Unforgettable mother’s family’s dry lotus root powder

Speaking of the dry lotus root noodles in Lajiutun, Qiaoli Village, Qiaoli Township, Mashan County, where I live, everyone seems to know about it for miles around. It can be said to be a household name, so during the Spring Festival, many people I came to Qiaoli Street to order the dry lotus root noodles from my mother's village. Some of them were bought for my family to eat, and some were given as gifts...

The dry lotus root noodles are all made during the winter vacation. Every winter vacation, I (between the third grade of elementary school and my graduation from high school) was one of the rare laborers who made dry lotus root starch at home. Therefore, I knew the process of making dry lotus root starch very well.

? (1)

The first process is to dig and wash dry lotus roots:

Early in the morning, my parents and brothers and I carried the Ni Qiao, carrying a hoe and a sickle, went to dig dry lotus roots in the field about a mile away from home.

It was approaching the Spring Festival, the wind was biting, and I was wearing thin clothes. Although I was shivering in the cold wind, I thought that I could make dry lotus root powder and sell it, and the money I earned would be used during the Spring Festival. I feel happy just because I can buy delicious New Year products, and when I think of the steaming, crystal clear and delicious lotus root powder, I feel my blood boiling, my heart is warm, and my mouth is greedy...

< p> When we got to the field, our parents first cut off the branches and leaves of the lotus root with a sickle, and then we brothers and sisters carried the branches and leaves to the field and put them away. Then the parents began to look at the outline of the dry lotus roots buried in the ground, and after determining where they were mainly distributed, they carefully put down the hoe along the outline of the dry lotus roots. After slowly digging the outline around the dry lotus roots, they focused their eyes and dug. The hoe went down, shook the hoe vigorously, and immediately uprooted the lotus roots. At this time, a bunch of fruitful lotus roots appeared in front of us with their roots and soil.

I cheered and picked up the dry lotus root with mud, soil and roots as if I had found a treasure. I held it in my hands and couldn't put it down until my mother scolded me and told me to quickly clear the sand and roots of the dry lotus root. Only then did he calm down and concentrate on digging out the sand in the gaps between each bunch of dry lotus roots and tearing off the roots attached to the dry lotus roots. After cleaning the lotus roots, I will put the cleaned lotus roots into the mud in order, so that they will not be messy, and they will be packed in more, so that they will not be scattered all the way when I pick them back. This is what my mother taught me!

After digging for about a morning, we got four piles of dry lotus roots. We carried them to the river, dumped them into shallow water, surrounded them with stones, and then washed the sediment on the dry lotus roots in the water. It was the twelfth lunar month of winter, but we had to go barefoot into the water to wash the dry lotus roots. Parents often roll up their trousers without hesitation, take off their shoes neatly and get into the water, laughing and saying that the water is so warm! If you don’t believe it, come down and try it right away. But I rolled up my trousers hesitantly, took off my shoes hesitantly, and stayed at the riverside to watch my parents wash themselves for a while before I bravely went down. The water in winter should be freezing cold, right? But the river at my parents’ home is actually cool in summer and warm in winter!

After getting into the water for a while, I did temporarily forget about the cold, because the dry lotus roots soaked in water were slippery, and there seemed to be loaches passing by under my feet. They were itchy and made me laugh. My parents looked at me happily and laughed with me. People walking by the river on the street saw us laughing and cursing in the water in the howling cold wind. They didn't feel cold at all, so they stopped and watched inexplicably. Hehehe laughed...

But it’s all fun, we still take the time to wash the dry lotus roots. After all, we still have to grind the dry lotus roots after washing them, so we probably wash them with our feet and then use them. Knead the remaining soil and skin residue on the lotus roots one by one with your hands. After washing them, pick them up and put them in the mud.

It was not cold when I soaked in the water, but as soon as I got to the shore and soaked my hands and feet in the water, I suddenly felt the biting cold wind and my mouth started to shiver involuntarily. So I quickly mustered up the courage to take three steps and then two steps to rush home. When I got home, I quickly soaked my hands and feet in the hot water in the pot. It took a few minutes for my frozen hands and feet to warm up.

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The second process is to grind the dry lotus roots:

After washing the dry lotus roots and returning home, my father installed the wooden dry lotus root grinder. (there were no machines at that time, only purely manual wood grinders), and a clean film was laid on the ground. My brother and I stepped on the pedal of the grinder and waited for our father to give orders, and my father acted as the "locomotive". The mother is responsible for putting the lotus roots from the mud to the mouth of the grinder, and the father is responsible for putting the lotus roots next to the grinder and preparing a wooden board to put the lotus roots into the mouth of the grinder.

After everything was ready, my father gave the order. My brother and I happily stepped on the footboard of the grinder, and my father could grind the dry lotus roots into the mouth of the grinder.

We stepped on the grinding plate, and as the crushed lotus roots made a sizzling sound, the ground lotus roots and pulp flowed onto the film on the ground. Everyone performs their own duties and cooperates with each other tacitly. My brother and I keep stepping on the ground. My mother carries the lotus roots up and down to the grinding edge. My father keeps pushing the lotus roots into the grinding mouth with a wooden board, and he uses the wooden board to help squeeze it. Dry lotus root. After about two hours, we finished grinding four picks of dry lotus roots.

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The third process is to filter the lotus root pulp:

After grinding the lotus roots, we put them in baskets and put them in baskets. Pick to the river. My father placed two large wooden barrels containing lotus root pulp in the river. My mother found two sieves for filtering the lotus root pulp. My brother set up stones and high benches so that I could stand on them and reach the sieves.

After preparing the utensils, we rolled up our sleeves and trouser legs and stood on stones or benches in the river. In order to cooperate with each other and prevent us from cutting corners, my mother arranged for me to partner with my father, and my brother to partner with my mother. .

First of all, my brother and I stood closer to the shore. Every time we used a spoon to scoop a spoonful of lotus root slurry into the sieve, our parents immediately scooped river water into the sieve, and my brother and I each poured it into the sieve. Keep kneading and squeezing the slurry with both hands in a certain order. When I first encountered the slurry, it was as cold as ice cream in winter, but after squeezing it with the river water for a while, I felt a little warmer. However, our hands were warm when immersed in the water, but the cold wind blew across our faces, our noses were red from the cold, and our faces were numb and stiff when we smiled. My parents looked at us brothers and sisters lovingly, silently scooping water, and occasionally poured the river water over our hands because the river water was warm at that time. Only then did we understand why our parents were responsible for squeezing us!

Fortunately, there are several families working in a row in the river every time. Everyone talks and laughs, which makes them happy! People passing by on the street were all walking tightly wrapped in their cotton-padded clothes. When they saw us playing in the water, they couldn't help but gasp. Some naughty children deliberately scooped up a spoonful of water and threw it at them in a playful way. Splash it and scare them so much that they run away cursing! Parents also blame them for not being able to treat others like this, but they don't blame them too much when they see their children enjoying themselves in the cold wind.

We just filter the slurry spoon by spoon, and then put the filtered slag into the basket, and when we have time, we will dry it on the wall (squeeze the water out of it and shake it hard) When applied to the wall, they actually stick firmly and become good firewood after drying).

In about half a day, we completed the first filtering task.

The next step is to wait for the first filtered lotus root pulp to settle, which takes an entire night.

Early the next morning, my father went to the river to pour out the water. The bottom layer of the barrel was a layer of slightly white and yellowish lotus root pulp. Then my father would scoop clean river water and put it into a wooden bucket. About half a bucket of water would be enough. Then my brother and I were each responsible for stirring the water in the barrel with wooden sticks until the lotus root pulp inside was completely melted. Then we filled up the water, left it for another night, and filtered it through a denser sieve the next day. Once, sediment again, change water, stir, sediment again, repeat this four or five times, and finally the filtered lotus root pulp will be crystal clear. The dry lotus root powder made at this time will be clean and translucent, delicious and attractive. Haha, why not?

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The fourth step is to steam the lotus root pulp:

There is a big pot and a large stove specially used for steaming the lotus root pulp at home. After dinner, my father washed the big pot, put appropriate water in the pot, washed the steaming plate made of stones, placed it in the big pot, and closed the lid. Then gather a certain amount of firewood into the kitchen so that it can start smoothly early the next morning. Finally, bamboo slats were set up in the hall to dry the steamed lotus root powder.

The next day, my parents got up early in the morning, and my father was responsible for filling the lotus root pulp in a medium bucket, and then putting in appropriate water to stir and melt it. Mother was responsible for lighting the fire and stirring the lotus root pulp to prevent it from settling. Keep the fire burning for at least half an hour.

When the water boils, my father opens the lid, then uses a spoon to scoop out a spoonful of lotus root pulp and slowly puts it on the steaming plate, flatten it with the water, then close the lid. When the steam is steaming from the lid, my father lifts the lid. , quickly let go of the edge, then use a bamboo roller to place it on the steaming plate, quickly dip your right hand into cold water, hold the roller with your left hand, and then use your right hand to pick up the lotus root powder at one end and throw it to On the drum, then lift up with both hands like a roc spreading its wings, and quickly roll the drum in one direction with both hands to roll the remaining dry lotus root powder onto the drum, leaving a small section hanging (at the same time, the mother scoops another spoonful Pour the lotus root pulp onto the steaming board, flatten it out, and cover it with a lid), then my father rushes to the bamboo board in the hall in three steps and then unfolds the hanging lotus root starch roll onto the bamboo board. While taking advantage of the situation, I pulled out and flattened the rolls on the roller along the bamboo board. Finally, I sorted out the uneven rolls next to the bamboo board. Then I took the bamboo board with the rolls hanging on them and carried them to the yard. Put up the rack to dry. My brother was responsible for taking care of the powder board hanging outside. He occasionally turned it over and if the powder rolls no longer touched his hands, he took them home. Then my brother and I tore off the powder rolls one after another and placed them neatly. Transfer to a laid out cutting board for cutting the next day.

We went back and forth like this, and it took us a whole day to steam the lotus root pulp, dry it, fold it flat, and clean up the steamer and other debris before steaming the lotus root powder. a paragraph.

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The fifth process is to cut and dry the dry lotus root starch:

The next day, after breakfast, my father took out the Using a sharp flour cutting knife, place a straight board on top of the stacked flour rolls, and then place a horizontal board on the head of the straight board to form a cross shape. Then my father sat on the horizontal board and simply cut the uneven flour rolls flat. After the powder is cut flat, aim carefully with your eyes. Use the knife in your right hand to press it into the powder. After fixing it with a little force, slowly press the knife at the other end of your left hand. After it is fixed, press down with both hands at a constant speed. , wisps of fans came out smoothly. Sometimes the force is uneven, and the vermicelli comes off when part of it is cut, so you have to start over again. Repeatedly, the cutting becomes smoother and smoother, and the vermicelli becomes more and more even and thin.

We arranged the bamboo strips for drying the vermicelli cut by our father, then shook off some of the broken powder, and then flatly placed it on the bamboo strips. After one side was filled, we used another Cover the vermicelli with a bamboo strip on one side, and tie the ends of the two bamboo sticks with ropes from top to bottom. Four or five sets of clamping sticks are enough for each bamboo board to tie them securely. In order to prevent the vermicelli at both ends of the bamboo strip from leaking out and falling apart, we use ropes to fix it slightly. Once, then take it to the yard to dry. This cycle goes on and on for about half a day, and the cutting of noodles has come to an end.

Don’t think that dry lotus root starch is done just like this, but it’s not! In the process of drying sweat lotus root powder, there are many emergencies, such as a sudden rain, which will catch you off guard. Sometimes the sky is just clear, so you are eating leisurely at home, but suddenly you hear someone shouting that it is raining to collect the powder. You were so frightened that you had no time to swallow the food in your mouth, and rushed to the yard where the flour was dried. Who knew it was a naughty child playing a prank, and we were so angry that we ran to catch him, but he quickly ran to the corner. , so sometimes when we hear children calling for rain, we mostly ignore it, but occasionally it does rain, making us restless! Especially at night, if the north wind blows, we can sleep peacefully. If not, we will be thinking about the powder outside in the sun all night. Of course, our parents are our alarm clocks. They often dare not sleep soundly. As long as they hear signs of rain, they will wake us up as soon as possible, and then everyone will cheer together to collect fans. When the powder dries, we can breathe a sigh of relief.

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The last step is to tie the dried lotus root powder:

We put the dried lotus root powder in the hall. Then we put the bamboo shreds cut by our father next to it, laid the bamboo strips with the vermicelli on them flat, opened the tied bamboo sticks and ropes, took the bamboo strips covering it, rolled up the dry vermicelli from the beginning, and the palms of our hands were enough to grab a handful. That's it, then wrap the bamboo wire around the middle, hold it firmly, pull hard, connect the two bamboo wires and tighten them, and tie them up with a handful of dry powder. In this way, two people tied them up from both ends, met in the middle, and finished tying them one board after another. Then they found a clean and dry room, wrapped them in film to prevent ventilation, and put them away.

Thinking of Jie Tian’s mother taking dry lotus root powder to the street and selling it at a good price, although we went through so many processes to make a batch of powder, we felt tired and happy!

Jin writes this article to commemorate our hardworking and kind-hearted parents!