Aleppo Soap

[JustBeachy]

My thoughts watching the video, is I will never complain about cutting soap again. :lolno:

 

[Jstar]

My thoughts watching the video, is I will never complain about cutting soap again. :lolno:

Right??

However my little thinking wheels are turning now that I saw what they used for a mold...wonder who's garage I can borrow....

 

[JustBeachy]

Haha. I can hear you now. "No really, I'll have it all cleaned up in a couple of days. And your floor will be really clean when I'm done."

 

[hud]

I made my very first Aleppo soap using salt water.

70% - Organic ex virgin olive oil
30% - Laurel berry oil
No EO/FO

Everything went well until I was ready to cut the soap. It was as hard as a rock after 24 hours and it started to crumble as I was cutting. Salt may be the culprit.

I am not sure what those white spots are in the middle. Could they be air bubbles?

I hope it will turn into a green center in a few months. Will it?

Next to my fresh new soap, the brown soap is real Aleppo soap that I bought from a local Pakistani grocery.

Salt is not one of the ingredient in Aleppo soap.
The bar you have has been aged for long time that explains the color, also Aleppo soap stays 10 years, 20,30, or forever and it does not go bad. You can save this bar inside your clean clothes drawers it keeps the bugs and the moth away

 

[smeetree]

Salt is not one of the ingredient in Aleppo soap.

Yeah I have never seen it listed as an ingredient, either. Even in the video they don't mention salt. Unless people are assuming salt from the sea water around the area. But that assumes they didn't distil it or use a freshwater source.

 

[hud]

They use fresh natural source of water. The water sources in Syria is one of the best , it's just wonderful. I am talking about the time previous to the current war.

 

[Jstar]

Haha. I can hear you now. "No really, I'll have it all cleaned up in a couple of days. And your floor will be really clean when I'm done."

Hehehehe!

 

[Ellacho]

Salt is not one of the ingredient in Aleppo soap.
The bar you have has been aged for long time that explains the color, also Aleppo soap stays 10, 20,30, or forever and it does not go bad. You can save this bar inside your clean clothes drawers it keeps the bugs and the moth away

Hi Hud, yeah, I knew salt was not one of the ingredients but I purposely made brine salt Aleppo . I like brine salt soap but right now all of my brine salt soaps are weeping including Aleppo. It's rainy in northern California.

I will be making another batch of Aleppo soap without salt in the future.

I didn't know Aleppo soap lasts that long! Wow! Thanks for the tip!

 

[lenarenee]

Wow I thoroughly enjoyed watching that video. Now I'd really like to have a bar of that....what a process! Hopefully I'll be able to make some Aleppo in the future, but it won't compare to the authentic item.

 

[hud]

Hi Hud, yeah, I knew salt was not one of the ingredients but I purposely made brine salt Aleppo . I like brine salt soap but right now all of my brine salt soaps are weeping including Aleppo. It's rainy in northern California.

I will be making another batch of Aleppo soap without salt in the future.

I didn't know Aleppo soap lasts that long! Wow! Thanks for the tip!

Hope the sun will rise and your soap will stop weeping
Good luck with your new batch.

 

[smeetree]

So I wrote some olive producers asking about that black/dark olive oil and where to get it. The only other explanation is that in the video they reversed the subtitles and that's laurel berry. We'll see when mine arrives, but I have heard from others that theirs is brownish, which fits the video. It's been frustrating trying to figure this all out.

 

[hud]

I remember the olive oil I got many times from Aleppo (that was at least 10 years ago) was very dark green and it was superior to any other type of olive oil I ever smelled or tasted in my life.

 

[Sapwn]

The olive oil will produce a white bar of soap after 3 months of curing independently of the color of the olive oil or the olives.

The color of Aleppo soap depends on the color and the quality of the laurel oil, the percentage of the laurel oil, and the time of curing.

One of the main characteristics of Aleppo soap is the long curing time of at least 1 year.
I would not call Aleppo soap a soap that has not cured for at least a year. The longer the curing time, the better the Aleppo soap will be.

 

[smeetree]

The olive oil will produce a white bar of soap after 3 months of curing independently of the color of the olive oil or the olives.

Even pomace?

Do you think using pomace and genuine laurel bay oil would produce the correct color soap?

I remember the olive oil I got many times from Aleppo (that was at least 10 years ago) was very dark green and it was superior to any other type of olive oil I ever smelled or tasted in my life.

Do you live there, or did you find a supplier?

 

[Sapwn]

Even pomace?

Yes, pomace oil produces a white soap bar.

Do you think using pomace and genuine laurel bay oil would produce the correct color soap?

I don't know which is "the correct" color for the soap since I have seen many. Moreover, I am not able to regulate the color with a recipe. I just know that more laurel oil I put, the darker the soap will become after 1 year of curing.

This summer I made some batches of 30%, 40% and 50% laurel oil plus extra virgin olive oil (I don't have of any other kind OO, if I had to buy it I would choose pomace oil for soap making). If you have patience I will post some photos in the summer of 2015 to check the differences in colors. :smile:

 

[smeetree]

Yes, pomace oil produces a white soap bar.






I don't know which is "the correct" color for the soap since I have seen many. Moreover, I am not able to regulate the color with a recipe. I just know that more laurel oil I put, the darker the soap will become after 1 year of curing.

This summer I made some batches of 30%, 40% and 50% laurel oil plus extra virgin olive oil (I don't have of any other kind OO, if I had to buy it I would choose pomace oil for soap making). If you have patience I will post some photos in the summer of 2015 to check the differences in colors. :smile:

Okay that would be cool. I'm about to start my first batch of Aleppo...probably next week when the supplies arrive. I was going to use either 60 or 70% OO and the rest laurel. I like this color: http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/media/news/images/2012/660x390photo_1349355730498-1-0.jpg

Is that green the byproduct of the laurel, then? I heard others on the forum say their laurel was somewhat brownish...

 

[Sapwn]

I beleive that the soap in the photo is at least 40% laurel oil and has been cured for more than a year.

The color of Aleppo soaps is typically green inside and brownish outside. And yes, the color is the byproduct of the laurel oil.
I believe 30% is a good percentage for a high quality Aleppo soap. But have patience, it will be ready no less than a year from the moment you make it.

 

[hud]

The olive oil will produce a white bar of soap after 3 months of curing independently of the color of the olive oil or the olives.

The color of Aleppo soap depends on the color and the quality of the laurel oil, the percentage of the laurel oil, and the time of curing.

One of the main characteristics of Aleppo soap is the long curing time of at least 1 year.
I would not call Aleppo soap a soap that has not cured for at least a year. The longer the curing time, the better the Aleppo soap will be.

Hello Sapwn, my pure EVOO bars and Pomace bars have slightly different light milky color; the pomace bars are a little darker.
I know that EVOO makes hard bar alone, opposite of pomace olive oil which makes soft bar.
I don't think you need to leave your bars in mold for 24 hours, try to unmold them earlier; I am interested to know the rest of your experiment.
Thank you for sharing :razz:.

I beleive that the soap in the photo is at least 40% laurel oil and has been cured for more than a year.

The color of Aleppo soaps is typically green inside and brownish outside. And yes, the color is the byproduct of the laurel oil.
I believe 30% is a good percentage for a high quality Aleppo soap. But have patience, it will be ready no less than a year from the moment you make it.

I believe it was cured at least 6-7 years.

Do you live there, or did you find a supplier?

I don’t live there. I had the Privilege to be there many times. I got to know many of the natural treasures they had. I am trying to find a supplier. We are in love with Aleppo soap this is why I want to make it.

 

[Obsidian]

Hello Sapwn, my pure EVOO bars and Pomace bars have slightly different light milky color; the pomace bars are a little darker.
I know that EVOO makes hard bar alone, opposite of pomace olive oil which makes soft bar.

I experianced exactly the opposite. My castile made with pomace was very hard and pure white within 24 hours. Castile made with EVOO is still soft and sticky after a week, it also a light yellowy green color. I used the same amount of water for both batches.

Smee, I'm very curious to see your laurel oil. Can you get a picture of a little bit in a white bowl once it arrives so we can see the color? I'm planning on getting some laurel oil after the holidays.

 

[smeetree]

I believe it was cured at least 6-7 years.

What makes you believe it cured that long?

Smee, I'm very curious to see your laurel oil. Can you get a picture of a little bit in a white bowl once it arrives so we can see the color? I'm planning on getting some laurel oil after the holidays.

Sure I'll photo some in a white bowl.

We're probably getting it from the same supplier on this website. I hope it's the real deal.