What is Ewedu Jute powder?

Ewedu Jute powder is the dry powdered form of ground dry leaves of of jute plant (Corchorus olitorius) that you can use in place of the fresh ewedu (Jute) leaves to prepare ewedu soup.

The fresh jute leaves , with their nutrients still intact, are dried , ground, packed into sachets and sold in supermarkets as branded ewedu powder.

 

Unlike the fresh ewedu jute leaves , they have a longer shelf life and take a shorter time to prepare as you no longer need to use ijabe ( short strong broom) to break the boiled soft ewedu jute leaves down or chop the leaves into tiny pieces before or during cooking.

Ewedu, though called by different names in different countries, is an important leafy vegetable cultivated and eaten as delicacy in many countries globally.  Such countries where ewedu (Jute leaves) is consumed include Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Uganda, Sudan, Benin, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire,  Zimbabwe, Caribbean countries, Brazil, India, Middle East countries, United Kingdom,  Bangladesh, China and Japan.

Ewedu (Jute) leaves are not only consumed for its nutritional benefits but used in home remedies and traditional medicine for healing several ailments. 

Ewedu Jute Leaves Powder For Facial Treatment and Beauty Cosmetics 

Also, the leaves can be used in facial treatment when applied to the face as face mask. In such cosmetic use of ewedu, the extracts of the leaves help rejuvenate the skin cells. That is why ewedu leaves powder facial treatment is part of beauty regimen and added to some beauty products as cosmetic creams, serums and some pills taken as health supplements .

 

 

What are the seeds of Jute (Ewedu) Plants used for?

 

Extracts of the seeds in water have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic (help restore the body temperature during fever) effect on the body .

Also , the seeds have antibacterial effect and for long being used in traditional medicine for treating ailments such as  malaria, female fertility, heart failure, ulcers, typhoid fever, gastrointestinal disorders, cold and cartarrh.

The seeds of Ewedu (Jute) plant contain a substance with similar physiological but less intense effect on the muscles of the heart to digitalin found in Digitalis spp.

 

 

Is there ewedu tea?

 

Yes, you can use the ewedu jute leaves powder to prepare tea .

Pack one to two tablespoons of your dry ewedu leaves powder into tea bags and immerse in hot water to release its nutrients into the warm water as tea.

You can enjoy the tea for its nutritional benefits or as a remedy for headaches,  fever, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal upsets and lowering the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.

Taking the tea during a convalescent period can help you to restore appetite and gain strength gradually because of its low carb and high content of nutritional supplements.

 

 

How do we prepare ewedu leaves powder?

 

How you can prepare your dry ewedu jute leaves powder into ewedu soup is extremely straightforward.

Pour the powder into the needed amount of water and bring to a boil for two minutes. Add the condiments and salt to taste. Stir to mix all the ingredients evenly.

Leave for 2 minutes uncovered to ensure that the are soft enough and the mucilage in them released. Serve. Ewedu soup is well enjoyed when it’s served hot or warm.

Sometimes, you don’t need to add anything else but salt.

It’s drawn in the same way as any other draw soup.

 

 

 

What ingredients do you need to make ewedu?

 

Fresh ewedu leaves; this is sold as a bunch in open vegetable markets or just harvest from your home garden .

To prepare a medium sized ewedu soup for a serving for each member of a family of 3-5,  you will need up to between 100-200 grams of the fresh leaves or  a whole sachet of dried Ewedu leaves .

• 1-2 cups of water

• Half to 1 teaspoon of crushed potash powder ( kaun)

• 1-2 tablespoons locust beans

• 1-2 tablespoons of dry melon seed powder( optional)

•  Just slight salt to taste (be careful not to add too much salt because the fermented condiment of locust beans is salty)

 

 

 

What is the English name for ewedu leaf?

 

Ewedu is called Jute mallow leaves in English and Ewedu’s botanical is Corchorus olitorius.

The leaves when cooked produce a characteristic green slimy (caused by the mucilage released from the leaves) soup called Obe ewedu (ewedu soup) among the Yoruba people predominant in West Africa.

 

 

 

Is ewedu the same as Ayoyo?

 

Middle eastern cuisine is notable for its variety of mallow-leaf stews served with rice. It’s called Ewedu in part of Nigerian cuisine served along with other stews and  another soup made from skined beans porridge soup called Gbegiri , as complement to starch-based cuisines like amala, tuwo, Iyan, Semo, eba and fufu. Ewedu is known as Ayoyo in Northern Nigeria.

 

 

 

How do you keep cooked ewedu fresh?

 

Your freshly prepared ewedu soup ,when cool, can be transferred into a properly sealed container and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. If frozen in the fridge or freezer, your ewedu soup can last longer up to 4 weeks or more.

Whenever you feel like enjoying your ewedu soup, just retrieve from the fridge, cut out a piece from the frozen bunch into your container and reheat in the microwave or directly on the stove.

Sometimes, you can just move from the freezer to the fridge and leave the frozen ewedu to thaw overnight in the fridge.

 

 

 

What can make ewedu soup not to draw or become slimy?

 

Ewedu soup will not be well made with the characteristic viscosity and mucilage if you cover the pot during cooking it and add some ingredients like tomatoes, onions and giant red bell or Romano pepper to ewedu leaves during cooking.

 

 

 

Is it possible to dry ewedu?

 

Yes, it is possible to dry fresh ewedu leaves.  You can use a dehydrator to dry the leaves or in the oven at the least possible temperature with your fresh leaves placed on the lowest tray section inside your oven.

A bottle of ground dry ewedu powder weighs as much as 70 grams and can serve up to a family of three at one meal.

 

 

 

What is Ewedu’s popular name?

 

Jute leaf is a common vegetable in West Africa, known as ewedu in Yoruba, ahinghara in Igbo, and rama in Hausa. Corchorus olitorius is the botanical name (Family Malvaceae).

 

 

 

What is the best way to store ewedu in the freezer?

 

After plucking leaves from the stalk, wrap it in layers of paper, tie it in a polythene bag or a freezer bag, and preserve it in the fridge for a few more days.

 

 

 

Without a refrigerator, how do you keep ewedu leaves fresh?

 

Fresh green vegetables can remain fresh and green for between 1 to 2 days if kept well hydrated and aerated. You can keep them in a strainer and place in the sink close to an open window. Run water over the leaves every 2-3 hours daily.

To keep ewedu leaves fresh in the refrigerator, like other leafy veggies like ugu, water leaf, you will first pluck the ewedu leaves from the stems and store them in firmly sealed plastic bags with a little air contained within. If the leaves are already dry, wrap the dry vegetables in large kitchen rolls and store them on a shelf or counter.

 

 

 

How do you keep jute leaves fresh?

 

It’s simple to keep the leaves after visiting a farm. As previously stated, thoroughly clean the leaves,pluck them from their stems, remove any extra water (with vinegar) and allow the leaves to dry. Put them in a freezer ziplock bag and keep them in the fridge for later use.

 

 

 

What are the health benefits of eating ewedu?

 

Ewedu leaves are rich in a lot of dietary nutrients that are very beneficial to your health. The health benefits of consuming ewedu leaves include;

Ewedu leaves contain antioxidants that help to boost immunity, prevent premature aging of your cells and nourish the body. This anti inflammatory agents in ewedu and its high zinc bioavailability when eaten help the body fight off colds and flu as well.

The antioxidants in ewedu help to significantly reduce the chances of cancer like cancer of the colon, cervix and lungs.

Ewedu leaves contain is packed with a lot of dietary fibres which help prevent constipation and reduce the chances of bowel cancer. Ewedu contains as much as about  30% per cent of the daily recommended value of Iron the body needs to function optimally .

It is rich in vitamins A, E  and C which makes Ewedu consumption help increase the production of collagen the skin needs to be healthy, beautiful and firm.

Ewedu leaves are rich in Potassium and consuming ewedu helps to regulate blood pressure. Also, it contains a significant amount of copper which help the body lower the build up of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. By this way the consumption of ewedu supplies dietary copper to you body, ewedu helps your body lower the chances of cardiovascular diseases like heart failure , atherosclerosis and strokes

The high amount of calcium present in Ewedu contributes to the building of stronger teeth and bones in your body.

 

Ewedu leaves contains a significant amount of Vitamin K which is helps the body during the process of blood clotting.

It has been reported that regular consumption of ewedu helps slow the onset of certain diseases of the eyes including age-related macular degeneration.

Ewedu leaves contain tocolytic agents which help the body of a pregnant woman to maintain the pregnancy and prevent pre-term labour.

 

 

 

Ewedu/ Jute Leaves Nutrition Fact

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