Recent content by drfugawe

I never appreciated beets until I began growing them in my garden - each spring, I dream of the day when I can thin out my new growing baby beets - the thumb size roots get served drizzled with seasoned rice wine vinegar, and the greens are great salad fare, or quickly sauteed with butter. The...

taxlady, I'm not sure if using preserved grape leaves will work - I do remember that it's the tannic acid that creates the magic, and that sour cherry, horseradish leaves, and other plants have goodly amounts of tannin as well. But I'd guess that the liquid in the preserving process draws out...

We have our own garden, and each year it gets a bit bigger, and we get better at using or freezing some of it - there's a huge amount of waste when you garden, and it's not cheap if you are taking good care of it - but there are many advantages to it. We also have an old upright freezer that's...

My lacto fermentation process I use a very simple process - for cukes, I make a med brine (2-3 Tbs kosher salt in a quart of water), use clean quart jars, add pickling spices/garlic/dill, etc. (a grape leaf or two will make pickles crisper), fill jar with brine, use something to hold the cukes...

Oh sorry, I misunderstood - I just re-read your last post - brown dill is fine - it's just drying out, which is a natural process Sorry for the confusion.

What I've read most often is that garlic turns color in reaction to other chemicals in the liquid environment, such as sulfur. As to a brown tone, I've seen less than perfect garlic turn brown before it got soft and shrunken - but one of the good rules of canning is to never use a fruit or...

I too have had garlic turn blue and green shades - and all research suggests it can still be eaten. But interestingly, some garlic in the same jars DOES NOT turn green or blue. Why? No idea! I don't do vinegar dills any more, but instead I lacto ferment them in a simple salt brine - and...

re. jam making Problem with using pectin is that it requires obscene amounts of sugar, and it's use must be very precise (the recipes are strict!). I seldom use pectin anymore, choosing instead to cook my jams down (a longer boil) until they have achieved a "jam" consistency. It is VERY...

It's a good place to "come home to"! And arguably, Oregon's fine food center, at least per-capita wise. We are in Coquille, near Coos Bay, on the coast.

The critical elements of sourdough It's interesting - and mildly humorous - to see the many suggested ingredients noted here to create a sourdough starter. If we look at the basic elements needed for sourdough, the only absolutes are flour, water, and bacteria (from the air and/or the surface...

Just trying to see if my pic has saved.

Many thanks for ALL your kind responses - much appreciated. Yes, I think the beans may well have been old, maybe even much older than we could guess (they came from a small, local grocery in a rural village, howbeit, also an agricultural area). Question: how old do beans have to be to be...

I think refrigerator antiques are a sign of an inspired cook - one who is more intent on 'creating' than over-eating. At least, that's my excuse.

Greetings! I'm having some issues - actually, I think several - with cooking dry beans. They are taking forever, and in the process, both losing their flavor, and taking on a slightly bitter taste! The beans to which I refer were brought back from Mexico last year, and may simply be very old...