom set to warm, and plugging it to a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=197920-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000NZZG3S&linkId=ab677a6879fc405cfa0908a7422643e0" target="_blank">Digital Controller Thermostat</a>. </span><br />
<b style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Note: Due to fire safety reasons, use at your own risk.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Place a pot or soup plate with water on the bottom wire rack (for humidity) and leave the top wire rack empty to place the baking dish later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Sanitize baking dish for 20 mins with 1 TBL of chlorine and fill to the rim with water. Discard and rinse with water.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Note:
Natto fans have suggested other sanitation methods such as Heat, Steam,
and Sterisan. Please use the method that fits your needs.Using Boiling water over the trays and draining works well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Also boil two spoons in a pot for 10 mins. Dump boiling water into the glass baking dish and discard water after 5 mins. Alternatively, you can leave the two spoons in the baking dish that is sanitizing with chlorine. You will have to rinse with water afterwards so this is less sanitary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-When the 40 mins are up, place pressure cooker aside to cool for 20 min.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-After 20 min, open lid and put cooked soybeans into the glass baking dish. The soybeans should have turned from a pale yellow to a light caramel/beige color.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Put a cube of frozen packaged natto (1/9 th of a package, will work with 1/12th of a package or 6gr ~ 4gr, 5gr avg.) into the hot soybeans and make a little mound of hot soybeans on top to cover the natto with the sterile spoon. Wait a minute or two until frozen natto cube thaws.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Note: I usually keep the packaged natto in the freezer and cut it into 9 frozen cubes per 50gr pack which are kept in a zip lock bag for later batches. So a 3 pack (150gr) of Okame Natto frozen natto will yield 27 batches of natto!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Mix the melted packaged natto with the sterile spoon and add 2-4 soup spoons (about ~2-4 measuring teaspoons) of the hot water from pressure cooker. Add enough while making sure it does not puddle on the bottom. Mix the soybeans, packaged soybeans and water with the sterile spoon until well incorporated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Tightly wrap the cling wrap and poke holes with a tooth pick all over the surface of the cling wrap. Then, detach from edges and rest cling wrap on top of the soybeans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Double Cling Wrap Method: One on top of soybeans, second one on the top tight on dish. Creates an air pocked in the middle slowing drying of soybeans. I poked holes on both wraps with a toothpick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Cut one more piece of cling wrap and wrap tightly on the baking dish and poke holes. This will form an air pocket that will maintain the moisture on the beans. Cool until it is luke warm and then place on the top rack of the oven.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-I will leave a soup plate or shallow pan with water on the rack below the natto dish to maintain moisture in the oven. Note: Shown in the pic below is a pot, which is too big and not needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Leave the natto to ferment for 16 to 20 hours at 38C-42C (100F-108F)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Day 2, around 3 pm </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Take out natto from oven and place at room temperature on the countertop. Cool before putting into fridge. You can leave to cool anywhere from 1 to 5 hours, I usually put it in the fridge after dinner or before going to sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Natto is finished fermenting! There should be a pleasant natto aroma with a slight hint of ammonia, but should not be overpowering. If eaten at this time, it will have a sharp taste. The threads should be thick, sticky and silky when pulled. They can be eaten at this time.</span><br />
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The threads should be thick, but should form really long threads when pulled.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Refrigerate and let it rest for 3-5 days in which time the natto will become mellower and will deepen in flavor. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If there is still any left, they can be put in the freezer. Time to eat natto!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Note: After two weeks in the fridge, the natto will form animo acids crystals which are texturally a bit sandy akin of the crunchy bits in aged parmesan cheese. If the sandy texture is not desired, natto can be moved to the freezer after about a week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Natto in its full glory</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Natto should have silky threads that are thick when initially mixed. When made successfully, the threads will be silky even after adding liquid seasoning such as shoyu and mentsuyu. I also have made so-so natto which is silky, but looses its threads when shoyu is added. A few thoughts on this on a future post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Note: Please use the "Contact Me" or email me directly at nattodad[at]gmail.com if you want direct replies. </span></div>
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Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-88711940852479398282013-05-15T12:05:00.000-07:002013-05-24T11:00:45.220-07:00Natto Making Overview<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Natto making, no matter what the scale, follows this basic steps:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1) Soaking</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2) Cooking</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3) Fermentation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4) Maturation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5) Eat</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1) Soaking of the soybeans takes anywhere from 20+ hours in the winter to as little as 12 hours in the summer. This relates to the soaking time of the bean hydrates the soybeams. From what I gather germination happens in 3 steps: Step 1) Imbibition of water (aka hydration), Step 2) Saturation of water, enzyme activity, Step 3) Visible growth and axis elongation. I makes sense to me that for natto making you want to stop on step two. Some people have commented that a good indication of when the soybeans are fully hydrated is to look for bubbles on the water surface. The presence of bubble indicates respiration due to enzymatic and metabollic activity signaling a fully awake soybean. At this time, look for soybeans that did not hydrate and discard them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2) Cooking the soybeans can be done either by boiling the soybeans or steaming them. After my initial failure of boiling the beans, I realized that this is not ideal. Boiling the soybeans takes too long and the flavors leach out into the boiling water. The second method is to steam them in a regular pot. This can be done by putting a steamer in the pot and suspending it above the boiling water. The flavors will not leach out, but this too will take time. You can boil the soybeans in a pressure cooker which is faster, but will leach out the flavor in the boiling water. So the most ideal way to cook them is to steam them with a pressure cooker. This cuts the cooking time down to 40 minutes from 4-6 hours and they will turn out very soft with an almost creamy texture. The pressure cooked soybeans will have a nice light caramel color and will be slightly sweet in taste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3) Fermentation temperature needs to be controlled so it remains around 38C (100F) to 42C (108F). Popular heat sources include a yutanpo, oven light, and lamps. I have tried to use an area heater used for small pets and also a single-coil range. Moisture also needs to be kept so the soybeans don't dry out during the fermentation. Most suggest to ferment the beans for 18 to 24 hours. I have seen different containers used for this purpose. One can use a styrofoam box or cooler or use the oven as a fermentation box.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the inoculant, you can use Dry natto spores and store bought natto packs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4) Maturation can take place at room temperature or in the refrigerator. To achieve the best flavor, it is recommended to leave the natto maturing anywhere from 1-7 days. I have found that maturing them for a day at room temperature and then storing natto in the fridge for another 3-5 days produces the best flavor. After that, I will store natto in small containers and freeze them. They should taste good for a few weeks if it does not get freezer burn or get that funky freezer smell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5) Eating is the best part! This is when you get to taste the fruit of your labor. I usually pour a combination of shoyu, mentsuyu and and a little bit of sugar and mix it until it is well combined. I have put some olive oil at times because of some trivial health benefit that was mentioned by a doctor on a Japanese show.</span><br />
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Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-13236554346183419822013-05-14T21:01:00.001-07:002013-05-21T08:03:43.136-07:00The Early Days<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wanted to make natto with what I had at home at first. I used a big pot, soybeans bought at Whole Foods and a ceramic baking dish. I wanted to start with a clean inoculation so instead of using store bought natto as a starter, I ordered <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/mitoku-traditional-natto-spores.html" target="_blank">Mitoku Natto Spores</a> from Cultures for Health. My heat source for the fermentation was a yutanpo (hot water bottle) with boiling water wrapped in a towel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I soaked the soybeans overnight and I boiled the soybeans on a weekend, which took foreeeeeever (4-6 hours?). Then I followed the instructions for the natto spores and poured the inoculant on the drained cooked soybeans. I put some tinfoil with poked holes and stuck it in the oven with the yutanpo inside. I replaced the yutanpo water with boiling water before I went to sleep and fermented it overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next morning I woke up looking forward to what I imagined to be my wonderfully delicious natto waiting to be eaten for breakfast. The truth could not be farther from what I had imagined. The soybeans were well... still soybeans. They looked like slightly drier version of the soybeans I had put the night before with a hint of "what the heck is that smell which I cannot put a finger on???!!". It did not smell rotten, but at the same time it did not smell like natto. Maybe propane gas smell? The natto was not stringy. I proceeded to put it in my mouth with some reluctance. It almost had a crunchy texture and it was flavorless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With that one bite full of barely edible natto, a got hooked on natto making.</span>Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-16029726213206505852013-05-14T20:27:00.002-07:002013-05-21T08:04:26.908-07:00Natto Credit Where It Is Due<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the beginning of this journey I had zero knowledge of how to make natto. So as anybody would do, I googled it. The most prominent and informative sites that I remember now as I am writing this are <a href="http://www.nattoking.com/" target="_blank">Natto King</a>, <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-make-natto" target="_blank">Cultures For Health</a>, <a href="http://mpinka.blog53.fc2.com/blog-entry-128.html" target="_blank">Natto made in Germany (japanese)</a>, <a href="http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/gaksuzuki34/diary/2008011100" target="_blank">Natto made in Sweden (japanese)</a>, <a href="http://blog.livedoor.jp/nipotan/archives/51620016.html" target="_blank">Natto by Nipotan (japanese)</a> and many more which I cannot recall at the moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So to get this out of the way, I do not claim to have come up with a completely original way to make natto. From all the googling that I have done through the year, many of my views have been shaped by this collective knowledge. So in return, I wanted to give back any insights I have gleaned to the collective knowledge which is the internet. In case I do not quote somebody please inform me and I will do my best to be fair and correct any mistakes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh, and for that matter, this is my first blog EVER so I do not know any blogging manners and/or link manners. I will learn this as I go along.</span>Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-27909492893780677282013-05-14T20:06:00.000-07:002013-05-15T13:42:55.316-07:00Criteria for Good Natto<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So basically, I wanted to make natto at home that would be as good as the store bought packaged natto. So in order to meet this,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A) It had to have nice long silky threads</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">B) and have great flavor</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At first this goal seemed simple as they were only two criteria to meet. In my mind, this would only take a few failed attempts until I reached natto nirvana. I could not have been more wrong. It was indeed a humbling journey as homemade natto took me into many branching paths with most of them leading to dead ends without any knowledge gained. </span>Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170456221898549830.post-75965338520743284792013-05-14T19:48:00.000-07:002013-05-15T13:43:24.596-07:00Natto Dad's Beginning Journey<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Welcome to Natto Dad's blog on how to make natto! I wanted to share my journey of making natto at home. This saga started a little over a year ago and I have been trying out various methods to see what works best. Repeated failures and bad natto have only fueled my interest. I would like to share these stories with you. I currently make natto about once a week for my family. In essence, we are Nattoholics.</span><br />
<br />Natto Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10790323773340282438noreply@blogger.com11