Speaking of raspberries I have just planted tow new varieties that I wanted to try, Killarney and Encore. I am going to try my hardest this time to keep them from being overgrown by weeds. Weeding, so essential a task, always feels similar to washing dishes. There are always more to do. Hours of effort are overtaken by vigorous and unrestrained growth. Perennial weeds, like quack grass, refuse to leave the property. No amount of digging or covering deters it.

Cooking up a storm

And I have been making lots of products in preparation for the upcoming markets. Almost market time already! I am experimenting with some new products and testing them out. I hope to have some tasty new surprises. There will probably be a few duds as well but that is the fun of experimentation.

With the weather so perfect for working outside we have been busily working on our fruit bushes. When I planted currants and gooseberries and raspberries a few years ago I planted then all too close together. This has made harvesting exceedingly difficult. So this year we moved many of the bushes to allow lots of space and light around each bush. It has been fairly tiring work but worth it. All our fruit trees and bushes are getting weeded and composted. Hear’s hoping for a great harvest.

As the days warm up I can feel the lassitude of winter fall away. I love the winter hibernation period. I love the forced slowdown, the fallow time when the earth, and I, rebuild our energy. Time to reflect, dream, snooze by the fire. Now the birdsong and peepers and exploding growth is getting me revved up.  It feels good to have my hands back in the dirt. The rhubarb is up and enjoying the heat.

 Garlic poking through the mulch delights me with a hear skipping joy. Maybe it is because it is the first thing in my garden to start reaching for the sun. But it also a thrill to know that they survived the winter. It is like welcoming back an old friend.

Lots of herb seeds started and growing strong under our grow-light system. They are still safely snuggled in the spare bedroom – way too cold to go outside yet. This time of year there are flats of seeds everywhere in the house, waiting to germinate, or demanding their their turn under the lights. Every available space is taken up, including inside the oven for those seeds that don’t need light to germinate.

Two wonderful books on fermentaion are Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods by Sandor Ellix Katz. They have become my primary sourse on fermentation.

I have made yogurt at home for many years. It is delicious and so easy to make. Our dog, Molly, loves a spoonful with her morning breakfast. For children coming to visit I add a dollop of jam – Blue Marsh Farm & Kitchen jam of course. It provides a sweet note to an otherwise sour dish. I love sour tastes, but not everyone does. I also make yogurt cheese from the yogurt. You just let your yogurt drain through some cheesecloth for about 24 hours. Then you have a beautiful ball of tangy cheese, very like sour cream.  Again this is delicious on crackers or hor biscuits with a dollop of jam.

And I LOVE my fermented garlic.  Added to salads, scrambled eggs, dressings, or straight out of the jar as a snack.

Humans all over the world have been fermenting food since ancient times. As far back as records will take us, man has used the art of fermenting foods to improve holding and storing properties of foods. Fermentation is one of the oldest practical food sciences in existence.

Not only is fermentation a time-honoured means of food preservation but fermented foods play an essential role in healthy digestion.

Fermented food uses microorganisms to convert sugars into lactic acid, creating a signature sour taste. When foods are fermented the bacteria, yeasts or molds used in the process, predigest the food, meaning they break down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to create microflora, friendly, life giving bacteria beneficial to the gastrointestinal system. These colonize the intestines and work to keep the unfriendly intestinal organisms under control, such as yeast, parasites, virus, and unfriendly bacteria.

Fermented foods help balance the production of stomach acid. Fermented foods have the unique ability to ease digestive discomfort related to having either too much or too little stomach acid. When the production of hydrochloric acid by the stomach is low, fermented foods help increase the acidity of gastric juices. On the other hand, when the stomach produces too much acid, fermented foods help protect the stomach and intestinal lining.

As we age, our production of the digestive juices and enzymes required for proper digestion begin to decrease. Eating fermented foods can help make up for this loss. Raw, fermented foods are rich in enzymes. Our body needs enzymes to properly digest, absorb, and make full use of our food.

And people with diabetes really benefit from fermented foods. In addition to improving pancreatic function, which is of great benefit to diabetics, the carbohydrates in lactic acid ermented foods have been broken down or “pre-digested.” As a result, they do not place an extra burden on the pancreas, unlike ordinary carbohydrates.

Eating fermented food helps us to absorb the nutrients we’re consuming. You can ingest huge amounts of nutrients, but unless you actually absorb them, they’re useless to you. When you improve digestion, you improve absorption. Without adequate beneficial microflora in your gut, you can’t absorb nutrients in the foods you are eating.

So go ahead and add some fermented foods daily to your diet. Your gut will thank you.

But doing things slowly ourselves has been very satisfying. Tom has learned how to jack up a house and repair the rotten sills, build cupboards, renovate a kitchen. And I am getting lots of practice in applying drywall mud, and sanding, and more mudding. There is a deep satisfaction in seeing the results of our labour. Bit by bit the house is coming together.

It is wonderful to know that there are so many things to learn. Here we are deep in middle age and we are constantly challenged to learn new skills, improvise, find answers to problems. Life is never dull.