BOTTLING.
Blackberry season proved to be rather fruitful this year, if I may be allowed a mildly over-literal statement. But we ended up with four different batches of wine with at least some percentage of blackberries involved: mulberry/blackberry, blackberry/blueberry, blackberry, and a surprisingly funky blackberry/beet wine.Wednesday, I decided to bottle what I could.I love natural grape wine––I do––but there is nothing quite like the variety of hues, aromas and flavors of these country wines. Although all the batches have seemed drier than last year's blackberry wines, I'm impressed with how well they survived the heat waves (literally fermenting in our non-air-conditioned house), and how much potential they are already showing. Needless to say, Hannah and I are definitely looking forward to some tasty dinner pairings this winter!- Jesse.
WINE WORKS.
Blackberry season has indeed proved fruitful––pun only mildly intended––and now we have three different batches of blackberry wine in the works. We could probably at least get one more batch out of those bushes, but with four carboys already spoken for, we'll have to find some more containers. I added some beets to one batch––because why not?––and I'm eager to see how that one turns out. Beets are wildly healthy and a famous vegetable in the fermented world, especially in the Ukraine where beet kvass is a bit of a staple. Why not throw some into the wine?The mulberry wine is bottled, the blackberry wines are rolling, the oatmeal beer seems to be maturing nicely, and we haven't even arrived at melon or pear season yet... it's going to be a bubbly summer. And hopefully, if all goes well, a pretty fortified winter!- Jesse.
THE BUBBLING FARMSTEAD.
Fermentation has truly taken over our lives - and our kitchen - lately. Jesse has three different wine/beers going….the mulberry, a wild berry, and an oat and honey brew he is experimenting with. I have been trying to spend a full day baking bread each week. We have crocks and mason jars all over the counters, sourdough starters and pickled radishes on top of the fridge, all constantly being stirred and fed and monitored. They become pets of sorts, all needing constant care and nourishment until they are ready to nourish us. We are fueled partly by an attempt to sustain ourselves, partly because of THIS new book, but also out of a curiousity and reverence for this amazing, magical, and ancient practice.
FORAGED.
"Our brains developed under the pressure of natural selection to make us good foragers, which is how humans have spent 99% of their time on Earth." -Michael Pollan, Botany of DesireWhen we moved into our new house a few days ago, Hannah and I set about exploring the property in search of things to exploit––fruit trees, wildflowers, edible greens, etc.––anything we might be able to use or eat or turn into wine. Although there is quite a lot of property to explore yet, simply starting with our yard we were immediately able to find some lamb's quarters––a tender green whose flavor is often meaty and whose nutritional qualities often greater than anything we can plant (despite the fact that it's most commonly referred to as a weed!). So, having not been up to the garden yet that day, I picked some and scrambled it for our first hot meal in the new home. CSA members, do not be surprised if you get some of this treat in your first basket!A little more exploration revealed a healthy mulberry tree, and though they aren't the most flavorful or juiciest mulberries we've ever eaten, they'll probably make a decent wine. Along with honey suckle I found at the edge of the forest, I combined the two things with some water and honey and as we speak, our first ever mulberry/honey suckle wine is fermenting away.I truly enjoy foraging and want to do more of it––wandering around and exploring all the free food that's out there, realizing how little we actually utilize from nature. Yes, indeed, it's smart to research foraged plants before you eat them, but once you grow to recognize food in the wild, the possibilities are endless. Our pear tree is loaded. There are hundreds of blackberry briars around. Cherry trees, wild grape vines and, yes, plenty of "weeds," all soon to be ripe for the pickin'. I'd say look forward to a summer of many foraged posts.- Jesse.
