Well, after a long break I decided to continue documenting this process. It took me some time to come back, and in between I made a couple of books and survived the flood of 2010. The corn field where I pick up the material for my paper was covered with water for a couple of weeks. My family and I had to stand in line to receive bottled drinking water from the local Red Cross. It seems like the flood was long time ago. O how well we recover. Thank God!!
Now, back to my story. I collect stalks, roots, and husks, and separate them into different bins. The husks produce softer and more pliable sheets, and they are easier to cut up with just about any kitchen scissors. Roots and stalks give more texture and are hard to cut up. They also take more time soaking and degrading. Sometimes stalks are loaded with splinters, so I recommend the use of gloves when handling roots and stalks.
When I find a good rhythm during my paper-making I combine different proportions of stalks, roots, and husks. Sometimes I like to add other fibers to the pulp such as cotton lint, recycled paper pulp, but that comes later. So, gather some friend in your backyard, serve some tapas and mojitos, and clip you heart out!
Cooking the materials (husks and stalks) after fermentation:
After the clipping and sorting is done, I place the raw materials in large plastic garden containers. Then, I rinse the dry stalks, roots, and husks with clean water. Rinsing ensures that no dirt or mud goes into the final pulp. I cover the containers with lids and the soaked clippings stay in my garden fermenting and braking down into small particles for about two weeks. I mix the clipping every other day using a strong stick or paddle. By the end of the second week the clipping are VERY stinky. So, use a mask or cover your nose with a bandana. Yes! You need to be a "bandido" a this point.
I believe the cellulose that is contained in the clippings (and what really makes the paper) is now released. Then, I rinse the fermented clippings, and cooking is next. I used to cook the pulp in my kitchen, but it is so stinky that after hearing so many complaints from my family, I decided to use a small burner and do the cooking outside. As seen in the picture, in a five-gallon pot filled with water, I combine about 5 lbs. of pulp with 1/4 cup of ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda (100% sodium carbonate) and let the pulp boil for about two hours.
Note: Thanks to Guy for lending me your camping gear to do my paper-making.
