Maintaining a large garden, caring for animals, baking, bee-keeping, and the never ending house domestics, there is always plenty to do around here, but I admit I do like to be busy, so there it is.
With the arrival of spring and days that are no longer chilly, the grass (loosely referred to as lawn) around the house is growing at an alarming rate and needs mowing every ten days or so. I wish the same could be said for the hay paddock which seems to have stopped growing altogether. At this rate there will be no hay making, but we continue to hope it will keep pushing upwards as we have all of this month to wait for some last minute growth. Perhaps some sunshine on it will push it along, provided we get a few showers of rain too.
With the warmer days we're drinking more kombucha instead of an afternoon cuppa. I've given away a couple of SCOBY's to beginner kombucha makers lately and have referred them to my old blog post for instructions on how to make it.
I hadn't looked at that post for some time, and I found it needed updating, so if you're just getting into making your own kombucha you might find it helpful.
Our freezers are re-stocked with lamb after a processing morning just over a week ago.
This week the weather has turned to winter again, with some welcome rain and cooler temperatures so there was no bee work, but we have many more hives to open and perform maintenance checks as soon as we get some warmer days.
If you're keen to attend any of our workshops for this coming bee season let us know so we can book you in.
The next workshop will be on Sunday November 25th. The cost of $100 includes morning tea, lunch and beverages and is a full day course from 9:00am - 5:00pm. Numbers of participants are limited to 10 people to allow hands on participation and interaction.
Gosh, this season has come around so fast, and I'm caught slightly on the hop so we shall be working some nights to catch up. Orders are already coming in for equipment purchases and soon there will be swarms to collect as well as extracting honey from all of the hives.
Our Pure Raw Honey sales continue strongly as more controversy rages over imported honey coming into the country and containing fake honey substitutes. I'm glad it has come to the notice of the general public now, as it's something we've suspected for a long time but could not say anything about it until there was firm evidence.
Buy local, support your local farmers and apiarists. Nothing tastes as good as locally produced anyway.
There's mandarine marmalade to make, sourdough loaves to mix, a patch of grass to mow, and Kelpies to walk/run..... before lunch!
And now I'm behind again!!
Thanks for dropping by.
Cheers,
Sally XX
Sally as much as I have enjoyed our trip this year, I am looking forward to getting home once again. There has been no rain at home since we left 12 weeks ago. We have a bore that our daughter has been putting on daily to keep the fruit trees and small amount of veg I had growing alive. I am looking forward to all the busyness that being at home brings. I am also looking forward to trying out your sourdough process.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a great joy to follow your trip around this wide brown land Jane. Sounds like you're now looking forward to being home again.
DeleteI’ve said it before, but I’m exhausted reading about you days, I simply don’t know how you pack it all in!
ReplyDeleteWe buy our honey off local bee keepers, and there are plenty of them in my area, I’m actually getting some dropped off to my work place this afternoon, can’t wait!
Oh Cheryl, it's just what we do isn't it. I figure I'm getting towards the "pointy" end of life and just don't want to waste a minute of it.. lol
DeleteSally, your honey looks great. Local honey is definitely the best and is unadulterated. You certainly are busy on your farm. Our grass is still brown as we have had practically no rain for ages. No need for mowing the lawn any time soon around here.
ReplyDeleteNever a dull moment here Chel. The season you're having now is what it's like here in January February. I hope you get a bit of rain when your wet season starts.
DeleteI love your enthusiasm to pass along and share your knowledge with others, on all topics from kombucha, to bees, sourdough and butchering. Such a blessing to the community and all who come into your lives! The warm sunny days are lovely aren’t they? Though I hope we get some more rain for the farmers. Xx
ReplyDeleteOh Em, your kind words made my eyes water. I'm sure you too will want to share the knowledge that you gain over the years. XX
DeleteI think I'd like half your energy, Sally! Your honey looks golden and gorgeous. We have finally had some rain up here in Brisbane and today looks like there'll be more showers coming through. I hope you get some rain down there and that your hay keeps pushing upwards! Meg:)
ReplyDeleteI saw the weather map on the news and thought you would probably be getting that rain. Yippee, every little bit helps.
DeleteThere is always so much energy at your farm Sally, I like how you love to keep busy. This is the only way to get things done.
ReplyDeleteI have taken a leaf out of your book and keeping busier in my neck of the woods, even spending my evenings doing things. Spring has a habit of renewing my enthusiasm, and didn't it came around quickly! I tried your marmalade recipe (as you know), and I also experimented a bit more with sourdough using your method. The bread wasn't perfect, but still edible. I didn't stick exactly to your instructions as I didn't have an enamel baking dish (I have one now). I used a cast iron pot and I think it may have gotten too hot. Will have another try this coming week. I do like the less wastage of flour with your method though, heaps better than throwing out excess.
Have a great week,
xTania
Hi Tania, we seem to be blessed with an energetic field around us here, I wouldn't have realised it but it has been mentioned by many of our visitors so there must be some truth to it. I really wrote that post for friends who were struggling with their sourdough, as I had been for quite some time in the beginning. I think you had already found the method that works for you from the photos I've seen of your perfect loaves. I think it's interesting how we all develop the method that works best for us... eventually! ;-)
DeleteHi again Sally,
DeleteI like the rustic look of the sourdough loaves like yours, but never could seem to achieve it, so I just made bread tin loaves. That was until today when I followed your instructions exactly and have two lovely rustic loaves cooling on my bench. Happy girl I am :)
Thank you,
xTania
Tania I'm thrilled that this method (gleaned from numerous talented sourdough bakers) has given you a good result too. Thanks for passing on your success.
DeleteYummy, that honey looks good! No wonder it got snapped up quickly. We love our kombucha too. I use to like making the ginger beer plant, however, after it broke several thick bottomed jars (the jar I fed, that is) I decided to give it a miss. So kombucha is good for us, instead. We like to second ferment ours with ginger, lemon rind, sultanas, and a chopped dried apricot. I've read dried fig works well too, which I have yet to try.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your lamb, well earned. :)
Hi Chris, I've got a brew to bottle off in the next few days and am keen to try adding dried apricot. Do you put it together with the other ingredients you mentioned, or just on its own?
DeleteOh my, I'm late, sorry! You've probably already brewed up the bottles. I throw all the ingredients in the bottle, then add the kombucha, with a little headspace. It sits for 3 days then gets refrigerated. But we have hot temps, so I don't know how long it's best sitting out for you to second ferment.
DeleteJust in case you were wondering, you can just add the dry apricot, if that's all you want for the second ferment. But I'd add 2-3, depending how big they are, if it was just the apricots. Because they give off sugar to ferment bubbles. I should also add, my bottles are 1.25 ltr. If you were doing 500ml bottles, one apricot would suffice.
DeleteOMG, I keep thinking of things to add, which I think of later, lol. I dice up my apricots, because they double inside, after being added to the liquid. I also slice my lemon rind once, length ways. Because if you don't make them smaller, they're almost impossible to get out of the bottle, once they absorb the liquid. Sultanas are fine though. :)
Deletelol Chris, I'm the same, always thinking of more to add after I've clicked the publish button. Oh yes in the early days I had a batch of booch that wouldn't come out of the bottles past the added berries that swelled up. Learned my lesson pretty fast after that. You were not too late with your answer, thank you. This brew is taking a few days longer than usual due to the cold weather, so I'll be adding chopped dried apricot to the second ferment in another day or two.
DeleteForgot to mention, I have that same kombucha jar. I think we got it from ALDI. If you want to get a stand for it, check out Kmart, if you have one in your area. Their pot plant stands will do the trick. Check them out online. :)
ReplyDeleteI bought two of these jars on a stand at K-Mart a couple years ago Chris. I intended to decant the 'booch' direct from the tap, but after a little while the SCOBY kept getting stuck in the tap, so I just tip it now. With summer approaching I'll have both of these large jars brewing to keep up with our thirsts.
DeleteHa yes, that SCOBY! I've heard the metal taps don't get that problem so much. Apparently you can buy them from a good supplier of kombucha equipment, and replace the plastic ones. I haven't done that yet.
DeleteKeeping busy as always Sally. Local honey is so worth sourcing out if only for taste (but clearly other reasons too!). When I lived in Adelaide there was a guy at my local veg swap that used to bring honey - I do miss that.
ReplyDeleteI haven't revived the kombucha as yet - still a little on the chilly side in Canberra. But it's getting close.
Love reading about what is happening at your end.
Cheers,
Laura
Hi Laura, after a very busy weekend of bee work and honey extracting, I'd quite like a little lie down with a book this afternoon. As that's not going to happen, I'll be content with a short time sitting here with my laptop. ;-)
Deleteawesome post
ReplyDeletewe're still hoping for rain up here
thanx for sharing
Thank you Selina. Fingers crossed for rain to fall soon.
DeleteHello Sally, I have just found your blog and am looking forward to reading back through it. This might sound a silly question but can you make kombucha with a scobie from organic apple cider vinegar?. I have two beautiful scobies in my large jar of ACV. Your honey looks delicious. We always buy local honey and you are so right about the taste. Blessings G.
ReplyDeleteHi Gail, thanks for visiting the blog. Questions are always welcome and as they say, "no question is a stupid one" because there may be other folks wondering the same thing and too afraid to ask. So to answer yours, a vinegar "mother" is a different and quite separate organism to a Kombucha SCOBY. If you plan on making your own Kombucha you will need to track down some SCOBY, and you may be surprised, with a little detective work, you may source one local to where you live. My offer is always there if you're in this location, I'd be happy to share SCOBY with you. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Sally. A friend has now given me a Kombucha Scoby and I have some brewing away in my pantry.The very interesting thing is that I actually put a Scoby from my Apple cider vinegar with some cooled sweet tea and a little kombucha and after a few days it is growing another ring of scoby on top of the ACV Scoby. I will watch it and see what happens. If it seems ok would it be safe to drink or should I just put in the mulch heap. Thank you again for being so helpful.
ReplyDeleteGail it looks like you have made an exciting discovery of what these ferments can do and how they can behave in the most mysterious of ways. Please do keep us posted on the outcome. If it were me, I would definitely taste it, and if its taste was agreeable, I would drink it. Perhaps a small portion to begin with as you may already know that some people have unpleasant reactions to Kombucha when they first begin taking it; from what I've read, this is caused by toxins being shed by the digestive system and symptoms will pass as general health improves. I do realise that there will be scientific types of folk that may read this and would advise against taking any risks with consuming it, but I personally believe in trusting my own judgment in these matters. Therefore I can not tell you what you should do, only what I would do in the same circumstances. In fact one of my scientist friends "would not touch Kombucha with a ten foot pole" (her words) :-0 Thanks for sharing your experiment and we wait for your news of results.
DeleteSadly it just turned to vinegar. Never mind though, I can use it as vinegar so it hasn’t gone to waste. In the meantime my Kombucha is going so well and I’ve got my husband drinking it now. He has an ulcer which now is not giving him any discomfort. We believe it’s the Kombucha. Blessings Gail.
ReplyDeleteGail, you've invented a new type of vinegar. Who would have known that tea will become vinegar from an ACV mother? I didn't. It's really great to hear of your success with Kombucha and the improvement in your husband's health. The medical field have now started to acknowledge that a healthy gut is a major key to wellness, but we kombucha fans have known this for years. ;-)
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