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Monthly Archives: April 2012

Using Wild Yeast Sourdough: Makin’ Bagels

29 Apr

Bagels are a great way to learn about using your own wild yeast sourdough starter!

People who collect wild yeast for their own sourdough starter eventually learn that some baked goods are better suited to their local wild yeast than others. Here on the Colorado Front Range the wild yeast produces light bread and biscuits, but back in eastern Kansas this was not true. The bread there was on the dense side–still wonderful and tasty but not the light loaf. However, subtler wild yeasts are wonderful for making things like bagels.

You can make bagels using any kind of wild yeast, but bagels are a pretty forgiving way to start learning about your wild yeast and its unique character.

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If you haven’t done so already, check out our ‘Spin “Collecting and Maintaining Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter,” to learn more about wild yeast sourdough.

INGREDIENTS

(Note: This recipe comes from the book, “World Sourdoughs from Antiquity,” by Ed Wood)

  • 2 cups culture from the first proof (see below)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

ACTIVATING YOUR STARTER

If you do not use your starter often, or it’s been sitting in your refrigerator for the past two weeks or so, you’ll need to activate your starter so it’s “awake” enough for the first proof (below). To do this, remove your jar of starter from your refrigerator the morning before you bake your bread. Add a cup of flour and a cup of warm (85F) water, stir briefly, and let the jar sit out for the day. You’ll see the activity in the jar start to increase as the yeasts warm up and start to feed on the new flour. After about 3 to 6 hours your starter will be ready for the first proof (you’ll see the starter form bubbles, increase in size in your jar, and perhaps even foam a bit). The total time needed depends upon how warm it is in your kitchen and the nature of your wild yeast, but between 3 and 6 hours is normal.

If your starter is used regularly (once or twice a week) you can skip the formal activation process. All you need to do is take the jar out of the refrigerator, let it sit to warm up a bit, then move on to the first proof.

During the first proof, you'll be able to see bubbles like this (or maybe more!)

THE FIRST PROOF

The first proof is where you really get your yeast active, and at this point it’s called the sponge. Take your activated starter and dump it all into a bowl large enough where it has the chance to double in bulk (it may not expand that much, which is fine). Add a few cups of flour and an equal amount of warm water (about 85F), then stir briefly. How many cups of flour you add depends upon how much starter you have. You want about 3 cups total from the first proof: 2 cups for the bagels and 1 cup to go back into the fridge for your next baking (don’t put it back yet). For this reason it’s very important to not add anything to your first proof besides flour and water.

Cover your bowl with a dry towel (a wet towel will cool your sponge) and place it in a warm spot (about 85F) to sit overnight. In the summer I just leave my bowl on the kitchen counter. In the winter when it’s cooler, I turn my oven on and leave it warm for a minute or two, turn it off, then pop the bowl in the oven for the night. You can also put it in a cool oven with the oven light on all night.

The next morning, it’s time to make bagels.

Divide the dough into balls, roll each into a 6-inch-long rope, and form into a bagel shape by pinching the ends together.

MAKING THE BAGELS

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Measure your 2 cups of culture into a mixing bowl and return the rest of the starter to a clean container to go back in the refrigerator. To your mixing bowl add the eggs, oil, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Mix well with a spoon.

Add the flour, one cup at a time, stirring until you can no longer stir with a spoon. Then pour the sticky dough onto a floured surface and add the remaining flour (and more if necessary) until the dough is satiny and somewhat springy (about 10 minutes).

Divide your dough into 15 equal balls and roll each into about a 6-inch-long rope. Pinch the ends together to make a bagel shape, and set aside. Cover your bagels with a kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour. Your bagels may not rise very much, so don’t be alarmed by this. It’s a bagel.

Boiling bagels before baking is crucial.

Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Drop the bagels (one or two at a time) into the boiling water; they will first drop to the bottom, then rise to float in the water. When they rise to the surface, remove them from the water and place them on paper towels to drain.

Place the drained bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and let cool before eating, if you can wait that long. These are tasty, and are especially good plain with butter, or served with cream cheese and smoked salmon!

 
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Posted by on April 29, 2012 in Recipes, Wild Yeast Sourdough

 

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Tips and Tricks to go Shampoo-free

22 Apr

My hair is thicker, shinnier, and healthier than it ever has been now that I've gone shampoo free!

I stopped using shampoo, conditioner, and any other test tube-made product on my hair a month ago. Now I only use baking soda and vinegar, and my hair is thicker, shinier, has stopped falling out, and stays cleaner longer than it ever has in my entire life. And this dramatic effect costs literally pennies compared to expensive store-bought products. Not only that, but going shampoo-free eliminates the need to buy gels, mouse, anti-frizz stuff or any of that. Think of the savings!

And for those who like to stockpile supplies for a rainy day or buy in bulk, it’s much less expensive to buy gallons of vinegar and pounds of baking soda than worry from where the next deal on shampoo is going to appear. It’s always nice when your bulk goods do double-duty, too. Vinegar and baking soda should be staples, for cleaning you, your home, and for cooking. Shampoo only does one thing (and sometimes it doesn’t even do that very well). And in a pinch, you can make your own vinegar.

Before you decide to give shampoo-free a whirl, check out this overview. Much of this information is all over the internet, but I experimented with everything I read, got feedback from a ton of people who have gone shampoo free (or who tried it), and compiled everything I learned here:

A NOTE ON WATER

The type of water you have will have an effect on how baking soda (or shampoo for that matter) works on cleaning your hair. Soft water causes hair to be naturally sleek and is essentially free of the calcium and magnesium hard water contains, which can get “stuck” to your hair. Soft water makes it easier for the baking soda to be rinsed out of your hair easily.

Hard water contains a lot of calcium and magnesium and causes hair to become rough and tangly by elevating the microscopic scales that are on each strand of hair. The minerals get caught in the scales and make it more difficult to rinse anything (including commercial shampoos) out of the hair. Companies add chemicals to shampoos to combat this problem, but they have a drying effect on the hair that necessitates the need to buy hair conditioners and other products.

When you go shampoo-free in a hard-water environment, the minerals do react with the baking soda, and can cause a build-up. Beyond installing a water softener (your laundry would thank you, too), there are a few things you can do to combat hard water such as using distilled water or filtered rain water (see below for more info).

THINGS TO KNOW

The only ingredients you need are baking soda and vinegar. Some people add an oil to the mix to counteract drying some people experience. You can use coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or any oil you want. One woman I spoke to has very oily hair and adds a few drops of liquid castille soap to her baking soda solution to give it a little boost. Many, if not most, men and women won’t need to do this.

There is about a three week adjustment period for your hair to go through its detox withdraw from shampoo: Shampoo strips your hair of just about everything and it takes awhile for your hair to readjust back to its natural, healthy state. How your hair will react to this transition period will vary from the next person. Some people experience a temporary “greasy period” lasting only a few days. This greasy period can occur anywhere in the three-week adjustment period. I had mine at about the half way mark, but it was barely noticeable to me. Others have more of a problem. But stick with it, your hair will quickly improve in a matter of days and continue to get better after that.

It works great on curly hair: A lot of the ammonium this and ammonium that in shampoos can play havoc with curly hair, necessitating the use of anti-frizzers and whatnot to reclaim what you naturally had before shampoo removed it. Going shampoo-free eliminates the need for all of the “product” previously used to keep curls in check and frizz under control. You may want to add a few drops of oil to your locks if you like sleek curls.

Your hair won’t need conditioners to combat tangles, because they will be limited: A baking soda wash and vinegar rinse won’t strip your hair of anything but the dirt, so your hair’s ability to detangle itself won’t be inhibited.

It works with dyed hair: Vinegar is known to actually set dyes, and it has the same effect on hair dye. Some people also report that they experience less fading of their dyed color once they make the move to baking soda and vinegar.

It’s wonderful on grey hair: In fact, vinegar and baking soda will whiten grey hair, while shampoos can cause grey hair to yellow.

Baking soda, white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar) and essential oils keep my hair looking better than it ever did using store-bought shampoo and conditioner.

HOW-TO

There are several ways you can go shampoo free, and you really need to experiment on your own hair to see what works for you, keeping in mind what kind of water you have. This experimentation can be frustrating for some who are used to the squirt-and-suds of shampoo, but considering the ultimate pay-off both in your budget and potential hair awesomeness, you owe it to yourself to pay attention and see what method works best for you.

No matter what you do, rinsing the baking soda out thoroughly is a must: It’s also a must with shampoo, but many people don’t rinse as thoroughly as they should and walk around with shampoo still in their hair. Rinsing the baking soda out well is very important; leaving it in can dry your hair and I’ve even heard of some people rinsing so poorly that they complained of white stuff on their locks (unrinsed baking soda). Rinse it!

The most common way to wash your hair with baking soda is to make a solution with one tablespoon of baking soda per one cup of water, pour it over your head, then scrub away: Some people use less baking soda and deciding how much is part of that experimentation process; thinner hair requires less baking soda than thicker hair. You can make as much of this solution as you want and keep it in a bottle in the shower (an empty shampoo bottle would work great). Adding a small bit of liquid castille soap to the solution is an option if you have very oily hair. And if you have hard water, use distilled water or rain water in this solution. Rinse thoroughly after you’ve scrubbed your scalp and head.

If you’re lazy like me, you can just put the baking soda in a shaker and leave it in the shower, sprinkling it over your head and then scrubbing: When you wash your hair, just shake about 1/4 cup (depending upon hair length) on your head, making sure to part your hair in areas to get it to your scalp. Work the baking soda in, occasionally putting your head briefly under the shower head to allow the baking soda to dissolve and be distributed all over your head and hair. Work it in with your fingers as you would shampoo, and rinse thoroughly.

Next, pour vinegar over your head and briefly work it into your hair: I use about 1/2 cup of vinegar on my hair, which is to the middle of my back. Make sure you don’t get it in your eyes (been there, done that, ouch).

You can use either white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar: I found that apple cider vinegar was too heavy on my hair and made it feel a tad limp and heavy, but white vinegar worked great. Experiment to see which one works for you!

You can leave the vinegar in, or rinse it out: Official mantra is to leave it in, but again, this didn’t work great for my hair. Leaving it in weighed it down too much, but I imagine for curly hair leaving it in would be wonderful. Try both methods and see which one works best for your hair. And, no, I’ve never had my hair smell like a salad, even when I left the vinegar in. Apple cider vinegar, however, does have a stronger natural scent than white vinegar.

If your hair is becoming too dry, you can just wash with the vinegar and forgo the baking soda: Some people I talked to said the baking soda was a tad too drying for their baby fine hair. Instead, they just washed with the vinegar and were very pleased with the results. Others used the baking soda once a week and only vinegar for the rest of the week. If you find your hair becoming too dry for words try adjusting how often you use baking soda versus vinegar alone, or…..

Conditioning your hair with natural oils daily or weekly is wonderful with this method: Some people who complained that their hair was too dry now add a few drops of an oil (olive oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, a mixture of oils, the choice is yours) to their baking soda and include it as they wash their hair. Myself and others condition weekly. I take about a teaspoon or two of coconut oil, melt it, and work it into my hair and leave it in for about an hour or so, then wash as usual with baking soda. Your hair will sing with glee!

Washing your hair like this allows you to add personalized scents to meet your own needs and wants: I love to add essential oils to my vinegar, customizing it depending upon what I feel like at the time. Lavender and rosemary are personal favorites. I’ve never had a problem with the smell of vinegar on my hair, but this is a nice way to make your hair smell wonderful without artificial ingredients.

You can add herbal hair enhancers as natural remedies to hair and scalp issues: Sometimes just getting off shampoo will cure issues like dandruff and allergic reactions on the scalp. But if the move to baking soda and vinegar alone doesn’t solve the problem, you can add herbs to your baking soda or vinegar to help you out. If you have dandruff, you can add some tea tree oil to your baking soda or vinegar. Tea tree oil is wonderful for scalp health, and if the switch from shampoo to baking soda/vinegar alone doesn’t solve your dandruff or scalp problem, adding medicinal herbs will.

In a future ‘spin I’ll cover hair enhancers and natural remedies to include in this process. Until then, start giving it a try, and do make sure you give it a full three weeks before abandoning the process if you can manage it!


 
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Posted by on April 22, 2012 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Outdoor and Survival, Saving Money

 

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Can’t Sleep? Try These Effective and Safe Options

17 Apr

Chamomile tea is a common relaxation and sleep aid that works.

Adults and children can both have problems sleeping, and the inability to sleep can cause havoc at home, on-the-job, and at school. But in an attempt to solve the problem, adults often turn towards sleeping pills or other over-the-counter sleep aids like Tylenol PM. But people don’t realize that sleeping pills don’t allow for the REM-based sleep that we need to feel rested. Instead, they just knock you out instead of allowing you to experience true, restful sleep.

Better alternatives are techniques and herbs that relax and allow for true sleep. And many of these remedies can be used with children, whose sleep problems are frequently overlooked.

There are three ways to put yourself to sleep without the aid of narcotics: relaxing, aromatherapy, and herbal remedies. Herbal options, which can be taken as teas, pills, and tinctures, don’t prevent REM sleep, and as a result you experience true rest. And these techniques can be used with children, too! Ideally, though, you’ll make relaxing a regular part of your family’s evening routine; some simple changes may prevent the need for any other sleep aids altogether. If you need more help sleeping, though, aromatherapy then herbal aids can help solve your problems.

RELAXANTS

Getting the body and mind physically prepared for sleep may seem like a no-brainer, but as you probably could guess few people do it; the stresses of the day can sometimes be too demanding and relaxing seems like a luxury. In fact, though, a good night’s sleep (and the relaxing that goes with it) is paramount for remaining as productive as possible during the day, and becomes a necessity just like brushing your teeth. Here’s some ways to prepare for sleep, so you and your children can get to sleep and stay that way:

Maintain a regular sleep schedule: Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same times each day is a way to tell the body, “Hey…you’re supposed to be asleep now.” We are creatures of habit, and our bodies do take ques from patterns we set in our lives. Adults benefit from this just as much as children.

Keep your bedroom for sleep…and one other thing: What that other thing is you can guess and it’s between you and your partner. Other than that, sleep should be the only thing going on in the bedroom. No TV, no reading, nothing else. Or if you do read, don’t pick up something that’s going to get your emotions boiling or your interest peaked. For children, choose soothing stories without too much emotion.

Keep your bedroom cooler if you can: We sleep better when we’re cool. It’s as simple as that.

Don’t go to sleep angry: If you have problems with someone you care about, try to solve them. Don’t do it through text or email, either….that solves little. We spend a lot of time now avoiding problems through a computer, yet that just leaves them fester and interrupts our sleep. Don’t be afraid…approach those you’re in conflict with and either clear the air, solve the problem, or move on. Your sleep will thank you for it. Allow your children to do the same before they get their pajamas on.

Scents such as lavender, geranium, and sandalwood can be used in oils, scrubs, sprays and more to enhance restfulness.

AROMATHERAPY

Some people might scoff at the idea that a mere scent can help you sleep. But we are highly wired to scent, and once we smell something (say, a skunk), we never forget what that smell is. Just think of how the smell of a fresh pie or bread in the oven can make you feel. Scents can have the same effect on sleep, and have been used for centuries in different cultures for that very purpose. Aromatherapy will promote relaxation and help calm the mind to enhance restfulness.

Choose scents that are known to promote sleep: Scents such as lavender, clary sage, chamomile, geranium, marjoram, rose, neroli, sandalwood, jasmine, ylang ylang, and bergamot either alone or in combination are great choices for promoting restfulness.

Avoid scents that are stimulating: Invigorating scents like peppermint, grapefruit, rosemary, lemon, or pine should be avoided before you are heading to bed. They are great first thing in the morning, though!

Avoid synthetic scents: Fake scents won’t quite do it. They aren’t real, so they won’t promote real relaxation. Invest in quality essential oils; they last a long time.

Make a bed linen spray: I do this in a small spray bottle with water and several drops of lavender oil. I spritz it on my pillow and sheets before I go to bed if I know I’m in a pattern of waking in the middle of the night. It works.

Scents in the bath: While it’s not a good idea to take a warm bath right before bed (you sleep better when your body is cooler), taking one about an hour before you go to bed and including soothing scents in the bath water does promote both relaxation and provide the benefits of aromatherapy. This is a great way to help relax kids, too.

Scents in the shower: Again, you want to avoid taking a hot shower right before bed, but they’re great an hour before you retire. And a shower is a wonderful place to include scented bath salt scrubs, and scented oils on your skin (and some scents, like sandalwood, are not “girly” for the guy contingent out there).

Scents by the bed: Taking a cotton ball, adding several drops of sleep-inducing scents, and putting the cotton ball next to your pillow is one way to keep the scent close to your nose. You can also create pockets on the underside of your pillow cases and stuff them with herbs, or fill flame-free diffusers with your soothing scent of choice and have it next to the bed. There are many ways to introduce scents into your or your child’s bedroom.

HERBS

When relaxing and soothing scents don’t quite cut it, herbal remedies are there for you. I have a hard time sleeping sometimes, and I keep a bottle of herbal sleep aid by my bed. When I know I’m in a pattern of not sleeping well, I take some before I go to sleep and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I take two more. It makes a world of difference and since I’ve started using herbal remedies I don’t suffer during the day from lack of rest at night.

Valerian is one of the best herbs available to combat sleeplessness.

Herbs can be consumed about 30 minutes before bedtime either in tea form or capsules. You can make either of them yourself, but there are many teas available at even mainstream grocery stores that promote restfulness, such as Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime tea. Stores such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or local food co-ops carry a much wider array of herbal teas and capsules that treat a variety of things, including insomnia. Here are some common herbs that will help you sleep by reducing anxiety or promoting a sedative effect, among others:

California poppy: This is frequently found in teas and other homeopathic sleep aids, and is appropriate for children and adults alike.

Chamomile: This is a common and well-known sleep aid that is appropriate for both adults and children and is used commonly for this purpose in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere. Chamomile is great because not only can it be consumed, the oil can also provide relaxing benefits in the bath, in oils, and more.

Hops: Hops is not nearly as well-known as chamomile for it’s soporific properties, but it indeed is known to relieve stress and insomnia. It is frequently used in many tea mixes created for treating sleeplessness.

Kava-kava: This is another popular herb that is used in tea and capsule mixes to promote sleep. You’ll frequently find it along with hops, passion flower, and others on this list for that very purpose.

Passion flower: This is a wonderful treatment for insomnia and sleeplessness, and is included in many herbal teas for that purpose for adults and children alike. In Europe the use of passion flower is much more common than it is here, and there’s a reason for that: it works.

Skullcap: Skullcap is another herb that enhances sleep by reducing anxiety, one of the many reasons people have problems sleeping. It has a similar action to valerian root but, I believe, in a more mild form. Skullcap is another frequent ingredient in sleep-aid teas.

Valerian: This is becoming just as well known for treating sleeplessness as chamomile is. It can frequently be found in capsules created to assist with sleep, and is known to decrease incidents of waking up in the middle of the night. I have found this to be true myself, as I rely on valerian for this purpose when I am in a cycle of sleeplessness. This is one of the best alternatives to drugs because it has a true sedative effect without the side effects of something like Valium. This might not be an appropriate choice for children unless it’s included as a mix in a tea.

Wild lettuce: This produces effects similar to valerian with a focus on enhanced calming, but it is much more mild, making it a good choice for children.

Melatonin: Melatonin isn’t an herb, it’s a natural hormone that promotes regular sleep cycles in our bodies. It is frequently found in concert with valerian in capsule form for as a reliable sleep aid.

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2012 in Great for Kids, Home Remedies & Apothecary

 

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Feeding the Horse: A 1924 Perspective

13 Apr

(Note: The text and images are taken from “A Study of Farm Animals,” by Charles S. Plumb, 1924. Click on photos to enlarge.)

“The use of the horse, in spite of the automobile, is very general in both town and country. He is suited to do many things for which the motor is not fitted. He is a more economical producer of power in short hauls than is the motor, and he is as necessary as ever on the hill farms and where small areas are cultivated. According to the 1920 census we had in the United States some 20 million horses and over 5 million mules. These horses had a farm value of $2,000,000,000, and the mules were valued at half a billion dollars, so we may see that the production of the horse in America is a great industry….

The work of the horse and what he can accomplish depends upon his weight, his muscular development, and his endurance.  What is knows as horse-power, is the power necessary to raise 33,000 pounds at the rate of one foot a minute against gravity. The real measure of horse-power is based on the unit of a foot-pound, shown in the power manifested in raising a pound one foot. The horse works in different ways, no matter what his type, weight or size….

Feeding standards for the horse have been in use for a long time, and, on the basis of what has already been stated, the necessity for different standards is very apparent. Here weight and work are the two vital factors. The following is the modified Wolff-Lehmann standard for horses, as given by Henry and Morrison (Feeds and Feeding, 1917)

The preparation of the feed for a horse is important. The horse has a comparatively small stomach, and so, as his work increases, concentrates should more or less replace roughage. Food is prepared in several ways. Dry roughage is often chaffed, that is, cut or shredded. Chaffing reduces the work of the horse for the reason that the more the roughage is torn to pieces by mechanical means, the less labor will be required of the horse in breaking it up. Men who care for horses often make hay or straw more palatable by chaffing, then mixing with concentrates, and dampening the mass with a light sprinkling of water. Thus prepared, more roughage is consumed than would be the case otherwise, and the sprinkling reduces the dust, which is injurious to horses. The grinding of grain for horses is unnecessary, unless in the case of old animals with poor teeth. Whole grain is appetizing to the horse, he grinds and breaks it up easily with his teeth, and it digests efficiently as thus fed. Crushing grain may be desirable, and the author has known of city stables where oats were run through a mill and crushed, and as thus fed gave better returns, in the opinion of the management, than were secured from oats fed whole. Cooking of feed has been resorted to by horsemen in the past, more especially in Europe, but this process affects the digestibility of the proteids, so the practice is undesirable.  What is known as a bran mash, that is, wetting bran with hot water to make a thick, fairly moist feed, is practiced. If fed at regular periods, as, for example, once a week, it has a cooling, laxative effect. Bran mash is relished by horses, and is popular as an occasional feed. The soaking of feed may sometimes be desirable, especially in spring when feeding very hard, dry corn or barely.

The feeds most desirable for horses vary according to condition of age, work, and locality. Oats in the grain is the favorite food for horses both in America and Europe. There is no likelihood of danger from overeating oats, they are much relished, and from them the horseman looks for greater activity than from most feeds. Dry ear corn is popular in the corn-growing sections, especially in the South and Central West, where hundreds of thousands of horses see no other kind of grain. Experiments at the Ohio station, conducted by Prof. Carmichael, show no important difference in the feeding value of corn and oats, as fed work horses under equal conditions. Barley is fed horses in some parts of America, Europe, and northern Africa, and meets with favor. Wheat and rye are too pasty for satisfactory horse feed. Wheat bran has been fed mixed with oats and corn, and gives good results. Corn meal is too heavy for a horse feed, unless mixed with bran, oats, or chaffed hay, when it will do very well. What is known as chop feed for horses in some sections consists of varying portions of oats and cracked or crushed corn, the percentage of one to the other depending upon the value of each fed in the market. As a rule, two thirds oats and one third corn is a good proportion. Linseed meal is a most excellent feed to be given in small amount once daily, as, for example, a half pound a day. This is a fine appetizer, and tends to make the skin mellow and the hair sleek and glossy. Condition powders or prepared condimental stock foods are not to be recommended. The lindseed meal will largely serve the same purpose and in fact is a popular conditioner.

Of all the dry roughages, timothy hay in the East is a leading favorite. It is usually free from dust and is relished by the horse. Any well cured, sweet grass, however, will usually prove satisfactory horse roughage. Good dry corn stover is excellent horse feed. Alfalfa hay or red clover are rich in protein and lime, and may be fed to advantage when care is used. Dust must be avoided, and the leaves should be free of mildew or mould. A combination of alfalfa or clover with corn makes nearly a balanced ration for the work horse. There is considerable difference of opinion among American horsemen as to the suitability of these feeds for horses, but in France alfalfa has long been extensively fed to horses, while in the western United States it has been shown to be an excellent roughage for horses when well cured. Corn silage may be safely fed to horses in limited amounts, but it is important that it be bright and well cured, free from all mouldy matter; otherwise serious results may occur. Horses do well on pasture, especially of mixed grasses or of some sort of blue grass, of which Kentucky blue is the more common sort.”

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2012 in Animals, Historic Reflections, Homesteading

 

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Wild Yeast Sourdough Biscuits

12 Apr

Don't they look delicious?

I love biscuits. There’s nothing quite like a biscuit fresh from the oven, sliced while still warm and slathered in butter. Holy moly….drool. And biscuits are so versatile! You can use them for any meal, and they make a great platform for breakfast jams or eggs and cheese, lunch tomatoes and lettuce, or dinner chicken and gravy. The uncooked dough can also be repurposed as dumplings for soup or a topping for cobbler. I’ve also used this recipe as a base for pizza.

This recipe uses wild collected sourdough starter. Review our post on collecting your own wild yeast here: Collecting and Maintaining Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter.

RECIPE
(This makes 6 biscuits, double the recipe for more):

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter, removed from refrigerator the night before, fed, and left to sit overnight
  • 1/4 cup sour raw milk, buttermilk, or plain yogurt
  • 1 cup (or more) flour (I used wheat but you can use white)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, or butter (cold)
  • 1 tablespoon vodka (Vodka provides a wonderful tenderness and some forgiveness if you add too much flour. The alcohol cooks off in the oven.)

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl and stir with a fork to combine. (You can sift it, but who really does that anymore?)

Use a fork to cut in the fat/lard/butter until the fat is about pea-sized.

Add the sourdough starter, the milk or yogurt, and the vodka and combine thoroughly.

Add flour until the dough is easy to handle, but don’t make the dough dry. You may need to use the full cup of flour, or you may need to add more. Add enough flour to keep your biscuit dough on the sticky side but still manageable.

Place the dough onto a floured surface, dust lightly with flour and knead quickly for about 30 seconds. Be light with your biscuit dough! You want to incorporate the ingredients but you don’t want to knead it so long that your fat bits all melt; this will result in a denser product that is more like bread than biscuit.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/4″ thickness, then fold the dough as many times as you can. Roll out again to 1/2″ thickness and then cut with a biscuit cutter or a cup (I used a coffee mug).

Use all your dough, combining the pieces and rolling again to 1/2″ thickness so you get a complete a biscuit out of what is left. For the last bit of dough that’s too small for cutting, I just mush it together with my hands so I use ALL the dough.

Place biscuits on an oiled baking sheet and bake about 12 to 15 minutes at 400F, or until the tops are nicely browned a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the biscuits comes out clean.

And be sure to eat one hot out of the oven, slathered in butter. Yummers!

 
5 Comments

Posted by on April 12, 2012 in Recipes, Wild Yeast Sourdough

 

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The Humble Crab Apple: An Underutilized Free Food

09 Apr

A crab apple in full bloom is a beautiful thing! But the fruits deserve more credit than they get, too.

Most people know that the crab apple is edible, but it is so small (and some are bred not to bear fruit) that it is discounted as a food source and sometimes decried as a pain when the fruit begins to fall and birds start to flock. That’s a shame! Crab apples are a delicious food and, if processed the right way, not as much work as you think to utilize as a free source of tasty treats in both rural and urban locales. And the plant also has medicinal properties that make it an underused plant in the average yard or field.

Most people can identify crab apples when they’re in fruit (and when they’re in bloom). But for anyone interested in collecting plants for food or medicine, being able to identify plants properly will make your life easier, if not save it.

Crab apples are deciduous (they lose their leaves in winter) small trees in the Rosaceae family, and the Malus genus. They reach about 15′ to 25′ at maturity. The buds and leaves have an alternate arrangement, meaning the leaves hop scotch as they move up the stem, as opposed to an opposite leaf arrangement, where the leaves are directly across from each other on the stem. The leaf buds are egg-shaped with several overlapping scales. There are about 700 varieties of crab apples (yep!) so the leaves are variable in color and size. But take a look at crab apples this spring and look at the leaves to learn their general character.

Crab apples have an alternate leaf arrangement and their leaves have the look of other trees in the apple family, but there is much variability.

FOR EATING

The fruit is the main edible part of the plant, eaten raw or cooked, though raw it is highly astringent. Because of this, it is most frequently cooked with sugar and made into jams, jellies, fruit fillings, chutneys, and more. In fact, crab apples contain an excellent pectin, which can be used to thicken other kinds of jams.

One secret to using crab apples for food is to remove their wee seeds, though this is not always necessary (see the recipe below). Yes, to do this with individual fruits is time consuming as each small crab apple needs to be sliced and the seeds removed. I once made a crab apple pie this way and it took hours to remove the seeds from all of the crab apples; I’ll never make crab apple pie that way again! OK…maybe I will because the pie was so tasty, but I’ll have to be in the mood for a lengthy, repetitive task.

In my opinion the best way to use crab apples is to process them with heat and liquid, run them through a sieve or food mill, and use them in recipes. Processing like this will eliminate the seeds with much less fuss.

The seeds should not be eaten in large quantities as the seeds of all members of the genus contain hydrogen cyanide, which can be dangerous in large quantities. If you prepare a crab apple dish that contains seeds (see below), make sure to spit the seeds out as you would an olive or watermelon. The fruit pulp is perfectly safe.

FOR HEALING

There is some conflicting information about whether crab apples have medicinal properties; I’ve not used them as such myself so I can’t say for sure. I have read in different sources from India and China that a crab apple fruit poultice can be used to sooth inflammations and help heal small wounds. (To learn more about what a poultice is, read our ‘Spin, “Roots, Twigs, Barks and Parts: The Home Apothecary.”) The bark, especially the root bark, is reported to help expel parasites from the gut (ick), cool the body, and help induce sleep. The leaves are reported to be an antibacterial.

RECIPE

Here’s a recipe from our 1946 edition of “The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book,” by Fannie Merritt Farmer:

Sweet Crab Apple Pickle:

Crab apples can be made into pickles, jams, pies, and this beautiful jelly.

  • 3 pounds crab apples
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger

“Wipe crab apples, remove stems, and steam until soft. Tie spices in muslin bag, put in preserving kettle, add vinegar, sugar, and crab apples, bring gradually to boiling point, and simmer 20 minutes. Makes 3 pints.”

The pickle can be processed using the water bath method for your elevation (the same time is used for pints or quarts):

  • 0 – 1,000 ft: 20 minutes
  • 1,001 – 3,000 ft: 25 minutes
  • 3,001 – 6,000 ft: 30 minutes
  • Above 6,000 ft: 35 minutes
 
6 Comments

Posted by on April 9, 2012 in Edible Plants, Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Outdoor and Survival, Saving Money

 

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Rural Spin Shepherd’s Pie: Economical and Tasty

06 Apr

Rural Spin shepherd's pie uses sliced potatoes instead of mashed for the crust and top to save time and enhance texture, but without sacrificing flavor.

Shepherd’s pie, a savory meat pie with a mashed potato crust and top, is a gift from England and Ireland. It was first documented in 1791 as a staple dish for the poor when the potato was first being introduced to the region. Back then it was known as “cottage pie,” in reference to the humble dwellings of the typical cottage pie eater. The term “shepherd’s pie” did not emerge until the 1870s, and since then has been the most common term used for the dish.

Whether you call it cottage pie or shepherd’s pie, this dish is still wonderful as an economical, tasty, and healthy dinner for the family. All manner or leftover meats and vegetables can easily be made into the filling, and the potato crust and top is still an economical choice.

Vegetarians can forgo the meat and still have a flavorful dish for the table.

I take a different turn on the classic shepherd’s pie by using sliced potatoes instead of mashed for the crust and the top. Why? Because I was feeling both hungry and lazy one day, and I had no desire to take the time to make mashed potatoes, yet I had a craving for shepherd’s pie. I’ve used sliced potatoes as the crust for quiche in the past, and I decided it would make a fabulous crust and top for a shepherd’s pie. So I gave it a shot!

Shepherd’s pie is traditionally a way to use up leftovers, so the ingredients below are what I had sitting in my refrigerator at the time I made the dish. Yes I did, indeed, have lamb in my refrigerator! I love the stuff and eat it about once a week. I had some uncooked cabbage and a small bit of carrot in the refrigerator so they were great choices to join the lamb, and the corn I had frozen from the previous fall after I had bought ears of corn on sale, cut off the kernels, and froze them. The remaining ingredients, potatoes, onion, garlic, white wine, and the herbs and spices, are staples in my kitchen. With these ingredients you can turn just about any meal into a flavorful feast. When you make your shepherd’s pie, don’t be afraid to experiment and root through your refrigerator to see what you have on hand.

Sliced potatoes are placed in the base of a pie pan, sprinkled with herbs and spiced, and dressed with 1/2 cup of corn kernels.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb ground lamb (you can substitute turkey or ground beef or leave out the meat for a vegetarian option)
  • 1/2 carrot, grated
  • 1/4 red cabbage, sliced or grated
  • 1/2 cup fresh corn (frozen and thawed are fine)
  • 2 baking potatoes, sliced thin
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F. Take one of the sliced potatoes and place it in the bottom of a lightly oiled pie pan or casserole dish. Dust the layer of potatoes with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and chili powder. Spread the corn on top of the corn and set aside.

The meat filling is placed on top of the crust layer, then more sliced potato is laid on top for the crust.

Cook the meat, cabbage, carrot, onion, and garlic in a bit of fat until the lamb is cooked through and the cabbage is limp (I used bacon grease left over from canning Tabasco bacon, but you can use olive oil or butter. If you want, you can add the Tabasco sauce to the sautee as well). Add the white wine and turn the heat up a tad to reduce the juices in the pan until they are almost gone.

Place the filling on top of the potato crust and corn. Gently flatten with a spatula to make sure the filling is nestled well, and lay the other sliced potato to make the top crust. Dust the top with more spices, salt, and pepper if desired. Bake in a 350F oven for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

Shepherd's pie with a sliced potato crust. Next time I'll improve the dish by grating the potato for the top crust instead of using slices.

CRITIQUE

What do I think I my experiment? Well, it tasted delicious! The red cabbage, carrots, and corn were a great combination with the lamb, and the herbs and spices I chose added great flavor that complimented the entire dish. I also loved the sliced potato crust as it gave more tooth to the dish. One of my major complaints with traditional shepherd’s pie is that it’s sort of…soft all over. Maybe great when I’m 90 and have no teeth, but for now I want food that requires some chewing.

However…the sliced potato top was met with mixed results. The potatoes cooked wonderfully, and had a great crunchy flavor that I loved. The problem was that they didn’t adhere to the filling; you could literally lift each potato piece up and set it back down where it was before. It made cutting the pie somewhat disappointing as the potato slices sort of slid off.

In the future I’ll grate the potato for the top crust. Grating will allow the starches to converge and knit the potato shreds together on the top of the filling. They will still brown and crisp and provide the tooth I’m wanting, but will act more as part of the dish itself. I’ll let you know how it goes! :-)

 
3 Comments

Posted by on April 6, 2012 in Recipes, Saving Money

 

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