To make a 7% sweet miso, start by cooking the soy beans. Steaming is the best method here as they won't absorb too much liquid; the dryer the miso and the longer it takes to ferment, the better the flavour will be.

Combine the cooked soy beans with the remaining ingredients and blitz in a blender. You can choose to blend until completely smooth or leave a little texture depending on your preference. Transfer to a container and drop on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles – you need the carbon dioxide to escape otherwise the miso will ferment unevenly.

Cover the container with muslin cloth and leave in a warm place – the warmer it is the quicker the process will be. 25°C takes around 5 days, so miso is best made in summer if you don’t have a dehydrator.

Taste after 5 days. If you are happy with the taste, store in the fridge to halt the fermentation process, or leave it out for a few more days to develop the flavour. If you're not in a hurry to use it, leave the miso in the fridge to develop slowly.

To make a 20% salty miso, cook the soy beans, again steaming is the best method for this.

Blend the cooked soy beans with the remaining ingredients, either until completely smooth or keeping a little texture if preferred. Transfer to a container and drop it on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.

Cover the container with muslin cloth and leave in a cool, dark area for at least 1 month. As with other fermented products such as wine, miso can be aged for years, and you can achieve a variety of fruity, floral or earthy flavours depending on how long you leave it.