How To Make Soy Sauce

If you’ve ever wondered how soy sauce is made the old-fashioned way, this guide walks you through the authentic Korean process using only soybeans, salt, and water. It’s slow and intentional—months instead of days—but the result is a deeply savory, aromatic sauce you can’t replicate from a store bottle.

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Why Make Your Own Soy Sauce?

You’re basically crafting one of the world’s most essential seasonings from scratch. You control every ingredient. The process is pure kitchen alchemy: just beans, salt, water, sun, and time become a powerful umami elixir.

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Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Soak and Cook the Soybeans

• Pick over, wash, and soak soybeans overnight in filtered water.
• Drain, rinse, and cover again with fresh water.
• Boil, then simmer until beans are very soft (can take hours). Add more water as needed.
• Strain and cool beans.

2. Form and Dry the Bean Blocks

• Mash cooled beans with a mortar & pestle or food processor.
• Divide into 4 portions, shape into blocks, and lay them on a parchment-lined tray.
• Dry near a heater for several days, flipping as needed. Fungi/mold are normal—they help fermentation!

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3. Hang and Cure the Blocks

• Tie string around the blocks and hang them (in a well-ventilated place) for several weeks, until hard and covered with white/gray fungi.
• Gently rinse off fungi under running water, then let blocks dry near a heater again.

4. Ferment in Brine

• Dissolve salt in 16 cups lukewarm filtered water. Test salinity: drop in a raw egg; if it floats, the brine is ready.
• Place 2 bean blocks in each glass jar. Add a few pieces of charcoal, dried chilies, and jujubes.
• Pour in brine. Cover jars with cheesecloth.
• Set jars somewhere sunny, letting them ferment for 5+ months. Occasionally let them soak up sunshine uncovered.

5. Strain and Age

• After 5–6 months, remove the blocks. Discard charcoal, chilies, jujubes, and excess fungi.
• Strain the sauce and bring to a boil on the stove. Let cool.
• Transfer to smaller glass jars and age in a cool pantry for at least a few more months for best flavor.

6. Enjoy!

• Once your soy sauce has darkened and the flavor is deep, it’s ready to use.
• Pour into small bottles for daily use. Use as a dipping sauce, seasoning, or marinade—this stuff is gold!

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Tips & Troubleshooting

• Salt is essential: Don’t reduce the salt below the “egg floats” threshold—salt is what keeps bad bacteria away.
• Fermentation takes time: Let nature do the work. Soy sauce gets better the longer it ages.
• Don’t worry about the fungi: It’s a natural part of the process and safe for this traditional method.

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