Tell me about homemade tempeh

January 9, 2023 8:29 AM

A woman from Indonesia told me that the ONLY place to buy tempeh in this area is a local co-op because they make it fresh. Going to this co-op doesn't work for me, but now I'm curious about homemade tempeh.

I've eaten tempeh and feel like it's OK, but not great, but now I'm wondering if I've only had not-great tempeh.

Is homemade really much better? Is it worth the trouble? Is it a lot of trouble? How long does it keep? Any tips?

I'm especially interested in making it using an Instant Pot, but anything you can tell me about making tempeh will be helpful.

posted by FencingGal to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

I personally feel i like tempeh best cooked in its home cuisine. There's a funky aftertaste that doesn't transfer well when it's done as a western vegan substitute. Could that be one of the reasons for you as well? I buy tempeh the way it's usually sold here: by small-time producers, so that's as close as homemade for many people here, both in open-air markets and swanky supermarkets.

I don't know if the extra effort in making it at home is really worth it, but i guess if your neighborhood won't mind all the fermentation smells, why not. But really, i think you might as well start with effort of buying some from that co-op for a sample, because much of the process is the typical non-academic Western style ie guesstimating so until you calibrate your tastebuds with that sample, you won't know if you got it or not.
posted by cendawanita at 9:19 AM on January 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

I have a copy of Sandor Katz's Wild Fermentation that has a recipe for making your own tempeh, and while I can be pretty DIY when it comes to making my own staples, tempeh is going to be one of those things I leave to the pros! Right now we are in a golden age of accessible meat substitutes, so if you have access to a business in your area that makes their own tempeh, I say buy from them.

Edited to add: I think it's too much faff to make yourself.
posted by Kitteh at 10:03 AM on January 9, 2023

I hope to start making tempeh some day if my kid ever starts enjoying it more (he liked it at first but then I messed up once and now hardly touches it!)

It is kind of a hassle, but I like that kind of thing. And it should work out to be much cheaper too. After reading up a bit, I decided this method seemed like a good way to go, it uses a insulated catering box and an aquarium heater to keep the mycelium growing at a nice humid 88F. Obviously since you own an instant pot you'd want to try that first and only invest in making a dedicated incubator if you wanted to make more at once.

The kind I buy keeps pretty well, I don't think twice about eating it a few weeks after purchase, I'd imagine homemade would keep even longer since mine was shipped and sat at the store a while too.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:50 AM on January 9, 2023

I think the question on the Instant Pot is how good its temperature control is. Fungi are pretty temperature-sensitive. Tempeh starter will probably come with a suggested temperature range. If the Instant Pot can keep it within that range, you're great. If not, you might get inconsistent results.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:40 PM on January 9, 2023