Best You Tube video I've seen all year

This video has nothing to do with canning or adorable conures sleeping in my hand, but it does combine my all-time favorite movie and my barely-contained fury over the last decade.  Thanks, Reagan, and all you doofus Chicago School economists, for ushering in the era of laissez faire on crack.

But I love this idea.  We might be able to take it back, one little bank account at a time.  Think it would work? Or are the megacorporations destined to dominate from here on out?

Sauerkraut, Illustrated

I make sauerkraut about once a month, in cabbage season (about July through December).  Traditionally, kraut is only made in the cooler months- but since I ferment at room temperature, I'm not constrained by weather.

I put up 15 pounds for fermenting yesterday; here's the blow-by-blow:

First, I quarter and core the cabbages.  I like to quarter first because it makes coring easier.

Next, I weigh the quarters.  Typical kraut-to-salt ratio is 5 pounds of cabbage to 3 tablespoons salt.  Be sure to use canning salt, not table salt. 

Shredding is next.  Yes, it takes a long time, but this shredder works great.

 

It's a Japanese "Super-Benriner" shredder- fabulous artwork on the box.

Here's the first 5 pounds shredded in the crock.  It goes nearly to the top.  I shred 5 pounds at a time, add the 3 tablespoons of salt, then stomp away.

Here's my kraut stomper.  It's about the size of a baseball bat, but flat on the business end.  I found this stomper in an antique store last year, but you can get them new from Lehman's.

Stomping is absolutely the most important step of making kraut.  If you don't stomp it, you'll just have salty shredded cabbage.  I stomp for at least 20 minutes per 5-pound batch.  I stomp until it sounds really squishy and looks translucent.

Here it is after it's been stomped.  See how much the volume is reduced?

After all the cabbage is processed, "plate it and weight it" just as you would any lacto-ferment.  While cabbage (especially freshly picked cabbage) does release a lot of it's own juice, it's rarely enough for the one or two inches of liquid you need above the plate.  I usually add about two quarts of filtered water with 3 tablespoons of canning salt per quart- same ratio of salt you'd use in any fermenting vat.  FYI, this vat is a 4-gallon vat.  Some people don't spice their kraut, but  I use garlic and juniper berries. 

Be sure to cover the vat to keep out the critters and dust.  I use a piece of clean muslin (it needs to breathe) and a rubber band to secure it.  Store the vat in dim light or in the dark.

(After a couple of days mold will form on top of the liquid- and the mold re-forms every day or so thereafter.  You must skim off the mold and add more brine as necessary.  At room temperature, the vat is typically ready to eat in about two weeks.  It will take longer if the room is cooler.)

 I don't add any vinegar.  Once you add vinegar (and heat if you're canning), the beneficial bacteria die.  Instead, I store it in quart-sized canning jars in the fridge.  If I had a root cellar, I'd store it there.  But we eat it quickly, so storing is not a huge issue.

Now, there's always some cabbage left over- the finger guard that's supposed to let you get down to the nub of the vegetables doesn't really work for me.  So I make cabbage soup.  Typical Russian recipe, but instead of dill and marjoram, I use fresh sage and smoked paprika.  Those two are such a great combo with cabbage and potatoes.

That's all there is to sauerkraut.  It's a time investment- usually takes all afternoon- but it's so totally worth it.

Sam Kass Might Have the Best Job Ever

White House chef.  Wonk.  Locavore.  Gardener.  Anti-Big Ag.  Sits in on policy meetings.  Has the ear of Michelle.  Cute as a bug.  *sigh*  

Read the article in today's New York Times.

S.O.S pads- the original and best

Brace yourself, I'm endorsing a product.

Now, I don't buy much stuff new.  If I can't get it used, I probably don't need it-- well, with the exception of underwear and personal care products.  I buy even less brand-name stuff.  There is some stuff, though, that has no peer.  S.O.S pads are such stuff.

Ever try the off-brand scrubbing pads?  Complete junk.  They start bleeding rusty liquid after one use, fall apart after two uses.  If you want a steel wool scrubber, you gotta go with the real deal. S.O.S pads are the definition of real deal.

Now that I'm working with dairy, the pots get scummy.  A substance called milkstone (deposits of mineral salts in milk) build up on the pots, and it's hard to get it off.  S.O.S pads are the solution.  And it's not just mineral salts- I'm here to tell you, they can scrub off ANYTHING.  My pots have never looked better, inside and out.  Yes, they cost more, but they are so totally worth it.

So, that's my irony-free paean to S.O.S.  Thanks, S.O.S!

The Underground Fruit Economy

(Not necessarily forbidden)
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From today's New York Times, an article about the growing trend of urban fruit foraging. All over the US, folks are setting up backyard fruit exchanges, fruit expeditions, clubs that gather fallen fruit in public spaces- and then give half of their forage to food banks. Pretty cool, huh?

Sweetpeas don't care about algebra

It's a beautiful day in Detroit, and the sweetpeas just started blooming this week.

Farmers Downsize with Mini Cows

(mini-moo)

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From today's LA Times- farmers are moving towards a preference for mini-livestock. They eat less, are easily grass-fed, are lighter on the land, and are well-suited to small farms. They are not dwarfs; usually minis are closer to the original size of the breed. Turns out a lot of the super-giant livestock were a breeding predilection from the mid-20th century when good stewardship was low on the list of priorities.

The article is worth it just for the cute slideshow!

Detroit Eastern Market's 43rd Annual Flower Day

Flower Day has a reputation for being a bit of a madhouse (suburbanites come down by the busload), so I rode my bike- about a mile as the crow flies. It was certainly more busy than the usual Saturday morning shopping.This is is shed 2. It was renovated last year. For decades it was covered in a slapdash jumble of bad siding, thick white paint, and truly awful cartoon-y paintings on plywood of grimacing chickens with teeth (I kid you not) bolted directly onto these amazing brick arches. You couldn't even see the carved "Eastern Market" letters. The shed is simply beautiful now- a real showpiece. They are taking great pains to renovate the entire market.

R Hirt Jr., Co- one of the coolest stores in Detroit. Great selection of cheese.

Wouldn't be Flower Day without lots and lots of flats

Creative flat display, huh?

Inside shed 2- on Saturday market, this is where the local vendors are

Inside Shed 3- almost finished with renovation. This shed now sports heated floors.

Shed 6

Carts!

Always lots of different carts on flower day.

I don't even know what this one is, but I dig it.

Now that's what I call a Michigan cart.

Jumble o' carts- they tend to cause traffic back-up.

My purchase for the day, from one of the antique vendors at Eastern Market-- an old 3-gallon pickling crock, strapped to the back of my bike. It's a crock made in Red Wing, MN (I stand corrected!). Love the wing. It was only $25.00! And yes, it got home unscathed. Bike was a little wobbly from the weight of it, though.

Molecular Biologist Bonnie Bassler

This is so cool. Bonnie Bassler and her team at Princeton have discovered how bacteria communicate with each other.

A most excellent tidbit from the video- humans are, at most, 10% human. The majority of what we are is actually bacteria. That's sure to piss off/ freak out the germophobes. Fun!

"Bunnylicious" website

I've never seen this site before. Therein lies some pretty fabulous rabbit-themed art (and some of it possibly NSFW, depending on the coolness of your boss). Me, I just kept saying "wow" over and over again. Mighty fine.

Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin!

Today is Charles Darwin's 200th birthday. (Bows head in reverence.)
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Towards the end of his long and amazing life, Darwin was finally able to devote himself to a lifelong interest- the biology and function of earthworms. While still in his thirties, he was certain that earthworms performed a key role in soil biology, though he was unable to spend time on what he called his "hobbyhorse" until old age. His last volume is still considered one of the best studies ever written on earthworms, called "The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms, With Observations of their Habits". It was published in 1881, one year before his death. The entire book is available on-line here.

Notes on Hemp

(Cannibis satvia- industrial hemp)
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I'm a huge fan of hemp-- the industrial fiber Cannabis sativa, not so much the smokin' herb-- but I do think every species of the plant should be totally legal. I wish I could grow both forms, hemp and marijuana, in my own garden; I'd gladly whip up the occasional dish of baked goods with the drug variety. Smoking the stuff is epic fail for me: I cough my lungs out and then sleep the sleep of the dead for 12 hours-- so, meh. Give me a Bloody Mary any day. And bonus, alcohol is legal.

Industrial hemp makes great yarn and fabric, beautiful paper, grows ridiculously fast, and can grow everywhere. It's beyond stupid that we have outlawed such an incredibly useful plant because of misguided prudery. But that's the American way. Thanks, Puritans! You've helped in so many ways!

I ran across these tasty bits over at Huffington Post today, though I'm sure they've been oft reposted on all the pro-hemp sites. But hemp is cool, so I want to play, too.

--The first Bibles, maps, charts, Betsy Ross's flag, the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were made from hemp.

--80% of all textiles, fabrics, clothes, linen, drapes, bed sheets, etc. were made from hemp until the 1820s with the introduction of the cotton gin.

--It was legal to pay taxes with Hemp in America from 1631 until the early 1800s.

--Refusing to grow Hemp in America during the 17th and 18th Centuries was against the law. You could be jailed in Virginia for refusing to grow hemp from 1763 to 1769.

--Rembrants, Gainsboroughs, Van Goghs as well as most early canvas paintings were principally painted on hemp linen.

--In 1916, the U.S. Government Dept. of Agriculture predicted that by the 1940s all paper would come from hemp and that no more trees need to be cut down.

--For thousands of years, 90% of all ships' sails and rope were made from hemp. The word 'canvas' is Dutch for cannabis.

--The hemp plant produces up to four times more cellulose per acre than trees. Hemp cultivation and production do not harm the environment. The USDA Bulletin #404 concluded that Hemp produces 4 times as much pulp with at least 4 to 7 times less pollution.

--Hemp fuel is non-toxic, biodegradable and does not contribute to sulfur dioxide air poisoning.

--In Feb. 1938, Popular Mechanics called Hemp a 'Billion Dollar Crop.' It was the first time a cash crop had a business potential to exceed a billion dollars.

--The following information comes directly from the United States Department of Agriculture's 1942 14-minute film encouraging and instructing 'patriotic American farmers' to grow 350,000 acres of hemp each year for the war effort: '...(When) Grecian temples were new, hemp was already old in the service of mankind. For thousands of years, even then, this plant had been grown for cordage and cloth in China and elsewhere in the East. For centuries prior to about 1850, all the ships that sailed the western seas were rigged with hempen rope and sails. For the sailor, no less than the hangman, hemp was indispensable...

...Now with Philippine and East Indian sources of hemp in the hands of the Japanese...American hemp must meet the needs of our Army and Navy as well as of our industries...

...the Navy's rapidly dwindling reserves. When that is gone, American hemp will go on duty again; hemp for mooring ships; hemp for tow lines; hemp for tackle and gear; hemp for countless naval uses both on ship and shore. Just as in the days when Old Ironsides sailed the seas victorious with her hempen shrouds and hempen sails. Hemp for victory!'

Mama's Got a Brand New (tea) Bag

Oh my goodness, you guys have gotta try this stuff. Tulsi tea will not be news to some of you (yes, I'm looking at you, D. Moll), but I decided last week to try some, and it's heavenly stuff. I'm in love. I found this particular brand at my favorite health food store- it's new to their shelves. I don't know what made me want to try this particular tea, but then, I'm always on the lookout for new teas. MMMmmm warm, flavored, (no calorie) liquids mmmmm.

Tulsi is also known as Holy Basil. There's definitely a basil-y taste to it, but I'd say it's deeper and richer. Tulsi is sacred to Hindus, and is purported to have all kinds of healing properties-- mouth sores, female complaints, digestive issues, common cold and sore throat, and it's supposed to be energizing, too. Bunches of claims are made for it. I just know I really like the taste and scent, and I really do feel more energetic after a pot of it, especially in the low hours of the afternoon.

Ever notice that when you learn something new, suddenly you see it everywhere? Well, I've just discovered that Johnny's sells seed packets of this plant. I'm so growing it this year.

Maybe if we all had ducks...

My little drop spindle

(happy little drop spindle)
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I learned to spin 20 years ago, when I was an undergrad. I learned on an old clunker of a wheel held together with kite string and spit. It was a real piece. After college, I didn't spin for a long time.

Three years ago, I got bit by the spinning bug again at a Michigan wool festival. Now I spin almost every day. Recently I started teaching spinning at a nearby knit shop. I just really love spinning. Knitting is work, but spinning is restful. And it's so arcane. For me, the more arcane it is the better I like it.

I have two spinning wheels, but lately I'd much rather use this drop spindle. It's a cheap student spindle; I needed to learn how to spin with it if I was going to teach it in my class. But now I'm utterly addicted and I use the blasted thing everywhere. I spin with it in my weekly knitting group. I spin with it at the movies. I even tried spinning in the car over the weekend, just to see if I could (as a passenger, not while driving).

If I'm spinning in public, the spindle itself gets long, mesmerized stares. Sometimes I can tell they have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. But usually, no one even notices I'm doing it. In the past, I'd take my collapsible spinning wheel to weekly knit group, but we meet in a coffee shop and it felt like showboating. This little spindle is such a subtle thing. I spin between my legs when I'm sitting. To look at me, you'd just think I was sitting in a rather un-lady-like position, and doing something weird with my hands (hard to tell exactly what).

The yarn in the picture is from the drop spindle, but it's 3-plied with a technique called Navajo plying. Picture a really big chain stitch, the very same stitch crocheters are first taught. Except, your hands are the crochet needle, and the big chain stitch is spinning onto a bobbin on a spinning wheel. When using this plied yarn for knitting, the technique works best with very soft fiber such as Shetland, because spinning this way makes a hard (though very beautiful) yarn. Traditionally, this yarn is used for the hidden warp in Navajo rugs. It's amazingly strong.

The fruit of this drop spindle will eventually become a fisherman's sweater for my husband. The sample in the picture is from the Navajo yarn next to it. The pattern is just so crisp.

Yes, it will take a long time to make this sweater, but I'm ok with that.

Just when I think I can't have a bigger crush on Mike Rowe

I'm a big fan of the Discovery show Dirty Jobs, and the show wouldn't be the same without Mike's charms. However, this FORA.TV video he made in December just completely takes it to a new level. The video is about 20 minutes.

Speaking of Ducks

Well, looky here...

(So... cold....)

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I went out on the porch at lunchtime to bring in one of the flower boxes. I want to grow some baby Asian greens indoors this winter, under my seedling lights. Lately, I'm craving Asian greens like crazy. I'll settle for even just a leaf or two at a time, chopped fine, for garnish on a hot, buttery, salty baked potato. Mmmm, piping hot potatoes in winter...

Anyway, the still dirt-filled flower boxes are stacked on each other, and they are pretty well frozen, too, except in the drainage crevasses on the undersides of the pots. And behold, what should my little eye spy? Worms. My worms. Eisenia fetida. About two dozen. Must have been some egg cases in one of last year's worm poop garden feedings.

This is in a Detroit winter, folks. Today's high is fixing to be, oh, about 27 F. That's some powerful worms. I am mightily impressed. I'll go out again later, on another worm recon mission.

The little buggers were ice cold, but started immediately wriggling from the heat coming off my hand. I brought them indoors, and tucked them safely in the indoor bin. My palm still remembers the cold of them.

Coolest birthday present ever

(Da.)

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No, this gift is not useful. Or practical. It does not contribute in any way to the homesteading goals or ideals. But it is so cool.

I turned 39 on Monday, and that number is sort of a biggie for me--29 was, too-- something about those precipice numbers. But this terribly fabulous, vintage Soviet poster makes me smile and temporarily forget I'm nearly 40. It's pretty big- about 28 x 40 inches. Love the colors. And I swear some of the women bear a fleeting resemblance to Jackie O. Must be those doe-like, wide-set eyes.

Official Husband had this framed for me, his state-approved Democratic Socialist wife. Thank you, comrade. More share of pot pie for you.

Thanksgiving pic, 2008

(An intimate dinner for four)

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This is sort of late, being December and all, but this was a really good meal. Since our table is so small, I had to plate most of it in the kitchen. The menu was nothing out of the ordinary, but everything was from scratch. Here's the list:

Buttermilk-brined heritage turkey
Sage stuffing, made from spelt bread
Mashed potatoes
Giblet gravy
Candied sweet potatoes
Spinach sesame casserole
Roasted cauliflower
Stuffed baked mushroom caps
Whole cranberry sauce
Green tomato chutney
Fresh jardiniere ferment (root and cole mix)
Pumpkin pie with spelt crust

I must say a word or two about the buttermilk brine. Buttermilk brine is the magical prep method for turkey. From here on out, this will always be the way I prep a turkey. I hear it's amazing with chicken, too. This was the best bird any of us had ever eaten. It made truly amazing gravy too, and lots of it.

Buttermilk brine recipe
1 part brine: 1 gallon filtered water to 1 cup pickling salt, plus 1/2 cup brown sugar- stir well until dissolved
1 part buttermilk-- 1 gallon

Cover rinsed and dried bird completely with brine mixture (I used a 3-gallon pickling crock- the little 9 pound bird was a perfect fit). Soak for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Remove and rinse; roast to preferred instructions.

Wow, just... wow. Great turkey. Highly recommended.