Flowers in full bloom

Chapter 239 Lotus root starch

Lotus root starch can be stored in Xijiang for about three months. You can eat it by just washing it with warm or hot water. If there is no hot or warm water, you can also wash it with cold water, but the taste may not be as good as with warm water. "

After thinking for a while, Hualei said, "But the quantity won't be much. The yield of lotus root powder is very low. I didn't plant many lotus roots on my farm this year. I may have to send a batch to Lord Pei in Mobei. So let's see if we can spare a batch for Lord Bai?"

"Lotus root powder? Made from lotus root? Can it last for three months? Great, Miss Hua, I want it, I want it. How about this, Miss Hua, give me all the lotus root powder. Old man Pei Canghai doesn't have to worry about having nothing to eat in Mobei. He can make a few steamed buns and keep them for ten days or half a month without going bad. So, it's a complete waste to give him lotus root powder. But it's different in Western Xinjiang. We in Western Xinjiang need lotus root powder that can be preserved for a long time."

Lord Bai paused and complained, "Miss Hua, you don't know that our soldiers in Xijiang have a very hard time. Not to mention whether they can endure the high temperature, there is really nothing to eat. Nothing can be preserved for a long time and will go bad at any time.

However, you know, the food given down from above is rationed. Once the food goes bad, sometimes when we don’t have enough to eat, we can’t bear to throw away even the spoiled food. Many soldiers had diarrhea after eating these spoiled food, and coupled with the high temperature and dehydration, it is easy to die. Miss Hua, think about how pitiful we are, but old man Pei Canghai will not have such a problem, really. "

Afraid that Hua Lei wouldn't believe him, Lord Bai was about to raise his hand and swear.

Hua Lei pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "Lord Bai, I haven't made this lotus root powder yet. When I make it, I'll give some to Lord Bai to try. As for how much I can give you, how about we talk about it after I make it?"

"Okay, Miss Hua is straightforward. When the lotus root starch is ready, just let me know and I'll come over by myself."

Lord Bai already had an idea in mind. If he came in person, he could see how much lotus root starch was made. Then he could "force the sale" and he would be almost certain.

Hua Lei nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll ask Uncle Fu to ask Butler Bai to inform you." After a pause, she continued,

"Lord Bai, this fried rice noodles alone is probably not enough, right? If the soldiers eat this every day for ten days or half a month, they won't be able to eat it. Should we add some vegetables or something?"

"Miss Hua, do you have any other good ideas?" Lord Bai sat up straight again and asked.

"How about I pickle a batch of dried radishes for the Marquis? I will blanch them in water first, dry them in the sun, and then pickle them. In this way, when the patrolling soldiers go out, they can directly take some dried radishes with them, and then eat them directly with fried rice noodles and toasted steamed buns, to alleviate the blandness of these rice noodles and toasted steamed buns?" He paused and spoke again.

"I can also make a batch of boiled dried vegetables for Lord Bai and bring them over directly. Then, they can be eaten by adding some salt and washing them with boiled water. Of course, it would be best to wash them with hot water so that they taste better."

"Really? That's great. Then, Miss Hua, please try to make more of these dried vegetables for me. The price is negotiable." Lord Bai was very happy.

"Okay." Miss Hua nodded. "If these soldiers can make a fire once a day or every two or three days, I can use some of the pickled cabbage. Just boil it in hot water and you can drink the soup."

If you can't make a fire, you'd better not eat these pickled but uncooked vegetables. I'm afraid the soldiers will get diarrhea if they eat them directly. You definitely can't eat raw sour beans, which are very easy to cause diarrhea." Hua Lei said worriedly.

"Okay, Miss Hua, I'll take care of them in the letter. Please help me make more boiled vegetables and dried radishes first." Lord Bo was a little anxious. "If your boat can't fit them, I can send another carriage team over, Miss Hua, don't worry."

"Well, okay. However, it's relatively time-consuming to make these dried vegetables in just ten days. Even if they are dried in the sun, they need to be dried for three or four days. I will try to make more." Hua Lei explained.

"Okay, make as much as you can in these ten days and take it all over. If it can't fit, I'll send it by horse-drawn caravan." Lord Bai was extremely happy.

Just like that, in the next few days, Hua Lei took the initiative and led the people on the farm to work overtime to make dried vegetables.

In line with the principle of never wasting anything, we didn't want to feed the radish leaves and flower buds to the pigs. Anyway, the water hyacinth and duckweed in the pond were growing very lush this year. Every time we scooped up a batch, chopped it up and mixed it with rice bran to feed the pigs, it was more than enough. After a few days, the pond was covered with water hyacinth and duckweed, so the fresh radish leaves and flower buds came in handy and were prepared to be used to make refreshing pickled dishes.

First, clean the radish leaves, blanch them in boiling water, put them in a pottery pot, add salt, pepper, and chili, and press them tightly with a clean stone. After a few days of fermentation, you can cut them into shreds and eat them directly. If conditions permit, stir-frying with oil is the best.

Cut the radish into strips slightly thicker than the thumb, blanch them in boiling water, dry them in the sun, and then pickle them in the same way as pickled sour beans, except that the sour beans are soaked in rice water.

Instead of putting the dried radish in a large clay jar, wash your feet, then stand in the jar and stomp on the dried radish with your feet, over and over again. When the dried radish changes color slightly, use a large stone to press it tightly. After pickling for four or five days, squeeze out the water from the dried radish, put it into a small clay jar, fill it up and press it tightly, then turn the jar upside down and leave it for a few days to drain the remaining water. Finally, seal it with yellow mud. Wait for a while for it to be pickled and cooked, then wash it and you can eat it.

After the pickled vegetables were ready, Hualei picked out some fresh stem and leaf vegetables, such as cabbage, spinach, lettuce, and onions, which are easy to blanch and dry.

Remove the roots of all the vegetables, break them into leaves, wash them clean, cut them into shreds, blanch them in hot water, and then put them directly under the sun to dry. Shake the bamboo plate from time to time to turn the dried vegetables over to prevent some of them from being dried out.

The sun in August was still very strong. It took only three days to dry the vegetables. The flower buds were dried for another two days before they were carefully wrapped in oil paper and covered with a few clean cloth bags. Only then were they finished.

Seeing that the cucumbers on the farm were growing very well, he picked some young cucumbers, pickled them into crispy cucumbers that could be eaten directly, and put them into pottery jars.