Your stories
This page is for you - the Your stories page is a resource for ideas, problem solving and sharing your successes.
I love seeing what is being created and the novel solutions to tempeh and tofu issues.
I am always happy receive your questions, to post your great results and your failures, to broaden our knowledge base and help each other.
It gives me great satisfaction to be able to provide a great product and get such warm responses from my clients. This heartening mail is from Alex:
Thank you for your personal note Nirala,
I understand that in these times smaller traders are often overlooked in favour of eBay/amazon based sellers, however I tend to research
Where I source product from and you seemed to have an integrity and transparency to your passion for Tempeh that I noticed straight away.
I love seeing what is being created and the novel solutions to tempeh and tofu issues.
I am always happy receive your questions, to post your great results and your failures, to broaden our knowledge base and help each other.
It gives me great satisfaction to be able to provide a great product and get such warm responses from my clients. This heartening mail is from Alex:
Thank you for your personal note Nirala,
I understand that in these times smaller traders are often overlooked in favour of eBay/amazon based sellers, however I tend to research
Where I source product from and you seemed to have an integrity and transparency to your passion for Tempeh that I noticed straight away.
Tofu PressesMY Story: time poor this week, I had to abandon my plan to make tofu for the book club dinner and succumb to buying tofu at the supermarket.
The label stated it was made in Australia and was made with soy beans, water and Mineral Salt 511 (magnesium chloride). Its best by date was 3/8/21. Packed in a plastic bag with the recycling directions only as 'return to store'! It was not guaranteed gluten free (probably due to the packaging process.) That all seemed okay. The tofu was more than firm, it had an open rubbery texture that seemed to indicate it had been frozen at some stage. I sliced, rubbed with a little oil and cooked in a sandwich press. The taste and smell was odd, bitter and musty. Even after mixing with a spicy sauce, the unpleasant taste was still obvious. I threw the whole batch out and am hoping the chickens liked it! I rushed out to shop in a different store. To my dismay, they only stocked their home brand. The coagulant was calcium sulphate. I chose a 'slightly firm' option after squeezing the packs ever so gently. Again, made in Australia, the expiry was 14/7/21. Sadly, it was packed in a plastic tray covered in plastic film though directions were given on how to dispose of them. A much better product, a lovely creamy texture that sliced well and had a lovely cheese melty texture after cooking. I had no need to disguise it, merely sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds and watched it all disappear. Boil? Can you recommend how to prepare my tempeh before freezing it? Should I just boil it for 15 minutes and then freeze? The answer is that there is no need to boil or blanch before freezing. The taste and texture is so much better than after blanching.
Okara & RhizopusChristine at Thousand Mile Tofu has made a successful block of okara tempeh using rhizopus starter, as did Helen, below.
Helens' OkaraHere's my okara tempeh made in brown baking paper and incubated in a bamboo steamer.
Its incredibly delicious and creamy. Esp with sriracha chilli sauce. Your red product hasn't arrived yet. I'll use it next time. Thousand Mile TofuThousand Mile Tofu are using calico bags to ferment tempeh. Look for her products at the Albany Farmers Market in WA or see on Facebook here .
Look at how the rhizopus thrives in fabric, compared to plastic. This is Christine's tempeh made from okara.
Tempeh in GlassHello Nirala,
Tried the tempeh fermenting in the glass tray......it worked. Here are some pics. I didn’t cover the glassware at all except it being in the incubator and being covered by the lid of the esky. Bunny No bags!Luke from NSW has come up with an alternative to single use perforated bags. It looks fabulous and he assured me it passed the taste test!
Great result Luke!Can I use tofu to make desserts?
Is there an alternative to soybeans for making tempeh?
Yes, absolutely!
Most legumes are suitable for tempeh making, some with the added bonus that they are available as splits (pre hulled). Try combinations of split peas, chick peas, mung dal, lupin, lentils. You can also add small amount of cooked rice or sunflower seeds. |
Banana leaves![]() Banana leaves are the traditional wrapping used for tempeh fermentation and give a great result if you can source them.
What happened?![]() Lukes third batch had problems. I asked Raprima for help with this and this was the reply: This got too hot in the centre, killed the spores....open the lid for ventilation and cool air once it starts to produce heat...... environment of 25 Celsius is ok for finishing, cold take a bit longer but heat spoils. |
Crumbly
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Burgers by DanielFirst attempt with my latest batch of MR tempeh starter. Split peas, yellow & green, plus channa dal = Excellent result! Sliced in half to be used in a tempeh burger.
Thank you Daniel, looks great.
Another great result! Tempeh loves the summer warmth.
Can I add flavourings to tofu when I make it?
Seaweed, dried herbs, chilli flakes and grated vegetables can be added to firm tofu before coagulation. Chopped walnuts are often used in traditional tofu making for special occasions.
Tempeh can be made with a range of of legumes and grains and most pantries will have something you can use. Split peas are excellent for tempeh making as they are prehulled. Chickpeas and other beans will need hulling unless you buy channa or moong dal splits. You can add a proportion of unhulled lentils to other tempehs, together with seeds and rice.
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