5th Batch: Pureed Cucumber anyone? Cucumber soap

I busted out my handy-dandy food processor for this one and blended up a whole cuke. Skin, seeds and all. (I did cut off the ends). I mixed the lye using half the amount of H2O necessary and let cool outside on the fire escape. I mixed lye/oils and brought to a light trace (happened fast, due to high lye ratio) and then added my cucumber puree. This time I knew the right amount to add, as previously botched with batch #2: Carrot Bastile...

Mixed beautifully, poured into tupperware. Had an interesting applesauce-like texture... methinks it's to do with the texture of the cuke puree. I insulated and popped into a warm-ish oven. Gelled quickly and overheated a tad, as cracks appeared on top. VERY DIFFICULT to remove from tupperware, popped it in the freezer and still had to wrestle it out. Waxy, easy to cut bar. Nice clean smell, not scented with FO's or EO's.

1 lb. Batch- Cucumber Ice
40% Crisco
30% Coconut (76)
15% Olive Oil
15% Lard
85 g H2O
84 g Cucumber puree
65.2 g NaOH






It's my "soap stones", it's my way of getting a decent looking hunk from a round tupperware

Man them soaps keep coming faster then I can type. I think the cracking looks good in this case. It give it that home cooked food look.

Imblebee, I love cucumber soaps, the color is so pretty. Do you use a 27% lye solution (or more) & about 5% superfat.....

Do you use a 27% lye solution (or more) & about 5% superfat.....

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Hey Misty,
I have been using the preset values in Soap Calc. This batch *I believe* uses a 5% super fat and water as 38% of oils. (so 25.2% strength lye solution, right?)

I played around with my next batch and based it on Bunny's Castile recipe from 2004. I soaped with a much higher ratio, 45%! It was done in hours 8)

I'm thinking we have a type A personality here. My question is when do you sleep?..lol

Nah, I am a type B personality that has the day off

I made 7 batches in the last two weeks (just one pounders) and ran out of lye... so I won't be soaping for the next week or so! :wink:

Too cool. I've never tried real produce in my soaps. Do they spoil on ya? I love the green in these!

That is so pretty with the Cucumber Puree - very inspiring - that is now another must do for me - thanks for sharing that...

That is a beautiful, beautiful soap.

Another gorgeous soap! You are so wonderful about getting in and just doing it!

Tanya

i love the look of those.

i love cucumber in soap, great job!

x

really lovely, and i'll bet soooo nice on the skin! great job!

I want to make this! Does the cucumber rot?? And this might be silly question but what is the difference between crisco and lard? Are they marked different in the store? Does this smell a lot? Sorry so many questions! I am newish to soap making. I just did my first cold process the other day and am totally hooked! I have been doing some melt and pours and hot process

Cure

If the soap cures properly and long enough it shouldn't rot. I made zucchini soap a year ago and i still have some, and it is fine. It is really soft, floats in water and i love it!

So your recipe is for a 1 lb patch right? How do I make a 4 lb batch...can I just take everything times 4 or is that not right?

Yes

Yes that should work, just takes a little more time.

thank you! I am going to try it very soon, I am so excited, it looks so good! I hope mine turns out!

pixie1115 said:

And this might be silly question but what is the difference between crisco and lard? Are they marked different in the store?

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Lard is pig fat - I think it does get called "shortening" in some parts of the world. Crisco is the brand name of one type of vegetable shortening. They have slightly different SAP factors, which means they require different amounts of lye to saponify them.