Natto Starter Spores Powder, Ragi Natto for Making Natto
This is a starter culture for making “Natto,” a traditional Japanese food.
By sprinkling a small amount of natto bacteria onto boiled (steamed) soybeans and keeping them warm, the fermentation process will occur, and natto will be made. With its strong fermentation power, even beginners can easily make homemade natto. The product uses 100% pure cultured natto bacteria extracted from organic soybeans (non-GMO). Please use it to make natto with peace of mind.
■How to Make Natto
1. Wash the Soybeans: Put the soybeans in a bowl with water to wash the soybeans gently without damaging the soy skin.
2. Soak the Soybeans: Soak the washed soybeans in about 4 times their weight in water (for 500 g/17.63 oz of soybeans, use 2 liters/67.63 fl oz of water). Dried soybeans will absorb water and increase their weight by about 2.3 times and their volume by more than 2.6 times. Use a larger bowl to accommodate the expansion.
Winter (water temperature 0–5°C or 32-41°F): Soak for 24 hours.
Spring/Autumn (water temperature 10–15°C or 50-59°F): Soak for 15 hours.
Summer (water temperature 20–25°C or 68-77°F): Soak for 6 hours.
3. Cook the Soybeans: Boil the soaked soybeans. The beans should be soft enough to crush easily between your thumb and forefinger. The beans will firm up when fermented, so cook them well until they are soft.
4. Make the Natto Starter Solution: Dissolve the natto starter in a small amount of water to create a “natto starter solution.” In a cup, add 10cc/0.34 fl oz of sterilized water (boil water to sterilize and then cool it), and mix in 0.1g/0.03oz of natto bacteria (about the size of 1/5 of a small spoon). Mix well. Sprinkle this natto bacteria solution onto the boiled soybeans. More bacteria generally lead to more successful fermentation. If this is your first time, you can use a bit more than the recommended amount.
5. Apply the Natto Starter to the Soybeans: After boiling, discard the water from the soybeans. Quickly sprinkle the natto starter solution over the soybeans and stir well.
Note: Be sure not to let the soybeans cool too much during this process, as this can allow other microorganisms to contaminate the beans. Have everything ready to add the natto starter solution immediately after cooking the soybeans.
6. Transfer the Soybeans to a Container: Quickly transfer the inoculated soybeans into a container like a Tupperware box.
【If using a yogurt maker】
Use the included container. Fermentation requires oxygen, so do not use the inner lid. Cover the container with a gauze or cloth, as moisture will be released from the soybeans during fermentation.
【If using a regular Tupperware container】
Use a clean container about 2-3 cm deep. After adding the soybeans, cover the surface with plastic wrap with a few holes in it. During fermentation, moisture will be released from the soybeans, so you may want to place a clean gauze or kitchen paper inside the container.
7. Maintain Temperature for Fermentation: Keep the inoculated soybeans warm for about 24 hours to ferment. The ideal temperature for natto starter to ferment is between 40–45°C (104-113°F). Having a yogurt maker or bread fermentation machine can be very convenient. If using a yogurt maker, set the temperature to 45°C (113°F) and the fermentation time to 24 hours. Since fermentation requires oxygen, do not use the inner lid, and instead cover the container with the outer lid at an angle. Note: Be careful to remove any water droplets that may form on the lid or cloth during fermentation, as these may affect the flavor of the natto.
8. Post-fermentation Aging in the Refrigerator: Once fermentation is complete, place the soybeans in the refrigerator for aging. By refrigerating them for one day, amino acids will be produced from the soybean proteins due to the action of the natto starter, improving the flavor and aroma.
Storage Advice: If you do not plan to eat the natto immediately, you can store it in the freezer. If left at higher temperatures, amino acids will break down, leading to an ammonia-like smell. Even in the refrigerator, after about a week, small white particles (tyrosine, a type of amino acid. It is safe to eat) may form and may affect the texture. Please be mindful of this.
By sprinkling a small amount of natto bacteria onto boiled (steamed) soybeans and keeping them warm, the fermentation process will occur, and natto will be made. With its strong fermentation power, even beginners can easily make homemade natto. The product uses 100% pure cultured natto bacteria extracted from organic soybeans (non-GMO). Please use it to make natto with peace of mind.
■How to Make Natto
1. Wash the Soybeans: Put the soybeans in a bowl with water to wash the soybeans gently without damaging the soy skin.
2. Soak the Soybeans: Soak the washed soybeans in about 4 times their weight in water (for 500 g/17.63 oz of soybeans, use 2 liters/67.63 fl oz of water). Dried soybeans will absorb water and increase their weight by about 2.3 times and their volume by more than 2.6 times. Use a larger bowl to accommodate the expansion.
Winter (water temperature 0–5°C or 32-41°F): Soak for 24 hours.
Spring/Autumn (water temperature 10–15°C or 50-59°F): Soak for 15 hours.
Summer (water temperature 20–25°C or 68-77°F): Soak for 6 hours.
3. Cook the Soybeans: Boil the soaked soybeans. The beans should be soft enough to crush easily between your thumb and forefinger. The beans will firm up when fermented, so cook them well until they are soft.
4. Make the Natto Starter Solution: Dissolve the natto starter in a small amount of water to create a “natto starter solution.” In a cup, add 10cc/0.34 fl oz of sterilized water (boil water to sterilize and then cool it), and mix in 0.1g/0.03oz of natto bacteria (about the size of 1/5 of a small spoon). Mix well. Sprinkle this natto bacteria solution onto the boiled soybeans. More bacteria generally lead to more successful fermentation. If this is your first time, you can use a bit more than the recommended amount.
5. Apply the Natto Starter to the Soybeans: After boiling, discard the water from the soybeans. Quickly sprinkle the natto starter solution over the soybeans and stir well.
Note: Be sure not to let the soybeans cool too much during this process, as this can allow other microorganisms to contaminate the beans. Have everything ready to add the natto starter solution immediately after cooking the soybeans.
6. Transfer the Soybeans to a Container: Quickly transfer the inoculated soybeans into a container like a Tupperware box.
【If using a yogurt maker】
Use the included container. Fermentation requires oxygen, so do not use the inner lid. Cover the container with a gauze or cloth, as moisture will be released from the soybeans during fermentation.
【If using a regular Tupperware container】
Use a clean container about 2-3 cm deep. After adding the soybeans, cover the surface with plastic wrap with a few holes in it. During fermentation, moisture will be released from the soybeans, so you may want to place a clean gauze or kitchen paper inside the container.
7. Maintain Temperature for Fermentation: Keep the inoculated soybeans warm for about 24 hours to ferment. The ideal temperature for natto starter to ferment is between 40–45°C (104-113°F). Having a yogurt maker or bread fermentation machine can be very convenient. If using a yogurt maker, set the temperature to 45°C (113°F) and the fermentation time to 24 hours. Since fermentation requires oxygen, do not use the inner lid, and instead cover the container with the outer lid at an angle. Note: Be careful to remove any water droplets that may form on the lid or cloth during fermentation, as these may affect the flavor of the natto.
8. Post-fermentation Aging in the Refrigerator: Once fermentation is complete, place the soybeans in the refrigerator for aging. By refrigerating them for one day, amino acids will be produced from the soybean proteins due to the action of the natto starter, improving the flavor and aroma.
Storage Advice: If you do not plan to eat the natto immediately, you can store it in the freezer. If left at higher temperatures, amino acids will break down, leading to an ammonia-like smell. Even in the refrigerator, after about a week, small white particles (tyrosine, a type of amino acid. It is safe to eat) may form and may affect the texture. Please be mindful of this.
- Product
- Natto Starter Spores Powder, Ragi Natto for Making Natto
- Ingredients
- Bacillus subtilis natto (extracted from organic soybeans)
- Contents
- 3g (3g of Natto Starter Spores Powder can make up to 10-30kg Natto)
- Storage Method
- Please store in a place away from high temperatures and humidity and out of direct sunlight. From the perspective of maintaining quality, the most recommended storage method is to store in a refrigerator (cool, dark place) with low humidity.
COMPANY
- Company
- Tohata Co., Ltd.
- Address
- 4-17-8 Zanbori Musashi Murayama, Tokyo 208-0034 Japan
- TEL
- 042-508-2685
- Web site
- https://thejapanstore.jp/
- Products
- Cooking oil, tea, instant rice packs, cereals, supplements, vinegar, ume plum products, koji (steamed grains inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae mold, used as the main ingredient to make Japanese fermented foods like miso and sake), salt, soy sauce, miso, sugar, mirin, and more. We also offer a wide variety of organically certified food products.
