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Kiasu Enzyme DIY 2

My son has walloped the 500 ml of apple enzyme which was delivered to this world 3 days ago.
Sigh.. he probably have thought that it taste better than our homemade Ribena (Roselle flower syrup) since the end product was rather sweet and syrupy, esp with ice. Too bad, I only tasted once.

Since my son is an ardent fan for my enzyme drink, I have endeavoured to try out new invention. Saw Christina's bubbling dragon fruit enzyme and it tempted to get involved into a DIY process that is rather "bloody".

Shopping list today includes getting the following fruits:-
2 red dragon fruits - RM4 each
4 green kiwis - RM1.30 each
2 yellow lemons - RM1.20 each

I have discovered this vegetarian restaurant along Yik Dai Ka row which also distributes green food and organic products. Apparently their Oligo is cheaper, about RM29 per 950ml. Unlike Oligo 900, it is harvested from artichoke instead of maize. Artichoke dish can usually be found in the mat salleh food menu but this vege is rather uncommon to the Asian. I have read some recipe books which described about the steps on artichoke preparation. The steps are rather tedious as the vege itself has a fat stem with many petals and layers to be skinned off before revealing the sweet flesh. This vege reminds me of the Chinese bamboot shoots. This Oligo's texture is rather runny and the colour is dark brown. I supposed it has been added with some malt sugar. According to the shop owner, the addition is an organic and natural form of sugar from the vege itself and therefore it is also harmless to the diabetic patients (Well, at least i need to comfort myself on this bit so that my family members can drink tanpa was was..)

I have bought a bottle of organic raw honey too. Raw honey is supposed to be cooling. So I thought of adding some organic raisins to neutralise the cooling effect. Picked up the organic raisin from the shell. Wow wee, a whopping RM17+ per can. On second thought, buy fresh grapes also about the same price. Moreover I still need to get it washed and dry up...lots of hassle..so I made up my mind to add it into my cart. My shopping list from the organic shop for that 3 items cost me another RM70. So the ingredients alone have made my wallet thinner by almost RM90. So I told to myself that this DIY part 2 better be successful or I swear not to DIY anymore. Reason why is because I have also discovered some ready-made prune enzyme from the shop, only RM40 per bottle and minus all the hassle...

The parade of all the raw ingredients bought for my DIY, say cheese!
At the back row is Ms Raw Organic Honey, next to her is The Dark Knight - the new breed of oligo, namely "Oligo Answer Liquid". Next to him is Yellow Lemon twins Kiwis are too shy to reveal themselves, hiding at the background. Standing at the front row is Organic Raisins which the sizes are all XXL (really, no joke). Facing the camera are 2 red Dragon fruits smiled impishly, half-hidden in the metal tub.

I am not very good with knife, so rather than skin them, I chose to cut it into half and scoop out the flesh from the kiwis. These are the "empty shells" after the flesh was scrapped clean by me using the metal spoon. In fact most nutrients are found nearer to the skins. By the way, as I didn't sun dry my tools, I was rather particular about those fruits that I used tonight. To play it safe, I have washed them using vege cleanser and rinsed many times. Falling short of using dettol to sterile them. But my mischievous son have touched their surface few times during the drying process. I hope this will not caused contamination to the fruit as the last thing that I wish to see is the enzyme turn bad due to infection caused by these 2 little hands of my son..



The crime scene....
Must clean up before CSI arrive..

I was rather upset as one of the lemon that I bought was not fresh. It looks fresh and glowing from the outer appearance but to my surprise, the inner pit has turned brownish. In the beginning I was quite upset with the fruit seller for her being dishonest. But on second thought, never mind lar, it is no surprise for one to judge a fruit by it's skin very often and no fault of her as she wasn't sure too cos look is always deceiving, just like human beings.
This is my to-be born enzyme babies. I have given names to them. On the left side is Raymon Dragon (Raisin, Lemon and Dragon Fruits) and to the right is Kylie Mona Dragon (Kiwi, Lemon and Dragon Fruits). I have used the wrong size of container again. But too bad I have dumped the first layer in so decided not to swap in case I would accidentally contaminate it.
From the left is my 2 1/2 week old orange enzyme, due this weekend. Next to him are the newly conceived non-identical twins, one gal and one boy(long fong toy) Raymon Dragon and Kylie Mona Dragon.
The "amniotic fluid" is rather dark in colour this time due to the Dark Knight - Oligo Answer.

The recipe is pretty simple. Just cut all the fruits less one spoiled lemon. Divide the fruits into 3 portion/layers. Drip the honey and oligo onto the top of the fruits for the 3 layers. Since the Kiwis and Dragon fruits are rather "vulnerable" and prone to get moldy, it is better to arrange them at the bottom, submerge in the liquid then topped with lemon. Rule of thumb is to have the liquid cover up till at least 3 quarter full of the fruits. One daily basis, get them to perform "The Shake" dance in order to maintain the surface as moist as possible.


Wish me luck!!

Enzyme Making Q & A

These are some of the frequently asked questions on enzyme making:-

What type of container to be used?
A glass container is the highly recommended. Avoid using material such as plastic or metal which will react with the organic acid released from the enzyme. The containers used by Youngmanlim in the BRP Linedance blog are good choices too. But it is better to separate the rubber ring with a layer of cling films so that the fruit acid with not caused Pricing ranging from RM15-35 depending on quality. Various sizes are available but personally I will advise you to use one with a "big mouth" so that your hand won't get stucked! There is a kitchen utensil shop opposite Central Market with many varieties of qualities and designs ranging from SS size to XXL sizes. Price are reasonable. Also, it is better to use a bigger container as in the process of fermentation, some CO2 will be released. Otherwise, the gas got no where to go and settled as bubbles/sud-like stuff in the glass jar.

Can sugar/molasses/rock brown sugar be used as ingredients?
During fermentation, yeast and bacteria consume sugar as food, releasing CO2 (aiyah..this is wat we learnt in biology lar, dunno meh?). This will take the form of gas bubbles and alcohol as the by-products. Conventional way of fermentation by using lots of sugar will create large amount of gas buddles and strong alcohol taste. Those with liver problems, hepatitis B carrier, low immunity system should avoid consuming it. The leftover sugar could be quite high and this would pose as a threat to diabetics too.

What is the best substitute for sugar?
Oligo 900 is the most ideal ingredients to be used for preparation of non-sugar enzyme. Oligo 900 is a friendly bacteria booster. It helps the growth of bifidus (same like what u can find in yakult) in large intenstine and will not be fermented into glucose.

There may be other unstable forms of oligo or low pureness of oligo, theres type of oligo will be converted easily into single sugar or glucose eventually transformed into alcohol. Therefore, pls make sure you choose the pure one.

The acid resistance character of oligo 900 is the most valuable property that ideally for vinegar enzyme fermentation.

Can we substitute wild honey with lime flower honey?
Yes. However, should be cautious when select wild honey. Avoid poor quality wild honey which may have high level of pathogens that may contaminate the enzyme.


How to prevent enzyme being molded?

Select only fresh vege or fruits. Removed ragged or hidden surfaces that easily stained with soil and micro-organism

Mouth of container must be sealed tight with food wrap/cling film. Cover with lid tightly to prevent pathogen or spores from entering in and contaminate the content.

How to take care of finished product?
Enzyme fermented with organic vinegar is easier to handle and have much longer storage period.
The normal enzyme preparation need to be more cautious, Keep in fridge and must consume asap.

When is the best time to consume the enzyme?
Enzyme can be taken at any time. Dilute with 10x of water with 30ml of enzyme. For those with stomach ulcer, may add 20x of water with 15ml of enzyme, avoid drinking with empty stomach.

Can we consume enzyme with medicine?
Enzyme is healthy drink but it is advisable not to consumed together with medicine as it may conflict with the medicine that you are taking. It is ideally to be consumed 2 hours after taking medication.

Any other cautions on consumption?
Certain properties of the fruits and enzyme remain unchanged even though after fermentation. For instance, grape fruits may cause drugs retain in the body, star fruits is not suitable for those with kidney problems. Always consult your doctor if you are suffering from certain illness just to be on the safe side.

Reduced Fat Orange Butter Cake

Ingredients:
200g butter
4 eggs
80g castor sugar
200g self-raising flour
Juice from one orange
Grated orange peel from one orange

Methods:
Cream butter and sugar till the colour turn pale on high speed.
Add egg one at a time
Blend in flour, either using a spatula or use pulse mode
Alternate with orange juice and the grated orange.
Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius
Bake for 40 mins.

I have taken one slice ...

Variation:
For a plain butter cake, skip the orange juice by replacing with 2 table spoon of milk/water and 1 tsp of vanilla essence. You may want to increase the sugar to 90g as orange juice is sweeter so I have reduced sugar in my recipe.

You can also replace self-raising flour with wholemeal flour plus 2 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 of bicarbonate of soda.

Kiasu Enzyme DIY

All of us had suddenly gone crazy because of Youngmanlim's charm. Oh,no, not his charm, it's his enzyme, to be exact, that have made our heads turned. Having heard that this is an antidote to aging, key to fitness, secret to beauty and longetivity, as evidenced by him and his wifey's fair complexion as well as fitter than CeciliaChung's bodies, vainpots like me and Christina are so driven into DIO(Do it ourselves.........)

Finally, we determined to make our first move. The experience is like a maiden voyage to womanhood, the bridal 's first night. Inundated with mixed feelings- full of anticipation, uncertainty and anxiety. We have experimented many positions, turning the glass jar up and down and then sideway, just to ensure that the sugar mixture covered all the fruits in order for them not to turn moldy....

Next, when we were over and done with the acts, we are anticipating the final production. This feeling is like a pregnant woman couldn't wait to see the birth of her baby. The 14-day waiting period is just like the gestational period of 3 trimesters. During this period, we take great interest to observe the development of our enzyme, just like a mother-to-be who look forward to regular gynae visits to see the ultra sonic scan of the feotus development. In the background, two women are comparing notes, to check whether their baby position and symptoms are normal. Of course the one who has delivered the baby had naturally become our mentor and are sharing the tip for a fit and healthy baby..I guess you know who....

I have also learnt that the end result may be succumbed to failure due to the condition present while preparation, the hygiene factor. If it turns black, the enzyme is unconsumable and have to be discarded. However, the mold if it is white in colour is usually harmless. This triggers me to think that any baddies are black and in the dark side and any goodies are always white and in the bright side. How wonderful is this law of nature. As to contemplate deeper, enzyme making is basically resonant to the causal and effect theory. We reap what we sow. So if the hygiene factors are present, basically the chances of getting the good end results are higher and vice versa.

Well, even the result do not turn out well, at least I am aware and mindful of my mistake and would just need to take precaution in my future experiment lor.....

This is one of my maiden voyage experiments- orange enzyme



Another experiment - apple with few slices of oranges (to replace lemon)

I am naively anticipating "twins" - Look at my glass jar, it's XL size. That really show how Kiasu I am... :)