Sweet Sauce Black Vegetable

Sweet Sauce Black Vegetable

　　Ingredients: 100 kg of salted muskmelon cubes, 6.5 kg of almonds, 6.5 kg of shredded ginger, 250 kg of sweet bean paste

　　 Preparation Method:

　　 1. Ingredient selection and initial processing: Select seven-to-eight-tenths ripe bamboo-leaf-green muskmelons. The melons should be well-shaped, free from pests, diseases, and mechanical damage. Almonds must be soaked in clean water to soften, then peeled. Shredded ginger should be made from fresh, tender ginger, cut into fine strips measuring 2×2 mm.

　　 2. Salting: Before salting, the muskmelons should be cut open, the pulp and seeds removed, and the melons rinsed with clean water. Then, arrange a layer of melon and sprinkle a layer of salt. For 100 kg of fresh melon, use 6.5 kg of salt. During the salting process, turn the container every 4 hours, doing this a total of 3 times before removing the melon.

　　 3. Dicing: Cut into 1 cm cubes, then place in a cloth bag and press to remove moisture.

　　 4. Sauce-making: Mix the ingredients according to the proportions listed above, then place them in sweet bean paste to marinate. The marinating process takes about 30 days, during which the mixture should be stirred 3–4 times daily for the first 20 days, then 1–2 times afterward. After 30 days, the product is ready.

　　 Product characteristics: Dark brown color with a glossy finish, rich in sauce aroma and ester fragrance. The finished product is crisp and tender, with neat, unbroken melon cubes.