We've all heard of the miraculous feats that Aloe Vera performs on injured or sunburned skin, but did you know that Aloe is also edible?
While you only really see it being sold as a juice in health food stores here, in Japan, it's quite common to see it added to beverages and yogurt. It's one of my favorite things with yogurt (up there with passionfruit), and I love the slightly green taste and the quivery cubes of aloe that have the texture of resilient grapes.
Realizing that I may be waiting a long while for Dannon to start offering little cups with aloe on the bottom here in the States, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I'd seen aloe being sold at Essex Market before, so I made the trip out and picked up two long spears of aloe at the produce place. If you don't have aloe growing in your back yard, you can probably find it at a Latin American grocery store.
Because some people are funny about textures, I should warn you that raw aloe is extremely slimy. Think okra x10. Cooking it reduces the slime factor considerably, but it does still have a viscous slippery feel to it.
Cooking the aloe will give off a ton of liquid and the cubes will shrink and soften without losing their shape. On a bowl of plain yogurt with a bit of lime zest, poached aloe makes for a light refreshing breakfast and a great way to start the morning.
More Yogurt Topping Ideas
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 1 cup evaporated cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
- 2 large aloe leaves (about 1 pound)
Instructions
- Because the aloe is very slippery it is hard to peel, but it's important that you get all the fiberous green peel off the aloe as it is tough and bitter. Chop the aloe into small cubes and add to a small saucepan along with the sugar and lime juice.
- Cook the aloe over medium low heat until the liquid is no longer slimy and the cubes have the texture of resilient grapes. Allow to cool and serve over plain yogurt.
J19t51 says
I Buy it in the supermarket they come in large leafs....
Mimisan says
Thank you, I'll try the ALOE/Yogurt right now,
F.Y.I, You can find drinks with aloe chunks in it in...... Korea,
unfortunatly they are more on the " soft drink " side,
Lots of sugar in it.
QUESTION : Do you have any special " trick " to peel it ?
Mimisan says
I learned one important detail from a friend in Japan :
- While PEELING the Aloe Vera,
make sure you do it UNDER COLD RUNNING WATER -
this way the bitterness coming from the fibrous skin is flushed off the gel parts
which I personally eat right away ( uncooked ), no problem with the bitterness then.
Have fun peeling it, though....
Mimisan says
I learned one important detail from a friend in Japan :
- While PEELING the Aloe Vera,
make sure you do it UNDER COLD RUNNING WATER -
this way the bitterness coming from the fibrous skin is flushed off the gel parts
which I personally eat right away ( uncooked ), no problem with the bitterness then.
Have fun peeling it, though....
Marc Matsumoto says
For aloe I like using the type of peeler which you hold from above rather than from the side. Then i lay the aloe on a flat surface and peel it from above. This allows you to put more pressure on aloe as you're peeling.
Tracy Taulier says
Tried the Poached Aloe recipe.... Bitterly taste still in it, will try to prepare under cold running water next time.
Tracy Taulier says
Tried the Poached Aloe recipe.... Bitterly taste still in it, will try to prepare under cold running water next time.
Viv says
The prep for this recipe is long and difficult but well worth it if you have the patience - it tastes wonderful!! With yoghurt it is perfect
Jasonmazzo says
I lay it flat on a cutting board cut the edges then skin it like a fish filet with the knife parallel to the cutting board pressing down.
Lucy says
I had previously enjoyed a canned cubed unsweetened gelled Aloe Vera product, added to many recipes (especially filler in soups and salads!), but now can not find such available anywhere (internet search only shows barrels available from foreign manufacturers). It was SO convenient and no bitterness. In 2012, I had found & purchased (T.A.S. brand) 14.4oz cans at a local Asian Market. Anyone know if and where such canned product is available (in the US) now??
Lucy says
I had previously enjoyed a canned cubed unsweetened gelled Aloe Vera product, added to many recipes (especially filler in soups and salads!), but now can not find such available anywhere (internet search only shows barrels available from foreign manufacturers). It was SO convenient and no bitterness. In 2012, I had found & purchased (T.A.S. brand) 14.4oz cans at a local Asian Market. Anyone know if and where such canned product is available (in the US) now??
Grammar Check says
It is losing, not loosing!
PluviAL says
What an excellent description. I plan to try it today.
Everybody tells me the plant in the yard is Aloe Vera, how do I know it is not something else? An pointers? It's reddish-green, and it is sticky-slippery, plump, and grows like a weed.
Thanks
PluviAL says
One more question: Is one C mean 100th of a kilogram or 10 grams?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi PluviAl, there are hundreds of varieties of Aloe Vera and I don't think they are all edible. Please do some research to make sure yours is an edible variety before trying to eat it. As for "c" it means "cup". 1 US cup = 237ml.
Karen Graber says
Add no water to cook with?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Karen, after you've peeled it aloe is mostly water, so you don't need to add any water.
mary says
i dont think that the lime is mostly for taset not for luquid.