Talk:

Reader recipes

“Making Korean fermented soy sauce 조선간장 and doenjang 된장”

19 posts
started 1 year ago by powerplantop

latest reply from powerplantop

12 Next »

powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
First make salt brine. I used 13 cups of water to 2 cups of course sea salt. You want your room temp water to be saturated with salt (no need to heat the water). It should float a raw egg.

This time I used commercial a meju 메주 someday I will make my own but that is a lot of work.

To speed up the process we broke it into smaller pieces then added it to the brine. I am a using a kimchi jar and the big block would not fit. If this works in the fall I will make a big batch in crock.

Next I heated up a piece of hardwood charcoal until it was just getting red on all sides and added it. I also added some jujube dates and sesame seeds. I need to add some dried chili peppers but did not have any at the time.

Then I covered it with plastic wrap loosely put on the lid and sit it where it could get sun.
Attachments
1. Next_day.jpg (835 KB, 152 downloads) 1 year old
2. Ready_to_Ferment.jpg (841.5 KB, 114 downloads) 1 year old
3. Heating_the_carcoal.jpg (564.8 KB, 98 downloads) 1 year old
4. Block_Ready_to_go_in.jpg (575.1 KB, 91 downloads) 1 year old
5. Block.jpg (702.5 KB, 101 downloads) 1 year old
6. Egg_in_Brine.jpg (528.2 KB, 104 downloads) 1 year old
- Posted 1 year ago
- #
JamieF New Zealand My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 64 posts
- joined January 26, 2011
Wow! What an amazing post! I am incredibly impressed that you are doing this all yourself - it is my dream to do the same but I am having difficulty finding the jars from a seller who will ship outside Korea. Also I have not seen any meju here for sale so that is difficult too.

I am going to make gochujang soon - I have the necessary stuff for that and just got a good recipe.
- Posted 1 year ago
- #
powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
Can you get a German sauerkraut crock? Harsch makes a really good one they would work really well for Korean foods.

Normally meju is in the markets in the fall. My mother-in-law brought this one form Korea town in LA. You could always make you own.
http://www.mykoreandiet.com/ingredients-for-korean-food/what-is-bean-paste-korean-bean-paste-doenjang.html
- Posted 1 year ago
- #
JamieF New Zealand My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 64 posts
- joined January 26, 2011
I might be able to get a sauerkraut crock - European things are much easier to come by here than Korean things. I actually found a place online (gmarket.co.kr) that said they shipped outside Korea but then they cancelled my order :)

I would like to try making meju but I am a bit concerned that it will be too difficult for me to prepare it due to the lack of underfloor heating (I have central heating but that works through vents). I can definitely source the necessary ingredients though.
- Posted 1 year ago
- #
powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
I don't think that you have to have underfloor heating as long as it is warm and dry you should be good to go.
- Posted 1 year ago
- #
JamieF New Zealand My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 64 posts
- joined January 26, 2011
Hmm in that case maybe I will give it a shot - it seems relatively straight forward.
- Posted 1 year ago
- #
powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
Ok time for an update. The soy sauce did not turn out so good. Next time I will not break up the meju block.

But the Doenjang is really good.

After about one month the soy sauce was carefully poured out.

This is what the jar looks like now.

To get some out I scape the mold off to one side get what I need then put the mold back.

Close up of the Doenjang.
Attachments
1. DSC_0129.JPG (1277.2 KB, 70 downloads) 10 months old
2. DSC_0126.JPG (1241.3 KB, 71 downloads) 10 months old
3. DSC_0127.JPG (1388.4 KB, 61 downloads) 10 months old
- Posted 10 months ago
- #
Maangchi New York City My profile page
- Dumok
- 834 posts
- joined August 6, 2008
omg! Congratulations, James! I can almost smell your doenjang. It looks very tasty. Make more doenjang later because you know how to make it. Amazing!
- Posted 10 months ago
- #
powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
My Mother in law is going to send us a few more meju blocks in the fall. I am also going to by a Korean style crock and I will try again.

I plan to film it so that others can learn how to make it also.
- Posted 10 months ago
- #
JamieF New Zealand My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 64 posts
- joined January 26, 2011
I am going to buy some meju blocks when I am in Korea - this post is going to be extremely helpful :) I am also buying ongghi to store it outside. Summer is coming so I will be making gochujang too.
- Posted 8 months ago
- #
powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
I am latter than planned but I have started my second batch.
- Posted 2 months ago
- #
Maangchi New York City My profile page
- Dumok
- 834 posts
- joined August 6, 2008
Thank you for uploading the video! I hope you upload another video when it's fermented!
- Posted 2 months ago
- #
powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
If I am around when it is done I will definitively do that.

Perhaps soon I can work with my mother-in-law to make the meju blocks. She made these for me. I would love to film how to make them.
- Posted 2 months ago
- #
Maangchi New York City My profile page
- Dumok
- 834 posts
- joined August 6, 2008
Your mother-in-law can do anything for you! : ) I'm looking forward to the meju making video! I love your passion for sharing your delicious recipes with many people. You are cool, James! BTW, the green mold is known to be harmful. Be sure to remove all of it.
- Posted 2 months ago
- #
powerplantop Louisiana My profile page I'm a fan!!
- Yorizzang
- 292 posts
- joined June 9, 2009
Yep she grew up in the country so she knows a lot about how things used to be done. I am happy to learn from her and share what I learn. Thanks for the tip on the green mold.
- Posted 2 months ago
- #