Peripatetic philomaths…focusing on what's really important, eating ethically and cleanly, fermenting, foraging/wildcrafting, practicing herbalism, and being responsible stewards of our land. Sharing our photos, musings, and learnings. Still seeking our tribe.
It’s finally time to bottle and sample the much-anticipated (at least by me) Black Locust wine! Yes, the fragrant flowers are edible – in fact, I recently saw a post for fritters made from them that sounded delightful. Like tempura? But back to the wine…
Ever tried plum wine? While the flavor of some wines barely suggest their ingredients, plum is not one of them – good plum wine just tastes of juicy plums.
Now that the chickweed wine‘s been bottled, a sampling is a must!
It’s that time of year again: daylilies are blooming. I see them in yards, along the road, and, best of all, growing in several spots on my own property. And those fiery orange blooms are just asking to become a unique country wine!
On hot May nights, an enchanting perfume wafts through the still air. What is this alluring fragrance? The sweet scent comes from the creamy blooms of the Black Locust tree. When an edible flower smells that lovely, it surely must make a sensational wine!
Each year, it seems like a different plant goes gangbusters in the pastures. Two years ago, it was red clover: so plentiful, it seemed like it was everywhere. Sadly, despite my plans to make something delightful with it, last year was a red clover bust. This year, the standout plant is the delicately white-flowered chickweed.
I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring and summer, when foraging finds will become unique and memorable wines. As I’ve waited, I’ve had to entertain myself by finding other kinds of wine to make…and you know I have!
A couple of months ago, I made a batch of pineapple peel wine and added a yeast slurry that just didn’t seem to take off. It had been refrigerated, slowing the activity. Sometimes, sluggish yeast never really takes off, so I grabbed a fresh container of slurry from the shelf and pitched it in. Then I realized that it wasn’t actually wine yeast…it was bread kvas yeast!
It may be freezing outside, but I’m bottling the essence of summer: the lemon balm wines are ready!
I hate food waste. It’s a big problem in many places, with far-reaching impacts. It’s also deeply troubling that as much as an estimated 40% of food here is wasted when, at the same time, so many people are food insecure. Let’s see what we can do to minimize and/or avoid wasting these precious resources…and make some tasty meals!
Continue reading “No Food Waste: (Meatless) Italian Sausage And Cauliflower Leaf Pasta”