So that’s the journey. Some highlights from the food I’ve joyfully played with and tastily tried out. But, the journey has barely begun (no, I won’t break out into a fucking enya song). There are tons of things I want to learn how to do (seed saving, bee keeping, butchering, hunting, dairying, etc, etc). And there are so many things I want to do with those skills: 1) make more of everything; 2) try more hard cheeses; 3) start an herb farm; 4) send out e-vites to my commune (just kidding. About the e-vite thing, not about the commune thing); 5) make miso paste; 6) store enough food for the winter (or learn to get really fat at the end of the fall and hibernate); 7) be really,really good to the soil. I’d also like to do really huge things like prepare to transition from the current system to one that is reliant upon sustainable systems and methods of energy, economy, food, and overall mode of lifestyle, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself (though all that stuff probably isn’t too far ahead. The current system is kinda fucked. And hallelujah for that!). At times it is totally astounding to me how little I know about how to live. The basis of my lifestyle is so far removed from my nourishment. I want to close that gap.
Learning these skills has been messy, delicious, rich, demanding, fun, and deeply personal. It has allowed me the opportunity to recreate a narrative for my life. I can deviate from the 1 acre of privately owned lawn, the grocery bags of packaged food in the trunk, the vinyl sided house, and the culture that said all these things are simply to be expected. When a skill becomes a practice it allows me to make a new way of life, birthing a culture with a different kind of history. My choices are not simply a rebellion against the lifestyle of my generation and how we were raised. My actions seek to understand my earthy origins. I am beginning to develop a sense of place, a relationship to the many entangled living things of this world. I am reaching far into the deep, black earth and am searching for that rich, mineral nourishment to ease into my encircling fibers. Extending my roots down deep.
If you’d read this and want to tell me something cool, feel free to email me at sakauffman@yahoo.com – I’d love to hear from you!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Beer
The standard recipe to make beer has undergone dramatic changes over centuries reflecting the political and social climate of the times. The Reinheitsgebot or German Beer Purity Law of 1516 is popularly believed to have been passed with the intention to protect consumers and regulate industry (and, obviously, to make the beer spiritually pure. No, really). It stated that only water, barley, and hops could be used in the making of beer. In part this law was to ensure that the limited supply of wheat and rye went to bread making, not beer (let them eat, not get drunk. Questionable priorities, yes?). This law also severely limited the ingredients that could be used in beer making. It eliminated a quite long list of herbs that were commonly used in beer throughout Europe, including lemon balm, henbane, rosemary, sage, lavender, coriander, ginger, mandrake, licorice, st. john’s wort, heather, juniper, etc, etc. These days writers about beers might refer to these ingredients as “questionable,” but a brewer from the 13th century would strongly disagree. The uses of these herbs in brewing had a pagan, ancient history and were used with specific purposes. Herbs were used to medicate, to create highly inebriating beverages, and for spiritual significance (would you rather have an herbal tea, or an herbal beer? Incidentally, many herbs are more soluble in alcohol than water, making the effective aspects of herbs more available in beer. Celestial Seasonings, move over bitch). By the 16th century the history of these herbs began to clash with the change and “progress” happening in a society with increasingly centralized political, economic, and religious powers. 
The use of herbs and foods in beer also reflected specific regional ingredients. Regions developed their own unique brews featuring a taste of the land from which it grew. The Scandinavian countries were known for using juniper, Celts used heather, the natives of South America and Mexico used the sweet juice of agave and corn to make pulque and chicha, and millet was used to make Kaffir in Africa and Chang in Asia (everyone loves beer!). However, the German Purity Law seemed to hit on a nerve in the European mindset. Though no other countries passed such regulations, nearly all European countries followed suit in using hops as the primary herb for making beer from the 16th through the 18th centuries. A market standard was born.
Some, though in truth not many, believe this regulation had very little to do with consumer protection, and quite a lot to do with religious history (There is definitely a lack of people that write on this topic. I blame this on a lack of beer historians. Why is there a lack of these people, I have no fucking idea.). At this time in Germany and across Europe Protestantism was on the rise challenging the Catholic Church on many religious points as well as its proclivity for luxury, excess, and lavishness. The effects of some of the beers of the 16th century appeared to the Protestant eye to fall into this culture of indulgence. Thus in a culture with heightened influence from a Protestant worldview, beers brewed with herbs that had highly inebriating effects fell out of favor (very big bummer). With power struggles between Catholics and Protestants, all Christian sects took a stance against what was termed as “witchcraft,” often as a means to establish religious power. The era from 1550-1650 is now known as “The Burning Times” when those suspected of witchcraft, heresy, and deviance were burned at the stake at the highest numbers in history (do you think we could follow this example and call our century “The Prozac Times” in recognition of what happens to deviants in our day?). This sort of culture of witch hunting perhaps had something to do with the abandonment of practices associated with pagan ancients for fear of being identified as a witch. There was an imminent threat associated with holding on to ancient traditions of brewing. The political, religious, and social climate dictated a change in beer making.
So, what’s so great about hops that they became the standard herb used in beer? Well, most beer people explain that hops came to wide use in beer because hops are an effective preservative. However, many herbs possess qualities that would aid in preserving beer. Herbs are used to fight infections in people for a really good reason and would serve the same function in beer. So, there must be some other reason for the wide use of hops. As an herb hops cause one to become very tired (hops pillows were once a popular remedy for sleeplessness, but left one feeling rather groggy in the morning), diminishes one’s sexual desire, and are a powerful diuretic. Compared to herbs such as sage, yarrow, and wormwood that when fermented cause inebriating and stimulating effects, hops seem quite tame and indeed taming (let’s get real, hops are fucking boring). A few (myself included) believe something about these particular qualities of hops appealed to the mindset of the times. There was something appealing and convenient about drowsy, sexually diminished, peeing individuals in the midst of a time when political, economic, and religious powers were being centralized and expanded by the few in positions of privilege, often with the abuse and oppression of much of the populace. Hopped-up beer drinkers were less likely to resist or complain. They could go to the bar and rest rather easily (you know, it’s only our rights, livelihood, and quality of life at stake), though with the mild disturbance of having to get up to go to the bathroom more frequently (sound familiar? Try the Happy Hour at the local watering hole – lots of bitching, lots of sitting on uncomfortable stools, not much sharp thinking).
As a brewer of beers I have broken nearly all the conditions of the Purity Law and the market standards that go with it, except for the one about using water. I don’t use fancy terms, I don’t buy special stuff from a brew supply store, I don’t sterilize, I don’t filter, I (often) don’t use malted grains, I don’t buy fancy yeast strains, and I don’t buy any fucking hops. The beers we have come to expect grow out of learned tastes from the likes of an industrialized brewing system dating back to the Dark Ages (very appropriately named). Their tastes and recipes invade our sensibilities and expectations of what beer should be and its effects (you know, that familiar hoppy lull). Incorporating herbs and other different ingredients into beer creates a unique drinking experience. Not only is the taste different, but the effects of drinking are also distinctive. A good beer, depending on what herbs are used, can make you feel vital, healthy, mentally sharp, calm, or perhaps have highly stimulating effects (drinking this shit would be much more revolution-friendly. Healthful, alert, and inspired individuals would be much more effective at changing things than smoggy ones who are on the verge of a good snore). I love making these crazy, uncommon brews full of ingredients, tastes, and effects that sharply deviate from the market standard - really fucking delicious, muddy-watered, sweetly intoxicating beer. Impure as it gets by the Purity Law’s standards.
How I Make Beer:
Equipment I Use:
some sort of jug – now I have a two 3 gallon fermenting jugs that I have named Sandor Katz and Sydney Greenstreet. For 1 ½ years I used recycled ½ gallon beer growlers which I purchased from microbreweries.
an airlock sort of thing – now I have a small airlock that fits into a bung for the fermenting vessel. Before I used a latex balloon fitted over the top of the growler.
a large pot or pots – large enough to fit the water I need to boil. When I make 3 gallons of beer I split the water, herbs, and sugar between two large soup pots.
a bucket – a plastic food safe bucket where the beer can ferment a bit.
a fine strainer
cheesecloth or pillow case – keep the bugs out
Measuring cup – to measure out gallons and to pour beer into bottles (I have a pyrex measuring cup that is pour-friendly)
Ingredients I Use:
1 – 3 gallons of water
½ - 1 ½ ounces of each preferred herb or herbs
1 pound brown sugar per gallon of water
yeast
What I Do:
1) I usually make beer in 1 - 3 gallon batches. I boil however much water as beer I am going to make. When I am doing 3 gallons I have to split the water between two pots. I add a couple of extra cups of water to make up for what is going to boil off. Once it comes to a boil I add whatever herbs* I’d like for that particular batch of beer. I usually do ½ - 1 ½ ounces of each, depending on their strength and what kind of taste I’d like to add to the beer.
*I like to be creative with the herbs. You can use nearly anything. I use herbs for their taste and medicinal qualities. Some favorites I have made include: ginger beer (delicious, invigorating, and very refreshing!), “root” beer with ginger, licorice, and burdock root (ginger is good for the circulation, licorice is great against colds, and burdock is a liver purifier), and my favorite was a “happy” beer (st. john’s wort, lemon balm, and lavender). I just made a sage beer which was quite an interesting experience to drink (sage has a rather inebriating effect).
2) Now I add the sugar source to the boiling water. You can use malt extract, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, malted grain, molasses, agave, or any sort of sugar source. For beer I almost always use brown sugar since it is easy to get, cheap, and makes some good beer. I use 1 pound of brown sugar per gallon of beer.
3) Now I let everything simmer for about a ½ hour. After a ½ hour I turn off the burner and let everything cool.
4) Once it’s at room temperature, I pour the beer through a fine strainer into a plastic bucket. Then I add the yeast. I have always used bread yeast. When I started brewing I made lots of bread so it’s what I had on hand. Now I probably make more beer than bread and I still use bread yeast. I guess it’s a habit now. But it’s always tasted delicious and it’s simple. I use about 2 ½ tsp of yeast for making anywhere between ½ gallon to 3 gallons of beer and it’s always worked out. I’m sure I am making some beer brewers squirm with these directions. I sprinkle in the yeast and stir it in. If it doesn’t quite all dissolve, don’t worry. Cover the bucket with a cheesecloth or pillow case.
5) For the next 2 – 3 days I keep the fermenting brew covered with the cloth over the bucket. I stir it about 2 times a day. It is always wonderfully bubbly. Once the bubbling has subsided a bit (after 2 – 3 days) I put the beer in my fermenting vessel. I usually use a pyrex measuring glass to for this process (I don’t have a funnel or piping to siphon). I dip the measuring cup into the brew and pour that brew into the fermenting vessel and repeat until it’s all in the jug.
6) I top the jug with whatever I am using as an airlock – either a balloon or an airlock from a brewer’s supply store. The brew quickly begins glugging away, either filling the balloon or getting the airlock to bubbling.
7) After about a week, the beer is done. I pour the beer from the 3 gallon vessel into a bucket and from there I pour with a measuring cup into the ½ gallon growlers. If I fermented in the growlers, I just go ahead and cap them (I keep the twist caps). Then I put it in the fridge to chill.
8) I take it out of the fridge, give it a good shake, pour into my trusty mug, and voila! Homebrew!
How I Make Mead:
Mead is made by a very similar process, with just a few small differences.
1) The sugar source is honey. I usually use raw honey. So when I add the honey, I wait until the water has cooled a little, but is still very warm. This way the honey will easily stir into the water and herb mixture, but the boiling water won’t make the raw honey loose all its benefits. I use three pounds of honey per gallon of water to make mead.
2) The fermenting period with an airlock is longer for mead, usually about three weeks before it is ready. After three weeks I bottle and chill it. I hear mead is very good when corked and aged (lay it on its side if you do this), but I am too impatient to do this. Pour into trusty mug…cheers!
The use of herbs and foods in beer also reflected specific regional ingredients. Regions developed their own unique brews featuring a taste of the land from which it grew. The Scandinavian countries were known for using juniper, Celts used heather, the natives of South America and Mexico used the sweet juice of agave and corn to make pulque and chicha, and millet was used to make Kaffir in Africa and Chang in Asia (everyone loves beer!). However, the German Purity Law seemed to hit on a nerve in the European mindset. Though no other countries passed such regulations, nearly all European countries followed suit in using hops as the primary herb for making beer from the 16th through the 18th centuries. A market standard was born.
Some, though in truth not many, believe this regulation had very little to do with consumer protection, and quite a lot to do with religious history (There is definitely a lack of people that write on this topic. I blame this on a lack of beer historians. Why is there a lack of these people, I have no fucking idea.). At this time in Germany and across Europe Protestantism was on the rise challenging the Catholic Church on many religious points as well as its proclivity for luxury, excess, and lavishness. The effects of some of the beers of the 16th century appeared to the Protestant eye to fall into this culture of indulgence. Thus in a culture with heightened influence from a Protestant worldview, beers brewed with herbs that had highly inebriating effects fell out of favor (very big bummer). With power struggles between Catholics and Protestants, all Christian sects took a stance against what was termed as “witchcraft,” often as a means to establish religious power. The era from 1550-1650 is now known as “The Burning Times” when those suspected of witchcraft, heresy, and deviance were burned at the stake at the highest numbers in history (do you think we could follow this example and call our century “The Prozac Times” in recognition of what happens to deviants in our day?). This sort of culture of witch hunting perhaps had something to do with the abandonment of practices associated with pagan ancients for fear of being identified as a witch. There was an imminent threat associated with holding on to ancient traditions of brewing. The political, religious, and social climate dictated a change in beer making.
So, what’s so great about hops that they became the standard herb used in beer? Well, most beer people explain that hops came to wide use in beer because hops are an effective preservative. However, many herbs possess qualities that would aid in preserving beer. Herbs are used to fight infections in people for a really good reason and would serve the same function in beer. So, there must be some other reason for the wide use of hops. As an herb hops cause one to become very tired (hops pillows were once a popular remedy for sleeplessness, but left one feeling rather groggy in the morning), diminishes one’s sexual desire, and are a powerful diuretic. Compared to herbs such as sage, yarrow, and wormwood that when fermented cause inebriating and stimulating effects, hops seem quite tame and indeed taming (let’s get real, hops are fucking boring). A few (myself included) believe something about these particular qualities of hops appealed to the mindset of the times. There was something appealing and convenient about drowsy, sexually diminished, peeing individuals in the midst of a time when political, economic, and religious powers were being centralized and expanded by the few in positions of privilege, often with the abuse and oppression of much of the populace. Hopped-up beer drinkers were less likely to resist or complain. They could go to the bar and rest rather easily (you know, it’s only our rights, livelihood, and quality of life at stake), though with the mild disturbance of having to get up to go to the bathroom more frequently (sound familiar? Try the Happy Hour at the local watering hole – lots of bitching, lots of sitting on uncomfortable stools, not much sharp thinking).As a brewer of beers I have broken nearly all the conditions of the Purity Law and the market standards that go with it, except for the one about using water. I don’t use fancy terms, I don’t buy special stuff from a brew supply store, I don’t sterilize, I don’t filter, I (often) don’t use malted grains, I don’t buy fancy yeast strains, and I don’t buy any fucking hops. The beers we have come to expect grow out of learned tastes from the likes of an industrialized brewing system dating back to the Dark Ages (very appropriately named). Their tastes and recipes invade our sensibilities and expectations of what beer should be and its effects (you know, that familiar hoppy lull). Incorporating herbs and other different ingredients into beer creates a unique drinking experience. Not only is the taste different, but the effects of drinking are also distinctive. A good beer, depending on what herbs are used, can make you feel vital, healthy, mentally sharp, calm, or perhaps have highly stimulating effects (drinking this shit would be much more revolution-friendly. Healthful, alert, and inspired individuals would be much more effective at changing things than smoggy ones who are on the verge of a good snore). I love making these crazy, uncommon brews full of ingredients, tastes, and effects that sharply deviate from the market standard - really fucking delicious, muddy-watered, sweetly intoxicating beer. Impure as it gets by the Purity Law’s standards.
How I Make Beer:
Equipment I Use:
some sort of jug – now I have a two 3 gallon fermenting jugs that I have named Sandor Katz and Sydney Greenstreet. For 1 ½ years I used recycled ½ gallon beer growlers which I purchased from microbreweries.
an airlock sort of thing – now I have a small airlock that fits into a bung for the fermenting vessel. Before I used a latex balloon fitted over the top of the growler.
a large pot or pots – large enough to fit the water I need to boil. When I make 3 gallons of beer I split the water, herbs, and sugar between two large soup pots.
a bucket – a plastic food safe bucket where the beer can ferment a bit.
a fine strainer
cheesecloth or pillow case – keep the bugs out
Measuring cup – to measure out gallons and to pour beer into bottles (I have a pyrex measuring cup that is pour-friendly)
Ingredients I Use:
1 – 3 gallons of water
½ - 1 ½ ounces of each preferred herb or herbs
1 pound brown sugar per gallon of water
yeast
What I Do:
1) I usually make beer in 1 - 3 gallon batches. I boil however much water as beer I am going to make. When I am doing 3 gallons I have to split the water between two pots. I add a couple of extra cups of water to make up for what is going to boil off. Once it comes to a boil I add whatever herbs* I’d like for that particular batch of beer. I usually do ½ - 1 ½ ounces of each, depending on their strength and what kind of taste I’d like to add to the beer.
*I like to be creative with the herbs. You can use nearly anything. I use herbs for their taste and medicinal qualities. Some favorites I have made include: ginger beer (delicious, invigorating, and very refreshing!), “root” beer with ginger, licorice, and burdock root (ginger is good for the circulation, licorice is great against colds, and burdock is a liver purifier), and my favorite was a “happy” beer (st. john’s wort, lemon balm, and lavender). I just made a sage beer which was quite an interesting experience to drink (sage has a rather inebriating effect).
2) Now I add the sugar source to the boiling water. You can use malt extract, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, malted grain, molasses, agave, or any sort of sugar source. For beer I almost always use brown sugar since it is easy to get, cheap, and makes some good beer. I use 1 pound of brown sugar per gallon of beer.
3) Now I let everything simmer for about a ½ hour. After a ½ hour I turn off the burner and let everything cool.
4) Once it’s at room temperature, I pour the beer through a fine strainer into a plastic bucket. Then I add the yeast. I have always used bread yeast. When I started brewing I made lots of bread so it’s what I had on hand. Now I probably make more beer than bread and I still use bread yeast. I guess it’s a habit now. But it’s always tasted delicious and it’s simple. I use about 2 ½ tsp of yeast for making anywhere between ½ gallon to 3 gallons of beer and it’s always worked out. I’m sure I am making some beer brewers squirm with these directions. I sprinkle in the yeast and stir it in. If it doesn’t quite all dissolve, don’t worry. Cover the bucket with a cheesecloth or pillow case.
5) For the next 2 – 3 days I keep the fermenting brew covered with the cloth over the bucket. I stir it about 2 times a day. It is always wonderfully bubbly. Once the bubbling has subsided a bit (after 2 – 3 days) I put the beer in my fermenting vessel. I usually use a pyrex measuring glass to for this process (I don’t have a funnel or piping to siphon). I dip the measuring cup into the brew and pour that brew into the fermenting vessel and repeat until it’s all in the jug.
6) I top the jug with whatever I am using as an airlock – either a balloon or an airlock from a brewer’s supply store. The brew quickly begins glugging away, either filling the balloon or getting the airlock to bubbling.
7) After about a week, the beer is done. I pour the beer from the 3 gallon vessel into a bucket and from there I pour with a measuring cup into the ½ gallon growlers. If I fermented in the growlers, I just go ahead and cap them (I keep the twist caps). Then I put it in the fridge to chill.
8) I take it out of the fridge, give it a good shake, pour into my trusty mug, and voila! Homebrew!
How I Make Mead:
Mead is made by a very similar process, with just a few small differences.
1) The sugar source is honey. I usually use raw honey. So when I add the honey, I wait until the water has cooled a little, but is still very warm. This way the honey will easily stir into the water and herb mixture, but the boiling water won’t make the raw honey loose all its benefits. I use three pounds of honey per gallon of water to make mead.
2) The fermenting period with an airlock is longer for mead, usually about three weeks before it is ready. After three weeks I bottle and chill it. I hear mead is very good when corked and aged (lay it on its side if you do this), but I am too impatient to do this. Pour into trusty mug…cheers!
Cheese
The deli counter seems to have quite a different view of cheese than its history in America might suggest. The skill of making cheese came to America in the early 17th century along with English Puritan dairy farmers in the “New World.” Women were the primary keepers and practitioners of this skill. Throughout the East Coast women would use the skill of cheese making as a way to preserve milk, creating a store of nutritious food for future months. It began entirely as a home-based industry to make cheese for the home or for local markets. Cheddar cheese proved to be a sturdy cheese that stored well in the environmental conditions of New England and thus gained much popularity (it also makes a mean grilled cheese, though not sure this was typical colonial fare). This cheddar produced on the newly termed “American” soil became known proudly as American cheese. With such popularity and American pride, women’s household work became a rather successful and profitable enterprise (obviously these cheese women fucking rocked).
Making cheese is a rather awesome undertaking. Cheese is made by introducing specific microbial cultures into milk and creating an environment for them to proliferate (it’s alive!). To make a hard cheese rennet is used, which is derived from the stomach lining of a cow. Some other steps such as cooking the curd, pressing, salting, drying, and aging are also part of the time intensive process. Each step can be done a little differently, affecting the taste, texture, and quality of the cheese. As a cheese maker it’s interesting how small details of process can create dramatically different results. It’s also somewhat magical to watch microbes run wild in a rampant transformation to make milk into something else (it’s fucking awesome, especially when rennet is involved). It’s an exciting and stimulating process to participate in and requires a good dose of creativity and skill.
As the American population grew and industrialism took hold, the trade of cheese making changed quite dramatically. Cheese became industrialized and we see the role of women cheese makers decline. Women remained in their kitchens, but the cheese left the kitchen for the world of industry, and thus the world of men. The skill of making cheese became a specialized and professionalized business (boo, hiss!). In 1851 the first cheese factory was made by Jesse Williams and his son in New York, apparently partially motivated as a way to cover his son’s poor cheese making skills. This factory took milk from various dairies in the area and made cheese at one central location. Then in 1916 James L. Kraft enters the history of cheese, and sadly his influence is felt the strongest. He patented a process that included shredding waste cheddar pieces, re-pasteurizing it, and adding sodium phosphate making a new cheese product. These days numerous emulsifiers, water, salt, food colorings, and other processed foods derived from soy, corn, and petroleum are added into the recipe (mmm, tasty!). Thus we have the birth of modern processed cheese, thanks to Mr. Kraft. These days processed cheeses are categorized by the FDA into three categories: pasteurized process cheese, pasteurized process cheese food which contain as little as 51% of cheese, and pasteurized process cheese product with less than 51% of cheese (really, what the fuck is wrong with America?!).
Women not only changed their relationship to cheese, but to all food skills. Fast forward a couple hundred years from the colonial times to the 1950’s and we see the rise of the middle class and the propagandized middle class lifestyle featuring a gadgeted kitchen and a grocery store with a deli counter and refrigerated aisles (look honey, Spam!). As time progressed through the 20th century food was bought and moved among different gadgets to open, prepare, and heat it (umm, who doesn’t need an electric can opener? I mean, twisting the knob on the manual can openers was just so hard!). The creativity and uniqueness of the work of the kitchen was replaced with homogenized, packaged, and standardized foods and processes. The term “American cheese” no longer referred to cheddar cheese uniquely shaped by the hands of American women and American microbes. It referred to a processed somewhat neon colored cheese that came in plastic wrap for women to melt on burgers. Women could open the fridge, unwrap the cheese, then stand in front of their ovens and watch the cheese melt for the perfect moment of gooeyness and that was the most she was involved in the taste of cheese (and then she popped some much needed valium). Is it any wonder that women were beating against the walls of the kitchen and burning their bras by the 1960s?
As a woman I want to reclaim the creativity and power from crafting nutritious, unique, and well made foods. I’m not interested in holding a power corporate job title (gasp!). I want to find the power, equality, and voice in the kitchen that has been lost with a patriarchal system of industrialized foods. The industrial food system dominated by men has brought us shitty, low quality foods that are full of toxic ingredients. Women who fight for equality in the office place, but come home to melt Kraft cheese on burgers aren’t fighting the full battle (they also have boring, gross dinners). I want my own pots of warming curds and I’ll replace that mechanized temperature controlled vat that stirs for you with a wooden spoon that I’ll stir myself. Making cheese allows me to become the nurturer of microbes, the transformer of milk, directly involved in those magical processes that make cheese possible. I hold a position with power, creativity, and imagination. Good luck finding that in the corporate American job market. I can shatter the glass ceiling by reclaiming the skills that used to belong to women powerful in their kitchens, not to corporate men with jiggly bellies. I want my fucking kitchen back, bastard.
How I Make an Easy Farmer’s Cheese:
This cheese is a lot like fresh goat’s cheese or ricotta.
Materials I Use:
cheesecloth
colander
big pot
thermometer (helpful, but not necessary)
Ingredients I Use:
1 gallon whole milk (cannot be ultra-pasteurized)
½ cup lemon juice or vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
herbs – my favorites include a mixture of rosemary, thyme, lavender, and pepper
What I Do:
1) I heat the milk slowly, stirring it frequently. I heat it to the point where it’s pretty hot and about to boil. I use a thermometer, so I heat it up to about 170 degrees.
2) Once the cheese reaches the desired temperature, I slowly add the vinegar or lemon juice stirring it in as I pour. I turn off the heat and let the milk sit for about 15 minutes.
3) After 15 minutes if the milk has not coagulated I add a little more lemon juice or vinegar. I then use a slotted spoon and spoon the coagulated milk to a cheesecloth lined colander.
4) Once all the cheese is in the colander and most of the liquid drained away (I sometimes keep the liquid a.k.a. whey to use in bread or oatmeal). I add the salt and whatever herbs I might like to add. I mix these into the cheese with my hands.
5) Now I pick up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist the cloth so the cheese is all gathered in a somewhat tight ball. I often hang the cheese for a while from a hook over the sink and let the liquid drip away. I have also set up a wooden spoon, put a cutting board on the wooden spoon so the cutting board slants, put the cheese on the slanted cutting board, and on top of the cheese place another cutting board with a heavy pan weighing it down. This makes a sort of cheese press and the slant of the bottom cutting board lets the liquid drain away so the cheese isn’t sitting in the liquid that has just been pressed out of it.
6) Once the cheese has been pressed and dripped I put it in a fresh, dry cheesecloth and wrap it up and put it in the fridge. Usually the herb taste won’t really come through until the next day.
How I Make Yogurt
Yogurt is extraordinarily easy and your results will taste like the expensive yogurts at the store and cost way less.
Equipment I Use:
A large igloo cooler
a pot that will fit a quart of milk
a glass quart jar
a thermometer
Ingredients I Use:
1 quart of milk
1 tablespoon of yogurt starter (from yogurt I bought from the store that has live cultures, or from a tablespoon of my previous batch of yogurt that I have frozen)
What I Do:
1) I slowly heat the milk up to about 180 degrees, stirring frequently. Apparently this heating isn’t necessary, but it results in a thicker yogurt. If I were using raw milk, I would skip this step. The high heat would kill all the good stuff in raw milk. While the milk is heating, if I am using a yogurt starter that I have frozen, I take it out of the freezer and put the jar in a bowl of warm water so it can thaw.
2) I then turn off the heat and let the milk cool to 110 degrees. To speed up the cooling process I have put the pot of milk into a bowl of ice water. As the milk cools, I fill the cooler with water that is about 110 degrees so that the water would come about ¾ of the way up the jar. I also stick the jar into the warm water to warm it up so that when I put the milk into the jar it won’t loose any heat.
3) Once the milk is at 110 degrees I stir in the yogurt starter. Then I pour the milk into the warmed jar and put the jar into the cooler filled with warmed water. I put a thermometer into the cooler as well and then shut the cooler.
4) I leave the cooler in a place where it won’t be disturbed or jostled. I usually let the yogurt set for about 8 – 12 hours. At some point around 6 hours or so, I open up the cooler and check on the temperature. If the temperature has dipped down below 110 degrees, I pour out some of the water and put more water in that is about 110 degrees.
5) After about 8 hours I check to see if the yogurt is yogurty. If it isn’t quite there I check the temperature again, adjust the water if needed, and give it another couple of hours. The most I have ever yogued yogurt is 12 hours. Once it is well yogued, put it in the fridge. It will be delicious and creamy!
6) As you eat your yogurt, set some aside in a jar in the freezer for your next starter. I usually take a teaspoon from the top, once I get to the middle I take another teaspoon, and then at the bottom I take another teaspoon. This can be used as the starter for your next batch. Yay, more yogurt!
Making cheese is a rather awesome undertaking. Cheese is made by introducing specific microbial cultures into milk and creating an environment for them to proliferate (it’s alive!). To make a hard cheese rennet is used, which is derived from the stomach lining of a cow. Some other steps such as cooking the curd, pressing, salting, drying, and aging are also part of the time intensive process. Each step can be done a little differently, affecting the taste, texture, and quality of the cheese. As a cheese maker it’s interesting how small details of process can create dramatically different results. It’s also somewhat magical to watch microbes run wild in a rampant transformation to make milk into something else (it’s fucking awesome, especially when rennet is involved). It’s an exciting and stimulating process to participate in and requires a good dose of creativity and skill.
As the American population grew and industrialism took hold, the trade of cheese making changed quite dramatically. Cheese became industrialized and we see the role of women cheese makers decline. Women remained in their kitchens, but the cheese left the kitchen for the world of industry, and thus the world of men. The skill of making cheese became a specialized and professionalized business (boo, hiss!). In 1851 the first cheese factory was made by Jesse Williams and his son in New York, apparently partially motivated as a way to cover his son’s poor cheese making skills. This factory took milk from various dairies in the area and made cheese at one central location. Then in 1916 James L. Kraft enters the history of cheese, and sadly his influence is felt the strongest. He patented a process that included shredding waste cheddar pieces, re-pasteurizing it, and adding sodium phosphate making a new cheese product. These days numerous emulsifiers, water, salt, food colorings, and other processed foods derived from soy, corn, and petroleum are added into the recipe (mmm, tasty!). Thus we have the birth of modern processed cheese, thanks to Mr. Kraft. These days processed cheeses are categorized by the FDA into three categories: pasteurized process cheese, pasteurized process cheese food which contain as little as 51% of cheese, and pasteurized process cheese product with less than 51% of cheese (really, what the fuck is wrong with America?!).
Women not only changed their relationship to cheese, but to all food skills. Fast forward a couple hundred years from the colonial times to the 1950’s and we see the rise of the middle class and the propagandized middle class lifestyle featuring a gadgeted kitchen and a grocery store with a deli counter and refrigerated aisles (look honey, Spam!). As time progressed through the 20th century food was bought and moved among different gadgets to open, prepare, and heat it (umm, who doesn’t need an electric can opener? I mean, twisting the knob on the manual can openers was just so hard!). The creativity and uniqueness of the work of the kitchen was replaced with homogenized, packaged, and standardized foods and processes. The term “American cheese” no longer referred to cheddar cheese uniquely shaped by the hands of American women and American microbes. It referred to a processed somewhat neon colored cheese that came in plastic wrap for women to melt on burgers. Women could open the fridge, unwrap the cheese, then stand in front of their ovens and watch the cheese melt for the perfect moment of gooeyness and that was the most she was involved in the taste of cheese (and then she popped some much needed valium). Is it any wonder that women were beating against the walls of the kitchen and burning their bras by the 1960s?
As a woman I want to reclaim the creativity and power from crafting nutritious, unique, and well made foods. I’m not interested in holding a power corporate job title (gasp!). I want to find the power, equality, and voice in the kitchen that has been lost with a patriarchal system of industrialized foods. The industrial food system dominated by men has brought us shitty, low quality foods that are full of toxic ingredients. Women who fight for equality in the office place, but come home to melt Kraft cheese on burgers aren’t fighting the full battle (they also have boring, gross dinners). I want my own pots of warming curds and I’ll replace that mechanized temperature controlled vat that stirs for you with a wooden spoon that I’ll stir myself. Making cheese allows me to become the nurturer of microbes, the transformer of milk, directly involved in those magical processes that make cheese possible. I hold a position with power, creativity, and imagination. Good luck finding that in the corporate American job market. I can shatter the glass ceiling by reclaiming the skills that used to belong to women powerful in their kitchens, not to corporate men with jiggly bellies. I want my fucking kitchen back, bastard.
How I Make an Easy Farmer’s Cheese:
This cheese is a lot like fresh goat’s cheese or ricotta.
Materials I Use:
cheesecloth
colander
big pot
thermometer (helpful, but not necessary)
Ingredients I Use:
1 gallon whole milk (cannot be ultra-pasteurized)
½ cup lemon juice or vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
herbs – my favorites include a mixture of rosemary, thyme, lavender, and pepper
What I Do:
1) I heat the milk slowly, stirring it frequently. I heat it to the point where it’s pretty hot and about to boil. I use a thermometer, so I heat it up to about 170 degrees.
2) Once the cheese reaches the desired temperature, I slowly add the vinegar or lemon juice stirring it in as I pour. I turn off the heat and let the milk sit for about 15 minutes.
3) After 15 minutes if the milk has not coagulated I add a little more lemon juice or vinegar. I then use a slotted spoon and spoon the coagulated milk to a cheesecloth lined colander.
4) Once all the cheese is in the colander and most of the liquid drained away (I sometimes keep the liquid a.k.a. whey to use in bread or oatmeal). I add the salt and whatever herbs I might like to add. I mix these into the cheese with my hands.
5) Now I pick up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist the cloth so the cheese is all gathered in a somewhat tight ball. I often hang the cheese for a while from a hook over the sink and let the liquid drip away. I have also set up a wooden spoon, put a cutting board on the wooden spoon so the cutting board slants, put the cheese on the slanted cutting board, and on top of the cheese place another cutting board with a heavy pan weighing it down. This makes a sort of cheese press and the slant of the bottom cutting board lets the liquid drain away so the cheese isn’t sitting in the liquid that has just been pressed out of it.
6) Once the cheese has been pressed and dripped I put it in a fresh, dry cheesecloth and wrap it up and put it in the fridge. Usually the herb taste won’t really come through until the next day.
How I Make Yogurt
Yogurt is extraordinarily easy and your results will taste like the expensive yogurts at the store and cost way less.
Equipment I Use:
A large igloo cooler
a pot that will fit a quart of milk
a glass quart jar
a thermometer
Ingredients I Use:
1 quart of milk
1 tablespoon of yogurt starter (from yogurt I bought from the store that has live cultures, or from a tablespoon of my previous batch of yogurt that I have frozen)
What I Do:
1) I slowly heat the milk up to about 180 degrees, stirring frequently. Apparently this heating isn’t necessary, but it results in a thicker yogurt. If I were using raw milk, I would skip this step. The high heat would kill all the good stuff in raw milk. While the milk is heating, if I am using a yogurt starter that I have frozen, I take it out of the freezer and put the jar in a bowl of warm water so it can thaw.
2) I then turn off the heat and let the milk cool to 110 degrees. To speed up the cooling process I have put the pot of milk into a bowl of ice water. As the milk cools, I fill the cooler with water that is about 110 degrees so that the water would come about ¾ of the way up the jar. I also stick the jar into the warm water to warm it up so that when I put the milk into the jar it won’t loose any heat.
3) Once the milk is at 110 degrees I stir in the yogurt starter. Then I pour the milk into the warmed jar and put the jar into the cooler filled with warmed water. I put a thermometer into the cooler as well and then shut the cooler.
4) I leave the cooler in a place where it won’t be disturbed or jostled. I usually let the yogurt set for about 8 – 12 hours. At some point around 6 hours or so, I open up the cooler and check on the temperature. If the temperature has dipped down below 110 degrees, I pour out some of the water and put more water in that is about 110 degrees.
5) After about 8 hours I check to see if the yogurt is yogurty. If it isn’t quite there I check the temperature again, adjust the water if needed, and give it another couple of hours. The most I have ever yogued yogurt is 12 hours. Once it is well yogued, put it in the fridge. It will be delicious and creamy!
6) As you eat your yogurt, set some aside in a jar in the freezer for your next starter. I usually take a teaspoon from the top, once I get to the middle I take another teaspoon, and then at the bottom I take another teaspoon. This can be used as the starter for your next batch. Yay, more yogurt!
Bread
Bread is held to a level of esteem and favor that few other foods enjoy. If bread were suddenly to up and disappear many people would be crushed to have nothing to accompany their cheese, meat, lettuce, and tomato. I honestly have no idea how things like the Atkins diet or Wonder Bread caught on. I have to wonder, what is wrong with those people who let their bread be bastardized and abandoned? But, I drift from the topic. The French are quite serious about their bread in a way I quite admire. As a matter of fact, the French Revolution had quite a lot to do with bread. You could very well say the people were fighting for liberté, egalité, fraternité, et paín.
In the 1780’s a grain shortage caused a steep rise in the price of bread which made a loaf of bread, a staple in the diet, unaffordable to the working classes. The people took to the streets demanding an accessible price for bread. Because of the social (crazy class divides in urbanized environments), political (um, rolalty!), and intellectual (all those radical enlightenment motherfuckers) climate they became increasingly suspicious of bakers, grain merchants, and the government for the outrageous prices of bread. Although the grain shortage was most responsible for the price hike, the people were quite justified and correct in suspecting economic and political corruption which simply aggravated an already overwhelming problem. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!
The excesses of the upper classes (such as white bread, yes, white bread was a luxury. White flour requires more processing, so really this makes a boat load of sense. But, now a days we make no fucking sense and processed foods are often cheaper thanks to federal subsidies) contrasted quite sharply with the impoverished hunger of the working classes. In response to the rather riotous demands of the people, the government decreed that all bread, wheat/rye (in which there were often hidden inedibles to make up for the lack of flour) or white, should be sold for the same price. Marie Antoinette put it quite nicely when she said, “let them eat cake.” Actually she said “let them eat brioche” which is a fancy-pants white bread made with eggs and butter (it’s not a cake, but it’s fucking good). Though this quote/misquote is often referred to as way of indicating the thoughtlessness and triviality of royalty, Queen Marie Antoinette was making a hefty political statement (impressive, cuz overall the woman was rather thoughtless and trivial). She was in fact saying “yes, have the white flour in the fancy-pants bread and have it for the same price as that crappy, full of hidden inedibles wheat bread.” Wahoo, the people got options. Sort of.
Making white flour and wheat/rye flour bread the same price did nothing about that whole problem of a grain shortage. The royal gesture was nice, but a little off target. Bread riots ensued (wouldn’t you love to be part of a bread riot?). Antoinette wanted everyone to have brioche, the people wanted their wheat/rye “paín d’egalité” – different strokes for different folks. To the working classes white flour symbolized the excessive culture that so oppressed the working classes. Bakers’ flour sieves used to sift fine white flour were confiscated by the masses (awesome, yes? Want to confiscate some corn huskers or oil drills or something?).
What’s really awesome about bread is that the process by which it is made in some sense fossilizes the fermenting process, solidified in mid-bubbling. The yeast in the dough eats up sugars and releases carbon dioxide which is trapped by gluten strands. The yeast develops taste and strength with the struggle of rising, being punched down at their height, and recovering with a slight rise again before entering the hot oven which kills the yeast. The loaf is baked at the mid-point between resting and rising. Yeast is not the only thing that ferments. People and ideas also ferment – are agitated, boil over, excite, and rise. In most fermented foods the fermentation is most evident through taste. Bread is unique in that this process is captured and evident in each slice of bread. There is a visible account of the fermenting activity over time. A history of transformation written into something so delicious.
Clearly, things didn’t end too well for the white flour-devouring royal pair, who were commonly referred to as “the baker and the baker’s wife.” The issue of bread in the French Revolution had little to do with discussing solutions for a grain shortage. Instead bread became a symbol of a deep economic and political struggle for the people.
Throughout the French Revolution bread became one of the weapons used by the fighters for the revolution. Bread symbolized struggle, class inequality, political corruption, and oppression. However, it was reclaimed by the revolutionaries as a ground for claiming equality and political voice. Perhaps the battle didn’t match the problem (the grain shortage was caused by frigid weather from an El Niño-like effect and a policy of trade isolationism). But bread became a vital organ in the body of the revolution with political, social, and economic purposes. What missions can we send our shitty loaves of Wonder Bread on? What message can I carve into the loaves of my homemade, multigrain loaves? Warm from the oven, this bread is hot for political fire.
How I Make Bread:
I love to make a really moist bread. One of my favorite recipes works well as a focaccia or pizza crust. Incidentally somewhat flat-ish bread with food things on it is one of my favorite things in the world.
Ingredients I Use:
1 ¾ cups water
2 tsp yeast
3 ½ - 4 ½ cups white flour
¼ cup wheat flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
What I Do:
1) I start by pouring the water into a rather large bowl. I pour the yeast in and mix. Then I add a cup at a time of flour.
2) Once I have added 2 cups of flour, I add the olive oil and salt. Then I add sprinkle in another cup of flour and mix.
3) At this point, I might try to mix with my hands if the mixing is getting tougher with a spoon. I fill a bowl with water and put it near me so I can dip my hands into the water so the dough won’t stick to my hands.
4) I add more flour as I see needed. I knead the dough right in the bowl, wetting my hands as I go. I use the heel of my hands to fold the dough over onto itself. I want the dough to be decidedly moist, but have enough flour to take shape and form. I would say the dough kinda feels like boogers.
5) I knead the dough for about 5 – 7 minutes. I then cover the bowl with a moist towel and let it rise for at least 3 hours, up to 8 hours. The more, the merrier the yeasty taste will be.
6) After the first rise, I push down the dough and scrape it out of the bowl onto a floured table. The dough will look like honeycombs. I cut the dough into two even pieces and begin to shape the dough by pressing and stretching it into a flattened circle or square (depending on what kind of pan I am using). I use a rolling pin to continue shaping the dough.
7) Once the dough is shaped, I sprinkle the pan generously with corn meal. Then I place the shaped dough onto the pan to let it proof for at least an hour. Let the oven preheat to 400 degrees.
8) If you are making focaccia, once the dough has proofed you can use your fingers to poke dimples into the dough. I put the toppings I want on the dough (anything you like, my favorite is simply olive oil and course sea salt), then it goes into the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
9) I take the pizza or focaccia out of the oven to cool for a few minutes and then…delicious!
In the 1780’s a grain shortage caused a steep rise in the price of bread which made a loaf of bread, a staple in the diet, unaffordable to the working classes. The people took to the streets demanding an accessible price for bread. Because of the social (crazy class divides in urbanized environments), political (um, rolalty!), and intellectual (all those radical enlightenment motherfuckers) climate they became increasingly suspicious of bakers, grain merchants, and the government for the outrageous prices of bread. Although the grain shortage was most responsible for the price hike, the people were quite justified and correct in suspecting economic and political corruption which simply aggravated an already overwhelming problem. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!
The excesses of the upper classes (such as white bread, yes, white bread was a luxury. White flour requires more processing, so really this makes a boat load of sense. But, now a days we make no fucking sense and processed foods are often cheaper thanks to federal subsidies) contrasted quite sharply with the impoverished hunger of the working classes. In response to the rather riotous demands of the people, the government decreed that all bread, wheat/rye (in which there were often hidden inedibles to make up for the lack of flour) or white, should be sold for the same price. Marie Antoinette put it quite nicely when she said, “let them eat cake.” Actually she said “let them eat brioche” which is a fancy-pants white bread made with eggs and butter (it’s not a cake, but it’s fucking good). Though this quote/misquote is often referred to as way of indicating the thoughtlessness and triviality of royalty, Queen Marie Antoinette was making a hefty political statement (impressive, cuz overall the woman was rather thoughtless and trivial). She was in fact saying “yes, have the white flour in the fancy-pants bread and have it for the same price as that crappy, full of hidden inedibles wheat bread.” Wahoo, the people got options. Sort of.
Making white flour and wheat/rye flour bread the same price did nothing about that whole problem of a grain shortage. The royal gesture was nice, but a little off target. Bread riots ensued (wouldn’t you love to be part of a bread riot?). Antoinette wanted everyone to have brioche, the people wanted their wheat/rye “paín d’egalité” – different strokes for different folks. To the working classes white flour symbolized the excessive culture that so oppressed the working classes. Bakers’ flour sieves used to sift fine white flour were confiscated by the masses (awesome, yes? Want to confiscate some corn huskers or oil drills or something?).
What’s really awesome about bread is that the process by which it is made in some sense fossilizes the fermenting process, solidified in mid-bubbling. The yeast in the dough eats up sugars and releases carbon dioxide which is trapped by gluten strands. The yeast develops taste and strength with the struggle of rising, being punched down at their height, and recovering with a slight rise again before entering the hot oven which kills the yeast. The loaf is baked at the mid-point between resting and rising. Yeast is not the only thing that ferments. People and ideas also ferment – are agitated, boil over, excite, and rise. In most fermented foods the fermentation is most evident through taste. Bread is unique in that this process is captured and evident in each slice of bread. There is a visible account of the fermenting activity over time. A history of transformation written into something so delicious.
Clearly, things didn’t end too well for the white flour-devouring royal pair, who were commonly referred to as “the baker and the baker’s wife.” The issue of bread in the French Revolution had little to do with discussing solutions for a grain shortage. Instead bread became a symbol of a deep economic and political struggle for the people.
Throughout the French Revolution bread became one of the weapons used by the fighters for the revolution. Bread symbolized struggle, class inequality, political corruption, and oppression. However, it was reclaimed by the revolutionaries as a ground for claiming equality and political voice. Perhaps the battle didn’t match the problem (the grain shortage was caused by frigid weather from an El Niño-like effect and a policy of trade isolationism). But bread became a vital organ in the body of the revolution with political, social, and economic purposes. What missions can we send our shitty loaves of Wonder Bread on? What message can I carve into the loaves of my homemade, multigrain loaves? Warm from the oven, this bread is hot for political fire.
How I Make Bread:
I love to make a really moist bread. One of my favorite recipes works well as a focaccia or pizza crust. Incidentally somewhat flat-ish bread with food things on it is one of my favorite things in the world.
Ingredients I Use:
1 ¾ cups water
2 tsp yeast
3 ½ - 4 ½ cups white flour
¼ cup wheat flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
What I Do:
1) I start by pouring the water into a rather large bowl. I pour the yeast in and mix. Then I add a cup at a time of flour.
2) Once I have added 2 cups of flour, I add the olive oil and salt. Then I add sprinkle in another cup of flour and mix.
3) At this point, I might try to mix with my hands if the mixing is getting tougher with a spoon. I fill a bowl with water and put it near me so I can dip my hands into the water so the dough won’t stick to my hands.
4) I add more flour as I see needed. I knead the dough right in the bowl, wetting my hands as I go. I use the heel of my hands to fold the dough over onto itself. I want the dough to be decidedly moist, but have enough flour to take shape and form. I would say the dough kinda feels like boogers.
5) I knead the dough for about 5 – 7 minutes. I then cover the bowl with a moist towel and let it rise for at least 3 hours, up to 8 hours. The more, the merrier the yeasty taste will be.
6) After the first rise, I push down the dough and scrape it out of the bowl onto a floured table. The dough will look like honeycombs. I cut the dough into two even pieces and begin to shape the dough by pressing and stretching it into a flattened circle or square (depending on what kind of pan I am using). I use a rolling pin to continue shaping the dough.
7) Once the dough is shaped, I sprinkle the pan generously with corn meal. Then I place the shaped dough onto the pan to let it proof for at least an hour. Let the oven preheat to 400 degrees.
8) If you are making focaccia, once the dough has proofed you can use your fingers to poke dimples into the dough. I put the toppings I want on the dough (anything you like, my favorite is simply olive oil and course sea salt), then it goes into the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
9) I take the pizza or focaccia out of the oven to cool for a few minutes and then…delicious!
Lacto-fermentation
Sauerkraut, pickles, and kimchi! All are foods that undergo a process called lacto-fermentation, transforming into a nutritionally enhanced, living food by the power of lactobacilli. Salt, time, and natural processes combine quite simply to create a delicious and very nutritious food that can be stored away for months. These days when people talk about being more connected to food sources, people will talk of the importance of putting food by for the winter. This often refers to the process of canning. For some reason, we associate all kinds of virtues with canning (boiling water, a scalding kitchen, sterilizing everything – yes, very virtuous by most standards). It’s what all those thrifty, heroic women did during the World Wars and the Great Depression to feed their families. It’s what grandma did. It’s what those self-centered feminists didn’t do. So, therefore, it’s gotta be virtuous.
Interestingly enough grandma probably didn’t grow up learning how to can from her mother. She went to a community kitchen, a canning factory, or a school to learn to can. And more than likely grandma didn’t can in her own kitchen, but at a communal kitchen. Canning was a highly industrialized process developed in the early 19th century to feed far traveling imperial armies and international sea-faring explorers (hello, Monsieur Napoleon). It’s a complicated, involved, scientific process, quite different from home-based methods of preservation like lacto-fermentation. Also, unlike lacto-fermentation, it carried the rather weighty risk of botulism (you’d be fucked). Canning never really became a home-based skill. The equipment needed was far too expensive for most families to afford. By the late 19th century people had access to canned foods in their markets, but often did not practice the skill themselves. That was left to the industry. It wasn’t until the World Wars and the Great Depression with intense resource shortages that canning became a somewhat popular skill to pursue in communal kitchens. In fact, we have the home economics movement to thank for it (oh wow, thanks!). The home economics movement headed by Ellen Richards heralded teaching women how to create a hygienic home that would prevent the spread of germs while serving the needs of her family (you can barf, it’s ok. I do when I hear the word “hygiene”). Canning fit the bill perfectly. Everything was sterilized, recipes had to be followed word for word, pH accounted for, and microbes eliminated to safely can foods (umm, needless to say, I sure as hell don’t can). With a growing fear of germs, canning became the most popular preservation method of the mid 20th century (cuz it killed everything!). It was not based in family, tradition, or culture (and really, hopefully family, tradition, and culture aren’t sterile. At least we can hope). It was based in industrial advancement, germ phobia, a growing obsession with hygiene, and a schooling system set up outside the family to serve the purposes of war and economic collapse.
If we were to check in with great-grandma and great-great-grandma we’d find that she probably lacto-fermented (I realize it doesn’t sound as cool to talk about lacto-fermenting on the homefront or victory lacto-fermenting, but regardless it’s fucking cool). Lacto-fermentation is a living process that happens with the help of bacteria (cheese, bread, and beer are also made thanks to bacteria, though different kinds of microscopic living things are at play). With a little salt, water, a moderate temperature, and a little time the lactobacilli proliferates. The process preserves the nutritional value of the food, with the added benefit of additional vitamin C (yay, no scurvy during winter!) and additional beneficial bacteria. Yes, I did say beneficial bacteria. This worldview that in order to be safe everything must be sterile using any antibacterial cleaning agent at hand is somewhat deranged (they make fucking antibacterial shoes these days. What the hell?) You are fucking clean, stop using the damn antibacterial Purell hand sanitizer shit (by the way, their copyrighted phrase is “imagine a touchable world.” you can’t touch the fucking world without hand sanitizer?!). The way lacto-fermentation works is that the bacteria present in the fermented food can fight off any potentially harmful bacteria (canning can’t do this) so it is safe. Even for you, OCD hygiene-oid.
So why would introducing bacteria into your body be good for you? As humans we can credit bacteria with our ability to digest food. That means we survive because those tiny squiggly things help us out. (Bear with me here, I’m gonna get a little nerdy and list some facts, but they are fucking cool facts!) Beneficial bacteria live in our gut, mouth, skin, colon, and vagina. There are somewhere between 500 - 1,000 different species of bacteria in the human body. There are ten times as many bacteria in our bodies than cells. The activity of the bacteria in the gut is equivalent to that of a human organ, the reason behind the gut being called the “forgotten organ.” It is estimated that all together the bacteria in the human body weighs between 2 – 9 pounds (ok, the “did you know that…” part is done). With all this being considered, why would we want to put sterilized food into our bodies? If we eat things because they are “heart healthy” or to cleanse the liver or whatever, then why not eat for the gut! Help populate your body with beneficial bacteria! Apparently, as we become more globalized our microbiota (microbiota used to be called microflora but the scientists felt that was inaccurate since flora refers specifically to plants. I like both words, but microflora makes me think of a human covered with green, viny plant material which is cool, but maybe a little too sci-fi) are also becoming more and more homogenized, losing diverse microbiota specific to particular regions and environments. Certain kinds of human microbiota are at risk of becoming endangered (and let me tell you folks, there isn’t gonna be a list of endangered species for bacteria happening any time soon). However, unlike restoring the bald eagle population to North America, it can be rather simple to guarantee the survival of human microbiota. Just make your own! Heck, give yourself a name – the American Committee for the Restoration of Microbiota (ACRM), Homeland Bacteria, Fuck Hygiene-oids, Inc. It’s as easy as making a crock of sauerkraut!
How I Make Sauerkraut
There might be nothing easier than making sauerkraut.
Ingredients I Use:
one head of cabbage
maybe some beets (I’ve also made a kraut with just grated beets, really tasty!)
a few carrots (if I feel like it)
an onion (if I feel like it)
maybe some herbs like caraway seeds
What I Do:
1) I grate all the vegetables that I want to put in my sauerkraut and put them in a large bowl. As a grate I add a little salt, so each layer of grated veggies has a healthy sprinkling of salt in between. I never measure how much salt I use, but I would guess I use about 3 tablespoons, more or less.
2) One all the veggies are grated and salted, I mix them up with my hands, squeezing the veggies as I go. As I mix and squeeze I start to see more and more water being wrung out of the veggies.
3) Now I pack the veggies into something (glass or food-grade plastic) that will allow them to be compacted. When I am making a lot of sauerkraut I put everything into a bucket and put a plate on top with something to weigh the plate down. I put a pillowcase on top of the bucket to keep bugs away. If I am making smaller batches of sauerkraut I pack it into a quart jar (1 cabbage will fit into a quart jar. It takes some packing, but it will work) and pack it in as much as possible and then screw on the lid. Whatever method I use I just make sure the veggies are totally submerged under the brine. If they are not submerged, I mix salt and water together and pour that over the veggies so they are totally submerged.
4) Now, it just sits. I leave it somewhere in a moderate temperature. I check the sauerkraut once a day. If there is white scum, I scrape it off (it’s not bad if you can’t get it all. I never can get it all so I eat lots of white scum and am totally fine). I rinse off the weight or lid once a day. I start tasting the sauerkraut after 4 – 5 days and it usually starts getting tasty around then. I usually give my sauerkraut anywhere between one week to three weeks. I like to experiment with different tangyness.
5) Once I am satisfied with the taste of the kraut I put it in the fridge. It seems to keep for quite a long time. It is absolutely delicious on a baked potato or on grilled cheese!
How I Make Pickles:
Real pickles are some of the best damn things on earth.
Ingredients I Use:
3 – 4 pounds cucumbers (I have also made zucchini pickles – very good!)
6 tablespoons salt
½ gallon water
3 – 4 tablespoons dill
2 – 3 heads of garlic, peeled
1 handful fresh grape, oak, cherry, or horseradish leaves (for the tannins)
1 pinch peppercorns
What I do:
1) I dissolve the 6 tablespoons of salt in the ½ gallon of water. Sometimes to speed this process, I warm a few cups of that water and dissolve the salt in the smaller batch, then add the salty mixture to the rest of the water.
2) In the crock or bucket I put in dill, garlic, pepper corns, and oak leaves (or other tannin rich leaf – this helps a lot in keeping the pickles crispy!). Then I put in the cukes (or whatever vegetable I’m pickling).
3) I pour the brine over the pickles. If the brine doesn’t cover the pickles I make more brine (at a ration of 1 tablespoon salt per cup of water) so the veggies are totally submerged.
4) I put a plate on top of the pickles and a weight on top of the plate (a jug filled with water works well) and then cover the whole bucket with a pillowcase to keep the bugs away. I keep the crock in a place with a moderate temperature.
5) I check the crock everyday. If there is white scum on top (there probably will be) then I just scrape as much of it off as I can. Each time I check the pickles, I rinse off the weight. After about 4 – 5 days I start to taste the pickles. Usually after a week they will be ready. Sometimes I experiment and let them sit longer, perhaps up to three weeks.
6) Once I am satisfied with the taste I put them in the fridge and enjoy! I don’t really know how long they last because I usually eat them up really fast!
*You can kraut up and pickle all kinds of things. I have made a kraut out of beets and zucchini. I have pickled zucchini slices (there’s a lot of zucchini in August) and radishes with very tasty results. I also love to make a batch of kimchi (a lot like pickles, but with some spicy pizzazz!). I make a brine solution and to that I add grated ginger, garlic, and chili peppers. The veggies I have put in kimchi include sliced eggplant, squash, zucchini, peppers, carrots and radishes. Very tasty!
**Once you have finished your pickles, be sure to hold onto the brine! It makes an excellent and healthful tonic. It’s great for digestion and makes an unparalleled gargle when you have a soar throat. It’s also tasty when added to salad dressings or soup!
Interestingly enough grandma probably didn’t grow up learning how to can from her mother. She went to a community kitchen, a canning factory, or a school to learn to can. And more than likely grandma didn’t can in her own kitchen, but at a communal kitchen. Canning was a highly industrialized process developed in the early 19th century to feed far traveling imperial armies and international sea-faring explorers (hello, Monsieur Napoleon). It’s a complicated, involved, scientific process, quite different from home-based methods of preservation like lacto-fermentation. Also, unlike lacto-fermentation, it carried the rather weighty risk of botulism (you’d be fucked). Canning never really became a home-based skill. The equipment needed was far too expensive for most families to afford. By the late 19th century people had access to canned foods in their markets, but often did not practice the skill themselves. That was left to the industry. It wasn’t until the World Wars and the Great Depression with intense resource shortages that canning became a somewhat popular skill to pursue in communal kitchens. In fact, we have the home economics movement to thank for it (oh wow, thanks!). The home economics movement headed by Ellen Richards heralded teaching women how to create a hygienic home that would prevent the spread of germs while serving the needs of her family (you can barf, it’s ok. I do when I hear the word “hygiene”). Canning fit the bill perfectly. Everything was sterilized, recipes had to be followed word for word, pH accounted for, and microbes eliminated to safely can foods (umm, needless to say, I sure as hell don’t can). With a growing fear of germs, canning became the most popular preservation method of the mid 20th century (cuz it killed everything!). It was not based in family, tradition, or culture (and really, hopefully family, tradition, and culture aren’t sterile. At least we can hope). It was based in industrial advancement, germ phobia, a growing obsession with hygiene, and a schooling system set up outside the family to serve the purposes of war and economic collapse.
If we were to check in with great-grandma and great-great-grandma we’d find that she probably lacto-fermented (I realize it doesn’t sound as cool to talk about lacto-fermenting on the homefront or victory lacto-fermenting, but regardless it’s fucking cool). Lacto-fermentation is a living process that happens with the help of bacteria (cheese, bread, and beer are also made thanks to bacteria, though different kinds of microscopic living things are at play). With a little salt, water, a moderate temperature, and a little time the lactobacilli proliferates. The process preserves the nutritional value of the food, with the added benefit of additional vitamin C (yay, no scurvy during winter!) and additional beneficial bacteria. Yes, I did say beneficial bacteria. This worldview that in order to be safe everything must be sterile using any antibacterial cleaning agent at hand is somewhat deranged (they make fucking antibacterial shoes these days. What the hell?) You are fucking clean, stop using the damn antibacterial Purell hand sanitizer shit (by the way, their copyrighted phrase is “imagine a touchable world.” you can’t touch the fucking world without hand sanitizer?!). The way lacto-fermentation works is that the bacteria present in the fermented food can fight off any potentially harmful bacteria (canning can’t do this) so it is safe. Even for you, OCD hygiene-oid.
So why would introducing bacteria into your body be good for you? As humans we can credit bacteria with our ability to digest food. That means we survive because those tiny squiggly things help us out. (Bear with me here, I’m gonna get a little nerdy and list some facts, but they are fucking cool facts!) Beneficial bacteria live in our gut, mouth, skin, colon, and vagina. There are somewhere between 500 - 1,000 different species of bacteria in the human body. There are ten times as many bacteria in our bodies than cells. The activity of the bacteria in the gut is equivalent to that of a human organ, the reason behind the gut being called the “forgotten organ.” It is estimated that all together the bacteria in the human body weighs between 2 – 9 pounds (ok, the “did you know that…” part is done). With all this being considered, why would we want to put sterilized food into our bodies? If we eat things because they are “heart healthy” or to cleanse the liver or whatever, then why not eat for the gut! Help populate your body with beneficial bacteria! Apparently, as we become more globalized our microbiota (microbiota used to be called microflora but the scientists felt that was inaccurate since flora refers specifically to plants. I like both words, but microflora makes me think of a human covered with green, viny plant material which is cool, but maybe a little too sci-fi) are also becoming more and more homogenized, losing diverse microbiota specific to particular regions and environments. Certain kinds of human microbiota are at risk of becoming endangered (and let me tell you folks, there isn’t gonna be a list of endangered species for bacteria happening any time soon). However, unlike restoring the bald eagle population to North America, it can be rather simple to guarantee the survival of human microbiota. Just make your own! Heck, give yourself a name – the American Committee for the Restoration of Microbiota (ACRM), Homeland Bacteria, Fuck Hygiene-oids, Inc. It’s as easy as making a crock of sauerkraut!
How I Make Sauerkraut
There might be nothing easier than making sauerkraut.
Ingredients I Use:
one head of cabbage
maybe some beets (I’ve also made a kraut with just grated beets, really tasty!)
a few carrots (if I feel like it)
an onion (if I feel like it)
maybe some herbs like caraway seeds
What I Do:
1) I grate all the vegetables that I want to put in my sauerkraut and put them in a large bowl. As a grate I add a little salt, so each layer of grated veggies has a healthy sprinkling of salt in between. I never measure how much salt I use, but I would guess I use about 3 tablespoons, more or less.
2) One all the veggies are grated and salted, I mix them up with my hands, squeezing the veggies as I go. As I mix and squeeze I start to see more and more water being wrung out of the veggies.
3) Now I pack the veggies into something (glass or food-grade plastic) that will allow them to be compacted. When I am making a lot of sauerkraut I put everything into a bucket and put a plate on top with something to weigh the plate down. I put a pillowcase on top of the bucket to keep bugs away. If I am making smaller batches of sauerkraut I pack it into a quart jar (1 cabbage will fit into a quart jar. It takes some packing, but it will work) and pack it in as much as possible and then screw on the lid. Whatever method I use I just make sure the veggies are totally submerged under the brine. If they are not submerged, I mix salt and water together and pour that over the veggies so they are totally submerged.
4) Now, it just sits. I leave it somewhere in a moderate temperature. I check the sauerkraut once a day. If there is white scum, I scrape it off (it’s not bad if you can’t get it all. I never can get it all so I eat lots of white scum and am totally fine). I rinse off the weight or lid once a day. I start tasting the sauerkraut after 4 – 5 days and it usually starts getting tasty around then. I usually give my sauerkraut anywhere between one week to three weeks. I like to experiment with different tangyness.
5) Once I am satisfied with the taste of the kraut I put it in the fridge. It seems to keep for quite a long time. It is absolutely delicious on a baked potato or on grilled cheese!
How I Make Pickles:
Real pickles are some of the best damn things on earth.
Ingredients I Use:
3 – 4 pounds cucumbers (I have also made zucchini pickles – very good!)
6 tablespoons salt
½ gallon water
3 – 4 tablespoons dill
2 – 3 heads of garlic, peeled
1 handful fresh grape, oak, cherry, or horseradish leaves (for the tannins)
1 pinch peppercorns
What I do:
1) I dissolve the 6 tablespoons of salt in the ½ gallon of water. Sometimes to speed this process, I warm a few cups of that water and dissolve the salt in the smaller batch, then add the salty mixture to the rest of the water.
2) In the crock or bucket I put in dill, garlic, pepper corns, and oak leaves (or other tannin rich leaf – this helps a lot in keeping the pickles crispy!). Then I put in the cukes (or whatever vegetable I’m pickling).
3) I pour the brine over the pickles. If the brine doesn’t cover the pickles I make more brine (at a ration of 1 tablespoon salt per cup of water) so the veggies are totally submerged.
4) I put a plate on top of the pickles and a weight on top of the plate (a jug filled with water works well) and then cover the whole bucket with a pillowcase to keep the bugs away. I keep the crock in a place with a moderate temperature.
5) I check the crock everyday. If there is white scum on top (there probably will be) then I just scrape as much of it off as I can. Each time I check the pickles, I rinse off the weight. After about 4 – 5 days I start to taste the pickles. Usually after a week they will be ready. Sometimes I experiment and let them sit longer, perhaps up to three weeks.
6) Once I am satisfied with the taste I put them in the fridge and enjoy! I don’t really know how long they last because I usually eat them up really fast!
*You can kraut up and pickle all kinds of things. I have made a kraut out of beets and zucchini. I have pickled zucchini slices (there’s a lot of zucchini in August) and radishes with very tasty results. I also love to make a batch of kimchi (a lot like pickles, but with some spicy pizzazz!). I make a brine solution and to that I add grated ginger, garlic, and chili peppers. The veggies I have put in kimchi include sliced eggplant, squash, zucchini, peppers, carrots and radishes. Very tasty!
**Once you have finished your pickles, be sure to hold onto the brine! It makes an excellent and healthful tonic. It’s great for digestion and makes an unparalleled gargle when you have a soar throat. It’s also tasty when added to salad dressings or soup!
Books and people I'd like to thank
Really, I don’t know shit. Everything I write about in this booklet I have tons of people and books to be grateful for. Thanks to you for taking the time to share your precious wisdom. I definitely recommend reading these books. They are treasure-troves.
I wanted to put this in the middle of the booklet rather than the usual last page bibliography because I am so indebted and grateful for these awesome, inspiring people.
Phil Botwinick is the founder of a really awesome organization called Local Energy Solutions (check out the website at www.localenergycolutions.org). He organized the permaculture course I participated in a few years ago. He and his partner Tom Neilson are sorta stars in the documentary Escape from Suburbia (which I also recommend checking out). A good discussion with them is an entire education unto itself.
Sandor Ellix Katz is fucking awesome. Read his two books: Wild Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America’s Underground Food Movements. Both are great. I got tons of recipes from him, including the ones in this zine for sauerkraut, pickles, farmer’s cheese, and yogurt.
Stephen Harrod Buhner is quite the badass as well. He wrote Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers. It’s one of the best books I’ve read. Tons of great information and recipes. He is my guide in all things beer. My beer recipe is from him.
Daniel Leader is a man of the loaf. His book Bread Alone: Bold Fresh Loaves From Your Own Hands is my bread bible. My recipe for focaccia/pizza crust is from him.
Richard Reynolds is a guerrilla gardener extraordinaire. His book On Guerilla Gardening is an awesome and inspiring read.
Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning is a great book with lots of traditional methods of food preservation put together by the gardeners and farmers of Terre Vivante.
The documentary Crash Course by Chris Martenson is an excellent overview of why doing stuff like what I talk about in this book is not only a good idea, but pretty urgent. He delves into the issues of energy, environment, and economy and makes it accessible.
Other cool people that have written cool stuff: Weston A. Price, Sally Fallon, Bill Mollison, Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver, Gary Paul Nabhan, etc. There are tons of awesome things out there.
I’d love to hear if you have any more recommendations: email me at sakauffman@yahoo.com
I wanted to put this in the middle of the booklet rather than the usual last page bibliography because I am so indebted and grateful for these awesome, inspiring people.
Phil Botwinick is the founder of a really awesome organization called Local Energy Solutions (check out the website at www.localenergycolutions.org). He organized the permaculture course I participated in a few years ago. He and his partner Tom Neilson are sorta stars in the documentary Escape from Suburbia (which I also recommend checking out). A good discussion with them is an entire education unto itself.
Sandor Ellix Katz is fucking awesome. Read his two books: Wild Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America’s Underground Food Movements. Both are great. I got tons of recipes from him, including the ones in this zine for sauerkraut, pickles, farmer’s cheese, and yogurt.
Stephen Harrod Buhner is quite the badass as well. He wrote Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers. It’s one of the best books I’ve read. Tons of great information and recipes. He is my guide in all things beer. My beer recipe is from him.
Daniel Leader is a man of the loaf. His book Bread Alone: Bold Fresh Loaves From Your Own Hands is my bread bible. My recipe for focaccia/pizza crust is from him.
Richard Reynolds is a guerrilla gardener extraordinaire. His book On Guerilla Gardening is an awesome and inspiring read.
Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning is a great book with lots of traditional methods of food preservation put together by the gardeners and farmers of Terre Vivante.
The documentary Crash Course by Chris Martenson is an excellent overview of why doing stuff like what I talk about in this book is not only a good idea, but pretty urgent. He delves into the issues of energy, environment, and economy and makes it accessible.
Other cool people that have written cool stuff: Weston A. Price, Sally Fallon, Bill Mollison, Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver, Gary Paul Nabhan, etc. There are tons of awesome things out there.
I’d love to hear if you have any more recommendations: email me at sakauffman@yahoo.com
Why I go through all that work to make all this shit
1) Handiwork. Hands are fucking awesome. Think of all the verbs that relate to hands – holding, letting go, digging, reaching, squeezing, scattering, picking, throwing, pushing, pulling, giving, receiving, grasping, praying. Hands evoke things out of abstraction into a physical presence. The structure of human anatomy even recognizes this. The human hand has 27 bones out of the 206 – 208 bones in the adult body. That’s about 13%! And, let’s not forget about the opposable thumb!
2) Sensual experience. Sticky dough feels good. The bubbles of fermenting beer sound good. It all smells and tastes good (hopefully)! Obviously some deftness with food don’t hurt when trying to get laid.
3) Food security. I hate this phrase because I can’t help but hear a George W. twang say it. Any phrase with the word “security” I mentally file it away into a post 9/11 paranoid mindset. It does however, seem to be the phrase a la mode (here, I just mean “of the time.” I wish I meant “with ice cream”). Food security means that food is available and accessible to all. Growing and making your own food nurtures a reliance on smaller communities rather than relying on corporate food systems and political bodies to handle food (they have not done a very good job of this).
4) The earth. Because I’m pretty sure if it could, the earth would ask me to. Making your own food is more sustainable, getting rid of lots of steps of wasteful processing, transport, and storage. It also favors smaller, people-friendly economies and social structures rather than globalized, carbon sucking, oppressive powers.
5) Political action. Each food act I make is a protest against corporate control and homogenization. Opposing the food system includes rebelling against the political, economic, and social structures through simple acts, like making a crock of sauerkraut. No permit needed.
6) Spiritual need. Being involved with my food, my land, and the wellbeing of my community with whom I share the food I make is a spiritual experience. It’s a way of growing roots.
7) Nutrition. Our food system has produced some ugly food with ugly results – diabetes and heart disease to name the biggies. Eating living foods (that’s right, they’re alive!) that are nutritionally enhanced with ancient methods of preservation just makes sense. Ask Weson A. Price. They are simply healthier – making the benefits of the food more available and digestible to the human body.
8) Expense. Making these foods at home costs pennies compared to the cost of buying inferior products at the grocery store.
9) It is way more fun this way.
10) It tastes really fucking good.
2) Sensual experience. Sticky dough feels good. The bubbles of fermenting beer sound good. It all smells and tastes good (hopefully)! Obviously some deftness with food don’t hurt when trying to get laid.
3) Food security. I hate this phrase because I can’t help but hear a George W. twang say it. Any phrase with the word “security” I mentally file it away into a post 9/11 paranoid mindset. It does however, seem to be the phrase a la mode (here, I just mean “of the time.” I wish I meant “with ice cream”). Food security means that food is available and accessible to all. Growing and making your own food nurtures a reliance on smaller communities rather than relying on corporate food systems and political bodies to handle food (they have not done a very good job of this).
4) The earth. Because I’m pretty sure if it could, the earth would ask me to. Making your own food is more sustainable, getting rid of lots of steps of wasteful processing, transport, and storage. It also favors smaller, people-friendly economies and social structures rather than globalized, carbon sucking, oppressive powers.
5) Political action. Each food act I make is a protest against corporate control and homogenization. Opposing the food system includes rebelling against the political, economic, and social structures through simple acts, like making a crock of sauerkraut. No permit needed.
6) Spiritual need. Being involved with my food, my land, and the wellbeing of my community with whom I share the food I make is a spiritual experience. It’s a way of growing roots.
7) Nutrition. Our food system has produced some ugly food with ugly results – diabetes and heart disease to name the biggies. Eating living foods (that’s right, they’re alive!) that are nutritionally enhanced with ancient methods of preservation just makes sense. Ask Weson A. Price. They are simply healthier – making the benefits of the food more available and digestible to the human body.
8) Expense. Making these foods at home costs pennies compared to the cost of buying inferior products at the grocery store.
9) It is way more fun this way.
10) It tastes really fucking good.
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