Welcome to Kawashima the Japan Store. In this article, we will introduce what natto is, as well as the ‘how-to’ of making natto at home with the natto starter kit.
What is Natto?
Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It has been known since ancient times. Many people eat natto, so it is a food loved by many generations.
Making natto includes fermentation to convert carbohydrates into alcohol or organic acids using microorganisms (natto starter/natto bacillus) under anaerobic conditions. Therefore, the ingredients of natto are soybeans and natto starter only.
Natto has a sticky and slimy texture, strong flavor, and a rather strong smell. A lot of people love natto, but many people dislike it. For those of you who haven’t tried it yet, please try it by all means!
In Japan, natto is very popular. We can say that all Japanese know natto. Japanese people usually eat natto as a breakfast food. It has excellent compatibility with rice, but it is also delicious to add to pasta or enjoy with good soup. In addition, natto is unexpectedly good for your health. It has many nutrients in one serving. This tiny, sticky little thing will keep you healthy if you consume it!
How to Make Natto
Ingredients To Make Natto
It Would be Handy If You Have The Following Items
- Electric food warmer
- Pressure cooker
Steps to Make Natto
How to Make Natto
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker or Food Warmer
Ingredients
- 0.1 g Natto Starter
- 100~1000 g Soybeans
Instructions
Step ① Wash the beans
- Put the beans into a bowl and wash them well by rubbing them together. Be careful not to break the skin. Soil and other impurities on the surface of soybeans has tons of microorganisms that have adverse effects on making Natto. Make sure to wash off all the dirt and debris.
Step ② Soak the washed soybeans in water
- Soaking time differs depending on the season. In spring and autumn, you have to soak the beans for 15 hrs on 10-15 degrees celsius water temperature. In summer you have to soak the beans for 6 hrs on 20-25 degrees celsius water.When the temperature is too high, cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and leave in the fridge for about 24 hours.The beans expand about 4 times more than the soybean weight.
Step ③ Boil the beans
- Boil it until it’s easily squished, by nipping with thumb and index finger. The beans should have a slightly hard texture when fermentation starts, so make sure to boil them until tender.It takes approx 30 mins for a pressure cooker to cook. (You can boil it with regular pot as well)(The result may vary depending on a cooker. Please refer to the instruction manual for the exact cooking time)
Step ④ Dissolve Natto starter into water and make a Natto solution
- Pour 10ml of water (pre-boiled and then cooled water is fine too) in a cup and dissolve 0.1g of Natto starter in it. Use this Natto solution to ferment the beans. It is easier to succeed with more Natto solution. For beginners, use a greater amount of Natto starter than this recipe is recommended.
Step ⑤ Pour the Natto solution over the beans
- Discard the boiled water. Then quickly pour the Natto solution and mix thoroughly.Don’t let the temperature to drop, as it can lead to unwanted bacterial contamination.Make sure to prepare the Natto solution as soon as the beans are boiled.
- Transfer the beans from the pot to a food warmer such as rice cooker, pressure cooker, or a Yogurt Maker. In this tutorial, we're using a food warmer function of a pressure cooker.Keep the soybean mixture in a warmer for 24 hours to ferment.The best temperature for Natto solution to ferment is 40 to 45 degrees celusius. Keep the temperature steady at 45 degrees and set the timer for 24 hours when using a food warmer.
- After keeping the beans warm for 24 hours, let’s check the fermentation condition. It looks well fermented however it still has a strong ammonia smell at this point.
Step ⑥ Let the fermented natto cool in the fridge
- Transfer the fermented beans to refrigerator to mature. By resting the beans in a fridge for a day, amino acid composition of soy protein will enrich the flavor of Natto. Let’s see how the natto is after resting it overnight.
- It is perfectly fermented and there is no smell of ammonia. Tasty natto is now ready to be served. In this tutorial we used 165g of soybean The finished natto weighs 721g
- If you are not planning to eat it immediately, keep it in a freezer. If you leave the natto in a place where the temperature is high, amino acids are broken down and can cause ammonia smell. When it is stored in the fridge, a white rough substance will start to grow which will give it a bad texture in a week or so.The taste and flavor of natto differs greatly depending on the fermentation time and the types of soybean. You can decide on what type of soybean and how long you want to have it in fermentation.
Natto Recipe: How to Eat Natto
Let’s say you have fresh natto in your hands. Now, how do you eat natto deliciously?
In Japan, most people eat natto with soy sauce and mustard, mix them, and eat them with rice. However, natto is a delicious superfood that can be enjoyed in various ways!
Please check the recipes below and use them as your reference.
Natto Preservation Method
Homemade and moist natto can be refrigerated for 3 days. 1-3 days of aging in the refrigerator will result in more improved flavor.
However, it will last for more days if you store it in the freezer. Don’t forget to place a piece of clear film or food parchment paper on the top of the beans, and seal the natto with airtight container. If you leave the natto in a place with a high temperature, the amino acids will break down and cause an ammonia smell.
On the other side, dried natto is safe to be preserved for a long time at room temperature.
Signs when Natto goes Bad
Natto can spoil due to the incorrect way of preserving it (too long storage time or storing natto at an unsuitable temperature). There are a few signs when your natto goes bad. Please discard it right away when you notice these signs:
- The natto has a strong ammonia smell,
- White rough stuff starts to grow and covers the natto,
- The texture is too firm or too soft,
- The color of soybeans is faded.
Where to Buy Natto
You can find natto in Japanese grocery stores or Asian supermarkets. However, fresh natto can’t be shipped overseas because natto has a short storage time. Natto’s quality may degrade because of the shipment, too. The best way to enjoy fresh natto when you are far from buying it is to make it yourself.
To make your own natto, you will need Natto Starter and good-quality soybeans.
“How to Make Natto” Q&A
Recommended Products for Natto
Also Available On Amazon USA
Natto Starter Spores Powder 3g – 100% Organic Soybean Extract
Easily make natto at home with this natto starter powder to get the best health benefits of natto every day! We use 100% purely cultured natto starter extracted from organic soybeans (not genetically modified). Compared to the general natto starter, this product is characterized by its strong fermentative power.
