Jan 212025
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Cathie Nederveen, Janine, Jeremy Mather, Pam Jenkins and Samantha Patterson.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Just a random picture from the Internet that I happen to like.

Is it better to bake by weight or by volume?

The simple answer is that it is better to use weights rather than volumes (particularly for baking, where precision is important). This is for two main reasons:

  1. The volume of a given amount of something can vary significantly depending on how it is packed. For example, a cup of flour can weigh anywhere from around 110 grams to 170 grams, a difference of 50%.
  2. You only need one measuring device (i.e. scales) rather than multiple (e.g. cups and spoons), and that device also doesn’t need cleaning.

Clearly, using weights requires accurate scales which cover the weight range in question. My wife tells me that she would only trust our kitchen scales down to around 5 grams which is why she bought a second set of scales for measuring smaller amounts.

If it is better to use weights in baking rather than volumes, why do so many recipes use volumes? One reason is that it is a hangover from the past when, before the advent of accurate electronic scales which you can also cold zero (tare), measuring by volume was arguably easier. A second reason is that Americans (who, almost uniquely in the world, have never converted to metric measurements for either weights or volumes) have mostly never got into the habit of using weights. Read this article in The Guardian newspaper.

A somewhat related question is, when using volumes, why use informal measurements (cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc) rather than formal measurements (i.e. millilitres)? This can be particularly problematic as some of the informal measures are not uniformly agreed. For example, whilst it is generally agreed in Australia that 1 tablespoon = 20ml, just about every other country in the world converts 1 tablespoon into 15 ml, so any Australian using a non-Australian recipe will, in principle, use 33% ((20-15)/15) too much of each ingredient where the amount is given in tablespoons. And, whilst 1 tablespoon = 20 ml in Australia, very few tablespoons sold in Australia actually hold anywhere near 20 ml, so using actual tablespoons to do the measuring will give the wrong answers anyway.

The reasons why informal measures of volume are still often used rather than formal measures are perhaps the same reasons as to why volume measures are still used at all: first, it is a hangover from the past; and, second, Americans are, at heart, a bunch of hicks.

When substituting one ingredient for another, neither substituting equal weights nor substituting equal volumes will necessarily give the right answer. For example, honey is around 60% denser than sugar but around 20% less sweet. So, substituting 1 gram of honey for 1 gram of sugar would result in a decrease of around 20% in the level of sweetness, whilst substituting 1 tablespoon of honey for 1 tablespoon of sugar would result in an increase of around 40% in the level of sweetness (an increase of 60% due to the higher density less a decrease of 20% due to the lower sweetness).

Note that one of the beauties of the metric system is the way that weight, volume and size measurements are linked. More specifically, 1 litre of water weighs 1 kilogram and is 1,000 cubic centimetres (0.001 cubic metres) in size; similarly, 1 millilitre of water weighs 1 gram and is 1 cubic centimetre in size.

And, in a completely different sense, one of the beauties of the imperial system is the way that nothing is logical. For example, how many smidgens are there in a dash?

Finally, here are conversions between some ‘informal’ measures of volume and metric volumes (see Wikipedia):

  • 1 cup = 250 ml (Australian recipes only; 235 or 240 ml in America and varies in the UK).
  • 1 tablespoon = 20 ml (Australian recipes only; 15 ml in most other countries; also most physical tablespoons are closer to 15 ml than to 20 ml).
  • 1 teaspoon = 5 ml (common across the world).
  • 1 dash = 0.46 ml.
  • 1 pinch = 0.23 ml.
  • 1 smidgen = 0.12 ml.
  • 1 drop = 0.05 ml.

Read more of my articles about baking.

Queensland fruit fly is still around

Pam Jenkins has written in to say that, of her grand harvest total of 2 nectarines after the parrots had feasted, both were infested by Queensland fruit fly.

Sting marks and exit holes. There were loads of maggots in the rotting fruit but they wriggle out of sight really quickly. Time to replenish the traps, check the nets over the rest of the fruit for rat holes and repair any damage, and spray more calcated kaolin on the all of the fruit trees and fruiting vegetables. Tomatoes, eggplants and capsicums seem to be popular with them.

Yes, you did know! (maybe)

In last week’s newsletter, Rosemary Snowden asked what she could put under her vegetable drum to stop the roots from nearby plants entering it via the base.

Jeremy Mather has written in to say that some geotextile should do the trick. Available from all good DIY stores. For example, the Pillar grey geotextile drainage membrane mat.

However, Pauline Webb says that the subject is problematic because any fine hair-like roots that enter can, over time, grow to be large. She gives an example of one of her wicking beds where some roots from a neighbour’s tree went under her house, up the inside of the wicking bed (but on the outside of the plastic lining), then over the top of the plastic lining, down thru 30cm of soil through the felt between the soil and scoria, and into the scoria. The roots then grew in the water well and started sucking up the water. Her solution involved removing all the soil and scoria, re-doing the plastic lining so that it went completely to the top of the bed (not just to the top of the soil), and sealing the bed with capping timber. In Rosemary’s situation, Pauline worries that any impervious solution will risk the bed becoming waterlogged on occasions and she therefore suggests that the best way forward is to move the bed to another position.

More on how to remove the bitterness from a cucumber

In last week’s newsletter, Pam Jenkins gave a method for removing any bitterness in cucumbers: after cutting the cucumber near the stem end, rub the two cut ends together in a circular fashion to draw out the bitter whitish substance out from under the skin of the cucumber. Cathie Nederveen has now written in to confirm that this method works.

Fire cider vinegar (by Janine)

[The recipe below is from Glen Park Oaks Community Garden volunteer and herbalist Janine.]

Ingredients

Apple cider vinegar. Ensure that you use unpasteurised and unfiltered apple cider vinegar 'with the mother'. Bragg’s apple cider vinegar is an example that is stocked in most mainstream supermarkets.

Equal parts chopped:
Horseradish root.
Ginger root.
Turmeric root.

You can also add:
Chilli or cayenne pepper.
Garlic cloves.
Lemon – zest and/or juice.
Rosemary.

Method

Place all the ingredients into a glass jar, cover to brim with apple cider vinegar and put the lid on. Shake well.

Store in a dark cool place for 4-6 weeks, shaking every few days.

Strain the vinegar with a fine sieve ensuring that you squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Store in a clean airtight glass container for up to 6 months at room temperature in a cool dark place or up to 1 year in a fridge. Make sure to label with the date.

When feeling the start of any illness, take one shot neat or diluted in water. You can add honey or agave for sweetness.

Critter of the week – enamelled spider

The two photos are of an enamelled spider (Plebs bradleyi in family Araneidae), the left hand one being from my garden and the right hand one being from Samantha Patterson’s garden.

They are called enamelled spiders because they look their bodies are covered in enamel. The ones in the photo have mainly white enamel but they also come in greens and yellows.

As an orb-weaver spider, it creates webs. It waits for prey in its sloping web at night and often retreats to surrounding vegetation in the day.

If you have any interesting photos of critters from your garden, email them to me.

Read about our previous critters of the week on our website..

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the list and map of the gardens in the upcoming Creative Harvest in West Gippsland.

The most popular event link in the last newsletter was the upcoming Starting your low-waste journey presentation in Doncaster on 27th February.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

In a farmers’ market, farmer A sells pumpkins and farmer B sells strawberries. What does farmer C sell? Medicine.

Read more food-related jokes on our website.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps

Note that some food swaps don’t always happen during January so you might want to check before going.

Community gardens

Note that some community garden meetups don’t always happen during January so you might want to check before going.

Upcoming face-to-face events – for dogs

This is a new section. If you know of any food-related events specifically for dogs (or any other animals), email them to us.

Sausage dog pub crawl; Sunday, 2nd March, midday-3.30pm; $37; Brunswick East.

Join fellow dachshund owners and dog lovers for an afternoon of drinks, snacks, doggie cocktails and doggie treats. The crawl will span 3 bars and around 1km. At each bar, there will be free food & drink for the dogs and discounted food & drink for the humans.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Wildcrafting foraging course (5 sessions); Tuesdays, starting 4th February, 6-7.30pm;$359 ($48 per hour); Coburg.

You will learn about: the importance of wild foods; medicine as food; the difference between cultivated foods and wild food; sustainable wildcrafting; safe foraging; identification, nutrition and properties of several plants; and recipes for each of the plants. You will also share some condiments, foods and beverages made from the plants. Presenter: Taj Scicluna (aka The Perma Pixie).

Therapeutic horticulture garden tour; Wednesday, 12th February, 3.30-4.30pm; $30 ($30 per hour); Doncaster.

Have a guided tour of Kevin Heinze GROW’s therapeutic gardens in Doncaster. Learn about how their practice is delivered to ensure sustainable outcomes for people with disabilities. Also learn about how their approach to maintaining the garden focuses on promoting urban biodiversity, organic food growing, zero waste and effective hot-composting. Tour leader: Patrick Wain.

Urban wine walk (Collingwood); Saturday, 15th February, midday-4pm; $82; Collingwood.

This is a self-guided wine tasting experience, where you choose the order in which you visit the various venues. The ticket includes 30 complementary tastings, a $10 food voucher, a $25 voucher for wine orders and a tasting glass. The participating venues and winemakers: Glou with Parley; Goldy’s Tavern with Babo Wines; Hotel Collingwood with Glenhope Vineyards; Jollygood with Konpira Maru; Molly Rose Brewing with Pacha Mama Wines ; Paradise Alley with Das Juice; and The Bendigo Hotel with Doom Juice.

The Herb and Chilli Festival; Saturday, 15th March and Sunday, 16th March, both 10am-5pm; $28; Wandin.

This festival will celebrate all things related to herbs and chillies. There will be stalls, demonstrations, talks, tastings, music and dance. There will be around 100 stalls.

Organic vegetable growing; Sunday, 16th March, 10am-3pm; $149 ($30 per hour); CERES.

The workshop will be a mix of classroom presentations and practical exercises, giving you a chance to get your hands dirty on a real working farm. You will learn to: build healthy soils; work with the seasons; and grow a productive garden, including vegetables, fruits and herbs. Presenter: Donna Livermore.

Beginners backyard beekeeping; Sunday, 16th March, 10am-3pm; $220 ($44 per hour); CERES.

Learn everything from the inner workings of a beehive to the healing properties of raw honey. You will learn how to maintain a healthy hive, discover the wonders of swarms and how to keep them in check. Weather permitting, they will also open a hive and have a hands-on demonstration. Presenter: Ashton Edgley.

Complete urban farmer (12 sessions); weekly starting Monday, 17th March, 9am-3pm; $1,250 ($17 per hour); CERES.

The topics to be covered will include: permaculture principles; fruit production; soil preparation; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; vegetable growing; propagation; seed collection; pest & disease management; bushfoods & berries; chooks & bees; and community gardens. Presenter: Justin Calverley.

In January
In February
In March
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Preserving summer fruits; Saturday, 22nd February, 10am-12.30pm; free; Whittlesea.

Marie Vassallo, from Rie’s Kitchen, will explain how to preserve your summer fruits for jams and marmalades.

Vegan pierogi; Thursday, 6th March, 6-8.30pm; $110 ($44 per hour); CERES.

Learn how to make vegan versions of the pierogi (the Polish dumpling) using 3 types of fillings and starting with making the pierogi pastry from scratch. Two of the fillings will be pierogi ruskie (savoury with potato) and pierogi z jagodami (sweet with blueberries). Presenter: Nase Supplitt.

A trio of vegan curries; Saturday, 15th March, 10am-1pm; $85 ($28 per hour); Fawkner.

Learn how to make chole chickpea curry, pumpkin masala curry and potato spinach curry. Pair these curries with turmeric rice infused with fragrant curry leaves. As you cook, delve into the rich history of Indian curries and discover the nutritional and health benefits of the spices and herbs used in these dishes. Organised by Fawkner Neighbourhood House.

An Asian breakfast; Sunday, 16th March, 9am-1pm; $170 ($43 per hour); Panton Hill.

Learn how to make an authentic Thai congee (rice soup) and a stuffed Thai omelette (kai yat sai). Team this with a Vietnamese or Thai coffee and sit down to breakfast on the veranda. Finally, learn how to make Thai coconut pancakes. Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree.

Vegan desserts; Sunday, 16th March, 10am-3pm; $154 ($31 per hour); CERES.

You will learn a variety of vegan sweet treats from different backgrounds and different techniques. The menu will include: baked cheese cake; raw fruit tart; fruit pierogi; Portuguese tarts; coconut jelly; and tiramisu. Presenter: Nase Supplitt.

In January
In February
In March
Regular classes

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