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.
It’s still hot and sticky here – perfect shrub weather. Shrubs have a uniquely palate-pleasing combination of sweetness and sour, and adding sparkling water creates a fizzy thirst-quencher!
Continue reading “Live Beverages: Shrubs v2.0”
Hot, sticky days seem to go hand in hand with cold, refreshing beverages. Though we keep delicious probiotic drinks like water kefir and kombucha on hand, we recently decided to expand our repertoire to include shrubs – AKA “drinking vinegar”. A combination of fresh fruit, raw vinegar, and sweetener, rounded out with the effervescence of sparkling water…it’s summer in a glass!
Continue reading “Live Beverages: Stimulating Summer Shrubs”
As I shared in an earlier post, I constantly have vinegar-in-progress working away in jars and crocks. Periodically, I harvest the kombucha vinegar and do a SCOBY “clean out” to make room for new pellicle growth…and never fail to be amazed at the size these SCOBYs attain!
It’s been a week, and the lacto-fermented bell peppers are coming right along. I burp them a couple of times a day to release some pressure, and am always happy to see the bubbles rise from the bottom of the jar to join the fizzy head at the top!
This particular recipe uses kombucha vinegar – something I keep a lot of on hand all the time – and it consistently creates a very active ferment. This time, I didn’t fill the jars quite as full…so neither overflowed and made a mess. Restraint pays off! Continue reading “Ferment Update: Bell Peppers”
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”