Green-Kernel Black Soybeans Steeped in Vinegar

Why people make this tonic

This is one of Nourilo’s quiet favorites — black soybeans dry-roasted until their skins crack open, then steeped in sweet rice vinegar in a glass jar. In traditional food-therapy thinking, black beans are linked with the kidneys and black rice vinegar is associated with antioxidant support, circulation, and keeping hair dark. It takes about a month and a half before it is ready, but it keeps for a long time and a spoonful a day is an easy habit.

Method

1. Rinse the black soybeans, drain well in a colander.
2. Dry-roast them in a clean dry wok over low heat for about 10 minutes, until you smell the aroma and the skins crack open. (A little browning is fine; do not let them scorch.)
3. Let them cool, then put them in a clean glass jar, filling it about one-third to two-thirds full.
4. Pour in vinegar to fill the jar; add some crushed rock sugar if you like it less sharp.
5. Keep in a cool place (no need to refrigerate if dry-roasted and steeped in sweet/sugared vinegar). Steep about a month and a half before eating.

Nourilo’s Tips

Every day or two, give the jar a gentle shake — otherwise a layer of protein can float to the surface. That floating protein is edible, but regular shaking keeps it from forming. The beans near the bottom sit in the vinegar and turn softer; the ones on top stay firmer but encourage more saliva when chewed, which is fine. Steeped properly it keeps for about a year (Nourilo says even longer in the fridge, as long as there is no mold or off smell).