Self-taught farmers confidently raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs. Our focus is on practices that are environmentally harmonious and respectful to our livestock. We appreciate the beauty around us, clean eating, fermenting, and responsibly utilizing the bounty of the land. If you like thinking for yourself, continuous learning, and connecting with the homesteader lifestyle, check us out.
One of my favorite lacto-fermented beverages is the delightful Sweet Potato Fly. It’s simple to make, delicious, and full of probiotic goodness. I’ve made it several times now, and it’s become a staple in our household. Interested in trying it? Read on! Continue reading “Farm Ferments: Sweet Potato Fly”
I have a jar that’s devoted to making kombucha vinegar. It began that way, not as a jar of kombucha tea that fermented for too long. Why do I make vinegar? Let me count the reasons…
Continue reading “Farm Ferments: Why You Should Start Making Vinegar”
You probably know that I’m constantly making water kefir. We love it! Aside from its probiotic payload, it just tastes great. I try to keep coming up with new flavors to keep it fresh and fun…today’s flavors are pine-lime-ginger and pineapple-coconut. You can make these yourself by using the recipes below! Continue reading “Kefir Madness: Something Green and Something Tropical”
Perhaps you’ve heard of milk kefir? It’s a mesophilic culture that eats milk sugar (lactose) to produce a delicious, creamy cultured beverage that’s full of probiotic goodness. What’s mesophilic? It just means that the culture works best at a moderate temperature, like room temperature. Yogurt, on the other hand, is a thermophilic culture, meaning that it needs higher temperatures to work properly – which is why the milk is used in yogurt is heated. While milk kefir may look and taste somewhat similar to yogurt, I believe that the ease in making milk kefir gives it a major advantage over making yogurt. In addition, I’ve found that cold fermenting it can produce a wonderful product that’s superior to room-temperature culturing and that will allow you to keep milk kefir production manageable. Continue reading “Managing Ferments: Cold-Fermenting Milk Kefir”
If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve already met Audrey, our sourdough starter. With her assistance, we (and by “we”, I mean “he” because he’s the baker and I’m the fermenter..though, technically, sourdough is a ferment, too) have delicious, fresh, additive-free loaves of bread for our morning toast+cream cheese+alfalfa sprouts and our meatloaf sandwiches. We consider Audrey a treasured pet, and we try to ensure her health and happiness so she’ll continue to help us make great bread.
Sometimes, however, Audrey is unhappy. Not “hooch on top because she hasn’t been fed” unhappy, but more of the “I don’t like the flour you’re feeding me” unhappy or “it’s too cold in here so I’m slowing down” unhappy. We have pretty extreme fluctuations in temperature where we live, and Audrey is sensitive to it. Continue reading “Audrey Tales: Misbehaving Sourdough”
Have you heard of Tepache? It’s a probiotic beverage that’s made from the “waste” parts of fresh pineapple: the rinds and core. And, if you have chickens and/or ducks like we do, it’s zero waste!
To make Tepache, simply rinse a medium-sized pineapple and cut it up as you normally would, reserving the fruit inside for other fabulous ferments like pineapple water kefir. Chop the rinds and core up into large pieces and place the pieces into a gallon jar. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar, a cinnamon stick, and a few whole cloves. I don’t usually have cinnamon sticks or whole cloves on hand – a generous shake of both spices in ground form also works, but will result in spice “sediment” in your finished beverage.