SHL Products – Suria Helang Lui

30 Oct 2022

0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Edible Landscape, SHL Products

Making it last: Dehydrated Torch Ginger (Bunga Kantan)

The Torch Ginger Flower (Bunga Kantan) ia a beautiful flower that is aromatic and used in various Malaysian cuisine with the most well-known being Assam Laksa. There are several different colors for these flowers including various shades of pink, white and red. At the farm, we have the white and pink flowers. The most commonly found are the pink flowers. As with many flowers, these flowers will last about one week, less if it is fully bloomed. The flavor and aromatics from the flowers gets more intense from the bud stage, the stage that we most commonly find at the market, to full bloom.

Under good growing conditions, the torch ginger plant produces flowers year-round. It does especially well in areas where there is lots of rainfall. It is a tropical flowering plant that thrives in hot, humid weather and requires substantial room as it is a rhizome-plant that will spread and the leaf stalk can grow to over 3 meters tall.

Due to the short “shelf-life” and the number of fresh flowers that went to waste because I couldn’t consume or use it in time, I decided to experiment dehydrating the flower as a means to enable it to have a longer “shelf-life” and reduce wastage. At the same time, this also meant that I can have it readily available at home whenever I wanted to use them in cooking. By dehydrating it, it also makes it easier to store as it can be stored in a cool, dry place. It is important to use freshly harvested flowers to produce quality dehydrated flowers. The dehydrated flowers can be used in cooking similar to the fresh bunga kantan for soupy dishes or in a broth. I have also used it during the cooking process of plain, white rice. It imparts an aroma to the rice which makes it very inviting. Bearing in mind that dehyrated torch ginger flowers are about 10% in quantity of the fresh flowers, a little goes a long way.

I have experimented various ways of storing it as we do live in a humid, tropical country. It is best stored in an air-tight container which can be placed in a cool, dry area or in the refrigerator. To store it even longer, it can be placed in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer. I have experimented storing it in the freezer for 18 months. It retains its pink color for the duration.

During the dehydration process, the flowers will reduce to about 10% of its original size. I use a dehydrator for many reasons namely:

it ensures even drying
the drying time is consistent – no dependence on whether it is a sunny day or not
prevents exposure to contaminants
minimizes loss of flavor
almost negligible impact of oxidization.

I do not dry it out in the open, under the sun as it is then exposed to possible contaminants as well as impact of oxidization is higher. This can especially be seen in the change in color of the flowers – it will turn beige or brown. Drying it in the sun also makes the drying time uncertain as it will be dependent on the weather and temperature of the day. It is also prone to uneven drying.

To make it easier to transport and store, I have packed them in resealable packs. Being lightweight, it is easy to transport. The resealable pack makes it easier to store as once the pack is open, it can just be resealed to close it. Each pack contains 9-12 flowers, depending of the size of the fresh flowers. The flowers we use are on average more than 3 times the size of the fresh torch ginger buds found in markets and supermarkets.

Through the years that I have been producing it, I am happy that my dehydrated torch ginger has reached many countries such as England, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Czech Republic and United States. Next week, one pack will make the trip to Germany.

As we are a small farm that also grows other trees and plants, I do not produce large quantities of dehydrated torch ginger flowers so we do not do bulk selling but direct to the consumer.

To contact us, please WhatsApp to +60172821219.

19 Oct 2021

2 Comments By admin Eating Well, Edible Landscape, SHL Products

Dehydrated Vietnamese Coriander

One of the important items in cooking our local favorite dish of asam laksa or Vietnamese

coriander (scientific name: Persicaria Odorata) or commonly known here as daun kesum. Other dishes that is is often used in a soupy dishes especially if it contains seafood. The flavor and aroma it departs, to me, makes the dishes more delicious.

This plant can be planted on land or in water. It seems to thrive in marsh-like environment where the roots come into contact with wet soil. It lends itself to being dehydrated which increase its shelf-life and makes it easy to transport and store. It also makes it readily available for use as it can be stored like other dried herbs. As it is dehydrated using a dehydrator, it retains maximum flavour and nutrients. It also means that the leaves becomes crispy and breaks easily especially when it is vacuum-packed in packages of content weight of 20gm.. However, opting for it to be packed this way means that it extends its shelf-life too.

As with many things that we produce or develop at the farm, this product was developed based on my needs: readily available, easy to store and transport and longer shelf-life. I find that having them in dehydrated form readily available is handy. Often, when we buy it fresh, we have to buy a pack or seikat which more often than not, leads to quite a bit of it being thrown away as it spoils before all of it could be used up. By having it in this form, I can use the quantity I wish without being wasteful.

To order, please visit our shop on this website.

27 Oct 2020

0 Comments By admin Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy, SHL Products

Indonesian Bay (Serai Kayu): Nature’s gift

English Name: Indonesian Bay

Malay Name: Serai Kayu

Scientific Name : Syzygium polyanthum

This tree is well suited to be grown in Malaysian with our tropical weather. It can group over 5m tall but you can manage the height by pruning it throughout its life span. Once establish, it doesn’t need to be watered as with our climate, it can survive with just our normal rainfalls. It is a relatively fast grower and its branches spreads out making it a nice tree for providing some shade once it grows tall. However, as I use a good amount of the leaves, I keep the height growth controlled as I prune it about every 3 months or so. With good soil, it doesn’t require any fertilizers though as a normal practice at the farm, we fertilize them twice a year

The main purpose of these tree is for the leaves. The leaves can be either eaten fresh or most often, the older leaves are dried. The dried leaves are often used as a flavoring or taste enhancer in many dishes all over the world. It can be used in soups and sauces as well as a herb for roasting various proteins like chicken and beef. You can also turn the dried leaves into a tea – I tend to crush the leaves first before making my tea.

Many studies have been performed on the therapeutical benefits of the leaves. It is well known that high blood pressure is considered the “silent killer”. One study done headed by our local researcher at Dr. Wan Amir Nizam of the Health Science Medical Laboratory, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Kelantan, found that there was a lower rate of high blood pressure amongst a group of Kelantanese who consumed it daily as ulam. He also found that for people who had high blood pressure, they only had to take low doses of high blood pressure medication. The lab studies done on 2 types of rats, one with normally high blood pressure and one species that had normal high blood pressure, found that the blood pressure went down for the rats with high blood pressure but there was no effect on the normal blood pressure rats. They concluded that these leaves are safe to be eaten by people of normal blood pressure. They also found that this leaf is a popular ulam for many Kelantanese and he proposed that this is why there is a lower rate of people with high blood pressure in Kelantan as compared with other states at 13.9% in 2014.

Apart from high blood pressure, the leaves have traditionally be used in therapy for diarrhea, diabetes and ulcer. The stems, flowers and fruits also have other uses in traditional therapy.

Many may wonder what it tastes like? It has a citrusy taste with a slight “kelat” taste. I haven’t found an English word that gives the meaning of “kelat” but it is the taste that is present in unripen bananas. However, when you use it in cooked dishes, this taste is not present. I guess it is the citrus taste that led it to be name serai as Malaysian knows the lemony taste from the lemongrass or serai in Bahasa Malaysia.

To make it available for my consumption when I don’t have any fresh leaves handy, I have dehydrated crushed leaves. I will select the older leaves for this but not ones that have turned yellow or brown. In this form, I can use it as a herbal condiment or make a tea drink – either hot or cold. To make the tea, I find it best to use either just boiled water or my preference is to brew the tea in a claypot. I use a dehydrator as this ensures the maximum nutrients remain while the water evaporates and prevents contaminants. It also results in dried still-green leaves instead of turning brown as when it is air-fried or dried in the sun.

As for me, I take this gift from nature and consume it regularly in many ways.

27 Dec 2018

0 Comments By admin Articles, Healthy Options, SHL Products SHL Products

Making the goodness of Mangosteen available year round

Malaysians are all familiar with the King of fruits but did you know that Mangosteen is the Queen of fruits? It deserves this title. This is one of our fruits that has very good nutrients along with having many health benefits. The drawback is that it is seasonal hence it is only available during its season which is normally between late June to early August.
Mangosteeen is known for it antioxidant properties as well as the Xanthines enzyme which comes mainly from the outer skin know as the pericarp. This is the part that we normally throw away when we eat the flesh of the mangosteen as it is not palatable. In order to harness all its goodness, we have created our Mangosteen Probiotic Enzyme. It is made from pesticide-free fruits grown at the farm and from our selected fruit growers. In order to have a quality product, we carefully select the fruits that we will use. Each individual fruit is washed thoroughly with our naturally-sourced water without any chemicals.
Our probiotic enzyme is produced using a permaculture fermentation process which takes at least 4 months before we strain and bottle the liquid. Once bottled, it can be stored, unopened for at least 1 year in a cool, dry place. Once opened, it can be stored in a cool, dry place or refrigerated. Hence, it is then consumable for throughout year. Personally, I have my supply for the year until the next season, when I can produce a new batch which means it will be next December before I will have a new batch of Mangosteen enzyme.
I consume it as part of my health maintenance and prevention regime and in order to make it easy for me to consume it, this enzyme has several ways of consuming so I can incorporate it into my normal daily diet. It can be consumed by:
1. consuming 1-2 tablespoons
2. adding 1-2 tablespoon to drinks such as juices and teas
3. making a salad dressing by adding 1-2 tablespoons
4. making ice-cubes which can be added to other drinks when making cold drinks
In our packaging, we bottle it in glass bottles of 250ml each. At the moment, it is not made available in stores and can only be purchased directly from us and not by mail order. Price per bottle is RM 40.
For enquiries, you can e-mail us at enquiries@suriahelanglui or through whatsApp at 017-2821219. For ordering, you can order emails us at order@suriahelanglui or through whatsApp at 017-2821219.

11 Sep 2018

5 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, SHL Products

Pure Durian Nuggets: To sell or not to sell

During these last durian season, I bought extra durians as I wanted to make durian suggest. I haddone this before and I loved it. So this season, I bought durians that were not exposed to herbicides and chemical fertilisers of the original variety – non-GMO and also without hormones application. The price ranged from rm 8-10 per kg at the orchard and each fruit was more than one kg.

The nuggets are made from pure fruit with no additives or preservatives. I do not use fruits that are no longer nice to consume fresh but select the best ones. The seeds are removed and only the flesh is used.
No flour of any type or other fillers were added. No sugar was added and since it is already naturally sweet, the dehydration process will concentrate the sugars. Adding sugar would not only make it extremely sweet but also detract from the health quality.

As a general rule, upon dehydration, each fruit will produce about 6-8 durian nuggets. Basically, if you eat 8 nuggets, you have eaten a whole fruit. Since it is really good and being a durian lover, I can easily eat them in one sitting – something which can be more challenging if I was eating the fresh fruit. What I find interesting is the dehydration process breaks down the fibrous strand resulting in a smooth non-chewy cake-like texture. You can either consume the nuggets on its own or use it to create or flavour other dishes like sweet coconut gravy that you use as a dip such as with bread, sweet desserts such as pancakes and puddings, and to make ice cream.

Some have asked if I am selling them. Therein lies the dilemma. The cost of producing the 8 nuggets is around rm 12 – including the fruit cost (average price rm 9), people cost, dehydration cost and simple packaging. That doesn’t include selling costs. So in total to have a few cents of profit, the selling price is RM 15. The question is: are people willing to buy it for RM 15. If I wanted to use fancy packaging, it will be at least rm 18.

I began a comparison of high-end snacks without additive, fillers and preservatives. It was hard to find any for comparison. To compare to other durian products, there was no pure durian products was not possible as I couldn’t find any. There were durian candies which were loaded with other ingredients, durian dodol which had more flour and sugar and other ingredients than durian, durian ice cream where durian was used as a flavouring and tempoyak which used durian that was no longer good to consume fresh.

Conclusion: the durian nuggets will be sold in packs of 9 nuggets at a price of rm 15. If you are interested to purchase, you can whatsApp me at 0172821219. Up to 9 packs per order can be sent via poslaju for additional rm 7.50 postage cost. It will also be made available at the various events we do while stocks last.

24 Mar 2018

0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, SHL Products

More than a vinegar

Many have asked me how do I make Roselle Enzyme vinegar and requested for my recipe. However, my Roselle Enzyme Vinegar recipe is a trade secret. What I will share with you is basically how to make a vinegar of your choice.

First you need a starter. If this is the first time you are making it, the easiest starter is using unpasteurised organic apple cider vinegar. There are many brands available so choose one you like. What we are looking for is the bacteria that will cause a reaction with your fermented liquid to form acetic acid which is the key component in vinegar.
A fermented liquid – could be from rice or fruits for example.
I will always use a glass container to ferment my vinegar as I can be assured that my container will not cause any undesired chemical reaction with my vinegar throughout the fermentation process.
The basic ratio of starter to fermented liquid is 1:1. So, if you have 500 ml of starter, use 500 ml of fermented liquid or juice. Place in the container and cover it with muslin clothe so that air can still enter the container but not the bugs that will be attracted to it during the fermentation process.
Place in a cool area without exposure to sunlight and allow it to sit for at least 3 weeks. You can tell the vinegar is ready when you take off the muslin covering and you get a strong aroma of the vinegar.
To store vinegar when ready, just strain the liquid through a strainer such as using an unbleached coffee filter. Bottle the strained liquid and your vinegar is now ready for consumption. It can be stored at room temperature and lasts for month.

If you plan to make another batch of vinegar, just bottle half of the vinegar produced and retain the other half to be the starter for making another round of vinegar. Under the right conditions, a mother of vinegar may be formed which is essentially cellulose with acetic acid bacteria, the key item that enables your liquid to turn into vinegar.

You can allow your vinegar to be fermented longer than 3 weeks in the fermenting container. I find that the longer I leave it, the resulting vinegar is “smoother”.

Locally, we have many options for creating our fermented liquid to be turned into vinegar so you can experiment and see which vinegar you love most. An area of consideration is what special nutrients or items that the source of the fermented liquid can bring to the final vinegar produced like enzymes and antioxidants. I suggest that if you are going to take the time and effort to make your vinegar, do select the best ingredients free from chemical toxins as well as hormones. Happy trying 🙂

25 Jul 2017

0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, SHL Products

SHL Edible Products: Going forward

It has been over 10 years since I embark on my organic agriculture journey and over the years, I have planted over 100 types of plants and trees, researched and experimented the use and benefits and processing some of them to form products, a step beyond its natural form. As I move to the future, I have made moves to streamline our produce and plants.

I have a keen interest in making food as medicine and to make it as a normal part of our daily diet with the ultimate aim at preventing diseases and illnesses whilst at the same time having therapeutic values. This is a way to adjust our diets without making it a chore and working through natural healing which takes time. I am not a medical practitioner nor do I presume to be an expert. However, I do consume what I produce and it is a tenet of the farm that we do not sell edibles that we do not eat ourselves. What I produce for my own consumption is what we in turn productize.

All the products are based on what we grow at the farm as it is important for me that the source materials are as clean as possible from toxic chemicals either from the ground or what is used during its growth and processing. I have streamlined our products to those that I find is easiest to consume and with loads of benefits

Bentong ginger and turmeric

Ginger and turmeric are well-known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as for the benefits for reducing cholesterol, improving the immune system and digestive system. Our concentrate also includes black pepper to further aid in the absorption of curcumin into the body. This combination aids in the healing of many inflammatory based illnesses like gout, many forms of arthritis, and muscle pains. It also has anti-cancer properties especially for the digestive system as studies found that it kills the heliotrope bacteria which is found to support activation of cancer cells in the digestive system.

There are many ways to consume our concentrate:

Dilute with water – either hot or cold to make a drink that can also be sweetened
Use in your cooking to add flavor

Blue Pea Flower (Bunga Telang Biru)

This flower can be used as a natural food coloring and is a must if you want to create authentic nai kerabu – using blue coloring is just not authentic or good for you. The flowers are dehydrated and it can be stored in a cool, dry area or in the refrigerator for longer term storage.

Like many colored natural food, this flower is rich in antioxidants. Another property that it naturally has is as an anti-depressant. It can be used to create a blue-colored drink and when mixed with calamansi juice, turns purple and can serve as a relaxing drink after a stressful day.

In traditiinal or alternative therapy, it used:

To Improve eyesight and eye strain
As a blood cleanser
To detoxify
To relieve stress

Calamansi

It is a great source for vitamin A and C. The main acids in this fruit is citric acid and ascorbic acid. Using cold-pressed pure juice, I have created the following

Pure calamansi juice which can be turned into a drink on its own by diluting or used in flavouring cooking
Pure calamasi juice with lemongrass which brings the benefits of lemongrass as well as a refreshing flavour
Pure calamasi juice with blue pea flower (bunga telang) which adds more antioxidant properties

Cat’s whiskers (Misai Kucing)

Our dehydrated Misai Kucing tea is made from the leaves and flowers and can be turned into a drink by steeping in just-boiled water for at least 5 minutes. It can be served hot or cold. The many health benefits that have been reported include :

It has properties that enables it to be used to regulate the blood sugar hence is used as an alternative treatment for diabetes
This herb inhibits blood platelet from sticking together and has powerful hemolytics that can lower blood pressure thus making it an alternative treatment for high blood pressure as well as for reducing cholestrol, which is often used in traditional medicine.
This herb has the ability to clean toxins within the blood hence it is also used in traditional herbal medicine in the process of detoxification and in removing metabolic waste within the body. This in turn makes it a useful addition to weight loss efforts.
It also has diuretic properties making it beneficial in the treatment of kidney stones and for flushing the kidney and urinary tract. It helps to flush out the uric acid as well as block the production of uric acid. This in turn also helps other conditions such as gout and inflammation of joints due to high uric acid levels in the body

Another health property of this herb is its ability to act as an anti-inflammatory hence its use in the herbal treatment for athritis and rheumatism

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Only in the last decade or so that this much maligned oil has been proven to be good for you. It has strong antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as being rich in lauric acids. Amongst its benefits are:

Improving the immune system
Improving the brain cells regeneration

It is often used in alternative therapies such as:

Alzheimer’s disease
Viral infection including flus and colds

It can be consumed on its own or incorporated into you cooking and even in flavoring coffees.

Gingertorch (Bunga Kantan)

Gingertorch is a popular addition to flavor dishes especially laksa, asam pedasand various other local Malaysian dishes and a must-have for many in nasi kerabu.

Sometimes it is hard to find and when fresh, doesn’t last long. So I decided to produce dehydrated ginger torch flower which can be stored in the cupboards or for longer storage, in the refrigerator so that it is on-hand when you want it.

It has antioxidant properties. In traditional or alternative therapy, it is used:

as a blood cleanser
to increase mother’s milk during post-natal
to reduce body smell

Lemongrass

A popular herbal spice which can be used to make a tea or in cooking which has been dehydrated to make a dried lemongrass flakes which can be stored in a cool, dry area or the refrigerator for longer term storage. To make a tea, just steep in just-boiled water and serve hot or cold, sweetened or not. It has high antioxidant , antiviral and antibacterial properties. In alternative therapies, it is used for:

Digestive system problems
Treatment of certain types of cancers
High blood pressure
Rheumatism

Roselle

Roselle is rich in vitamins A and C and is good for the immune system. Amongst its properties is it is anti-oxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Based on a study by Purdue University, it is high in calcium, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin C and iron. It is also caffeine-free hence it can be made as an after-dinner tea for those who cannot consume caffeine after late afternoon or they have a hard time sleeping. It has anti-hypertensive properties so it is also good for people with hypertension of high blood pressure.

We have 3 different types of products:

Roselle concentrate which also contains the calyces
Roselle tea concentrate which is made from the leaves
Dehydrated Roselle tea which you can make a drink by steeping in just-boiled or hot water and sweeten to taste if desired.

The concentrates need to be stored refrigerated and can last at least 3 months. It can be used in cooking to make jelly or in dishes that you want to have a sour flavor addition like assam pedas and singgang.

The tea leaves should be stored in a cool dry place, just as you would store any other tea. The drinks help chemotherapy patients as it helps to flush out the toxins from the body as well as helps to improve the immune system. It is a good alternative drink especially for children. It has often to likened to Ribena.

Snakegrass

The snakegrass tea is produced by dehydrating mature leaves and crushed to form loose tea leaves. It is prepared by steeping in just-boiled water for at least 5 minutes. In traditional and alternative therapies it is used to treat:

Certain types of cancer such as lymphatic, ovarian, breast and prostate cancer
Kidney disease
Improving the immune system
Lowering cholesterol
Lowering blood pressure

Soursop

We created soursop tea by dehydrating it mature leaves and crushing them. It is prepared into a drink just like any normal herbal tea, using just-boiled water and allowed to steep for at least 5 minutes.

Based on research by USDA:

It is an excellent source of vitamin C
Has a high fiber content which can prevent constipation
Contains half the potassium in bananas which can help prevent leg cramps
Its high magnesium content can help prevent water retention especially for women who experience this in PMS.
Good source of thiamin, the B vitamin needed for aerobic energy production, the process where oxygen is used to convert sugar into usable energy
Loaded with the trace material copper which is essential for healthy bones. It also helps boost the effectiveness of vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium.
A good source of niacin which studies have shown to have significant benefits on levels of HDL, the good cholesterol
Good source of folate which is a mineral that is recommended to prevent deficiencies during pregnancy for pregnant women.
Good source of iron, an essential element in the body producing healthy red blood cells
Rich in riboflavin where studies have shown can help prevent migraines.

With the iron and vitamin K, it promotes red blood cells production hence it is good for anemic but not for people with DVT and similar “rich blood” illnesses. It is rich in antioxidants and is often used as either complementary or alternative treatment of certain types of cancer.

02 Apr 2017

0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, SHL Products

VCO: Bringing lustre to life

Used to be you were told how bad coconut is for you and of course, that includes coconut oil. Why, because it is rich in fats. The tune now has changed with new research: Coconut oil is good for you. So the current hot oil is Virgin Coconut Oil known as VCO for short. Living in Malaysia, we are blessed with the ease of obtaining fresh coconuts, the only source material required to produce VCO.

At the farm, we grow our own coconuts so we are able to obtain organic VCO, which is important for me for what I want to use it for. If you are not able to obtain organic coconuts but only have access to coconut milk, be sure that it is pure coconut milk without any preservatives or conditioners added. So, it is best to get freshly grated coconut and process to produce your own coconut milk so you can be sure that is is pure without chemical additives or preservatives.
The method I use is called cold-pressed method. You can search for the method easily and there are variations to it. My first attempt to produce VCO wasn’t too successful as I only managed to produce a small amount but I learnt a lot which lead me to a better second attempt.
There are so many uses for VCO which brings many benefits including:

In preparing meals and drinks

For cooking especially high heat cooking due to its high smoking point
Replacement for non-stick cooking spray
As a healthy replacement for creamer which lends a nice, creamy coconut taste to drinks life coffee.
Making mayonnaise
Making salad dressings

In skincare,

as a moisturiser
to help reduce wrinkles and age spots
natural make-up remover especially for eye make-up with the added benefit of moisturising the eye area

In providing health benefits such as:

increasing HDL and lowering LDL cholesterol
strengthening the immunity system
balances hormones
balancing blood sugar
improving digestion
burns fats and boosts metabolism

In creating herbal oils

for use in haircare
for use in skincare
for massages

So what is VCO? VCO is produced from fresh coconut (as opposed to copra or dried coconut) and does not contain any chemicals or additives and is the purest form of coconut oil. It is water clear in color and has a mild, sweet coconut aroma. It is made up of 90% saturated fat which was what led to the simplistic idea that it is bad for your heart when recent research have concluded the reverse, it is good for your heart. VCO contains no trans fats which is what is now known as the “bad” fats. Instead it is rich with medium-chain triglycerides (approximately 64%) – the good fats and lauric acid. Lauric acid is naturally in mother’s milk which provides increasing the baby’s immunity system by protecting the baby from virus and bacteria. It is this property that makes it a popular alternative therapy for colds and flus.

The shelf life for VCO is approximately 18 months though mine doesn’t last that long. It solidifies at temperatures below 23 Celsius and is best stored away from direct sunlight, in a cool, dry, area so storing it in your cupboards will suffice.
Why does my VCO finishes fast? I use it for the following:

in cooking so that I can have the health benefits as well as a great taste (I prefer the taste to coconut oil many times over than olive oil)
infused with different herbs for different purposes such as for mosquito repellent, hair oil, massage oil, moisturiser and make-up remover. Always the herbs used are dried and I allow the infusion to occur for at least 1 week.

It is not difficult to make but requires attention to detail and is time-consuming. By not exercising care, you can end up with a sourish-smell oil which is opaque as opposed to an oil that is clear as water with a sweet coconut aroma. I am currently waiting for my pandan coconut to mature so that I can experiment making VCO with this coconut and I believe it will produce a spectacular oil. Is it worth the effort? To me, a definite yes

21 Jan 2017

0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, Healthy Options, Herbal Therapy, SHL Products

Possibilities in dehydrating Part 1

This is part 1 of my new series on dehydrated foods. All the produce that we dehydrate are produced at the farm hence it is natural and grown in an organic manner. I remember growing up, my grandmother, grand-aunts and aunts often things were dried to preserve them especially in the villages where there was no electricity supply which means no refrigerators, chillers or freezers. They did it to various fruits and also fish. They didn’t use low quality items but fresh, good quality items to create these foods that can be preserved for later consumption. With our weather and tropical fruits, once ripe they do not store for long periods well so dehydrating them is a good option.

We only do market once a week and the fruits ripen when they “feel” like it. To me, they will not be in its prime for market so I had to come up with a way to not waste them. I also had to come up with an alternative on the occasion that we are left with some produce after market. After all the hard work in growing and caring for them, it would be a shame to just have it rot away although at the farm, it becomes food for the animals. After evaluating various options, I decided to invest in a dehydrator as to me, the fresh produce can then be dried in a clean manner free from flies and the like, preserving as much as the nutrients and allowing for storage without the need for chillers or refrigerators.

Two of the fruits that we dehydrate and convert to an on-the-go snack which is healthy and tasty are papayas and bananas. By dehydrating it, there is a minimal loss of the nutrients and the flavour is intensified. It is packed in a suggested fruit serving size so it is easy to take it with you. It can also serve as your breakfast fruit if you are on the run – you can munch it on your way to work. The idea is to have your fruit servings easily accessible as a snack without any additives, sugar, colouring or preservatives. Seasonally, we will also have dehydrated jackfruit.

One of the often used plant as a condiment that we dehydrate is lemongrass. It comes in a crushed form and can be used in multiple ways. By steeping in hot water, it can be turned into lemongrass tea. This drink can be served either warm or cold, either sweetened or unsweetened or added to another drink as flavouring. In the crushed form, it can also be used for cooking. Being in a dehydrated form, it can be stored in your kitchen, ready for use whenever you want. One stalk is approximately 1 teaspoon. We do not add anything to our dehydrated lemongrass so it is pure lemongrass. Lemongrass is an alternative therapy or home remedy used for various conditions such as to aid in digestion, improve skin condition, fighting cancer, controlling cholesterol levels, for cleansing and detoxifying – there are quite a few others. Some of the properties of the lemongrass are analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anticancer, antibacterial and diuretic. It is from these properties that it is used as alternative or complementary treatment. I find the taste to be pleasing and add it to drinks and used it for cooking. Although I prefer it fresh, for the times when I do not have any fresh lemongrass, this works just as well.

Ginger torch is also another commonly used herbal condiment in local cuisine. By having the
dehydrated crushed ginger torch flower within easy access, you can use it as a seasoning that is sprinkled over the top of hot rice, giving a wonderful fragrance to plain white rice. It can also be used to season various dishes. namely savoury dishes. Each pack contains only ginger torch flowers without any preservatives, The color of the crushed ginger torch is also all natural – the color of the flower. With the dehydration process, it retains its aromatics and flavour. There is no need to refrigerate it, just store it the same manner that you would store dried herbs – in a cool area.
In traditional or alternative therapy, it is used to reduce diabetes and hypertension and also to treat loss of appetite. No wonder I like the plain rice better when I sprinkle some bunga kantan on it. It is said to also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Blue sweet pea flower (bunga telang) is a bright, depp blue flower which is often used in Malay cooking especially for making nasi kerabu, colouring the rice a nice blue. This flower is a natural food colouring and with its color also have antioxidant properties as well as other healing properties. To make a food colouring, just pour hot water over a few friend flowers and allow it to steep until the liquid is cool. This liquid can then be used as a food colouring for making cakes, agar-agar, etc. Apart from using it as a food colouring to make both savoury and sweet dishes, it also makes a nice blue tea with a subtle floral flavour. To make the tea, pour hot water over a few pieces of the dried flower and you will immediately see the water turning blue. It can be served hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened. It can be combined with other ingredients to make a drink and I find it interesting that when calamansi (limau kasturi) juice is added to it, it turns into a royal purple color. This would make an interesting and good tasting drink especially for children in providing them with a healthy alternative. The flowers are picked at full bloom and dehydrated making it easy to store and have readily available.

I grow all kinds of plants that lends itself to being dehydrated and in part 2, I will describe the other dried products that we have 🙂

01 Jan 2017

0 Comments By admin Articles, Eating Well, ORGME, SHL Products, SHL Project

Fish Story: Part 2: The Fishes

Whenever we harvest the fish, I do enjoy cleaning the fish because the fish are not smelly, they are firm and fresh and look good and my mind is filled with endless possibilities of what to do with them. Three things that I have invested in that I find serves me well is the chiller, the freezer and the dehydrator. These three heavy-duty equipment backs me up in processing my fish and retaining the quality and freshness of the fish.

Once the fish are harvested, and there normally is a lot of it, the ones waiting to be cleaned are placed in the chiller. This ensures that the fish does not spoil and remains fresh until I clean it. As the water
used to clean the fish is also from a clean, fresh uncontaminated source, this further adds quality to the fish and keeps it clear of chemicals. Once cleaned, I then decide what to do with it.

Live catfish

Catfish fillet

For catfish, all the larger ones are filleted, packaged and frozen in the freezer. The catfish do not go into the chiller before being processed but is kept alive. The mid-sized ones are cleaned, marinated with herbs from the farm and then smoked with unprocessed wood being the source of the fire. Once it is smoked to the degree desired, it is then dehydrated, reducing the moisture content to a level that will inhibit microbial or bacteria activity. It is then packaged and ready for sale. We do also sell live catfish at our market stall but it all depends on what the demand is at that time – fillets, smoked or fresh.

Smoked catfish

Fresh red tilapia

Marinated red tilapia

The red tilapia is also processed to be sold either as frozen fresh which means it goes directly into the freezer and depending on order, are sometimes cleaned before frozen. Some are marinated in herbs and are then dehydrated and sold packed as dehydrated marinated red tilapia. For the dehydrated fish, I will remove the scales as I do not enjoy eating the scales. Once dehydrated, this fish can simply be fried or cooked in other savoury dishes with a gravy like asam pedal or masak lemak (with a coconut milk based grace).

Smoked and dehydrated eel

Marinated eel

From the river water coming in, we also get river eel which then find our fish pond as the place to live. They eat the small river fish and flourish. They are cleaned and filleted, producing long strips of fish meat. We cut them to shorter strips and then marinate them in a herbal mixture for at least 12 hours. It is then smoked and then dehydrated. We use all natural ingredients with the aim to keep it as natural and tasty as possible. Many people tend to say that they don’t eat eel because of how it looks. Strangely enough, many of these people eat Unagi (the Japanese name) and didn’t realise that they were eating eel. They can be steamed to rehydrate or made into soups. I just like to cut them up into pieces and eat with rice porridge or cook them in a savoury coconut milk based gravy like masak lemak cili. It can also be used as a topping in salads.

Packed dehydrated lampam

The lampam is a fish with many bones but it is tasty. Since I am too lazy to pick out the bones, I find that by turning them into dried fish, they taste great and I do not have to worry about the bones and I can just munch my way though it as it becomes crispy.
It is cleaned including removing the scales and then marinated with a slightly salted herb marinate. I leave it to marinate at least 12 hours before placing them in the dehydrator. Once dehydrated, you can just enjoy them as is. The smaller sized ones becomes a pure fish cracker. The larger ones, can either be further fried or eaten as is with or without sambal belacan. It can also be cooked with a sambal sauce or in a savoury dish with a coconut milk based gravy. It is packed ready for sale and does not require refrigeration for storage as long as it is stored in a cool area as the dehydration process removed moisture thus preventing bacteria or microbial activity.

Packed, dehydrated selling

Fresh seluang

The seluang is a small river fish that is tasty but delicate. Improperly handled when fresh, you will end up with a mush on your hands. Sometime we sell it fresh but it has to be sold and cooked within 24 hours so this makes it tricky. We get lots of it in the pond so it is a waste if I do not handle it correctly. As such, most of the time I will dehydrate it. I will place them in a draining bowl to minimise handling of the fish. This bowl is them placed in water that has sea salt and various herbs added and gently shaken so that the fishes are coated with it. It is left to sit in the liquid for about an hour before draining. This process firms up the fish whilst at the same time adds flavour to the fish. They are then arranged on the dehydrating tray and placed in the dehydrator.

All the fish wastes are collected from cleaning the fishes serve as the main ingredient in creating my fish amino acid (FAA) fertiliser which is then used in fertilising the vegetation at the farm. I use the water from cleaning the fishes to water the plants. I find this is a good way to return to nature as it improves the soil at the same time that it nourishes my vegetation. The FAA it then formulated with other ingredients and becomes one of the fertiliser produced by the farm for sale.

I use the dehydrator a lot and not the traditional way of drying the fish in the sun for several reasons:

I can dry my fish any time and am not dependent on the weather.
I can be assured that my dried fish will be free from air-borne contaminants.
I can be assured that my dried fish are free from flies, fly eggs and worms.
The fish are dried more evenly and to the level where the bacteria or microbial activity will be prevented.
Once in the dehydrator, I can just leave them until they are ready and not have to keep checking on them.

The herbal marinate contains herbs that are grown on the farm so I can be assured that they are free of chemicals. I use sea salt because they are better for us.

Why do I do all these? Simple. It doesn’t make sense to ruin good quality, fresh and tasty fish by adding chemicals or ruining them with improper handling and processing. At the end of the day, it is the taste that counts and so far, I have got good feedback on them and that makes me happy 🙂

+60172821219

enquiries@suriahelanglui.com

facebook

Category: SHL Products