Chapter 337 Making Pueraria lobata powder
"I also think it's worth a try. Let's move out a part of it first, just to expand the number. It's more tiring than before, but it's OK if we can earn money!" Li Wu followed.
At worst, they can collect more fodder and prepare more bran.
He is not afraid of being tired, but he is afraid of not having money.
Zhang Hui agreed: "Let's be more cautious, so that we can raise more rabbits, and then move all of them over later."
The village is getting better and better, and the population will gradually increase. With more people, houses will be built, and there will be less land for raising livestock, and sooner or later they will have to move outside.
Besides, she saw that Shuiqing's side was very good. Living is a place to live, and raising livestock is a place to raise livestock. The smell and feces can't be transmitted. It's good that the two sides don't disturb each other.
After the family discussed and decided, the man in the family continued to make adobe bricks and build houses.
Wang Guifen and Zhang Hui were not idle either. Now Zhao Lan was helping out in the herbal medicine shop, so most of the household affairs fell on them. Usually, the men in the family would share most of the work, but now the men were doing harder and more tiring work, so they were so busy every day that they wished they had 24 hours a day!
The most important thing that cannot be delayed is kudzu root, which is also an important source of silver for the family.
Kudzu root is large in size, and it is normal for a plant to weigh more than ten or dozens of kilograms after being dug out! After drying, it does not lose weight as seriously as other vegetables. It is more like staple foods such as corn and soybeans, and it is not too light even when dried.
A kilogram of kudzu root costs 18 wen. You should know that in the past, grain merchants only bought rice and wheat from them for seven or eight wen a kilogram, and rice and wheat had to be taken care of for several months, but kudzu root is naturally raised, and only takes a little effort when selling silver, which is just like picking up silver!
So in addition to feeding rabbits and other livestock, the most important thing is to dig kudzu root, wash kudzu root, and dry kudzu root...
Shuiqing is also seizing the time to dig and make kudzu root.
It's not for sale, but for eating. To be honest, Shuiqing actually likes to eat kudzu root powder.
Most of the ones sold in the mall are adulterated with other starches, which are not very authentic. What I make is 100% pure wild kudzu root powder - no fertilizers or pesticides, barely wild.
Li Dani and other five women are responsible for the core part of the herbal medicine shop, which is basically indispensable. Fortunately, the other 18 men have free time after the busy farming season.
They move wherever they are needed, and they are diligent and hardworking, and they are so useful that there is nothing to say.
Take advantage of the slack season to make kudzu root powder and store it as food.
The main reason is that she had the most seeds sown on the mountain at the beginning. This plant is very domineering and grows fast. Other wild grasses and vegetables can't compete with it. Although it can grow bigger next year if it is not dug up, it still needs land to grow.
This year, we dug out a large part first, left a small part, and added some seeds. In this way, we can dig alternately and harvest a lot every year.
Feng Da's arm was injured, and he was not allowed to work, but he couldn't sit still, so he followed them up the mountain and used his uninjured hand to carry hoes, baskets and other tools to help.
Other men were responsible for digging.
Baskets of kudzu root were transported down.
The men used straw or thatch to wash and clean the grass bundles, put them into the stone mortar after cleaning, and directly used the pestle to crush and extract the pulp.
Speaking of this stone mortar and pestle, the men admired the owner even more!
When they were in the village, there was only one stone mill in the whole village, and they had to queue up every time, which was not only tiring but also time-consuming.
The same is true for the stone mortar.
But the owner was different. There was one in the village, and the owner had it himself, so they didn't have to use it and squeeze in line with the people in the village. After they came, they were also given one!
There were only four families in total, and there were only 23 people in total, but the owner directly gave them one!
They don't need to push the mill themselves. Donkeys can do it during the slack season. They can get everything done in one go, saving time during the busy season.
Unlike the hand-pounding in the farm, the stone mortar and pestle are not only laborious but also slow. The landlord uses his feet to pound the mortar!
The stone mortar is placed on the ground. The pestle is a wide stone with a piece of wood on it connected to the other side. The wood is raised in the middle. People step on the crossbar on the other side. The wide stone connected on the other side is lifted up and dropped heavily. In an instant, the kudzu root can be cracked and then crushed into slag.
It takes no effort at all!
The effect is surprisingly good!
The landlord is a smart man, so they, the servants, are also relieved.
The kudzu root that has been crushed into slag should be repeatedly rinsed with clean water, and then filtered into a basin and bucket with gauze. After a day or two, the dirty water on it is poured out, and the white powder slurry at the bottom of the basin is dried to become kudzu powder.
After the first successful production, Shui Qing used boiling water to brew a large pot of it, sprinkled with white sugar, and gave everyone a bowl to let everyone taste it.
Shui Qing stirred it and let it cool down a little, then scooped a spoonful and put it into her mouth. She had a fresh fragrance and a strong taste of kudzu root, which was really not adulterated at all.
She looked at everyone with satisfaction and asked with a smile: "See clearly and remember, you can follow this step in the future to ensure that the brewed one is crystal clear!
If it fails, it's okay, just put it in the pot and cook it again, and it will be successful when it becomes transparent;
Dani and Erni, keep it well, it can be used to thicken soup in the future, and I will bring you a bag of white sugar later, and you can brew a bowl in the morning as breakfast during the busy farming season;
Feng Damancang, you guys try it and see if you like it? How about taking it as dry food on the road in the future?"
Da Ni, Ni Ni, Zhou Yu and the other five people used to think that kudzu root powder was the same as the fern root powder they made on Zhuangzi, and it was a filling food, but Madam asked them to bring sugar to go with it?
It’s just a breakfast, can it be prepared with Jingui white sugar?
No, no, Madam must be using this reason to replenish their health!
Wow, Madam is so nice!
On the other side, Feng Dahong Mancang and other men were holding stoneware bowls and were reluctant to eat.
They saw with their own eyes how much white sugar Madam put in. White sugar is much more expensive than brown sugar. Was it just to give them a taste?
"Madam, we are all grown-ups, it would be a waste to give us sugar."
"Mancang is right, we can eat it without sugar."
They are all men and do not need to replenish their bodies. Just leave the sugar to the women to replenish their bodies.
Shui Qing smiled and said: "It's okay, just eat it. I have a lot of sugar. If I don't eat it, it will be wasted when the summer heats up."
After hearing Shui Qing's words about waste, the men were finally willing to pick up their stoneware bowls and take a sip.
After one bite, it tastes sweet and refreshing. No wonder it sells for eighteen cents per catty.
"It's really a medicinal material. It's what Uncle Ding said. Yes, it produces fluid and quenches thirst! It's delicious."
"It's so sweet, just like sugar."
"Nonsense, how can it not be sweet if you put so much sugar in it? Think about the fern root powder we made in the past. Without sugar, it would taste similar to that."
This is all due to the lady’s willingness to add sugar!