HOW TO make Eco-enzyme

What is eco-enzyme / garbage enzyme

Eco-enzyme is a solution produced from the fermentation of daily discarded fruit peels and vegetable dregs, sugar and water over a period of at least 3 months.  The ratio of the ingredients to use is developed by Dr. Rosukon from Thailand.

How to make Eco-Enzyme (1:3:10)

INGREDIENTS

1    part    Brown Sugar / Jaggery sugar

3    parts  only Fruit /vegetables dregs (chopped into small pieces) (Don’t add meat/fish/bones)

10 parts  Water (tap water)

Plastic container/ bottle with tight fitting lid (Do not use metal / glass containers)

(For fragrance: add more citrus fruits, eg. oranges, lemon peels)

Container	Sugar (1)	Fruit/Veg Discard (3)	Water(10)
Mineral water bottle（1.5L ）	90g	270g	900ml
Light Sauce bottle（5L ）	300g	900g	3000ml

METHOD

1.  Fill 60% of container with water.  (eg. 5L container, fill in 3L water (3000g))

2.  Add in sugar and stir until dissolved. (10% of weight of water=10% x 3000g = 300g)

3.  Add the fruit and vegetable dreg into the container. (3 x weight of sugar = 3 x 300 = 900g) 

4.  Stir and mix well.  Try to push down any floating fruits/vegetables, ensuring that they are soaked in the sugar liquid.  Cover the container / bottle loosely.

5.  Write the start date of fermentation on the container/bottle.

6.  After 1 or 2 days, bubbles will form on the surface and gases will be produced.

7.  For the 1^st month, DAILY, either open the lid of container and stir the mixture with a clean stick OR tighten the cap and shake the bottle.  Make sure the fruit peels / vegetables are soaked in liquid.  Keep the bottle opening clean, otherwise will attract fruit flies and ants.

8.  During fermentation, water from condensation will appear on the underside of the cover/bottle cap.  Wipe dry the underside of the cover/bottle cap.

9.  Then cover the container loosely or keep the bottle cap loosely screwed.

10. Once the fruits/vegetables have sunken, stop the daily stirring.

11. Cover the container tightly / screw the bottle cap tightly.

12. Place the container in a well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight.  Enzyme will be ready 3 months from start date of fermentation. （eg. production date 3/5/2016, enzyme harvest date 3/8/2016)

13. For bottles, for the next 2 months, unscrew the bottle cap to release gas when the bottle looked “bloated”.

14. After a total of 3 months fermentation, if the PH level of the liquid is below 4, the enzyme is ready for harvesting.

15. Strain the mixture and bottle the liquid.

16. The liquid is the eco-enzyme.  The cap of the bottled eco-enzyme has to be unscrewed to release gas once daily as fermentation continues even after straining.

Points to note

1.  A white harmless layer may form on the surface of the mixture, ignore it. If the cover was not covered tightly, flies and worm may grow in the liquid.  Either scoop them out or simply cover the container and ferment for another month.  The chemical reaction of enzyme will dissolve them naturally.

2.  Uses of eco enzyme sediments:

a) Add to a new batch of eco-enzyme to kick-start the process.

b) Use as fertilizer by drying the sediment, blend it and bury in the soil.

c) Grind the residue, pour into toilet bowl and flush to help purify sewage.

3.  If insufficient kitchen waste is collected at one go, fill up the container gradually. The 3 months fermentation period start from the day the last batch of kitchen waste is added.

4.  After 3 months, if there’s no hurry to use the eco-enzyme, let it ferment longer. 

5.  Do not store the harvested enzyme in the refrigerator.

For more information (chinese version), visit i Enzyme 就是爱酵素
See also: How to use Eco-enzyme