Our first attempt at fermentation

Over the weekend between some gleaning of the gardens and coop cleaning and building a raku kiln for my wife's pottery, I collected up some of our smaller heads of green cabbage that had split open or were just too small to do with much with and decided to use them to make some kimchi.

While we have made sauerkraut in the past this was a little different in the sense we used a 1-1 brine (1 Tbsp. salt - 1 cup of water) solution and submerged the cabbage, carrots and diakon.  Traditionally salted cabbage is all that is used to make the sauerkraut to draw out its own water and when it is warm out it usually goes bad for us.
I ran into problems in that no two recipes for kimchi were the same, some where more of a pickle using vinegar, to me that is not conducive to fermentation.  Some didn't even provide measurements, an assumption that the authors made that could lead to failure.  After reading up in some of my fermentation guides I came to the conclusion that as long as the brine is correct to the amount of vegetables we would be good.


With four heads of cabbage in hand I removed all the damaged leaves and sent those off to the chickens, since cabbage and kale are two of their favorite things.  Loosely chopped the cabbage in to larger chunks and diced the carrots, about 1 cup, and shredded about 1 cup of diakon, placed them in an 8 cup fermentation crock and proceeded to mix 8 Tbsp. of kosher salt to 8 cups of water and cover the vegetables with the brine.  The key now is to keep the vegetable submerged in the brine so I placed a plate that was about the same diameter as the crocks opening the pressure of the brine on the surface of the plate kept it submerged.   Covered it all with a clean towel to allow it to breath and set it in the corner of the kitchen out of the sunlight but warm (around 70 degrees), this is where I have mixed information and we will update the post on the overall out come.  Some recipes call for 24-72 hours to let soak, others say 24 hours and I found several that called for 4 weeks.  We welcome any recommendation any of you might have on what you do for fermentation.  I opted for a wait and see, since I like my kimchi to have a crunch with heat ( that part is coming in a minute).

After 24 hours, and another day of garden work and some squirrel hunting I checked the vegetables and the cabbage and carrots where soft but snapped when bit so I decided now is the time to process the paste.  The paste is the part where the additional flavors are added, I opted to go with an onion, six cloves of some spicy red garlic and 8 dragon chili peppers along with a good chunk of ginger with a Tbsp of fish sauce.

Some recipes called for hand mashing, grating or food processor, I chose the food process and again this should be a paste but the onions left so much liquid it was impossible to make a paste, but the smell was wonderful.

Now we took the cabbage, diakon and carrots out of the brine using a metal colander to separate the liquid from the vegetables, make sure to set the brine to the side, you are going to need it.  Place all the vegetables in a glass bowl or metal pot, do not use plastic bowels or utensils for processing due to inviting bacteria into your mix.

Dump the paste mix into vegetables and mix thoroughly with clean utensils so that all of the vegetables are coated.  Grab yourself some of your canning jars or 1/2 gallon glass jar and pack the vegetables into the jars.

Now the key is to only pack to the fill line of the jar(s) so that there is about 1/2 inch of head space. Ladle the brine into the jar(s) to cover the vegetable, cover and shake to get the air to rise to the top and add more brine to cover if needed.  The key is to keep the vegetables submerged so you do several things, you can place a stone, (make sure it has been washed and boiled for 10 minutes) on top of the mixture to keep it packed, this is good for small pints or quart large mouth jars or if you use a 1/2 gallon pack it only half full with vegetable cover with brine and take a second jar pint size will work, fill with extra brine or water, tie a string around it and lower it into the container so that it compresses the vegetables, the sting will help you remove it later.  You can loosely close the jars or cover with a paper towel and use the ring to hold in place.  Place the jars in a container to catch any brine that leaks out during the fermentation, this should also force any air out of the containers, and place in a cool dark location for fermentation to continue.

We will continue to update this post as we progress on the fermentation and let you know of any adjustments we have to make in the mean time here are some fermentation troubleshooting tips at Makesauerkraut.com

Time to start planting for the fall. But consider this

What to consider when planting crops in August: how fast they grow, and how frost-tolerant they are. Here are a few good crops to plant in August.

Fast-Growing Crops

These fast-growing crops can be planted early enough to avoid a frost:

1. Baby carrots – Harvest in 30 days.
2. Leaf lettuce – Harvest in 30 days.
3. Radishes – Harvest in 30 days.
4. Spinach – Harvest in 45 days.
5. Bush beans – Harvest in 40-65 days.

Survives Light Frost

If you generally experience light frosting early on, these crops are capable of surviving:

6. Kohlrabi – 50-60 days to maturity.
7. Leaf Lettuce – 30 days to maturity.

Frost-Tolerant Crops (Survives High 20s Fahrenheit)
These three crops can really extend your growing season past the first frost:

8. Beets – 50-60 days to maturity.
9. Green onions – 60-70 days to maturity.
10. Peas – 70-80 days to maturity.

Frost Tolerant Crops (Survives Low 20’s)
These crops are the hardiest of the hardiest. They will survive after everything else has died and is in your canning jars.

11. Cabbage – 50-90 days to maturity.
12. Collard Greens – 40-65 days to maturity.
13. Kale – 40-65 days to maturity.
14. Radishes – 30-60 days to maturity.
Again, depending on where you live, August doesn’t have to necessarily spell the end of your gardening season. By getting out of the old habit of planting only after the last frost, we can really extend our growing season.

Time for fall planting

Summer is quickly going to be coming to a close as we wrap up the month of August and if you are like us you are scrambling to gather those summer vegetables to can and store away for the winter.  But the growing season is not over by a long shot, now is the time to get some of those greens and root vegetables planted.

Below is a list of what can be started from seed in our area and when to harvest.  Give yourself a plus or minus 2 weeks on the harvest time and even with some things like carrots, they can be left in the ground well into December if covered with a good amount of mulch.

What to plant from seed in Zone 5.

Siberian Kale - a cold hardy heirloom

Kale: Plant August and harvest in November.  It is even possible with the use of a low tunnel to keep harvesting Kale well into December.  Depending on the variety like Siberian Kale is frost hardy and can withstand several frost nights between 30-35 degrees.  Also with a tunnel it can protect the kale so that it is harvestable through the winter and give you a head start on year two before it flowers.








Lettuce: Plant August and harvest in October.  This is a great time to plant hardy leaf like romaine, bitter and reds.  They tolerate mild frost and will not typically bolt.  Use a tunnel to extend the harvest but by November they will typically die.

Look for cold hardy varieties like reds

Arrowhead Spinach

Spinach: Plant August and harvest in October. Spinach is unique in that depending on the variety, like arrowhead will tolerate moderate frost nights and again like kale using a tunnel can actually provide you with spinach well into January barring any deep freeze periods.





Broccoli: Plant August and harvest in November.  Now is an excellent time to start broccoli, but keep in mind they can be temperamental when starting with seeds.  Plants may be small but they typically produce and abundance of flowerettes at this time of year.  Tunnels can help protect till you can harvest but deep extended frost will kill the plant and leave rubbery harvest, but they are still great for stir-fry.

Carrot greens - not just for chickens

Beets and Carrots: Plant August and harvest in October.  Beets and carrots are well suited for colder climates.  Beauty is that you can harvest the greens for stir-fry, soups and more while the beet is still growing just leave a few greens in place.  Leaving them in the ground and cover with mulch will ensure that you can harvest them through the winter, in the even you don't have a root cellar to store them in.  Just make sure you don't allow the ground to freeze around them.  Cover with two to three inches of mulch or six to twelve inches of leaves and cover with plastic.  That will help keep the ground from freezing.




One word of warning when growing in raised beds, though they will typically start growing before the ground thaws, they are prone to freezing before the ground does.  Make sure you have a good mix of compost, and mulch in your raised beds and turn them completely before you plant your fall crops.

Next up - Start planning for the Spring, ground cover and get some seeds in before the snow flies!

9 Crops to Grow for Food Storage

We all began growing our own food with a small, weed filled garden. The first year, we grew a few herbs and some vegetables for fresh eating during the summer. The following year, came the extras to preserve tomato sauce, salsa, carrots, and string beans. Do you remember organizing the jars on shelves in the basement, taking a step back, and feeling such a sense of pride? Now what else can we could grow to get us through until the garden produced again?

Do you have a basement that is unheated and stays between 40-50˚F all winter? Ready to experimented with crops that can be stored in baskets, on shelves, or in buckets of damp sand without dehydrating, freezing, or canning?

Onions/Shallots:

Choose onion or shallot varieties that are known for their long-term storage capabilities. Since different varieties are triggered to bulb by day-length, also be sure to select varieties for your growing area. My favorite onions to grow for long-term storage are Copra, Stuttgarter, and Redwing.

In northern climates, onions are planted in early spring. Allow onions to mature fully to ensure the greatest storage capability. Onions are finished growing when the tops flop over, and the foliage begins to turn yellow. Harvest the onions on a dry day taking care not to damage or bruise the bulbs. Cure the onions by spreading them out in a single layer in a dark, cool, and dry location with good airflow. Allow onions to cure for several weeks or until the tops are completely dry and no green is visible when trimming the foliage. Once cured, trim tops to 1-inch and store loosely in baskets or mesh bags in a cool, dark, and dry location for winter. Check the onions every few weeks and remove any that develop soft areas. Different varieties and storage conditions will affect how long they last. Our onions usually last until April before they begin to get soft and sprout. Also see: How to Grow Onions From Seed and How to Harden Off Seedlings.

Garlic:

Select varieties that grow well in your area. Softneck varieties have a reputation for storing well and are suited for growing in mild climates. Hardneck varieties are more suited for areas with cold winters.

Garlic is planted in the fall, harvested the following summer, and cured before storing. Curing allows the layers to dry out forming a protective cover around the bulb. Store cured garlic loosely in baskets or mesh bags in a cool, dark, and dry location. Sort through the garlic every now and then and pull out any bulbs that feel soft. Different strains and varieties of garlic have different storage lives; ours usually last until April before it begins to sprout. Also see: Planting Garlic in the Fall Garden and Harvesting, Curing, and Storing Garlic for more detailed information. 

Rutabagas:

Rutabagas are a long-season crop that requires at least 90 days to mature. Sow seeds three months before your first expected fall frost (look up yours here). Depending on the variety, thin seedlings to 6 to 12 inches apart so the roots have room to expand. Variety to consider: American Purple Top.

Rutabagas can withstand light frosts but harvest before a hard freeze. Harvest gently and trim tops and tap root to 1-inch. Brush off loose soil, but do not wash. Store rutabagas in buckets or totes packed with damp sand or sawdust. Ideal storage condition for rutabagas is at a temperature of 32- 35˚F and 90% humidity. They shrivel easily, so check sand frequently and re-moisten if needed. Under these conditions, rutabagas usually last 2 to 4 months in storage.


Celeriac:

Celeriac, also known as Celery Root is a long season crop that needs 90 to 120 days to reach harvest. Seeds are sown early indoors under lights 10 to 12 weeks before the average last frost date and transplanted hardened off seedlings to the garden about two weeks before your last frost date. Celeriac has similar growing requirements as it’s cousin, celery and needs lots of water. Self-watering containers are ideal for growing celeriac.

Celeriac can tolerate light frosts but harvest before a hard freeze. Harvest and trim tops and gnarly roots to 1-inch. Shake off loose soil, but do not wash. Store celeriac in buckets or totes packed with damp sand or sawdust. Ideal storage condition is at a temperature of 32- 40˚F and 90% humidity. They shrivel easily, so check sand frequently and re-moisten if needed. Under these conditions, celeriac usually last 2 to 4 months in storage.

Carrots

Choose carrot varieties that are known for their long-term storage capabilities. Start seeds late in the season so the carrots are mature by frost. Varieties to consider: Chantenay, Imperator, and Danvers.

Carrots can be left in the ground though light frosts, but dig before the ground freezes for longer storage potential. Trim foliage, brush off excess soil, and sort by size. Larger carrots seem to last longer in storage. Layer the carrots in sand or sawdust in a box or tote beginning with the largest ones on the bottom so you can use up the smaller ones first. Ideal storage condition is at a temperature of 32- 35˚F and 90% humidity. Under these conditions, carrots can last 4 to 6 months in storage. Homemade Seed Mats make sowing carrot seeds easy.

Parsnip:

Parsnips require a full season of growth. Sow in early spring and keep moist until seeds germinate, which could take up to 3 weeks. Depending on the variety, thin seedlings to 2 to 4 inches apart so the roots have room to expand. Variety to consider: All American.

Parsnips should be left in the ground until frost to sweeten the flavor, but dig before the ground complete freezes. Trim foliage, brush off excess soil, and sort by size. Layer the parsnips in sand or sawdust in a box or tote beginning with the largest ones on the bottom so you can use up the smaller ones first. Ideal storage condition is at a temperature of 32- 35˚F and 90% humidity. Under these conditions, parsnips can last 3 to 5 months in storage.

Potatoes:

Select late season potato varieties that are known for their winter storage capabilities such as Yukon Gold, Katahdin, and Kennebec. Plant potato seeds according to your chosen potato planting method. Once the foliage has withered and the plants have finished growing, allow the potatoes to remain in the soil until the end of the season. This allows the skins to thicken up a bit to resist scratching when harvesting. Dig the storage crop of potatoes before the ground freezes. Choose a warm, dry day after a period of little or no rain. Read more on how to cure and store potatoes: 5 Steps to Storing Potatoes for Winter.

Winter Squash/Pumpkin:

Plant winter squash and pumpkin in the spring after all danger of frost is past. Harvest ripe squash at the end of the season before frost and cure before storing. Usually by the end of summer, the squash vines have shriveled and died, and I leave the mature squash in the garden to field cure. Alternately, you can harvest squash by cutting the vine and leaving a 1-inch stem. The stem helps prevent rot when you are keeping winter squash in storage. Do not carry the squash by the stem because it can break off reducing the storage quality of the fruit. Cure at 80 to 85˚F for about 10 days. Curing allows the squash’s skin to thicken and form a protective barrier.

Store cured squashes in an area that is dry, cool, and receives good air circulation. Ideal storage condition for winter squash and pumpkins is at a temperature of 50-55°F and 50-70% humidity. I store mine on wire shelves near the basement stairs because it remains a little warmer than the rest of the basement. Most winter squash and will keep for several months in storage. Some, such as Butternut and Blue Hubbard can last up to 6 months.

Dried Beans

Select bean varieties suitable for drying and plant in early spring after all danger of frost is past. There are so many different varieties of dried beans to choose from that mature in under 100 days.

Allow the beans to dry on the vine and harvest in early October before frost. Spread the pods out in a single layer and allow them to dry completely before shelling. To test the beans, hit them with a hammer and the bean should shatter. Shell and store in jars in a dark and cool area. Dried beans will easily last up to a year in storage.

Tips for Successful Food Storage

• Experiment with different crops to see what works for your storage conditions.
• Seek out varieties that are known to last longer in storage.
• Grow more than you think you will need to allow for some spoilage.
• Harvest crops at the prime. Time your plantings so they mature at the end of your growing season.
• Store mature and unblemished crops with no cuts, nicks, or bruises.

If you have a root cellar or cool basement consider experimenting with growing some of these crops for winter food storage.

reprinted in part from http://growagoodlife.com/