Making tempeh at home is easier than you think — it just takes a little patience and the right conditions.

Below is a complete step-by-step guide for beginners to prepare delicious, healthy tempeh from scratch using soybeans and a fermentation culture.

🍽️ Homemade Tempeh Recipe

Prep Time: 12–24 hours
Fermentation Time: 24–48 hours
Yield: ~500g of tempeh

🧾 Ingredients

🧪 Where to Get Tempeh Starter?

• Purchase online from sites like Cultures for Health, TempehStarterShop, or Amazon.
• Store in the fridge or freezer to keep the spores active.

🥣 Equipment Needed

• Large pot or pressure cooker
• Strainer or colander
• Clean towel or paper towels
• Mixing bowl
• Food-grade plastic zip bags or baking pans
• Skewer/fork (for poking holes)

👨‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Soak the Soybeans (Overnight)

• Rinse 2 cups of dried soybeans.
• Soak them in a large bowl with at least 6 cups of water for 8–12 hours (overnight).
• The beans will double in size.

Step 2: Dehull and Split the Soybeans

• After soaking, rub the beans between your hands to remove most of the hulls.
• Drain and rinse several times, removing floating hulls as much as possible.
• Optional: You can pulse them a few times in a food processor to split the beans.

Step 3: Cook the Beans

• Boil or pressure cook the beans until just tender but not mushy.
  • Boil: 30–45 minutes
  • Pressure cook: 10–15 minutes
• Drain thoroughly and let cool to room temperature.
• Important: Beans must be completely dry before adding starter.

Step 4: Add Vinegar

• Add 1–2 tablespoons of vinegar to the drained beans.
• This lowers the pH and prevents unwanted bacteria growth.

Step 5: Inoculate with Tempeh Starter

• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of tempeh starter over the beans.
• Mix thoroughly to distribute spores evenly.

Step 6: Pack the Beans

• Place the inoculated beans into ziplock bags (1–2 cm thick layer).
• Poke small holes (every 1 inch) on both sides using a fork or skewer — air is needed for the mold to grow.
• Alternative: Use perforated glass baking trays or banana leaves.

Step 7: Ferment

• Incubate the bags at 30–32°C (86–90°F) for 24 to 48 hours.

Tips for incubation:

• Use a yogurt maker, oven with light on, seedling mat, or rice cooker “keep warm” mode.
• Keep temperature stable — too hot kills the mold, too cold slows fermentation.

✅ You’ll see a white mat-like mold forming and binding the beans together. That’s tempeh!

Step 8: Check and Finish

• When the tempeh forms a solid cake and smells nutty/earthy, it’s done.
• The mold should be white. Black or pink mold = discard and start over.

🧊 Storage

• Refrigerate up to 1 week.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Cook before eating (steam, grill, fry, or bake).

🥘 How to Use Tempeh

• Stir-fry with soy sauce, garlic, and chili
• Grill with BBQ sauce
• Add to curries, salads, tacos, or sandwiches
• Crumble into pasta sauces or soups

🧠 Bonus Tip: Why Tempeh Is So Healthy

• Rich in protein, fiber, and spermidine
• Contains probiotics and enzymes from fermentation
• Easily digestible (thanks to mycelium breaking down anti-nutrients)
• Perfect for gut health, longevity, and sustainable diets