The most commonly used
Banana and other large leaves are the traditional wrappings in Java, Indonesia. Plastic bags perforated with tiny holes are the typical wrappings for tempeh production in the West. The idea is that the container should be airtight to maintain a high level of humidity inside, but also allow breathing for the mycelium to grow. Use a pick, a fork or a sharp knife to make small holes about every 2cm.
Easy alternatives
You can be very creative with tempeh shapes. We have used plastic wrap on occasion to make tempeh sausages. You can also use Tupperware or other plastic containers by poking holes in them, or other silicone moulds. It is recommended to use a 2-3 cm high container to ensure good breathing to the centre and optimise the growth of your tempeh.
Domingo Club tempeh moulds
We had a lot of fun by 3D modelling and 3D printing our own tempeh moulds. Our designs are open source and distributed, all the details are here.
We are now also using glass petri dishes to make nice round tempeh burgers of about 100gr. The petri dishes are designed and optimised for any culture, with good sealing, ventilation, heat dissipation and easy cleaning. We highly recommend their use and sell some on our e-shop.
