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1
Wash the soybeans, and soak in plenty of water overnight.
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2
Drain off the soaking water, and boil the soybeans in fresh water.
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3
Cook them slowly over medium-low heat for about 5 hours.
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4
Be careful not to let them burn.
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5
Bubbles will rise to the surface as they cook so skim them off.
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6
Add water to the pot to cover the beans if the water level drops too low.
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7
When the soybeans are soft they are done.
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8
You should be able to crush one easily between the thumb and forefinger of your opposite hand (your left hand if you're right handed).
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9
Reserve 2 handfuls of the salt in a separate container.
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10
Mix the rest of the salt with the koji while breaking up the clumps with your hands.
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11
(The koji in the background has been mixed with salt.)
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12
Spray a bowl or other container with 70% ethanol.
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13
Add the slightly cooled soy beans and mash them up using a potato masher.
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14
If a few bits of soybean are still left, it's fine.
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15
Spray both hands with 60% ethanol, then mix the salt-koji and the mashed soybeans together well.
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16
Add some of the soybean cooking liquid until the mixture is soft and dough-like, with a texture similar to how your earlobe feels.
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17
Form it into baseball-sized balls (these are called miso balls), as if you were making onigiri rice balls.
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18
Spray a plastic storage box with 70% ethanol, and wipe it dry with a clean paper towel.
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19
Cover the bottom with some of the salt that was reserved in Step 5.
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20
(Leave some salt to sprinkle on top of the miso.)
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21
Push the miso balls into the bottom of the plastic box so that there are no gaps.
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22
I don't throw the balls in.
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23
(Translator's note: some miso instructions say to throw the miso balls into the container to eliminate air pockets.)
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24
Verify that there are no air pockets by observing the miso from the outside of the box.
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25
When all the miso balls are packed in, sprinkle all the remaining salt on top.
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26
Spray the surface of the miso with 70% ethanol, and cover with plastic wrap.
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27
Spray again with ethanol and add another layer of plastic wrap.
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28
Wipe off any soy beans that are stuck to the sides of the container, spray with more ethanol and put the lid on.
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29
Wrap in newspaper.
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30
Store in a cool dark place.
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31
Open it up in about 5 months to check on it.
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32
Mix it up from the bottom with a clean paddle.
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33
It's ready to eat in 6 to 10 months.
