Making Korean fermented soy sauce 조선간장 and doenjang 된장
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- This topic has 19 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 4 months ago by Krynauw Otto.
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- May 6, 2011 at 1:05 pm #50171powerplantopParticipant
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.
- May 6, 2011 at 10:51 pm #54839JamieFMember
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.
- May 7, 2011 at 12:54 pm #54840powerplantopParticipant
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.
- May 7, 2011 at 11:27 pm #54841JamieFMember
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.
- May 9, 2011 at 12:37 am #54842powerplantopParticipant
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.
- May 10, 2011 at 1:39 am #54843JamieFMember
Hmm in that case maybe I will give it a shot – it seems relatively straight forward.
- July 2, 2011 at 3:10 pm #54844powerplantopParticipant
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.
- July 2, 2011 at 5:53 pm #54845MaangchiKeymaster
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!
- July 2, 2011 at 11:10 pm #54846powerplantopParticipant
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.
- September 2, 2011 at 4:46 pm #54847JamieFMember
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.
- March 11, 2012 at 8:53 pm #54848powerplantopParticipant
I am latter than planned but I have started my second batch.
- March 11, 2012 at 11:14 pm #54849MaangchiKeymaster
Thank you for uploading the video! I hope you upload another video when it’s fermented!
- March 11, 2012 at 11:56 pm #54850powerplantopParticipant
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.
- March 12, 2012 at 3:57 pm #54851MaangchiKeymaster
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.
- March 12, 2012 at 4:52 pm #54852powerplantopParticipant
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.
- April 7, 2012 at 12:31 am #54853powerplantopParticipant
Its been almost a month now and the fermentation slowed way down so we went ahead to the next step.
- April 8, 2012 at 12:11 am #54854MaangchiKeymaster
Thank you so much for sharing this video. It’s not easy to film and work at the same time. I love your doenjang color! It must be well fermented! I wish I could taste it.
By the way, was this filmed in your yard? I hope you didn’t have any complaints from your neighbors because when you boil soy sauce, it gives off such a strong smell. : )
- April 10, 2012 at 4:02 am #54855michiiParticipant
Thank you for sharing these techniques. It makes me wish I didn’t have to travel so much and could baby sit a few clay-pots myself.
- April 10, 2012 at 3:56 pm #54856powerplantopParticipant
M, yes it was filmed in my yard but my neighbors are not that close. As to the smell I would not do that inside the house.
michii I would have liked to have waited about one more week before doing this step but I have to leave soon and from Saturday until I leave I will be to busy.
- November 15, 2013 at 3:03 pm #54857Krynauw OttoParticipant
Wow, doenjang actually looks easy to make!
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