How have my beautiful Miss Blondie and I improved our lives by learning basic Farmhouse Food Skills? – The are two answers to that question.
The first answer is quite simple. Our lives have been improved because we’ve learned and practiced these skills and techniques together. We spend our time together in the garden and the kitchen. We love each other and we work side-by-side doing what we love to do.
The 2nd Answer to the Question
The second answer to the question is more complex. This answer also responds to questions posed by my son-in-law, Andy, during a recent conversation.
Andy watched the first video in this series about Farmhouse Food Skills and he read the accompanying blog post. He told me that he realized that now was a good time for Daughter #1 and him to learn some of these skills and techniques. Andy noted that he gets more out of our blog posts than from our videos. He added that he wants to come over and watch us do these things in person.
Based on what Andy told me, I decided to change my approach so that it might be more instructive. So, I’m providing links to videos and posts that explain the “what”, “why”, and “how to” dimensions of the skills we use here at SFH. This approach will help explain how Miss Blondie and I have improved our lives by learning these skills.
Category 2 – Food Processing
Q – As viewed by the staff of the SFH Test Kitchen, what skills or techniques fall under the category of Food Processing?
A – For us, there are four primary skill sets and one general set in this category.
- General: cleaning, chopping, grinding of any type of food
- Routine Dairy: separating cream, making butter, and other simple dairy tasks
- Daring Dairy: making cheese, yogurt, creme fraiche, etc.
- Sourdough Culturing: creating and maintaining sourdough cultures
- Spice Blending: preparing spice blends and mixes
Following are six examples of Farmhouse Food Processing Skills we used during the week of September 15th. I think you’ll see how mastering each skill has contributed to the joy we experience in farm-to-table living.
Making Butter
Homemade butter is rich, flavorful, and free from additives. For us, it’s a simple process that connects us to traditional methods. Churning butter from fresh cream provides a sense of accomplishment and yields a versatile ingredient for cooking and baking. And, when we serve our fresh sourdough bread to guests and tell them we also made the butter, they always acknowledge that extra farmhouse touch. – And don’t forget, when you make your own butter, you also get to drink that delightful buttermilk that’s left over.
See our post Julia, Butter & Serendipity Farmhouse to learn how we make butter.
Making Goat Milk Cheese
Goat milk cheese is nutritious, easier to digest than other cheeses, and is often preferred by those with lactose sensitivities. We use raw goat milk to create our own cheese and cheese dips. We’ve found that goat milk cheese freezes quite well. So, we can have our favorite homemade cheese even when fresh goat milk is out of season.
See How to make Chèvre goat cheese! for the post and a link to our video.
Making Goat Milk Yogurt
Goat milk yogurt is probiotic-rich and supports gut health. We culture our own yogurt to ensure freshness and to avoid store-bought additives. It makes a perfect breakfast or snack option. We’ve also found that making our own yogurt is cost effective. Of course, we can use cow milk when goat milk is out of season. Also, we’ve seen that some folks make yogurt using milk powder. The staff members of the Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen are planning to try that soon.
Making Mayonnaise
Homemade mayo is healthier than store-bought versions, as it lacks preservatives and stabilizers. For us, making mayonnaise allows for customization (e.g., using olive or avocado oil, or adding herbs). It’s a staple for sandwiches, salads, and dips. – Mr. Monte, our food quality control expert, is always there when we’re making mayo. He lets us know if we’ve chosen the best type of oil for the job.
Sourdough Culturing
Sourdough is a time-honored bread-making technique. We’ve had a reliable, mature sourdough starter for quite some time now. The slow fermentation process enhances digestibility. Everyone refers to our starter by the name of Mrs. Patmore. Maintaining, using, and sharing Mrs. P has become a living tradition here at our farmhouse. Baking sourdough loaves brings warmth to our farmhouse kitchen.
See Sourdough Troubleshooting for a Practical Man for the post and a link to our video.
Mixing Salsa Spices
We preserve the summer tomato harvest by canning salsa. We used to use Mrs. Wages brand salsa mix when canning our 12-18 pints of salsa every year. However, now we grow many of our own herbs and spices. So, we came up with our own salsa mix that combines homegrown tomatoes, jalapeño and other hot peppers, onions, and a variety of spices. Our canned salsa, with it’s homemade spice blend is a flavorful addition to meals. But the real pleasure in making it ourselves comes when sharing homemade salsa with family and friends.
See our post How to Make Serendipity Farmhouse Salsa Mix for the recipe.
View the first video in this series of Farmhouse Food Skills here.
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This is awesomely helpful! And, GO ANDY! 🥰
Thanks!!!
Thank you. Is there anything you’d like to see in the future?