Featured image: Chickpea tempeh, made by Uma from the Homemade Tempeh Group
Interested in making your own soy and/or non-soy tempeh at home? Join my free WhatsApp group Homemade Tempeh (Recipes, Tips, & More)!
Making different versions of your own soy and non-soy tempeh at home is a fun culinary adventure! However, for those new to this journey, it may feel a bit challenging or even intimidating. And that is perfectly OK! If someone had told me even six months ago that one day I would be making my own tempeh at home–and that too, different varieties–I wouldn’t have believed them, and yet, here I am 🙂
Read this blog before you start making your own tempeh at home: Homemade Tempeh: Tips for Beginners
In today’s post, I will explain in detail how to tell if your homemade tempeh is ready to harvest and whether any contamination has occurred.
Signs your Tempeh is Ready for Harvest (and Safe to Eat!)
1. Appearance
The tempeh inside the ziplock bag/perforated container should look fully white or mostly white with tiny specks of the beans visible.
2. Touch
The tempeh is ready for harvest when the beans are bound together by thick, white fuzz (mycelium) and has taken the form of a firm and solid block. It may feel slightly warm to the touch.
3. Smell
When it is ready to be harvested, the tempeh has a mild beany, lightly fermented aroma, like that of idli batter. This smell can also be described as “earthy,” “slightly sweet,” or “mushroomy.”
4. Safe Colour Variations
A perfect block of tempeh has only bright white mycelium growth. However, a few scattered gray or black spots are considered normal at the time of harvest (these are just overripe spores, nothing to worry about).
Signs of Contamination: When to Discard the Tempeh?
1. Presence of Colorful Molds
If there is any presence of green, blue, pink, or orange mold, it means the tempeh has been contaminated with toxic microbes and should be discarded immediately.
2. Crumbly and/or Slimy Texture
If the beans are crumbly, mushy, falling apart, and/or slimy, it means the tempeh is spoiled. Throw it away.
3. Unpleasant Smell
If the tempeh smells unpleasant and rotten, it is time to discard it. A strong, sharp smell of ammonia and/or alcohol is also a sign that the tempeh is no longer fit for consumption.
So, these are the basic guidelines to keep in mind while harvesting your homemade tempeh.
Also read: Homemade Tempeh: Tips for Beginners
Now I am going to share a few images of high-quality, freshly harvested homemade tempeh, both soy and non-soy variants, to give you a better idea.
A big thanks to Uma and Akanksha from the Homemade Tempeh Group on WhatsApp for graciously sharing pictures of different varieties of tempeh from their kitchen!
Image 1: Soy tempeh, ziplock bag
Image 2: Soy tempeh, banana leaf package
Image 3: Rajma tempeh, perforated container (tofu press)
Image 4: Chickpea tempeh, ziplock bag
Image 5: Red lobia tempeh, ziplock bag
