Even for those who love the slimy probiotic goodness of natto, making it at home can seem daunting.

But now that multicookers have become common home appliances, fermenting your own soy beans are quite doable.

You just need time: a day of soaking the beans, 45 minutes of pressure-cooking, another day of fermenting and two more days of refrigeration.

Fermentation takes place in the multicooker on the yogurt-making setting. This eliminates the fuss of monitoring temperature during this crucial stage, which is what you’d have to do if you were trying to maintain low heat in, say, an oven. (But if you don’t have a multicooker, the website nattodad.com offers alternative instructions.)

What you must fuss over is sterilizing your dishes and utensils.

A specific bacteria — Bacillus subtilis — kick starts fermentation. It’s added by stirring in a small amount of commercially made natto. You don’t want to introduce any other bacteria or mold, which could spoil the batch.

Beyond that, the work is mainly done by your appliances.

Another plus of making your own: Natto is generally sold in packs of small containers, generally made of polystyrene foam.
This makes DIY natto good for both you and the planet.

Multicooker Homemade Natto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry soy beans

• 2 tablespoons prepared natto (frozen is OK)

Optional seasonings:

• Mustard, soy sauce, mushroom stock, chopped green onions

Directions:

Rinse beans gently to protect skins. Remove any discolored or wrinkled beans, or debris. Drain. Place in a bowl and cover with at least 3 inches of water. Let soak 24 hours. Beans will double in size.

Drain beans and place in a steamer basket. Fill base of multicooker with 1-1/2 cups water. Put steamer into multicooker, making sure water doesn’t touch the beans. Pressure cook for 45 minutes, until beans are light brown (not yellow) and may be easily smashed with fingers.

Let pressure release naturally. Meanwhile, sterilize any utensils and dishes needed for the rest of the process.

Scoop prepared natto into a small bowl.

Remove steamer basket from the cooker. Remove 2 tablespoons of bean cooking liquid and stir into the prepared natto (if natto is frozen, this should thaw it out). Empty remaining water from multicooker pot.

Return steamed beans to pot (without the basket); stir in the prepared natto. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly over beans; poke holes into plastic. Baking parchment or a paper towel may be substituted for plastic wrap.

Drape a clean towel over pot to absorb condensation during processing. Place pot lid over the towel. Use a glass lid if you have one, or remove the sealing ring from the regular lid and place it lightly on the pot. Do not seal.

Set cooker to medium yogurt setting for 22 hours. Sterilize a large spoon and a large storage container (at least 4-cups).

Scoop beans into container; cover and refrigerate 2 days before serving. Makes about 4 cups natto.

To serve: Traditionally served over steamed rice, seasoned to taste with mustard, soy sauce, Japanese dashi and green onions. Mushroom stock may be used in place of dashi, which contains bonito flakes, a fish product.

Approximate Nutrient Analysis per 2 tablespoon serving (not including optional seasonings): 50 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 4 g
protein

Nutritional analysis provided by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., CNS.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an international nonprofit with a local office in Kaimuki. Its mission of community service includes the promotion of a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.

To learn more, visit facebook.com/hawaiitzuchi or call 808-737-8885.