Countertop or Fridge? A SoyOry Storage Story
Soy sauce, like coffee beans, trolls and questionable ideas, suffers when exposed to light and heat. SoyOry soy sauce is unpasteurized, which amplifies the incredible depth of flavors and smells. Like beer, fried foods and underwear, the sauce is best when fresh. To help preserve the unique character of each brewed micro batch, I package it in resealable high-barrier bags that provide protection from oxygen. For my Original Finishing Soy Sauce the packaging happens right after pressing the moromi (the mix of water, salt, soybeans and koji that’s been aging for months). For my infused sauces, like the Cara Cara Chile and Green Chile Cedar, they are packaged as soon as the infusions are ready, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month after the “mother” sauce has finished fermentation.
To answer the age-old question— do I keep it on the countertop or in the fridge? Do both! The Dribbler bottle, which is shipped empty, should be filled only with enough sauce to tide one over for a few weeks. The pouch the soy sauce ships in is meant to be stored in the refrigerator or a cool, dry pantry. Your “show sauce” sits on the counter, ready to umami-fy your foodstuffs on demand.
Speaking of the soy sauce pouches, they are special. They’re silver, which makes it look like you might be feeding a hungry astronaut. They block light, they keep the air out, will just squish and make a slapping sound if you drop one instead of shattering, and they cost less to ship. If you have your own soy sauce conveyance device (see photo above), or if this is not your first SoyOry rodeo and you’re rich in Dribblers, you can just order the sauce pouches in two convenient sizes- regular and Enthusiast. Refill till there’s no more fill for filling. I’d love to say “recycle those pouches when you’re done”, but that’s not an option right now. There are some closer-to-being-recyclable pouches available, but not at quantities or pricing that are practical for a two-handed soy sauce operation. The alternative is to visit us in Sisters, Oregon on a Sunday during Farmer’s Market season and bring your own container. We’ll offer the soy sauce to you by the ounce.
A note about the Dribbler. It’s a bottle, with a lid. The lid has an open spout on one side, and a flow-control-hole on the other. It’s never airtight, so the longer the sauce sits in it, the more evaporation will occur. This leaves an unsightly white ring or white splotches on those satisfyingly wavy glass walls. This white stuff is known in the business as…salt. It’s not harmful, but it’s a good sign that there was more sauce in the bottle than needed. A few good swishes will usually incorporate it back where it belongs.
Please give the Dribbler or whatever container you’re using a good wash and rinse between fills. The Dribbler loves dishwashers, but keep the lid on the top rack or wash it by hand.
As always, thanks for getting saucy with me.
Scott