The point when sweet pumpkin sikhye rice grains float: 5 hours of fermentation is enough
To make high-quality sweet pumpkin sikhye at home, it is important to use firm rice and ferment it for approximately 5 hours until the rice grains float.
To increase the perfection of homemade sweet pumpkin sikhye for the holidays, it is important to accurately understand the state of the rice and the fermentation time. According to a video from The Man Who Sets the Table, when making sikhye, the rice should be cooked as firm, dry rice (godubap) rather than soft rice, and the fermentation process requires checking the state where the rice grains float to the surface.
Using firm rice and the top layer of malt water
The first step in making sikhye is extracting the malt water. Place 1kg of malt in a cloth bag, tie the opening tightly, submerge it in warm water, and massage it to extract the liquid. The key point is to separately pour out and use only the top layer of the approximately 15L of extracted malt water. When cooking the rice, it should be prepared as firm, dry rice with less water than usual to bring out the texture of the sikhye.
Pour the prepared top layer of malt water into the prepared firm rice and mix while loosening the rice. This process includes adding 1 cup of sugar beforehand and mixing it together. The fermentation process is carried out using the warm function of a rice cooker, and in the video, it was confirmed that the rice grains float to the surface when fermented for about 5 hours.
Adding flavor with sweet pumpkin and cinnamon
Once the rice grains are sufficiently fermented, add the prepared sweet pumpkin to provide color and taste. The sweet pumpkin should have its seeds and skin removed, be cut into small pieces, and be pre-cooked by covering it with a microwave-safe lid. If you pour the finely ground cooked sweet pumpkin into the fermented sikhye and mix, the yellow-colored sweet pumpkin sikhye is completed.
After adding the sweet pumpkin, add an additional 2 cups of sugar to compensate for any lack of sweetness and mix. Finally, add 2 pieces of cinnamon to add flavor, and once the seasoning is right, boil it once, cool it down, and portion it out. If made based on 1kg of malt, it produces enough quantity to fill about 6 large beverage bottles.
Comments 0