Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs watch our girl out in the berries every morning for at least one hour. During this time, we are on the back steps waiting and this summer there are a lot of gnats who swarm us and swarm the girl. But she is resolute about picking every possible blackcap berry.
Blackcaps, they say, are "black raspberries" which we like to think of as wild blackberries. They are small and full of seeds and extremely Potent in flavor. We believe they are a Super Food.
We started out with this nice old-fashioned recipe online http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/old-fashioned-blackberry-jelly wherin you do not use added pectin but use enough underripe berries and lime juice for sufficient pectin.
Our version has worked so far every time even though we made a Mistake about the amount of sugar and made ourselves a rather tart and tangy jelly. More delicious than average.
Blackberry Jelly
Makes about 5 half-pint jars of deliciousness.
4 full quarts of black caps, about 1/3 of them not quite ripe
2-1/4 cups sugar (original recipe calls for 3 cups - we cannot attest to whether it will jell with that much)
3 tablespoons strained fresh lime juice (or lemon)
Crush the blackberries. We tried putting them in a ziploc bag and crushing with a rolling pin. That worked. Alternately, we used a mashing device (possibly intended for apple sauce) which is like a sieve with a paddle that presses berries through a screen. That also worked. Both are equally messy.
Bring crushed berries to a boil with ½ cup water in a deep, non-reactive pan (6 qt. is best to prevent boil-over). Boil until the berries are tender and have released their juices, about 5 minutes.
Strain berries through a fine sieve (or jelly bag) over a deep bowl. Let drain for 30 minutes or overnight, turning the bulk occasionally to prevent clogging the sieve and letting the juices out. Do not press down too much or the jelly will be cloudy.
Reserve the solids for a second round of juice to make blackberry juice for drinking or blackberry lemonaid. (Recipe follows.)
Measure the juice - you should have about 4 cups. Do not add water to make up the difference. Use whatever you have and simply add sugar accordingly as noted below.
Sterilize five 1/2 pint jelly jars and keep them hot, put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water.
Rinse the preserving pan and pour in the blackberry juice. Add up to ¾ cup sugar for each cup of juice. We used only 2-1/4 cups for 4 cups of berries. Then add the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers about 220°F on a candy thermometer. This took about 15 minutes for us. Watch carefully at first so it doesn't boil over. Once jelly has risen in the pan and then settled back, the danger is over.
Drain the sterilized jars and jar lids. Pour hot jelly into the jars, leaving ¼ inch room at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it's just finger-tight.
We set the jars in a place not disturbed overnight and they seal from the heat of the jelly. Some prefer to return the jars to the water in the canning pot, and boil for 5 minutes to process.
Blackberry Lemonade
Cover (by several inches) the leftover blackberry pulp from jelly with purified water in a large saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Strain and use the liquid instead of water in making lemonade. Mmmm.
30 June 2014
~ Eli's Rhubarb Cake
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs have come up with a way for our girl to use Rhubarb. I, Elias, have today mixed up this pleasure for the relations who are coming this early afternoon. I started with a NotWithoutSalt.com blog recipe and hound-dogged it from there.
Eli's Rhubarb Cake in June
2 cups rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup keefer (or sour milk, or yogurt)
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cover the chopped rhubarb with 1/2 cup sugar and let sit for an hour.
Cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb mixture
In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients and milk to rhubarb mixture, alternately, in several batches, ending with dry ingredients.
Turn into buttered 9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store covered.
Notes from Guthrie: I would have sprinkled this with a sugar-nut topping before baking but Elias did not.
We dogs have come up with a way for our girl to use Rhubarb. I, Elias, have today mixed up this pleasure for the relations who are coming this early afternoon. I started with a NotWithoutSalt.com blog recipe and hound-dogged it from there.
Eli's Rhubarb Cake in June
2 cups rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup keefer (or sour milk, or yogurt)
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cover the chopped rhubarb with 1/2 cup sugar and let sit for an hour.
Cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb mixture
In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients and milk to rhubarb mixture, alternately, in several batches, ending with dry ingredients.
Turn into buttered 9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store covered.
Notes from Guthrie: I would have sprinkled this with a sugar-nut topping before baking but Elias did not.
11 June 2014
~ New Fashioned Peach-Rhubarb Jam
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs have been trying to please our Girl. She found reference to a recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam and was beside herself with desire. Imagine her dismay when it was not real authentic jam, but called for Jello as the thickener. She would not rest until we could find and old fashioned recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam.
It turns out that maybe it's not an old-fashioned thing, because we found information nowhere. We kept tripping upon the same Jello recipe from various sources. So we, the Hounds Who Cook, put our noggins together and came up with this quite stellar recipe. Now our girl is sitting pretty with a tray of Scones and Peach-Rhubarb Jam aplenty. Another catastrophe averted.
We combined and contrived to make this recipe from two, nay three sources. Easy Rhubarb Jam, Peach Jam, and Homemade Pectin. And another site that actually tells you how to use the homemade pectin (nobody tells you how to use the homemade pectin...) Making Pectin 101. We are posting Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam first because we don't want Guthrie's Jam with Homemade Pectin to daunt you. Adventurous learners will want to try that one. In that case, allow two days to make homemade pectin (it drains overnight) and three hours to make jam. For Eli's Easy Jam, three hours should do.
Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam
(because Rhubarb-Peach is somehow hard to say)
Skip the pectin boys, this recipe just uses Lemon Seeds from your summer lemon squeezing. Elias B likes to keep it simple. Have a little lemonade whilst you cook.
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
3-1/2 c. sugar
1 lemon, halved and juiced. Reserve peels and seeds - put seeds in a tea ball or cheese cloth pouch.
Place peaches, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mash peaches. Add rhubarb, lemon skins (with pith), and tea ball with seeds. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.
Pour jam into sterile jars and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Elias: We did not find a tea ball and simply set a strainer in the cooking jam, which kept the seeds contained. We also did not find a canner - oops. Our Girl sold that at the last sale when she was sure she would be Moving Within A Few Months. Here we still are, and no canner. For jams, we just flip them upside down on their caps as soon as we screw on the tops and let them cool that way. Just make sure the top is sealed (does not give when you press on the center of the lid), if not store in the fridge!
Guthrie's Peach-Rhubarb Jam with Homemade Pectin
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3Tb)
[AMT] = 3/4 cup orange pectin per cup of fruit/juice (recipe follows)
[AMT] = 3/4-1 cup sugar per cup of pectin (aim for 3-1/2 cups sugar?)
Sterilize 5 pint canning jars and lids. Place a small plate (for testing the jel of the jam) in the freezer.
Place peaches, water, and lemon juice in a large measuring bowl. Mash to crush peaches. Add rhubarb. Measure the total volume.
Add 3/4 c. homemade pectin for every cup of fruit and juice. (Set aside the equivalent amount of sugar as pectin plus 1/2 cup. This is science kids. Don't mess with science. If you use more pectin than sugar your glorious jam won't set.)
Bring mixture to a boil over med-high heat and cook until fruit is the desired doneness. Add 3/4 to 1 cup sugar per and stir until dissolved. (15 minutes in all - boiling fruit and adding sugar and cooking further.) Lower heat to medium and keep jam at a simmer, stirring to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan, for at least 15 minutes. Skim off foam and discard as jam cooks.
Place a small spoonful of jam on the plate in the freezer. Jam is set when it holds its shape on the plate. Otherwise, keep cooking over medium-low heat until set.
Pour jam into sterile jars to bottom ring of neck. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean damp towel and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Guthrie: Here's a helpful tip. To peel peaches, plunge into boiling water for 1-2 min - peels will slough off easily with your fingers. Then slice in half and remove the pit.
Notes from Eli: Here's a helpfuller tip. Use a peeler to peel those peaches and get the freestone kind that fall right away from the pit when you slice them.
Orange or Lemon Pectin
2 lb. seeds and peel (including pith) from 6 lb. of oranges or lemons
2 c. water
2 Tb. lemon juice
Chop the citrus peel finely, including the pith. Mix with water and lemon juice and let stand 1 hour. Bring to a boil (in a non-reactive pan). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 min. Strain through cheese cloth overnight. Bring to a boil over med-high and boil to reduce by 1/2.
# # # This marks the end of our journey into Peach-Rhubarb Jam.
We dogs have been trying to please our Girl. She found reference to a recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam and was beside herself with desire. Imagine her dismay when it was not real authentic jam, but called for Jello as the thickener. She would not rest until we could find and old fashioned recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam.
It turns out that maybe it's not an old-fashioned thing, because we found information nowhere. We kept tripping upon the same Jello recipe from various sources. So we, the Hounds Who Cook, put our noggins together and came up with this quite stellar recipe. Now our girl is sitting pretty with a tray of Scones and Peach-Rhubarb Jam aplenty. Another catastrophe averted.
We combined and contrived to make this recipe from two, nay three sources. Easy Rhubarb Jam, Peach Jam, and Homemade Pectin. And another site that actually tells you how to use the homemade pectin (nobody tells you how to use the homemade pectin...) Making Pectin 101. We are posting Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam first because we don't want Guthrie's Jam with Homemade Pectin to daunt you. Adventurous learners will want to try that one. In that case, allow two days to make homemade pectin (it drains overnight) and three hours to make jam. For Eli's Easy Jam, three hours should do.
Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam
(because Rhubarb-Peach is somehow hard to say)
Skip the pectin boys, this recipe just uses Lemon Seeds from your summer lemon squeezing. Elias B likes to keep it simple. Have a little lemonade whilst you cook.
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
3-1/2 c. sugar
1 lemon, halved and juiced. Reserve peels and seeds - put seeds in a tea ball or cheese cloth pouch.
Place peaches, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mash peaches. Add rhubarb, lemon skins (with pith), and tea ball with seeds. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.
Place a small plate in the freezer for testing jam later.
Pour the peach mixture into a large pot (including peels and tea ball with seeds) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the jam constantly, for about 15 minutes. Skim the foam from the surface as the jam cooks.
Pour the peach mixture into a large pot (including peels and tea ball with seeds) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the jam constantly, for about 15 minutes. Skim the foam from the surface as the jam cooks.
Reduce
the heat to medium and keep a constant simmer, stir frequently. After
15 minutes, drop a spoonful of jam onto the plate from the freezer. The jam is set when it holds its shape on the cool plate; otherwise,
continue cooking over medium-low heat until set. Ours took about 22 minutes.
Remove the seed bag and lemon halves.
Pour jam into sterile jars and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Elias: We did not find a tea ball and simply set a strainer in the cooking jam, which kept the seeds contained. We also did not find a canner - oops. Our Girl sold that at the last sale when she was sure she would be Moving Within A Few Months. Here we still are, and no canner. For jams, we just flip them upside down on their caps as soon as we screw on the tops and let them cool that way. Just make sure the top is sealed (does not give when you press on the center of the lid), if not store in the fridge!
Guthrie's Peach-Rhubarb Jam with Homemade Pectin
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3Tb)
[AMT] = 3/4 cup orange pectin per cup of fruit/juice (recipe follows)
[AMT] = 3/4-1 cup sugar per cup of pectin (aim for 3-1/2 cups sugar?)
Sterilize 5 pint canning jars and lids. Place a small plate (for testing the jel of the jam) in the freezer.
Place peaches, water, and lemon juice in a large measuring bowl. Mash to crush peaches. Add rhubarb. Measure the total volume.
Add 3/4 c. homemade pectin for every cup of fruit and juice. (Set aside the equivalent amount of sugar as pectin plus 1/2 cup. This is science kids. Don't mess with science. If you use more pectin than sugar your glorious jam won't set.)
Bring mixture to a boil over med-high heat and cook until fruit is the desired doneness. Add 3/4 to 1 cup sugar per and stir until dissolved. (15 minutes in all - boiling fruit and adding sugar and cooking further.) Lower heat to medium and keep jam at a simmer, stirring to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan, for at least 15 minutes. Skim off foam and discard as jam cooks.
Place a small spoonful of jam on the plate in the freezer. Jam is set when it holds its shape on the plate. Otherwise, keep cooking over medium-low heat until set.
Pour jam into sterile jars to bottom ring of neck. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean damp towel and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.
Notes from Guthrie: Here's a helpful tip. To peel peaches, plunge into boiling water for 1-2 min - peels will slough off easily with your fingers. Then slice in half and remove the pit.
Notes from Eli: Here's a helpfuller tip. Use a peeler to peel those peaches and get the freestone kind that fall right away from the pit when you slice them.
Orange or Lemon Pectin
2 lb. seeds and peel (including pith) from 6 lb. of oranges or lemons
2 c. water
2 Tb. lemon juice
Chop the citrus peel finely, including the pith. Mix with water and lemon juice and let stand 1 hour. Bring to a boil (in a non-reactive pan). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 min. Strain through cheese cloth overnight. Bring to a boil over med-high and boil to reduce by 1/2.
# # # This marks the end of our journey into Peach-Rhubarb Jam.
06 June 2014
~ Peach Rhubarb Pie with Coconut Pecan Topping Mmmmm
Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,
We dogs thought that this recipe might be Excessive due to having a full crust And a strusel topping, but we were wrong and it was stupendous. Our girl and the Elders ate 3/4 pie in one sitting while we dogs ran amok in the Raspberry Patch. We found it on the Pillsbury Website and made it our own.If only we had Photo-graphed it. 'Twas a sight to behold.
Guthrie's Peach Rhubarb Pie
Me's Independent Rating: 3 of 3
1-3/4 cup raw sugar
3 Tb. tapioca flour (generous tablespoons)
1 Tb (scant) cinnamon
dash of salt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups chopped rhubarb (1-1/2" lengths)
3 peaches, peeled and cut into 8 wedges and cut in half
pie crust for 2-crust pie
Topping
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup coconut
2 Tb. raw sugar
3 Tb. butter, melted
Line 9" pie pan with one crust. Mix pie ingredients together and pour into pie crust. Roll out top crust and cut with designs or slash x's with a knife in the center of the crust. Lay atop the filled pie pan and flute the edges of the pie, sealing top and bottom crusts together. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min. until juice is bubbling and fluted edge is nicely browned.
While pie is cooking, leave butter in a heat proof bowl by oven vent to melt. Mix pecans, coconut, and sugar together. Toss in melted butter. Remove pie from oven after 35-40 min and sprinkle coconut topping over top crust of pie. Return to oven for 10 minutes to melt and brown the topping.
Cool pie for two hours before serving. Or, as you probably can't wait, prepare for it to be a little soupy when warm.
Notes from Elias: I highly recommend this pie for humans, though dogs find rhubarb to be poisonous. The occasional piece of peach is ok if it is sweet as sugar.
Notes from Guthrie: We like to experiment with Thickening Agents in our pies, according to what we have on hand. You may benefit from knowing the following equivalencies:
1 Tb cornstarch (it's GMO so we never use) = 2 Tb tapioca flour = 2 Tb. flour = 1 Tb arrowroot powder = 1 Tb. potato starch / rice starch
We found this alarmingly comprehensive Subsitutions Reference Manual online for your leisure reading, especially for the novice hound who doesn't know that one squash could be substituted for another. It also boasts some handy suggestions such as equal parts buttermilk and applesauce are a substitute for Butter. As (currently) Wisconsin dogs, we do not believe in substitutes for butter, but isn't that a clever attempt? Here's another Substitutions Chart, the internet is rife with them.
We dogs thought that this recipe might be Excessive due to having a full crust And a strusel topping, but we were wrong and it was stupendous. Our girl and the Elders ate 3/4 pie in one sitting while we dogs ran amok in the Raspberry Patch. We found it on the Pillsbury Website and made it our own.If only we had Photo-graphed it. 'Twas a sight to behold.
Guthrie's Peach Rhubarb Pie
Me's Independent Rating: 3 of 3
1-3/4 cup raw sugar
3 Tb. tapioca flour (generous tablespoons)
1 Tb (scant) cinnamon
dash of salt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups chopped rhubarb (1-1/2" lengths)
3 peaches, peeled and cut into 8 wedges and cut in half
pie crust for 2-crust pie
Topping
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup coconut
2 Tb. raw sugar
3 Tb. butter, melted
Line 9" pie pan with one crust. Mix pie ingredients together and pour into pie crust. Roll out top crust and cut with designs or slash x's with a knife in the center of the crust. Lay atop the filled pie pan and flute the edges of the pie, sealing top and bottom crusts together. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min. until juice is bubbling and fluted edge is nicely browned.
While pie is cooking, leave butter in a heat proof bowl by oven vent to melt. Mix pecans, coconut, and sugar together. Toss in melted butter. Remove pie from oven after 35-40 min and sprinkle coconut topping over top crust of pie. Return to oven for 10 minutes to melt and brown the topping.
Cool pie for two hours before serving. Or, as you probably can't wait, prepare for it to be a little soupy when warm.
Notes from Elias: I highly recommend this pie for humans, though dogs find rhubarb to be poisonous. The occasional piece of peach is ok if it is sweet as sugar.
Notes from Guthrie: We like to experiment with Thickening Agents in our pies, according to what we have on hand. You may benefit from knowing the following equivalencies:
1 Tb cornstarch (it's GMO so we never use) = 2 Tb tapioca flour = 2 Tb. flour = 1 Tb arrowroot powder = 1 Tb. potato starch / rice starch
We found this alarmingly comprehensive Subsitutions Reference Manual online for your leisure reading, especially for the novice hound who doesn't know that one squash could be substituted for another. It also boasts some handy suggestions such as equal parts buttermilk and applesauce are a substitute for Butter. As (currently) Wisconsin dogs, we do not believe in substitutes for butter, but isn't that a clever attempt? Here's another Substitutions Chart, the internet is rife with them.
02 June 2014
~ Our Elder's Fav Old Fashioned Custard
Old Fashioned Custard
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
6 cups milk (room temp - or warmer, warmer is better)
fresh nutmeg
Set a 2-quart 8x8 pan into a 13x9 pan (which will hold a water bath)
Blend ingredients in a blender (in two parts, if needed). Pour the 8x8 pan. Grate nutmeg o'er the top. Set on oven rack. Pour boiling water into 13x9 pan, in which the 8x8 sits, as high as can be.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Remove pan from water bath and let cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate.
Notes from Elias: We dogs are especially fond of this when we have an unsuspecting occasion to lick a bowl. We think of it as a good way to use up the little boxes of milk the elders get in excess from Meals on Wheels, and then it's a dessert to boot!
01 June 2014
~ Citrus Dishwasher Soap
Yesterday 'twas laundry soap and to-day dishwasher soap. Our Girl does not want to expend funds on pre-made products. Here is the recipe she adapted for Dishwasher Soap wherein she used table salt (because it is what she had) rather than Kosher Salt, which is what makes more sense. Kosher would be better because it's included for its scrubbing properties and possibly the table salt just dissolves right away in the water without scrubbing. Also, she is in a phase of grapefruit seed extract (GSE) she puts it on our food to kill parasites, she washes fruits and vegetables with it, she puts it on Toe Fungii, she mixes it with coconut oil for a facial treatment. It's antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasite (inCLUding anti-amoeba - she kilt her amoeba in Belize with it) and anti- a lot of bad things. It also leaves things clean and sparkly. Some recipes will call for citric acid in this recipe. We have used actual citrus and GSE for the sparkle feature. 
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
2 Tb. Lime Juice
15 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
10 drops Dish soap (max, if desired)
Mix thoroughly and use dry (1 Tb. per load) or make pods. To make pods, add barely enough water to mix dry ingredients into a wet sand. Spoon with a tablespoon measure onto a tray and leave to air dry for two days.
~ Fluffy Silky Laundry Soap
Yesterday our girl washed our blankets and used up all Laundry Soap. Her own sister told her of a recipe for making her own and we write it herewith, including changes from our Girl as she never follows recommendations precisely.
Fluffy Silky Laundry Soap
1 bar fels-naptha soap (or Zote, like we use in Belize, or Castille)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1 gallon of hot water
Grate the fels soap super fine with a microplane grater. Put it in a Large Pot and cover with hot water. Heat the water on the stove and stir til soap is Fully dissolved. Remove from heat and mix in borax and washing soda. Mix in remaining hot water. Mix and mix to dissolve the granules. Fill a blender 1/2 full of said soap mix and blend for one minute. It becomes very fluffy and silky now. Also, with our blender, it fills with air and rises to the top of the blender. Pour into mason jars for storing or a one-gallon large-mouth container. Repeat with remaining mixture - blending by the 1/2 blender-full.
We have heard that the mixture may separate. If so, shake it up before using. Use 2 Tb. per load of wash - hold it under the water as it flows into the washer to dissolve and distribute it.
Fluffy Silky Laundry Soap
1 bar fels-naptha soap (or Zote, like we use in Belize, or Castille)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda (not baking soda)
1 gallon of hot water
Grate the fels soap super fine with a microplane grater. Put it in a Large Pot and cover with hot water. Heat the water on the stove and stir til soap is Fully dissolved. Remove from heat and mix in borax and washing soda. Mix in remaining hot water. Mix and mix to dissolve the granules. Fill a blender 1/2 full of said soap mix and blend for one minute. It becomes very fluffy and silky now. Also, with our blender, it fills with air and rises to the top of the blender. Pour into mason jars for storing or a one-gallon large-mouth container. Repeat with remaining mixture - blending by the 1/2 blender-full.
We have heard that the mixture may separate. If so, shake it up before using. Use 2 Tb. per load of wash - hold it under the water as it flows into the washer to dissolve and distribute it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
