Wild Grape Jelly

I love this time of year when the landscape is dotted with all sorts of colors: yellows, reds, greens, and purples. I love the colors more if they guide me to free food. On our hike through a field the other day, we spotted many vines of ripe wild grapes.

Research needs to be done before harvesting wild edibles. It is very important to be 110% confident that you know what you are harvesting. We have learned about wild grapes over the past couple years, but this was the first time to gather the grapes. There are a few look-alike plants, so caution is needed.

There isn't much that one can do with wild grapes: juice, wine, or jelly. Don't let their tart flavor off the vine scare you away. Most recipes dilute the grape juice with water and sugar.

The grapes were on state land, and at first I didn't know if it was okay to harvest. I know for most people it is a "don't ask, don't tell" philosophy. But I was still nervous running into something while I was cutting off the grape clusters. Everytime I heard a car drive past, I ducked in the bushes. I'm still not sure what I would've done if someone actually saw me. My nerves were eased though when Eric called a local DNR office and found out that harvesting nuts and berries is legal at this spot.

Many pounds of grapes were needed for just a few pints of jelly. But it was worth it!

And another addition to the homestead!

I just realized that I forgot to share the news of the latest addition to our homestead. Shadow, our second dog. We actually got him in April, but I completly forgot the news. Koda, our first dog, is a very kind and social dog, so we thought he needed a friend.

Our decision literally was last minute when we found ourselves driving to the Humane Society. While we were driving, I kept saying that just because we were looking at dogs, didn't mean we had to get one. Well, long story short...when we saw Shadow, he smushed himself against the viewing window and gave us those loving eyes.

Shadow and Koda have been the best of friends ever since.  Now that makes two dogs, seven chickens, and two rabbits on our homestead!

Camping with Koda and Shadow

Canning Season

Well, I'm a little overwhelmed right now with all the things happening this season. There seems to be a surplus of produce everywhere I look. Recently the CSA farm was selling grade B organic heirloom tomatoes. So we bought 30 pounds worth and turned them into 21 colorful jars of diced tomatoes. Next on the list: salsa, tomato sauce, and pear butter...watch for updates!

Heirloom tomatoes usually have cracked skins. But thankfully the outside imperfections are only skin deep and are removed when prepping the tomatoes for canning. Their insides are gorgeous. (Is there a lesson here?)

The chickens enjoy canning season too.

A Homestead's Weekly Meal Plan

I've been wanting an old fashioned egg basket for a few months now. My aunt found out that I wanted a basket and mailed me one that can be traced as far back as my great, great grandma. I love household items that have a story behind them. The basket comes in very handy!

Our Meal Plan
Ratatouille
Vegetable Pizza and Cherry Tomato Salad
Beef Stew
Roasted Chicken and Pasta Salad
Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Brocolli (Using leftover chicken)
Swiss Chard and Ravioli (Book: Serving up the Harvest)

Rocket Stove for Beginners

Over the last year we have been entertaining the idea of some kind of permanent outdoor cooking appliance for our back yard. Our choices were between a masonry oven, earth oven, or a rocket stove. After researching all three and taking an earth oven building workshop, I decided the rocket stove would be the easiest place to start. The earth oven required a large base and I wasn't sure of the quality of our local clay. The masonry oven involves a lot of brick work and I had never held a trowel before so I chose the simpler rocket stove.

The Concept
A rocket stove uses a small combustion chamber to burn fuel efficiently. Unlike a campfire which can slowly draw air in from all around and gives off heat in every direction, the rocket stove creates a draft at the inlet that rapidly pulls fresh oxygen into the combustion chamber and exhausts through a small opening at the top so the energy is transferred only where the operator wants it. The setup burns the fuel efficiently so less is needed. Rocket stoves are popular in third world countries where fuel is scarce and expensive.


The Materials

I used:
-76 standard construction bricks
-6 pavers
-two and one half 60lb bags of mortar
-19" length of stainless steel vent pipe
-stainless steel angled pipe
-2 pieces of stainless steel plate
-7 gallons of wood ash

The construction bricks were 25 cents at the habitat restore. The mortar was about $8. The wood ash was free from the parents wood stove. The plate was donated but the pipe was a bit pricey at $85. I didn't want to use galvanized steel or aluminum around high heat and food.

Construction
As I said I had never picked up a trowel before this project, but after watching some master masons on you tube and consulting with both of the dads, I felt confident enough building a simple tower. I figured the worst that could happen would be some wasted time and maybe a ruined meal if it collapsed. At least it wouldn't be providing structural support for anything more than a frying pan.

After getting the hang of the mortar, it went quickly. I finished all but the last two courses (a course is one layer of bricks) in the first day. I left a hole for the fuel magazine/air inlet by leaving out one brick and trimming two down leave a space.

The second day I laid the last two courses, finishing with the pavers for a clean look on top. Next I installed the pipe and poured wood ash in the void between the brick and pipe. The ash served as insulation to both protect the bricks from cracking, and to concentrate the heat at the opening to increase efficiency. I mortared in one of the stainless steel plates below the top two courses to keep the ash from getting wet and blown around.











The finished stove sits 36" high to approximate the working height of our kitchen stove. The middle of the opening for the fuel magazine sits 14" off the ground so we don't have to bend down too far to start and feed the fire.

First Firing

I fired the stove up the next morning to boil water for coffee and try a bistro breakfast panini recipe Moriah found at Taste of Home.



The flames shot up over 20 in



The paninis were delicious, but this is not the recipe I would recommend for the first time using the stove. It takes some practice feeding the fire and adjusting the height of the grill. This type of stove can get up over 1200 degrees F. The heat can be controlled by how much fuel is added and how high the cooking surface is raised.





Pickles for Beginners

I don't eat many pickles every year, but the thought of being able to make my own is intriguing. And I think that a picnic basket filled with homemade pickles, homemade ketsup, and homemade mustard would make a great Christmas gift for family. After reading a few websites, I figured that I could manage making pickles.

There are a few different kinds of pickles: refrigerator pickles, lacto-fermented pickles, and canned pickles. Each kind has its pros and cons. Refrigerator pickles stay crisp, but they of course take up space in the fridge. Lacto-fermented pickles have beneficial digestive properties. Canned pickles can easily be stored in a pantry, but they lose their crisp after several months.

Washed Pickling Cucumbers

I'd like to make all the different kinds of pickles. For starters I made the refrigerator pickles. I used a recipe from a farmer. Just add brine to pickling cucumbers...anyone can do that. After feeling good about the first patch of pickles, I canned some dill pickles. I really liked the recipe, but my pickles lost their brilliant green color. I also noticed that a couple jars have garlic sticking out of the brine, so those jars might end up in the fridge. I think the brine settled into gaps after I put the jars into the water bath, and I should have stirred the contents to remove air bubbles. Please visit this blog for good step by step instructions.

Canned Dill Pickles

My next goal is lacto-fermented pickles!

A Homestead's Weekly Meal Plan

We finally solved our chicken coop problem by fencing in the garden.  This keeps the chickens out when we aren't outside watching them. The added bonus of the fence is that the rabbits get to run around on the inside between the raised garden beds. The rabbits must be supervised though because they could still jump the fence if they wanted. Socks got out once and was hopping around by the chickens, and the chickens were terrified. We took a video, but I'd really like to get some pictures.

Rabbits hanging out by the tomatoes

Our Weekly Meal Plan
Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, steamed green beans, and grilled chicken
Grilled brats, cole slaw, and homemade pickles (and maybe sauerkraut if it is ready by then)
Red Wine Beef Stew with Potatoes and Green Beans
Vegetable Pizza
Sauteed Vegetables and slow-cooked chicken