Sauerkraut

Fermentation is an interesting process.  It is also one that we started a little tentatively.  Since then we have really appreciated the knowledge that we have gained from it.

It can be a little scary, in the modern food climate, where we are informed how food needs to be refrigerated, otherwise it will go bad.  I can remember a time when I was profoundly confused that refrigeration, in the methods we use today, have only existed since electricity became widely available.  I knew that canning was a often used preservation technique, and that some food remained stable at room temperature; but there were so many things that, according to my understanding, required refrigeration.  I remember asking myself 'How was it possible for previous generations to keep food from rotting without this essential tool?' Over time I have learned that there are many methods of food preservation that most of us have never heard of.  Some of these are smoking and curing meats, brining, salting, and you guessed it, fermenting.

All of these methods have become more interesting to us, as we have been learning to be more self reliant.  When we started fermenting we experimented with several different foods.  We started in small batches, so we would be able to get the process right.  A few of the foods that we prepared through this process were kimchi, homemade soda with a ginger bug, and sauerkraut.  Eventually I'll have to post about our explosive apple beer...

After experimenting a bit, until we got it right, we learned how good homemade sauerkraut is.  It's delicious!  It has been quite a while since we've made it.  This year, however, we grew lots of purple cabbage, and needed to preserve it.  We really haven't heard of anyone making sauerkraut from purple cabbage before, but we decided that we would give it a try.  (We are getting a lot of purple out of our garden this year.)

Now that I'm done pontificating, lets get to how it's made.

When making sauerkraut, it is important to note that normal city tap water can ruin the fermenting process.  Because of the chlorine content of the water, the bacteria cultures that are needed to cause fermentation can be killed by rinsing the leaves of the cabbage.  Because of this we will peal away the outer leaves of the cabbage, and will directly process it without washing the produce.  Any foreign material is wiped away to avoid contamination.  The vinegar that is produced during fermentation also will kill harmful bacteria, so it is safe for consumption.  Well water is typically alright though.

Simple sauerkraut basically consists of only cabbage and salt.  The type of salt is also important, normal table salt won't work, it will prevent fermentation.  It is best to use natural sea salt.  When we started, we didn't want to take any chances, so we ordered some imported raw French sea salt.  This probably wasn't entirely necessary, but it works well, and we are quirky like that. 

Once the ingredients are gathered, and the cabbage is shredded, (we used our food processor.)  starting the sauerkraut is quite simple.  It basically consists of mixing a few tablespoons of salt with the shredded cabbage, until liquid starts to seep out.  We will typically press the cabbage by hand while mixing to maximize the liquid that comes out.  The salt draws the liquid out.  Be careful not to over salt, but add enough for the liquid to accumulate.

We use a large crock for this process.  We also have a lid that we made, out of a plastic cutting board, to fit into the crock.  It presses the cabbage below the liquid level, which prevents waste. 

 

 

Once the liquid level is slightly above that of the cabbage, it is ready to start fermentation.

 

We then place a clean quart jar or two on top of the lid as a weight.

 

We cover the crock with a black trash bag, securing it with rubber bands.  This keeps foreign materials from entering the crock, while still allowing for air pressure to build up inside the crock as it ferments.

 

We put it in the basement, and place a towel on top to further block out any light, and let it do its thing.  It takes a couple of weeks for sauerkraut to ferment.  

 

For those who would like to know how our purple sauerkraut works, we will post an update when it is done.  We will also likely be learning how best to process it to make it shelf stable.  

Here are a few more pictures that we took as we harvested out cabbage.  Thanks for reading!

 

 

Homemade Granola Bars 2 Ways

There have been several updates to Experiments in Self Sufficiency that didn't make it onto the blog, and were instead posted directly to Facebook. Now that technological restrictions have been overcome, I'm working to update them here.  One of these is our experiments with making our own granola bars.

This was a fun project, and a great learning experience!  Granola Bars are one thing I have intended to learn how to make for years.  We like them, however, due to cost they are one thing that we regularly forgo.  The idea of learning to make them ourselves is an appealing one, but it seemed a little complicated.  Eventually though, we collected enough oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit that we decided it was time to stop planning on it and just do it.  I found a recipe on Pinterest, and as usual quadrupled it; in order for them to last more than 5 minutes in our house.  The recipe was a good starting point.

They were good, but soon I started getting ideas on how to make them even better.  After making them a couple of times now here are the recipes that I've come up with.  There may be alterations as I continue to play with the recipe.  I will update changes as they come along.

Pictured here is an earlier rendition, where I mixed the chocolate into the bars, it was very messy.  Creating a chocolate layer on top is much less messy, and more effective.


Peanut butter chocolate granola bars:
Quantity: fills 1 large baking tray

5 cups toasted oats
1 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup chopped roasted chopped almonds (optional)
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Toast oats, and nuts if needed, in a 350* oven for 10-15 minutes. Mix oats, nuts and seeds in a large bowl.

In a saucepan on the stovetop combine honey and sugar. Bring just to a boil, then add peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture over oats and nuts and mix. Once combined spread onto foil lined baking tray.  To flatten bars cover pan with another layer of foil, and press with a rolling pin until uniform size and shape. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, and let melt. When it begins to set remove from tray, with the aid of the foil, and cut it into bars; waiting until it's fully cooled will make bars difficult to cut. 
Enjoy!

Fruit and nut granola bars:

(I cut this recipe in half from what I made)

Quantity: fills 1 large baking tray

5 cups toasted oats
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/2 cup toasted pecans (Optional)
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
1/4-1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup crasins chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries chopped
1/2-1 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup honey
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash of salt

Coarsely chop nuts and dried fruit.  Toast oats and raw nuts on a baking tray at 350* for 10-15 minutes. Mix oats, nuts, and fruit together.

Combine coconut oil, honey, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and watching to make sure it doesn't boil over.

Once combined pour over oat, nut fruit mixture and combine. Once fully coated, pour into foil lined tray.  To flatten bars, cover pan with another layer of foil, and press with a rolling pin until uniform size and shape.  Let set until cooled, and cut into desired size.
Enjoy! 

Pico De Gallo and Black Beans and Rice Recipes

Pictured: Black Beans with Shreaded Pork on rice, smothered with Pico De Gallo, Purple Salsa Verde, and sour cream

I Love This Season!  Fresh tomatoes ripe for the picking, peppers coming on strong, and all just outside the door.  One of my favorite things to make in the summer is Pico De Gallo, or fresh salsa.  It is wonderful for snacking on chips, as well as a garnish on many Mexican style dishes. 

Here is one of my favorite meals that I like to make with it, black beans and rice.  I've seen this dish done in many ways.  I put my own spin on it, using what I have readily available.  So today I'm going to share both these recipes with you, since they work so wonderfully together.

Disclaimer, these aren't the most exact recipes, I tend to play with them depending on what ingredients I have on hand; each growing season is different after all.  I may decide to update the recipes over time.  For now have some fun with them, and make them your own.

Pico De Gallo

1-2 Bell Peppers
2-3 Jalapeños
2-3 Banana Peppers
3/4 of a small Purple Onion
8-10 Tomatoes
1 Bunch Cilantro
Minced Garlic to taste
Lime Juice to taste
Salt to taste
Cumin to taste

Finely dice peppers and onion (using food gloves when dicing the hot Jalapenos as the oil stays on your hands and burns), and mix them together in a large bowl.  For mild salsa remove hot pepper seeds.  Dice the tomatoes, and add to the mixture.  Chop cilantro, add garlic, and mix it in.  Season to taste with salt, cumin, and lime juice.  This is an easy recipe to alter to your personal tastes, as well as what you have on hand.

Black Beans and Rice

4 Cups Dry black Beans, soak overnight
3-4 lb Pork Roast
3-4 Jalapenos
3-4 Banana Peppers
1 Medium Onion
6 Cloves Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Juice from Pico De Gallo
Cooked Rice of your choice

This recipe works best in a crockpot.  Rinse soaked beans, and set aside.  Place Pork roast in pot with onions, peppers, and garlic for flavor.  Do not add salt at this time, the beans react poorly to salt when cooking.  Place beans around the outer edges of the pork roast, and Pour in liquid from pre-made Pico De Gallo; this will add flavor to the beans. Top off with water, close lid and cook on high for 6-8 hours, Until the beans are soft. (Sorry I don't have a more specific timeframe...)  Remove Pork, and shred, then mix it back into the beans. Add salt to taste.  Serve with rice.

                         Pictured in and Instant Pot, I'm still trying to get the hang of this machine...

Salsa Verde (Green)? More Like Salsa Morada (Purple)

Last year we were given some beautiful Tomatillos from our neighbors at Green Goddess Suburban Farmstead. We quickly learned the joys of making our very own Salsa Verde.  It was a fun experiment, which we resolved that we must repeat this year by planting our own tomatillos.  We really wanted to add some to our food storage shelves. 

We were able to procure a couple of plants from Teresa, at Green Goddess, and waited patiently for them to grow and produce fruit.  After we came back from our family vacation, we finally had some fruit coming on.  The tomatillos were deep purple, and excitement for salsa verde got the better of us.

As we prepared the salsa, it became quite evident that the finished product was not going to be green, but purple.  In color it felt more like preparing a berry chutney, something that would be fun to do someday.  For fun I learned the word for purple in Spanish, so I was using a more accurate name, I have dubbed it Salsa Morada.

We found a Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde recipe on Pinterest, the same one we used last year, and tweaked it to the ingredients we have on hand.  We didn't grow Anaheim chilies this year, and so we substituted extra jalapeños and some banana peppers which we have in abundance.  The peppers were unseeded, which added to the heat, so we altered the seasonings accordingly.  I believe, by the end, we ended up with a recipe something like this.  It was a little on the spicy side.

We really enjoyed this one, and hope you do too!

Salsa Verde

Yield 18 1/2 pints or 9 pints

8lbs Tomatillos
4 Medium Onions wedged
6 Whole Banana Peppers, topped
12 Whole Jalapeños, topped
3-4 Tablespoons Minced Garlic or several Garlic Cloves (we didn't have any cloves, so we improvised)
1 Bunch Cilantro Leaves
4 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 Cup Lime Juice
8 Scant Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
4 Heaping Teaspoons Ground Cumin
3 Teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
3 Teaspoons Salt

Roast the Tomitillos, onion wedges, peppers, and garlic cloves if you have them 😉 on foil lined baking sheets in a 500* oven, 475* if convection.  Bake until tops start to char a little, and vegetables soften, about 15-20 minutes or so.  Let cool, then in batches pure' in a blender or food processer with other ingredients.  Add to large bowl and combine everything.  This is a good time to test flavor and make additions or tweaks.  Salsa can be stored in the fridge, as well as canned in a water bath for shelf storage.

Water Bath Processing time 15 minutes

To can salsa bring to a boil in a stockpot, and boil for 15 minutes.  (I kind of forgot this step, so I processed it a bit longer...)  Ladle into prepared jars, wipe rims clean and top with heated lids and rings.  Process submerged at least 1" over the top of the jars at a full rolling boil for 15 minutes.  Remove jars from water and place on a towel on the countertop.  Jars will seal themselves.  Once fully cooled, check seal on center of lids before storage.

Our Tomatillos

After Roasting

                                                                     First Half Puree'

                                                                     Loaded into Jars

                                                     After Processing, The Color Changed

Once Cooled, the Color Came Back, Only Lighter

Harry Potter Wands

I've been working on a fun project today.  I've been given an opportunity to have a Harry Potter themed party in the next few weeks, and decided that I wanted to send the guests home with something fun for the occasion.  After scrolling through Pinterest I found several examples of how to make Harry Potter wands.

I collected supplies at Dollar Tree and Walmart.  Today I finally found time to sit down and get to work.  These are really simple, and inexpensive to make; they do take time though.

The concept is to Create fun shapes on the dowel with hot glue, and then to paint it.  I also chose to add embellishments to mine to give them more visual appeal.  At first I tried gluing the texture onto the dowels.  It was effective, but the paint didn't go on as smoothly.  I then tried painting the dowels, and then applying the glue after the paint had dried.  This method worked much more effectively, especially once I started to use the circular sponge brush (pictured above) to apply paint to the glue.  Though not pictured, there were many different shades of acrylic paint that went into this project.

The finished wands varied in style, some simple, others ornate.  My kids also got in on the action, some making their own, others had mom's help.  There was really no need for a specific pattern to base the wands off of; it was all just randomly putting the pieces together.  I really loved how some of them turned out.  I still have more to put together, but after a full day of painting and gluing, I'll have to get them later.  They all look so magical!

***It's been a while since I've been able to post on the blog page.  I have been relying on my phone, and the blogger app was not doing its job...  If you have missed out on the posts that have been put up in the meantime, there are many on our Facebook page.  I will be working to archive them here over the next few weeks.