Here’s a small but profitable business that you can start at home on less than P1,000 initial investment. You can actually make a hundred percent net profit on your initial investment if your kitchen already has a pressure cooker and the basic food preparation utensils.
As your initial customers, your main target are housewives and office workers who are looking for alternatives to meat-based meals. Later, after you have mastered the production process, you can supply sari-sari and grocery stores, cafeterias, and eateries.
BOTTLED SARDINES IN CORN OIL
Ingredients:
- 1 kilo fish in season (tawilis)
- 6 to 7 pieces laurel or bay leaf
- 60 to 70 pcs. peppercorn
- 6 to 7 pcs. red pepper (siling labuyo),
- 1 pc whole carrot, sliced thinly
- 1 pc whole pickle, sliced thinly
- 1 liter corn oil (cholesterol free)
Soaking solution (brine)
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 cups water
Equipment/Utensils:
- Pressure cooker
- 8 oz. bottles with brand new caps (required to attain a two-year shelf life)
- Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Knife
- Spatula
- Chopping board
- Plastic bowl or basin
- Strainer
- Cooking mittens or potholder
Procedure:
1. Remove or cut the head, tails, fins, and internal organs of each fish, then wash them.
2. Dissolve the 1/4 cup of salt in 2 cups water to make 10 percent salt solution (brine). Stir.
3. To preserve the fish, soak them in the salt solution for 15 minutes. This will wash out the blood and fishy odor. Drain afterwards.
4. While the fish is still soaking in brine, sterilize the bottles. There are two ways to do this:
- Wash them thoroughly. Let dry. Then put the bottles inside the oven at 100 degrees Centigrade for 5-10 minutes.
- Wash them thoroughly. Put them in a casserole and let boil. Then let dry.
5. Arrange the fish in sterilized glass bottles. If the fish are small, put 8 pcs per bottle; if they are slightly bigger, put 6-7 pcs.
6. Next, place 1 pc bay leaf or laurel, 10 pcs peppercorn, 2 pcs red pepper or siling labuyo, 1 pc of sliced carrot, and 2 pcs of sliced pickle. Use a knife or the end of the spatula to insert the carrots into the bottle. Inserting the knife also releases air bubbles from the bottle.
7. Pour the corn oil up to the brim of the bottle.
8. Half-seal and put the bottles over the metal wire wrap inside the pressure cooker. Pour water up to half the height of the bottles. Start at a high temperature to immediately heat the bottles. Adjust the temperature once the pressure cooker whistles. Pressure-cook for 30 minutes.
- The repeated pressure-cooking process is done to completely release remaining air bubbles in the bottles and thus prevent corrosion of the bottle caps. It is also meant to precook the fish and to produce a vacuum inside the bottle for a longer shelf life.
9. After 30 minutes, take out the bottles from the pressure cooker. Use hand gloves or potholder. Since water evaporates, add water inside the pressure cooker to last for one-and-a-half hours. Seal the bottles fully and cook in the pressure cooker for one and a half hours under a pressure of 10 psi. This is done to soften the bones of the fish.
10. Cool the jars in an inverted position. This is to make sure that the caps are not leaking. After 24 hours, wash the bottle with soap and water. Wipe them dry.