Chapter 69 Soapberry
Mu Xi patted the batter, and Zhao Yeqing scooped up the vermicelli with long chopsticks from the side of the pot. The vermicelli was continuous, and she felt that a handful was long enough so she tore it apart with her hands.
After tearing a handful of vermicelli and rinsing it in cold water, you can hang it on a bamboo pole in the yard.
After using up all the batter, I made a total of fifteen handfuls of vermicelli.
Two people eat it every day, three meals a day and it can last for two months.
Sweet potato flour cannot be exposed to the sun and can only be taken out after 6 pm when there is no direct sunlight and no wind.
Potato flour is a wet powder, which can only be eaten once made and is difficult to preserve.
Sweet potato flour can be dried and stored, and if stored well, it can be kept for more than a year.
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According to Mu Xi's list, in addition to food, drinks, medicines and tools, there are also daily consumables.
The soapberry tree that I planned to plant two months ago is probably ripe now. This tree is near the bayberry tree and it’s not far to walk there.
When the sun was blocked by the mountain, the two men went out with the basket.
The forest, which has been exposed to the sun for more than two months, has changed a lot compared to before. The shade of the trees is no longer lush and green. Most of the vegetation has died of drought and is replaced by a few drought-resistant plants.
The soil under my feet also became dry and hard, and turned into sand after rubbing it gently with the soles of my shoes.
Fortunately, both the fir and pine trees are relatively drought-resistant. Although they are not as lush as before under the scorching sun, their branches and leaves are still strong.
The ecological climate of the entire forest was disrupted, making it look a bit desolate.
Zhao Yeqing prayed that nothing would happen to the soapberry tree.
When we got there, we found it was still lush and green.
Yes, it is easy to grow, so it is often planted in urban green belts.
This soapberry tree is quite old, with a crown that is more than three meters wide, and the ground beneath the tree is full of mature and fallen soapberries.
When the soapberry is ripe, it will dry up and fall under the tree. It looks similar to dried longan. The flesh is yellow and contains a seed similar to the longan kernel. It can be strung into a bracelet and is called a small Bodhi seed.
The outer part of the fruit is the pulp that produces saponins.
There were a lot of fallen leaves on the ground, which were completely dry. The two people each picked up a basket.
You can directly hold the soapberry in your hand and rub it underwater to make foam for use, or you can pour it into a pot and add water to boil it. The boiled color will be dark brown like traditional Chinese medicine. Pour it into a small bottle with a pump and it will become natural hand soap and laundry detergent.
They are going out this time, and liquids are inconvenient to carry, so small particles are easier to carry.
Zhao Yeqing found a small sealed bag, filled a bag of soapberries and put it in his backpack so he could take it out whenever he needed it.
At night, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse.
There are almost no bird calls in the mountains and forests. When the temperature rose a month ago, there were increasingly louder chirping of insects in the forest, but now they have disappeared completely.
As time went by, things became quieter and quieter.
It always makes people feel inexplicably panic.
The radio has never been turned on again. The temperature in the mountains is over 40 degrees Celsius, and it must be even higher in the city, probably reaching 50 degrees.
If you can find an underground air-raid shelter after being exposed to high temperatures for a long time, you may be able to survive.
Mu Xi heard Zhao Yeqing mumbling about his aunt in his dream several times.
If we want to go out and bring them back, it would be too risky to cross the forest in such high temperatures. Not only would the old man's body not be able to handle it, but the food stored at home would not be enough to support so many people.
They can only choose to believe in their motherland and not give up on anyone.
As we are about to set off, there is no need to add water to the paddy fields anymore. We just need to wait until the grains are full before harvesting.
The corn is almost past the filling stage. Just wait a few days until the corn kernels are full and ripe and can be harvested.
Before corn grows into big corn, when it is still only finger-long, you can pick it and eat it. At that time, it is called corn shoots. Zhao Yeqing likes it very much. However, a meal of corn shoots will consume many corns. After all, in order to ensure the nutrition of the fruit, she only leaves one fruit on a corn stalk. She is reluctant to give up the first crop of corn.
After this harvest, she can save some seeds. Next time she plants, she will definitely eat a big plate of it.
The sweet potato vermicelli was dried after two days.
Purely handmade sweet potato flour, without any additives, smells fragrant and has a qualitatively improved taste.
Zhao Yeqing couldn't wait any longer.
Mu Xi cooked today and we had a feast of all sweet potatoes.
Sandy sweet potatoes, spicy and sour sweet potato noodles, and fried sweet potato cakes.
The sweet potatoes with sand in them are also sweet, and the method of cooking them is similar to that of the sweet potatoes with sugar. Only after the syrup is boiled, Mu Xi puts the fried golden sweet potato cubes in and stir-fryes them continuously. Soon, the sugar in the pot turns into white sand.
The finished sweet potatoes are golden yellow with thick white frosting on the outside. Zhao Yeqing served it on the table. Unlike the candied sweet potatoes which must be eaten immediately after coming out of the pot, this one can be left for a while before eating.
Fried sweet potato cake is a farm dish. According to my grandfather, in the past when people could not afford to eat, this dish could only be seen on the table during Chinese New Year. Although it is made of sweet potatoes, too many sweet potatoes are consumed in making sweet potato starch, so it is better to just eat a sweet potato to fill you up. This dish has simple ingredients but is difficult to eat.
Mu Xi filled half a bowl with sweet potato starch, added water and stirred it constantly with chopsticks. He heated oil in a pot, placed his hand on the pot for two seconds until he felt the oil was hot, then poured the starch water into the pot while stirring. The starch water quickly began to coagulate.
Use a spatula to stir-fry continuously from all sides of the pot. When it first solidifies, it is very sticky to the pot, and there will be starch paste all over the bottom of the pot and the spatula. As the water evaporates, the starch paste in the pot gradually becomes a lump. At this time, you have to use the spatula to tap it while frying to flatten it.
When both sides are browned, scoop up and place on a chopping board to cool. Only put it back into the pan and continue frying after it has cooled, otherwise it will stick to the pan.
While waiting for the sweet potato cake to cool, cook the sweet potato flour first.
After the water boils, put the vermicelli in and cook it, then take it out. Put sesame, garlic and chili powder in a bowl, pour in a spoonful of boiling hot oil. After the sizzling sound, the kitchen is filled with aroma.
Add seasoning, light soy sauce, aged vinegar and sugar, put in the cooked sweet potato flour, add two spoons of hot water, mix well, and sprinkle with a handful of frozen chopped green onions.
After the sweet potato cakes have cooled, cut them into pieces, put them into the pot and stir-fry with chili peppers. After seasoning, they can be served.
The sweet potato cakes that were fried after cooling down were chewy and bouncy, and the homemade sweet potato noodles had a smooth texture. Mu Xi knew that she had a strong taste, so she made the noodles sour and spicy, which was very satisfying.
After eating, press it with sweet sweet potatoes.
She ate so much that her forehead was covered in sweat.
Zhao Yeqing went back to his room and took a shower. When the water volume became smaller, he could only use a bucket to collect water and then rinse his body.
She felt sleepy after eating, and now she no longer had jet lag.
You can sleep as late as you want every day. Sleep when you are sleepy and play when you can’t sleep.
Just waiting for the rice fields to be harvested.
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