One of the things that keeps me blogging is the lack of information about certain topics available online – and this is one of those. There is oodles of information, youtube videos, and so on for still cider and even moreso bubbly cider achieved by fermenting dry then priming with sugar for carbonation, none of which I wanted to make. … Read More
I’m So Over You, 2011 Apple Crush.
There has been an inverse relationship between my activity with food and my number of posts lately – ie, I’ve been so busy harvesting and processing fruit and veg that there’s really not much time left to write. But I believe I’ve turned a corner. Apple crush is over. Last year I crushed and pressed about 1000 lbs of urban … Read More
Normandy, Part 2: Apple Booze
[Part 1 is here]. Over lunch yesterday it came up that some of the calvados I was tasting in Normandy was 40 years or older, the oldest specific vintage being a 1969 Dupont. That would be very unusual in the wine world, and highlighted one of the fantastic things about spirits vs. wine: shelf stability. Opening a bottle of 1969 … Read More
Normandy, Part 1: How They Do Things
I’m back. Not surprisingly, Normandy was quite the beautiful adventure. I was there to educate my palate, learn some methodology in cider and calvados production, and most importantly to glean from their centuries-old apple food culture. I live in a place of copious amounts of largely wasted urban apples, with a brand-newly emerging scene surrounding how to save them and … Read More
Frontenac Vintage Update
My relationship with wine grapes is a complex one. I did piles of research a few years ago to be well prepped for the potential day in the future that I would have wine grapes in my very own back yard. I since have become a believer in the apple culture we live in here, and am heading to Normandy … Read More
Tomato Vintage
This year’s tomato vintage sports both pretty substantial fails and victories, but on the whole, it’s a win. First, the good. I planted space that wasn’t in production last year, on the south side of my garage along the alley. ‘Aren’t you worried people will steal your crop?’, asked many. I figure if they need it that bad, have it. … Read More
Dry Beans – Preliminary Verdict [2011 harvest]
Last night I tackled the next round of bean harvest and shelling. I’m realizing one of the perks of being small-scale on this I can harvest as they ripen – which they are not doing all at once – and it’s actually quite pleasurable to sit and shell them. Yes I will likely thresh them as my production increases. Some … Read More
Dry Beans – 2011 Harvest Begins
Dry bean harvest has begun. This is my 3rd year at it, and it’s now one of the crops that gets me most excited. There are some seriously compelling reasons to grow this stuff. First, there is no other substantial protein from the garden that can store as well and as easily. No solar dehydrator here – leave them out … Read More
Cherry Rescue Marathon
Cherries needed rescuing – about 300 lbs of them. So I made it happen. For those of you that don’t know, Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton [OFRE, pronounced ‘offer’] is an organization that aligns folks with a yard full of fruit they can’t use and/or don’t want to pick with volunteers that are willing to pick it and put it to … Read More