Miso

[helenjp]

In Japan, miso is normally out on the open shelf, unless it's unpasteurized. If yours was on the open shelf, it's probably fine to use "raw", but you should keep it covered and in the fridge once opened.

I imagine that one reason why it is kept refrigerated in stores overseas is that people can't read the label so they aren't sure if it is pasteurized. Also, there's probably a lower turnover, and a bigger demand for organic, unpasteurized miso.

[SheenaGreena]

you know what? I always refridgerate miso, but I don't refridgerate dwaeng jang paste or gochu jang paste. I bet if I left my miso out, I would be fine.

I bet in japan, miso is stored in cellars or large urns or something like how dwaeng jang is stored in korea - in huge ceramic pots.

Isn't it also hard for miso to go bad because of its salt content?

[Hiroyuki]

As I have said several times in the Japan Forum, miso can go bad! Most contemporary miso have a low salt content of around 10%. It's a myth that miso can keep forever.

If you don't use up a pack of miso soon enough, say, within six months or so, you may want to put it in the freezer rather than in the fridge.

[larrylee]

Along the lines of what Hiroyuki wrote, I think the shelf stability of fermented bean products depends greatly on its method of manufacture. Traditional home preparations are probably very stable at room temp, but I'd be wary of a mass produced product.

[JasonTrue]

The old-style miso made on farms was also sometimes kept hanging from eaves of roofs, which allowed it to dry and thereby reduced the water activity. I think this is the origin of the "stinks like miso" insult that is (or once was) the Japanese equivalent of calling someone a hick.

That kind of miso could be kept about a year without refrigeration, but it's not the same as the high moisture, relatively low salt miso widely used today.

[nduran]

So given the rather pungent smell and taste of freshly opened miso, how do you know when it's crossed over to the other side and needs to be thrown out?

[Hiroyuki]

So given the rather pungent smell and taste of freshly opened miso, how do you know when it's crossed over to the other side and needs to be thrown out?

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When it has become darker, has an off flavor, has become partially moldy...

[torakris]

For ideas of what to do with the miso sitting in your house don't forget the Miso based sauces thread and the Miso Soup thread.

[Hiroyuki]

My father makes miso by himself.

He says that the only ingredients are soy beans, koji, and salt. He is proud of his miso, and gave me about 5.5 kg of it the other day, but I don't think it's as good as he says it is... I can't help remembering this word: temae miso (self-praise).

[MoGa]

I never gave miso much thought until quite recently. I certainly used it often enough, but never gave the product I selected much concern.

And then I tried this one

http://www.yamato-soysauce-miso.com/product_miso.html - English

http://www.yamato-soysauce-miso.co.jp/okaimono/m_kanae.html - Japanese

from the Yamato Soy Sauce and Miso company

Which got me interested enough to find out more

There's a long article here that makes fascinating (and slightly depressing) reading

http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/miso1.php - most of the kickers are on page 3

Unfortunately, the Japan Centre in London has run out of this particular miso, but we've been assured that it will be restocked again.

I'll be doing a lot more to seek out traditionally made miso on my future visits to Japan. There is a word of difference between misos that goes beyond white, red and black, and merely paying more for miso won't always yield a noticeable gain. I'm embarrassed it took me so long to finally fully appreciate this food, and I feel I've only just wedged my foot into the door, I've still a lot of headway to make.

[Lucil]

My father makes miso by himself.

He says that the only ingredients are soy beans, koji, and salt.  He is proud of his miso, and gave me about 5.5 kg of it the other day, but I don't think it's as good as he says it is...  I can't help remembering this word:  temae miso (self-praise).

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just wondering, i would like to make my own miso.. do you have any recipes i can look at??

[Hiroyuki]

I don't know of any recipe. I have no interest in making my own miso! Here are some results of a quick google search:

http://www.fuchu.or.jp/~kanemitu/misomaking.htm

(English)

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=PQZzEPxnzTE

(Video on YouTube, Japanese only)

I can't vouch for the accuracy of these recipes.