Some more on fermenting and the first lecture of the conference.

 I do realize I did show any pics of what I made in class. The reason is I wanted to show you everything. I didn't have enough time to make everything yesterday. I did today minus one thing that is going to have to wait until later today or tomorrow. I have made the original and am making my version of it as well. I have a crazy idea and want to try it.

The very first thing we made was the honey garlic or garlic honey. The jar on the far right is what we made in class and will get darker with age. The next one with the white lid is the honey ginger I made with fresh young ginger I got at the conference. Enjoyable I made that one Sunday when we got home. There is so much water in the ginger that the honey thinned out very quickly. It will be consistent when it is done, or it may come out a bit thinner. We will see.

The next jar is the mixture of ginger, garlic, turmeric, and the last is just the Tumeric. The sold-looking stuff on the bottom of the last jar is actually honey. I had to liquefy it again since it crystalized. I don't really know who that one or the mix will turn out they both have the crystalized honey in. 

I would think it is too thin out and un crystalizes. I really don't know. We will have to wait and see. All the solids will fall into the honey over time. With honey, you will be able to keep them indefinitely. Honey never spoils.

The next ones we did were the sauerkraut and carrots. 

As I had mentioned yesterday, the kraut is just

salted veggies that have been massaged to release the juice from within. Once that happens, which can take a little bit of time. You can then fill your jars and pack them tight. With any ferments, you don't want air hitting them. Otherwise, it will spoil. We were given special weights and tops to keep everything under the juice and allow the gasses to escape from the jar, so nothing explodes.

The carrots are done with brine. Again, you need to pack the jar tight with carrots. Interesting, you will never fill that jar with a pint of brine. There isn't enough room with the carrots. Make half a pint of brine, and you should have some leftover. 

After the weight is put on, you will need to add more juice or brine if the weight isn't covered. And you have to make sure that the weight is low enough not to interfere with the top. The best rule of thumb is to pack no higher than the next of the jar. That way you should have enough room for the weight. 

Both of these need to ferment a week, and then you can start to taste them. You can also use sight as well. The kraut the brine hasn't even begun to cloud up yet. But the color from the red cabbage is being released. In either case, you need to check it and let it go until you like the results. Once you do, then you need to place it in the frig or other cool place. You can also remove the nipple top.

The last thing we made was the ketchup. That was a bit unexpected and a lot of fun. After adding all your ingredients, you shake it to mix. Then taste to see if you want more of something or another. Once you like it, leave it to ferment for three days and then put it in the frig.

Something we talked about and didn't make was fermented tomato sauce. I made some of that today from the tomatoes I have in the garden. You can add your veggies and tomatoes to a chopper or food processer to chop them to the size you would like. You add your salt, and just like the ketchup, it needs to ferment for three days. Then you can place that if the frig or cool place till you use it.

Something I should mention whenever you use regular lids and not the nipple or fermenting lids, you need to burp the jars. If not, they can explode, and what a mess that will make. You just open the jar once morning and night to let the gasses out. Close it up and let it continue fermenting.

The sauce which is in the quart will ferment for three days. To use it instead of heating it up in the microwac=ve or on the stove. Drain your pasta and add it to that, letting the pasta warm the sauce for you. That way, you won't kill any of the beneficial bacteria.

That was all the things we made in class. We did talk about kombucha, which is a fermented tea. Instead

of making any there, we took some plain kombucha home to make a SCOBY ourselves. I wasn't going to and then decided after learning how to do the second ferment to give it a try again. I made the kick starter tea, and all I had to do was wait for the SCOBY to form. This can take up to two weeks. We must have some patients people.

The final thing we discussed and also didn't make was the apple brandy. In these parts, we call it applejack. It is made the same way. It's really just sugar, raisins, apples that are layered. that's it, nothing else

I am planning on making my version of applejack as well. I'm not going to reveal it just yet. I want to see if it work out first. It should; one never knows. Once your jar is filled, it needs to be left alone and forgotten about for almost a year. Then you can remove the fruit and strain out the liquid. It is a fruit ferment which means there is a low amount of alcohol in it. No driving and no kids. 

I told you we learned a lot, and let us take a few moments to talk about the first lecture on Friday.

Due to unexpected numbers of people attending this year's conference. The first day was challenging to get into. I actually could only stumble into the lecture at the tail end for the question and answer. That doesn't mean I didn't get something out of it.

Janet Garman was the presenter who was talking about who to care for your sheep and harvest wool. I was upset that I missed it. I was able to see her later in the day and pick up her book on natural dyeing. Plus, I got to talk with her; she is a beautiful person that I am glad to meet.

She, of course, has a website, Facebook, and the lot. If you are interested in learning more about her, I would check out her website.

That is enough for today. I wish I had more of the first lecture. That wasn't possible till next time.

The Basics of Homestead Fermenting, by Off the Grid with Doug and Stacy

 The first day of the conference really was a setup day for vendors. You had the opportunity to sign up for a class from carpentry to beekeeping, butchering, cheese making, fermenting, marketing, and more. Ed chose to do the marketing class, and I did the Fermenting course. Doug and Stacy are beautiful people. They are more than happy to help you in your quest to be self-sustainable. 

Doug and Stacy have a very famous Youtube page. Anyone out there that is into videos for homesteading may have come across them. If you haven't, I suggest you do. There are lots and lots of videos out there they have done that can help you out.

They also have a website that has their videos on, plus Stacey has created a cookbook, plus they are taking preorders for her fermenting book that will be out later this year. I do have a copy of the cookbook, which has some beautiful things. One of which is fermented ketchup that we made during the class. Is it every good? It only takes three days to ferment, and after it is done, you store it in the frig. Personally, I think if it's no better than in flavor than the commercial varieties, it is right up there. It's excellent.

The class started with history. We don't realize how far back humanity has been doing and creating these ways to preserve food. Some of them, if not all, have been found out by accident, and we have learned that if we salt cabbage and let it rest for some time, it will last us through winter and keep us feeling good. We talked about veggie ferments, dairy, fruit, and even kombucha. The class was very diverse in information, and we, of course, got to make several ferments to bring home.

There are two significant ways to ferment with salt. Either simply salting the vegetables as in making sauerkraut or using a brine. We actually did both. The first was sauerkraut; Stacy's is slightly different from what I have made in the past. Ed really doesn't like sauerkraut. He has only ever had it made from just cabbage. The one we made had several ingredients in including caraway seed and other veggies. She had brought some along for us all to try. It's delicious, personally, I like just cabbage sauerkraut, the one we made was fantastic. 

The next thing we made was fermented carrot sticks. Those are done with brine and them too. You can add some spices and herbs actually; you could add pickling spice just like you do with pickles. She had them. We didn't make any but dilly beans. You can use the brining method to pickle any kind of veggie, and the best time is known in the fall to preserve the last bit of harvest from the garden.

The first ferment we made for the day was honeyed garlic. I have read and heard of it before; I was always leary of trying it. My mind was thinking sweet garlic. That isn't actually true; we got to have some samples on that as well. After it has been fermented, which does take months, you can eat the garlic and use the honey. You know the garlic is garlic, it's not overly sweet, and it's not excessively strong. The honey, to me, didn't have a strong garlic taste either. It is very unique and highly healthy. You can do this with other things as well, such as ginger, turmeric, even elderberries. You can also do a combination of several. I am actually going to be making not only ginger and turmeric honey. I am going to make a combination of ginger, turmeric, and garlic. To see how I we like them.

The last one of the day was kombucha. Ed hates it; when we first met, I was making it. He despises it back then. It was just a plan. I didn't know anything about a second ferment which is when you had your flavor. I wasn't going to take any kombucha home to make. Then I decided I will and do a second ferment to flavor it. 

I had an amazing first day of the conference. Learned so much and, in this case, got to bring home some goodies. More tomorrow.

Homesteaders of America Conference

 

I believe it was Nov of 2019. Ed came across a homesteading conference. Doing some research and finding the Homesteaders of America, we found that the meeting was in October. We missed it but kept an eye out for possibly attending the next one with everything that happened last year that wasn't going to happen for us. They didn't have a live event. They did have a virtual one for Ed and me. If we were going to spend the money, we would like to see the speakers live and in person.

COme this year, back in March (Ed was keeping an eye on the site), we saw that this year's conference would be live. As soon as we found that out, we ordered our tickets. We did have the grandeur idea of camping on the site location. Later this year, when we went to see about that, there were no sites available. In reality, that was for the best, not that either one of us doesn't like to camp. In fact, we do. We had Chewy with us, and there were no facilities on site except porta-potties. Which was fine; coming back to a room with a bed was more appealing for us.

After all the plans, we embarked on a 222-mile road trip to Front Royal VI. The event was at the Warren County Fair Grounds. We left in the hours of Thursday morning. Both Ed and I had a class at 9 am. Then the conference started Friday and Saturday. With us coming back today.

We learned so much, and I have a lot to share. It's too much information to do in this post. My goal is to post about a class a day if I can, with life not getting in the way. There were some fantastic speakers, the people were a highly diverse set of people from all over the country. Everyone was so kind and friendly. It truly was a fantastic event.

Happy New Year!

 I am being truthful, I am planning on blogging more. Partly it is time and I wasn't able to do any project. I have a little more money this year. I am able to do more in that respect. That wasn't the only hick-up.

A goal that we have for this is selling more from the farm. Not only produce, but also things that we have made. For me to be able to do that I need to get a little more organized. Make a list, a schedule, and of course, act in it. To help with that Santa got us not books to do those things with.

Another thing is to get back on the diet that we had started actually in '19. Due to the virus, we were unable to follow it to the letter. It was hard for me to find some of the items I needed. We should be getting back into all of that soon enough.

Here is to the best of the years we have already lived and to making our dreams come true.

The end of one...

 It turned out to be a hell of a year. Still, as I write this there are places in the world and our own country that is still or back in lockdown. This virus has changed the world literally. It has been a difficult year all around.  And soon it will be a new year which soon we can get back to normal or the new norm.

For me, I did have to come up with some kind of income. Ed had taken a new job which turned out to be filled with empty promises. Throughout the year that has changed. I have started Doordashing, which has given us the ability to stay afloat and get a little ahead.

What does that mean for this past year. This is why I didn't get much done. I am hopefully that the new year will bring in new ideas and even some things for sale. I was able to put some money aside to get some new supplies for some new ideas that I would like to try. Only time will tell how much I can get done.

\With that I will say good by to this year and see you all next year.

Socks

It has been quite a while that I have posted a project. Back when COVID 19 all started a friend had posted on a Facebook group an online craft site that does online classes. For a couple of weeks, they offered all there classes for free to watch. I was hooked and even subscribed, which let me continue to watch classes after the free trial.

I believe it was the middle of May when they announced that uncertainty they had to shut down. Not giving any real reason, nor did they need to. You could still purchase classes up until the last day of May. I got three that I wanted. I really wanted more, I just didn't have the money to get them all.

July first they gave us an update for how everything was to be handled. They purchased classes are forever. They needed to figure out how that was going to work. It turns out that the Crafty's platform, Which was managed or the parent company of Blueprint has been sold to TN Marketing. Which means they are not going away after all. Which is good, I am totally addicted to it and learning a lot.

With that very long introduction that I felt you needed for you to fully understand the rest of the post. One of the classes I took was about magic loop. Which are a lot of fun and I also knew you can make to things at once using the magic loop. Hence the next class I took was socks.

The classes on socks were just a basic class. I felt with the knowledge I had learned from the magic loop class I could make two of them at once. Which is what I did and I think for a pair of socks (in which I have not knitted socks in 15v years. An then it was only one pair.) Came out very well.

The yarn is a synthetic that was given to me by a friend. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. I decided to use it for this project, it's a worsted weight. Which made the socks go pretty quickly. I did have to get myself a new set of cable needles. Actually, no I didn't, I wasn't aware that interchangeable needles were also interchangeable between brands as well. All I really needed was a longer cable. I really don't mind treating myself.

The original set I picked up was from Hobby Lobby and they are plastic. They work very well. I just didn't like the feel of them. The new ones I got are from Knit Picks and are wood. The only problem is they don't make sock needles for cables. Which means I have to look for sock cable needles. The ones that I have found are a bit prices, I may have to wait for a little on them.

I did pick up a lighter weight yarn that I am going to make myself a pair of socks with. I'm not using sock needles for obvious reasons. The smallest I can use is a size 4. They will be a slightly thicker sock then fingering weight. I think they will work out fine. Once I have them started I will post about them. I will see you all then.

Happy New Year!

It is finally a new year, a wonderful time to start things anew. I myself don't do the resolution. I never keep them. It always seems that something is always interfering with me keeping them. Instead, I set goals and try to work on them.

I have started to lose weight that is a continuous action, I would like to manage my time a little better as well. I want to figure out a schedule and stick to it. There are small things as well. we shall see how it goes.

For everyone, may your new year be wonderfully blessed with many new and exciting experiences. Happy New Year!