Natto

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?JMBVG 4 November 2012 Natto
A simple method of making Natto, fermented soil beans, which are supposed to have beneficial nutritional effects. Eating is an acquired experience.

Soy beans are washed, boiled for about 15 minutes, rinsed, then pressure cooked at 15 PSI for an hour. The beans must be thoroughly cooked and quite soft, when squashed between thumb and forefinger.Soy beans always retain their shape after cooking. The water in the pressure cooker does not touch the beans, meaning they are steam cooked.Ingredients are 200 ml of water, one tablespoon of molasses, one eight teaspoon of non-iodized salt, one mg of natto spores.Mixing temperature should be from 40C to max of 60C. All utensils used should be sterilized with boiling water to protect the spores from contamination.The pressure cooked beans are placed on a tray about two levels deep and the ingredients are poured onto the beans and mixed thoroughly. The tray is covered with clear wrap and air holes made in the surface. The tray is then placed in an incubator set at 40C for 24 hours. The beans are ready when there is a spider web type of sticky white mesh permeating the mixture.The finished product is kept in the refrigerator for about a week. Ageing is touted to improve flavour.

The incubator is a common picnic thermo box with a heating pad placed on a raised platform in the bottom. The heating pad keeps the temperature at 40C with no difficulty.The heating pad is available at pharmacies.A pad or towel is placed under the bean tray to prevent hot spots on the bottom.