Step 1

Rinse and drain two cups of soybeans and place in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2

Fill the bowl with water, covering the beans by about an inch (3 parts water : 1 part beans).

Step 3

Cover with a clean cloth or dish towel to keep out dust and soak overnight (approximately 12 to 18 hours).

Step 4

Drain the beans and rinse with fresh water, removing any broken or bad beans.

Step 5

Transfer the beans from the steamer basket into the Instant Pot stainless pot and add enough water to completely cover the beans (about 1 inch above the beans).

Step 6

Set the pressure vent to “seal” and cook the beans on “Manual” for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 10 minutes.

Step 7

While the soy beans cook, bring a few cups of water to boil in a small pot or tea kettle.  You'll use this water to sanitize your tools.

Step 8

Lay out anything that will come in contact with the beans on a cooling rack over the sink (large mixing bowl, mixing spoon, thermometer, small glass dish, etc.).

Step 9

Slowly pour boiling water over everything to quickly sanitize. Note: Keep about two teaspoons of hot sterilizing water to activate the nattō cultures in the next step.

Step 10

Note: I have always had great results with this method, however, if you feel more comfortable fully sterilizing your tools, place them in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.

Step 11

After 10 min. of natural pressure release, open the pressure release valve on the Instant Pot. (I recommend covering it with a cloth to keep the hot water from splashing).

Step 12

Using your sterile mixing spoon, remove one soybean to test for doneness.  It should be soft in the center and able to be smashed between your fingers with gentle pressure. If it's too mushy, the beans are overdone and will not be usable for nattō.

Step 13

Place the stainless IP steamer basket into the sink or over a large pot.  Remove the beans from the IP and drain into the IP steamer basket.  Then pour the beans back into your large mixing bowl.

Step 14

Place the steamer basket back into the Instant Pot.

Step 15

Using the spoon that comes with the spores, add one spoonful of the nattō spores to the small glass dish.  Add about two teaspoons of remaining hot sterilizing water to the natto spores and mix with a sterile spoon.

Step 16

Add the nattō starter culture mixture to the beans and stir gently but thoroughly to evenly distribute the natto culture.

Step 17

Dump the beans back into the steamer basket inside the Instant Pot.

Step 18

Cover the pot with sterilized cheesecloth (or dishtowel) and then cover the pot with the glass IP lid. This will keep the beans moist, but prevent condensation from dropping on the beans.

Step 19

Set the Instant Pot to the yogurt setting ("YOGT") for 24 hours. The temperature should remain between 90 and 104 F (30 - 40 C). Even though the Instant Pot does a good job of maintaining the temperature, I like to keep the thermometer in the pot and check it every so often.

Step 20

The beans may take anywhere from 22-24 hours to ferment. When they are complete, you will see a fine white "fuzz" and stringy strands covering the beans. To test, you can gently stir a small area of beans. If gooey strands form easily, the natto is finished.

Step 21

Natto has a distinct, pungent smell. What you don't want is a strong ammonia odor.  This means the beans have been over fermented and won't taste good.

Step 22

Once the cycle is finished, let the beans cool for about an hour, then place the beans in the refrigerator to “age” for one to three days. This will slow down fermentation and enhance the flavor.

Step 23

To prepare the natto, add the desired amount of natto to a rice or cereal bowl and mix vigorously with a spoon or chopsticks.  Add soy sauce and finely chopped green onions to taste.  Serve over hot rice, warm mochi, or simply topped with diced toasted nori for a Paleo version.