 |
| Sprouted garbanzos for miso, w/ their 1/4 inch tails |
All
foodies and food for life folks are familiar w/ miso. There are written accounts of the origin of this salty seasoning
paste as far back as the 4th century BC in China. Buddhist monks brought the techniques
to Japan in the 7th century AD and it became a major component of
Japanese cuisine. Miso is a
fermented food, but unlike many of the foods, such as pickles, that are
fermented w/ lactic acid bacteria, miso is fermented w/ Aspergillus oryzae a beneficial, probiotic
fungus. Food is chemistry indeed
and making miso at home is a labor of love, along the lines of beer making,
sauerkraut or kim chee. But when
it comes to the length of time required to achieve a fine finished vat of
homemade, healthful miso, it’s more like wine making. Plan on at least a year, and up to three for you miso to be
at its peak of flavor. The miso
shown in these Avanti photos was begun in early November of 2013. It was pulled out of it’s low, dark
cupboard storage space on October 28, 2015 to make room for some preserved
lemons that need to cure (in the blink of an eye by comparison) for just one
month. The flavor and fragrance of
this miraculous miso is worth the wait.
This would be a great family project to embark upon w/ kids who have a
penchant for the foodie pleasures of the culinary world. Traditionally miso is made w/ soy beans, but garbanzos make a scrumptiously unctuous version as well.
Avanti Garbanzo
Miso
Amount
|
Measure
|
Ingredient
|
Prep Method
|
3
|
Cups
|
Dry garbanzo beans
|
|
2/3
|
Cup
|
Bean broth
|
|
½
|
Cup
|
Sea salt
|
|
3
|
Tablespoons
|
Finest quality organic Miso
|
Divided use
|
3
|
Cups
|
Soak
and sprout the garbanzos until you have ¼” tails (photo above). It’ll take about 3 days depending on how warm the weather
is. The way I sprout is in a bowl
w/ a colander that fit together well.
Add in the dry garbanzos, wash well. Add water to cover, then soak over night. The next day, pull the colander out of
the bowl, discard the water, rinse well.
Then add in 2 quarts of fresh clean water. To that add 15 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract. The GSE will kill any unwanted microbes
on the beans. Allow to soak for
one hour. Drain the water and let
the beans start to sprout in their colander is the bowl with just the residual
water that clings to them after you’ve discarded the soaking water. Using fresh water each time, soak the
beans for 15 mins twice a day, morning and night. When their tails look like this you are ready to cook the
batch.
 |
| Sprouted garbanzos w/ organic miso, covered in fresh clean water, ready to cook |
Rinse
the beans well and put into a covered pot. Cover w/ fresh clean water by 1 ½
inches and add 1 T miso. Cook
covered over medium heat for 30 mins.
Reduce to a simmer over medium low heat and cook covered for 1 1/2 hours, or until very tender. Make sure you don’t run out of
broth. If needed, add a little
more water to make sure they are slightly covered by broth.
Let
cool to room temp. Process beans
until smooth in food processor.
Dissolve
the salt in the bean broth. Mash
the remaining 2 T miso into the salt broth mix. Stir in the koji.
You can find koji miso starter in Japanese grocery stores such as
Mitsuwa and Marukai and certainly online was well.
Mix
the beans w/ the koji miso mixture.
 |
| Kofi added, fully cooked and salted. NOW it's time to age and ferment |
In
a clean glass bowl, wet the sides w/ water and sprinkle in salt to form a thin
salt coating all around. Pack the
miso into the bowl w/ clean hands and pack down firmly. Put a plate on top, then a weight (#10
can, restaurant sized vegetable or tomato paste can works well. You can get those at Costco and Smart
& Final).
 |
| Weighted down w/ a plate and a big #10 can |
Cover w/ clean
towels and secure the rim. I use
those elastic bands you find on gifts sometimes. Tie a couple of them together. Place in a cool dark place. Ideally, a cupboard you rarely go into. Lower is better than up high, since the
lower position will be cooler and less likely to temperature fluxuations. The back corner of a pantry or
somewhere down in the basement is fine too.
 |
| Covered in clean cotton kitchen towels & secured w/ a golden elastic cord. NOW into the darkness w/ time |
Check
your creation after one month. Remember,
this is now a living organism. I
press down firmly again, sprinkle w/ more salt and invert the plate at this
stage. Press the plate in firmly
to release all air from the miso. Check again after 2 months, stir if you’d like, invert the plate again. Make sure there are no air pockets and
it’s all well covered. After that,
check every 6 months. If a little
mold grows on the bowl wipe it off w/ a clean towel dipped in hot water. The koji fungus inhibits the bad microbes.
Let
ferment for at least 2 months or much much longer. Ideally make it in the autumn and let mature for two full
winter seasons. This miso is two
years old.
 |
| Two full years later. This is what we've been waiting for! The fragrance is devine |
When
you use this mature delight in your meals, make certain to keep it alive as it enters
your body. Don’t cook it at high
temperatures, stir it gently into warm liquids. Check out how we do Miso Soup Avanti Style. I like to put a teaspoon into purified
water in a glass w/ Avanti Golden Spice and a pinch of matcha before I hit the
hay. Drinking this heavenly brew
in the AM is the best way to invigorate each new day.
 |
| Packed into a clean glass jar, this miso is the gold standard of full on foodie flavor and healthful alchemy |
There
are many ways to make miso at home.
Here’s another viewpoint from Renegade Miso Avanti fans, do please make your own miso. And when you do, share you're creation and what you cook w/ it on all of our social media pages. We're excited to see the culinary magic this blog inspires.
Eating
Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!
Eat, Live
& Party Well
Blog post
by Chef Mark Cleveland
Avanti is
the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in
Orange County, CA.
Meaning
'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates
the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest
nutritional information for optimum health.
At Avanti
Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy. You can Eat Well & Live Well. Follow us on social media to see what
Avanti is up to now. We are
Whole Foods Experts. Post photos
of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter,
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our blog on the website for how to recipe blogs. We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!
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