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Latest Changes - All Parts
See the differences
file for a complete, chronologically ordered sequence of changes.
NB: There is some discussion on wine and beermaking in this section. Messages in the rec.food.preserving newsgroup concerning the making of beer and wine are appropriate but lengthy discussions and "How to" type questions would be better taken to rec.crafts.brewing or rec.crafts.winemaking, where the real experts are.
G. DISTILLING
G.1.1 What is distilling anyway?
Distilling, in the strictest sense, is eliminating water from a water/alcohol solution. I'd like to put in here other similar acts, such as preserving herb and fruit flavors in oils, vinegars, alcohols, cordials, fruits preserved in alcohol, making vinegars from wines, making unusual wines, etc.
G.2.1 How do I make vinegar from wine?
As the French vintners used to say, God loves to make vinegar...These directions show how to make vinegar at home using readily available ingredients and supplies.
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In the late 1800s chemists learned to make acetic acid. Manufacturers added water to reduce its strength to 5%, colored it and sold it as vinegar. Imitation vinegar is still manufactured and by law the label must state that it is diluted acetic acid. Diluted acetic acid is inexpensive and lacks the vitamins, minerals and esters found in fermented vinegar; its flavor and aroma are also inferior.
It takes good alcohol (wine or beer) to make fermented vinegar. The hit-or-miss method of making vinegar by allowing sugar and water to ferment is not wise. The fermentation of sugar to alcohol by wild yeast is followed by a conversion of the alcohol to acetic acid by wild bacteria. Chances of failure or undesirable tastes and aromas are high. Control the process by using great care in cleanliness and introducing chosen yeast and bacteria to obtain quality vinegar every time.
General Directions
Winemaking suppliers list acetobacteria as "mother" or vinegar culture. These cultures convert alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar). Most suppliers sell red and white wine vinegar cultures. Some sell cider, malt and mead cultures as well. Any culture may be combined with any type alcohol to produce vinegar.
Vinegar should contain at least 5% acid as required for preserving or pickling. Specialty vinegar contains acid as high as 7%. Beer containing 5.5% alcohol will yield about 5% acid. Wine containing 11 to 12% alcohol must be diluted to 5.5 to 7% alcohol before using it to make vinegar.
Acid test kits, sold by winemaking suppliers, are used to determine the acidity of vinegar. Acid tests are easy to perform and instructions come with the kit.
SanitizeSanitize utensils and containers that will touch the vinegar by soaking them for 20 minutes in a solution of 2 tablespoons chlorine laundry bleach to 1 gallon water. Rinse everything well with hot tap water. Hot tap water is relatively sterile after being held at high temperatures for several hours in the hot water heating tank.
Vinegar Method I
3 measures beer, ale or vinegar stock (5.5 to 7% alcohol)Directions
Vinegar leaches molecules from iron and aluminum. Use sanitized glass, enamel, stainless steel or stoneware containers less than two-thirds full. Cover the container with a cloth or stopper it with cotton to keep insects out, while allowing air to freely reach the stock. Store the mixture in a dark place.
Temperatures
Temperatures between 80 and 85 degrees are ideal. Low or fluctuating temperatures slow the process. At 75 to 85 degrees F, it will take 6 to 8 weeks for conversion. At 85 to 90 degrees F, it can take 4 to 6 weeks for conversion. Temperatures over 95 degrees F slow conversion; above 140 degrees F, the bacteria die.
An acetic film called "mother" will form. This smooth, leathery, grayish film becomes quite thick and heavy. It should not be disturbed. It often becomes heavy enough to fall and is succeeded by another formation. If the mother falls, remove and discard it. An acid test will indicate when all of the alcohol is converted to vinegar. Part of the vinegar may be withdrawn and pasteurized. The remaining unpasteurized vinegar may be used as a culture to start another batch. Living bacteria are in the liquid. A piece of the mother is not necessary to start a new batch.
Add beer or diluted wine to the culture every 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the temperature maintained and when most of the alcohol is converted to vinegar. Adding more alcohol to the culture keeps it alive, prevents spoilage and increases the quality of vinegar. If unpasteurized vinegar is exposed to oxygen without alcohol present, bacteria can convert the vinegar to carbon dioxide and water.
Vinegar Method II
2 measures dry wine (11 to 12% alcohol)Follow the directions in Method I. Purchased wine can be used, but some commercial wines contain sulfites or preservatives that could kill the vinegar bacteria.
Vinegar Method III (For winemakers only)
Wine containing less than 10% alcohol is subject to spoilage. This formula to make 7% alcohol is an ideal vinegar stock. Follow good winemaking procedures. When the fermentation is complete (specific gravity 1.000 or below) this low-alcohol wine can be converted to vinegar as directed in Method I.
1 1/2 pounds weight honey (or any sugar source to obtain a specific gravity of 1.050)Homemade wine
Dry wine containing 11 to 12% alcohol can be diluted after fermentation (specific gravity 1.000 or below). It's important that the wine contain no excess sugar. Excess sugar increases the chance of spoilage and formation of a slime-like substance in the vinegar. The wine does not have to be clear as this is accomplished when the vinegar ages. At the last racking, do not add campden tablets or potassium sorbate. Dilute the mead as directed in Method II and follow the directions in Method I.
Preserving vinegar
To preserve vinegar, add 3 campden tablets per gallon of vinegar -or- Heat the vinegar to 155 degrees F and hold the temperature for 30 minutes. After pasteurizing vinegar add one tablespoon 80-proof vodka to each gallon and age it. If desired to enhance the bouquet, up to one cup oak or beech chips may also be added. Pasteurized or sulphited vinegar can no longer produce more vinegar. Pasteurizing kills vinegar bacteria and prevents the formation of "mother" which could lead to spoilage. Pasteurized vinegar keeps indefinitely when tightly capped and stored in a dark place at room temperature. Temperatures above 160 degrees F cause a loss of acidity, flavor and aroma.
Aging vinegar
Vinegar has a strong, sharp bite when first made. It becomes mellow when aged. The esters formed during aging, like those in wine, develop after a period of six months or more when stored at a cool, steady temperature (50 to 60 degrees F is ideal). This undisturbed rest also allows suspended solids to fall, making the vinegar clear and bright. Siphon the clear, aged vinegar off the deposit of solids into sanitized bottles. Introduce as little oxygen as possible. Winemaking suppliers sell attractive vinegar bottles. Use corks or plastic caps to avoid vinegar contact with metal. If corks are used, the necks of the vinegar bottles should be dipped several times into melted wax to form an air-tight seal. The quality of vinegar improves for up to two years and then gradually declines. Fermented vinegar can be sold without the special permits or licenses required for alcoholic beverages. It costs the same as a good bottle of wine.
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This article is taken from "Super Formulas, Arts and Crafts: How to make more than 360 useful products that contain honey and beeswax" Copyright 1993 Elaine C. White. All rights reserved. ISBN 0-963-7539-7-5.
This book is available by mail. Contact EWhiteVHPNOSPAM@aol.com for more information, or contact: Valley Hills Press, 1864 Ridgeland Drive, Starkville MS 39759 USA. In the US telephone 1-800-323-7102; other countries call 601-323-7100.
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G.2.2 How do you make flavored vinegars?
If you're interested in herb flavored vinegars, Check out the herb flavored vinegar recipes in Henriette Kresses' herb FAQ 4.1 Vinegars.
I tend to want to make very powerfully flavored vinegars because you can always dilute, so I add a packed cup of herb/chile/fruit to 2-3 cup of vinegar. For delicate flavors such as delicate herbs and fruit, white wine vinegars, rice wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar are unobtrusive. Rice wine vinegar is probably the cheapest of those choices. For strong flavored herbs, chiles, and most berries (e.g. blackberries--strawberries are too delicate), any vinegar will do. Combine, let sit for at least two weeks, depending how strong you want the flavor, then filter out the solids. A little heat, using either the stove or the sun is helpful to extract more flavor.
This isn't the Roman or medieval method, but it is the Southwestern French method. I haven't tried this recipe out. When I was still thinking about it I found bottled verjuice by Roland. This recipe is from Paula Wolfert's _The Cooking of South-West France_. Let us know how this works out.
"...The grapes - the bourdelois, the gressois, and the farineau - are no longer grown. Some types can make the process a little tricky. If the grapes are picked too ripe, their liquor will be too watery; if too green, the verjus will not taste good. We want grapes in the middle of their ripening, whose juice can be allowed to ferment slightly. To make verjus, choose the sourest green grapes available. Holding on to the tick stem, dip them in bunches into boiling water for three seconds to kill the yeasts. Remove at once and drain on a towel.
Roll the bunches, one by one, in the towel while removing the grapes from the stems. Discard any blemished grapes. When dry, place grapes in the workbowl of a food processor and process 10 seconds; then strain, pressing down on them to extract all the juice. Let stand for 10 minutes, then ladle juice into a sieve lined with a damp cheesecloth and strain again. Use at once, or freeze in plastic ice cube trays. Store the cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer. Use frozen or immediately upon defrosting for maximum flavor. Keeps 3 months. Some people add alcohol to their verjus along with vinegar & sugar so it will keep, but this distorts the flavor.
Another way to obtain the sour taste of verjus is to add a pinch of tartaric acid, which one can find at a wine-making shop. Don't go over 2 pinches, it is really strong."
How safe is it? How can I make them safely?
You can flavor oils with garlic, chiles, herbs, etc. within reason, but YOU MUST USE CAUTION and refrigerate the small quantities made for near-term use. This is because in oil, you have an anaerobic environment, which is the type of environment for C. botulinum. You can check out Henriette Kresses' herb FAQ 4.2 Herb Oil for comments as well as in Part 8, Section IV, E (at the end of that section).
About Liqueurs:
The history in making liqueurs goes back almost 2,000 years. It was not until the Middle Ages through, that liqueurs came into great use, developed by the alchemists, monks and sorcerers of that period. Monks, whose monastery gardens provided the raw materials, were the chief experimenters. The first liqueurs were used as medicines and aphrodisiacs. The medicinal qualities of some liqueurs are well established, especially those made from coriander, caraway seeds and various roots and herbs. How Liqueurs Are Made: About the only thing easier then making liqueurs is drinking them. They require no special equipment, skill or culinary talent - just a bit of patience.
Liqueurs are generally divided into two categories; those made with plants and those made with fruit. Although there are various methods for making liqueurs, this book (in your case these typed pages I'm sending you) only gives recipes for two methods; "by scratch" using the steeping method, and with "extracts" - the addition of the flavor extract.
To steep, all you do is put the various ingredients in an alcohol base for a specific period of time. Sweeteners are added for palatability. After this period, the liqueurs are filtered until clear, bottled, and then set aside to mature before serving. Instructions for making these scratch liqueurs are included with each individual recipe.
The Extract Recipes simply involve adding the flavoring extract to the spirit. The extracts that I have found to work extremely well, and are used here, are made by the T. Noirot firm of Nancy, France. By using extracts, which can be found in wine-making supply shops, the liqueurs can be served the same day they are made. Of course, like all liqueurs, these also improve with age.
Extract liqueurs are easily made. All you do is make a simple syrup of 2 parts water to 1 part sugar. Add the Glucose Solids [????], also available in wine making shops, to this mixture and boil slowly until dissolved. When this cools, add the flavoring and spirit. To mix the ingredients more thoroughly, blend them in a blender for a short time. Then bottle the liqueur, let settle and enjoy! In making your own liqueurs, you can determine the strength wanted by using a 40, 80 or 100 proof spirit. The sweetness, flavor and color can be adjusted to your taste.
Equipment Needed:
Most if not all of the equipment for making these liqueurs can be found in your own kitchen. These items include:
G.5.1 Fruit Cordials. Intro.
General Hints:
G.5.2 Fruit cordials
This is a recipe that I got from a non-net person in Seattle. I've had some of his blackberry cordial, and it was spectacular. He claimed that it was the easiest recipe that you could ever imagine, and I'd have to agree. He has doubled it, halved it, tripled it, and suspects that it would work with any kind of fruit, so try it! [LEB}.
Fruit cordial recipe:
1/3 part cleaned and drained fruit,Crush the fruit, mix all ingredients together. Store for 2 weeks covered, in the dark. Strain. Pour into sterilized bottles. Cork. Drink. Even the fruit dregs are great over ice cream.
Basic Fruit Liqueur Recipe
From: tamaleNOSPAM@primenet.com (Teresa Bruckner)Start with fresh fruit. Place cleaned fruit into a jar. Add very strong alcohol just so it barely covers all of the fruit. I used double distilled vodka (alcohol content probably about 55-65%). Beware though- Apparently operating a still is VERY illegal ;-) Let the covered jar sit for about a week and a half (it's covered so the alcohol doesn't evaporate).
Note that no fermentation takes place here- all that happens is that the fruit soaks up the alcohol, and releases some of its juices. Depending on the type of fruit the level of fluid may decrease. Once you've decided that the fruit has soaked in much of the alcohol gently pour off the fluid so as not to blemish the fruit (try one now for a taste experience :-). Call this (very strong) fluid rack #1. During the following steps you probably should avoid blemishing the fruit if at all possible.
Replace the fruit in the jar, but layer it with sugar. How much sugar is a bit difficult to say here. I usually tried to do my best to cover almost all of the fruit with _some_ sugar. Cover the jar again. What happens now is that the sugar makes the fruit give off its alcohol and shrivel slightly. In a couple of days the level of juice in the jar should reach almost the top of the fruit. This means it is time to pour it off again. Call this rack #2.
Now we repeat the layering with sugar step (getting rack#3, rack#4, etc) until only a very small amount of juice is released. I have been told that with cherries this can be kept up until only a tiny little bit of cherry skin is surrounding the pit. Each rack is sweeter and sweeter. With rasp[black]berries I got to rack #4 and then got bored waiting for really small amounts of juice. So I took the berries, threw them into a cloth and twisted the hell out them to release the vestiges of alcohol and juice. This was rack#5. The left over pulp can be used with ice-cream.
Note that rack#5 is entirely optional, four racks were plenty enough (but why waste alcohol :-). Now comes the fun part. Invite several friends (I used 5) and mix the different racks in various proportions and get some feedback on how they taste (too sweet, too alcoholic, too dry, etc). Don't use too many friends or else you won't have any left after the tasting. Now you should know what proportions to mix the final product in. Disposing of juice _not_ used in the final mix is left as an exercise to the reader (I had some sweet stuff left over and use it on ice cream).
Thoughts on the final mix: In my case the final mix was very close to the ratio of rack#1: rack#2: rack#3 etc. This was convenient because I got the maximum of liqueur with minimal leftovers.
Afterword:
After a visit to a friends house in Poland and a sampling of his Cherry Liqueur (THE BEST liqueur I have EVER tasted)- I have decided to make liqueur also. Here are the directions he gave me (for cherry liqueur):
Fill a Jar with cherries. Add alcohol to cover all the cherries. Let sit for a week or so, by this time the cherries should have swelled and there should be less liquid in the jar. Pour off the liquid.
Layer the cherries with sugar and let sit another week.Now mix all the batches that you poured off to suit your taste. The first is most bitter, the last is the sweetest.
Bottomless Brandied FruitCrock mixed fruit:
peaches/plums/ apricots/ berries/ cherries/ grapes. brandy OR dark rum [vodka,
Marsala, Madeira, and good sherry work too--LEB]
Use brandy or rum for this recipe, with ripe, unblemished fruit in season. Use a crock or jar with tight fitting lid.
Use a variety of fruits and berries. Some suggestions are: peaches, plums, apricots, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, cherries and nectarines. [Another variant: sprinkle granulated sugar between the layers of fruit before you pour the liquor. Brown sugar might work particularly well with rum, if you are using that.--LEB].
I have just received 6 nice vanilla beans from a friend. I would like to make vanilla extract with them. What is my best approach?
From Sylvia:
Here's the recipe I have for Vanilla Extract:
Place 6 long beans, split open and cut into pieces into 1 quart of good quality vodka. Cap tightly and place in a cool dark place. Leave for 1 month to 6 weeks, shaking the bottle occasionally. Before using, sieve through a strainer lined with cheesecloth (or use a coffee filter), rinse the bottle to remove residue, and pour back into the bottle. Add one whole vanilla bean and cap tightly until used.
Mmmmm, dandelion wine! Ray Bradbury wrote a story with that title that was all warm and nostalgic. In January, it is *so* nice to open a bottle of dandelion wine: it's golden and warm, just like the summer. Not to mention that it's quite potent and you'll get smashed before you realize it (*hic*!).
Wait for a warm morning when the sun is shining brightly and dandelion flowers have all opened nicely. Pick a whole bunch, then find a shady spot and start scraping the yellow petals out of the flower. The green bits will make the wine bitter, so avoid them. Your thumb will get quite brown and even a soaking in bleach won't *really* remove the stain, so think about this before you start. It takes about a week to get your skin colour back to normal, and the thumbnail just has to grow out.
Once you've got your masses of fluffy yellow bits, put them in a crock or other fermenting vessel, and pour a gallon of hot water on them. Stir to moisten all the petals. Cover the container tightly with plastic. Allow the flowers to steep for 5 days, stirring once daily. Be sure to replace the plastic tightly. This will smell bad (but not as bad as kimchee ). On the fifth day, strain the flowerheads and liquid through a cheesecloth or nylon straining bag into a crock. Squeeze as much liquid out of the flowers as possible.
Measure 2 cups of the liquid into a pot, add 3-1/2 cups of sugar and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Cool the syrup for 5 minutes, then add it to the rest of the liquid in the (large) crock (this is the primary fermenting vessel). Remove the zest from the oranges and lemons, cut off all the pith, and add the zest and mashed fruit to the primary. Stir in the grape tannin, lemon juice and yeast nutrient. Crush and add the Campden tablet. When the mixture is about 75F, sprinkle the yeast over the top. Cover the primary tightly with plastic, and allow the yeast to work for 12 hours. Then stir the yeast in well and cover tightly again. Allow this to ferment for about five days, stirring daily.
Sterilize 2 gallon jugs and rack the must (that's what you've got) into them in equal amounts (a syphon is required for this), leaving behind the yeasty sediment. Boil up 1 quart of water with 3-1/2 cups of sugar, cool the syrup and top off the must to within about two inches of the top of the jugs. Put an airlock on each jug and let the wine ferment for about three weeks. At this point it will need to be racked again. Prepare another sugar syrup, syphon the wine into sterile jugs, leaving the yeasty sediment behind, and top up with cooled syrup. Attach airlocks again. Store the wine in a cool dark place for three months, at which time it should have cleared.
Rack it into clean gallon jugs again, using tepid tap water to top it up. It should now rest in a cool, dark place for 6 to 9 months. The wine is now ready to bottle. Taste it first to see if it requires further aging. If not, bottle and drink it whenever you want to. If so, bottle and let it remain in a cool, dark place for a few months (check a bottle every month or so to see how it's coming along). Last year's dandelion wine should be ready to drink in the late summer of this year, but it does it no harm to be kept for the long, dark nights of winter when its cheery colour and not-insubstantial kick brighten dull evenings. The flavour is indescribable (unless you've had it before!), the colour is like a pale white wine, the texture is a bit thicker than wine, perhaps more like sherry (because of the sugar content), and the sweetness is on par with dessert sherries.
H. ROOT CELLARING AND STORAGE OF STAPLES
H.1.1 What do I *really* need to know about root cellaring?
Root cellaring is one of the simplest acts of food preservation. Many vegetables, especially root crops, can be preserved in a root cellar, a dry dark place, with temps held just above freezing. In some climates, one can even leave garden produce in place during the winter. What you really need to know are the precise conditions needed for optimal storage, and know what cannot be stored next to what. Also, your pile of produce needs to be carefully monitored. Overripe fruits and vegetables produce ethylene which can quickly age all of your produce. (The scientific reason why one rotten apple does what the old adage says it does.)
H.1.2 How long do stored items last?
From: DunrossNOSPAM@dkeep.com (A. T. Hagan)Situation 1: Grains, beans, pasta (off the shelf) stored in airtight plastic containers in a dark, dry environment at a temp of between 55 and 70 degrees. In that temperature range and if they are kept DRY, in well sealed, air- tight containers with no bugs included then your beans and whole grains (excluding brown rice discussed elsewhere) then they ought to be good for three to five years. I'd assume three and rotate them out. Use dessicant to keep the atmosphere they're in dry. I don't recommend keeping white flour pasta for more than a year at the most under the above storage conditions.
Situation 2: Canned food (commercial off-the-shelf) in airtight, waxed cardboard boxes in the same environment as the above. Recently discussed here, you might want to try to pick up the last week or two's traffic from this newsgroup. Cans are good about six months from time of purchase. Inspect the cans to be certain they're sound and inspect again before opening to be certain nothing is bulging. Cool and dry are the important conditions here. I'm told that high acid foods are canned with a different kind of liner in the can so they'll keep better, but I have no hard information on that.
Situation 3: MRE's in the same environment as the above. I don't have a lot of personal experience with MRE's other than the fact that I don't much care for the taste so I'll leave others to comment.
H.2.1 The dry ice method....
From: Mick Kunstelj (U913596NOSPAM@STUDENT.CANBERRA.EDU.AU)One thing I was after was how long such grains as wheat/rice etc., last for. Rice is an interesting alternative, as it is cheap, can be used for a lot of dishes (not least making bread), and would appear to be quite hardy. A method that I use for storing is really suited to wheat and flour, but can be applied to a number of other grains (rice) and foodstuffs. I buy large drums (44 gallon drums or importers pickle container drums) but any type of airtight drum will do. Naturally, make sure that the drum is clean and dry. (I use a bleach solution, not the least to remove the smell of pickles... :-) )
At the bottom of the container place a good layer of (rock?) salt, this will over time remove any moisture from the container. Then, dry ice wrapped in newspaper is placed into the container, followed by some more layers of newspaper, then the rice. (I keep the rice in the bags I bought them in) The drums are closed but not completely sealed (see important note). As the dry ice (it's frozen carbon dioxide) melts, the gas expands to many times its original size, forcing out the bulk of the original air. After some time, the dry ice will completely melt, and the container can be sealed.
Important note: If the dry ice has not completely melted, the sealed container will contain a lot of pressure, and may bulge, causing a possibly dangerous condition. What a friend did in this situation was to punch a small hole in the top of his metal 44 gallon drum, and the pressure abated. He then arcwelded the small hole he'd created. The carbon-dioxide atmosphere ensures that any little weavel/bug eggs that may be in the grain will die once they hatch, instead of eating/multiplying and giving you a nasty shock. Remnant moisture within the container is absorbed into the salt. I have been advised that wheat (in the husks) last much longer than flour, but I have no idea how long rice lasts for (treated in this way or not...). Thus - if you have any idea, I'd love to know!
H.2.2 The nitrogen gas method...
From: Richard De Castro (DECASTRONOSPAM@NETCOM.COM)For Nitrogen packing, you need a tank of nitrogen with a regulator, a hose, and a small diameter pipe (about 1/4 inch or so). The pipe's attached to the hose, and you fill the bucket up with grain. Position the pipe in the grain (as far down as you can), and then get the bucket lid into position. Give the bucket a shot of nitrogen (3-5 seconds is plenty) and gently remove the pipe, while continuing to release the nitrogen. Then, put the lid on. You're all done.
Both of these techniques [N2 and CO2] should be done in a very well ventilated area. I highly recommend doing it outdoors, since indoors the oxygen in the room can be displaced by the carbon dioxide or the nitrogen gas, and asphyxiate everyone.
From: David G. Allbee (ALLBNOSPAM@BEV.NET)
misc.survivalism
Nitrogen is available for home use. Well at least it is here in Virginia. Never got any but I called the local industrial gas distributor and was given prices and bottle sizes in cubic feet. BTW, I didn't ask if a bottle rental contract was required but my brother in law, who works for a industrial supplier in North Carolina, said no.
from: David L. Paxton" (DLPAXTONNOSPAM@GATE.NET)
misc.survivalism
I had experience with this once. Helped a friend put away about 50 5 gallon buckets of wheat, oats, and corn. We were using welding gade nitrogen. I have heard that it is not recomended anymore, too much contamination possibility. Now they say use medical grade nitro. He never seemed to have any problems but then he never lived completely off the stored grain for any long period of time.
From: Tinpan (TYLERNOSPAM@OCONEE.EM.SLB.COM):
for a source of supplies...you also need to contact Nitro-Pak: Nitro-Pak/ 151 North Main Street/ Herber, UT 84032/ 800-866-4876 These guys wrote the book on Nitrogen packed foods, and they also have an excellent supply of stuff you will find handy when storing foods. Their prices are quite reasonable too. A concern about both techniques, expressed by Charles Scripter (CESCRIPTNOSPAM@phy.mtu.edu), in misc.survivalism...
Someone else pointed out that this will allow Botulism toxin to form (since the bacteria is anaerobic). Wouldn't vacuum packed food have the same tendency?... And now I wonder a bit about some of the other inert gas packaging as well. Does anyone know exactly what conditions are required for Botulism to form? (e.g. will it grow in N2? How about CO2? Or will these atmospheres inhibit growth?)
Leslie Basel (the original FAQ maintainer), in misc.survivalism.
Depends. After providing a nice anaerobic condition, the one thing that _C. botulinum_ needs is free water. If you are storing flours, dried beans, rice, sugar, dry staples, you shouldn't have any problem because there is no free water to support bacterial growth. If you are vacuum packing MREs, meats, fresh vegetables, etc., then you probably should worry a bit about this. I don't have any info on atmospheres per se, just that N2 is probably not toxic to _C. botulinum._. This means that you shouldn't vacuum pack items willy nilly, but you'll have to cure meats, rub nitrates into the surface of the meat, vacuum pack pickled items, or simply vacuum pack dehydrated fruits and vegetables.
After the garlic is harvested, it can be stored in mesh bags or slatted crates or hung in braided ropes or bunches. Any cool, well-ventilated place will do for storage through the winter months. In very cold areas, the bulbs should be protected from freezing. The ideal storage temperature for garlic is 32-38F at less than 70% humidity.
All garlic placed in the freezer should be tightly wrapped. Garlic can be frozen in three ways:
Garlic can be dried and made into garlic powder and garlic salt. Select only fresh firm cloves with no bruises. Separate and peel the cloves. Small cloves can be cut in half and large cloves should be cut in 1/4 inch slices. Dry at 140F for 2 to 3 hours or until garlic is crisp. Grind using a coffee grinder, or add salt and grind, depending if garlic powder or garlic salt is desired. Raw or cooked garlic and/or fresh herbs in oil may be STORED IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR NO LONGER THAN 3 WEEKS. All this information comes from Oregon State University Extension bulletin SP 50-701 (Herbs and vegetables in oil) and SP 50-645 (Preserving Garlic). [There are also several preserving garlic recipes in Henriette Kresses' herb FAQ.--LEB].
I. Preserving Dairy Products
Funny, I just bought a book on cheesemaking today as I still want to make that mozzarella. But the book talks about definitely not using the rennet available in the grocery stores. There are a few choices as well: animal vs vegetable and liquid form vs tablets. Take your pick. The liquid is more perishable. They give the following sources:
Caprine Supply/ 33001 West 83rd, PO Box Y/ Desoto, KS 66018. Misc. starter cultures, kits, molds, presses and equip. Specializes in dairy goat supplies.
Cumberland General Store/ Route 3, Box 81/ Crossville, TN 38855. Starter cultures, presses, boxes, cutters & tools.
Lehman Hardware, PO Box 41, Kidron, OH 44636. Starter cultures, kits, dairy thermometers, presses, cheesecloth, butter churns, butter molds & colors. Catalog $2.00.
New England Cheesemaking Supply Co., 85 Main Street, Ashfield, MA 01330. Starter cultures (including direct set), rennet, wax, molds, presses, kits and miscellaneous supplies. Also workshops. Check out their web page.
A newsletter was mentioned too: Cheesemaker's Journal, 85 Main Street, Ashfield, MA 01330. Bi-monthly with articles about making cheese and a large recipe section.
I.2.1 Butter
From: Jim Richardson (MISTRJIMNOSPAM@USA.PIPELINE.COM)Noticed many posts about homemade butter recently so thought I'd offer the way I do it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Quick Homemade Butter
Buy the freshest and best whipping cream you can find. Otherwise, your results will only be a step or two above the butter you buy at the store. I find that milk and cream at natural food stores often comes from smaller local dairies and tastes far better than what *any* of the grocery chains sell. As with sharp and extra sharp cheddar cheeses, the typical quality has gone *way* down over the past 20 years, as people who live in "dairy country" know well. Even the skim milk from some of these smaller dairies has a richness somewhere between "grocery chain" whole milk and 2% -- and it tastes far better.
Chill your blender in your freezer for 20 minutes. Remove and add 2 cups cold (but not frozen) whipping cream + 1/4 tsp salt + a few drops yellow food coloring. Blend on high for about 20 seconds, or until the cream stiffly sticks to the blender blades. Add 1/2 cup of ice water, no ice. Blend on high about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides as needed, until all the butter fully separates from the water/liquid.
Remove from blender, put into the middle of a handkerchief. Chill further, if necessary, then twist and wring it tightly, removing the water. This will make about a stick and a half's worth of butter. Make it the same day as you'll serve it. Shape into curls or balls. Your guests won't forget it. [N.B.: In case you don't have a blender, or you want to do it the authentic
Wisconsin-elementary school method:
take a very clean Miracle Whip jar, fill 1/4 with cream or non-homogenized milk, screw the lid on tightly, shake the jar briskly until you get butter. Make sure you don't fill the jar, as you need the airspace to shake the liquid, and don't try it with homogenized milk because the milkfat globules are too small and too evenly distributed throughout the milk to form butter.--LEB]
I.2.2 Devonshire Clotted Cream
From: James Harvey (HARVEYNOSPAM@INDYVAX.IUPUI.EDU)How to make homemade Devonshire Cream
Devonshire cream is just another name for clotted cream (or perhaps just for clotted cream made in Devonshire?) Clotted cream is the richest form of cream at 55% butterfat by weight. A traditional way to eat it is loaded on scones already spread with fresh butter, and topped with blackcurrant jam. Here are two basic methods of making it:
***** Clotted Cream, traditional method *****
Put the cream in an earthenware or enameled bowl, or a stainless steel mil pan. Heat gently over very low heat or in a basin of water for up to six hours until the cream has a rich wrinkled crusty look. You must never let it boil. Set the pan to cool overnight (in the refrigerator is OK but obviously not traditional :) In the morning, lift off the clout that has formed and store in jars or lidded pots in the refrigerator.
***** Clotted Cream, quick method *****
This method requires a bain marie or double boiler, and a thermometer. Heat the cream until it reaches a temperature of 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (76 to 82 degrees Centigrade). Stir it once to distribute the heat. Keep the cream at this temperature (not more than 190 degrees Fahrenheit or 87 degrees Centigrade) for an hour until it looks wrinkled and crusty. Cool quickly by standing in a bowl of cold water, then set the pan in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning lift off the clot that has formed and store in jars or lidded pots in the refrigerator.
I have used the second recipe, starting with U.S. light cream (equivalent to British single cream, about 18% butterfat by weight) with good results. Of course, results using commercial cream will not be able to match the best products of particular farms.
I.2.3 Stirred-Curd Cheddar
From: Kim Pratt (PRATTNOSPAM@OLYMPUS.NET)Stirred-Curd Cheddar Recipe
A few people requested this recipe for making Stirred-Curd Cheddar Cheese. By the way, it tastes great! This recipe assumes that you know the basics for making cheese. It uses 2 gallons of milk (can be doubled etc).
If you eat this cheese at 3 weeks, it tastes like a Jack cheese. After about 2 months it starts tasting like Cheddar (mild). It takes about 6 months for it to be sharp.
The cook was a good cook, as all cooks go; and as all cooks go, she went. --Saki