10月末頃まで壺の中でじっくり熟成
味噌作りの季節。今年もカフェに有志が集まって味噌の仕込みをしました。地元のNさんの大豆(1.5kg)と渡辺糀店の糀(2kg)、それに塩(800g)で５kgの味噌を目指します。機械は使わずもっぱら身体を使っての作業。指導のOさんが何回も口にしたのは「熱いうちに大豆を潰すこと」でしたから、ザルにあけた熱々の大豆を漬物用のビニール袋に入れて豆を潰す作業に皆息を切らしながら奮闘しました。団子を作って壺に投げ入れ、平にならして板粕で蓋をしたところで今日の作業は終了。これから春がきて夏を超え秋も終わる１０月末頃まで壺の中でじっくり熟成し美味しい味噌になっていきます。
午後は久しぶりに彦根へ食材の買い出しに。帰り道に見える霊仙の白い姿が美しく心が洗われました。
It is the season of making miso. People who want to make their own miso got together at my cafe and followed the instruction which was given by Ms.O who is a veteran of making miso. We needed soybeans (1.5kg), malted rice (2kg) and salt (800g) to make 5kg of miso. It was a very simple way in which we used our hands and feet for mixing and crushing soybeans and without using any machine. Ms. O repeated that the important thing was to crush while the soybeans were hot so all members worked very hard to crush hot soybeans which were just drained through a strainer into a big plastic bag. After that, we made soybean balls, threw them into a jar strongly in order not to let the air in to prevent mold, flattened the surface and covered with board sake lees. We will let them age for about 9 months to make good miso.
In the afternoon, I went to Hikone to buy vegetables, meat, and fish to prepare Bento. On my way back home, the top of white Ryozen Mountain was so beautiful and I felt very refreshed.
2022/01/27
