Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Showing posts with label Garlic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garlic. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Anniversary Lunch ~ Rosemary Update ~ Back to the Grind ~ Garlic Fermented Honey Update

 

My husband and I had one last day to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, so we drove to the lake for an island lunch.  We dressed up for the occasion.   I will admit, it was a messy burger, but good.  The fries were "truffle" fries.  They are fried in mushroom oil.  I have never heard of that.  The garlic aioli was for dipping the fries.  The whipped feta hot honey dip is our favorite.  The menu was limited, as the larger part of the restaurant was closed at the time.  I wasn't a fan of the drink, but overall it was a nice lunch. 

We have planned a few hikes for the future, as we could not do them due to the muddy conditions.  

It's back to the "grind" as they say it.  December is a busy month for us, in the way of celebrations, and we are back on track with projects and regular good ol' housework.


I did my best to keep my rosemary plants alive, but one is dead, and the other is hanging on by a hair.  I cannot, for some reason, ever dig them up and keep them alive indoors for the winter.  Honestly, I should have left them outside, as our weather has been in the 50-60's this month.  Anyway, I tried.  I even used different soil for them.  On the other hand, the propagated rosemary is doing fine.  It's just not very big.

Although the weather has been much warmer for a winter here, it brought a lot of rain.  Any outdoor projects, including the new coop, are all put on hold until the rain leaves us.  I think everyone in the area is looking forward to the rain ending.


Are you doing anything just for you this busy holiday month?  I was gifted some shower fizzers, and have enjoyed the lavender.  I am now on the hunt for peppermint (septic safe) ones.  I think peppermint would be a nice pick me up in the morning.  Don't forget to do something nice for yourself every week.

Speaking of waking up, the garlic fermented honey worked great for recovering from whatever bug I recently had.  I can tell you if you grind fresh ginger, and steep your tea first, then add the honey and squeeze a fresh lemon, it goes down pretty well.  There is something about the lemon, that keeps the garlic from being to intolerable.  I was not able to drink it in other teas.  The garlic was too strong.  Anyway, this is my update on that.


Anniversary Lunch ~ Rosemary Update ~ Back to the Grind ~ Garlic Fermented Honey Update © Dec 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart


Saturday, November 11, 2023

Homemade Garlic Powder

 


The tool on the left is used for removing the garlic skins.  you place the garlic inside the tube and roll it with your hand.  The tool on the right is used to slice the garlic.






You put the top piece of the slicer back on top and twist the bottom as you press down the top. I have learned to not over fill this, making it much easier.

I know this is a repeat post, and I do make it yearly most garden seasons.  If you have never made garlic powder you can click on my post below on how I make it, after the garlic is dehydrated.  

My very first years making garlic powder, I would hand peel, and hand slice.  




Tips:
-Use latex gloves.

-Rinse all the tools/knife if you are not going to do dishes right away.  Garlic dries rock hard, making washing things difficult.

-I only have 4 mats for my dehydrator, so I use parchment paper some times, so that I don't lose the very small bits of the garlic.  I do recommend parchment paper over simply using your trays.  It is much easier to un-stick the garlic from the paper, push it to the center, and fold the paper in half to slide it into your grinder.  It makes way less mess, and clean up much easier.




-Save your garlic skins to make broth or flavor other dishes.  Store the skins in a freezer bag.




Sunday, April 30, 2023

Need Help Finding Organic Music Garlic!

 I normally fall plant our garlic, but once again it was eaten over winter (all 80 cloves!!!), and we believe it's the work of voles.

I need to spring plant garlic now, and I cannot, for the life of me find anyone selling organic music garlic seed for spring planting.  I can only find "fall" planting garlic.

I like music, but I would try any organic garlic at this point.  I'm so frustrated right now.  

(Source: Territorial Seeds)

Anyone?  I even looked on Etsy, and all that I see are pre-orders for fall.  Sigh.,....urgh...

By the way, we have moved the garlic grow bags closer to the house now.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Labor Day Events ~ Rain

 We had a very busy Labor Day weekend.  We had invitations for 3 birthday parties and a cook out.  Golly, all we wanted to do on Monday was get our kitchen and front porch in order.  I have to admit, it was nice getting up this morning to a tidy kitchen.  Although I still have tomatoes on the table.

I had to start bringing in the tomatoes to ripen on the table.  They were splitting outside on the vines.  Crazy weather this year.



I'm not the only one cleaning house.  Daughter E dropped off two boxes of yarn.  Her best friend's mother was also cleaning house, and had 5 people move back in, so she sent her yarn my way.  I will need to sort it, but it's out of the kitchen now.

However, there are tomatoes in my living room too. No kidding.  Like I said, the rain/soil situation this year was causing them to split if we left them ripen on the vine.

Before the rain arrived, I was able to fall plant 80 cloves of music garlic.  It's been raining here ever since, and woke up to more rain.

I'm frantically working on the tomatoes, pulling the garden for the year, and now clearing the living room to at least get that floor fixed before winter.  The only problem is that money doesn't stretch very far anymore.  Supplies are an issue, but I will be packing up the living room to prepare.  It is a must-do repair.

Granny J, I think I wrote your email down wrong.  Well first, I got confused and emailed another person (crazy busy weekend), and then my computer said I had the email incorrect.  If you are reading this ....I apologize, I wrote it down wrong.




Saturday, September 3, 2022

Rain moving in.....

 





Well, here we are to the weekend.  The one and only perfect holiday weekend day to take the motorcycle out, and my husband left at 4am.

I have tomatoes to deal with, so that is happening after I down a pot of coffee and figure out a breakfast with minimal cooking.

I put up 22 1/2# of tomatoes yesterday, but here is the situation....I brought 38# back inside (bwahahaha!).  Oh my.

My husband is laughing, but I have no idea how I dealt with our 500# year.  I do need to freeze some tomatoes, can crushed ones, and make another batch of soup and pizza sauce (will gift the kiddos).

He joked "tomato fight" as the plants are literally almost dead, tomatoes falling off and some rotting as I try to keep up.  The summer heat waves were the cause of the late ripening.

I'm hoping to get my fall garlic planted.  Rain is moving in late Saturday and for several days (unless that changes).

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Asparagus ~ Garlic....where did it go?!

It's going to be a warm, gorgeous day today.  We'll hit the 80's.

I picked more asparagus, so I roasted some last night with rosemary.  Oh my gosh!  Delicious!  So much more flavor than from the store.  It's been a year waiting for this bounty.


My favorite garlic to plant in our area is Music garlic.  The first year we spring planted, and every year after that we fall planted.

I'm so depressed.  I went out to the garden to start prepping for the year, and found all of my garlic eaten but 3.  My guess, from research, is that a squirrel (or more than one) was the culprit.  Never in all the years here has this happened. Rabbits, deer and ground hogs do not like garlic, so I am just guessing.  They have plenty of black walnuts to provide, so I am stumped as to why it happened, other than the smell of the dogs is not out there anymore (guess I'm gettin' a dog).

I want to now spring plant my garlic, so it cost me an arm and a leg to order some to plant.  I didn't record how many I planted last year for some reason.  I think it was a crazy fall due to my husband's sister passing away from covid, and Mom's health declining. 

I typically plant 80-100 cloves, so this is a tremendous loss with organic garlic.  It's just such a shock, because nothing likes the smell of garlic.  We toyed with the idea that I forgot to plant them.  I did not.  I remember planting.

We toyed with the idea that someone stole them.  Ha ha!  Actually, it's not such a crazy idea.  Every day for the last two weeks a car has been stolen in the city about 12 miles from us, and now they are breaking into chicken coops.  Seriously.  Stealing kids bicycles, and more.

I plan to pull the pea fence.  We didn't get any planted with this crazy kitchen floor repair, and we need to till that area as well.

I finally got the carpet spot cleaned from Daughter K's dogs being here, and laundry put on the line, but got zero painting done.

I believe it's finally time to call an exterminator, unless someone has a sure fire way to trap those big bumblebees (a LOT of them).  I've tried every year, and they get worse every year.  Yesterday they were swarming the doors of the house and porch.  I cannot for the life of me find the nests, but I'm guessing they are by one of the barns, by they way they swarm over there.

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Garlic and other gardening

 


Two varieties and they are all pulled from the grow bags.  Some roots where 6-7 inches long.  Just need to top off the grow bags with more soil and put new cardboard under the bags.  

I tied up almost all of the tomato plants, and some already re-tied do to good growth.  Some tomatoes are already on the plants.

It was too hot and humid to stay out in the garden, even though there is one more flower bed to weed.  I managed to plant two parsley plants and one more rosemary.  One rosemary died for some reason, and it's getting watered.

I was walking on a small sidewalk we made between two flower beds, and I almost stepped on a slithering snake.  In my flip flops.  I am sure anyone driving by, got a kick out of my dance in the yard trying to avoid it.

Thursday, April 30, 2020

How to dehydrate Garlic and make Minced Garlic


Peel several cloves of garlic.  You will need a garlic mincer to do this.


Line the dehydrator trays with parchment paper.


Using the garlic mincer, mince the garlic onto the parchment paper.  I use the tip of a knife to spread the garlic out.

Using the directions in your dehydrator guide book, dehydrate the minced garlic until crisp.  Once done, simply scrap the dried garlic off and store in an airtight glass jar.


The color will change as it dries.

Note:  I use this in my canned cowboy candy and any recipe that calls for minced (dry) garlic.

Friday, April 24, 2020

How to dehydrate garlic and make garlic powder


I posted yesterday that I was dehydrating garlic.  I realized I don't think I've made a post about making garlic powder with dehydrated garlic.  First, peel all the cloves, and slice thinly.  Place on dehydrating trays.  If your trays have larger holes, cover them with parchment paper first.


The holes on my trays worked fine.  Once the garlic is crisp (use the guide book that came with your dehydrator for temperature and time), you will remove them from the trays.  I did not use parchment paper, so I line my counter top with a sheet of waxed paper.  I gently push all the garlic off the trays.

I hold each side of the waxed paper up so the garlic goes to the middle and they can slide easily off the waxed paper and into a coffee grinder.  You then grind them until it turns into a powder form.






I am lucky to have a glass container that fits a canning funnel.  I pour the powder out of the grinder and into the jar.  It smells and tastes much better than anything you will find in the store.





Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Egg shells ~ Garlic in Grow Bags ~ Three New Recipes

I took some egg shells out to toss in the garden (where the tomatoes will be planted), and took a look-see at the garlic.



I am thrilled to say, that some of it has green tops.  Not all, but I'm hoping it all comes up.  The only downside of grow bags - squirrels.  I had to plant a garlic clove that a rodent dug up.  Otherwise, I am a happy gal to see this.

Tried three new recipes yesterday.  Due to lack of ingredients on hand, each one was adjusted.


Cod in the crock pot with seasonings and onion.  Didn't have red onion, so I used white.  It cooked perfectly and tasted great.


Veggie quinoa in the crock pot.  Didn't have carrots, so I just made it without.  Cookbook said cook 4-6 hours on low.  It cooked in 4.


Low carb chocolate chip cookies (almond flour).  I didn't have maple syrup for these.  I didn't have any eggs, so this recipe was fitting to try.  These were so good!

The first two recipes are in the cook book, "Fix-It and Forget-it Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook.  The cookie recipe is online (Almond Flour Cookies with no eggs, Detoxinista).

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Clarification on the Garlic

I think I have everyone confused about spring garlic.  Here's what happened last year.

We had a terrible year.  Very wet in spring and we could not keep up with weeding, and had no place to plant the garlic in Sept.  I can't even remember if Sept. was good weather or not anymore, but for some reason, we couldn't plant until October.  I think it was shipped late (we had zero, so I had to order).

I planted them in the grow pots, and they did not have enough time to grow tops at all.  The weather turned cold too fast for them to start.  

So, with all that said, I have zero to plant, most companies ship too late in fall to start over, and if mine doesn't produce in the grow pots, I wanted to spring plant (then fall plant with some of them).

I hope that explains it better.  My first year I spring planted and for 10 years I was able to fall plant some of them.  Like I said our weather in Oct. is never guaranteed for a good start on fall anything here.  

Thanks for all the tips on where to get it.  One year I didn't get a good yield, bought organic at a farmer's market (for making ground garlic) and it cost me $1.00/head of garlic.  Total cost to make half the amount of garlic was $10.00.  

I do not like buying organic in the store.  They are so old, the flavor is half of what home grown produces, not to mention the medicinal values of it homegrown.

With all your tips and recommendations, I am surely to have a crop of garlic if the spring weather Gods are nice to us this year.


Saturday, February 1, 2020

February Reading Challenge Book Pick ~James Patterson ~ Homemade Meatballs ~ Garlic ?

It continued.

Blog post in January with the most views - This and That ~ Finishes





Kiss the Girls, by James Patterson.  The book is off my own bookshelf (discarded library book, and not in that great of shape), and when it's done, will be passed on to another person.  Most likely my daughter first.  Or recycled if it falls apart while reading it, ha ha!

Considering the weekend, with a possible chance to cut wood, I took Friday off.  Sort of.  They are predicting a "lot" of sunshine on Sunday, but Hubby has to work.




I did the dishes, and made a batch of meatballs (made with ground organic oats vs. bread crumbs).   Three trays went into the freezer. 



Recently, I was able to buy an organic spaghetti squash and made "spaghetti" and meatballs, with home canned tomato sauce for dinner.  Although our daughter wanted pasta, I still used the squash this time around.



I also finished my January book, on January 31st, for the reading challenge.  There are so many good recipes in this book too (I wish I could find more of her books at the library books sales).  Too many that have sweets, but I may save a few of the recipes to try this summer - Blackberry cookies or Blackberry pie perhaps.  By the way, this was the first book I have completely finished since 2017.  Yikes!

I have zero homegrown garlic to plant this spring.  I have searched the internet and have only found one resource that will ship for spring planting, and it's by one bulb per order.  Does anyone know of any online resource (or catalog resource) for spring garlic bulbs?  Organic of course.  Thanks in advance.  All other sources I use ship in October and that is too late to plant for fall anyway for us.  

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

How to Make Garlic Powder (Ground/Powdered Garlic) and Minced Garlic

First, if you are new to dehydrating, a book or booklet typically comes with one.  It has directions, times, temperatures, maybe recipes (depending on brand you buy), to guide you as well.  I apologize to all of you who already know how to do this.




Here is the one that came with mine.


 (This one is loaded with recipes on what to make with all your dehydrated goodies)



I also have these two books on my homesteading bookshelf as well, but plan to add more.

How to make garlic powder:



I chose a larger variety of garlic (Russian Giant) for this project.  Peel and slice the garlic thin and lay on the dehydrator trays.  I use gloves to do the slicing.  I follow the directions that came with my dehydrator, and dry until crisp.

Cool a bit after the dehydrator is turned off.



I use a small coffee grinder, place the dried garlic into it and grind it up to a powder.  Simply store in an airtight container with your other spices (out of light).







(dried)

To make minced garlic, mince fresh garlic onto parchment paper lined dehydrator trays.  Dehydrate, cool, and break it up.  Store in an airtight container.

The plan is to come back and share more books that you may find helpful with dehydrating in general.  If you do not grow a garden, most farmer's markets sell organic garlic. 



Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Herbal Book ~ Tidbits ~ Boring Stuff

I borrowed this book from the library.  I found a few good recipes to try.  I'll have to wait for spring and summer for a few of them though.  Just sharing in case you haven't seen this book. It's a beginner book, but I have not made a balm with chickweed and plantain yet.  That is first on the list.  I have chickweed salve that I purchased, and I LOVE it.  I hope it doesn't turn out to be a rock hard "balm."

 (Russian Giant - what a mess!)


Tuesday, I took some time in our 65°F (and sunshine all day) warm up, and weeded the garlic.  About 90% of it anyway. We've had lots of rain, and with the lack of snow cover, it's full of thistle already.  I found five of the giant bulbs rotten.  I replanted, but it may be too late.  The ground is very very wet, so I'm hoping the sun and heat dried it up a bit.  I also replanted the Creole variety - about 9-10 didn't come up.  Not sure yet on the last variety.  I'll check after next week.

And guess what's arriving tomorrow?  More rain. Today's high is 47°F.

I am going to wait until shotgun week has ended to finish the weeding.  When I heard the first shot I saw trees move not far from me.  I'm pretty sure I know who is shooting out in the woods, and they are not safe people.  I went in until Hubby got home.  Got myself a good dose (double dose) of vitamin D, then a dose of iron.   

You bet we went on a motorcycle ride.  I so much enjoyed seeing the beautiful Christmas lights on a motorcycle ride in late November.  I smiled all the way home.

I spent one day, up until noon, getting my last minute health insurance points.  Oye, what a mess of hoops we have to jump to keep our current cost the same!  I could have worked on barn wood, cleaned inside, canned, but the points have to be in before the end of December (and once you complete a "course" they can take up to 15 days to add to your account).  This meant watching several, hour long videos on financial tips, and health stuff.

Boring!

I'm glad that job is done for this year. I got a set of boot cuffs made while waiting for the videos to end.   (Yawn)  You can't just walk away and let it play either.  They spontaneously stop the slide show and give you quizzes.  

Although I think we are overdue for some snow, I am enjoying hanging my laundry out in sun and wind and warmer weather.  I thought you'd enjoy a funny photo, because I haven't taught myself to knit socks yet, you get to see just a few pairs of my Christmas socks (ha ha ha!).

Monday, October 2, 2017

Fall Garlic Planting ~ Garlic Powder ~ Recipes that Use It

We worked on barn wood all day Sunday.  We are very tired and sore.  I took photos, but will load them later to share.  As soon as we finished removing boards so we could load up a trailer, a stranger pulled in wanting the metal hay rail.  We now know why the other guy wanted it - money.  Each little metal piece (photo to come later) is worth $10.00.  Not including the rail.  So this stranger, after we did all the work, just drives on in and asks for it for free.  I'm going to put signs up for those types of people. Oh, and the stranger immediately asked for the pulleys.  Hm.  The nerve of people. 

So, without photos of the barn clean up, I'll share my garlic.  A frost is possible in a week or so, and I wanted this job done.

Last year I planted about 175 cloves of garlic.

This year? 

I planted 70 cloves of Moroccan Creole, 56 cloves of Russian Giant, and 100 cloves of our regular variety (so far - we have no idea what type it is, as we were gifted it to start our first garlic bed years ago). 

Grand total so far:  226 cloves of garlic

In the fall I also dehydrate a lot of our current garlic, and grind it into garlic powder.  Pure home grown, chemical free, no fillers, no anti-caking agents, goodness.

Many of my recipes call for fresh, but some call for powdered.  These recipes are listed using what I grow or make, so you can adapt and of course reduce for smaller families.

Here are a few recipes (and links to recipes) I use my home ground garlic powder in: