From soup to marinades and dressings, miso can be served in various recipes to make dishes delicious and rich in nutrients. Miso paste is an abundant source of probiotics to make healthy gut bacteria that helps to reduce inflammation.
Following the right storage tips, leftover miso can be served safely. Properly reheating is the key to avoid destroying nutrients or causing health issues.
How do you reheat miso? There are two easy ways to reheat miso, stovetop and microwave.
The stovetop is the best method since the temperatures are not very high, so the soup reheats gently. Place miso soup in a saucepan and slowly warm up using medium heat to ensure the ferment doesn’t boil.
On the other hand, microwave is the fastest method, but not as effective as the stove. Pour the miso soup into a microwave safe container covered with a piece of plastic wrap that is vented in one corner.
Microwaved miso will be ready between 90 to 120 seconds. The soup reheated from this method can be very hot, so allowing it to settle for about 30 seconds before serving.
Regardless of the method chosen, the miso should not be allowed to boil since that would cause damage to beneficial probiotics. The stove is more effective than the microwave since it is much easier to control heating temperature.
So, if you are wondering whether or not to save leftover miso soup and reheat it later, keep reading for details. Answered below are frequently asked questions about reheating miso and the best methods to serve leftovers.
Is miso heat sensitive?
Yes, miso is heat sensitive. The paste is a living fermented food, which makes it tremendously sensitive to extreme temperatures.
Remember miso is a fermented food that provides a conducive environment for beneficial micronutrients and probiotics. Once miso paste is added into boiling water, all the tiny microorganisms in the ferment will be killed instantly.
Once subjected to extreme temperatures, these live creatures get destroyed, making the soup lose its beneficial health purposes. Furthermore, it loses its sweet aroma and taste if miso soup boils for too long at a high temperature.
In this regard, ensure that the soup doesn’t boil so that healthy probiotics are not killed when reheating a miso soup.
What temp kills miso?
Temperatures above 115℉ will destroy the live microorganisms found in miso called the probiotics, which make the soup fail to meet its expectations for gut health.
Fermented foods are sensitive to high temperatures because it kills healthy living bacteria and beneficial probiotics.
As a result, the miso paste should not be added directly to boiling water during the preparation of a soup. The soup should not be allowed to boil when reheating miso soup, and much above body temperature will exceed the base temp.
When miso is used in marinades or glazes, then temperature is often not a concern as the primary function is the salty umami flavor. So killing the beneficial bacteria is most often a concern for miso soup or similar circumstances.
Is miso good to reheat?
Yes, miso is good to reheat. In fact, it is perfectly safe to reheat miso recipes such as miso soup, provided moderate temperatures are maintained.
Miso paste is derived from fermented soybeans, which means it contains live micronutrients vital to gut health, reproduction and heart health.
These micronutrients get destroyed once the miso paste is subjected to temperatures above 115℉. As a result, the flavor remains, but it makes the soup not serve its purpose for improved gut biome.
When reheating miso soup, it should not be allowed to boil. Not only affecting nutrient value, overheating also can make the miso soup lose some of its flavor.
Does reheat destroy miso?
Yes, reheating does destroy miso. The beneficial enzymes and probiotics in the ferment will be destroyed if it reaches temperatures above 115℉, more so if the liquid is at boiling point.
When miso pastes get pasteurized or exposed to an intense heating processing, it lacks natural probiotics. Such soups from brands can be reheated at extreme temperatures without harm, though an explosion can occur, especially when using the microwave method.
Therefore, it is optimal to reheat miso until it reaches 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, consider adding miso at the end of cooking to preserve the gut health benefits.
Can miso be microwaved?
Yes, miso can be microwaved. In fact, microwave is the fastest and easiest way to reheat miso.
Although it’s not the most suitable method, it’s safe to reheat miso in a microwave without destroying its nutrients when the proper instructions are followed. Without a doubt, it’s the fastest method to reheat miso.
Before reheating miso soup in the microwave, ensure the soup is placed in a safe microwavable container that has been covered with plastic wrap or damp paper towel.
Reheating should be done at intervals of 20 seconds with frequent stirring between each distribution. For maximum probiotic benefits, the miso soup should not be allowed to boil when reheating.
Tips for reheating miso
Because of healthy bacteria and probiotic organisms, it is tricky to reheat miso without destroying the microflora. In order to maintain the nutrient value and flavor, here are some of the useful tips to follow when reheating miso.
- Avoid boiling to prevent the destruction of its nutritional value and escape of aroma.
- The microwave method should be employed when faster reheating is required. However, stovetop reheating is much easier when a gentler method is required.
- Reheating in a pot on the stove should last from 5 to 7 mins while microwave may be as quick as 90 to 120 seconds.
- Reheating temperatures should not exceed 115℉.
- Stir thoroughly to ensure the heat is transmitted uniformly throughout the entire soup.
- Let reheated miso soup cool for 30 to 90 seconds before serving.
- When reheating using a stove, the heat should increase gradually to control the miso temperature and prevent soup from boiling.
- When using microwave methods, it’s good to reheat the soup at intervals of 20 to 30 seconds to check the miso soup temperature at each duration.
Reheating Miso: Conclusion
It’s safe to reheat miso foods like soup, marinates or glazed dishes as long as they don’t overheat the probiotics. Overheating makes the food loose its beneficial bacteria value by killing all the micronutrients when the food reaches above 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
A stovetop is the most suitable method for reheating miso foods since controlling temperature is much easier. On the other side, microwaving is the fastest method but controlling reheating temperatures is a bit more challenging.
Most beneficial enzymes found in miso are killed above 115℉, and guaranteed dead once the soup is heated to a boil. Be aware that miso is heat sensitive, and controlling temperature is the key when reheating miso.