Welcome 2024!

New Year, New Things!

It's no secret that 2023 we not a great year for me. So,I'm starting this year with a 3 day liquid diet. Can't say I'm loving it, but it's good for me, right?  Day one wasn't so bad, day 2 I have very little energy, I'm sure day three will be a blast!  :)  After the 3rd day I am going on a very low carb diet for the rest of the 3 weeks. I am hoping to jump start some good habits 

So on the first I decided to ferment some lemons, I had purchase quite a few and wanted to preserve them for future use, I also fermented a bunch of garlic.  I enjoy garlic flavors and this way I can get it in bulk and keep it around for a while.  The new thing I'm trying is making a ginger bug. I did my research and found I can make natural fizzy drinks.  Just seems like a fun thing to get into. 

We will start doing a new medicinal plant preview every Wednesday.  It's a great way to see what plants, weeds and herbs can help the body.  I've made may tinctures, salves and teas that will help us keep in balance. I want to share what I have learned, I feel everyone should know the natural ways to stay healthy. 

I also want to share "how to" classes once a month. January is soap month.  I make soaps to sell at craft fairs and I have a website you can purchase from too. So January 20, will be the first class. It will be limited to 5 folks.  Email me at tammie5750@yahoo.com please put "soap" in the description line.  This will be a demonstration, and explanation of the science of making soap.  Cost will be $20. 

That's all I have for now.  Have a great start to this wonderful new year!  

Tammie

 

 

Fermenting Pickles!

 

My garden got a late start this year, and I am just getting a few pickling cucumbers.  Not enough to can a batch, but enough to do a jar or two of fermented pickles. These taste a lot like the Claussen pickles you get in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. They are crispy and tastey!

Fermenting is rather easy, there are only a few things you need to be aware of.

1.  Keep the vegetables submerged in the salt water

2.  Fermentation can produce gases and there is a chance some liquid will bubble out.

3.  Make sure said gases can escape so you don't have any broken glass from pressure build up.

Fermented foods are very good for you. The natural process helps the good gut bacteria thrive. Digestion is better and you use your nutrients better!

This recipe is really simple. Pack your jar as tight as you can with cucumbers, dill and garlic. I used 4 cloves of a lovely garlic that was gifted to me. I used about a loose cup of dill. 

The salt you use can't be iodized, I use Redmond's salt, but you can use pickling salt or Himalayan pink salt. 

So I put 4 teaspoons salt per quart in warm water. Remember you won't need a whole quart of water, I usually do a little less than half a quart.  Make sure it dissolves. 

After packing your jar with cucumbers, dill and garlic, pour the water over the top and leave an inch of head space. 

To submerge the vegetables and herbs in the brine you will need a weight, I use a fermentation puck, but you could use a rock, a bag of pennies, anything to keep it submerged.

The top I use has a little nipple with a hole in it to let the built up gases escape. You can also loosen the lid every day, but I worry I won't remember so I use the fermentation top. 

Leave it on the counter for a few days, you will see it bubble up a bit, that means it's working.  During the summer it won't take all that long, maybe a week.  Nothing wrong with a taste test now and then to see when it gets to where you like it. 

After you are satisfied, keep the jar in the refrigerator. The cold will slow the ferment process, and you can actually put a normal lid on it.   

You can change it up and add onion, peppers, pepper corns, mustard seeds, what ever you like in  your pickles. 

If you don't have it all submerged you can get mold, if you do, throw it out and try again. 

Let me know how yours turned out!

 

Greetings,

I’m sitting here listening to the lovely sound of rain! We haven’t had a good rain in a very long time and we really need it. Had a very busy week last week, a combination of tax prep, real estate, gardening, and preserving. 

My harvest last week was pretty good, and I decided to give fermenting a try. I do like to can, but I really didn’t have enough to feel like I should go through the energy and expense of canning. I have been watching a lot of videos on fermenting. Fermented foods are very good to keep a healthy gut.  I am a solid kombucha drinker already, so I thought I would add this too!

 

I’ve also started my cole crops for my winter garden. This year I’ve started broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and bok choy.  I’ve ordered my garlic from a place in Idaho, and my onion sets should be here soon.  I’ll be putting in root crops too, another must have!

 

 

 

Just a reminder this is a good time to start your Fire Cider. It takes a few weeks to infuse and cold and flu season is right around the corner. Here is the link, in case you’ve never made it.  

http://www.thereikiranch.com/p/fire-cider-for-those-pesky-winter-colds.html

  I do think it helps with congestion and sore throats. It doesn’t taste great, but enough honey helps it go down.

 

Guess I better go label some soaps, they aren’t going to label themselves! 

 

Bye for now,

Tammie

 

 

 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

 

I will post my fermentation experiment in a few days and let you know how it went.