Cooking instruction for Mulberry Powder 1/2lb dry pack
Use the largest microwave safe bowl you can find that would fit into your microwave, preferably an open bowl with footing. I use the solid, transparent bowl of the salad spinner as it is also dishwasher safe and perfect for viewing your mixture. Or youc an use a tall gallon size tupperware, that is round.
1. Use a little over 3 cups of hot water and slowly pour into 1/2 lb of dry powder. Mix thoroughly with rubber spatula. If you have a hand blender, that would work best.
2. Put cling wrap over the container and cook for several minutes (about 2- 3 min in a high power unit) until it is hot and steamy. Remove with pot holder and stir with spatula. The consistency of the chow does not matter as much if you are using a cake decorator's bag, as you do not need to form or mold it. A moist chow is actually better for your silkworms (kegos need more moisture than older silkworms), but make sure it is not runny. A very runny chow could potentially drown your silkworms. If it end up being runny, let the chow dry a bit before feeding to your silkworms by squeezing onto a paper towel and let it absorb excess moisture for a few minutes.
3. Pause the microwave and remove the chow with gloves (be careful not to burn your hands with the steam) and stir for uniform cooking. Or use the hand blender.
4. Place cling wrap back and heat for another min or so. Stop, and stir for uniformity.
5. Get a clean medium size vase. Situate the piping bag by propping the opening and wrap the top opening sides of the vase. The bag easily stands up well. Pour your steamy hot chow straight in. Stop when you are two inches away from the top. Tap it down to the pointy end of the tube and tie the opening with a rubber band. That's it! Put away the remaining chow in any container and refill the bag when the content is low.
The benefits of using a piping bag:
1. Use a little over 3 cups of hot water and slowly pour into 1/2 lb of dry powder. Mix thoroughly with rubber spatula. If you have a hand blender, that would work best.
2. Put cling wrap over the container and cook for several minutes (about 2- 3 min in a high power unit) until it is hot and steamy. Remove with pot holder and stir with spatula. The consistency of the chow does not matter as much if you are using a cake decorator's bag, as you do not need to form or mold it. A moist chow is actually better for your silkworms (kegos need more moisture than older silkworms), but make sure it is not runny. A very runny chow could potentially drown your silkworms. If it end up being runny, let the chow dry a bit before feeding to your silkworms by squeezing onto a paper towel and let it absorb excess moisture for a few minutes.
3. Pause the microwave and remove the chow with gloves (be careful not to burn your hands with the steam) and stir for uniform cooking. Or use the hand blender.
4. Place cling wrap back and heat for another min or so. Stop, and stir for uniformity.
5. Get a clean medium size vase. Situate the piping bag by propping the opening and wrap the top opening sides of the vase. The bag easily stands up well. Pour your steamy hot chow straight in. Stop when you are two inches away from the top. Tap it down to the pointy end of the tube and tie the opening with a rubber band. That's it! Put away the remaining chow in any container and refill the bag when the content is low.
The benefits of using a piping bag:
- There is no need to form or mold your chow.
- There is no need to worry about consistency of your chow. If it is softer than usual, it is OK for the silkworms to eat. The requirement of having a cake like consistency with other suppliers is so that you can buy a cheese grater from them and grate it.
- There is no need to cool your chow for 2 days. You can cut away the tip right away and squeeze (so long as it is not too hot for your hands), but be sure not to lay them directly on your silkworms. The thin spaghetti strip cools as it is exposed to the air and silkworms can feed within minutes.
- There is little or no contamination. The chow remains sterile because you never have to open it, touch it with your hands, slice it or shred it. Therefore, your silkworms has less chance of dying from bacterial contamination. But be sure to empty out the tip portion and tape it back on the main part of the bag. If you choose to sterilize your chow for longer storage, you can steam or microwave the chow-n-a-bag, freeze it, and reuse over and over again. Each time you remove from the fridge to feed, heat up in the microwave for 10 seconds, so that you are not feeding cold chow that won't be good for the gut.
- Thin strips of wet chow feeds more efficiently, as well as dries quicker and you would not have to worry about mold problem. As they dry, silkworms will find their way to fresh food every time you feed.
- Some silkworms will remain behind and stay at the bottom, but as they molt, they will generally find their way up to the top. But you should still keep an eye on their progress as some can get left behind if the rack gets to high.
