The nettles that Farmer Sergio brought over a few weeks back are a fermenting in rainwater – I took a peek, er, whiff yesterday. Gooey, gagging, goodness. MMMMMM or ACK?
When applying the stinky sludge in the garden I would advise wearing old clothes and having some vinegar or lemon juice on hand to take the [...]
Like I mentioned in the last post we are reviving our mother, scoby that is and she’s ready to roll. Thing is with these live cultures – they are live and if you neglect them well, then, their toast. So that’s what happened with my previous batch. I had about 25 “mothers” was fermenting up [...]
Wild fermentation is the opposite of homogenization and uniformity –Sandor Ellix Katz
On the preservation front
Now that I got some beautiful cabbage heads (thanks to a local Freedom Farmer) I made a batch of sauerkraut – using Sally Fallon’s recipe. I did just plan cabbage for one batch and for the other I mixed a bit [...]
Fermentation crock and cutting up the locally grown cabbage
Homegrown carrots (seeds available at FREEDOMSEED.org)
Homegrown carrots, daikon radish, green onions and local cabbage
Pounding with a wood mortar in whey, salt and spices to release the juices
After a few days in the crock, time to put the kimchi in cold storage
Last week we had a bit of [...]
At the Pasadena Smith & Hawkens store on Saturday April 18th over 40 plus people turned out to hear Jules Dervaes talk about composting methods he uses around the urban homestead. He covered about a dozen different types and composting methods that he’s used over the past twenty five years.
From simple methods like: mulching, [...]
Going Back to Basics
Los Angeles chefs are happy to be in a pickle
Pickling is as old school as the patés and prosciutto that often accompany its results. It’s a technique born of pre-refrigeration necessity and the cyclical pattern of gardens.
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In a Pickle?
Do you have loads of vegetables and there’s no more room in [...]
