Mulberry Chow Recipe?

[SoCaliSon]

I am curious about obtaining a recipe for my own mulberry chow. I imagine Mulberry leaves, which I do have access to, would be a large part of the recipe, I am just interested in what it would entail to obtain the ingredients and mix my own large batch of dry ready to mix chow to keep on hand until I am ready to use it. With as many silkies I go through these things go through leaves like nothing. A large chunk of leaves is devoured in around an hour. The chow seems to last me a bit longer and be the best option for me, but it is costing me an arm and a leg. I have heard the process is challenging and must done in a completely sterile environment, but I think I could give it a fair shot (I have brewed beer with similar conditions), and I think it would be fun.

Is there a recipe available? If there is I couldn't find it.

Anyone ever tried this?

~Joe

 

[Malicious]

Hey Joe,

It sounds like it has been asked a million times all over various forums and I either get a "grind dry leaves" recipe, or the "No you can't make it without a sterile lab" answer. I would imagine that there has to be more to it then just dried leaves, mabey yeast...etc. Wouldn't cooking it make it sterile anyway? I would love to find one, as it would be neat to try and make a batch. I'm all about DIY'n

-Jay

 

[PantherVeileD]

ha kinda reminds me of making my own FF cultures. yeast, sugar, vinegar, mash potatoes and so on! read the label of the powder pack?? that might give you a little idea? This will be interesting..

on a small note... feeding chams can cost an arm and a leg...plus other sacrafices..

 

[haleybobl]

read the label of the powder pack?? that might give you a little idea?

My label says "Silkworm Chow", lol. Not much help there.

 

[SoCaliSon]

I know in her article on silkworms for Chameleons! Online E-Zine, Lele wrote that there is a recipe available, but goes on to discourage you from trying instead of telling you where to find this recipe.

 

[haleybobl]

This is the only thing I have found lately. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Silkworm-Chow

 

[Syn]

Well I'm sure one of the ingredients is something to keep it from molding.

 

[kenya]

Here is what my imported 4.5 pound bag says:


"Ingredients: main component of artificial silkworm diet.

Mulberry Leaf Powder 1 lb. 13 oz.
Degreasing Soy Flour 1 lb. 12 oz.
Mulberry Meal 10.2 oz
Maize Meal 6.1 oz."

I think you could easily make this. dry your own mulberry leaves with a dehydrator or in the oven and they should be sterile (act as if you are in a lab for all of this). Look at the healthfood store for the soy flour. Mulberry Meal...I am unsure of. You may be able to omit it. Maize meal is probably what makes the chow so tasty to the worms- it is sweet. Corn/maize is very sugary.

Good luck and let us know how you do! I might give it a go as well. I suggest making a small batch at a time until you get it right; also, store it in the fridge in a double airtight bag and make sure that when you dehydrate stuff, that you dehydrate it until it is totally BONE DRY. Moisture is the enemy. Don't worry too terribly much about sterility while formulating the food because it will become sterile when you are reconstituting it in the microwave/ on the stove. If you do the best you can and get every bit of moisture out, you should do fine. Moisture is what will enable bacterial growth. Storing your dry mix vacuum packed in the freezer or fridge will help as well.

 

[Malicious]

This is the only thing I have found lately. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Silkworm-Chow

That was one of the first ones I found. Seamed like that would be too easy...

Errr......getcha some leaves....then ummm.....grind up them leaves....errrr......add wated and umm...stir.....Shazammmm!!

That link might aswell have been from "Expert Village"...hehe

 

[IliG]

Here is what my imported 4.5 pound bag says:


"Ingredients: main component of artificial silkworm diet.

Mulberry Leaf Powder 1 lb. 13 oz.
Degreasing Soy Flour 1 lb. 12 oz.
Mulberry Meal 10.2 oz
Maize Meal 6.1 oz."

I think you could easily make this. dry your own mulberry leaves with a dehydrator or in the oven and they should be sterile (act as if you are in a lab for all of this). Look at the healthfood store for the soy flour. Mulberry Meal...I am unsure of. You may be able to omit it. Maize meal is probably what makes the chow so tasty to the worms- it is sweet. Corn/maize is very sugary.

Good luck and let us know how you do! I might give it a go as well. I suggest making a small batch at a time until you get it right; also, store it in the fridge in a double airtight bag and make sure that when you dehydrate stuff, that you dehydrate it until it is totally BONE DRY. Moisture is the enemy. Don't worry too terribly much about sterility while formulating the food because it will become sterile when you are reconstituting it in the microwave/ on the stove. If you do the best you can and get every bit of moisture out, you should do fine. Moisture is what will enable bacterial growth. Storing your dry mix vacuum packed in the freezer or fridge will help as well.

 

[IliG]

I was curious where you import from

 

[dshuld]

I was curious where you import from

This person hasn't been on this site in 3.5 years.

 

[McClouds]

IMO , you guys are talking about a small market commodity that a few people have a monopoly on , I think it would be a huge win for the Cham form community to nail down a lot of DIY Cham products . that being said I think its still important that we buy from our local form friends or passion driven pet shop owners , but also save money and inspire DIY idea's ware it is needed

 

[dshuld]

Again, this thread is from nearly 9 years ago . The person quoted hasn't been active in 3.5 years. None of the original posters of this thread have been active for a year and 42 weeks minimum from what I see. While I agree with your comments on diy @McClouds, my original purpose on my reply to @IIiG was more of a don't hold your breath waiting for a reply due to it being an old thread with inactive members involved. In cases like this you're much better off starting a new thread then dredging up an old one .

 

[IliG]

IMO , you guys are talking about a small market commodity that a few people have a monopoly on , I think it would be a huge win for the Cham form community to nail down a lot of DIY Cham products . that being said I think its still important that we buy from our local form friends or passion driven pet shop owners , but also save money and inspire DIY idea's ware it is needed

I agree, I actually raise and now breed silkworms and sell them to a local pet store, I also raise because its so relaxing . What kills me is the chow gets expensive. I would love to know a recipe that works or where to import to cut down cost.

 

[IliG]

Again, this thread is from nearly 9 years ago . The person quoted hasn't been active in 3.5 years. None of the original posters of this thread have been active for a year and 42 weeks minimum from what I see. While I agree with your comments on diy @McClouds, my original purpose on my reply to @IIiG was more of a don't hold your breath waiting for a reply due to it being an old thread with inactive members involved. In cases like this you're much better off starting a new thread then dredging up an old one .

Thanks, I figured it was worth a try to see if after all this time they found something, or could give me some info. I was hoping they may get an alert and maybe reply.

 

[dshuld]

Thanks, I figured it was worth a try to see if after all this time they found something, or could give me some info. I was hoping they may get an alert and maybe reply.

Very doubtful, and since 2 of the sponsors of this site are the bigger importers of it I doubt anyone would publicly say if they did know where it was imported from specifically. In all my searches using the search function previously I've seen Europe referenced but no place specific.