homemade fermented soy sauce safe raw?

I am fermenting homemade soy sauce for the first time, and followed this generic recipe (that has no pictures).

Technically I made tamari, because i did not to put wheat / gluten into the mix (just soy bean, water and salt)

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Soy-Sauce

I am about 3 weeks into the 'in salt water' fermentation part, and am wondering 3 things:

1. is it safe to eat raw?
2. is the soy sauce supposed to turn black, or is brown normal?
3. subjectively, is it done?

below is how it looks now.

Here is how 'moldy' the wet soy beans were before i started drying them. Only one piece had a big visible piece of mold but i did leave it out for a week.

and this is 'how brown' the dry soybeans were before putting them into the salt water

it has smelled pretty bad the whole time, but now its not smelling so bad, it feels like it smells better, or i am just getting used to the smell.

thanks

fermentation soy

Best Answer

Pretty much all the commercial soy sauces, after fermenting is done, press the mash, and the final step is to pasteurize the sauce. This not only kills mold and bacteria, it also alters the flavor in a favorable way, as well.

Cook's Illustrated: Brewing a Better Soy Sauce

For both safety and for a better homemade product, I'd recommend heating it, though I don't know enough to say it's dangerous when "raw", specifically.

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Is soy sauce safe to eat raw?

Soy sauce is a safe food to consume. While it is low in calories with only 8 calories/tablespoon, it is not a good source of soy. It is important to note that soy sauce is very high in sodium with about 900 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon.

How do you pasteurize soy sauce?

Pasteurize the soy sauce by heating it to 175 \xb0F (79 \xb0C). Heat your soy sauce over medium-high heat, then use a thermometer to ensure the mixture stays at this temperature for 20 minutes.

Can you ferment soy sauce?

Soy sauce is an increasingly popular oriental fermented condiment produced through a two-step fermentation process called koji (solid-state fermentation) and moromi (brine fermentation). Complex microbial interactions play an essential role in its flavor development during the fermentation.

Is fermented soy sauce healthy?

But soy sauce may have some health benefits Some research has shown that because it's fermented, soy sauce may help support the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, including Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which may improve digestive health and immunity.

EASY Homemade Soy Sauce (no wheat, no Koji culture) Korean soy sauce Guk-ganjiang 纯手工釀造韩式酱油无菌种

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