• A Palestinian worker pours olive oil soap on the floor to harden inside a soap factory in Nablus, the Israeli-occupied West Bank. All photos: Reuters
    A Palestinian worker pours olive oil soap on the floor to harden inside a soap factory in Nablus, the Israeli-occupied West Bank. All photos: Reuters
  • Traditional techniques are used to make the soap.
    Traditional techniques are used to make the soap.
  • Modern manufacturing methods are shunned in favour of tried-and-tested traditions.
    Modern manufacturing methods are shunned in favour of tried-and-tested traditions.
  • Workers manually transfer the soap in buckets.
    Workers manually transfer the soap in buckets.
  • A soap cook empties hot, soapy mixture.
    A soap cook empties hot, soapy mixture.
  • Once cooled and hardened, workers cut the olive oil soap into cubes.
    Once cooled and hardened, workers cut the olive oil soap into cubes.
  • A Palestinian worker arranges olive oil soap cubes into hollow columns to dry in a factory, in Nablus the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 21, 2022. Picture taken February 21, 2022. REUTERS / Raneen Sawafta
    A Palestinian worker arranges olive oil soap cubes into hollow columns to dry in a factory, in Nablus the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 21, 2022. Picture taken February 21, 2022. REUTERS / Raneen Sawafta
  • The soaps are then ready to be packaged and distributed.
    The soaps are then ready to be packaged and distributed.

Traditional soap factory in Nablus - in pictures


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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

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Updated: March 01, 2022, 12:52 PM