latest posts – Page 8 – Planet B Gardens

fermented garlic cloves

Fermented garlic cloves are supposed to taste like a cross between roasted and raw garlic. I decided to give it a try. Beside adding flavor to dishes, fermented garlic contains all the benefits of raw garlic (antioxidants, phytonutrients, minerals, vitamins, allicin — which reportedly lowers “bad” cholesterol — among others) while also containing healthy probiotics from the fermentation process. I peeled dozens of cloves from whole garlic heads I got from one of our local organic farms. That was the hardest — or at least most time-consuming — part. The rest is easy. Sterilize 1.5 pint wide-mouth mason jars, and the same number of 1/2 pint 1/4 pint (4 oz.) mason

August 23, 2016

sauerkraut 2nd try

Last time I made sauerkraut in 2014 I covered the jar with a cloth to let it ferment. One of the dicey parts of this method is it can allow in wild spores from the air as it’s fermenting. Sometimes those create mold on top of the mix and add their own flavors. That might be a good thing, or it might make the kraut taste a little funky. It’s still fine to eat. I didn’t care for the flavor last time, though. This year I’m taking a more controlled approach. I’m starting with freshly harvested cabbage from my garden this round. I shredded the cabbage thinly like I did before, and

August 23, 2016

diy fermentation setup

Fermenting vegetables are a great way to preserve extra harvest through the winter, with lots of healthy probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. I don’t have huge quantities of any one vegetable right now, so want to be able to preserve small amounts. From what I’ve read, fermenting in mason jars using an airlock is a great small-batch option. When I checked into buying airlock mason jar fermentation lids, though, they averaged $10 per lid — which would quickly add up given the number of batches I’d like to ferment. I figured I could make them myself much less expensively. I started with six lids to see how it would go. I bought 6

August 22, 2016

first honey harvest

Honey is in good supply for my two hives that are thriving, so decided to harvest one frame of my Montana forest wildflower honey from the strongest hive. The frame above is one of the foundationless frames I added to the hive. The girls did a beautiful job building it out! As a kid in coastal California my mom sometimes bought us honey in the comb. One taste brought back memories. My bees forage from wildflowers and flowering trees in the surrounding forest — lupine, dandelion, St. John’s wort, purple thistle, and a bunch of other flowering plants I’ve yet to identify. They also gather nectar and pollen from the garden — broccoli flowers, nasturtium,

August 21, 2016

preserving apricots

Apricots are in season! One of my favorite stone fruits both for eating fresh and preserving through the winter. Traditional Apricot Jam Apricot jam made the traditional way has so many uses. Chop fresh apricots into chunks. Add sugar and lemon juice to taste. You need enough sugar to create the jammy consistency, so err on the sweet side. Simmer until they’re a chunky jam consistency (don’t overcook or you’ll lose the fresh apricot essence). Put the cooked apricot mixture in mason jars, leaving 1/4″ headroom, put on the lids and rings Submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes. The resulting preserves are more runny than preserves made with added pectin. If you

August 17, 2016

cauliflower casserole

Lots of cruciferous veggies coming on right now. Cauliflower casserole is a great solution for making use of the veggies and freezing individual portions for eating later. Ingredients Garden fresh cruciferous and/or root vegetables you like Leeks/shallots/garlic/onion or other alliums you have on hand 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup asagio/romano/parmesean cheese (whichever you prefer) 3 cups Panko breadcrumbs 1/2 stick butter 1 cup shredded smoked gouda 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese Salt and pepper to taste Directions Slice cauliflower, broccoli (and any other crucifers/root vegetables you like) 1/4″ thick Put the veggies in a steamer basket and steam for 5 minutes While the crucifers are

August 14, 2016

pickled summer squash

When summer squash comes on, it’s amazing how many gourds mature quickly from each plant. I happen to love fresh summer squash, but even the yield from my little garden was too much for eating fresh. I decided to pickle some. Happy experiment — summer squash makes the best pickled veggies ever! Here’s what I did: Sterilize canning jars and lids in boiling water Slice each gourd in half lengthwise and into slices 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick Pack sliced summer squash into canning jars with a dozen or so whole black peppercorns In a saucepan, mix 1 cup of white distilled vinegar with 1 cup water (adjust this amount and the following for

August 13, 2016

purple cauliflower

Note to self (really, this whole blog is a note to self, but I’m cool with you looking over my shoulder), check every plant for its readiness to harvest. Based on my spot-checks of cauliflower I’d assumed all were the same ping-pong ball size at this point. Almost missed one that was ready for harvest a day or two ago. Thankfully it’ll still be good in the cauliflower casserole I’m making this weekend.

black beauty tomatoes

First summer tomatoes starting to ripen — black beauties!