Harvest the indigo and stand the cut stalks upright in a pit. Fill the pit with water and weigh the plants dow…
Harvest the indigo and stand the cut stalks upright in a pit. Fill the pit with water and weigh the plants down with wood or stone so they stay submerged. If it's warm, leave them overnight; if cool, soak for two nights. Remove the spent plant matter and strain the liquid into jars. For about ten jars of liquid, add roughly one dou and a half of quicklime, then beat the mixture briskly by hand for a short while (about the length of a meal) until agitation subsides. Let the liquid settle, then pour off the clear water and transfer the dark sediment into a shallow pit to drain. When the recovered paste has thickened to the consistency of a firm congee, return it to the jars. Your indigo paste is formed and ready.