Category Archives: Our Products

Belize, Farming, Food, Our Products, Saving Money

Making Coconut Flour and Cream.

April 6, 2015 Munchkin

Making Coconut cream and flour involves quite a few steps, a little muscle, time and diligence. When you do everything from scratch, you realise the value of what you are actually making. The making of the cream and flour go hand in hand as you will see from the following steps:

Firstly, Gnome has to climb a coconut tree to harvest and then he de-husks them. Next, he splits them in half and grates the flesh with a shredder attached to a hand-drill.

The next step is to squeeze the liquid out of the coconut. I usually add some boiling water to the coconut and I squeeze the shredded coconut through a muslin cloth to get all the milk and cream out. This is done in small portions in order to maximise the quantity and once all the milk/cream has been extracted, the shredded coconut is placed in trays and laid outside to sun-dry.

Meanwhile, the liquid is placed in the fridge and as it cools down, the milk separates to the bottom and the cream forms a layer a the top. The cream is skimmed off the top, a number of times, and poured into these bags for selling:

Each bag contains the fresh cream of one coconut. Belizeans like to cook rice with this; a Belizean cook in Punta Gorda told me that he just needed one of these bags to cook a 5lb pot of rice. Another great way to use this cream is to indulge in a pina colada or blend with fruit to make a yummy coconut “shake.” You can even use it in bread making to give a silky texture to a loaf.

Usage and Storage of Coconut Cream:

Our coconut cream is sold in the frozen state. Store in the freezer. When you are ready to use, simply use it in the frozen state. If you only require a small amount, cut off a chunk with a knife and store the remaining cream in the freezer. The shelf life of this product is 6 months if stored properly in the freezer.

Anyway, back to the shredded coconut; it takes about 6 to 8 hours for it to completely dry in the sun. Once dried, the coconut is put through a stone mill to grind it into flour. You end up with a fluffy meal which is perfect for breads, pancakes and muffins and it is has the added bonus of being gluten-free.

The coconut flour has a nutty flavour which adds texture to all kinds of foods. 1lb (454g) of this flour contains the meal of about 6 to 7 coconuts.

Usage and Storage of Coconut Flour:

Coconut flour is highly nutritious so should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. The coconut flour can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Otherwise, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. We usually deliver this product in the frozen state; in order to thaw this product, simply place in the fridge for 24 hours.

We are currently selling coconut cream, stone-ground coconut flour and rice flour within Belize. The coconut cream can only be sold within Punta Gorda. However, flours can be transported anywhere within Belize. Please check out The Apothecary for our Health Food prices.

Belize, Our Products

A Day For Clay!

March 26, 2015 Munchkin

Today was hot and dry! A perfect day to do nothing but alas, Munchkin has to keep on going despite the heat! Today, I prepared clay which we had collected from the Bladen area, Toledo a few weeks ago.

First, the bits of clay are washed and laid out in the sun to dry:

The clay is then grated by hand. This grater is actually a traditional grater used for processing cassava but works very well for clay.

The next thing to do is to sift the coarse clay through a system of graded mesh to get fine clay powder.

I am really quite obsessive with this part because I am aiming for a fine, silky powder; I sifted eight times to get to this level of fineness.

And, this is the final result:

The upper spoon shows the fine clay which I am actually processing for BotanicaBelize as part of a an exclusive line of facial products made from medicinal plants of Belize.

We also use the fine and coarse clay in our Artisan Soaps to provide ex-foliating properties and to give a lovely natural colour:

It takes a whole day to process the clay but it is definitely worth it to produce hand-made products with heart.

Belize, Our Products

Deer Dance.

March 22, 2015 Munchkin

Hello Everyone, hope you are all having a pleasant Sunday. Today was Maya Day in Toledo which represents a celebration of the Mayan Culture. It takes place once a year at Tu’mulkin (an agricultural high school) in Blue Creek.

The grand ceremonies opened with a Deer Dance:

There was lots of entertainment including a “corn shucking” competition on stage. There was lots of Mayan Foods involving different types of Kaldos (mainly chicken soup) and there was even some Creole influence with cowfoot soup.

We set up our stall with Copal Medicinal Soaps, Ointments and Oils:

Luckily, we got a school table for our display, Basically, all the school furniture was brought out to be used at the stalls so some people used school desks. It wasn’t a big deal really and it made the whole event more real and authentic. People traveled from surrounding villages on charted buses to get this event so it was definitely well attended.

A fun day out in Toledo!!

Belize, Elixirs, Our Products

Elixir Time Again!

March 19, 2015 Munchkin

We had another Elixir Tasting at Cotton Tree Lodge last night. This time round, it was concentrated around individual flavours of Elixirs.

We started off with a Limecello…an elixir made from lime zest. This is a very interesting one to point out because I have noticed that in the last three tastings, somebody has consistently noted on its anise-like flavour. This is an amazing example of how a liqueur can capture and encapsulate such fine layers of taste and with time, the expressions of particular flavours become more accentuated to give such unpredictable and complex tastes so that the final result isn’t just one flavour. Wonderful!

And somebody always, in jest, compares the Lemongrass Elixir to a type of house-hold cleaner or “Pledge”. This time, Gnome shouted it out first so that no-one could get the chance!

The Lemongrass Elixir is always a winner with its unique spicy and citrus notes. If you are a beer drinker, one shot of this in beer gives it an extra twist…similar to a Shandy which is beer and lemonade. We like to call this concoction Atomic Shandy!

I brought out the sapodilla liqueur since this is the season for this fruit (you must realise that by now because I have taking about it for weeks) and passed pieces of the dry fruit around so that people could compare tastes. Everyone found the sapodilla liqueur warming with tastes of caramel and cinnamon…definitely a unique experience!

We had a thoroughly enjoyable tasting with this group of ten. Two of the group were repeat attendees from two years ago and so it was a pleasure to have their company again. Everyone was very lively and engaging and we found the enthusiasm very inspiring. Thanks to all who participated!!

Belize, Farming, Our Products, Plants

Sapodilla Seeds For Sale.

March 3, 2015 Munchkin

We are posting up our first lot of seeds for sale in The Apothecary. This is the season for Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) and so we are offering these fresh seeds as a once off for the year. until they run out.

Just out of interest, when we first moved to Belize 10 years ago, one of the first things that we did was to buy fence posts to delineate a border around our farm. In Belize, the best wooden posts, which are supposed to last a lifetime are ones cut from the sapodilla tree. We ordered quite a fair amount and we felt that, out of respect for the tree, we would plant an orchard of them on our farm.

We bought a wide variation of this fruit from Punta Gorda market; some were round-shaped, others heart-shaped and some very large like grapefruit. We planted all the seeds from the different morphological varieties and the trees started bearing within 7 years. It was a long time to wait but definitely worth it.

As you can see from our projects, it is a very good tasting fruit which is ideal for wine-making and culinary delights like curries and pasta sauces. It can also be used for sweets like fruit tarts, jams and preserves. Sapodilla has a unique sweet flavour of cinnamon and caramel; the texture is that of a grainy peach. It is also a very good timber for fence posts and carpentry. The seeds have medicinal value and can be used crushed up for insomnia and as a natural sedative. The tree is famous for chicle which can be tapped from the trunk.

To germinate, they can be placed 2 inch deep in moist soil; this will take up to 6 weeks. The other option is to carefully remove the shell from the seed (this can be a bit tricky) and then placing it in 2 inch deep soil. The second option allows faster germination …usually within 2 weeks. Keep the plant growing in a pot for a full year and once you are ready to plant, allow 10 metres (30 feet) between each sapodilla tree. They get really big!!

For our international readers, you can grow this plant in a green house or indoors and kept like a bonsai. Check out The Apothecary if you want some seeds.

Belize, Blog, Our Products, Soap

On-Line Apothecary is Open For Business!

February 18, 2015 Munchkin

Hello Everyone. The Apothecary is now open!! After a few false starts, over cogitation and Type A anxiety and jitters, we have decided just to get it up and running. The ordering and payment options are really basic right now so that we can see if there is actual interest in our products. Once we get some orders and feel confident with sales, we will look into more E-commerce options. There are a few tweaks to take care of but for all intents and purposes, The Apothecary is open.

Belize, Our Products, Soap

Placencia Arts Festival.

February 17, 2015 Munchkin

Hello Everyone!! We are glad to be back. We went out of town for the weekend to the Placencia Sidewalk Arts and Music Festival to sell and promote our wares. Here is a picture of our table:

Another picture:

Overall, we found that our wares were received well and the most popular and well-known product was the “Copal Medicinal Oil.” Since we have been around for a few years now, we found that it was more relaxed and we did not need to introduce ourselves to everyone so much. This is the 12th Sidewalk Festival in Placencia and other stalls included local jewellery, Paintings, Wooden Art, Pottery and lots more. The weather was hot and sunny. We were located at the stage area so we saw all the music activities including the drumming. It was definitely a good Belizean Cultural Experience and I would recommend this to anyone who happens to be in the country near Valentines Day.

That’s it for now. Back home so more farm stuff this week!!

Belize, Fermentation, Medical Related, Our Products, Soap

Jackass Bitters Oil and Bottling Mead.

February 13, 2015 Munchkin

Hello Everyone! It is really funny weather today; first it was sunny and now its all windy and grey. It can really affect your mood sometimes so we have tried to keep busy today in order to keep out of trouble!

I have a new product called Bitters Oil which is made from Jackass Bitters and Neem. It is an effective treatment for cold sores and wounds of all kinds. Jackass Bitters is used traditionally in this country to aid in the natural healing of ulcers and neem is known for its anti-septic properties.

I have started selling a few bottles in the local pharmacy in Punta Gorda (Vance Vernon Pharmacy). The making of this product originally started with a personal request and since it has been working so effectively for this individual, I have decided to make it available to the public. A big Thank-you to Miss Joyce for using and supporting the Bitters Oil!

Meanwhile, Gnome is keeping busy by bottling Mead:

Out of a 5 gallon bucket, he ended up getting 57 bottles. Yay…we are going to get bubbly Mead!

And, he has been making soap:

And with a bit of Gnome Magic, beautiful soap was made:

Have a Good Evening!!

Belize, Elixirs, Our Products

Post Elixir Tasting.

February 7, 2015 Munchkin

It takes about two whole days to recover from an Elixir Tasting night hence the reason why you have not heard from us for a while. Entertaining people is energy intensive…

The Elixir Tasting was a success and we had the pleasure of the company of Dandelion Chocolate from San Francisco. As I had mentioned before, we changed some things around. Gnome added a bit about the various stages of the aging process of wine and passed exhibits around. We also let everyone taste a Gnome’s New Year’s Eve Maize Beer; for all intents and purposes, it was perfect with clarity, colour, one inch head with good head retention. The only problem was that corn beer actually tasted revolting! No wonder nobody makes maize beer! It has a distinctive sour and “vomity” smell which puts you off before it even touches your lips! Everyone had a good laugh about it.

In previous Elixir Tastings, a lot of the time was spent waiting for glasses to be cleaned and bussed back after each tasting. This time we put bowls on the tables with jugs of water so that people could rinse out their glasses. Gnome’s mother had mentioned to us that traditionally, Italians do not like to waste a drop of alcohol, so the taster is suppose to rinse their glass and swig down the rest of the diluted alcohol. Everyone involved was quite happy to comply with the new rule.

Everyone loved the Lemongrass Elixir as per usual. And, the next favourite seemed to be the Roselle which has a mature, well-bodied taste. Of course, everyone enjoyed the Chocolate Velvet which is always the last tasting of the evening.

Anyway, we are almost back to normal so expect to hear from us soon. Unfortunately, I have not got a photo of the Elixir Tasting to show you but, Cotton Tree Lodge has promised to furnish me with one of their photos at some point. So, I will insert a picture in the near future…hopefully!

Belize, Elixirs, Medical Related, Our Products

Munchkin and Gnome's Guide to Elixir Tasting.

February 4, 2015 Munchkin

We are doing an Elixir Tasting for 15 people at Cotton Tree lodge tonight. So, whilst waiting for the appointed time (it will be a late night) I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about how we have devised a system to taste Elixirs (or Liqueurs).

The purpose of Our Elixir Tastings is to create an experience which allows people to expand and quantify on their olfactory and taste senses by taking them through a flight of various liqueurs.

Gnome usually goes through the history and background, expanding on the use of this beverage as a medicine. He talks about the four ingredients which include alcohol,sugar,water and flavouring. Basically, any material which is aromatic, coloured and medicinal makes up the fourth component and examples of this are fruit, herbs or flowers.

My part is to take the tasters through the journey of “eye”, “nose” and “mouth”.

The “eye” component includes the colour and the clarity. I always like to emphasize the importance of the clearness of the liquid because it represents time and dedication in the making process. We allow our Elixirs to clear naturally by gravity and we take the time to let all the sediment settle down to the bottom. The clear liquid is siphoned out of its vessel and left to sit again and the racking process is performed on a monthly basis until clarity is achieved. It usually takes about 12 months to get to crystal clearness and in a few cases, this perfect visual appearance is never reached, despite our conscientious methods. The next step is the swirling of the glass to see the “legs” of the liqueur which gives an indication of the sugar content of the drink. High sugar content is shown by wider legs and a tendency for the liquid to cling to side of the glass and travel slowly back down to the bottom.

Next, is the assessment of the “nose” component which I feel is actually the most important part of the tasting because the human olfactory system is very sensitive and has the ability to separate and sense hundreds of different smells. Compare this to the human taste system which can only detect 5 components (sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami). The inhalation of the liqueur will give an idea of smell and the actual exhalation combines the flavour component.

Usually at this point, everyone gets twitchy because they want to start drinking so I try to speed it along to the taste experience. This part involves explaining the intricacies of “mouth-feel” and making people think about texture and taste. Usually, this is guzzling time but tonight I am going to do something different and request that they hold the tasting in their mouth for a few seconds, in order to saturate the taste buds, before swallowing.

And so tonight, I have chosen the following Elixirs for tasting: Lemongrass, Limecello, Passion Fruit, Cacao Fruit, Balam (Mayan White Cacao), Culantro, Suriname Cherry and Roselle (Sorrel).

Gnome is also going through a timed series of various fermentation products to emphasize the importance of time required in reaching the full potential of a mature final product. Also, there will a bit on bitters if we can fit it in…

Phew…hope everyone enjoys themselves tonight!!

Casa Mascia Apothecary