Beer
“To malt of not to malt?” Borrowing heavily from Shakespeare that is the question we face when looking to make homemade beer. Among the many hobbyists that enjoy creating homemade beer (and yes, the art of producing homemade beer can be considered highly creative), the inclusion malt extract in the brewing process is highly important. For others, malt is something they can do without.
General
Having mastered the basics of home brewing, the next step in developing your home brews is to experiment with using herbs and spices to enhance them. The right combination of ingredients can dramatically alter the color, flavor and aroma of beer, turning an ordinary brew into the perfect drink for holidays and special occasions.
Other
Everyone faces the issue of food storage. Perhaps you have a great new recipe for tomato sauce and you decide to can it for future use. Or maybe you have a bumper crop of berries to preserve. You might just want to know how to make some meals ahead or keep leftovers fresh. In any of these cases, dating your food will be an invaluable resource toward organizing and making the most of what you have worked so hard to create.
Sauces
Preparing your own pickled foods can become a very rewarding hobby. Not only is the process fun, but the fruits of your labor can be very delicious. Even better yet, homemade pickled foods are a lot healthier for you than the mass produced options available in your local grocery store.
Wine
Port, which originated in Portugal, is a type of fortified, usually red, wine which is characterized by its sweet flavor. It is typically served with the dessert course of dinner and is usually accompanied by cheese. Port comes in a variety of types which include white, dry, and semi-dry. The production of other wines similar to port have spread to various areas of the world such as Australia, Canada, the United States, Argentina, South Africa, and India. However, only the wines from Portugal can be labeled as port under the European Union agreement.
Coffee
Hot liquids aren’t like hot buns or hot sandwiches: Instead of just grabbing them bare handed and juggling them a bit until they cool, you have to have something to put them in. And with coffee, figuring out what to put it in is half the fun. There are, after all, about as many kinds of mugs, cups and bowls – yes, bowls – as there are kinds of coffee. But how to chose which is the one for you?
Cottage cheese is versatile, so you can use it in many recipes as well as eat it alone or with fruit. Lettuce, cottage cheese and pineapple make a delicious salad. You can add a tablespoon of mayonnaise if you want an extra tang, but you will also get additional calories if you do that.
“To malt of not to malt?” Borrowing heavily from Shakespeare that is the question we face when looking to make homemade beer. Among the many hobbyists that enjoy creating homemade beer (and yes, the art of producing homemade beer can be considered highly creative), the inclusion malt extract in the brewing process is highly important. For others, malt is something they can do without.
Canning your own fruits and vegetables, jams, jellies, relishes, pickles, and other items is a great way to preserve the bounty of your home garden or take advantage of the wonderful bargains that your local farmers market has to offer. One important question that every home canning enthusiast need to know the answer to is: Is your Kerr canning jar clean? It is very important to be sure that your Kerr canning jar (as well as the lid and screw band) is clean before placing food in it and processing it. Canning jars which are not properly disinfected can be contaminated with bacteria. Using these jars for food storage exposes anyone who consumes food from these jars to the risk of potentially lethal food poisoning. Lean how to disinfect your Kerr canning jars to ensure that your food is safe to eat…
Brie, a very soft cheese, has a variety of uses such as spreading on crackers, sandwiches, and in salads to name a few. This type of cheese originates in the French region of Seine-et-Marne. The cheese is known for its many purposes as well as its edible mold shell.
Home canning never died, so the return to it is something of a misnomer. The attempt to preserve home grown food has always been popular with the Amish, Mennonites and their English Pennsylvania Dutch neighbors. The supplies did become harder to find for a time, but the renewed interest in home canning outside of Pennsylvania has made the glass jars, supplies, and wax much easier to find. It survived in Pennsylvania, but that does not explain why it is making a comeback elsewhere.