Lemongrass...ugh

[jackznanakin]

Ok, so my daughter wanted Lemongrass and Green Tea soap, so while she was down we made MP so she could take it with her. Me, thinking it would be cute, bought some actual lemongrass from my soap supplier to 'sprinkle' on top. Ya'll that stuff is STIFF. I stuck it in my Ninja to chop it more, but nope, it wasn't having it. Well, I sprinkled some on top anyway, lightly. And using it at my kitchen sink, it hasn't been scratching me, but good grief, now I'm stuck with a bag of it and I don't want to put it on anything. Does anyone actually use the stuff? If so, for what? I need ideas how to get rid of it!

 

[Cellador]

Cooking? Tea?

 

[lmosca]

If you have chopped lemongrass that's good for cooking, then I suggest using some kind of "infusion" method.
We had our own bad experience with it with a Chicken Curry soup. No matter how long we kept it boiling and stewing, those pesky lemongrass bits were always gritty.
From there on, we kept the lemongrass whole (so we could remove it) or we used a muslin bag that we fished out at the end.

If you don't want to use it for cooking, I am thinking it might be a good addition to a potpourri. If you mix it with dried lavender you might even make some small bags to put in the linen drawers.

Good luck.

 

[jackznanakin]

Thank you for the idea of potpourri!

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Lemongrass is typically considered a hard herb like rosemary or bay leaves. In for the cook and out for service - not to be eaten. You can shave the barest bit of the bulb end (if present) and leave that in a dish for service.

 

[artemis]

I combine lemongrass with dried peppermint leaves (and sometimes chamomile) for a nice bedtime tea. My husband likes loose Ceylon tea mixed with lemongrass. You can try it plain, too, but I like a little more flavor. Our favorite combination: .5 tsp peppermint, .5 tsp lemongrass, 1 clove, 1 tiny piece of a cinnamon stick, a tiny piece of ginger, and a little chamomile (optional). Steep for 3-5 minutes. Add honey, if you need it-- we usually don't.

 

[jackznanakin]

I combine lemongrass with dried peppermint leaves (and sometimes chamomile) for a nice bedtime tea. My husband likes loose Ceylon tea mixed with lemongrass. You can try it plain, too, but I like a little more flavor. Our favorite combination: .5 tsp peppermint, .5 tsp lemongrass, 1 clove, 1 tiny piece of a cinnamon stick, a tiny piece of ginger, and a little chamomile (optional). Steep for 3-5 minutes. Add honey, if you need it-- we usually don't.

That actually sounds really yummy, I will for sure try it!, Thank you!

 

[artemis]

That actually sounds really yummy, I will for sure try it!, Thank you!

If you don't have a steeping ball or strainer, you can use a coffee filter and a chopstick.

 

[dibbles]

If you don't have a steeping ball or strainer, you can use a coffee filter and a chopstick.View attachment 29651

Those mugs!! My mom and grandmothers all had them when I was growing up - green and white ones. Ours are all long gone - but it's nice to see some are still around. Great idea with the coffee filter too.

 

[artemis]

Those mugs!! My mom and grandmothers all had them when I was growing up - green and white ones. Ours are all long gone - but it's nice to see some are still around. Great idea with the coffee filter too.

My mother has a matching one that is carnival glass. It's surprising how the much the glass changes how the mug looks.

 

[earlene]

Use sparingly as a flavoring in soups. Until you know you like the flavor it imbued, best keep it mild.

What parts of the grass did you chop up, the tops grassy looking) or the fleshy stalk (paper yellowish green, with a bulb sort of like a green onion bulb, but very stiff) or both?

For flavoring soups, etc. one normally cuts a length of the stalk to boil or simmer with the broth, and as you may do with bay leaves. You can either leave them in the soup and pick them out later, or pick them out before serving. Some people may try to chew them, but it's like chewing in a willow tree twig, too much cellulose or woody.

Since you have loosely chopped up bits, I would suggest using a muslin tea bag for infusion, or just try a pinch in soup stock to see how it works for you.

If interested try the Thai Coconut Soup recipe I posted awhile back. It calls for lemongrass.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/thai-coconut-soup.68981/

 

[jackznanakin]

Use sparingly as a flavoring in soups. Until you know you like the flavor it imbued, best keep it mild.

What parts of the grass did you chop up, the tops grassy looking) or the fleshy stalk (paper yellowish green, with a bulb sort of like a green onion bulb, but very stiff) or both?

For flavoring soups, etc. one normally cuts a length of the stalk to boil or simmer with the broth, and as you may do with bay leaves. You can either leave them in the soup and pick them out later, or pick them out before serving. Some people may try to chew them, but it's like chewing in a willow tree twig, too much cellulose or woody.

Since you have loosely chopped up bits, I would suggest using a muslin tea bag for infusion, or just try a pinch in soup stock to see how it works for you.

If interested try the Thai Coconut Soup recipe I posted awhile back. It calls for lemongrass.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/thai-coconut-soup.68981/

They came from the supplier looking like chopped up pieces of dead grass, I didn't realize it they would be that hard!

 

[earlene]

Oh, it's a tall grass with a bulb that looks a bit like a green onion bulb, but not nearly as soft as onions. I only buy it at the grocery store, when I can find it, as it's not commonly stocked in this part of the country. I grows well in temperate climates, but not so much here in Illinois, so when I want it, I buy it at the Asian market in the cities.

I was just in Arkansas a few days ago, driving on hwy 67. I saw some flooded fields and several damaged homes. I hope your area was not so badly hit with whatever weather hit that stretch of highway.

Sorry for all the mispellings, and non-sensical looking phrases in the above post. I was using my tablet, and the keyboard is not as cooperative as the computer keyboard.

 

[loriag]

A local soap maker uses lemongrass in her soaps ground up. I love the scratch it gives, just love it! She isn't into sharing technique, so I tried it in my soaps, still love the scratch but the grass smell comes through saponification. I don't want the grass smell. I ground it up in my coffee grinder. I am wondering if I steeped it and then used it in soap would it lesson the grass smell?

 

[DeeAnna]

How old is the soap that you are smelling? In my experience, odors like this fade during cure, so by the time the soap is maybe a month old, the odor is mostly or completely gone. If it's an older soap and the odor is still there, you would probably have better luck to add a complimentary scent that changes the overall fragrance of the soap to something that you do like.

In the EO department, rosemary, cedarwood, or any other herby, wood, or resin scents might be nice. In the FO dept, I might look at a green tea FO or something in the green, herbal or "clean" range of scents.

 

[loriag]

How old is the soap that you are smelling? In my experience, odors like this fade during cure, so by the time the soap is maybe a month old, the odor is mostly or completely gone. If it's an older soap and the odor is still there, you would probably have better luck to add a complimentary scent that changes the overall fragrance of the soap to something that you do like.

In the EO department, rosemary, cedarwood, or any other herby, wood, or resin scents might be nice. In the FO dept, I might look at a green tea FO or something in the green, herbal or "clean" range of scents.

The first batch was made Feb. 24 (so almost 6 weeks ago) and it has 13 g FO Patchouli. Smells quite grassy to me. The second batch made was Mar 3 (almost 5 weeks) and it smells less grassy but it is still there over all. I used 18 g FO for that one. The Patch FO is sweeter than an EO. I do have a cedarwood EO coming with the EDTA I ordered, Hubby thought he may like the scent, so we may have to try that.

 

[jackznanakin]

Oh, it's a tall grass with a bulb that looks a bit like a green onion bulb, but not nearly as soft as onions. I only buy it at the grocery store, when I can find it, as it's not commonly stocked in this part of the country. I grows well in temperate climates, but not so much here in Illinois, so when I want it, I buy it at the Asian market in the cities.

I was just in Arkansas a few days ago, driving on hwy 67. I saw some flooded fields and several damaged homes. I hope your area was not so badly hit with whatever weather hit that stretch of highway.

Sorry for all the mispellings, and non-sensical looking phrases in the above post. I was using my tablet, and the keyboard is not as cooperative as the computer keyboard.

We managed to avoid the bad stuff that came through, although our town does flood pretty easily!

 

[jackznanakin]

The first batch was made Feb. 24 (so almost 6 weeks ago) and it has 13 g FO Patchouli. Smells quite grassy to me. The second batch made was Mar 3 (almost 5 weeks) and it smells less grassy but it is still there over all. I used 18 g FO for that one. The Patch FO is sweeter than an EO. I do have a cedarwood EO coming with the EDTA I ordered, Hubby thought he may like the scent, so we may have to try that.

Haha, glad you are able to grind it. My Ninja just rolled it's eyes at me and said "nope"