Got Kraut?

One of the goals for our homestead
is to provide ourselves with plenty of home-grown,
home-preserved food.
Our Extension Center recently offered 
a class on fermentation,
so I signed up. 
The featured recipe was sauerkraut.
It was surprising to find out
that sauerkraut's origins are in China, not Germany.
Kraut is one of those foods that is not remembered fondly
from our childhoods.
And most likely, 
if your only experience is eating storebought,
you are really missing out.
Sauerkraut is fermented, so it adds
much needed beneficial bacteria to your gut,
and results in a healthier you.
I'd urge you to give this a go
and see if it doesn't rock your world!

Our instructor, Zach Troutman,
is the Family and Consumer Sciences agent
here in Lincoln County.
He provided us with all the tools we needed to take part.

freshly washed cabbage

This common cabbage will soon become
a Super Food!

After washing our hands,
the outer leaves of the cabbage were discarded.
It was then quartered,
and laid it on its side to remove the core.
We then began cutting the cabbage into shreds with a knife.
A box grater, food processor, or mandolin could also be used.

The shreds should be between 1/4"-1/2" wide.
The finer the shred, the easier the kraut will be to process.

We would need 5 pounds of cabbage with 3 Tablespoons of pickling salt per jar.

These large bins were helpful,
in order to be able to work on pounding and massaging the cabbage.
This would be a great job for kids to do,
as they always seem to enjoy hands-on tasks.

As the cabbage is worked, it exudes moisture.
Once there is ample liquid and some foaming visible,
it's time to transfer your batch to a jar.

Zach provided us with gallon-sized Mason jars.
Some of the massaged cabbage was added,
and then this tamping tool was used to discharge even more liquid.
Cabbage continued to be added and tamped
until we filled the jar with our measured amount.
We were instructed to leave at least a 1" space at the top of the jar.

At that point, this giant nipple and a standard canning ring 
were added to the jar.
This method removes the need to "burp" the jar during the fermentation.
The excess carbon is released from the hole at the top of the nipple.
Genius, right?

 

The main concern at this point,

is to ensure that the liquid covers the cabbage.

If not, mold can form,

which is not the end of the world.

It can simply be scraped off the top and the fermentation continues.

The jar needs to sit out of direct sunlight

for 7-14 days.

The kraut can be sampled after 7 days.

The flavor will change as it sits and ferments.

It's basically a matter of personal preference,

so whenever it tastes just right to you,

the jar can be refrigerated.

Kraut can be stored safely for months in the refrigerator.

I can't wait to partake of it.

No doubt, it will be a far cry from the kraut of my younger years.

Another useful skill for us homesteaders to practice.

So grateful to the Extension Center for offering classes

that change lives.

What a gift.

(Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday

Going Local-Cobblestone Farmers' Market

Saturday was Big K's birthday.

We decided to go on a daytrip to Winston-Salem,

about an hour and a half from where we live.

One of our stops was at the Cobblestone Farmers' Market

in Old Salem.

(Look for additional "Going Local" posts later this month.)

This bustling emporium is open every Saturday 

from 9 to noon,

through the third weekend in November.

We got there mid-morning,

and some vendors were already sold out of their goods.

It was wonderful to see the array of organically-grown produce available.

One of the features I adore about North Carolina, is the requirement that all items

must be produced within 50 miles.

There were some things I'd never seen before at a farmers' market,

like these gourmet mushrooms.

Another mushroom vendor, Borrowed Land Farm,

offered up these "Shroom Cube!" mushroom grow kits,

that folks can purchase to begin their own foray into fungi.

The owner of Pascal Farms showcased her host of herbs, 

tinctures and body care products.

There is so much knowledge to glean from these artisans.

At fermentology foods, a variety of fermented foods was exhibited.

Free tastings sometimes lure even the most skeptic of samplers.

Kraut, anyone?

The beautiful breads and pastries offered up at 

Camino Bakery, made me stop in my tracks.

Each one was a work of art and very hard to resist.

Another bakery, aptly named

To Your Health Bakery,

focuses on making goodies available 

to those who have food allergies or sensitivities.

We will have to pay their storefront a visit.

C has never been able to get treats at a traditional bakery

due to his many sensitivities.

What a gift it would be for him to be able to order up anything!

At Farm Girl Arts, this artist not only sells her wool

and felted creations,

she is known for the incredible sculptures she creates

using this unusual technique.

Click on the above link to marvel at her artwork.

Local musicians serenade the crowed each weekend.

The town of Old Salem is fascinating,

with historic buildings and cobblestone walkways.

We are hoping to return in the future

to get a better appreciation of all this village has to offer.

The Cobblestone Farmer's Market can be found in Old Salem
at the intersection of West and Salt Streets,
and is adjacent to the Single Brothers' Garden.
(We will be featuring the garden next week.)
No matter where you live,
this market is worth the travel time.
Plan to spend the day or overnight,
because there is so much to see!

More in our Going Local Series:
Mount Holly Farmers' Market 
The Mundy House 
Hardware Upgrade 
Red Wolf Farm 
Davidson Farmers' Market 
Grier Truck Museum

Garden Friday

It's Garden Friday!
We are working on prepping for fall veggies
and the garden is going through a state of transition.



The straw bales started out in the spring 
with lettuces and kales and a few other gems planted in them.
They kept company with the Yukon Gold potato towers,
seen in the foreground.

By the time summer hit,

the bales were showing their age.

As they are nurturing crops,

they are continually breaking down,

allowing the plants to be enveloped in nutrient-dense compost.

It was time to redesign the garden,

which doesn't include bales for veg this season.

I will most likely work them in come springtime,

but for now, they have done their job.

With a couple of plants still doing well in the bales,

I hated to disturb them.

But, planting time is nearing,

and I had to make room.

I ended up transferring the remaining crops into these

earth-friendly containers, and hoping that they endure the move.

The melon plants were left as is growing on the arches,

because I figured I could work around them fairly easily.

Then, yesterday, after a hard rain,

I found two cantaloupe on the ground.

They must have gotten blown down

or rained on so hard, that they lost their grip on the trellis.

They sit on the kitchen counter, in hopes that they will ripen.

The remaining straw will be used as an amendment when the new raised beds are created.
While dismantling them, it was obvious that they were abundantly laden with worms.
The good kind.
This will no doubt give the fall garden a boost right from the get-go.

 Elsewhere, on the stake-a-cages,
the tomatoes are finally realizing it is summer
and that they are supposed to be gifting us with fruit.

Although the first vine-ripened prize has not yet been picked,
they are checked daily for worms (the bad kind) or other pests.

 I have found a handful of cutworms on the plants,
but vigilance should help me keep ahead of them.
If you've read my gardening notations on here before,
you know that the tomato is my personal litmus test.
I think I'm almost there,
but I won't be completely satisfied until I am sampling the first one.

While most folks I know have been harvesting tomatoes for weeks,
mine are just beginning to flower and fruit.
I don't mind.
What's important is completing my goal of growing my own.
What a blessing.

I was watching one of my favorite PBS gardening shows
where the garden featured was on a historical homestead.
The host mentioned that early in our nation's history,
crops were supported using simple wooden stakes and torn fabric.
When I fashioned these strips for just that purpose,
I didn't realize that I was following in my foremothers' footsteps.
It's just what I had laying around and it has worked perfectly. 

 The first of the okra has been picked this week.

It was sauteed with some fresh-picked banana peppers and
home-grown eggplant in a bit of coconut oil
and simply seasoned with salt, Italian herbs and garlic.
What's not to love?

 

It's incredibly satisfying to be able to pick your food yourself,
knowing that it was your hands that sowed the seeds
and nurtured those seedlings to maturity.
Of course, all with God's blessings.

What have you picked from your summer garden this week?

Golden Milk

Recently, the dermatitis on my hands has come back
with a vengeance.
It seems there is no rhyme or reason,
as it showed up unexpectedly about 3 years ago
and left on its own after a year.
I never had skin issues up until then,
and I never did find any pattern to connect it to anything.
Allergy testing was done then (and now),
with nothing showing up as a possible cause.
A little over a month ago,
it reappeared and I have no idea why.
After a couple of trips to the doctor,
there is still no explanation.
It seems that this condition is enigmatic.

 There have been several suggestions regarding how best to treat it.
Many involve using some form of turmeric.
Turmeric is a spice known for its anti-inflammatory properties
and is used in treating everything from skin conditions
to digestive issues to cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The research continues, but until I find out more,
 this lil' cocktail is being enjoyed every evening.
I figure it can't hurt. 
My doctor suggested it,
as she herself has suffered from the condition.
(She is the best doctor I've ever had,
so willing to share integrative remedies,
rather than relying on medication.)

This recipe might sound like a strange combination,
but it actually is quite tasty.

Golden Milk
(Wellness Mama)

2 C almond milk
1 t turmeric
1/2 t cinnamon powder
pinch ground pepper
1/4 t ginger powder
pinch cayenne
1 t honey

Blend ingredients together 
and heat until hot, not boiling.
Enjoy!