Tomorrow is Makinlee’s last day of school for 9 days!  Easter break has arrived and I am thrilled.  Thrilled that she and I can fall into a rhythm that does not involve school.   There will be lots of work outdoors for certain.

Next week our fermented carrot “pickles” will be ready!

Will teach Makinlee more about Spring while outdoors enjoying it.

Will start my medicinal herb seeds now that I have room under the grow lights.

And at night I will start plowing through this stack of books. I love to read!

On the Kindle: The Raw Milk Revolution & The Untold Story of Milk.  I’m also reading The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series when I need to escape.

Today I started my Ginger Beer plant following directions I found at Down To Earth.  I have never tried my hand at fermintation of anything. It sounds a bit scary.  However, the end product looks and sounds delicious.  I can just imagine sitting on the porch after a day of yard and garden work with a glass of cold ginger beer.  Refreshing indeed!

Ginger Beer Plant

1 teaspoon raw sugar. You can use white sugar but we are trying to eat whole foods.

1 teaspoon ground ginger.  You can use raw ginger root.

1 pinch dry yeast

4-5 golden raisins. (For the wild yeast on their skins)

10 oz of clean water.  If using tap water let it sit for at least 24 hours for chlorine evaporation.  Chlorine can hinder the fermintation process.

Stir well, cover with a thin cloth and allow to sit on kitchen counter.  Every day for 7 days feed your plant 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 teaspoon sugar.

Ginger Beer

After 7 days place the plant into a tea towel, squeeze out as much liquid as possible over a bowl.  Put aside.  Dissolve 3 cups of sugar with 20 cups of (clean) water and the juice from 2 lemons.  Add the ginger plant liquid and stir well.  Pour into containers and leave to sit out for another day or two.  Please beware that during this process there will still be fermintation therefore containers can explode so make double sure that containers are not tightly sealed.  After two days tighten caps and put into the frig.  Enjoy!