Photo by Chunky Monkey Photography

Friday, March 15, 2013

Grinding Flour, Raw Milk, and Fermenting. Oh My!

Thanks to my aunts, I have been learning a lot about different eating & cooking habits.  I've bought wheat berries from Azure Standard (along with a lot of spices from Oregon Spice!) and successfully ground my own flour and made whole wheat biscuits and bread.  Soooo delicious! 

I sought out and found a local dairy farm to get raw milk from.  It cost less than what I was paying for organic milk at the grocery store, it's richer, creamier, and more nutritious, too.  Another plus?  The farmers gave my family a tour so we had a nice homeschool field trip! 

I did my first ferment this week and today was tasting day.  I was a little scared but oh boy was it good!  I used the "Crunchy" Carrot Sticks recipe from the Cooking God's Way Lacto-Fermenting book.  I also used their air-lock system.  It was very easy!  The carrots are still crisp and have a nice garlicky tang to them.  They will definitely help satisfy my crunchy cravings and will be a better choice than all those tortilla chips I'm use to snacking on!  If you like pickles or green olives... anything pickled.... you'll like these! I may try their green bean recipe next.  I am not a fan of... as in I HATE... green beans... but, maybe raw fermented green beans would be good?  We'll see!