Click Here Kawashimaya The JapanstoreBeautiful Japanese dishes can’t be done without rice malt！

To prevent unwanted bacterial growth, sterilize all utensils before use.

Guaranteed Success Recipe! How to make rice malt
Preparation for the day before

1 Wash the rice and soak into water
Wash the rice and pour out the cloudy water
2 to 3 times till its clean.
Then soak the rice with plenty of clean water.
■Soaking period
Spring and autumn： 6 to 12 hours
Summer： 3 to 5 hours
Winter：15 to 20 hours

Rice malt making schedule
Cook’s note
Next day9:00 ～
Drainandsteam the rice

21:00 ～
Wash the rice,soak the ricepreparation

Ingredients

12:00 ～

Next day6:00 ～

Next day6:00 ～

TanekiriandHikikomi

Kiri kaeshi,
Piling,
2nd maintenance,
3rd maintenanceDekoji

Day 2

Day 3

Day 1

Cover the soaked rice with plastic wrap to prevent bacterial contamination.
During the high temperature like summer time, keep it in vegetable compartmentof your fridge for approx 20 hours.

First day

（Produces approx 720g of rice malt)

Rice……600g

Seed Malt……5g

Sasanishiki and Akitakomachi
are recommended kinds

It is easier to succeed in making rice malt whenusing a larger amount of malt than average.
The indication on your malt’s package may differ
from this recipe.

What you will need・Fermentor

・steaming cloth・rice paddle ・thermometer・steamer
2

・Koji bako (Box to keep the yeast)・tea strainer

2 Drain water off the washed rice
Drain the rice by placing it into a strainerfor 1 to 2 hours to strain off the water.
During draining, change the angle of the strainer
or gently mix the rice to evenly strain off the water.
If any water is remaining, steamed rice will
be sticking together which causes difficulty on
the growth condition of the malt.
Without shaking the strainer,leave it on thetable to completely drained out.

・2 bleached cloth (1 each of cotton and polypropylene)*polypropylene prevents rice from sticking the cloth.

Click Here for Rice Malt Tutorial Video

3

3

4

Steam the rice (Approx 40mins)

Once the rice is steamed, sprinkle the seed malt
over it. This process is called“Tane kiri”.
Then spread the rice out on the clean tray or cloth.
Use a rice paddle to separate the rice anddisperse the moisture and heat.
Measure the temperature and try to cool it down
to around 45 degrees.
Using tea strainer would help spreading the seedmalt evenly. Mix well and break up the lumps of rice
if there is any.
ck! Recommended to use: Polypropylene clothChe

Wrap the rice with steaming cloth and put it
into a steamer. Steaming time is approximately
40mins. Possibly steaming with the highest
temperature is the most ideal.
The steaming process here can vary the quality of malt.

Steam like a Pro! Steam the rice using a bamboo steamer
1. Use a steaming cloth with a material called Tetron.
2. Steam 5 to 10mins without the lid on. Check if there is any vapor.
When the colour of vapor becomes partially clear, put the lid on.
Steaming time is approximately 40mins after covering with the lid.
Steaming with the posibly highest temperature is ideal.
3. Leave the bottom layer empty to prevent soggy rice.
4. If you are planning to steam with more than 2 layers,
swap the top and below layers during the steaming process.
Swapping layers minimizes unevenness of the steaming condition.

Troubleshooting

Cloth with a material called polypropylene to prevent therice sticking to the cloth.It also has a fine fabric texture,that prevent the bacteria from escaping while conversely
allows the moisture to pass through. The Pro’s favorite item.

Cook’s note
1. Mix the seed malt in thoroughly. Don’t miss a spot!
2. While the rice is too hot, spreading the seed malt can lead some of the yeast
cells to die off. Use a thermometer to measure the rice temperature and cool
it down to around 45 degrees.
3. "Tanekiri" needs to be done promptly, especially in the winter in which thetemperature drop quickly.
4. Use greater amount of seed malt than average for a successful attempt.
It helps to form good malt. In this recipe, 600g of rice and 5g ofseed malt are used, which is approx 6 times more than the average.
*Using 2 to 10 times more seed malt is most likely to succeed and does not effect
the quality of final product.
5. Do not re-use the steaming cloth as it has absorbed too much moisture.

Cooking the rice in a rice cooker can leave the rice with too much water content which
resulted with bad malt. Put the rice into the steamer to cook rice that contains the optimum
amount of water. Remember, "steaming" process needs to be carried out.

!

ck
Che

Tane kiri(Sprinkling the seed malt on the steamed rice)

Sings of good steamed rice

5 Hikikomi(Wrap the rice and keep warm)

Gather the rice around the cloth and put thermometerin the middle to measure out the temperature.
Then wrap it as tight as possible and fasten the edge ofthe cloth with a rubber band.

Take a grain of rice and squish it.If it
forms like a rice cake called“Hineri Mochi”,
then it's just about to be done.
It's best to cook rice as solid as possible
without having white core when you squish it.
*”Hineri Mochi”is a rice cake created by kneading a handful of freshly steamed rice with the hands.

Then on top it, wrap it again with cotton clothto keep its moisture.
The bleached cotton cloth will absorb excess mositure.

At this point, preheat the fermentor up to 35 degrees.
Also, put some water on a tray to keep appropriate humidity.
4

5

Click Here for Rice Malt Tutorial VideoPut the wrapped rice into a fermentor and leave
it for about 18 to 20 hours.

2nd Day

6 Kirikaeshi (1st maintenance)

The best “Hin On” for yeast to reproduce is
35 to 40 degrees. Adjust the fermentor to keep
this temperature. *”Hin On” means rice’s temperature.
Note

Depending on the season, the room temperature or the amount of rice malt used,
speed of temperature alteration may be varied. The temperature setting of thefermenter have to be from 32 to 42 degrees and need to be carefully observe
to keep it at 35 to 40 degrees.

Tips
The best humidity for yeast to reproduce is 70 to 80 percent.
Seeing the water droplets cover the front of the fermentor isa good indication. Regularly wipe off the condensation from the
top of fermentor to prevent wetting the rice malt.

Rice malt's average "Hin On" chart（temperature）

Troubleshooting

45℃
Kiri kaeshi(1st maintenance)
38℃

40℃

3rd maintenancepilling

40℃

40℃

max temperature
41℃

7 Pilling (Replacing the rice on to Koji buta)
Once approx 3 hours has passed after the firstmaintenance, along with the malt temperaturereaches 40 degrees, replace the rice from inside of the cloth to Kojibuta.
Process of breaking up the rice malt and pilingthem up into Kojibuta is called “Mori”.
Don’t decide the proceeding time for "Mori"
based on elapsed time.
Carefully observe the condition of malt andcheck the temperature to decide when to proceed“Mori”. Having 40 or higher degrees of"Hin On" is a good indication.

38℃

39℃

30℃

If the rice temperature does not reach 40 degrees even after warming it for 20 hours or more,skip this process and wait till it reaches 40 degrees. Turn up the temperature of fermentor.

Dekoouji

2nd maintenance

35℃

Hikikomi
31℃

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45（hour）

This chart is only for reference. Different procedures may vary the temperature alteration.
Also ideal temperature progress differs depending on the intended purpose of Koji.
Temperature progress may vary with number of reasons including kinds of rice,amount of seed malt, environment (temperature and humidity) and condition of steamed rice.
Flexible judgment is needed for each step’s proceeding time by checking malt’s temperature,scent and condition of fermentation.

6

Loosening the hot fermented malt and regulating
the temperature evenly is called“Kirikaeshi”.
When the temperature of the steamed rice isaround 38 to 40 degrees, loosen the wrappedcloth and carefully observe the rice's appearance and its smell.
If the rice turned to a whitish color and thesweet scent came out from the malt, it means
fermentation is successfully proceeding.
Promptly break up lumps of rice if there is any.
Quickly mix the rice as it is important not todrop the temperature. After mixing well, wrap
tightly in a cloth as before. This maintaining
process allows all the yeast exposure to sufficient air and accelerates the productionof the yeast germ.

Note

If the "Hin On" does not rise, leave the cloth on and skip the "Mori" process.

Depending on the temperature, maintenance is not necessary.

7

Click Here for Rice Malt Tutorial Video8 2nd Maintenance

Cook’s note

3rd Day

Once 5 to 6 hours have passed from the firstmaintenance, the yeast germ has further multiplied. The malt's temperature will rise again to 40 degrees. During this time, quickly
loosen up any lumps of white that is on there-steamed rice and stir everything well.
Carry this maintenance promptly to avoid rapid
temperature drop.Ideally drop the malt temperature to approx 38 degrees by doing thismaintenance. After this process, put backthe rice into the fermentor.

Carry out this malt maintenance whenever the temperature reaches 40 degrees.

10 Dekoji
A few hours later from the third maintenance(42 to 50 hours later from "Tane Kiri") malt
should form. Check the condition of "Haze".
*"Haze " means that malt’s mycelium rooting out to steamed rice.

The stretch of mycelium is making the sticky
rice to form a slab and the rice should easily
break apart in your hands. These two are thegood indications of quality malt. The smell ofchestnuts and mycelium roots out inside therice guarantee a good quality of rice malt.

!

plete

Com

9 3rd Maintenancefew hours have passed from the second
time maintenance and if the temperature ofmalt is above 40 degrees, carry out a maintenance again. If the fermentation is proceeding,the rice should turn more whitish colorand have a faint smell of sweet chestnuts.
From the time the fungi has formed to thecompletion of the malt, within this 45 hours
window, maintenance should be carried out
2 to 3 times.
Last half! Keep the temperature above 40 degrees for 6 hours!
It takes approx 12 hours from the 3rd maintenance to Dekoji.
During that period, try to keep the temperature above 40 degrees
at least for 6 hours and let glucoamylase sweeten the rice malt.
Troubleshooting

Skip the 2nd and 3rd maintenance in following situations.
- Making only small amount (500g to 2kg) of rice malt

Preserving the malt

2 to 3 weeks… put it into a paper bag and keep it in
the vegetable compartment of your fridge.
1 to 3 months…put it in an air-tight bag and store
in a freezer.
*cool it down before storing.

Make "Amazake" using home-made rice malt.
If the "Amazake" turned out to be a success, then your home-maderice malt is also a success too.

?

FAQ

amount of seed malt used differs depending on the book.
Q The
How much do we actually use?
professionals use 20g of seed malt to make maximum of 15kg of rice malt.
A The
If you are only making small amount of rice malt (500g to 2kg),
using 2 to 10 times more of seed malt tends to bring a successful outcome.
This is because some of the seed malt may get stuck onto the steaming cloth
which makes its germination difficult.
Therefore, this recipe uses approx 6 times more of average seed malt with wide
window for amount.
Using more seed malt does not effect the quality of final product.

- There’s no rapid temperature increase- Rice temperature is not reaching 40 degrees.

Looking for a video? Click on→

8

How to make a rice malt by Kawashima-ya

9

Click Here for Rice Malt Tutorial Video

How to make

Barley malt

❹ Sprinkle the seed malt
Spread the barley out on a clean cloth or a tray.
Using a rice paddle to separate the barley and disperse
the heat. Measure the temperature and use a tea strainerto sprinkle the seed malt when itʼs 35 to 40 degrees.
Be careful not to burn yourself.

Ingredients produces approx
720g of rice malt
■ Pearl barley ・・・200g■ Seed malt ・・・1 to 5 g

Barley malt making schedule
Wash the barley, soak into water

Keeping the barley warm

Draining

1st maintenance

Steam the barley

2nd maintenanceSprinkle the seed malt

Finish (Dekoji)

18 to 20 hours
5 to 6 hours
19 to 21 hours(The more you use it the easier to succeed)

To mix the seed malt evenly, use a tea strainer. After
scattering, mix everything gently.
Do this several times to ensure proper malting.

<What you will need>- Fermentor (warmer)- steaming cloth - steamer- thermometer- bleached cloth- tea strainer- rice paddle- Koji bako (Box to keep the yeast)

Promptly process this step to avoid letting the barleyʼstemperature drop to lower than 30 degrees.

❶ Wash the barley, soak into water (Temperature: 20 degrees, duration: 1 hour)
Wash the barley and pour out the cloudy water 2 to 3
times till its clean. Then soak the barley with plenty ofclean water. Keep the water temperature around 20
degrees and soak it for approx 1 hour. Donʼt soak it for
too long as barley absorbs water quickly.

❺ Keeping the barley warm (18 to 20 hours)
After malting, gather the barley promptly and wrap itwith a clean cloth. Put the wrapped barley into Koji
Bako and place it in the fermentor. The ideal temperature is 30 to 35 degrees on the barleyʼs surface.

❷ Draining (approx 30mins)
Drain the barley by placing it into a strainer for
approx 30mins to strain oﬀ the water. Use shallow
shaped strainer to avoid any remaining water on thebottom. Flatten the barley wide and shallow.
If thereʼs any remaining water, good malt wonʼt form.

Remember to preheat the fermentor to 35 degrees
beforehand.

❻ Loosen the hot fermented malt (1st maintenance)Donʼt stair or shake the strainer. If the barleyʼs surface
is scraped, it becomes powdery which causes stickiness.
Set aside on a table and let it drain oﬀ the water.

❸ Steam the barley (Approx 40 to 50mins)
Wrap the barley with a steaming clothand put it into a steamer. Steam for 40
to 50mins. Steaming with the highest
temperature possible is ideal.

10

Cookʼs note

When the barley becomes semi-transparent,
have no uncooked core when squeezed andit feels soft as rice cake, it's just about done.

Click Here for Barley Malt Tutorial Video

After 18 to 20 hours of keeping the malt warm, thegermination of yeast should have been actively happening. There will be an increase in the temperature andthe sweet scent of the malt should exude from inside
the fermentor.
Once the temperature reaches 38 to 40 degrees, takethe malt out of the fermentor and loosen it by hands
to cool down.
Once itʼs done, wrap it again with the cloth and put itback in the fermentor for another 5 to 6 hours.
If the fermentation is proceeding well, there will be white
dots on the barleyʼs surface.

11❼ 2nd MaintenanceI steamed with low temperature for a long period, it became soggy.
Once 5 to 6 hours have passed from the ﬁrst maintenance and the yeast germ has further multiplied, themalt's temperature will rise again to 36 to 40 degrees.
During this time, quickly loosen up any lumps of barleyand stir everything well.
After this maintenance, leave it for 19 to 21 hours inwarmth.
Carry out this malt maintenance whenever the temperature reaches 38 degrees.

❽ Dekoji (Completion of malt)
It is completion of high-quality Barley malt
19 to 21 hours after the 2nd maintenance (42 to 48
hours passed from the malting), if the barley has afaint smell of chestnuts, it means good quality malt
has successfully formed.
The stretch of mycelium is making the barley to forma slab and the barley should easily break apart inyour hands. Those two are the good indicators ofquality malt.

Preserving the barley malt
・ After Dekoji, use the malt as quickly as possible.
・ When keeping it in a fridge, put it in a paper bag which absorbs moisture.
・ If you don't plan on using it for a long period, put it in a ziploc bag and store ina freezer.
・ If you are planning to use it for Miso, add salt in and make it “Shio Kiri Koji”.

Steam on a higher temperature whereby vapor constantly ﬂows out of
the top of the steamer. If the temperature is not high enough, vapor willcondense inside the barley and causes too much water content.
If it takes time for the vapor to squirt, turn up the heat.

The maltʼs temperature keeps reaching to 40 degrees or more even soon after
the maintenance.
Increase of temperature after the maintenance means that germination is
actively proceeding. Barley malt generates more heat than rice malt,
hence the temperature tends to rise easily. Check the temperature often
and proceed the maintenance as soon as it reaches to 40 degrees as themalt needs to be cooled down and evaporates the water.
The ﬁnal product of barley malt has brownish colour.
When the malt reached more than 40 degrees, it produces brown substance.
When the temperature of fermentor becomes hot, oxygen which was produced by
the malt will decompose polysaccharide (starch). Then it transforms to glycose(such as glucose) and also protein gets broken down into amino acids.
When glycose reacts with amino acids, it produces Melanoidin which makes themalt brownish colour. Turning brownish colour is result of the maltʼs enzyme
function, not infected by other bacteria.
Therefore, there is no problem to use it for preparation of Miso either.
However, Miso changes its color depending on the ingredient's pigment so using
brownish coloured malt for Miso makes the Miso to turn red brown colour.
Keeping the maltʼs temperature below 40 degrees will prevent discoloration.

The ﬁnished malt seemed sticky.
Not enough maintenance results with sticky malt. Although, it is still
eligible to use for preparation of Miso. It is important to conduct a maintenance at appropriate timing when the temperature of the malt rises.

Fridge: Save up to approx 1 week
Freezer: Save up to 1 to 3 months- FAQ The steamed barley seems to have too much moisture.
What indicates “good steamed barley”?
Ideally, barley shouldnʼt be sticky but have softness when you squash it.
The colour turned brownish colour, has plump texture and no stickinesson its surface are the good indications. If there is a white dot in its core, itmeans lack of water absorption.

Having said that, there is no bacterial contamination in sticky malt and itis eligible to enzyme, so it can be used for preparation of Miso without aproblem. As the malt contains more water, Miso could also be watery.
When using sticky malt for Miso preparation, make sure to throw spottedliquid out to avoid having watery Miso.
Step by step video is also available.

12

How to make a barley malt

Kawashima-ya

13

Click Here for Barley Malt Tutorial Video

How to make

Soybean malt

❹ Keeping the soybean malt warm
Replace the soybeans into Koji Bako. (Keep the thickness to 2 to 3cm) To avoid having dry soybeans, put acloth on which was sterilized with boiling water. (If the

Ingredients■ Soybeans
・・・200g■ Seed malt
・・・1 to 5 g

Soybean malt making schedule
Wash the soybeans

Keep the beans warm

Soak into water

1st maintenance

Cook the beans

2nd maintenanceSprinkle the seed malt

Finish (Dekoji)

18 to 22 hours
5 to 6 hours
12 to 14 hours

fermentor has moisturizing function, the cloth is not needed)

Put the soybeans into the fermentor which was preheated to 28 to 30 degrees. Keep it warm for 18 to 20 hours.

(The more you use it the easier to succeed)<What you will need>- Fermentor (warmer)- steaming cloth - steamer- thermometer- bleached cloth- tea strainer- rice paddle- Koji bako (Box to keep the yeast)❺ Loosen the hot fermented malt (1st maintenance)
After 18 to 20 hours of keeping the malt warm, there should
be an increase in the temperature of soybean malt. Take thesoybeans out from the fermentor and mix well. Donʼt let thetemperature drop too much. Promptly proceed this step.

❶ Wash the beans, soak into water (Temperature: 20 degrees, duration: approx 24hours)
Wash the beans and soak it with plenty of clean water.
Keep the water temperature around 20 degrees andsoak it for approx 24 hours.
Better to have a big bowl as soaking makes soybeansbulge by double.

Try to keep the temperature below 30 degrees to prevent any
bacterial contamination. Compared to rice malt and barleymalt, soybean malt is easier to be contaminated by bacteria.

❻ 2nd maintenanceOnce 5 to 6 hours have passed from the ﬁrst maintenance and the yeast germ has further multiplied, themalt's temperature will rise again. Take out the Koji
Bako from the fermentor and generate the maltʼstemperature between 28 to 30 degrees by mixing it.
After the maintenance, put it back into the fermentor
and leave it for another 12 to 14 hours.

❷ Cook the soybeans (approx 2 to 3 hours)
Cook the soybeans with soaking water. Start with highheat till the vapor comes out, then turn it down to lowheat for 2 to 3 hours.
When the soybeans got soften and can be squashedwith thumb and index ﬁnger, pour out the hot waterand move the pot to dry the surface of the soybeans
and give oﬀ steam.

❼ Dekoji (Completion of malt)

After 12 to 14 hours since the 2nd maintenance, green
spores should grow on the surface of the soybean. If
the soybeans are easy to fall apart, your malt is ready.

During this time, preheat the fermentor to approx 30 degrees.

Good soybean malt is usually covered with spores. Having dry
texture rather than stickiness is also a good indication for quality
soybean malt.

❸ Sprinkle the seed malt
Spread the soybeans out on a clean tray or a cloth.
Once the temperature of soybeans drop down to approx
36 degrees, sprinkle the seed malt and mix it thoroughly.
The more you use the seed malt the easier to succeed.

Preserving the soybean malt

・ After Dekoji, use the malt as quickly as possible
・ When keeping it in a fridge, put it in a paper bag which absorbs
moisture.

Fridge : Save up to approx 1 week
Freezer : Save up to 1 to 3 months

Step by step video is also available.
How to make a soybean malt

14

Kawashima-ya

15

Click Here for Soybean Malt Tutorial Video

How to makedelicious Miso paste❹ Mash the beans
Pour out the boiling water and put the beans into aplastic bag while itʼs hot. Mash the beans by using yourhands and feet. It doesnʼt have to be mashed to acomplete paste form.
Remaining of a few whole beans wonʼt be a problem.
Be careful not to burn yourself.

Ingredients(Produces 2.5kg)
Soybeans ・・・・・・・・・・ 500g
■ Rice malt (Dry malt)・
・
・ 1kg
■

Wash the soybeans
Soak into water■

Keep the mixture
into the container

Cook the beans
Mash the beans
Mix salt and malt

(Use barley malt and rice malt 500g eachfor mixed Miso)(Raw malt is also applicable)

Add the mashed beans
into the mixture

Mature the Misofor about 10 months to 1 year.

FinishSalt ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 300g<What you will need>- Pressure cooker or a pot,
- big plastic bag,- big bowl,- container for fermentation❺ Mix salt and malt (Shiokiri koji)
Add salt into the malt and mix thoroughly. The malt and salt
mixture is called “Shiokiri Koji”.

❶ Wash the soybeans
Put the beans into a bowl and wash them well by
rubbing them together. Be careful not to break theskin.
Soil and other impurities on the surface of soybeans
has tons of microorganisms that have adverse eﬀects
on making Miso.
Make sure to wash oﬀ all the dirt and debris.

<Balance of malt>
・Only rice malt : Rice Miso
・Only barley malt : Barley Miso
・Mixed with same amount of rice and barley malt: Mixed Miso
*Good balance
・Only brown rice malt : Brown rice Miso

❻ Add the mashed beans into the mixture
To prevent a growth of mold, mix the three ingredients; soybeans, malt and salt, carefully and thoroughly.

❷ Soak the beans in water (18 hours)
Soak the washed soybeans in water which is about 4times more the soybean weight (500g of soybeans
uses 2L of water) for approx 18 hours.
Better to have a big bowl as soaking makes soybeansbulge by double.
If the soybeans are not soaked enough and has a core inside,
the beans wonʼt cook evenly.
Make sure to soak the beans with well enough.

Usually it is not necessary to add water. However, if the Miso is dryor hard to mix, add some water till it has a softness like ear lobe.

❼ Form the mixture into balls and place them into a container (or plastic bag)❸ Cook the soybeans
Cook the beans with a pressure cooker
or a pot. It will take 20 to 30mins for apressure cooker and approx 3 hours fora pot.

Cookʼs note

Check the softness by squishing it with
thumb and index ﬁnger.

16

To remove the air from the mixture, form the mixture
into small balls. Then place each ball into the containerand press it by ﬁst each time to ﬁll a gap between theballs.
A gap will cause mold.
Make sure the air is out.
Turn the container (plastic bag) upside down, let the air out and zip it.

17

Click Here for Miso Paste Tutorial Video

What kind of place is recommended to age the Miso?

❽ Mature it for approx 10 months to a year.
Keep the Miso in a cool dark place and avoid direct
sunlight.
Do not store it in the fridge as aging proceeds in
Summer.

Avoid direct sunlight and keep it in a cool dark place. Do not store it in thefridge as aging proceeds in Summer.
A living room or a place where people comfortably live or stay is suitablefor Miso as it is hard to age in the environment where it gets below 15
degrees. Also, it is not suitable for storing place where can reach 35
degrees or above.
When is the best time to eat Miso?

Tasty Miso is ready.
Once itʼs matured to your desired taste, keep it in
the fridge. Miso will last more than one year.
<Aging period indication>
Produced in Winter : 10 to 12 months
Produced in Summer : 4 to 5 months

It takes approx 10minths of aging before itʼs best to eat.
The best aging period may vary depending on the condition of storing
place and temperature alternation but generally a Miso which was stored
for approx 10months and spent one summer, will have a deep ﬂavor andbalanced sweetness. If Miso was aged for more than 2 years (spentsummer twice or more) will have dark brownish or black color as coloringprocess further proceeds. It will have strong Miso smell, less sweetness ofrice and sourness due to lactic acid fermentation.
It depends on your preference, but Miso with 10 to 12 months of aging issaid to have the best ﬂavor.
During the aging period, the container began to bulge. Is this OK?

- FAQ My premature Miso seems hard.
Freshly brewed Miso becomes hard by osmotic pressure of salt.
When few days passed from Miso preparation, Miso could get hard resulting
from natural phenomenon of salt. Miso might seem hard at ﬁrst but it
will further process fermentation during summer time and should form
good Miso later.
Having hard texture is one of the common concerns for home-made Miso,but both soft and solid Miso have their own goodness. Enjoy those
diﬀerences by making it by yourself.
Can I use the soaked water for boiling the beans?
It is recommended to use fresh water to boil the beans.
The soybeans may look clean outside but it can have dust and other impurities on surface than it looks. Therefore, using new fresh water is recom
mended to cook the beans.

Remove the air out constantly.
If you are using “Compact Miso maturing bag”, the bag could get expanded due to active fermentation. Slightly open the bag and remove the airout often.
When is the best time to make Miso?
The best time for making Miso is from end of January to February.
Miso which was prepared for maturing during this period is called“Kanjikomi”.
Itʼs best suited time for maturing because Miso will age from winter tospring then summer which accelerates fermentation. Then it will bematured in Autumn when temperature cooled down.
If you are making Miso in Summer, do not leave the soybeans after
boiling. Let it mature as soon as possible to prevent any unwanted bacterial germination.
Step by step video is also available.
How to make a Miso

18

Kawashima-ya

19

Click Here for Miso Paste Tutorial Video

Takes only 2 steps!

Takes only 3
2 steps!

How to makeHow to makedelicious Amazakeusing only rice malt
Ingredients■ Rice malt
・・・300g■ Water
・・・300ml

Salt malt(all-purposeseasoning)(all-purpose
seasoning)
Ingredients<Convenient to have>- Yogurt maker or rice cooker- Thermometer- Bowl- Cloth❶ Pour warm water (55 to 60 degrees) into the rice malt and stir well

Rice malt
Salt■ Water■■❶ Mix rice malt and salt in the container and shake well

Pour 300ml of water at 55 to 60 degrees into the rice
malt and stir it well. Make sure thereʼs no lumps of rice
malt left, otherwise lump and its surrounding area will
not ferment. Stir thoroughly till the rice malt is all
smooth and even.
ote
Cookʼs n
The yeast cells will die oﬀ if the water isabove 60 degrees. Use a thermometer tomeasure the temperature while stirring it.

Put rice malt and salt in the container and seal the lid
tight. Shake the container well.

❷ Add water and shake
Add water in the mixture, then shake it again.
Using 30 to 35 degrees warm water makes it easier todissolve salt.

❷ Keep it warm for approx 6 hours at 55℃ to 60℃
Put the malt mixture and water into a warmer andkeep it warm for approx 6 hours. Temperature should
be between 55 to 60 degrees. For a rice cooker users,
set your cooker to “keep warm” mode with its lid
slightly opened with a cloth on top.

❸ Leave it at room temperature for 5 to 7 days to mature
During the maturing period, leave the lid slightly
opened. Fermentation may cause the container torupture. Keep the container at room temperature for 5 to
7 days to mature.

After 5 to 6 hours of keeping it warm, sweet scentshould come out from the rice malt. Stir it well again
and Amazake is ready to be served.

During the maturing period, shake the container once aday. Donʼt forget to close the lid.
Once it has moderate saltiness and ﬂavor, you have yourhome-made salt malt.

This tasty Amazake only contains rice malt and sugar, thus alcohol free.
It has strong sweetness and ﬂavor, thin it down 2 to 3 times to your liking before serving.
Preserving Amazake

Home-made Amazake contains active yeast.
It lasts in a fridge for 5 to 7 days, in a freezer up to 3 months.
Step by step video is also available.
How to make a Amazake

Kawashima-ya

・
・
・100g
・
・
・40g
・
・
・200ml<Convenient to have>- container for honey(or glass container)

Preserving salt malt

Keep it in a fridge, use it in a month time.
Step by step video is also available.
How to make a Salt malt

Kawashima-ya

20

21

Click Here for Amazake Tutorial Video

Click Here for Salt Malt Tutorial Video

How to makedelicious Tempeh
Tempeh making schedule
Preparation
6 to 24 hours

Sprinkle Tempeh starter
Keeping warm

Dehulling the beans
Cooking the beans

24 hours later

Finish❹ Cook the beans
Put the beans into a pot with plenty of water andvinegar (200g of beans need 50ml of vinegar).

Ingredients■ Soybeans
・・・200g to 1 kg
■ Tempeh starter ・・・1g to 10g■ Vinegar (100ml for 200g of soybeans)<Tools and Equipments>- Warmer (ex: Fermentor)- Ziploc bag- Plastic bag- Toothpick- Starch

Cook for 30 to 60mins with low heat until
the beans are tender but not mushy.

❺ Drain the beans
Drain the beans with a strainer and let the beans cool
down while drying them out on the surface.
Gently shake the strainer to ﬂip over the beans upside
down.
Let the temperature cool down to 40 degrees while
moisture evaporates.
If the beans stay moist, it takes longer to ferment.

❶ Wash the soybeans
Put the beans into a bowl and wash them well by
rubbing them together. Be careful not to break theskin.
Soil and other impurities on the surface of soybeans
has tons of microorganisms that have adverse eﬀects
on making Tempeh. Make sure to wash oﬀ all the dirt
and debris.

❻ Sprinkle Tempeh starter over the beans
Once the beans cooled down to 40 degrees, put theminto a plastic bag and sprinkle tempeh starter over it.
Shake the bag well to distribute evenly.

❷ Soak the beans in the water
Soak the washed soybeans in water which is about 4times more the soybean weight (500g of soybeans
uses 2L of water). Also, adding 50ml of vinegar for
every 1L of water will prevent the growth of unwanted
bacteria.

Add starch or non-glutinous rice powder, which has starch as
principal ingredient, to multiply fungus 10 times or more.
(Add 9g of starch for 1g of tempeh starter)❼ Put the beans in a Ziploc bag and place it in the warmer for fermentation<Soaking period>
In winter (water temperature 0 to 5 degrees): 24 hours
In spring and autumn (water temperature 10 to 15 degrees): 15 hours
In summer (water temperature 20 to 25 degrees): 6 hours

Prior to placing the beans, make holes on a Ziploc bagwith a toothpick. After transferring, ﬂatten the beans.
Let it ferment for 20 to 24 hours in a warmer with 32
degrees of temperature.

❸ Dehull the beans

The tempeh is done when theentire surface is covered with
dense, white mycelium andbound together ﬁrmly as a block.

Knead the soaked beans to take the hulls oﬀ by using
your hands.
If thereʼs any hull or thin skin is remaining, tempeh
starter may not ferment well.

Finish!

<Preserving tempeh>1 to 2 days: fridge,Longer period: freezer
Step by step video is also available.
How to make a Tenpeh

22

Kawashima-ya

23

Click Here for Tempeh Tutorial Video

How to make❸ Cook the beans

tasty Natto

Cook it till it easily squashes by nipping with thumband index ﬁnger.
The beans will have slightly tighten texture whenfermentation starts, so make sure to boil it to tenderat this stage.

Ingredients■ Soybeans
・・・100g■ Natto starter・・・0.1g<What you will need>- Fermentor (ex. Yogurt maker)- Pot or pressure cooker

When you use a pressure cooker

This recipe is a summary of Natto distributorʼsadvice that Kawashima-ya have collected.
Feel free to use this as a reference to make Natto.

Natto making schedule

It takes 3 to 4 hours for an ordinal saucepan to cook.

Soak the beans

Keep warm

Cook the beans

Refrigerate

Sprinkle Natto starter

Finish (Dekoji)

6 to 24 hours

24 to 28 hours later
24 hours later

Boil till you can squash the beans
with thumb and index ﬁnger.

❹ Dissolve Natto starter into water and make “Natto solution”❶ Wash the beans
Put the beans into a bowl and wash them well by
rubbing them together. Be careful not to break theskin.
Soil and other impurities on the surface of soybeans
has tons of microorganisms that have adverse
eﬀects on making Natto. Make sure to wash oﬀ all
the dirt and debris.

❷ Soak the beans

Pour 10cc of sterilized water (pre-boiled and thencooled water is ﬁne too) in a cup and dissolve 0.1g of
Natto starter (one ﬁfth of small spoon) in it.
Use this Natto solution to ferment the beans.
It is easier to succeed with more Natto solution. For theﬁrst timer, using greater amount than this recipe
is recommended.

❺ Pour the Natto solution over the beans

Soak the washed soybeans in water which is about 4times more the soybean weight (500g of soybeans
uses 2L of water). It is better to use a big bowl since
the soaking will make the soybean
expand to twice its original volume.

24

It takes approx 30mins for a pressure cooker to cook.
(The result may vary depending on a cooker. Pleaserefer to the instruction manual for the exact cooking
time)<Soaking period>
In winter (water temperature 0 to 5 degrees): 24 hours
In spring and autumn (water temperature 10 to 15 degrees): 15 hours
In summer (water temperature 20 to 25 degrees): 6 hours

Discard the boiled water then in no time pour the
Natto solution and mix thoroughly.

Donʼ t let the temperature to drop,as it can lead unwanted bacterial
contamination. Prepare to pour the
Natto solution as soon as the beans
are cooked.

25

Click Here for Natto Tutorial Video

Tasty Natto is now ready to be served.

❻ Put the soybean mixture in a container
Quickly put the soybean mixture in a container such
as Tupperware.

If you are not planning to eat immediately, keep it
in a freezer.

<Using yogurt maker>

Keeping Natto in high temperature environment
causes ammonia smell due to amino acid decomposition. Even itʼs stored in a fridge, scabrous white
stuﬀ (Tyrosine, a kind of amino acid. Eatable) will
start to grow and gives a bad texture after a week orso.

Use the container which is attached with the yogurt maker.
Fermentation needs oxygen. So donʼt use the inner lid.
During the fermentation, moisture will come out from thesoybeans. Cover the container with a gauze, handkerchief,etc.

<Using ordinary container>

Use sterilized container with 2 to 3 cm depth. Once thesoybeans are placed, cover it with plastic-wrap with few
holes. As the soybeans produces moisture during fermentation, it would be a good idea to slip in a piece of kitchen
paper or sterilized cloth in the container.

❼ Keeping it warm for fermentation
Keep the soybean mixture in a warmer for 24 hours
to ferment. The best temperature for Natto solution
to ferment is 40 to 45 degrees.
It comes in handy if you have a yogurt maker or
bread fermentor. Keep the temperature steady at 45
degrees and set the timer for 24 hours when using ayogurt maker.
Fermentation requires oxygen. Do not use the inner
lid, instead, loosely put the outer lid.
Using Kotatsu in winter and keeping the container
in a sunny place with no wind in Summer are also
applicable when you donʼt have a warmer.
To avoid losing Nattoʼs rich ﬂavor, wipe oﬀ the water dropletson the lid and cloth constantly.

❽ Transfer the fermented beans to refrigerator to mature
Transfer the fermented beans to refrigerator.

- FAQ store-bought package of Natto can be used as Natto starter.
Q IIsheard
there any diﬀerence for using Natto starter?

packaged Natto as Natto starter may not have enough strength in
A Using
Natto bacteria to ferment properly. This will cause less stickiness and odd
odor due to unwanted bacterial growth.
Kawashima-yaʼs Natto starter is specially made for homemade Natto. It
contains strong Natto yeast which makes it easier to succeed even for theﬁrst timer. Using good quality yeast will result with good quality Natto.

Q My Natto doesnʼt have enough stickiness.

is a possibility of fermentation failure.
A ThereKeep it warm for another 12 hours and see if that helps.

Q It smells like a dust cloth.

may have been a bacterial contamination during production
A Thereprocess. Discard the Natto.

Q Natto has strong ammonia smell.

it in the fridge for one night after warming process.
A KeepIt will stop fermenting and results with less ammonia smell.

By resting the beans in a fridge for a day, amino acidcomposition of soy protein will enrich the ﬂavor of
Natto.

Step by step video is also available.
How to make a Natto

26

Kawashima-ya

27

Click Here for Natto Tutorial Video

How to makemozzarella cheese
Dissolve rennet

Separate the curds from the Whey

Heat up the milk

Ferment the curds

Add citric acid

Knead and stretch the curds❸ Add citric acidAdd 1.5g of citric acid in the heated milk and stir.
After stirring, keep the milk temperature steady at 35
degrees and set aside for 10mins.

Place in a bowl ofice water
20 to 30mins

Add rennet
Cut the curds

Using a warmer makes it easier to generate thetemperature automatically. Be careful not to let
the milk temperature to reach over 40 degrees
when using a pot.

FinishIngredientsyogurtia❹ Add the rennet
Stair in the rennet mixture into the milk and continue
to stir well.
After stirring, keep the temperature
at 35 degrees andset aside for 5mins.

Low temperature pasteurized milk ・・・1L
Rennet・・・0.1 to 0.2 g■ Citric acid・・・1.5g■ Thermometer■ Heat resistant gloves■■<Tools and Equipments>
A warmer (Yogurt maker etc), bowl,
gloves, knife, pH tester❶ Dissolve rennet in hot water❺ Cut the solid milk
After 5mins, the mixture should be set with a Tofu-liketexture. This hardened milk is called “curd”.

Dissolve rennet with 1 teaspoon of hot water.

Cut the curd with a knife, makevertical and horizontal cuts at
2cm intervals across the surface
to form a crosshatch pattern.

The amount of rennet may vary depends on the type of
rennet. (powder or liquid)
One liter of milk requires 1/8 of a tablet or 0.1 to 0.2g of
powder typed rennet.

❷ Heat 1 liter of pasteurized milk in a saucepan❻ Cook the curds and separate the curds from the whey

Pour 1 liter of milk into a pot and stir gently.
Heat over low heat until it reaches
approx 35 degrees on thermometer. As long as the temperature is
between 35 to 40 degrees, it
doesnʼt have to be exactly 35
degrees.

28

Cook the curds for approx 5mins till it reaches 40
degrees. During this, gently shake the warmer (or pot)
to separate the curds from the whey (liquid).
A warmer takes time to raise its temperature. If you are using a
warmer, set the temperature for 50 to 65 degrees ﬁrst. Watch
the thermometer and stop it when it raises to 40 degrees.

29

Click Here for Mozzarella Tutorial Video❼ Remove the whey

❾ Knead and stretch the curd
Keep the temperature at 40 degrees and use a ladle
to remove the whey.

Form the curd into a ball shape. Repeat folding andstretching in 80 degrees hot water.

You can simply tilt the warmer toremove the whey too.

Donʼt burn yourself!

Wear heat-resistant gloves on top of
cotton gloves to prevent any burn.

Whey contains high volume ofwater soluble protein, vitamins andminerals.
When you are making curry or stew,
use it as a substitute for water. It
gives milder taste.

When the curd gets hot, pull out from the hot waterand knead. Then return it to the hot water for more
kneading. Repeat folding and stretching until the
curds becomes smooth and elastic.

❽ Keep the curd warm and let it ferment
Keep the temperature of curd at 35 degrees and let
it ferment for 30 to 40mins. During this process, ﬂip
over the curd few times to age evenly.

Place the mozzarella cheeseball in a bowl of ice water
for approx 20mins. Onceitʼs cooled, your tasty
home-made mozzarellacheese is ready to beserved.

Do not worry too much if
thereʼs small amount ofwhey left.

Important!

Conﬁrming the completion of fermentation

Q How can I preserve the cheese?

Finish!

- FAQ -

it in a fridge and try to consume it in a week time. When storing, put
A Keepit in a container as it is or soak it in brine.

Q Does it have to be low temperature pasteurized milk to make cheese?
❶ Pinch small amountof curd oﬀ the edge
then soak it in 80
degrees hot waterfor 1 minute.

ote
Cookʼs N❷ Pinch the edge of

curd and if it stretches, fermentation isdone.

If the curd didnʼt stretch
and has crumblingtexture, fermentation
is not completed yet.
Keep observing andcontinue to ferment.

When using a pH tester,
let it reach 5.2 to 5.3.

If the curdʼs pH is lower than 5.2, it will melt and if itʼs more than 5.4, it wonʼt stretch.
Speed of fermentation diﬀers according to the amount of citric acid and the kind of milk thatis used. When the fermentation time has passed 30mins, it is recommended to frequently
check the condition of fermentation.

calcium is sterilized with high temperature, it no longer ionizes
A Whenand wonʼt coagulate with rennet. Hence, use low temperature pasteurized milk.

Q Could yogurt be a substitute of citric acid for lactic acid fermentation?

can use plain yogurt with no added sugar to make cheese but it
A Youchanges the time length of fermentation. Check the detailed explanationon the video “How to make mozzarella cheese (Revised edition)
Step by step video is also available.

How to make a mozzarella cheese

30

Kawashima-ya

31

Click Here for Mozzarella Tutorial Video

How to make

Tofu

❷ Blend the soybeans
Put the beans into a strainer and drain them.
Add water which is approx 1.2 times more thansoaked beans (280g of soybeans requires approx 6
cups of water). Separate them into 3 butches andblend it in a mixer for 2mins each, till it becomessmooth.

Enjoy Tofu with rich ﬂavor andsweetness of soybean.

Tofu making schedule
Soak the soybeans

Transfer to mold

Blend the beans

Put a weight

Squeeze out the soy juice

Remove the bitterness

8 to 20 hours later

15 mins

This fresh soy milk is called Namago or Hisago.

❸ Simmer the soy milk
Transfer the smooth soy milk (Namago) into a pot.
Gently stir with a long spoon while bringing it to boil
without burning. Once itʼs boiling, turn the heat oﬀ.

30minsSimmer
Add coagulant (Nigari)FinishWhen thereʼs less foam, simmer again for 10mins
with low heat.

Ingredients (Produces: 2 pieces of Tofu)
Soybeans approx・・・280g

Coagulant (Nigari)・・・20ml❹ Squeeze out the soy milk
Strain the soy milk with a straining cloth andsqueeze out the juice. The liquid is soy milk andwhatʼs left is Okara.

< What you will need >- Mold box (Tofu box)
- 2 cloths (Straining cloth and ﬁnishing cloth)- Thermometer- Mixer- Pot

If itʼs hard to squeeze with cloth, use your hands.
Be careful not to burn yourself.

❶ Wash the beans, soak into water
Put the beans into a bowl and wash them well by
rubbing them together.
Soak the washed soybeans in water which is about 3
times more the soybean weight (280g of soybeans
uses 840ml of water).
It is better to use a big bowl since the soaking will
make the soybean expand to twice its volume.

■Soaking period❺ Warm up the soy milk

- In winter (water temperature 0 to 5 degrees): 20 hours- In spring and autumn (water temperature 10 to 15 degrees): 15 hours- In summer (water temperature 20 to 25 degrees): 8 to 9 hours

32

Heat the soy milk back up to around 75 to 80
degrees in a pot. If the temperature is too low, thetofu wonʼt form. If the temperature is too high, thetofu will get ﬁrm too quickly.
tImportan
The most important thing to make Tofu is“temperature control”. Use a thermometer to correctly measure the temperature.

33

Click Here for Tofu Tutorial Video

Tasty Tofu is done!

❻ Add coagulant (Nigari)

2 blocks of Tofu are ready to serve.

Dissolve 20ml of coagulant in 50ml of warm waterthen stir well. Slowly pour the coagulant mixture
into soy milk little by little and gently stir with a ricepaddle 2 to 3 times. Do not over mix, Tofu will
become hard.
Allow the mixture to sit for 10 to 15mins. It will start
to coagulate.
If the temperature is too low, the mixture wonʼt form tofu and will look white and cloudy.
If this is the case, reheat it with small heat and gradually raise the temperature.
Make sure the liquid is transparent and not muddy.

❼ Add to mold

- FAQ -Q Can you make Tofu with soy milk from supermarket?

can make Tofu by using pure soy milk which are available from superA You
market. If you are making Tofu with pure soy milk, please start with warm-

Pour the tofu into a tofu box.
Tofu before molding into shape is called “Yose Tofu” or “Kumi tofu”. Feel free to taste this freshly made tofu.

ing up the soy milk process (step ❺).
The freshly made Tofu with self hand-squeezed soy milk would taste
special. Please enjoy the delicate but deﬁnite diﬀerence in taste with
diﬀerent kinds of soybeans and water.

Q I burnt the soy juice (Namago) during simmering.

you simmer the Namago, make sure you stir well and evenly (vertiA Whencal, horizontal, left to right and zigzag) with a wood spatula touching the❽ Put a weight on the container

bottom of the pot. Do not over mix either.

Skim out curds and pour into tofu box with a ﬁnishing cloth.
Put a lid on and a weight on the top to let it drain.
Rest for approx 15mins. (Tofuʼs stiﬀness may varydepends on the weight. Weight up to 100 to 200g is
recommended.)

Q What kind of water is suitable for making Tofu?

than 80% of Tofu is made of water. Hence, water makes diﬀerence in
A Moremaking tasty Tofu. Soft water is commonly used in Japan and using waterwith less calcium and magnesium is especially suitable for making Tofu.
When you are making Tofu at home, avoid using hard water. Using soft
water makes better and tasty Tofu.

Q I used Nigari from a supermarket. It doesnʼt form Tofu well.

❾ Remove the bitterness

34

The soy pulp (Okara) that remains during ﬁltering soy milk
tastes great when stir ﬂied with chopped Shiitake, carrots and olive oil.

Once the tofu is ﬁrm, remove from the box gently
with the cloth wrapped and place it into water.
Once itʼs in the water, unwrap the cloth. Leave it in
the water for approx 30mins.
(This process will remove the bitterness ofcoagulant. You donʼt have to do this if you use
coagulant/nigari that is produced in salt farm.)

check the ingredient label when you purchase Nigari from a superA Pleasemarket as there are many products which only contains 1/5 of strength.
With less condensed Nigari, increase the amount used toproperly form a Tofu.

Click Here for Tofu Tutorial Video

Step by step video is also available.
How to make a Tofu

Kawashima-ya

35

Easy to make! How to cook

Enzyme ricewith rice cooker

Enzyme Rice is an all-natural mix ofbrown rice, red beans and salt,
cooked and left warming in the ricecooker for approx 3 days. It contains
rich nutrients such as GABA, has
sweetness and ﬂavorful chewy
texture.

Ingredients■ Brown rice・・・600g■ Salt・・・3g■■

Red beans (Azuki beans) ・
・
・50g
Water
・・・moderate amount❹ Keeping it warm and maturing
Once itʼs cooked, leave the rice to warm in the ricecooker for 2 to 4 days. During the warming period(2-4 days), stir and mix the rice once a day.
Itʼs best to eat 2 to 4 days after cooked.
ote
Cookʼs n

Enzyme rice produces Melanoidins (brown color component in food) throughwarming and maturing. As Melanoidins has antibacterial activity, brown rice
becomes enzyme rice instead of going bad.

❶ Wash the brown rice and red beans
Put the brown rice and red beans (Dried red beans)in a bowl and lightly wash them.
Try to discard the water from the ﬁrst wash quickly
because like white rice, brown rice can easily
absorbs water from the ﬁrst wash.
Continue this process 3 to 4 times.

❷ Add salt and water then mix them together
Put washed brown rice, red beans, water and salt all
together and mix.

1st day of maturing

Not yet■■■If the rice cooker has brown rice cooking function,please use that.

Chewy texture

4th day of maturing

Rich in ﬂavor

Tasty enzyme rice is readywith pressing one button

Enzyme rice beneﬁts■

If you are using normal rice cooker, soak the brownrice mixture in water for an hour prior cooking.

3rd day of maturing

By maturing, the peculiar taste which brown rice has will disappear and it gets mild
and ﬂavourful. You should eat enzyme rice in 7 days time once itʼs cooked.

As for the amount of water, refer to the instructionof your rice cooker.

❸ Soak and cook the rice

2nd day of maturing■

Digestion support
Brighter and moisturized skinMore bounced and resilient hair
Keeps you full longer, so noneed for unnecessary snacks.
More energy

The Cuckoo Rice Cooker*Results may vary.

Step by step video is also available.
How to make a Enzyme rice

36

Kawashima-ya

37

Click Here for Enzyme Rice Tutorial Video

How to makeUme pickles(Umeboshi)
Ingredients(Produces 1kg of Ume pickles)■ Ripe Ume
・・・ 600g(yellow colored and completely ripe)

June is the
Green
peak
Umeʼs
of Greenseason.
Ume
Enjoy theseason.
Letʼs
scent
enjoy
of Umethe scentthroughof Umemaking Umeboshi.
Throughmaking Umeboshi!
<What you will need>- Container❹ Place the pickling bag❺ Twist close the pickling❻ Place a weight on top.

❼ Cover the container❽ Umezu (Ume vinegar)

red Shiso leaves on❾ Place
top of Ume without leaving

10 After the rainy season,

11 Dried Ume should have

12 Transfer the Ume into a

in a container and put
Ume and salt on top of
one another. Shakethe bag so that Ume
and salt mix.

- Pickling bag

Salt (Ocean salt)・・・180 to 200g - Weight (Heavy stone)■ Red Shiso leaves
leaves・・・・200 to 300g - Strainer■oteCookʼs n

bag and remove theair out.

The weight shouldhave the same or
twice the weight ofUme.

!
Make it yellow
Use Ume that is yellow, soft, and ripe.
If Ume is still green, put them on a bamboo sieve and cover itwith a piece of newspaper. Place it in a cool area for approx 3days and let it ripe and have yellow color.

The Process of Making Umeboshi
Remove stems from the Ume

Place a weight and let it sit

Wash Ume

Check the progress of Umezu(Ume vinegar)

Pat them dry
Mix Ume with salt

❶ Carefully remove thestems from the Ume,
using a bamboo stick.

1 week

Add Red Shiso leaves
2 week❷ Wash the Ume

thoroughly with cold
water.

Dry Ume in the sun
Check the drying progress
Put Ume in Umezu
FinishMature at yourpreference❸ Gently wipe them drywith a clean towel.
If moisture remains, itleads to mold.
So make sure to dry
them completely.

with paper or lid andleave it in a cool dark
and well ventilated
place for approx 1
week.

generally middle of July,sun dry both the Ume andred Shiso leaves for 3 daysand 3 nights. Make sure it
is well ventilated under
the sieve. Turn the Umeover at least once a day.

38

is extracted from theUme. If the Ume issoaked in the Umezu,
they are well pickled.

salt on its surface. If theweight of the Ume isabout the half of theoriginal weight before
pickling, it is done.

How to make a Umeboshi

any gap. Place the inner lidof the pickle containerand put a weight about
half as heavy as the Ume.
Leave it for approx 2
weeks.

container with Umezu andstore it in a cool dark place.
When the Ume haveabsorbed the Umezu, they
are ready to eat.

Kawashima-ya

39

Click Here for Umeboshi Tutorial Video