Tempeh Starter

Place the tempeh in a covered but not sealed container. It should have air circulation, but should not dry out. Place container in an location kept at a stable 85-90.F.

Check tempeh every few hours to monitor progress. Over the next 1-2 days the tempeh should become fuzzy, then covered in white fluff, which will then turn grey, and eventually develop black spots. The black spots indicate that the tempeh fungus has begun reproducing. If the tempeh becomes overly wet, gelatinous, or develops a bad odor, discard it.

Once black spots have formed across the tempeh, remove from the incubator and finely chop. Place on a flat surface and let tempeh pieces air dry for 48 hours.

Measure the dry weight of the tempeh chunks and add double that amount of rice flour, about 4 oz. {Editor's note: confirm.}

Blend the tempeh chunks with the rice flour to form a homogenous mixture.

Store starter in a sealed container. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for several months.