Amasi + Cod {Ferments}

After 2 days, my Amasi (soured milk) had formed, & it was delicious!

 

 

 

The yogurt had separated from the whey & was wonderfully smooth.

 

I enjoyed it with a bit of raw honey.

 

I also have some cod fermenting, which should be done in a few days. It is a most loved dish in our home.

Raw Milk Yogurt Cultured With Chili Stems + Amasi

It has been my experience that using commercial starters does not create a reliable yogurt that can be kept going indefinitely. Additionally, when I first started making yogurt it seemed that there were a lot of precise steps that don't really jive with the spirit of fermenting (at least not for me). I ferment things like fish and cabbage and I just mash some things or throw some things in a jar with some water and whey & voila! Delicious foods have been created. It's simple, it's easy, & I can do it with a baby hanging from my breast.

For me, simple is better. I am an unschooling, fullterm breastfeeding mama to a 9-year-old & 21-month old twins. We also eat what I like to call an "organic omnivore" diet (basically paleo but with a heavy focus on ferments: dairy, meat, veggie, fruit). This means that (like most people) my life is very busy & I spend most of my time cooking and preparing food.

 So, I was eager to find out how people made yogurt before commercial starters & yogurt making devices. I don't have a yogurt maker and I always just put my milk in an insulated bag in a warm place, the result being a delicious yogurt (sometimes more cottage cheese than yogurt) that I & my little ones love.

I scoured the internet for a way to begin an heirloom yogurt and what I discovered was chili stems!! How exciting, right?!

So I tried it right away. Last night, at 9pm, I pulled the stems off of 5 dried chili peppers, put them in my 1 quart fermenting jar, covered them in raw milk and left them to sit under a heat lamp at my "fermentation station" ^.^

The results were rather exciting & delicious!

At 4 pm the following day, I have a thick cottage cheesy top & whey that has separated (I may have let it ferment a bit too long). The temperature inside the jar was 104 degrees F. 

It has a slight hint of chili flavoring to it but I have read that that will go away in future generations.

I am so extremely excited about this!

Has anyone else done this? If so, how did you do it?

1 litre definitely wasn't enough because this serving is just about half of my delicious creation.

I am also currently making Amasi (soured milk). I have poured a litre of raw goat's milk into a jar & covered it with cheese cloth. That's it! Tomorrow I should have a yummy yogurt & whey to drip!

Provisional Cast-On {Crochet Cast-On} Tutorial

Step 1: Begin with a slipknot on your crochet hook.

Step 2: Position your needle on top of your working yarn, with your hook to the side of your needle.

Step 3: Working over the top of your needle, grab the yarn with your hook, and pull it through your slip-knot to create a loop (this "loop" will be on your needle, example photo below).

Loop is on needle. Hooray! ^.^

Step 4: Bring working yarn to back of needle again.

Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you have the desired amount of stitches on your needle, ending by making a small chain of slip stitches to keep these provisional stitches from ripping as you work.

 

That's it! Now you can begin knitting into these stitches with your project yarn.

 

I have found that knitting one row (or round, depending on your project) before starting with your pattern makes it easier to pick up these stitches later.

Hope this tutorial was helpful. Happy knitting, sweet moondusties!

 

 

Musings

You've never been on the outside looking in your whole life, have you?

It's interesting, the way life works. Doing better doesn't guarantee one will live better. Nothing is absolute. Nothing is sure. Nothing really makes sense.

Still, there is so much beauty. As ugly as humans can be, as gnarled and deformed as we oft are, we have the ability to make some of the most beautiful things and to perceive great beauty as well.

I like to explore beauty. I like to learn new things. I like to see new things; taste new things; hear new things; smell, feel, and touch new things.

I prefer to be in the company of others *like me or to be in solitude.

I am usually in solitude.




*those who strive to do what is right & true for themselves whilst allowing others the peace & freedom to do the same.