Quick Miso Butter Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is miso butter made of? ›

Miso butter is a flavorful compound butter made by combining unsalted butter and miso, a popular Japanese seasoning. Miso is made by combining fermented soybeans with a fungus called koji, which is made using a fermentation culture called Aspergillus oryzae.

The secret ingredient: Aspergillus oryzae, a grain-loving fungus that under the microscope looks like a delicate flower on stem. Fermented with soybeans, grain, and, salt, it becomes miso paste, a staple of Japanese cuisine.

Does miso butter go bad? Yes, eventually miso butter can go rancid even if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but it should stay good for several weeks or up to a month in the freezer.

Our homemade miso requires only four basic ingredients: koji, soybeans, salt, and some pre-made miso. However, it is the magic of fermentation that transforms these plain tasting foods into a richly flavoured paste with concentrated umami (well actually, it's not magic, but enzymes and millions of microorganisms).

The texture is similar to nut butter and the flavor is rich, complex, salty, and packed with umami. Miso is an important ingredient in Japanese cooking but it's becoming increasingly popular to use miso in every kind of cuisine because of its power to transform any dish with a punch salty, sweet, fermented flavor.

Miso is a Japanese traditional paste produced by fermenting soybean with fungus Aspergillus oryzae and salt, and sometimes with rice, wheat, or oats. It contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, isoflavones, and lecithin (Watanabe, 2013).

Miso is so much more than the name of a delicious savory soup. You probably know umami as the incredibly delicious, savory essence in many Asian dishes; and miso is one ingredient that's the epitome of umami flavor. Miso paste serves as the base for classic miso soup, as well as an unusual (but delicious!)

Soy Sauce/ Aminos

Soy sauce is the most common substitute for miso paste. Miso is thick and creamy, whereas soy sauce is thin like water, but if texture isn't a factor, they are both made of soy and chock full of salty and savory notes.

Boiling miso can harm the probiotic bacteria. At temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit these delicate bacteria are destroyed. We recommend adding miso paste to soups just prior to serving.

If the taste has changed from when you purchased it, it is evidence that it has gone bad and you should stop eating it. To avoid food poisoning, do not eat miso that has a sour smell, sour taste, or mold growth.

Why is my white miso turning brown? ›

The darkening color of miso is caused by the 'maillard reaction,' which occurs when amino acids from soybeans chemically react with sugar and turn brown. Darkening of the color occurs rapidly especially in a warm environment. It does not pose any food safety threat.

Generally speaking, if stored properly in the refrigerator after opening, miso paste can last up to a year before it starts to lose its flavor and texture. Unopened miso paste typically has a shelf-life of 1-2 years while homemade fresh miso can last for up to a year.

For an easy miso substitute, blend a few tablespoons of either tamari or coconut aminos with a can of cooked chickpeas. If desired, season with additional sea salt.

However, its shelf-life ultimately depends on the ingredients used, especially the amount of sodium. For example, white rice miso and low-sodium varieties will last approximately six months, whereas homemade rice miso can be stored for a year or longer, per Chef JA Cooks.

Both ingredients are regional specialties that feature prominently in a variety of dishes, and the butter not only adds flavor but also adds fat to keep the soup warm for longer, making it ideal for the prefecture's famously chilly winters.

Miso is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, as well as probiotics, known as the gut's "good bacteria." Much of the potential health benefits of miso paste are because of the fermentation process used to make it.

Originating from China, miso was first introduced to Japan 1,300 years ago by Buddhist priests.At the time, using fermented mixtures of salt, grains and soybeans was a key way to preserve food during warmer months, and this practice formed the backbone to miso-making.

Some miso soup is made with katsuobushi dashi, a stock containing katsuobushi, or bonito flakes. These non-vegan flakes are made of smoked skipjack tuna ( 3 , 4 ). Niboshi dashi is another type of miso soup that uses dried Japanese anchovies instead of tuna in its stock. As such, it's likewise not vegan ( 5 ).