Aloe Vera Dessert

This dessert is really refreshing in the summer. It's crunchy, slightly sweet... and of course healthy!!!! I have a few pots of large aloe vera plants I can harvest from. It's quite easy to grow and quite cheap. There are so many different uses of the gel. When using it for external purposes, all you need to do is cut the stalk, wait until the yellow sap is all drained, and aply the open end to dry skin, mosquito bites, etc. The skin must be removed when the aloe is ingested, as it can cause stomach ache. I would say the most difficult part is peeling the aloe, as it requires some practice working with a massive amount of aloe vera gel dripping from your hands! Next time I make it I will talk pictures of how the process is done.

Ingredients
- 6 large and plump stalks of aloe vera; 2 inch large (gives 2 cups when peeled and diced)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups water
- pinch of salt

• Harvest the stalks. In a large bowl, place them opening down so the yellow (or reddish in some varieties) sap can be drained. Let it drain for 30 minutes.

• Peel off the skin (careful not to cut yourself, the stalks are quite gooey). Make sure there are no green or yellow parts left. A little bit of pale green is okay. Cut into bite-sized dice.

• Rinse the pieces in cold water briefly. In a pot, add the water, the aloe vera pieces and the sugar. Bring to a boil and taste (you can add more sugar if desired). Let it simmer for 30 minutes.

• Remove from fire and let it cool before putting it in the fridge. Serve cold!

The taste of the dessert will largely depend on the sort of sugar you use. Aloe Vera itself has a subtle flavor that can be easily overwhelmed. I used Chinese brown sugar once but dislike it as it give a strong caramel taste to the dessert. Sometimes I like a mix of 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 refined brown sugar. You can experiment with different mixes. I'm sure you can also add a lot of different flavors! The pinch of salt will bring out the sweetness of the sugar. It's a useful trick to cut down on the amount of sugar without making a dessert less sweet.