How to Make Herbal Soap

Herbal Soaps - Photo by carolochs.com (simply soaps)

These days, everything is better if we go for natural and herbal. The human body especially the skin deserves pampering and natural treatment too, so selling herbal soap should not be a bad idea. The better news is that you can actually start your very own herbal soap business in the comfort of your home.

What is herbal soap? Herbal soaps are those soaps that are mixed with natural ingredients such as juice, extract, or even chopped leaves and petals of medicinal plants. 

How to make herbal soap is mostly similar to that of general soap-making, the trickier part is choosing which herbs to put into your herbal bar soap. Check out below some selected medicinal plants that you can choose from.

Utensils:
Plastic pail
Wooden ladle or bamboo stick
Glass or cup
Mortar and pestle
Cheese cloth or strainer
Knife
Chopping board
Cooking pot (preferably made of clay, enamel, stainless or glass)
Stove
Plastic molders


AKAPULKO AND GUAVA SOAP:

How to prepare a decoction:

1. Wash the leaves thoroughly and chop or cut in small pieces.
2. Measure 1 glass of chopped fresh leaves and 2 glasses of water.
3. Let it boil for 15 minutes (start timing when water start to boil).
4. After 15 minutes, remove from fire and strain in a cheesecloth. Set aside and let it cool.

Materials:

1 glass Caustic Soda (NaOH)

3 glasses Akapulko or Guava decoction, cooled

5 glasses cooking oil

Coloring powder (optional)

Procedure:

1. Prepare the materials and the utensils needed.
2. Measure 1 glass of caustic soda and 3 glasses of Akapulko or Guava decoction and pour into a plastic pail.
3. Mix well by stirring continuously using a wooden ladle or bamboo stick. Use only one direction in mixing the mixture. Stir until the caustic soda is dissolved.
4. Pour 5 glasses cooking oil into the mixture.
5. Continue stirring until a consistency of a condensed mick is achieved.
6. Pour the soap mixture into desired plastic molders. Set aside and let it cool to harden.
7. After 4-5 hours, remove the soap from the molder.
8. Allow 30 days of ageing before packing. Label the soaps.

Indications:

Akapulko leaves - good for an anti-fungal infections

Guava leaves - an antiseptic for wounds

KAMIAS, CALAMANSI, PAPAYA, CUCUMBER AND RADISH SOAPS

Materials:

1 glass Caustic Soda (NaOH)

3 glasses water

5 glasses cooking oil

1/2 glass juice or extract

Procedure: 

1. Prepare the materials and the utensils needed.
2. Measure 1 glass of caustic soda and 3 glasses of water and pour into a plastic pail.
3. Mix well by stirring continuously using a wooden ladle or bamboo stick. Use only one direction in mixing the mixture. Stir until the caustic soda is dissolved.
4. Pour 5 glasses cooking oil into the mixture.
5. Continue stirring until a consistency of a condensed milk is achieved and add 1/2 glass of juice or extract.
6. Pour the soap mixture into desired plastic molders. Set aside and let it cool to harden.
7. After 4-5 hours, remove that soap from the molder.
8. Allow 30 days of ageing before packing. Label the soaps.

Indications:

Kamias - fruit extract or juice (bleaching soap)

Calamansi - fruit extract or juice (bleaching soap)

Cucumber - fruit extract or juice (moisturizer)

Papaya - extract from fresh leaves (bleaching/moisturizer)

Radish - extract from the stem (moisturizer)

REMINDER:

Caustic Soda is harmful to health and so, make the necessary precaution. Kindly use mask and gloves to protect your body. In case of direct contact to the skin, wash immediately affected skin vinegar or anything sour and then wash it with soap and water.

How to Make Gelatin From Seaweed

Kiwi and Berries Jelly Agar-Agar
Photo from tastespotting.com and Seasaltwithfood.com

I was so stunned looking at the "berries and kiwi jelly agar-agar" photo at the tastespotting.com. It was so delicious, mouth watering and so classy. With combined creativity, imagination and dedication, me or you could start a gelatin home base business at any time by following the procedure below and good luck.  Also, I posted other photos of jelly agar-agar for some delicious inspiration from same site above.

Procedure in making gelatin from seaweed:

1. Wash the seaweeds very well, drain and dry (spread over a wire or bamboo screen for the purpose) for a week.
2. To remove the fishy odor and taste, soak and dry the seaweeds in fresh water for 5-10 minutes, and dry again in the sun until it becomes dirty yellow in color.
3. Bleach in one liter water with 1 tbsp. vinegar until it turns olive green in color.
4. Put again in the sun until it turns light brown.

How to extract agar:

1. Put 1 kilo dried seaweeds in 1 liter water with 1 tbsp. vinegar (or more effective, in 3 1/2 liter water) 80 ml. 0.1 N sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
2. Boil and constantly stir for 1 hour.
3. Strain in muslin cloth while hot.
4. Allow to cool in room temperature for 5 hours.
5. When it has hardened, slice into desired sizes.
6. Put in ice sprinkled with salt for 2-3 days, or in a freezer overnight.
7. Nextday, thaw the frozen seaweeds and allow to dry.
8. Put again in the sun until the desired is attained.
9. When it cools, it is then ready to cook or bring to market.

Source: PCARRD Monitor, Agust 1987; photos by tastespotting.com

Rose, milk, honey and jelly agar-agar
Photo from tastespotting.com and korasoi.com

Rose berrie Agar-Agar
Photo from tastespotting.com and rotinrice.com

How to Make Taho

"Tahooo!" 

Every morning you would always hear this chant from a man on the street carrying bucket-like container with a bamboo stick to balance it at his shoulders. As most filipinos is fond of eating this it is considered as one of Pinoy's favorite morning snack.  

Taho is made from soybeans. The finished product is soft and solky soybean custard. Added for flavor are sago pearls and thick brown sugar syrup. It is served warm in small disposable cups. If you are planning to go into business producing taho, and searching for a procedure how to make it, then read the information below.

RAW MATERIALS AND UTENSILS:

500 g soybeans

1 pc weighing scale

2.5 liters water

2 pcs basin

2 pcs gulaman bars

2 pcs colander

1 cup sago

1 pc grinder or blender

1 unit stove

SYRUP:
2 pcs casserole
250 g brown sugar
2 yards cheesecloth
250 ml water molder
1/4 tsp vanilla 

Procedure to make taho:

1. Soak beans overnight, wash and remove the hulls.

2. Grind finely (using a grinder or blender) while adding hot water.

3. Put soybean in a cheese cloth and squeeze out milk.

4. Boil soymilk for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir and add gulaman (previously dissolved in 1 liter boiling water). Allow to boil for another 10 minutes.

5. Pass the mixture through chessecloth then pour in a molder.

6. Cool and serve with syrup and previously boiled and syrup sago.

Procedure to make syrup: Boil water and brown sugar under moderate flame.  Add flavor (vanilla, pandan, lemon) when sugar dissolves and mixture has boiled. Cool. 

Source: DOST, Photo from colorfulrag.blogspot.com

How to Make Coconut Macaroons

Commercially made coconut macaroons are generally dense, moist and sweet, and often dipped in chocolate. Homemade macaroons and varieties produced by smaller bakeries are commonly light and fluffy, as though they were a cross between macaroons, meringues and nougat. Macaroons made with coconuts are often piped out with a star shaped tip, whereas macaroons made with nuts are more likely shaped individually due to the stiffness of the dough.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

¾ cup condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups desiccated coconut

2/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp butter or margarine

Utensils:

mixing bowl

eggbeater

wooden ladle

measuring cups and spoons

oven

Packaging Materials:

paper cups

styrofor with plastic cover

Procedure:

Beat eggs till light and fluffy. Add butter or margarine and sugar, then beat thoroughly. Add vanilla, condensed milk and desiccated coconut. Grease paper cups and fill with the mixture. Bake in a moderate oven 177 C (350 F) for 15 minutes or until slightly brown.

Source: DOST, photo from bakersroyale.com

How to Make Fish Balls

RAW MATERIALS :

fresh fish - any of the following species: kalaso, dalagang bukid, labahita, shark, bidbid, torsillo and bisugo

Ingredients: (for ½ kg fish meat):

2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp baking powder
½ cup iced water
¼ tsp monosodium glutamate (MSG), optional


UTENSILS:

stove, turner, trays, casserole, colander, food processor/grinder, frying pan (carajay), measuring cup, weighing scale, knives, measuring spoon, plastic sealer, chopping board, mixing bowl


PROCEDURE:

1. Wash fish, split into butterfly fillet and eviscerate. Wash and drain.
2. Separate fish meat from skin and bones and chop finely.
3. Add salt to fish and mix evenly. Gradually add flour, cornstarch, baking powder and MSG (optional) and mix well.
4. Add iced water and mix well until a thick homogenous paste is obtained.
5. Form into balls and allow to set in water for 2 hours.
6. Cook in boiling water. When balls float, they are already cooked.
7. Transfer fish balls in perforated trays or colander and cool to room temperature.
8. Pack the fish balls in polyethylene bags with weights of ¼ kg to 1 kg per pack.
9. Store the product in a chiller or freezer.

Sauce:

Ingredients:
¾ cup water
½ tbsp cornstarch
½ tbsp patis
½ tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp black pepper

Procedure:
Combine all the ingredients and cook in medium heat with constant stirring (5-10 minutes).


Source: ITDI, DOST, photo from blog.junbelen.com

How to Make Nata de Coco

NATA DE COCO FROM COCONUT WATER


Raw Materials:
1 kg. fresh coconut, grated
325 mL or 1¼ cups glacial acetic acid
600 g or 3 cups refined sugar
500 ml or 2 cups coconut water
12 L tap water
2 L nata starter*



Procedure:
1. Mix grated coconut with water. Strain thru cheesecloth.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
3. Pour the mixture into clean sterile fermenting basins or jars (2 inches depth). Set aside starter for use in 3-5 days.
4. Ferment for 12-14 days.
5. Harvest. Wash.
6. To cook it into a dessert:

• Cut nata de coco into cubes or desired size.
• Boil in several changes of water until acidic taste or smell is completely removed from nata de coco.
• Cook in sugar at 1:1 ratio. If desired, add pineapple tidbits or nangka as flavorant.

NATA DE COCO FROM TAP WATER


Raw Materials:
1 kg matured coconut, grated
400 ml glacial acetic acid
2 kg refined sugar
28 L tap water
5 L nata starter*

Procedure:
1. Mix grated coconut with tap water. Strain through cheesecloth.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients.
3. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
4. Pour into clean, sterile fermenting basins or plastic trays. Cover with clean paper.
5. Ferment for 8-10 days.
6. Harvest, remove scum, wash and cut nata de coco into cubes or desired size.
7. Boil in several changes of water until acidic taste/smell is completely removed.
8. Cook in sugar at a 1:1 ratio (1 kilo sugar to 1 kilo nata or 3/4 kilo sugar to 1 kilo nata). Boil until nata de coco cubes become transparent.


Source: DOST, photo from www.healthlifestyletips.com

How to Make Smoked Sausage

Ingredients and Weight:

Pork lean trim 600
Pork fat 400 g
Salt 18 g
Sugar 30 g
Prague powder 4 g
MSG 4 g
Black Pepper 4 g
Phosphate 3 g
Water 50 ml
Garlic 10 g
Corn starch 10 g
Skimmed Milk 5 g
Pineapple Juice 10 ml
Vinegar 10 ml
Anisado Wine 20 ml

Procedure:

1. Grind lean and fat, mix thoroughly.
2. Dissolve all ingredients for each type of sausage per kg meat.
3. Mix ingredients with meat.
4. Cure for 24 hours.
5. Stuff and link
6. Smoked sausage and native sausage are smoked for 3 hours.
7. Chill the smoked sausages.
8. Package and store in the freezer.

Source: www.da.gov.ph, photo from www.heartlandham.com 

How to Make Skinless/Fresh Sausage

Ingredients and Weight:

Pork lean trim 600 g
Pork fat 400 g
Salt 18 g
Sugar 90 g
Prague powder 4 g
MSG 4 g
Black Pepper 4 g
Phosphate 3 g
Water 50 ml
Garlic 10 g
Corn starch 10 g
Pineapple Juice 30 ml
Vinegar 10 ml
Anisado Wine 10 ml

Procedure:

1. Grind lean and fat, mix thoroughly.
2. Dissolve all ingredients for each type of sausage per kg meat.
3. Mix ingredients with meat.
4. Cure for 24 hours.
5. Stuff and link
6. Smoked sausage and native sausage are smoked for 3 hours.
7. Chill the smoked sausages.
8. Package and store in the freezer.




Source: www.da.gov.ph, photo from www.visualphotos.com

How to Make Tocino

Ingredients and Weight:

Shoulder 1.0 kg
Salt 20 g
Sugar 80 g
Prague powder 4 g
MSG 4 g
Black Pepper 4 g
Phosphate 3 g
Water 100 ml


Procedure:
1. Slice the meat across the grain.
2. Dissolve all the ingredients.
3. Mix in the sliced meat thoroughly.
4. Cure in the chiller for 24 hours.
5. Package.

Source: www.da.gov.ph, photo from www.kitchen.amoores.com