Fermenting and Pickling in Jars

Chickpea Miso

Make homemade chickpea miso with cooked chickpeas, rice koji and salt. Pack it, weight it and let it age for months into soy-free miso.

Chickpea miso

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Cooked chickpeas mashed with rice koji and salt, packed and aged for months into a soy-free miso.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
CourseSide Dish
CuisineAmerican
Servings6 cups
Calories590

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups (350 g) dry chickpeas or 2 15-oz. cans of chickpeas
  • 2½ cups (440 g) light rice koji
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (150 g) salt plus extra to prep the vessel and top the miso
  • 1 tablespoon (16 g) unpasteurized miso

Equipment

  • stockpot
  • food processor
  • crock

Directions
 

  1. For dry chickpeas, soak 8 to 24 hours, then boil in plenty of water until soft, about 1 hour (or 35 minutes in an electric pressure cooker). For canned, bring the beans and their liquid to a boil, then turn off the heat.
  2. Drain, saving the cooking water. Spread the chickpeas on a tray to cool.
  3. Once they are below 100ºF/38ºC, mix in the koji and ½ cup of the salt. Mash with a potato masher or meat grinder. Stir in the miso. Add bean cooking water until the mixture is chunky, a little dry, and like mashed potatoes.
  4. Rinse the inside of the jar or crock with bean cooking water, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the sides and bottom.
  5. Spoon in the mixture, pressing out as many air bubbles as you can.
  6. Lay unbleached cotton cloth or parchment cut to fit on top, and sprinkle salt around the edges to close any gaps. Weigh it down with about 6 pounds.
  7. Cover the whole vessel with cloth or paper, tie it on, and age at room temperature for about 2 months.
  8. When it is ready, scrape off the top layer until the miso looks rich in color. Strain off the tamari or stir it back in. Blend it smooth if you like. Store airtight.

Notes

Refrigerated, keeps indefinitely. Allergy: soy (miso), and koji is rice-based. Discard if there is mold below the scraped top layer or a putrid smell.

Nutrition

Serving: 172g | Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 111g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 6.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1088mg | Potassium: 628mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 6.9mg

Nutrition is an estimate per serving from USDA FoodData Central, for 6 cups; dry chickpeas or 2 15-oz. cans of chickpeas (the first choice counted), cups light rice koji counted as dry long-grain white rice. Brands and portions vary, so use it only as an approximation.