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Sukumo: Dried Indigo Leaves Watered, Turned and Fermented for 75–90 Days
Sukumo is the composted indigo of Japanese aizome. Harvest and dry the leaves of Japanese indigo, heap them under cover, wet them well and turn them over and over while they ferment for about 75 to 90 days. Dried again, they become dark lumps rich in blue indigo, ready for the vat.
The picture: our diagram, leaves to dried heap to sukumo.
Intermediate
About three months
Instructions
1
1
Harvest and dry
Harvest and dry
Cut the indigo plants, strip the leaves, and spread them on mats until fully dry. These are dried indigo leaves.
Materials for this step:
Japanese Indigo Leaves (Fresh)20 kgTools needed:
Sickle
Bamboo Drying Mat
Balance Scale2
2
Heap and wet
Heap and wet
Heap the dried leaves indoors on a clean floor and water them until thoroughly damp. Cover with mats.
Tools needed:
Bucket
Water
Woven Mat3
3
Turn and ferment
Turn and ferment
Every week or so, shovel the heap over from top to bottom, watering as you go so it stays damp. Keep this up for about 75 to 90 days.
Tools needed:
ShovelBucketWaterWoven Mat4
4
Dry and store
Dry and store
Spread the fermented mass to dry; it darkens to black, earthy lumps. Bag the sukumo and keep it dry.
Tools needed:
Bamboo Drying Mat
Jute SackBalance Scale5
5
Turning calendar
Turning calendar
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Materials
1- Placeholder
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