Tempeh

[Lynda_2008]

Tempeh is great. We make our own.

You cook soybeans, then innoculate it with starter and let it do it's thing for 12 hours or so.. Hubby makes it so I'm not certain about how long it ferments - but the book Wild Fermentation has a lot of info on it.

I think our fermentation temperature is about 104 F. We use a big cardboard box with an old stereo receiver in it as our temperature controlled area. Put a towel over the top and stick a digital temperature probe in the tempeh, and then we raise or lower how a rack above the stereo receiver until we've got the tempeh holding steady at 104.


Pat usually uses the tempeh as a main ingredient in our vegetarian burgers. Tempeh tends to be a winter food for us and gives us a way to keep growing nutritious food when the gardens aren't producing. A tempeh burger on a home baked bun and a few homemade pickles makes a great dinner.

It's definitely worth learning to make your own. The process isn't a big deal after you've done it a few times and it's really satisfying to start with soybeans and then use them to grow your own meat alternative.

Lynda

[Green Aura]

Hmmm

Not wholly in agreement there Andrew. I certainly agree about processed stuff a la l!nda mcC@rtn£y and others but there are times when the vegan equivalent of a bacon butty or hot dog is required. Tempeh's definitely the way to go. I don't think it's unimaginative and, if you make your own, is certainly healthy.

When we have a bbq it's good to be able to provide similar things for our daughter - seitan ribs, burgers and sausages, and she adores tempeh "bacon" not because it tastes anything like pork products but because it's quick, tasty and wholesome.

So don't condemn it all - just the one's full of hydrogenated rubbish and E numbers - the shapes are not really the issue. But they are easy to use rather than imitation.

[eccentric_emma]

1 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (Engervita)
1 tsp paprika (I used smoked and don't bother with the liquid smoke)
1/2 tsp salt
Few drops of liquid smoke

I made this last night - substituted the maple syrup for agave as thats all i had and used smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke (can you even get that in the uk?)

fried it for a couple of minutes this lunchtime, had it in a sandwich with a bit of ketchup. absolutely gorgeous! in fact i might go have another one now!

So thanks Green Aura!

[Green Aura]

You can get liquid smoke in Sainsburys (with the barbecue stuff) but after buying it once I didn't bother again - smoked paprika is much nicer IMOH. You can also use soy sauce instead of salt - colours as well as flavouring it.

[eccentric_emma]

Upon reflection, tempeh isn't for me! I had another portion this evening and it has made me feel so nauseous! (that's no reflection on your recipe at all Green Aura!)

Apparently some people don't have the constitution for large amounts of fermented foodstuffs and unfortunately one of those people is me!

[Rod in Japan]

All this debate is just a tempeh in a teacup.