DIY Instant Pot Natto -- Homemade Fermented Stinky Soybeans 

Emmy! Will you make an InstaPot cooking series?!?

Emmy, I did a little twist: Followed directions exactly but instead of water I cooked the beans in Jasmine TEA. I have the most delicious and sweet smelling Natto you could ever imagine. Just amazing. Thanks for the great instructions.

I really hope you don't take offense to this, but I love to fall asleep you your videos. Any time I'm having a rough time falling asleep, I put on your vides and am instantly relaxed. That soothing a** voice! Lol.

Hello, ran across your video after having made natto several times before. Apparently I'm a bit more lazy. I usually just drain the water from the instant pot until 1/2 cup to a 3/4 is left and leave the entire steel pot to cool with the instant pot cover on top. This also allows the instant pot unit to cool. After about 15 min I set the instant pot to yogurt or 106F sous vide for 24hrs and mix in natto beans or spores directly into the steel instant pot. The steel pot is already sterilized from cooking the beans. No need to add an extra 2-3 steps.

Dear Emmy, It was a good idea to use the INSTANT POR to cook and ferment the soybeans to make natto. Since I needed a new pressure cooker anyway, I decided on the latest model, the DUO EVO PLUS, which e.g. for yoghurt, it is not only possible to preselect fixed temperatures, but also allow individual temperature settings in 1°C increments. So I tried boiling and fermenting my first natto just with the INSTANT POT like in the video and it worked fine. However, I asked myself: Why should you use a separate bowl that has to be sterilized and use foil that creates unnecessary plastic waste, when the INSTANT POT is already perfectly sterilized after the soybeans have been cooked and a perfectly high humidity is generated inside the pot when fermenting with the lid closed. So after soaking the beans in the inner pot for about 12 hours, I cooked the beans under steam pressure for 30 minutes in an steamer basket (accessory) inside the inner pot of the INTANT POT with just 1 liter of fresh water. Then I removed the beans and let it drain in the streamer for a few minutes, poured off the cooking water (keep 2 tablespoons) and then poured the cooked beans directly into the empty inner pot, add the 2 tablespoons of cooking water and let cool down to approx. 40°C (104°F), then mix in a little of natto as a starter with a spoon and then with yoghurt setting at 40°C for 20 hours let it ferment directly in the inner pot without any foils. Close the lid but open the vent to have some air exchange. At a slightly higher temperature, it should ferment faster, at a maximum of 45°C (113°F), above which the bacillus natto dies. The result was just as good as with an additional bowl and foils. Just less rubbish and less dish washing. I then put the finished natto, including the inner pot with a matching extra lid, in the refrigerator for 24 hours to mature and then put 50-100 g (approx. 2 - 4 oz.) portions of natto into small freezer containers and put them in the freezer. This way you can create natto in the INSTANT POT with the least possible effort. Greetings from Germany Klaus R.

For anyone interested, you can also make natto from black eyed peas, chick peas, or any bean or lentil (not green beans).

Hey Emmy ! I have been making natto for about five years and this is by far the easiest way! Thanks for sharing ! Just want you to know that you don’t need to put plastic wrap on top of the container inside the instant pot. The instant pot is sealed with high humidity inside and the natto bacteria absolutely love the high humidity but need oxygen. I think your natto quality will improve a lot if you keep the film off and let the natto breathe and come in contact with the humidity. I also split my 400 gm (dry weight to start) in three small bowls so the bacteria has more room to breathe. Thanks so much I am sharing this video quite a bit with my natto groups and friends who use this for their health.

My favourite way to eat natto is rather elaborate but quite easy to make and very delicious. I mix natto with hot mustard, soup soy sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, and whip the whole thing up; then serve on top of hot steamed rice, with thinly sliced green onions, and crushed up Korean "gim" (seasoned seaweed) and a sunny side up egg with crispy edges. YUM!

Thanks for this! Successfully made great Natto using mostly your method! I had soaked 12 hrs, cooked on bean setting for 26 mins, used your cellophane technique and then reverted to a family friend’s traditional incubation method. Instead of lamps, stoves or yogurt settings, place the mix (mine was in a casserole dish) in a cooler atop containers filled with hot tap water. My friend uses old sake bottles! Change the water out every 12 hours, and after 36 hours, the natto comes out perfect! Great for bigger batches that wouldn’t fit in the instapot!

Another paleo comment! After using some natto made with black beans, I found a neat use for them. You take some raw cashews, soak in warm water until tender, then toss with natto and set them aside to ferment. I found them actually generating a bit of their own heat! Once the cashews are done to taste (a day or two? I forget) I put them in the dehydrator and let them run until dry and crisp Very unusual and tasty!

I had bought a natto culture and it was sitting in my cupboard for more than a year. I found this video and watched it because I had an Instant pot and wanted to put the culture to good use. The beans came out exactly when I followed this recipe. Thank you.

I love natto, especially with eggs, but damn there are always some food that makes you wonder how people found out they were edible 😂 like imagine the first person that found that moldy cooked soybean pot they forgot for a week and then thought "well what if i eat it anyway"

If you haven't already, try putting a bowl of soaked, drained beans up on a trivet in the instant pot over half an inch of water and pressurizing for 40 minutes. That way they get steamed. My last two batches have been steamed instead of boiled beans. Keeps em from getting too much water in the center of the beans supposedly, and that definitely seems to be what happens! The steam release will be much easier and not as messy too.

Could you make black garlic?

I love your channel and have learned to love natto! I make big ole honkin' batches, so I kind of streamlined it. I cook lots of soybeans first, in the IP of course, but before I seal the lid to cook I lay a metal spoon on top to sterilize it for later. When the beans are done, fish out the sterile spoon and set it on a clean paper towel. Strain the beans, let them cool to proper temp, then dump the whole batch back into the (already sterilized by boiling IP liner). Mix in your starter really well, cover, and set it on (med) yogurt for 24 hours...then just stir and check for strings. Done! No fussing with bleach, no plastic or poking holes, no trying to layer in the right sized containers to fit inside the liner, you just use the liner! All you have to do is dole it out into any containers when it's done. I freeze half and store the rest in the fridge, and like aged cheese, it gets stronger (better) as it's stored, but I've kept it two weeks or more and it's fine! Thanks for all you do!

I've watched so many Natto making videos and I've noticed a few things to what makes a natto making successful. 1, is to steam the soybeans rather than boiling them. Boiling the soybeans helps them retain more water that could give it too much moisture during the time of fermentation, which is what you don't want. After fermentation, the soybeans should be semi-dry, just as how you see them as a purchased Natto package. 2, is to not have a large layer of the soybeans as they set in the fermentation process. The deeper the layer, the more moisture that is retained especially at the bottom of the containing vessel. Excess moisture will give you a dry top later and anything past that will look like the soybeans prior to the fermentation. All the beans will be inoculated but you won't develop the classic Natto "slime" as you'd expect. You can, on the other hand, if you do decide to use a Instant Pot for your mechanism, use a perforated containing vessel so to allow the side and bottom layers to have warm air circulating and to allow the soybeans to breath and expel some moisture. Or, simply do not exceed more than a 4-5 layer of the soybeans while they are in the fermentation process. 3, Never seal shut the soybeans as they ferment. The bacteria are aerobic and need air to help them grow. Simply lay a dry cloth, or paper towel over the rim of the pot, and to secure that, simply place the lid over it at a slight angle. 4, I'd do without the double perforated plastic wrap if your working with a deep layered containment of soybeans. Again, amount of air and ventilation is crucial. It is ok, to do so, as Natto Dad displayed but recall his layers of soybeans were not as much. Practice makes perfect. I hope I've been of help to everyone.

the texture of natto looks pretty appetizing to me lol , I always have the strong urge to eat it when I see it

I love my instapot! I got my 8 quart pot for Christmas and I use it almost everyday for something. Whether its making soup, or just making rice. Its really great for me because I'm disabled. Standing for long times in the kitchen, watching over food and other reasons its hard for me to cook meals anymore. With this for the most part I just put in the ingredients and away it goes. The short cook times are a plus, also being able to use frozen food is great. I mean we all forget to pull meat out of the freezer the night before, but with the Instapot, NO PROBLEM! I'm going to try and make my own mozzarella cheese at some point as well as yogurt. Also, if you aren't good at boil eggs (Alot of people can't boil eggs to get a creamy yellow middle) its sooooo EASY with this thing. Emmy, here are a few things I would suggest you to get for your Instapot: 1. BUY EXTRA RINGS!--They are cheap and its best to have extra on hand. Cheap enough on Amazon. 2. Tempered Glass Lid--I have one and its great for the non-pressured cooking. Like slow cooking or saute' 3. Stackable Steamer Pans-- more room, and great for reheating 4. Ceramic Non-Stick Inner Pot -- now I don't have one but people swear by it and its always good to have a second pot around so you can cook one, make the other part of the recipe and then drop this other pot in. 5. Springform Cake Pan-- Just make sure you get one that can fit in the pot itself. 6.Gripper Clips -- Now I have seen RunnyRunny use these on his pots and pans, the only problem is, I haven't found a good strong one. I have the 8 quart pot and all the ratings I've seen on Amazon have been kinda poor for these things. I don't want to pay out the nose for it either. This is one thing you can buy at your discretion. Anyways I hope these items help and I would look to see you do a InstaPot Cooking series. Sorry for rambling but I really love my instapot and once you starting using this thing, you don't know how you lived with out it.

I typed up the steps as best I could for people who prefer to have them in print. :-) 1. Take 1 lb (about 2 and 2/3 cups or about 450 grams) soy beans, rinsed well and sorted (remove the funky looking ones.) 2. Place washed beans into bowl and cover them with at least 3-4 inches (7-10 cm) of water. 3. Let soak 12-18 hours in warm weather, up to 24 hours in cooler weather, beans are ready when batches of tiny bubbles form on top of water. 4. Drain beans then add beans to clean instant pot bowl and cover with water. 6. Pressure steam on high for 20 minutes, natural release (let it cool on its own until the pressure indicator pops back down rather than releasing the steam) 7. Let the beans cool to just a little warm and then drain them, saving around 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) of the liquid, the beans should be easy to squish with fingers when done. Beans should not be too warm as this could kill the natto culture. 8. Sterilize a container and spoon by boiling, or add one tablespoon (15 ml) bleach, fill container with water and allow to soak for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse well. 9. Using sterilized spoon, add some beans to container, leave space at the top, like 1 ro 1.5 inches (about 2.5-3.5 cm.) 10. Add 1/9th of standard natto container. Cover it with the warm beans, give it a few minutes for the warmth of the beans to thaw the natto, then add 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) of the liquid, stir well to make sure the natto gets mixed with the beans. 11. Stretch plastic wrap over the bowl and poke a few dozen holes with a toothpick or fork, then loosen the wrap and press it gently down until it's laying on the beans. Add a second piece of plastic wrap, stretch it over the top of the container and poke a few dozen holes, and leave it stretched over the top. 12. Add a cup (about 250 ml) of hot water to the instant pot and place the steam rack into the pot. Add the container with beans onto the rack, close the lid. Set it to normal yogurt temperature for 8 hours, check to see if halos (white fuzziness) are appearing around the beans. If no halos appear, incubate for 4 more hours and check again. Once halos appear, incubate at the same setting another 8 hours. 13. Let natto cool at room temperature for a few hours. 14. Place into refrigerator. Flavor may improve over the next 2 to 5 days.

This is my new favorite kitchen tool! Day 1 I was going to pressure cook a meat ru-vid.comUgkxG-7WiT7ocumjytOpHDFt632PL0pxXRAg and potato stew, decided I wouldn't eat it that night so I went with a slow cook so I could go to bed and put it away in the morning. I love that versatility! The sauté feature works great and adds tons of extra flavor to dishes, and I can easily sizzle meats in the bottom then deglaze for some restaurant worthy flavors.Big bonus - you can cook a whole frozen chicken in about 2 hours. Amazing! I've seen a couple videos, haven't tried it yet, but I will soon!

Use a towel over the release valve to speed vent. That’s what I do.

Food network needs to steal you so cute and informative and entertaining

I eat almost anything, but natto is the one food that actually made me laugh when I tasted it because it was soooo not nice. 😂

I feel like Emmy is the Bob Ross of RU-vid

I lay a dish towel over the vent when I release it.

Love you videos and binge watched them all lol.... but I had a question. How is it that you like Natto but don't like banana's because you think banana's are slimy?

I just tried natto. Let me tell you something she’s an acquired taste. The sauces that came in the pack really did the trick to make it taste better though and I would def try it again. 🤣 Update: My brother just tried it and I ate it again and we both like it so this is probably going to be a constant buy. 😅

I had the same idea and my Instant Pot from Amazon came today. I didn't care for the instruction booklet so I googled instand pot natto and your video came up right away. You saved me hours of trial and error. Thanks!

Your vocabulary and descriptions are perfection. You’re fantastic and really fun to watch. Some of these dishes are absolutely horrific to me, to me because I’m very finicky & can’t even imagine... but you make everything seem so palatable, worthy of trying and yes....fun. I can’t believe you’re not on TV. Though, with your very likable personality, verbal skills and ability to make cooking seem so easy and fun....you’re to good to get lost among cooking shows. I love you here on RU-vid. Grateful actually. I’m a fan, new subscriber and am binge watching your channel.

Emmy, just wanna say, you're lovely and your videos are a breath of fresh air. You have a lovely positive vibe that just cheers me up. Thanks for the vids ☺ from Bristol, UK

Wouldn't dare eat it. *scared of the smell* but I'm here for you Emmy!!!!!!! 😗

:O... Is it just me or where the green onions especially green and pretty today?

Thank you for posting recipe. I streamlined it even further by foregoing the plastic wrap contraption (the Instant Pot lid acts in the same way, seal on or off as it doesn't go under pressure in Yogurt mode) and it worked wonderfully. Lots of tasty and nutritious stickiness! :)

My mom accidently makes this when she forgets about the beens 😂

Okra has a slimy texture, too, when it's added to soups! I love it, but some people have a problem with it. I think I want to try natto, but I'm not good with bitter flavors. I have a lot of trouble with things that are even slightly bitter, like grapefruit.

Hey emmie! I love all these amazing videos you make! There are so many exotic things that you recreate, it actually encourages me to try new things. I also love how you include your fails because those are always really funny. All I want to say is you are an amazing human being and hope you have a nice day!

Thank you so much for this video! I am SO excited to find out that you can simply use store-bought natto for the starter. Every video I've seen mentions the actual bacteria, which I was planning to buy, but this is SO much easier and cheaper. I can't wait to make my own fresh natto!

Please make kimchi!! Anybody agree???

I made this yesterday for my wife. She was very skeptical that Natto could be made in an Instant Pot, but it came out fantastic! My wife is super pleased. I didn't have a glass bowl the right size, so I used a metal one. No problems at all. Thanks Emmy!

Is there any way to make this without using plastic wrap? I'm concerned about plastic leeching in to my food.

You look just like Spinelli from recess in this video 😝👌🏾

Love this video. I always check back to make sure I’m doing it right each time I make natto. Like I am today One day last summer I followed this as usual, BUT when I was done I wrapped the bowl in towels and put it in the sun on my deck. I forgot about it till the next day. Best Nattō ever.

Thanks for the video as I love natto and was spending too much on it, plus hated all the plastic packaging. 16 hours on Normal Yogurt setting wasn't quite enough yet for anyone out there wondering. It's stringy and very tasty, but not quite natto yet. I'm trying with two more hours now.

Hi Emmy, enjoyed your video. I make natto in Instant Pot all the time. Instead of plastic wraps, you can use a kitchen towel over it during fermentation!

I’ve made good natto by putting it in a pot in a heat bag with a reflecting material along with two hot water bottles with boiling water in them. It’s ready overnight.

I’m so glad that I, as a picky eater, can try foods thru Emmy😂 I would never eat this, Emmy did it for me😂💕

I would make this if I had family that would eat this. I grew up eating natto in Japan but only have in-laws and they won't touch most of the stuff I eat. I'm so happy I have a source near by. I eat natto with soy sauce, green onion, Chinese mustard and a raw egg.

Every time I see this, I think it's going to taste like a Rice Krispy treat.

Thank you SO much, Emmy! My natto turned out beautifully. I've been trying to making it for years now with no success. I fermented the beans in my yogurt maker and covered them with plastic wrap just as you suggested - perfect natto. In the past I tried to make it with ordinary sized soy beans - never could get that gooey texture, but this time I used tiny sprouting soy beans and it's wonderfully stringy. The little beans are hard to find here in Australia (I bought them online at Seedmart in Brisbane if anyone out there is having similar difficulties.) Thanks a million Emmy!!

Natto is a great food as not only it contains all the essential proteins but the fermentation makes them much more digestible and also reduces the anti nutrients of the soy. It also produce Nattokinase that seems to thin your blood and huge amount of vitamin k2 that is good for your bones and also avoid calcification of your arteries

Just made this recipe and it turned out PERFECT!!

I'd like to see you try black garlic if you haven't already. I've seen it in my local grocery store once but I chickened out in trying it... And I wasn't sure what kind of application to use them in.

I love Natto with 2 drops of sesame oil and a bit of Japanese mayo...wipp it...yummmmm

I’ve got to try this, thank you! I would like to mention that I watched the old video and it reminded me of the Italian Grandma making pizza, how delightful that two little old ladies from opposite sides of the world both wrap their creations in layers of blankets to ferment. Love all your videos keep them coming.

TODAY IS THE DAY! I am making this with the last pod of natto I have (saving specifically for this), though, instead of soybeans, I'm using chickpeas since that's what I have on hand. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS! I'm trying to get into natto and I have high hopes of fresh will taste best.

Omg! I've been so excited for this to come out!! Thanks for always doing super cool things, Emmy 😍💚

So many of the things you do terrify me....

Personally, Ilike the smell. It reminds me of coffee. It tastes lovely as well. It's a bit like Stilton Cheese. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, you love it!

That was great, thanks. I hoped that someone had tried using the InstantPot yoghurt function to make natto, and here you have explained it so well! I accidentally bought the natto culture, while trying to buy a stain of Bacillus subtilis specifically for soy sauce and fermented bean paste, and it shall definitely not be wasted now. I loved the way you served your natto too, I want a bowl now 😂🍚🥢❤️

Just wanted to let you know that I've been making natto every few weeks and I love it, and I keep coming back to this video for instructions (and will continue to do so until I have it memorized, lol) Thank you! Also - natto is absolutely amazing with fresh avocado 🥑😋

Yay! Its 7pm! It doesn't matter what youre eating Emmy Im always watching the video!! ❤

III LOOOOOVE MY INSTANTPOT LEGIT COOK EVERYTHING IN IT. please do lots of recipes lol

So many people in the comments saying they don't like it but they won't even try it. Then how do you know? Such a shame! Natto is delicious and healthy! A great food, just mix it up and enjoy! Oh and it's cheap too ;)

Hi Emmy! You are awesome, my Instant Pot mini does not have a yogurt setting, but my oven light keeps everything at the perfect temperature to incubate natto! It was mildly funky during incubation but not as bad as making kim chi. I am so glad that you posted this so people could try making natto, it is super easy and so delicious! My favorite way of eating it is mixed with parmesan and parsley or cilantro over hot buttered rice. Natto has a smoky, mushroomy flavor so try it where you would use mushrooms. Thanks for your cool videos, I'm on the lookout for a good bread machine at the thrift store!

I have just acquired a taste of Natto, and your video is super helpful with solid instructions using the Instant Pot. Thanks Emmy!!

I'm still wondering who are the 333 jerks that disliked Emmy's videos!!!! What's not to like? She sweet, attractive and as friendly as anyone could be! I don't understand!

I’m a slightly picky eater but I actually like natto. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s beans, I love beans ❤️❤️

I saw an episode of fear factor and the contestants had to eat this and I remember them gagging at the texture and flavor. I've been very apprehensive about it until now because you, Emmy, are so wonderful with being bluntly​ honest

Emmy, I really enjoy your videos. I started making natto recently for the great health benefits ... especially vitamin K2. Here is a variation you may want to try. Substitute black beans for the soy beans; natto making technique is otherwise identical. Eat with salt , pepper, garlic and especially lots of parmesan cheese. The parmesan cheese disguises the flavor and also takes up all the slime. Great taste and no slime...very palatable! Keep the videos coming; great edutainment! :)

Got me an Instant Pot at Costco on sale the other day. My first recipe on it is your Natto beans. So far it's been 15 hours incubating. Will post how they came out. Can't wait!

Emmy, I just used my IP to make natto, according to your exact specifications, and I fermented for 24 hours on yogurt normal setting, and the beans had no white foam around them at all and are maybe slightly stringy, not much. They are slimy though...wondering what went wrong. (I regularly eat natto from the Japanese store, but I thought it would be great to do it myself since I've got an IP) any thoughts would be much appreciated!

_Beans, beans the musical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot_ 🤭🍑💨

I wonder how different the homemade Natto is? Even the store bought stuff is delicious, so I'm interested in the quality difference.

This video is excellent but so crazy . According to all the other instructions you are supposed to steam the soyabeans and cook for 40 minutes under pressure , you cook the beans in water for only 20 minutes and get better results than I do . Natto is an incredibly finicky ferment , it is normally quite hard to get right, you knocked out the park. Well done.

4:19 when you opened the pot and the steam came out one of my earlier farts wafted from the blanket and it felt like a truly immersive experience, it was wonderful

Please make random desserts in the pressure cooker!

11:20 You really need your own cooking show on daytime tv.

Awesome, I had watched Natto Dad's video and thought it was too much work and wondered if it could be made in an Instant Pot - I will be ordering some organic soy beans and try making it myself, esp since it's so good for you and much cheaper to make your own.

I just love you, your way and style - you are bubbly and perfect... this is the first time I have watched someone on youtube and fully resonate with them... you make me feel great... thank you for that !!... oh !!.. did I mention that you explain everything so well.. simply perfect

Natto's scent always reminds me of used coffee grinds. Not a bad thing XD Thank you for this video!

Love you Emmy but I just can't. I tried to eat natto but my mouth jumped off my face and ran down the hall...

I want to try this 😭 it sounds like it would be right up my alley, but I don't even know how I'd get my hands on a whole soy beans and the natto starter

Thank you for this! As a 52 year old that has suffered heart attacks and stroke, this is indispensable as I need natural forms of k2 which protect arteries from absorbing calcium.

I use to live next to Japanese grocery store and tried Natto for the first time a few years ago. I love it with breakfast with chili crisp oil and scallions.

Oh hey, you get the same natto brand as me! It's my favorite. I've tried making my own natto like this but I don't like how it turns out when using the bigger soybeans, unfortunately. I wish it was easier to find the smaller varieties.

Wow! Your channel is growing so fast!

Natto is something I would like to try, but I’m allergic to soy, so I guess I will just watch other people eat it.

I got to try natto when my host family in Japan served it to me with breakfast, and I loved it with the little mustard packet and rice. However at a sushi bar I had some sushi with natto in a giant glob on top and I couldn't stomach it, I think because of how strong it can be it's best eaten in small bites lol. This video definitely got me craving it again, I'm gonna pick up some on my next trip to the asian market.

Quick point to make here, doing anything fermented can be a fragile process which you are aware. Cheese and wine makers, more specifically cheese makers use vinegar to disinfect their equipment. Yes bleach is good, vinegar is best because it's food grade. Now as for me I love bleach because I work in medicine field, bleach is my favorite but way too risky when it comes to making any type of food for my family. Once I started using vinegar I felt much less paranoid that I had not rinsed the bleach off thoroughly. Happy fermenting.

UNDER PRESSURE! Pushing down on me, pushing down on you!

Most Americans eat fermented foods all the time. Cheese anyone? Yogurt, Cheese, kombacha and kimchi. All these things are Fermented and is no different to Natto. I know some people who think eating rotten milk disgusting AKA "Cheese". Its all in your head with what you think is good or disgusting.

Beans, beans, the musicall fruit...C Major is the key of the instapot tune!

I make yogurt in my oven all the time! It's a gas oven and when it's off it's around 100F, which is also the right temperature for incubating yogurt

thank you so much for this, emmy! i live in a small town and can’t find natto anywhere, but came across nattodad through this video and found a recipe where he uses natto spores i can easily purchase on amazon. i’m excited!!!

Slimy smelly beans just dont seem appetizing to me at all.

Looks revolting. I'd still try it.

Thank you! I'm making it right now; wish me luck!

Like you I also use a instant pot for presure cooking the beans, no need to cool down the beans, natto spores can survive temperatures above boiling point..

You are a beautiful person, Emmy. Thank you for all of these amazing videos!

So it's kind of like making yogurt where you have to use some already made yogurt to make more yogurt lol....that's always sounded weird to me :-p