Biotechnology at Home (Mango Jam, Bagoong and Patis, Salted Eggs)

By Abe V Rotor


1. Mango jam for home and business, too.

It is the peak mango season. A lot of fruits goes to waste - ripe, green and juvenile. Don’t allow this to happen. Mango makes a perfect jam for snacks and dessert. Try this easy-to-follow procedure.

• Wash mangoes thoroughly in running water.
• Cut into halves, scoop out pulp and pass through a coarse sieve.
• Measure pulp and add sugar.
• For every two cups of mango pulp, add one cup of sugar.
• Cook in a stainless pan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until thick enough to be spooned out.
• Pack in warm sterilized jars while hot and seal immediately.

It is a practice to make the inferior fruits into jam. Well, as long as they are well ripe, fresh and clean. A word of caution though - just a single overripe fruit mixed inadvertently is enough to spoil the wholesome taste of the jam. Also, use stainless knife and pan to prevent discoloration of the product.

This formula is applicable for other fruits like pineapple, papaya, chico, banana, tiesa and the like.

2. Make bagoong and patis at home.

Before these indigenous products became commercialized, rural households had been making their own supply following this simple procedure.
• Wash fish or alamang in clean water.
• For every three cups of fish (e.g. anchovies or munamon), add one cup of salt and mix well.
• Place fish and salt mixture in earthenware (banga or burnay) or glass container.
• Cover container tightly with muslim cloth and banana leaves to keep away flies and other insects.
• Let the setup stand for at least a month; better still after a year to develop its aroma and flavor.

Seasoned bagoong yields a clear golden layer of patis on top. If the patis layer is at the middle or bottom it means the bagoong is not yet mature, or it must have been diluted with water.

3. Homemade salted eggs, anyone?

Making salted eggs is a very old technology, and most likely originated in China.
Here is an easy-to-follow procedure, the old folks’ way.

• Mix 12 cups of clay and 4 cups of salt, adding water gradually until they are well blended.
• Apply a layer of this mixture at the bottom of a palayok or banga.
• Coat each egg with the mixture.
• Arrange the coated eggs in layers, giving a space of 3 to 5 cm in between them.
• Add the extra mixture of clay and salt on top, cover the container with banana leaves, and keep the setup in a safe and cool place.
• Try one egg after 15 days by cooking below boiling point for 15 minutes. If not salty enough, extend storing period.
• Color eggs if desired.

Salted eggs plus fresh ripe tomato and onions makes a wholesome viand. It goes well with any meal.

(More lessons are found in avrotornaturalism.blogspot.com)