- Soak the lentils in water for about 8- 12 hours.
- After soaking, rinse the lentils a few times, then place them in a colander. Leave the colander on top of a towel on the counter for 12 hours.
- After 12 hours, you should see small sprouts starting to form on the sides of the lentils. Add to a bowl of cold water. Rub the lentils in between your hands gently to remove some of the hulls.
- Fill a stock pot with water, enough that should cover the lentils (but don’t add them in yet). Bring the water to a boil, then add the lentils in. Immediately reduce to a simmer.
- Cook uncovered, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Check the lentils continuously to see when they’re just tender. You want them to be tender, but not as soft as canned beans. Using a slotted spoon, remove any hulls that float to the top while simmering.
- Drain the lentils in a colander and remove as many hulls as possible.
- Spread the cooked lentils out on a clean sheet pan. Put the sheet pan in the oven on the lowest possible temperature and cook until the lentils are dry to the touch but still tender. (Alternatively, lay out on a clean, lint-free kitchen cloth until dry to the touch.)
- In a clean mixing bowl, add the lentils, vinegar, and tempeh starter. Mix well.
- Place the mixture on clean leaves or in a plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, press all of the air out of the bag to create a tightly packed, rectangular mass. Poke holes in the bag all over, with a toothpick. If you use leaves, arrange the mixture into a rectangle on top of the leaves, then fold over the leaves to wrap it like a package around the mixture. It should be a tightly secured rectangular shape. Secure closed with twine.
- Place the wrapped tempeh mixture in a warm place for 12 hours. Ideally, tempeh should be at 85 to 91° F for 24 hours, then at 60-75° F for 24 more hours. ( I like to place something heavy on it, like a book, to get a denser bind).
- After 12 hours, the tempeh should be generating its own heat. This is part of the fermentation process. Remove it from the warm location and set it at room temperature for another 24-36 hours.
- Unwrap the tempeh, and you will have a few storage options:
- You can vacuum seal, boil, then store in the fridge or freezer. This is how you get store-bought level tempeh.
- You can refrigerate (cook and eat within 4 days)
- You can cook it immediately with seasoning, then refrigerate and eat within 7 days.
- or you can freeze it in an air-tight container.
