LFC News March 20

Mar 202024
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Bruno Tigani, David Nickell, Marjanne Rook, Rob Francis, Teresa Day and Venu Metla.

How to make mead

A few years ago, I (Guy) was lucky enough to attend a mead making course organised by the Eltham and District Winemakers Guild and even luckier to have newsletter readers Angela and Wayne Harridge as my tutors. During the course, I successfully made my first 5 litre batch of mead and, since then, have become a complete convert, mostly drinking mead in preference to wine.

Mead is fermented honey, where the fermentation turns the sugars in the honey into alcohol. The end result is an alcoholic beverage which is an alternative to white wine but with its own unique taste. Mead has a similar alcoholic strength to wine and is golden in colour. Unlike white wine, mead is generally drunk at room temperature and does not go off quickly after the bottle has been opened.

All meads are made with honey, yeast and water. Beyond that, ‘botanicals’ are often added for flavouring purposes, for example fruit, spices or herbs. Different varieties of honey, different strains of yeast, different botanicals and variations in the fermenting process can all result in different styles of mead.

How long it takes for the honey to ferment depends on the room temperature (fermentation rates increase with temperature) but the total process from start to bottling typically takes 8-12 weeks. But it doesn’t actually require much effort as most of the time is spent waiting for the fermentation to complete.

A good recipe to start with is for a mead called ‘Joe’s ancient orange’ (JAO). Despite the name, it is a modern recipe which is easy to make as well as tasty. Read my full guide on how to make Joe’s ancient orange, a summary of which is given below.

  1. Gather your supplies.
    • A 5 litre demijohn (in which the mead will be fermented).
    • A bung with an air lock (to fit onto the top of the demijohn to keep oxygen out during fermentation).
    • A funnel (for putting the various ingredients into the demijohn).
    • Some potassium metabisulphite, aka PMS (for sanitising purposes).
    • A pump or tube (for syphoning the mead out without disturbing the yeast at the bottom).
    • Some accurate, small scales (for measuring out small quantities of sugar etc to add in at the end).
    • Some potassium sorbate (to inhibit yeast reproduction).

    One local place where you can most of these supplies (plus the yeast) is Greensborough Home Brew Supplies, who are located at 29 Beewar Street, Greensborough.

  2. Gather your ingredients.
    • 1.6Kg honey (raw).
    • 5 litres water (chlorine free).
    • 1 orange.
    • 1 cinnamon stick.
    • 2 cloves.
    • 15g raisins.
    • 1 teaspoon bread yeast.
  3. Prepare the ‘must’ (the mixture of the ingredients). Put all the ingredients except for the yeast and 1.2 litres of the water into the demijohn.
  4. Get the ferment started. Hydrate the yeast and then add to the demijohn.
  5. Wait. Add the rest of the water after, say, a week and then wait until fermentation is reasonably complete (say, 4-8 weeks).
  6. Rack. Syphon off the mead into a temporary holding container, dispose of all the ingredients plus the gunk in the bottom of the demijohn, and pour the mead back into the demijohn.
  7. Fine tune. Wait a week or two, then add sugar and/or acid to taste.
  8. Bottle.
  9. Wait then drink.Although you can drink it straightaway, mead tastes better the longer it is aged.

If you want to try and make some Joe’s ancient orange mead, you will have to read my full guide on our website.

On our website, we now have comprehensive, illustrated guides for how to make each of:

Local food producer news – Henley Farms

Henley Farms, who are from Kangaroo Ground and sell eggs, have again become a stallholder at Eltham Farmers’ Market. Alternatively, you can buy their eggs online, at Organic Fix in Eltham or at the new Two Sisters Fresh Produce fruit and vegetable shop in Research. Henley Farms are PROOF certified, which means that the chickens are raised outdoors with continuous and unrestricted daytime access to paddocks that are suitable for grazing and are provided with shade and shelter. All of their inputs, including feed, are Certified Organic

There are now 3 egg sellers at Eltham Farmers’ Market, including Belleview Farm from Park Orchards and Top Hundred Acres from Yan Yean.

Another great leek giveaway

Courtesy of Bruno Tigani, we have lots of leek seedlings to give away, mostly of the Oxford variety. Pick up a dozen or so at my house in Eltham. Plus, as a bonus, you can have some celery seedlings as well, variety Julius. If you want some, simply email me to arrange a date. First come, first served.

Want some hazelnuts?

Burnarlook is a small hazelnut farm in Gembrook. Their hazelnuts are grown in Gembrook’s rich red soils and the nuts fall to ground ready for harvest through March. For $40, plus $10 per person in the group, u-pickers are provided with a large 20 litre bucket, which can collect around 8.5kg of nuts. This cost compares well compared with supermarkets, with the added bonus being that the hazelnuts are farm fresh and self-picked in a beautiful, shady grove. Once pickers have picked their fill, they transfer the bucket of nuts to their own bags. Burnarlook especially welcome large group bookings by local community garden groups and would be happy to host a club ‘day out’ by arrangement. They apparently also have llamas that you can hang out with. Read more and potentially book your visit.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

On next Sunday’s show (24th March), Ann Stanley will interview Jules Jay on the Edible Hub at Hurstbridge. Listen on 3CR (855 AM), 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Podcasts of all previous episodes are available on their website, the latest being Leila Alexandra on wild edible gardens (10th March).

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was my baking articles. (Note that I have more of these in the pipeline, including shortening vs butter and baker’s yeast vs sourdough starter.)

The most popular event link in the last newsletter was the Food Collective Market in Epping.

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

“You say tomato, I say tomato” doesn’t make that much sense when you read it.

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not local but interesting

Growing Friends autumn plant sale; Saturday, 23rd March and Sunday, 24th March, both 10am-4pm; free; Cranbourne.

This plant sale will be held at Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (RBGV) and is being organised by Cranbourne Friends RBGV. Around 400 different species will be available for sale, including grasses, strappy-leaf plants, groundcovers, climbers, border plants, small & large bushes and trees. Here are the plant lists alphabetically and by type

Not face-to-face but interesting

Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA) have organised a series of online classes during April and May with the overall theme of understanding nature in the garden. You can book individual sessions for $30 each (see the details below) or all 4 for $110.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Growing garlic at home; Saturday, 23rd March, 10.30am-12.30pm; $15; Coburg.

The workshop will include: understanding garlic and its varieties; garlic’s lifecycle and seasonal considerations; soil preparation; site selection; planting; watering and mulching; identifying and managing pests and diseases; how to tell when your garlic is ready to harvest; and best practices for curing and storing garlic. Organised by Reynard Street Neighbourhood House.

Open day celebrating 10 years of composting; Saturday, 23rd March, 11am-3pm; free; Richmond.

Learn about composting and worm farms. Gardening activities for the kids. Yarra Council staff to answer your questions. Food stalls. Organised by Finbar Neighbourhood House.

Meet the makers picnic; Saturday, 23rd March, midday-5.30pm; free; Bundoora.

Local producers will compete across various categories of homemade wine, beer, preserves and bread. Sample homegrown beverages and produce and talk to the makers themselves. Buy food and drink for lunch or take your own picnic basket. Listen to live music and watch other performances. Participate in the Aboriginal cultural experience with Aunty Brenda Fahey, which will feature hands-on activities like gum nut painting, dot painting on face & rocks, storytelling, crafting with emu feathers and macramé. There will also be fun activities and entertainment for children, including a pop-up space from Victoria University.

Mooroolbark Community Garden; Tuesday, 26th March, 2-3.30pm; free; Mooroolbark.

Hear from a member of the new Mooroolbark Community Garden who will give a presentation on the history of its formation, what’s happening now, how it is benefitting the local community, and how you can become involved.

Introduction to beekeeping; Wednesday, 3rd April, 10.30-11.30am; $15; Edendale.

This workshop will provide an introduction to bees and beekeeping for those considering introducing a beehive into their home garden, including: an overview of bee lifecycles; seasonal behaviour and the importance of bees in our world. Find out what is involved in becoming a beekeeper for the first time, including equipment, regulations and safety. Presenter: Bronwyn Woods from Bob’s Beekeeping Supplies.

The autumn harvest celebration day; Saturday, 6th April, 10am-5pm; free; Yarra Glen.

They will have pumpkin and fresh produce displays, home produce competitions for the largest, longest and most unusual vegetable and lots of fun activities for the kids. Organised by Alowyn Gardens & Nursery.

Farming for our future (ages 5 to 8); Tuesday, 9th April, 1-3pm; free; Brunswick East.

This workshop is for children aged 5-8 years and each child must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Explore Honey Lane Organic Farm and meet some chickens. Make a recycled pot and propagate your own plant to take home.

Toward zero waste (ages 5 to 8); Wednesday, 10th April, 10am-midday; free; Brunswick East.

This workshop is for children aged 5-8 years and each child must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Discover the wonderful world of worms and compost. Make your own piece of recycled paper to take home. Meet the CERES chickens.

Farm to fork (ages 3 to 5); Thursday, 11th April, 1-3pm; free; Brunswick East.

This workshop is for children aged 3-5 years and each child must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Explore the CERES market garden and visit the chickens and bees. Learn how to turn food waste into healthy soil for plants with help from worms. Learn how to safely plant seeds into soil and care for them as they grow.

Garden Festival; Sunday, 14th April, 10am-3pm; free; Fawkner.

The activities will include: crop planting; plant sales; cooking demonstrations; marshmallows by the fire; messy play area; floral crafts for kids; henna and face painting; kids scavenger hunt; and lunch plates by Merri Food Hub.

Milk carton printmaking; Saturday, 20th April, 10am-midday; $60 ($30 per hour); Forest Hill.

Explore milk carton etching, a simple and eco-friendly printmaking technique accessible to all. Discover how to design, engrave, ink and print your unique creations using a pasta maker. Uncover the fundamentals of printmaking while upcycling, leaving with your very own limited edition prints and a newfound appreciation for environmentally-conscious artistry. Organised by Strathdon House.

Mushroom foraging; Wednesday, 8th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $85 ($43 per hour); Collingwood.

You will learn what spores are exactly and what their prints mean before moving on to tools and techniques for efficient and environmentally-conscious mushroom hunting and correct foraging etiquette. Then you will learn how to identify wild mushrooms, the common species that you’re likely to come across, which edible mushrooms you can use in cooking, and medicinal species, as well as hallucinogenic species and the downright dangerous. Finally, you will learn about ways to cook mushrooms, preservation techniques and tincture preparation, before ending with a tasting of some wild mushrooms. Presenter: Jess (Fraulein Fungi).

Seed saving 101; Saturday, 18th May, 10-11.30am; free; Bundoora.

Maria Ciavarella, from My Green Garden, will discuss how, when and which seeds to save and store. You will gather seeds from some of Maria’s vegetable stock and take some of these home.

In March
In April
In May
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

The basics of kombucha (2 sessions); on Sundays, 14th and 21st April, both 11am-2pm; $156 ($26 per hour); Forest Hill.

Explore the art and science behind crafting this probiotic-rich beverage. Organised by Strathdon House.

Pickling and curing olives; Saturday, 11th May, 10am-12.30pm; free; Wollert.

Maria Ciavarella, from My Green Garden, will discuss the theory of preserving and curing green and black olives. You will then break into groups to do some cooking. You will take home a jar of olives. Please take a plastic cutting board, a small paring knife, a re-usable water bottle and a mug.

Cheese making; Saturday, 11th May, 10am-1pm; $150 ($50 per hour); Kinglake.

Learn how to make feta, halloumi, labneh and ricotta cheeses. You will taste test the ricotta and halloumi once it’s freshly made. A light lunch of spanakopita and baked camembert will be provided. You will take home three cheeses as well as some cheese mould to make your own at home. Take along an apron, a glass jar and 3 or 4 containers to take your cheese home. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

Kombucha, jun, mead and water kefir; Sunday, 12th May, 10am-midday; $180 ($90 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Make four easy summer drinks. You will go home with 3 large jars full of kombucha, mead, beet kvass and water kefir with the SCOBY to be nurtured and ferment at home in your own kitchen, plus a bottle of second fermenting water kefir that will be ready the next day.

Sourdough for beginners; Saturday, 18th May, 10am-1pm; $60 ($20 per hour); Brunswick.

Learn how to make sourdough bread with Michael and Therese Slee, including both sourdough culture care and the processes of sourdough fermentation and baking. You will go home with some freshly baked bread plus some sourdough culture (starter). Presenter: Tony Chiodo. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

For the love of coconut; Sunday, 19th May, 10.30am-2.30pm; $180 ($45 per hour); Panton Hill.

This class is for those who adore coconut in all its forms or love a rich curry sauce. On the menu: Thai grabong fritters using a red curry paste and coconut milk with grated pumpkin, sweet potato and snake beans; a curry paste of your choice (red, yellow or green) made from scratch in a traditional mortar and pestle; you will then use your paste to create a chicken or vegetarian curry using coconut cream and toasted organic coconut flakes; fluffy Thai coconut rice; and chewy coconut pancakes (kanom krok), which is a double layered pancake with a crispy bottom and creamy centre topped with spring onion, corn or pandan flavour. The ticket includes a Vietnamese iced coffee, coconut water, a local beer or wine, a shared banquet and a curry paste to take home. Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree.

In March
In April
In May
Regular classes

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