latelenovela Chapter 112 How to Make Walnut Oil
Chapter 112 How to Make Walnut Oil
That morning, sunlight shone through the clouds onto the glazed tiles of the palace, dappling them with golden light. After carefully dressing up, Su Nuannuan took her two adorable children to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay her respects. Along the way, the two little ones were overjoyed, waving their arms and legs and playing happily.
Upon arriving at the Empress Dowager's palace, the spacious and bright hall was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood. The two little ones were not shy at all when they saw the Empress Dowager; they even reached out their hands for her to hold them. The Empress Dowager was delighted by their adorable appearance.
After paying their respects, Su Nuannuan took the two little ones back to Caiwei Palace. Perhaps because they had had so much fun at the Empress Dowager's place, the two little ones fell fast asleep after drinking a few sips of milk as soon as they returned to the palace.
Su Nuannuan finally had a moment of peace, but her mind was still racing with thoughts.
She sat by the window, gazing at the blooming chrysanthemums outside, and unconsciously drifted into daydreams. However, she knew very well that she would never think of that high and mighty emperor.
Just as Su Nuannuan was lost in thought, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind—pressed vegetable oil. Jingcheng was about to start eating solid foods, and various types of oil were crucial for the baby's growth and development.
Thinking of this, Su Nuannuan's gaze instantly became focused.
Then, without hesitation, she stood up and walked lightly towards the small study. After entering the study, she gently spread out a sheet of snow-white Xuan paper, then picked up an exquisite inkstone and slowly began to grind the ink.
Seeing this, Yaoqin and Jinse, who had been serving her, quickly stepped forward to help grind the ink. But to their surprise, Su Nuannuan smiled and shook her head, saying softly, "No need to trouble you, I can do it myself. You should go and help Su Yueniang and Honglian look after the children so they can get some rest."
Yaoqin and Jinse exchanged a glance, and finally left the small study with no choice but to go to Su Yueniang and the others.
As the ink stick rubbed against the inkstone, a rich aroma of ink gradually filled the air.
In no time, the ink was ready. Su Nuannuan picked up a brush, dipped it in the ink, and prepared to list out all the ingredients that could be pressed to extract edible oil.
First and foremost, we must mention the most common peanut oil, since peanuts are readily available everywhere.
Next comes sesame oil, which should not be underestimated either.
Then there's perilla seed oil. So far, she hasn't seen a single trace of perilla. Is it that the palace has never purchased such a thing, or that no one has even noticed the existence of perilla? However, judging from Su Nuannuan's intuition, it's most likely the former. Hmm… perhaps she should quickly write a letter to her third brother, asking him to help search for it and see if he can find it.
Next is rapeseed oil, which should be available in the more southern regions; then there's camellia seed oil, which is probably also found in the more southern areas. We can ask Third Brother to send someone to inquire about these as well.
The fifth one is flaxseed oil. However, flaxseed is probably not yet discovered by the world, so it is necessary to specifically instruct others to pay close attention, especially to the north and northwest. If possible, it would be best to carefully draw a picture of the plant that produces flax, so that everyone can find it by following the picture.
Lastly, I must mention walnut oil, the most commonly used oil in infant formula, and the ingredients needed to make it are very easy to obtain. Keep in mind, she herself eats a small handful of nuts every day.
After listing out the six types of cooking oil available, Su Nuannuan carefully crossed out the oils that were unsuitable for infants and young children.
After careful selection, only three types of oil remained suitable for infants and young children: walnut oil, flaxseed oil, and perilla seed oil. However, it must be mentioned that the unique smell of perilla seed oil is not acceptable to all babies. Just like the little baby in her best friend's family in her past life, this baby absolutely avoided perilla seed oil, refusing to try it no matter how much she was coaxed.
As for rapeseed oil and camellia seed oil, we need to wait until the two little ones are two years old before we can safely let them consume them.
When the two little ones are six months old, their first cooking oil must be walnut oil. One important reason for choosing walnut oil is its perfectly balanced ratio of linolenic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, a ratio very similar to breast milk. Moreover, walnut oil is easily absorbed by the body and has a mild, pleasant taste, making it the perfect choice for baby food!
Another point worth mentioning is that walnut oil is suitable for both cold dishes and low-temperature cooking. In other words, it's perfectly fine to eat it raw. More importantly, the raw materials for walnut oil are readily available, and the preparation process is relatively simple. Back in the day, she even made walnut oil herself for her best friend's little one!
The first step is to carefully process the walnut kernels. You can choose to use a mortar and pestle (also known as a garlic press) to crush them into small particles, or use a stone mill to grind them into powder.
Next, carefully pour an appropriate amount of boiling water into the pot. Then, gently pour the previously crushed walnut kernels into the steaming hot water, and quickly pick up a spatula or spoon to stir evenly, making sure the two are thoroughly mixed.
Next comes the time to wait patiently. Place the pot of mixture on the stove and simmer over low heat for about half an hour until a magical scene appears—the water recedes and the oil emerges!
At this point, we can see a layer of golden oil gradually rising to the surface. Don't be impatient. Slowly pick up a large spoon and gently skim off the precious oil little by little, starting from the edge.
To ensure a purer and finer oil, a meticulous step is required: finely filtering the skimmed-off oil using a fine sieve. After this step, the filtered oil is carefully poured into a pre-prepared, clean container free of any oil or salt contamination. But that's not all! To pursue the ultimate quality, we further filter the oil using soft gauze for a deep filtration.
Next comes the crucial second boiling step. Pour the twice-filtered walnut oil back into the pot and continue to simmer over low heat. During this process, closely monitor the changes in the pot, patiently waiting for the water to gradually evaporate completely. Once all the water has disappeared, filter it once more through a fine sieve. And there you have it—a bottle of top-quality walnut oil, golden in color, fragrant, pure, and additive-free!
Is not it simple?