Lacto Fermented Sauerkraut

My lovely friend Melissa, and I had the pleasure of spending a weekend last October in beautiful Black Mountain, North Carolina, at the Southeast Women's Herbal Conference. During our stay we were introduced to a delightfully delicious treat known as lacto fermented sauerkraut. I believe it was our favorite food for the weekend!

Now, don't get me wrong ... I've made sauerkraut before. But *this* kraut, well, you'll just have to try it yourself to understand. Besides the immense health benefits it provides, lacto fermented kraut is fresh, crunchy, tangy, and I dare say more addictive (and better for you!) than potato chips. Cold or cooked, YUM. I am seriously sitting here eating a bowl of it right now, as I type this.

I'm not going to try and expound on lacto fermentation when you can read all about it from the master herself, Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats (with Mary G. Enig, PhD), a well-researched, thought-provoking guide to traditional foods. I couldn't possibly do a better job of explaining the process, so read for yourself and then feel free to enjoy the photos of my very own adventures in lacto fermented sauerkraut making!

The process I used is just the one that works best for me. I find it incredibly simple and satisfying and I hope you give it a try. I started with a wide-mouthed gallon-sized glass jar with lid, a gallon-sized zip-lock bag, large wooden spoon, and a potato masher. I used one large head of cabbage, 2 carrots & 1 medium onion (these are optional), 2 T. sea or kosher salt, and 1/2 cup whey. So here goes ...

I picked a large head of green cabbage from my garden, feeding the sad looking outer leaves to the cows and chickens.


I quartered the head to make it easier to handle, then sliced each quarter into 1/4 -1/2 inch strips. You end up with what looks to be a ton of cabbage. The first time I made this I thought there was no way all that was going to fit into my gallon jar! But wait ...


I then cut the strips into thirds.


I took two large carrots, scraped & halved, then processed them in my snazzy 1970's model food processesor.

Processed carrots.

Coarsely chopped one yellow onion.

Mixed everything together and added 2 tablespoons kosher salt (sea salt is best but I was out),

and 1/2 cup whey. Our milk cow is dry, so I hung 16 oz of plain organic yogurt in cheesecloth over a bowl in my fridge overnight and got a cup of whey from it. (The leftover yogurt cheese is delicious on crackers with red onion.)

Mixed everything well to coat all the veggies with whey & salt.

Then pounded the crap out of it with a potato masher, every 10 minutes or so for about an hour. This allows some of the natural liquids to release from the cabbage, wilting it down a bit and reducing the volume considerably.

Spooned it into my gallon jar. The canning funnel made this much easier.

It looked like I was going to have to add water to cover the vegetables, but a good smash with the potato masher crammed everything down into the jar, covering all with the natural liquids.

Put the ziplock bag into the jar, leaving the zip-top hanging out the top. Then poured water into the bag to within about an inch of the top, making sure the bag completely filled the space above the kraut. The weight of the water helps hold the veg down below the liquid. Lacto fermentation only occurs in an oxygenless environment, so remember .. no air in the veggies!

Sealed the lid, leaving the top of the bag hanging over the sides of the jar.

Let it sit on the counter in my kitchen for three days (needs to be kept around 72 degrees fahrenheit) then, ta da! Lacto fermented sauerkraut! You can eat it now, like me, but it only gets better with time. Kept in a cool dark place (Sally suggests 40 degrees ... I just keep mine in the fridge), it should keep for many months. I just can't seem to keep it for that long.

Come on. You know you want it ;)

An Exciting Find!

I was weeding the perimeter of our garden fence by hand today (I do this because I love to let Morning Glories grow up the fence, and the weed eater is an indescriminate killer), and lookie what I found!



The praying mantis is one of my most favorite insects. I found a very young mantis in my driveway earlier this year and very carefully transferred it to my garden.



I can't say if this is the same one, but I like to think that it is :)



So I called my Jaybird to tell him about my find, and he said, "Oh yeah! There's a mantis egg sac on one of our blueberry bushes!"



Well! How's that for Christmas in September? I'm not really sure if the egg sac, or "ootheca" has already hatched or is ready to overwinter for hatching next spring when the weather turns warm again, but either way, I'm thrilled! Mantids are voracious predators of harmful garden insects, and let's just face it; they're positively fascinating in every conceivable way!

The Life Cycle of the Praying Mantis

Aye Carumba!

I'm normally pretty appreciative of the insect life around me, and out here in the boondocks there is a plethora of it to appreciate. But this takes the cake! I went out to pick the last of my blueberries and caught a glimpse of this, um, caterpop, and almost did a back flip! Isn't it cool and yet horrible at the same time? Kinda makes you think of a creeped out appetizer-on-a-stick, doesn't it? :D

I did a little research, and I think these are "Yellownecked Caterpillars" (Datana ministra), destroyer of oak leaves and other United States hardwoods, not to mention shade and ornamental trees >:-(

And this, from the Forest Health Protection, Southern Region: Newly hatched larvae skeltonize the leaf; older larvae devour all except the leaf stalk. Individual trees, or even stands, may be defoliated during late summer and early fall. Since defoliation is confined to the late part of the growing season, little damage is caused to the tree.

See the way they've arched their backs, throwing their heads and tails up into the air? When disturbed, the creepy little larvae use this as a defensive measure to prevent parasitism by various wasps and flies. I think it looks pretty funny. Like bug yoga.

Moths appear during June and July and deposit white eggs in masses of 50 to 100 on the undersides of the leaves. Larvae feed in groups, reportedly maturing in August and September. Mature larvae are fuzzy and black with white stripes. I hate to thell them but they're running late. They're really gonna have to get on the stick to make it by October (pun intended! heh..) Mature larvae drop to the soil and pupate at depths of 2 to 4 inches (50 to 100 mm), where they spend the winter. There is one generation per year, and since their natural enemies generally keep infestations in check and they apparently don't really cause much damage, I'm just going to leave the little suckers alone, and see if the freakshow returns next year! ;)

Mr. Monarch Butterfly

I wonder where you've been, and where you're going.



I hope you enjoyed your visit to my garden!



You're a bit tattered and torn, but beautiful still, and always welcome here. I hope I'll see you again soon.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

I found this caterpillar in my dill earlier in the summer, and lucky for me it's still there! I hope it stays and gifts us with the opportunity to watch his/her transformation. It's going to be a gorgeous Black Swallowtail. Also called the Parsley Caterpillar, young Black Swallowtail caterpillars are black with a white saddle, later becoming smooth and green with black bands and yellow spots, growing to approximately 2 inches. It has an orange osmeterium, a fleshy organ found in the prothoracic segment of caterpillar larvae of Swallowtail butterflies including Birdwings. This organ emits smelly compounds believed to be pheromones. Normally hidden, this forked structure can be everted when the caterpillar is threatened, and used to emit a foul-smelling secretion containing terpenes. These chemicals are bad tasting to predators and vary from species to species.

The Black Swallowtail eats Queen Anne's lace, carrot, parsley and dill, of course. It overwinters as a chrysalis and is found in southern Canada and throughout the eastern United States, as well as the south-western states and Mexico.

Isn't it beautiful? :)

Feedin' Time!

My youngest daughter, Ava, positively loves animals, and chickens in particular. She goes to the barn with me every single day to feed and water them and gather eggs, and has a pet chicken she named, "Lolly", that allows my girl to pick her up and carry her around like a baby. It's very cute!

So here we are, at the gate, and everyone is here to greet us with their usual enthusiasm!


And, they're off!


Feeding frenzy!


Ava and Lolly, BFF.


There's nothing better than life on a farm! :)

Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Common, or Eastern Ninebark takes her name from her unusual but beautiful, peeling bark. I bought one for two dollars at the Master Gardener's Annual Plant Sale in May and put her in my garden, before I did some reasearch and realized she's going to get too big - as in up to ten feet wide and tall - for her plot. I'm planning on moving her to a place where she can really spread out this Fall.

A membef of the Rosaceae, or Rose, family, Ninebark is a deciduous, hardy, spring-blooming shrub, but mine didn't bloom this year so we'll have to wait and find out about her flowers first-hand next Spring.. I can't wait to see them! It is native from to Quebec to Tennessee and is cold hardy to Zone 2. It has a medium growth rate and gorgeous yellow to bronze autumn foliage. Mine was wildharvested and will blend perfectly with my "Wild & Wooly" yard and garden theme ;)

I don't know much about Ninebark yet, but I've read that it can be propagated from cuttings or seeds, which germinate without pre-treatment. It transplants easily and apparently grows well in a wide variety of light, moisture, and acidity, making it a very hardy, friendly, adaptable shrub to grow.

Common Ninebark's spring-blooming flowers are an excellent nectar source, and the red fruits which appear in Autumn are eaten by many species of birds (some species flower and fruit in the same period). Physocarpus monogynus, or Mountain Ninebark, of the Southwestern US was used by Indians to relieve pain – the roots were boiled to softness and placed on sores and lesions as a poultice.

Gardening in Raised Beds

We started building raised beds about seven years ago, and although there are a few drawbacks, we've never regretted it. After the initial time, energy and possible expense it takes to build them, raised beds are easy to prepare for planting and to care for. Along with being attractive, they drain well (sometimes too well), make the soil much easier to amend after they are established, and warm up earlier in the spring for cool season vegetables like cabbages and onions. Raised beds suffer little soil erosion and are wonderful for those who have limited garden space. You only need one or two feet between beds (unless you want to fit a wheelbarrow between them, like we do, in which case you will need to measure the width), and four to eight inches high depending on your preference and convenience.

My favorite material for beds is mountain stone, but the other materials we have used in the past are locust posts and 2" x 6" untreated lumber. Remember that prior to 2003, manufacturers were pressure treating lumber with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a chemical wood preservative containing chromium, copper and arsenic used to protect wood from rotting due to insects and microbial agents, and you don't want this possibly leaching into your garden soil. Make sure to ask about whether or not your lumber has been treated before you buy. I would rather replace an occasional rotting board (all of my boards are still fine after seven years) than take that kind of risk. I highly recommend having your own garden soil tested not only for dangerous chemicals but for finding out your soil pH, as well. This is an invaluable service that can eventually improve your garden 10-fold. You can request a soil test container and form from your local extension office. I don't know about other states but in Alabama, Auburn University only charges $7 for this service. If you would like to familiarize yourself, the Soil Testing .pdf document from Auburn University is HERE.

Raised beds are also convenient for use with row covers, intercropping, trickle irrigation, successive plantings, and more!

Raised beds can cost as much or as little as you like, but they do take time and labor to build. They make it very difficult to use large mechanical equipment like tillers, and are not very space-efficient for sprawling veggie's like squashes, cucumbers, pumpkins and watermelons. Spacing beds or plants too close together may prevent proper air circulation and encourage the spread of diseases. I'd have to say, though, that our biggest problem with raised beds is too-rapid drainage. It causes the plants to need extra watering in the hotter parts of the year, causing drought stress on many of the plants if we aren't vigilant. We have well water so it doesn't cost us anything extra but we do share a well with my in-laws and it's not a bottomless well. Supplemental irrigation is essential when gardening in raised beds, but we have to be very careful to conserve as much as possible, making the whole situation a very delicate balance. Adding lots of organic matter to the soil/heavy mulching helps tremedously by helping to retain soil moisture.

The easiest (and cheapest!) way to garden in raised beds is by treating your entire garden area with fertilizer, lime, and organic matter (This is when knowing your soil pH would really help! Treat to correct your pH, if necessary ... 6.2 - 6.8 is best), and then simply rake or plow your freshly worked up soil into temporary ridges, creating a path or walkway in between mounds. Make sure you are able to reach at least halfway across each bed so you'll be able to plant/weed/etc. without having to stretch or walk across them. To avoid soil compaction, you should never walk over a raised garden bed. Flatten off the top, and you're ready to plant! It's not very different from regular, or "conventional" gardening, but it does make working the soil and drainage much more effecient.

To build permanent raised beds, mark off each area where you want a bed to be placed with stakes and twine (you can also use paint, but I try to keep as many chemicals out of my garden as possible), or eyeball it if you're confident. Using a shovel and some good old fashioned back power, dig up the entire area, turning and loosening the soil as you go. Try to avoid digging when the soil is too damp, as this will cause big ole honkin' dirt clods to form that will cause you immeasurable grief later on. Trust me on this. Work your fertilizer and/or lime (if needed) and other organic material/compost as deeply as possible into the soil. When I say "as deeply as possible" I don't mean dig to China, but rather at least eight to twelve inches down, or at least until you're feeling like you're going to pass out. I love to use a Mantis tiller for this but my hubby is a first class Shoveller of Soil. A spading fork also works well. Your choice.

If you're feeling particularly froggy, you can "double dig". I don't even like talking about it, so HERE'S a very informative article about it to get you started! :D

Edge your beds with whatever you like: lumber, rocks/stone, posts, cinderblocks, railroad ties, etc., and feel free to use soil from the "aisles", shredded leaves, compost, sand, top soil, or any other suitable material to fill your raised bed to the desired height.

Now, for maximum efficiency, space plants equally distant from each other, rather than in the typical rows. Ideally, plants should "just" touch when fully mature so that they create a nice 'canopy' over the soil between them. If you do plan to place sprawling vegetables in your raised beds, make sure they are supported so that they can grow up rather than all over the dang place. I've never tried corn in a raised bed but I've read that it's a bad idea because it needs better anchorage.

Things to Remember:

**Keep those raised beds fertilized and watered!
**Pull up the weeds when they're little. Big weeds are big trouble!
**Rotate plants of the same families into different locations every other year. For example, tomatoes (including husk tomatoes like tomatillos), peppers, eggplant, and Irish potatoes are all memebers of the Solanaceae (or "Nightshade" .. don't you just love that word?) family and shouldn't be planted in the same place every year. Growing the same crop in the same place year after year tends to deplete the soil of nutrients (different plants require different levels of nutrients) and allows disease-causing organisms and nasty little nematodes to accumulated in the soil over time, reaching levels that cause infections in your plants or just flat out kill them. Come to think of it, I should probably blog about crop rotation later.

Anyway, if you decide to build yourself some raised beds, I think you'll be very glad you did. And don't let space restrictions stop you. If you only have three square feet of space then build a little bed to fit it! I suggest a raised kitchen herb bed, at the very least ;)

Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis, Matricaria recutita)

Sing it now! "... Isn't she loooooov-ely ... Isn't she wooooon-der-ful ... " Oh, I just LOVE Chamomile, don't you? Seriously, sometimes when I'm feeling blue I just stroll out into my garden and sit down beside her. She's so sweet and gentle, and a truly trusted friend. Being with Chamomile makes me feel happy and lighthearted.

She's a member of the Asteraceae/Compositae family and is related to Sunflowers and Ragweed, so watch out, allergy sufferers! We'll have a lesson on Ragweed later. Chamomile is an Eastern European native but is cultivated and naturalized from here to Australia and back. Egyptian Chamomile is supposed to have a particularly high essential oil content, but I haven't made a personal comparison. I try to use the least amount of essential oils possible (It takes tons of plant material to make them, and it seems like overkill to me).

She is also known as English Chamomile, Camomile, Roman Chamomile, Chamomilla, Fleur de Camomile, German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Hungarian chamomile or wild chamomile, Manzanilla, Matricaire, Pin Heads, Sweet False Chamomile, and True Chamomile. Good grief! It's no wonder plants can be so confusing. Sometimes I think a bunch of important people were sitting around a big table arguing about what to name plants, but couldn't agree on just one name and so in their great importance decided to use them ALL. This is why I love Latin botanical names. They can be hard to pronounce, but they're safe (you know exactly which plant your working with), reliable, and they cut down the confusion. I would much rather remember one fancy name than two dozen simpler ones. Interesting note: Her fresh blossoms have an apple scent, thus her Greek name "chamos" (ground) and "melos" (apple).

Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) the "official remedy" and my favorite, is a low growing perennial herb with hairy stems, and she creeps, which I adore. She may be propagated from seeds in early spring, by runners, or transplants. Either should be spaced about 18 inches apart. I have had great success with transplants. She loves a sunny site with any good, well-drained garden soil (a bit of soil acidity is also appreciated by Chamomile). For some reason I'm unaware of, seeds often produce mostly the single-flowered variety. She forms a gorgeous, aromatic (my mom thinks Chamomile's foliage smells like bubblegum) ground cover and has fine, feathery leaves and single or double sweet little pleasant tasting daisy-like flowers with a yellow center and white florets on a single, long erect stalk. She has a jointed, fibrous root.

Roman Chamomile flowers' therapeutic actions are anodyne, antiallergic, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, aromatic, bitter tonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, sedative, and stomachic.
***According to Newall, Anderson and Phillipson, large doses of Roman Chamomile have been reported to cause vomiting and stomach irritation. Excessive use during pregnancy and lactation should be avoided due to reputed abortifacient actions, its ability to affect the menstrual cycle, and the potential allergic affects. Its coumarin constituent may interfere with anticoagulant therapy if used in excessive doses.

German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is an erect annual with round stems, is branched, and about 15-24 inches in height. She may be propagated from thinly sewn seeds. They'll flower in about 8 weeks and can be harvested until the plant dies. Remember to leave some flowers to set seed for next year's crop! The German's flowers are similar to the Roman but with a hollow conical center 2 cm across, and stronger, more bitter tasting flowers. It has a fibrous root and fewer leaves which are divided and threadlike. It also smells similar to Roman but stronger and less aromatic.

German Chamomile flowers are anodyne, anthelmintic, antiallergic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiulcer, antiviral, calmative, carminative, diuretic, diaphoretic, stomachic and tonic. WHEW! I hate typing therapeutic actions!
***German Chamomile should be avoided by people with sensitivity to the Asteraceae/Compositae family, especially asthmatics. It is not recommended for teething babies, and should also be avoided in excessive dosesduring anticoagulant therapy. Newall, Anderson and Phillipson recommend avoiding excessive use during pregnancy and lactation due to reputed effects on the menstrual cycle and uterotonic activity.

Needless to say, both Roman and German Chamomile flowers have similar medicinal properties. The wild, single-flowered variety is considered to be more medicinally powerful than the cultivated double-flowered. They are used to treat abscesses, colic, conjunctivitis, cramps, fevers, fluid retention, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, inflammation (external or internal), loss of appetite, menstrual troubles, migraines, nausea, scalp disorders, swellings, teething, ulcers, vomiting and wounds. But the lovely Chamomile is most famous for her sedative action which is useful against nervousness and induces relaxation and deep sleep. I can tell you from personal experience that it is an excellent mild sedative for restless babies and children. A cold Chamomile infusion will relieve congestion in the uterus and stimulate menstruation (emmenagogue).

Never boil the flowers because the volatile oil that contains much of the active constituents will evaporate. Always brew chamomile tea in a closed container! Allow it to steep a minimum of 10 minutes. For colic, restlessness and teething, use 1/2 to 1 t of the cool infusion. For fevers, indigestion or headaches, use a hot infusion with the addition of Ginger root. Chamomile infusion is also a wonderful, soothing addition to your bath for minor aches and pains.

I hope you'll give Chamomile a try in your garden! Happy planting!

Toothache Plant (Spilanthes acmella) UPDATED PICS!

My Spilanthes seeds are finally coming up nicely. I was beginning to think I'd dreamed the whole Planting of the Spilanthes, but there they are, nice as pie, and thriving (so far).

A member of the Asteraceae family, Spilanthes acmella is an East Indian tropical native (USDA Zone 10-11!) but I'm giving her a try here in Zone 7 anyway, with a strong feeling she will behave as an annual. Normally she should be spaced 24 to 30 inches and should reach somewhere between 12 and 15 inches in height. I've babied her like no other plant in my garden, and so far so good. Once again in my seed paranoia I planted way too many, so I've also thinned her several times and plan to try and transplant some of the babies on the next round. We'll just have to see how that goes. She's reported to enjoy high humidity and regular watering in well-drained soil, so planting her in one of my raised beds in this crazy Alabama weather is definitely in our favor! She blooms all summer into early fall, loves full sun, is heat and frost tolerant, and requires only low maintenance {two thumbs up!}. I bought my Spilanthes seeds (along with a whole bunch of other herbs) from www.sandmountainherbs.com.

Her common name is a dead giveaway, but here goes anyway! Chewing the flower buds and/or leaves (which have a peppery flavor) produces a numbing effect that can ease toothaches and gum pain. I once heard Rosemary Gladstar say in a live webcast that Spilanthes is her favorite herb for teething babies, and tooth pain in general. It also stimulates the salivary glands to produce more saliva, and may function as a simple tonic for healthy gums. I have some guinea pigs ... I mean family members who suffer from gum disease, so they're going to be trying Spilanthes this year! :D

Harvest Spilanthes leaves and flower buds as needed. The dried flower buds are great in teas! I like to use a 1:1 mix of catnip and spilanthes tea for fussy, teething babies and children. It's not too shabby as a mild sedative for worn out parents, either. It's also yummy with Lemon Balm and Ginger.

A Spilanthes tincture is said to ease toothache from a decayed tooth with remarkable efficiency!

Here's some info on Spilanthes I snatched from www.mountainroseherbs.com: A mouth rinse of spilanthes extract can be used daily to promote gum health, and chewing as little as a single bud of the plant can numb the mouth and reduce the pain of toothache for up to 20 minutes depending on the sensitivity of the person. The most promising research into the use of spilanthes, though, is in its antibacterial properties. So far, in vitro testing has shown that the plant's extract has strong effect against E.coli, pseudomonas, salmonella, klebsiella pneumonae and staphylococcus albus (sorry, no link for that one .. you'll have to google it), as well as inhibiting the growth of candida albicans.

I think that's one very interesting and beautiful flower, don't you? I wish I could mail out some of my extra plants to my readers, but I just don't think she'd make the trip. I'm sure I can find some locals to share with!

POST ADDITION!

08/03/08

I've recently started a jar of Spilanthes tincture and thought I'd share my method with you in case you're curious: Loosely fill a glass jar (I am tincturing a pint of spilanthes but do use quarts sometimes for tinctures, especially yarrow) with "arial", or above-ground Spilanthes plant material (leaves, stems, blooms) and cover with 100 proof vodka. Cap and label, then wait six weeks. Strain (or don't, it's up to you), and your tincture is ready for use! Besides being a famous toothache remedy, Spilanthes tincture enhances immune system function and is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial & is used to treat candida.

I did take a bite out of one, though, and joyously report that it did, in fact, numb my mouth! :D