#fermented chilies

[jazzeria]

I made a hot sauce!  

On 23 Apr, I roughly blended some habaneros, garlic, onion, and some fruit, added salt and a bit of whey, placed a circle of film on the surface, and put an airlock lid on the jar.  

The mixture was dense and chunky, and as fermentation got underway, gas bubbles would get trapped, leading to a “spongy” texture.  

This was also my first time fermenting fruit this way, and I’m not sure if it was the sugar content or what, but this ferment stank!  It smelled like weird cheese.  

After a few weeks, I realised the film was ineffective: with all the bubling, the film got jostled around too much, and eventaully I noticed a white growth developing (kahm yeast).  I did away with the film entirely, opting to try topping with brine (2-2.5% saline solution).  

That wasn’t very effective and the kahm persisted.  I switched to using a fermented brine from salsa.  Eventually, the additional liquid mixed with the original brine, creating a looser texture that allowed the gas bubbles to escape to the top.  But I can no longer tell you exactly what’s in this hot sauce.  

We’ve had a streak of hot weather here, and I’ve been struggling to keep my ferments cool; so there’s been a lot of kahm yeast development.  On 1 Jun, I finally decided it was time to finish this hot sauce.  

I strained out the liquid, which produced a very thin and spicy hot sauce (like 9/10 for me).  

The solids, I continued processing, adding more fruit and mild red peppers to reduce the heat.  I also added salt and sugar, then pressed the mixture through a sieve twice.  It has the consistency of ketchup and I’d rate it a 4/10 spiciness.  It could go sweeter or more acidic--I just have to decide on a direction, but I want to think on it.  

The solids leftover from the sieve, I spread on a sheet of parchment and let dry on a wire rack under a mesh dome.  I’m hoping to get a dry condiment out of this, something to sprinkle over scrambled eggs (or anything else what benefits from cheese and hot sauce flavours).  

We’ll see how this goes!  

[speedlimit15]

How i dressed to eat this today ^

[los-plantalones]

🫑 this is a pepper appreciation post 🌶️

[morethansalad]

Vegan Singapore Black Pepper Sauce Spaghetti

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

this essay is going to be absolutely genius if I'm not talking rubbish

[magrittr]

Crazy to me that people have hot sauce recipes. The correct method to do is to throw in random peppers from your garden… play it by ear mad scientist style. Yum.

[r3mlato]

hetvegen voltunk azsiai boltban es volt 2 dollarert egy fel kilo thai chili. mivel mar par hete motoszkál a fejemben, hogy kene csinalni sajat chili szoszt es amugy is a thai a kedvencem, ennel jobb alkalom nem is kellett mondvan ha nem sikerul is csak 2$-nyi kaja vesz karba.

sajnos kb a 2/3- a chilinek mar elegge tulerett igy amit meg tudtam menteni azt elkezdtem fermentalni (chili, repa, shallot, foki, ha kesz egy kis almaecet es par fuszer) a maradekbol meg csinaltam friss chili szoszt. talaltam egy jamie oliver receptet ahol fozi a chilit, gondoltam eleg szarul neznek mar ki, ha megfozom legfeljebb csak az ize lesz rossz de bajunk nem lesz tole. nem lett rossz ize, de nekem egyatalan nem jon be sult chili iz, de zsuzsonak izlik, es hat baromi csipos lett. kivancsian varom mi lesz a fermentaltbol ket het mulva.

[ishtarssideblog]

I know I just finished a jar of kimchi in two days and my bf hates the smell of it but I need more

[stolenpatience]

I feel like this blog might just be chronicling my chronic dissatisfaction with fermentation at this point, but fuck if I didn't just fuck up a perfectly decent kraut by letting it overferment and turn to mush. The flavour is soo good. And the texture is soo bad.

Homegrown ingredients too. I'm not crying, you're crying.

[foodfarrago]

hunan chicken

[jazzeria]

I've been really enjoying making fermented hot sauces--can you tell?

The Green Chilies & Lime sauce is poorly documented: it's the haphazard combination of two different hot sauces when I realised one wasn't going how I wanted. I probably couldn't remake it if I tried--but I'm also ok with that. It's good, but it has its issues--namely, it's a bit yeasty. (Or at least, the opened bottle got yeasty. But it also got left on the counter at a build-your-own-taco-bowl party, so...)

The two Habanero-Peach sauces came about through different processes of the same ferment.

The smaller bottle is the strained fermentation liquid, tweaked for flavour with vinegar, salt, sugar, and a touch of peach puree; and stabilised with xanthan gum. It is very hot, I'd call it 9/10 spiciness.

The larger bottle is the solids, pureed with sweet red peppers, more fruit, tweaked as above, but with more sugar. It has the consistency of thin ketchup, and is both sweet and hot. It was the undisputed favourite at the party, despite being the ferment I was most skeptical of!

Although I originally rated its spiciness 4/10, I think the spiciness somehow permeated the entire sauce over time, and I would now rank it about 6/10.

[morethansalad]

Vegan Rad Na (Thai Rice Noodles in Gravy)

[thoughtssvt]

trying to match the jjk men's eating pace

that one tiktok trend where you try to match the pace your partner eats bite for bite

featuring gojo satoru, geto suguru, nanami kento, fushiguro toji

g. satoru

Satoru was actually shocked when you told him you were going to get as many burgers as he was, joking that he was going to have to finish your leftovers (not that he minded). everything was going smooth as he calmly unwrapped the first burger, taking a bite that didn't seem to under or over fill his mouth, giving you a false sense of security as you chewed your food like normal. panic began to set in by his third bite, practiced hands picking up a pinch of fries to add to the bite he was working on.

you weren't sure if his bites were getting bigger or if he was starting to chew faster, but before you knew it your cheeks were full and he was already crumpling the wrapper to start his second burger, taking a casual sip from his soft drink.

it was laughable, honestly, the way you were still holding half your burger, cheeks almost painfully full, sauce extending your smile, unable to match his sip of burger-filled mouth as you tried your best to hold in your laughter. satoru none the wiser. effectively making you choke on a crumb that had you keeled over, shoulders jumping with your silent chuckles.

"woah, baby. baby, slow down." His voice full of concern, unwrapping his third burger before patting your back in attempt to clear your throat.

g. suguru

suguru always savored his food no matter what it was or how many times he's eaten it. it was great, you were glad he found solace in food considering the toll his curse technique had on his body and his relationship with food. you'd never ask him to change it, but now that you've decided to partake in this silly internet challenge the rumble of your stomach has given you some regrets.

all you wanted to do was dig in, salivating at your steaming bowl of ramen. suguru sitting in front of you, a soft smile on his face as he carefully crafted a smaller ramen bowl in his soup spoon. chopsticks steady and meticulous as he let two noodles coil onto the spoon, dipping the edge of the ceramic into the soup until the noodles just barely peeked through. you sat there, noodles pinched by your chopsticks though still submerged in the broth as he slowly arranged green onions, garlic, pork, fermented bamboo shoots and strips of dried seaweed onto the utensil.

"ah, here we go." he finally said, setting his chopsticks down making you bring your noodles out of the broth and up to your mouth until he reached for a small spoon full of chili oil.

"not that hungry yet, love?" he quirked his brows at you when he noticed your creaky movements as you waited for him, finally bringing his mini bowl of ramen into his mouth, letting the flavors melt on his tongue before starting his slow chew. you followed suit, taking a bite and a sip of the broth.

"so hungry, suguru," you comedically sniffled to yourself, averting your gaze when he began repeating the process all over again.

n. kento

kento was quick skewer the contents onto his fork or scoop his rice onto his spoon, but slow to chew. he'd been excited for this meal after all, waltzing into the kitchen with a pep in his step after leaving work on time, still in his tie as he rolled up his sleeves to begin cooking. the table ending up with a beautiful spread of new dishes that caught his attention in the magazine he picked up last weekend.

unsurprising, the conversation would be about his thoughts on how all the components melded together, how one highlighted another, what it reminded him of. always a memory of a place you two went to together, then a small smile gracing his lips as he tells you that the two of you should go there again in the future. he'd ask you your thoughts, lips forming a small o as he listened to your suggestion of adding a little bit of that the next time he wanted to cook the dish.

the only thing surprising about trying to match his pace was actually how much bread he consumed, which you hadn't realized before until you felt like bursting at the seams when he picked up his forth roll-- a new recipe with his homemade garlic oil painted on top. you'd given up a while ago, choosing to enjoy the food he cooked, his love for bread unmatched. your head in your hand as you watched him chew, anyone on the outside would've assumed that he was eating out of necessity, but under your gaze you were blinded by the sparkle in his eyes as the flavors danced on his tongue. the momentary pause of his jaw as he conjured up a tweak in the recipe to bring it to the next level.

f. toji

you honestly weren't even going to try matching his pace. he devoured. the short skewers of yakitori disappearing into his mouth in an instant, the only thing able to pull you from your amazement was the soft 'ahhhh' he let out as he widened his mouth to accept the food. he barely took the time to finish chewing before bringing another skewer to his mouth. meals with toji usually ended with him running a lithe tongue over his lips, patting his stomach before eyeing whatever was left on your plate.

"gonna finish that?" he asked, hand already reaching whether you were done with your food or not.

he hummed to himself as you walked side by side just having left the restaurant.

"a branch from a sendai restaurant just popped up, want to try their gyutan with me?"

ah, toji's bottomless stomach and his love for meat.

A/N : aahhh i'm sorry toji's section is short, not much to write when the food is gone before you can even look at it LOL i just had suguru's so clearly in my mind and i had to stop myself from writing kento actually cooking. lowkey don't think i'm equipped for these mutli character posts lol

picnic divider by @/thecutestgrotto

line divider by @/firefly-graphics

jjk men x reader masterlist

[datura-tea]

you know what. fermentation, smoking, canning, pickling, curing, drying, and other methods of food preservation have been popular since before the invention of modern technologies. as is milling grains for rice and bread. these are things that you can do as long as you know the process and have the proper tools.

with that in mind... why is eating 200 year old pre-war food still a viable option for people of the wasteland? by 2281, there are farms. there are ranches. the ingredients are there. the know-how and tools are there. the recipes are there! it's not as easy as just going to a supermarket, but y'know, there's also trade. do you want some bighorner jerky in exchange for brahmin tallow? hey, give me some canned mutfruit and i'll cook you the most delicious deep fried giant ant with garlic and chilies and some lime juice on the side. take this sourdough loaf and firegecko menudo before you go. i just!! there are so so many interesting options and instead we get bland steaks and meat on a stick!!! why is wasteland cuisine so boring!!!

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A circle of overlapping semi-circular bright pink pickles arranged on a plate, viewed from a low angle. End ID]

مخلل اللفت / Mukhallal al-lifit (Pickled turnips)

The word "مُخَلَّل" ("mukhallal") is derived from the verb "خَلَّلَ"‎ ("khallala"), meaning "to preserve in vinegar." "Lifit" (with diacritics, Levantine pronunciation: "لِفِتْ"), "turnip," comes from the root "ل ف ت‎", which produces words relating to being crooked, turning aside, and twisting (such as "لَفَتَ" "lafata," "to twist, to wring"). This root was being used to produce a word meaning "turnip" ("لِفْتْ" "lift") by the 1000s AD, perhaps because turnips must be twisted or wrung out of the ground.

Pickling as a method of preserving produce so that it can be eaten out of season is of ancient origin. In the modern-day Levant, pickles (called "طَرَاشِيّ‎" "ṭarāshiyy"; singular "طُرْشِيّ" "ṭurshiyy") make up an important culinary category: peppers, carrot, olives, eggplant, cucumber, cabbage, cauliflower, and lemons are preserved with vinegar or brine for later consumption.

Pickled turnips are perhaps the most commonly consumed pickles in the Levant. They are traditionally prepared during the turnip harvest in the winter; in the early spring, once they have finished their slow fermentation, they may be added to appetizer spreads, served as a side with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, eaten on their own as a snack, or used to add pungency to salads, sandwiches, and wraps (such as shawarma or falafel). Tarashiyy are especially popular among Muslim Palestinians during the holy month of رَمَضَان (Ramaḍān), when they are considered a must-have on the إِفْطَار ("ʔifṭār"; fast-breaking meal) table. Pickle vendors and factories will often hire additional workers in the time leading up to Ramadan in order to keep up with increased demand.

In its simplest instantiation, mukhallal al-lifit combines turnips, beetroot (for color), water, salt, and time: a process of anaerobic lacto-fermentation produces a deep transformation in flavor and a sour, earthy, tender-crisp pickle. Some recipes instead pickle the turnips in vinegar, which produces a sharp, acidic taste. A pink dye (صِبْغَة مُخَلَّل زَهْرِي‎; "ṣibgha mukhallal zahri") may be added to improve the color. Palestinian recipes in particular sometimes call for garlic and green chili peppers. This recipe is for a "slow pickle" made with brine: thick slices of turnip are fermented at room temperature for about three weeks to produce a tangy, slightly bitter pickle with astringency and zest reminiscent of horseradish.

Turnips are a widely cultivated crop in Palestine, but, though they make a very popular pickle, they are seldom consumed fresh. One Palestinian dish, mostly prepared in Hebron, that does not call for their fermentation is مُحَشّي لِفِتْ ("muḥashshi lifit")—turnips that are cored, fried, and stuffed with a filling made from ground meat, rice, tomato, and sumac or tamarind. In Nablus, tahina and lemon juice may be added to the meat and rice. A similar dish exists in Jordan.

Turnips produced in the West Bank are typically planted in open fields (as opposed to in or under structures such as plastic tunnels) in November and harvested in February, making them a fall/winter crop. Because most of them are irrigated (rather than rain-fed), their yield is severely limited by the Israeli military's siphoning off of water from Palestine's natural aquifers to settlers and their farms.

Israeli military order 92, issued on August 15th, 1967 (just two months after the order by which Israel had claimed full military, legislative, executive, and judicial control of the West Bank on June 7th), placed all authority over water resources in the hands of an Israeli official. Military order 158, issued on November 19th of the same year, declared that no one could establish, own, or administer any water extraction or processing construction (such as wells, water purification plants, or rainwater collecting cisterns) without a new permit. Water infrastructure could be searched for, confiscated, or destroyed at will of the Israeli military. This order de facto forbid Palestinians from owning or constructing any new water infrastructure, since anyone could be denied a permit without reason; to date, no West Bank Palestinian has ever been granted a permit to construct a well to collect water from an aquifer.

Nearly 30 years later, the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (also called the Oslo II Accord or the Taba Agreement), signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1995, officially granted Israel the full control over water resources in occupied Palestine that it had earlier claimed. The Argreement divided the West Bank into regions of three types—A, B, and C—with Israel given control of Area C, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) supposedly having full administrative power over Area A (about 3% of the West Bank at the time).

In fact, per article 40 of Annex 3, the PA was only allowed to administer water distribution in Area A, so long as their water usage did not exceed what had been allocated to them in the 1993 Oslo Accord, a mere 15% of the total water supply: they had no administrative control over water resources, all of which were owned and administered by Israel. This interim agreement was to be returned to in permanent status negotiations which never occurred.

The cumulative effect of these resolutions is that Palestinians have no independent access to water: they are forbidden to collect water from underground aquifers, the Jordan River, freshwater springs, or rainfall. They are, by law and by design, fully reliant on Israel's grid, which distributes water very unevenly; a 2023 report estimated that Israeli settlers (in "Israel" and in the occupied West Bank) used 3 times as much water as Palestinians. Oslo II estimations of Palestinians' water needs were set at a static number of million cubic meters (mcm), rather than an amount of water per person, and this number has been adhered to despite subsequent growth in the Palestinian population.

Palestinians who are connected to the Israeli grid may open their taps only to find them dry (for as long as a month at a time, in بَيْت لَحْم "bayt laḥm"; Bethlehem, and الخَلِيل "al-khalīl"; Hebron). Families rush to complete chores that require water the moment they discover the taps are running. Those in rural areas rely on cisterns and wells that they are forbidden to deepen; new wells and reservoirs that they build are demolished in the hundreds by the Israeli military. Water deficits must be made up by paying steep prices for additional tankards of water, both through clandestine networks and from Israel itself. As climate change makes summers hotter and longer, the crisis worsens.

By contrast, Israeli settlers use water at will. Israel, as the sole authority over water resources, has the power to transfer water between aquifers; in practice, it uses this authority to divert water from the Jordan River basin, subterranean aquifers, and بُحَيْرَة طَبَرِيَّا ("buḥayrat ṭabariyyā"; Lake Tiberias) into its national water carrier (built in 1964), and from there to other regions, including the Negev Desert (south of the West Bank) and settlements within the West Bank.

Whenever Israel annexes new land, settlers there are rapidly given access to water; the PA, however, is forbidden to transport water from one area of the West Bank to another. Israel's control over water resources is an important part of the settler colonial project, as access to water greatly influences the desirability of land and the expected profit to be gained through its agricultural exports.

The result of the diversion of water is to increase the salinity of the Eastern Aquifer (in the West Bank, on the east bank of the Jordan River) and the remainder of the Jordan that flows into the West Bank, reducing the water's suitability for drinking and irrigation; in addition, natural springs and wells in Palestine have run dry. In this environment, water for drinking and watering crops and livestock is given priority, and many Palestinians struggle to access enough water to shower or wash clothing regularly. In extreme circumstances, crops may be left for dead, as Palestinian farmers instead seek out jobs tending Israeli fields.

Some areas in Palestine are worse off in this regard than others. Though water can be produced more easily in the قَلْقِيلية (Qalqilya), طُولْكَرْم (Tulkarm) and أَرِيحَا ("ʔarīḥā"; Jericho) Districts than in others, the PA is not permitted to transfer water from these areas to areas where water is scarcer, such as the Bethlehem and Al-Khalil Districts. In Al-Khalil, where almost a third of Palestinian acreage devoted to turnips is located [1], and where farming families such as the Jabars cultivate them for market, water usage averaged just 51 liters per person per day in 2020—compare this to the West Bank Palestinian average of 82.4 liters, the WHO recommended daily minimum of 100 liters, and the Israeli average of 247 liters per person per day.

As Israeli settlement גִּבְעַת חַרְסִינָה (Givat Harsina) encroached on Al-Khalil in 2001, with a subdivision being built over the bulldozed Jabar orchard, the Jabars reported settlers breaking their windows, destroying their garden, throwing rocks, and holding rallies on the road leading to their house. In 2010, with the growth of the קִרְיַת־אַרְבַּע (Kiryat Arba) settlement (officially the parent settlement of Givat Harsina), the Jabars' entire irrigation system was repeatedly torn out, with the justification that they were stealing water from the Israeli water authority; the destruction continued into 2014. Efforts at connecting and expanding Israeli settlements in the Bethlehem area continue to this day.

Thus we can see that water deprivation is one tool among many used to drive Palestinians from their land; and that it is connected to a strategy of rendering agriculture impossible or unprofitable for them, forcing them into a state of dependence on the Israeli economy.

Turnips, as well as cabbage and chili peppers, are also grown in the village of وَادِي فُوقِين (Wadi Fuqin), west of Bethlehem. In 2014, Israel annexed about 1,250 acres of land in Wadi Fuqin, or a third of the village's land, "effectively [ruling] out development of the village and its use of this land for agriculture." Most of this land lies immediately to the west of a group of settlements Israel calls גּוּשׁ עֶצְיוֹן ("Gush Etzion"; Etzion Bloc). Building here would link several non-contiguous Israeli settlements with each other and with القدس (Al-Quds; "Jerusalem"), hemming Palestinians of the region in on all sides (many main roads through Israeli settlements cannot be used by anyone with a Palestinian ID). [2] PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said that the annexation, which was carried out "[u]nder the cover of [Israel's] latest campaign of aggression in Gaza," "represent[ed] Israel’s deliberate intent to wipe out any Palestinian presence on the land".

This, of course, was not the beginning of this strategy: untreated sewage from Gush Etzion settlements had been contaminating crops, springs, and groundwater in Wadi Fuqin since 2006, which also saw nearly 100 acres of Palestinian land annexed to allow for expansion of the Etzion Bloc.

All of this has obviously had an effect on Palestinian agriculture. A 1945–6 British survey of vegetable production in Palestine found that 992 dunums were devoted to Arab turnip production (954 irrigated and 38 rain-fed; no turnip production was attributed to Jewish settlers). A March 1948 UN report claimed that "[i]n most districts the markets are well-supplied with all the common winter vegetables—cabbages, cauliflowers, lettuce and spinach; carrots, turnips and and beets; beans and peas; green onions, eggplants, marrows and tomatoes." By 2009, however, the area given to turnips in Palestine had fallen to 918 dunums. Of these, 864 dunums were irrigated and 54 rain-fed. This represents an increase in unirrigated turnips (5.8%, up from 3.9%) that is perhaps related to difficulty in obtaining sufficient water.

Meanwhile, Israel profits from its restriction of Palestinian agriculture; it is the largest exporter of turnips in West Asia (I found no data for turnip exports from Palestine after 1922, suggesting that the produce is all for local consumption).

The pattern that Ashrawi called out in 2014 continued in 2023, as Israel's genocide in Gaza occurs alongside the continued and escalating killing and expulsion of West Bank Palestinians. The 2014 annexations, which represented the largest land grab for over 30 years and which appeared to institute a new era of state policy, have been followed up in subsequent years with more land claims and settlement-building.

Israeli military and settler raids and massacres in the West Bank, which had already killed 248 in 2023 before the حَمَاس (Hamas) October 7 offensive had taken place, accelerated after the attack, with forced expulsions of Palestinians (including Bedouin Arabs), and harassment, raids, kidnappings, and torture of Palestinians by a military armed with rifles, tanks, and drones. This violence has been opposed by armed resistance groups, who defend refugee camps from military raids with strategies including the use of improvised explosives.

Support Palestinian resistance by buying an e-sim for distribution in Gaza; donating to help two Gazans receive medical care; or donating to help a family leave Gaza.

[1] 918 dunums were devoted to turnips according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) report for 2009; the 2008 PCBS report attributes 253 dunums of turnip cultivation to Al-Khalil ("Hebron") for 2006–7.

[2] Today, Gush Etzion is connected to Al-Quds by an underground road that runs beneath the Palestinian Christian town of بَيتْ جَالَا (Bayt Jala).

Ingredients:

Makes 2 1-liter mason jars.

500g (4 medium) turnips

1 beetroot

1 medium green chili pepper (فلفل حار خضرة), halved

2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1 liter (4 cups) distilled or filtered water

25g coarse sea salt (or substitute an equivalent weight of any salt without iodine)

Some brining recipes for lifit call for the addition of a spoonful of sugar. This will increase the activity of lactic-acid-producing bacteria at the beginning of the fermentation, producing a quicker fermentation and a different, sourer flavor profile.

Instructions:

1. Clean two large mason jars thoroughly in hot water (there is no need to sterilize them).

2. Scrub vegetables thoroughly. Cut the top (root) and bottom off of each turnip. Cut each turnip in half (from root end to bottom), and then in 1 cm (1/2") slices (perpendicular to the last cut). Prepare the beetroot the same way.

If you need your pickles to be finished sooner, cut the turnips into thinner slices, or into thick (1/2") baton shapes; these will need to be fermented for about a week.

3. Arrange turnip and beet slices so that they lie flat in your jars. Add garlic and peppers.

4. Whisk salt into water until dissolved and pour over the turnips until they are fully submerged. Seal with the jar's lid and leave in a cool place, or the refrigerator, for 20–24 days.

The amount of brine that you will need to cover the top of the vegetables will depend on the shape of your jar. If you add more water, make sure that you add more salt in the same ratio.

[ticklystuff]

Day 29: Science

a/n: ler!albedo, lee!kaeya — from my own personal tickletober list!

i wanted to try something different pls don't judge akldsjkl

———

Objective: Formulate stimulant capable of enhancing sense of touch and overall sensitivity in the form of a moisturizer or topical cream.

Many individuals gradually lose sensitivity in their nerve endings over time, whether it be from old age or injuries from their daily lives or combat. This project aims to create a product that helps to revive weaker nerve endings in affected individuals, as greater sensitivity leads to higher reaction times in daily tasks or fighting capabilities. Creating the product in the form of a topical cream or moisturizer is desired, as a drug or potion to be ingested can lead to potential gastrointestinal issues for the consumer down the line.

Subject: Kaeya Alberich — Subject has opted not to remain anonymous for the length of this study.

Formulation (V0): water, squalene extracted from sweet flowers (base), xanthan gum extracted from fermented lavender melons (emulsifier/binding agent), 2% oil extracted from jueyun chilis (stimulating agent), nephrotoxin extracted from nearby soils heavily populated with matsutake (antifungal agent), triclosan extracted from transoceanic pearls (antibacterial agent), oil extracted from mint (fragrance)

V0 formulation stored at room temperature away from direct light.

—Albedo

Date: 15-October

Initial testing includes sensitivity assessment of various areas along the subject's body prior to application of V0 formulation. Specific areas for testing were picked specifically by the subject. Left side of the subject's body was used as the control (no treatment), right side was treated with the V0 formulation. Specific areas were subjected to various stimuli (gentle prods and light touches) and observed reactions, both physical and audible, were noted. Subject also asked to rank sensitivity of specific areas.

Right side of subject's body unable to be ranked post-treatment due to V0 formulation being unable to be applied to subject's skin. Most likely a composition issue as the V0 formulation would not absorb into subject's skin and would just sit atop the epidermal layer. Will look into additives to address this issue.

Left side (control, -treatment):

Palm: 3

Underarm: 8 (strong reactions, very audible laughter)

Underside of knee: 4

Sole: 5

Right side (experimental, +treatment):

See above notes.

—Albedo

Date: 22-October

Formulation (V1): V0 + (blue) kaolin clay from crushed crystals

Changes to formulation in red. Blue kaolin clay added for color and helps disrupt solid composition of V0 formulation, allowing V1 formulation to be absorbed more easily.

Repeated 15-October experiment, but with V1 formulation. Current formulation is able to be properly absorbed into subject's skin. Kaolin clay will be included in future formulations.

Results show that there's minimal effect from application of V1 formulation to right side. Follow-up experiment will be conducted with V2 formulation that ideally incorporates higher concentration of stimulating agent.

Left side (control, -treatment):

Palm: 3

Underarm: 8

Underside of knee: 4

Sole: 6 (slighty more sensitive than 15-October; subject possibly suppressing reactions)

Right side (experimental, +treatment):

Palm: 3.5

Underarm: 8

Underside of knee: 4.5

Sole: 6

—Albedo

KAEYA WAS HERE <3

Date: 29-October

Formulation (V2): V1 + 8% oil extracted from jueyun chilis (10% total stimulating agent)

Changes to formulation in red. Increased concentration of jueyun chili oil by 5X to address lack of sensitivity enhancement.

Repeated 22-October experiment, but with V2 formulation. Results show a greater effect on overall sensitivity from V2 compared to V1, but jueyun chili oil concentration will need to be titrated lower as sensitivity rankings placed higher than expected/desired. Subject also noted warm, mildly burning sensation, most likely due to greater chili oil concentration. Subject claims to not be harmed.

Left side (control, -treatment):

Palm: 3

Underarm: 8

Underside of knee: 4

Sole: 6

Right side (experimental, +treatment):

Palm: 6 (slight laughter accompanied by inability to sit still)

Underarm: 13 (subject immediately broke out into hysterical laughter at just the slightest touch and left quickly breathless, results possibly inaccurate due to visceral reactions and subject not wanting to comply with retesting the specific area)

Underside of knee: 8 (prompted unexpected amount of squealing, subject's leg fidgeted much more than normal)

Sole: 10 (difficult to gauge as subject repeatedly kicked out his leg and was unable to control his reactions, subject claims this was a "9" but higher ranking was assigned after restraining his leg)

—Albedo