What is the shelf life of the starter cultures?
Shelf Life of Artisan Tempeh’s starter cultures is 12 months from production date. If they are stored in a dry and cool place or refrigerated, they will stay active for at least 24 months.
What common allergens are present in our starter cultures?
Our starter cultures contain soy & rice.
How do I store tempeh starter?
Tempeh starter is best kept in a dry and cool location, out of direct sunlight with temperature no more than 24C. To further prolong its shelf life, you can store it in a closed glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator.
Can I still use tempeh starter after the best before date?
It is still safe to use tempeh starter after the best before date (providing no apparent change of color). You may need to add more quantity to the mix to get the same result as the cultures is no longer as active as a fresh batch.
Is tempeh gluten-free?
Tempeh starter and tempeh made of soybeans is naturally gluten-free, providing nothing containing gluten, such as certain sauces/marinades is added during cooking process. And it is advisable to always check the ingredient list of store bought tempeh in case you are sensitive to gluten & other additives.
Is tempeh vegan?
Tempeh is suitable for both vegetarian as well as vegan diet. It is a very versatile plant based high protein meat alternative.
Check out some of our popular vegan recipes: Gado gado, Sayur lodeh, etc
Tempeh making process – Steps & duration
Check out our Step by Step instruction for detailed instruction.
Duration wise, it takes between 48-72 hours period all up. Soybean soaking process takes around 24hours. Fermentation process takes between 24-36 hours depending on the surrounding temperature.
What factors can influence tempeh result?
Making tempeh requires experimentation and after a bit of learning curve, you will find your own go-to method. The factors that can influence the final result including the quality of starter, fermentation temperature, the quality of beans, contamination, etc. It might be a single factor or combination of few factors that causes certain failure. We outline a few tempeh failure case studies and their possible causes
Why use vinegar in Tempeh mix?
The function of mixing vinegar or apple cider vinegar in the cooked bean mixture is to reduce PH of the mixture and therefore creating unfavorable environment for unwanted microbes to grow and compete with the tempeh culture.
What is signs of good tempeh?
| Good/Fresh Tempeh | Bad/Rotten Tempeh | |
| Smell | Earthy/nutty smell (similar to edible mushroom) | Alcohol odor/strong ammonia |
| Texture | Firmly packed, full mycelium outer layer and in between beans | mushy/slimy, crumbly, uneven mycelium cover |
| Color | Consistent white/greyish layer | Greenish fuzzy mold spots |
Apart from soy, what other ingredients can be used for tempeh?
Although traditional tempeh originated from Indonesia is made of soybeans, you can try other ingredients and find your very own favorite . You can use lentils, chickpeas, and other small beans such as black beans, black-eyed peas or mung beans, lupine, etc. Larger beans with thicker skin does not produce the best result.
What is the purpose of de-hulling soy beans?
You can make tempeh without removing the hulls, however, the result will not be the best. The rhizopus mold can’t grow well with the beans & hulls intact. The de-hulling also make it easier to dry the cooked beans completely to avoid higher spoilage risk.
Can I eat raw tempeh?
We don’t recommend eating raw tempeh. Raw tempeh is intended to be cooked to an internal temperature of minimum 80°C (176°F) for a minimum period of 60 seconds.
How do I store my homemade tempeh?
You can store tempeh for up to one week in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
Why is my tempeh smell like ammonia?
Main reason for foul smell tempeh is over fermentation (make sure you check your tempeh frequently after the first 24 hours). Other reasons could be:
– beans not dry properly before fermentation process
– incubation temperature is too high
Black Spores on my tempeh. Can I still consume it?
When excess oxygen is present, some black spores may appear on your tempeh. This tempeh is still eatable.
Black spored typically usually only appear after a minimum of 36 hours of incubation.
How do you cook with tempeh?
Tempeh is extremely versatile as ingredients that can be cooked for both savory and sweet dishes. The mild natural flavor of tempeh itself means it can easily takes on the flavors of whatever it’s cooked with and can be marinated and seasoned to help easily boost the flavor. It’s often sautéed, roasted, baked, fried, steamed, or grilled and swapped in for meat or other protein foods as part of a well-rounded, meatless meal.
Check out our yummy tempeh recipes.