Tempeh Powder

Inspect 500g fresh tempeh — check for any off-spots, slimy patches, or ammonia smell. Discard any sketchy bits.

Slice tempeh thin: 3-5mm thick slices. Mandoline preferred for consistency. Hand-sliced is fine if even.

Why thin: thicker slices take 18-24 hours to dry. Thinner = faster + more uniform.

Optional but recommended: blanch tempeh slices in boiling water 2-3 minutes. Drain + pat dry.

Why: halts fermentation, removes slight bitterness, reduces drying time. Some lose ~10% Glu content though.

Skip if: you want maximum disulfide + Glu retention (V5 maxes ferment depth).

Lay tempeh slices on dehydrator trays in a single layer, no overlap. Allow airflow space between pieces.

Set dehydrator to 60°C (140°F). Run for 12 hours initial.

Why 60°C: above 70°C denatures proteins (we want F18 disulfide intact). Below 50°C is too slow + bacterial risk.

At 8 hours, check moisture. Top/edges of pieces should be brittle, centers may still have slight pliability.

Rotate trays top-to-bottom if dehydrator doesn't have rotation built in.

At 12 hours, take one piece + try to snap it. Should snap cleanly, not bend.

Color is uniform golden-brown across the slice (not light center).

If still bending: continue 1-2 more hours, re-test. If snaps clean: dehydrator off.

Cool dried tempeh to room temp (15-20 minutes). Don't grind hot — moisture can recondense.

Load food processor in batches (~100g at a time). Pulse first, then run high speed for 30-60 seconds until fine powder.

Sieve through fine mesh strainer to catch any coarse bits — return those to grinder for another pass.

Transfer powder to airtight glass jars immediately. Powder is hygroscopic — exposed to humid KL air for 30 min and it starts clumping.

Store at room temp (cool, dry pantry) — shelf-stable 2-3 months. For longer storage, refrigerate (6 months) or freeze (12 months).

Label with date + batch number.