Miso in need of an expert opinion

Hi,

I wound up buying a beautiful container of Yamabuki All Natural organic (no preservatives) miso for the Vegetable Donburi recipe I made for dinner tonight. Only problem is my recipe calls for 2 1/2 tablespoons and my container is 17.5oz. The lengths to which the package was sealed (parchment on miso, vacuum seal w/ little oxygen absorbing packet) lead me to believe this stuff ain't gonna last long now that it's been open. But maybe I'm wrong - anyone have an idea as to how long? Can it sit in my fridge for a week or two before consumption? Thanks, Lynn

I don't know if its "all-natural organic" status makes it less stable than any other miso, but generally speaking my understanding is that miso can hang out in the fridge for a year, easy. I have a tub that I've been working on for a good seven months, myself.

Please don't sue me if I'm wrong

LynnB wrote: The lengths to which the package was sealed (parchment on miso, vacuum seal w/ little oxygen absorbing packet) lead me to believe this stuff ain't gonna last long now that it's been open.

I've never bought one that was vacuum sealed, usually the cover is hard-shrink wrapper. Also IIRC the packet inside is silica gel inside which aborbs moisture (unless of course it says it abrobs oxygen).
Anyhow, I've kept miso for a couple of months (and then used it). Though I replace the parchment and press a piece of saran cut to cover the surface to reduce exposure of the miso to air.

Nice title

When I asked my wife, whom is native Japanese born & bred, this question, she first remarked that when growing up, her parents never even refrigerated their expensive miso pastes (in the summertime no less) and they never got sick and the miso never went bad (it's fermented and salt laden after all). In our household, my wife says refrigerated miso can last you at least a year - it simply starts drying out when it gets old.

Update: My wife now says her parents used to even mix in the mold which might grow on their miso, thereby enhancing the taste.

Aside: My parents used to tell me the fine soys (soy sauce) made in the old days had a crust of mold, maggots, etc during the fermentation process during manufacture.

Andoh's Washoku(and other sources...including my own experience) allow that miso keeps well refrigerated 6 mo. to a year. If whitish mold occurs...simply scrape off. I've never encountered any mold. If pinkish mold appears...toss.

I concur with the above. In my experience, I have kept miso going in my fridge for well over a year...and that without a proper seal.

My experience has been that the parchment just helps to keep the miso from drying out and oxidizing once you open it. It's still fine to eat - just can get a little dark and crusty if you haven't used it in a while.

Thanks all! To the back of the fridge it will go - next to the nam pla & the curry pastes.

LynnB wrote:Thanks all! To the back of the fridge it will go - next to the nam pla & the curry pastes.

I thought you weren't supposed to refrigerate nam pla?
Anybody know definitively?