Wow -- my soup specific gravity is really low

[Guest guest]

I took a big canning pot (16 quarts I think) and stuffed it as tightly

with leaves as I could, then cooked and cooked those leaves for 6

hours -- not the recommended 4 hours, but 6. I then took the leaves

out, filtered, and cooked for two more hours.

 

The specific gravity of the soup is still really low -- 1.03. I am

cooking it some more today, but I am very worried that the cooking

process has now taken 3 days. Will this ruin the soup? Should I start

over again?

 

I don't know what went wrong, except maybe those leaves were really

tough and didn't have much juice in them.

 

Will the 3 day process ruin the soup? The mixture has been sitting in

a pot with the lid on it when not being cooked.

[Guest guest]

Okay, I continued condensing the liquid until I hit a specific

gravity of 1.08. I only have 20 ounces of liquid left! Now, I know

that when I add vodka or apple cider vinegar that I will have 40

ounces, but this is still only a one month's supply if I take 1 1/2

tablespoons a day.

 

That was a LOT of work for a one month's supply. I wish it had been

a 2 month's supply! Well, I guess it is the equivalent of $135 worth

of Sutherlandia OPC -- or maybe $120 after my expenses for

electricity, filters, vodka, etc.

 

I wonder what went wrong? Were the leaves low on sap because it is

winter? Did I have too many stems? Next time should I try for all

leaves, stripping the leaves from the stems? I need to get a much

thicker mix to make this worthwhile.

 

I should add that I doubled the filtering -- two rounds with paper

towels and two rounds with filters. Did this have a major effect on

the specific gravity? I would think not, but who knows...

 

oleander soup , " jrrjim " <jim.mcelroy10

wrote:

>

> I took a big canning pot (16 quarts I think) and stuffed it as

tightly

> with leaves as I could, then cooked and cooked those leaves for 6

> hours -- not the recommended 4 hours, but 6. I then took the

leaves

> out, filtered, and cooked for two more hours.

>

> The specific gravity of the soup is still really low -- 1.03. I am

> cooking it some more today, but I am very worried that the cooking

> process has now taken 3 days. Will this ruin the soup? Should I

start

> over again?

>

> I don't know what went wrong, except maybe those leaves were really

> tough and didn't have much juice in them.

>

> Will the 3 day process ruin the soup? The mixture has been sitting

in

> a pot with the lid on it when not being cooked.

>

[Guest guest]

Just a tip Jim,I cut up my foliage into the pot with snips,so the leaves can bleed,...Pam NZ

 

-

jrrjim

oleander soup

Monday, March 02, 2009 8:50 AM

Re: Wow -- my soup specific gravity is really low

 

 

Okay, I continued condensing the liquid until I hit a specific gravity of 1.08. I only have 20 ounces of liquid left! Now, I know that when I add vodka or apple cider vinegar that I will have 40 ounces, but this is still only a one month's supply if I take 1 1/2 tablespoons a day. That was a LOT of work for a one month's supply. I wish it had been a 2 month's supply! Well, I guess it is the equivalent of $135 worth of Sutherlandia OPC -- or maybe $120 after my expenses for electricity, filters, vodka, etc. I wonder what went wrong? Were the leaves low on sap because it is winter? Did I have too many stems? Next time should I try for all leaves, stripping the leaves from the stems? I need to get a much thicker mix to make this worthwhile.I should add that I doubled the filtering -- two rounds with paper towels and two rounds with filters. Did this have a major effect on the specific gravity? I would think not, but who knows...oleander soup , "jrrjim" <jim.mcelroy10 wrote:>> I took a big canning pot (16 quarts I think) and stuffed it as tightly > with leaves as I could, then cooked and cooked those leaves for 6 > hours -- not the recommended 4 hours, but 6. I then took the leaves > out, filtered, and cooked for two more hours.> > The specific gravity of the soup is still really low -- 1.03. I am > cooking it some more today, but I am very worried that the cooking > process has now taken 3 days. Will this ruin the soup? Should I start > over again?> > I don't know what went wrong, except maybe those leaves were really > tough and didn't have much juice in them. > > Will the 3 day process ruin the soup? The mixture has been sitting in > a pot with the lid on it when not being cooked.>

 

 

Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.11.4/1976 - Release 2/27/2009 1:27 PM

[Guest guest]

Jim.

 

You cook the heck ouf of this soup 8 hours to be exact, why you want to cook it some more ? the oleander leaves are usually tough, and anyway you are not after the juice but the ingredients in the leaves, my personal opinion do not cook it any more.

See what the rest of the group have to say.

 

P.S. so the O tea yestarday was the oleander soup? ok now i know.

 

Hugs Mary

 

-

jrrjim

oleander soup

Monday, March 02, 2009 4:31 AM

Wow -- my soup specific gravity is really low

 

 

I took a big canning pot (16 quarts I think) and stuffed it as tightly with leaves as I could, then cooked and cooked those leaves for 6 hours -- not the recommended 4 hours, but 6. I then took the leaves out, filtered, and cooked for two more hours.The specific gravity of the soup is still really low -- 1.03. I am cooking it some more today, but I am very worried that the cooking process has now taken 3 days. Will this ruin the soup? Should I start over again?I don't know what went wrong, except maybe those leaves were really tough and didn't have much juice in them. Will the 3 day process ruin the soup? The mixture has been sitting in a pot with the lid on it when not being cooked.

[Guest guest]

Harvesting close to the full moon (waxing) will ensure the sap is rising. Mara

 

jrrjim Wow -- my soup specific gravity is really low

 

 

Okay, I continued condensing the liquid until I hit a specific gravity of 1.08. I only have 20 ounces of liquid left! Now, I know that when I add vodka or apple cider vinegar that I will have 40 ounces, but this is still only a one month's supply if I take 1 1/2 tablespoons a day. That was a LOT of work for a one month's supply. I wish it had been a 2 month's supply! Well, I guess it is the equivalent of $135 worth of Sutherlandia OPC -- or maybe $120 after my expenses for electricity, filters, vodka, etc. I wonder what went wrong? Were the leaves low on sap because it is winter? Did I have too many stems? Next time should I try for all leaves, stripping the leaves from the stems? I need to get a much thicker mix to make this worthwhile.I should add that I doubled the filtering -- two rounds with paper towels and two rounds with filters. Did this have a major effect on the specific gravity? I would think not, but who knows...oleander soup, "jrrjim" <jim.mcelroy10@ ...> wrote:>> I took a big canning pot (16 quarts I think) and stuffed it as tightly > with leaves as I could, then cooked and cooked those leaves for 6 > hours -- not the recommended 4 hours, but 6. I then took the leaves > out, filtered, and cooked for two more hours.> > The specific gravity of the soup is still really low -- 1.03. I am > cooking it some more today, but I am very worried that the cooking > process has now taken 3 days. Will this ruin the soup? Should I start > over again?> > I don't know what went wrong, except maybe those leaves were really > tough and didn't have much juice in them. > > Will the 3 day process ruin the soup? The mixture has been sitting in > a pot with the lid on it when not being cooked.>

 

 

Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.11.4/1976 - Release 2/27/2009 1:27 PM