Our recipe for homemade soapberry liquid soap
It is super easy and quick to make liquid soap from our soap berries. This recipe for soapberry basic soap is used as the base for all the other recipes in our recipe universe. So this is your go-to recipe, which is the foundation for all the other fun things you can do with basic soap.
We recommend that you make a quantity of basic liquid soap that you use within a month so that it stays fresh.
How to make a decoction of the soap in soap berries (liquid base soap)
You will need:
- 10 Soapberries (or the equivalent of 10 whole berries)
- 1 Liter of water
- Pot
- Fork
- Cloth for draining
- Possibly. a hopper
- (Optional) citric acid as preservative
- Bottle or other container
Here's how you do it
1.
Take the equivalent of the skins from 10 whole soapberries per liters of water. Cook the shells in a pan over medium heat for approx. 20 minutes - make sure it doesn't foam over. When it has finished boiling, the water should be amber in color (or almost look like beer with foam on top).
2.
Use the back of a fork to gently press the soapberries against the bottom of the pan once they have boiled. Then extra soapy substance comes out of the shells.
3.
When the liquid has cooled, it must be drained through a cloth - an old clean tea towel, a cloth or a bag from soap berries can be used .
4.
Optional: If the basic soap is to be used for cleaning, we recommend preserving it with citric acid to extend its shelf life - then it will last for approx. a month rather than just a week in the fridge.
Citric acid is a natural preservative that can be bought in most supermarkets in the baking ingredients section. Add 1 tsp. citric acid per 1/2 liter basic soap and stir until dissolved. The shelf life can be extended further if the basic soap is stored in the refrigerator.
NOTE: If the base soap is to be used for personal care, do not use citric acid.
5.
Pour the basic soap into a bottle for storage or transform it immediately into one of our delicious recipes for e.g. homemade soapberry hair shampoo or universal detergent . The used berry shells can then be composted or thrown in the bio bin.
Enjoy
