Tips and Guides

CEMENTLESS SOIL BLOCKS

In view of the rising cost of cement, the Forest Products Research and Development Institute made an attempt to form building blocks out of soil and water alone or in combination with one or two other agri-forestry waste materials, such as rice hull, coconut coir dust and wood ash. Lime is used as a binder. Lime is found in large quantities in Rizal, Negros Occidental and Davao Oriental. Coconut coir and other materials are available almost nationwide.

Materials:

Lime Soil
Coconut coir Sand
Rice hull Wood ash
Rice hull ash

Equipment:

1/4 inch mesh screen
mold
shovel

Procedure:

1. Pulverize the soil and remove larger pieces with the use of a 1/4 inch wire mesh screen.
2. Mix together soil and any one or two of the agri-forestry wastes. Suggested combinations (in parts by volume) are:
a. 3 soil + 1 coconut coir
b. 3 soil + 1 rice hull
c. 5 soil + 1 lime
d. 5 soil + 1/2 lime + 1/2 rice hull ash
e. 5 soil + 1/2 lime + 1/2 wood ash
f. 4 soil + 1 rice hull + 1 lime
g. 21/2 soil + 21/2 sand + 1/2 lime + 1/2 wood ash

3. Form a hill out of the dry mixture (or of soil alone if a pure soil block is to be made) with a crater on top and add water.
4. Pour water slowly and with a shovel, mix the materials until a paste is formed. The paste should neither be too dry nor too wet so that during the molding process. The ingredients are wet enough to stay packed but not too wet to produce slump when the product is removed from the mold. The right mixture can be learned easily by experience.
5. Fill the mold with the mixture. Tamp very well and level off. Apply pressure using a manually-operated molding machine or a similar device.
6. Dry the block in the shade for a few days and then sun dry for another few days.

Source: Forest Products Research and Development, Institute (DOST) College Laguna

LIME-CLAY-SAND BLOCKS

With the materials that are available all over the country, Industrial Technology and Development Institute fabricated blocks which need no firing. The block has a square face and grooved sides which allow adequate surface for bonding. It measures 8″x8″x6″. The provinces of La Union, Bulacan, Batangas, Quezon, Bohol and Negros Occidental have reserves of all the 4 non-metallic ores herein used. Clay and limestone may be found in almost all the regions while sufficient amount of sand and gravel occur in Regions III, IV, VI and X.

Materials:

Clay Gravel
Lime Water
Sand

Equipment:

Pickax Wire mesh screen
Shovel Wooden measuring box

Procedure:

1. Crush the lumps of clay into smaller pieces with a pickaxe. With the use of a wire mesh screen, remove impurities, such as stones, roots, twigs, etc.
2. Sift the lime and the sand separately to remove the bigger particles.
3. Mix thoroughly five (5) boxes of clay, two (2) of lime and two (2) of sand.
4. Add water slowly until the right consistency is reached. The mixture should neither be too wet nor too dry so that when molded, the block will maintain its shape.
5. Press the mixture into a wooden mold until all spaces are filled up and scrape off the excess.
6. Remove the mold and allow the formed block to stand in the shade for 3 days. Then sun-dry for another 3 days.

Source: Ceramics Research Division ITDI (DOST)

HOLLOW BLOCKS FROM RICE HULLS

Procedure:

1. Carbonize the rice hulls.
2. Pulverize the ash.
3. Mix the following:60 parts cement40 parts carbonized ashwater
4. Pour the mixture into wooden molds
5. Allow to dry.

Source: Forest Products Research and Development , Institute (DOST) Los Baños, Laguna.

HOLLOW BLOCKS FROM WASTE MATERIALS

A new type of hollow blocks can be fabricated out of wood wastes, agricultural wastes and soil mixed with minimum amount of cement. As far as strength and durability are concerned, results of test showed that this type of blocks is comparable to some of the commercial or traditional concrete hollow blocks. However, they are considered as strictly non-loading bearing.

Materials:

1 part cement
3 parts sawdust, ordinary soil, rice hulls, abaca waste, sugarcane bagasse, coconut coir dust and coconut trunk.
Procedure:

1. Pulverized soil is passed through a wire screen, 1/4 inch wire mesh to separate larger pieces. A mixture of 1 part cement to 3 parts agri-waste is formulated.
2. Mix all materials together, add water and pour into molds.
3. Let stand for several hours until dry.
4. After drying, remove from molds and let stand along one side for 10 days while sprinkling water at regular intervals to avoid cracking.

Source: PCARRD Farmnews December 1988, Photo courtesy of www.hindu.com

Fruits that have flavor and a substance called pectin can be transformed into delicious jelly, such as the bignay fruit, papaya, duhat, santol, tamarind and guava. Soursop (guayabano) sininguelas, breadfruit(rimas), anonas and chico all have high pectin content. Fruits that have very low pectin are difficult or cannot be made into jelly.

Testing fruit for pectin. To determine whether a certain fruit can be successfully made into jelly, boil a small amount of its juice with sugar. If it gels, then it is rich in pectin.

You can also test using 95 per cent denatured wood alcohol. Mix two tablespoon of this with one tablespoon of fruit juice. If transparent, jelly-like lump is formed, then the fruit can be successfully be transformed in to jelly. Make sure that the gel formed is firm and does not dissolve easily.

Another test for pectin content makes use of a jelmeter. This is an instrument similar to pipette, where the fruit juice is allowed to run down the tube. Observe the juice, whether it is thick enough and runs down the tube slowly.

Testing fruit for acid contents. Fruit have to be made into jelly should also have the right acidity-pH 3.4. To test this acidity, mix one tablespoon of kalamansi juice and eight tablespoon (1/2 cup ) of water. Compare its taste with that of the fruit juice. The fruit juice has high acid content if it taste as sour as the kalamansi juice. You may increase the fruit juice’s acidity by adding kalamansi, lemon juice, or commercial citric.

1. Preparing the fruit. To make jelly, select and mix together both ripe and slightly underripe fruit. Do not choose overripe, nor green immature fruit as these do not have enough flavor.

2. Wash the fruit thoroughly in cold running water, then crush, grind or chop into fine pieces. Place them in a large kettle then add just enough water to immerse the mashed fruit. Juicy or watery fruit will only need about 1/2 cup of water per kilo of fruit. Add kalamansi, etc., if the fruit is known to have low acid content.

3. Boiling and extracting the juice. Boil the fruit low heat until the flesh becomes tender. Soft fruit may be boiled for only three minutes, while firmer fruit require a longer period. Dot not overcook as this will reduce the jelly’s quality.

4. Transfer the cook pulp with the juice into a damp jelly bag. This may be a clean piece of cheesecloth made into baglike strainer. Allow the juice to drain completely, then twist and press the bag just hard enough to squeeze out the juice. Afterwards, strain the extracted juice again through a damp cheesecloth with double thickness. Do not squeeze this time in order to acquire the purest juice.

Fruits rich in pectin and juice can be extracted twice. After juice has been removed the first time, return the pulp to the kettle, add enough water, then boil again. Drain and mix the juice with the previously extracted one.

5. Cooking the jelly. Test the fruit juice again for acidity and pectin content. Measure the juice in cups, then prepare one cup of sugar for every cup of juice that is rich in pectin. For fruit with only a moderate amount of pectin, prepare 3/4 cup of sugar for every cup of juice. If the juice is pale in color, add sugar before cooking, otherwise, add sugar after it has been boiled.

Cook no more than two cups of juice at a time. Keep the kettle covered and bring to a boil as fast as possible without stirring. When large bubbles form that tend to” jump out” of the pan, you may remove the kettle from heat.

In a saucer with water, pour a small amount of boiling syrup. If the syrup from a soft ball which crinkles when pushed with a finger, and retains its shape when lifted out of the water, then the jelly has been cooked sufficient. You may also test by just putting a small amount of the boiling syrup into a saucer and observing whether the syrups forms into a gel.

Another way to test the “jellying point” is to dip a wooden spoon into the boiling jelly. The jelly has been cooked sufficiently if it sets on the spoon and falls off as one sheet of flake. Boiling temperature has to reach 119.5o to 222oF for the jelly to be cooked just right.

6. Finishing the jelly. Remove the kettle from the heat immediately after the jelly has been cooked well enough. Remove the scum or impurities by drawing a clean piece of paper across the surface of the jelly. You can also strain the jelly through two layers of sinamay cloth.

7. Pour the jelly at once into a warm jars, leaving 1/2-inch allowance from the top. Set aside to cool undisturbed. Before the jellycools completely, pour melted paraffin 1/8-inch thick to cover the surface, or just place waxed tissue to seal the top completely. Use vacuum sealing, if possible.

8. Store jelly in cool, dark and dry places.

INGREDIENTS TO BE USED TO TRANSFORM SOME FRUITS INTO JELLY

Bignay 3/4 -1 cup of sugar/cup Ripe of juice
Papaya 3/4 -1 cup of sugar/cup Slightly underripe of juice
2 tablespoons kalamansi juice/cup of juice
1 tablespoon kalamansi juice/2 cups of fruit
Duhat 3/4 -1 cup sugar/cup Ripe of juice
1 tablespoon kalamansi /cup of juice
Tamarind 3/4 -1 cup of sugar/cup Ripe of juice
(Soak overnight in water before cooking) (Boil for 15 minutes.)
Guava 3/4 -1 cup sugar/cup of Mixed green and ripe juice fruits
1 tablespoon kalamansi juice/cup of juice

Source: DOST, photo courtesy of www.nippi-inc.co.jp

1. Wash ripe pineapple thoroughly. Cut off the ends and divide the fruit into small pieces. Pass it through a meat grinder or chop and mash it thoroughly. Extract the juice by pressing lightly with hand. The extract can be made into juice or vinegar. Add water equivalent to the pulp residue and mix them well. For every part of the mixture, add one part sugar and 100 to 150 ml starter consisting of pure, young, vigorous culture of nata organisms in an appropriate substrate. This can be obtained from the National Institute of Science and Technology.

2. Place the mixture (one-third full) in clean wide-mouthed gallon glass jars. Cover the mixture with paper or cheese cloth and set it aside undisturbed for three weeks.

3. After three weeks, harvest the nata and wash it thoroughly. Cut into cubes or strips and soak in water every three or four hours. Boil the nata in several changes of fresh water until the vinegar-like odor and taste are removed. Cook it in syrup ( 2 parts sugar to 1 part water) for 30 minutes. Use 1 part sugar used in preparing syrup for every part of nata. Soak it in syrup overnight. Flavor it with cubed fresh pineapple or canned pineapple juice. Then, boil for another 30 minutes or until the nata cubes are translucent.

4. Put the hot nata in clean jars or tin cans. Seal it immediately and process it in boiling water for 30 to 45 minutes depending upon the size of the container. Cool the product, wipe dry, label and then store.

Here is more equipment and machineries from the Openacademy for Philippine Agriculture.

LS 600 Lite Stripper

- Affordable to farmers
- Easy to operate
- Locally designed and manufactured
- Low repair and maintenance cost

PhilRice-Flatbed Dryer