-Trish Davis- Growing mushrooms at home is easy-really! There are many ways to grow mushrooms at home, but two popular methods are the log method and the countertop method. The same cultivation guidelines and methods apply to many varieties of mushrooms, both culinary and medicinal, that are often found in the home garden or kitchen. We’ll start off with Log method. Basically, wooden logs are drilled and then plugged with mushroom spawn, which fruit into mushrooms. We stock mushroom logs … [Read more...] about It’s Surprisingly Easy to Grow Your Own Mushrooms
Homesteading
The Flavor of Fall Kombucha
-Gabrial House- With fall right around the corner, I like to think about all the amazing flavors it will be bringing with it. I think of fresh apples, brown sugar, pumpkin pie, and savory herbs. The best way to get the most of these wonderful flavors is to incorporate them into your day-to-day life by making some fall flavored kombucha. Not only will this be a refreshing flavorful trip down memory lane, but it will be packed full of probiotics keeping you feeling great! We will go over … [Read more...] about The Flavor of Fall Kombucha
Beyond Grapes: Elderberry Wine
-Kristin Weeks- While grapes are, by far, the most commonly associated fruit with making wine, they certainly aren’t the only option. Here in the Southeast, where the terrain isn’t so ideal for growing grapes, we can instead turn to what is already growing right around us. One such plant that grows easily and in abundance in our region is the American elder (Sambucus canadensis), which bears purplish-black berries that come into season from July to late September, depending on where you … [Read more...] about Beyond Grapes: Elderberry Wine
Kimchi: My Favorite Fermented Food
-Jenn Hawthorne- Last month in the Charlottesville store, we had a workshop on fermentation. As I was teaching the class, I talked to one of the participants, and she had an amazing view on kimchi. I started the class thinking of kimchi as a finite, this is how you make it and this is the only way to make it thing. After my conversation, however, my eyes were opened to all the massive possibilities with this amazing food. A little history about this dish makes you realize why it is a very … [Read more...] about Kimchi: My Favorite Fermented Food
Simple and Delicious Ginger Beer
-Pam Scott- When I first started working at Fifth Season in Charlottesville, we had a wonderful landlord who would stop by and tell us amusing stories about the "old" Charlottesville and the car business he ran in our sprawling, funky building. He would bring us delicious treats to perk up our workday, and he always had a good word about how much fun it was to come into our store and see all the new and exciting projects and products. He was not just our landlord, he was our dear friend. … [Read more...] about Simple and Delicious Ginger Beer
Fermented Hot Sauce
-Luis Guerra- Looking to add another ferment to your recipe book? Here is a good project to try with all those tasty peppers once the crops start coming in. As much as I love peppers on everything, sometimes there are just too many in my garden to eat before they go bad. Fermenting some of them for use in hot sauce is a great way to preserve the harvest. I really enjoy making fermented hot sauces, exploring how versatile the flavors of peppers can be. First, start with the peppers of … [Read more...] about Fermented Hot Sauce
Raspberry Infusions
At 5 AM yesterday morning my neighbor caught me picking raspberries in my pajamas. Having accessorized my bunny print PJs with pink fluffy socks and sandals, I was quite a sight that early in the day. There was a reason for my unusual fashion statement, though. Because of a very mild winter and a warm wet spring, all of the fruits, herbs, flowers and vegetables on my tiny urban farm have exploded into production all at once, a full 3 weeks ahead of schedule. Keeping up with the harvest has … [Read more...] about Raspberry Infusions
Cooking with Kombucha
-Jenn Hawthorne- Kombucha, commonly known as “tea vinegar,” is a probiotic drink that has recently gained mass popularity. If you have had, want to have, or regularly enjoy this drink, the following may interest you. What I generally see and hear from people is different combinations of juices, herbs, fruits, spices, and even in some cases hops and grains, being added to kombucha during the second fermentation. These additions to this healthy elixir are all quite wonderful. What I … [Read more...] about Cooking with Kombucha
4 Simple Ferments Everyone Should Be Making at Home
-Kristin Weeks- Chances are, many of the foods you buy and consume today are fermented, whether you realize it or not. Coffee, chocolate, salami? All fermented. Although many people enjoy fermented foods like sauerkraut, cheese, and yogurt, they’ve lost the knowledge and desire to prepare it themselves. But DIY ferments are a great way to go because they take very little time, provide excellent health benefits, and can be made at a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay in the store. … [Read more...] about 4 Simple Ferments Everyone Should Be Making at Home
Don’t WEED It; EAT It!
Foraging for local plants has become a hugely popular past time, but you don’t have to spend hours hunting in the woods to enjoy nature’s bounty. In fact, you are probably already harvesting some of these plants and don’t even realize it. A lot of very common weeds in the southeast are actually quite tasty and nutritious! As with all foraging, it is important to be sure of the plants you are picking, as some plants can be toxic. There are many books and online resources to help you identify … [Read more...] about Don’t WEED It; EAT It!
