I’ve been waiting to post until I can make a dramatic announcement about our farming plans for next year. Unfortunately, the farm incubator hasn’t given us a firm yes or no. So I’m channeling patience.

In the spirit of patience, I decided to pull out the paper bag with one of my newest farming-related experiments – miso!

One of the reasons that farming feels right is that I get to be creative in ways that I don’t in my current day job. I especially love brainstorming bonus endeavors that we could add to the vegetable venture – tea, dried beans, and popcorn. Samin Nostrat’s visit to Japan on Fat, Acid, Salt, Heat inspired me to add miso to that list.

Miso is typically made with a legume (traditionally soybeans), salt, and a fungus called koji which is often grown on a grain such as rice or barley. I happen to work down the street from an amazing Asian grocery store that sells koji rice. So I borrowed a kitchen scale from a neighbor and gave miso-making a try.

I mixed cooked soybeans, koji rice, and salt and packed the mixture into salted jars. Then, I put weights in the jars to press the miso under the salty brine so it wouldn’t get moldy. I put the jars in paper bags and shoved them in the back of the pantry where they’ve been for 2 months.

Yesterday, I pulled out the jars to check on their progress. I scraped off a bit of mold and sprinkled another layer of salt to fend off more mold growth. Luckily, I am unafraid of fungus (and my fermentation book said some mold is expected). My concoction still has a ways to go before it is paste-like. Hopefully, 10 more months will do the trick. But the sneak peak reignited my excitement about miso as a possible side venture. I hope it works!