First, a note to self: peach gum expands 8 to 10 times in volume after soaking, so remember not to soak too many pieces next time.
Obviously, I forgot the lesson last time, repeated the same mistake and ended up with a very huge bowl of soaked peach gum after 2 nights in the fridge. The hard crystals softened into a gelatinous texture that is very convincing as a collagen booster food. Since peach gum is tasteless and I have no idea how much longer can it last inside the fridge, I decided to cook as much as possible in one day and leave the remaining to make a pot of this longan and peach gum dessert for tomorrow. Yup, I have that much, so here we go:
++ Honey Lemon Peach Gum Drink ++
I got this idea from the popular bottled collagen drink in the market. Since I don’t consume animal derived collagen, adding peach gum to my homemade honey lemon juice sounds like a good substitute. Delicious when served chilled.
P.S. I am not sure if peach gums can be eaten without cooking first, but I steamed the soaked gum for 15 minutes just to be safe.
++ Banana Milk Shake with Peach Gum ++
I was clearing some brown bananas into milk shake for my kids and decided to blend some steamed peach gums with the banana and milk as well.
++ Dashi Vegetable Soup with Peach Gum ++
Since the peach gum is tasteless, I am not limiting my collagen intake to just desserts. I have cooked this meatless “trotter” vinegar with peach gum before, so I can surely add them to savory soups. I made kombu dashi stock like this, add apples, onions, corn, and carrots and simmer for 1 hour. The kombu from making dashi can be eaten, so don’t throw them away after making the stock. After an hour, remove apple and onion from the pot, season with soy sauce, add soaked peach gum and boil for another 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.
++ Udon Soup with Enoki Mushroom and Peach Gum ++
With leftover vegetable dashi stock, it’s easy to create this late afternoon snack. Heat up the soup, add enoki mushrooms, peach gum and miso paste (optional). In a serving bowl, place udon (cooked separately in another pot) and pour soup over it, top with a bunch of cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
MONO and CO 