Ah, Spring!

It's almost hard to talk about spring today since it's "feels like" 76 out right now with a projected high of 84! Feels a bit more like summer. I've been very busy as there is so much to do on a farm in spring! 

First a little farm update. I think we might have beavers...

Just maybe.

Now, what I've been up to! My neighbor has some wonderful plant friends living on her property. Who could they be? Yummy nettles! I gathered a big bag of them and made some super tasty nettle soup. I don't remember where I got the recipe but it was onions, garlic, nettles, and potatoes cook and then blend. It was so very good. The best part is that she loathes them, so I can harvest all I want. Although I'm leaving plenty to seed next year's crop.

Mmmmm, nettles.

I planted a bunch of potatoes. That took a while, and I got my first calluses of the season.

About 45 lbs.

Yesterday I started fermenting a quart of mixed vegetables. I took the radishes I pulled while thinning and sliced them up with a few carrots and some green cabbage. Then I added a brine that was 2 T canning salt to 1 qt water.

I got this idea for a collar that will keep the veggies submerged in the brine from a Wild Fermentation. It works very well. I didn't use a shot glass to hold it down and just caught it on the shoulders of the jar instead.

Cut quickly from an old milk jug.

I pushed it down so it caught on the shoulders of the jar later.

I'm looking forward to trying this out when it's done. I thought I might take some of it relatively young and turn it into a naturally sour coleslaw-ish thing. Tim seemed to think that was a terrible idea, but I think it sounds mighty yummy.

I also canned 2 lbs of pickled garlic yesterday.

Heads broken up ready for peeling.

 I took about 1 million years to peel all that garlic. I read that it would have gone much faster if I blanched it to loosen the skins, but I only have room in my freezer for one ice tray and that's for drinks.

Ready for the canner.

 I used a 1:1 vinegar : water brine with 1 T salt per qt mixture. I also threw in some mustard seed. I have no idea how much.

The morning after, sealed well.

The garlic was processed in a hot water bath for 10 minutes and my Tattler lids sealed very nicely, like they almost always do (bad seals are usually my fault).

I have a couple more projects in the works, but I think this post is plenty long enough as is. I'll let you know how the pickles and ferment turn out in a week or so.