Farm Foraging: Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly and Syrup

16 July 2018 ~ Carrie ~ 7 Comments

Making food and drink from edible wild-growing plants is truly a gift that brings us closer to the land and its bounty. It illustrates, in a very practical way, the benefits of not using chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers): we don’t have to worry about what’s been sprayed on our property…because nothing has been. And that means I can collect the frilly white flower heads of wild-growing Queen Anne’s Lace for jelly and know that I’m getting exactly what I think I am and nothing extra.

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Winecraft: Ethereal Elderflower

5 June 2018 ~ Carrie

While there are many wild-growing flowers on the farm with amazing fragrances, elderflower may top them all. A very special wine, therefore, must be made!

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Winecraft: Heady Honeysuckle

2 June 2018 ~ Carrie ~ 1 Comment

This time of year, a sweet fragrance fills the humid air: honeysuckle is blooming. The white blooms punctuate the dark green tangle of foliage that has encroached through, over, and around fencing. Honeysuckle heralds summer’s arrival, and invites creative uses of its perfumed flowers…arguably, a “weed”, but a lovely one.

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More Dandelion Delights: Refreshing Herbal Beer

16 May 2018 ~ Carrie ~ 1 Comment

The bumper crop of dandelions on the farm has inspired me to look for new ways to use these delicious and nutritious gems. My most recent find was a recipe from Mother Earth News (by Roger Phillips, April 2015) for dandelion beer. In his article, the author provides some interesting history behind the drink: it was apparently a very popular brew among iron foundry and pottery workers in England. No tiny paper umbrella with this one!

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Winecraft: Dandelion Wine #2

7 May 2018 ~ Carrie

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Those gorgeous golden blooms just keep coming, so I had to get out there and pick some for both a wild-fermented dandelion-ginger wine and for (truly addictive) dandelion water kefir. I’ve really come to appreciate those precocious dandelions!

For this version of dandelion wine, I used the recipe found on Pixie’s Pocket’s blog: Wild Fermented Dandelion Ginger Wine. Amber has great recipes on her site (like the Goldenrod-Ginger wine I made last year) – check it out!

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Farm Foraging: Blue Violet Syrup

29 April 2018 ~ Carrie ~ 1 Comment

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The beautiful wild violets are popping up with enthusiasm around here. Shy and diminutive, they really merit inspection and – better yet – collection and use. Aside from their delicate beauty, they (flowers and leaves) are very nutritious and high in vitamins A and C. I was particularly interested in making beverages with them, in the hopes of extracting some of that lovely purple hue.

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