Extending the Harvest: Drying Hot Peppers

In the late spring, summer, and early fall you will find your local farmers market full of fresh, seasonal produce. This is the time to savor these fresh flavors and celebrate the season. But what about in January when you're craving a fresh peach and buying produce at the grocery store makes you cringe. If you're interested in supporting local farms (or helping the environment, or food safety, or health, or any number of the other benefits of local food), you should seriously consider preserving the season's finest in some way. There are numerous options, from simple to complex, most of which are pretty inexpensive. For example, drying/dehydrating can be done with just a few simple household items and a little bit of patience.


My farmers market has had a ton of gorgeous hot peppers lately, so today's impulse buy was a handful of cayenne and tiburon peppers (also known as a poblano, or ancho when dried). The process is pretty simple, and after a few weeks I'll have dried peppers which can be stored in an airtight container in the pantry for a year or more. If you dry a lot of peppers at once and don't have space to store them whole, you can grind them up in food processor, blender, spice grinder, or coffee grinder. This will make flakes or a powder, depending on how long you process them for, and it can be stored in an airtight container in the pantry. I prefer to keep them whole and grind them as I need them. The flavor stays stronger when left whole, and I also have the option of rehydrating them and using them whole in soups, stews, and sauces.


Drying Hot Peppers

Materials
Hot peppers, whole, any variety
Strong thread
Needle
Pushpins/tacks
Window, preferably one that gets good sunlight






Method

1. Cut a length of thread 8-10" longer than the width of the window you are going to use. Fold the thread over a little bit on one end and tie a knot, making a loop. Thread the free end of thread through the needle.
2. Gently poke the needle through the lower part of the stem of each pepper and slide the pepper onto the thread. Continue until all the peppers are on the thread (or as many will fit on that piece of thread). Space peppers at least 1" apart.
3. Remove the needle, and fold over that end of the thread and tie a knot, to make another loop.
4. Put a pushpin or tack on either side of the window frame. Hang the thread from the pushpins by the loops at each end.
5. Multiple rows of peppers may be hung, as long as there is at least 1" between the bottom of the longest pepper and the top of the row below it.
6. Let peppers hang like this until thoroughly dried, at least 3 weeks, longer if you live in a humid climate.
7. Store in an airtight container whole or ground for up to 1 year.

Chicken Coop, Part I

My roommates and I journeyed to the Habitat ReStore and Home Depot today to collect supplies to build a coop for our new baby chicks. A the ReStore we found the following:

5 2x3s, each 16 ft long ($2 each)
1 2x2, 12 ft long ($1 each)
Shingles, 16 sets of 2 ($0.10 each)
Total spent: ~ $13

We headed to Home Depot for the rest of it, since the ReStore didn't quite have everything we needed. We got 2 sheets of plywood, 25 ft of chicken wire, hinges, hasps, locks, and door pulls, for a total of about $95 (ouch).

Tomorrow we're getting together with a friend who has a saw and some carpentry knowledge to help us build our coop. I based the design off of a very popular style, the A-frame chicken tractor. A chicken tractor is a coop that is attached to a run and is movable. This way the chickens are fully-enclosed so that they will be safe from predators, but we can move them around the yard periodically to spread the love (ie: fabulously nutrient-rich chicken poop).

Once we're finished building the coop/tractor I'll post photos, detailed instructions, and the plans that I made. If you're thinking about building a coop or tractor, my plans will be for a very simple design that will work in a variety of areas. Until then, check out the Backyard Chickens website, it is a wealth of information!

The chicks have arrived!

This morning I got the not-so-long-awaited phone call from the nice man who sold us the chicks. They hatched yesterday (8/21/10), and he felt he had observed them long enough to know that they are all healthy little chicks. R & I drove out to his house, which is just south of Raleigh, and picked out our chicks.

Now originally we wanted 3 chicks. On the phone the other day this guy convinced me to get 4. By the time we had picked out our 4 chicks and were getting ready to pay (a whopping $1 per chick), he had decided we needed at least 5, so he tossed in a 5th chick for free. These are our little ladies in their brooder, which we set up yesterday with the materials we had acquired (see previous post).

Settling in to their new home!

L-R: Theodora, aka Theo (Silkie); Suzie (Araucana); Lucy (Araucana); nameless, for now (Barred Rock); Napoleon, aka Nappy (Silkie)

The Silkies are a Bantam breed, which means they'll be quite small--only 1.5-2 pounds when fully-grown. The others are standard breeds, so they'll be around 5 pounds fully-grown. Right now the Araucanas and the Barred Rock are just 1 day old, and the Silkies are 2-2.5 weeks old. The farmer suggested that we get Silkies that are a little bit older, so the standard ones don't trample the bantams.

The girls are adjusting pretty well, and the dogs don't seem too curious about them yet. Here are a few photos of the newest members of our household in wine glasses. (Don't call PETA on me, they were only in there for a minute or two.) I think it turned out pretty darn cute...

Theodora, aka Theo, 2.5 weeks, Silkie

As yet unnamed, 1 day, Barred Rock

Lucy, 1 day, Araucana

Suzie, 1 day, Araucana

Napoleon, aka Nappy, 2 weeks, Silkie

All 5 chicks in a row! Lucy, no-name, Theo, Nappy, Suzie

Chickens!

So, it's been a while since I've posted because I've been traveling, moving, and getting settled. However, this is a pretty exciting post--my roommates and I are getting chickens! Laying hens, to be exact, and we're pretty excited about it.

For those of you who know me, you are probably not surprised that I want to have laying hens, but you might be wondering about the logistics of this proposition given my current pets--2 Border Collie/Cattle Dog mixes who love nothing more than chasing birds (ok, maybe chasing squirrels, but birds are a close second). Well, our lovely little laying hens are going to live in their own fully-enclosed "chicken tractor", which will have a roost, laying boxes, and a run. The exact design is yet to be determined, but I do know that it's going to be on wheels so that we can move it around the yard every week or so. The tractor will keep the dogs out, as well as other predators, like hawks and foxes.

With the help of Craigslist we found a farmer just outside of Raleigh who has chicks for sale. He has a group that will be hatching tomorrow or Monday, so we'll be driving down there Monday or Tuesday to pick out our four little babies. He has several varieties, but we're planning on getting at least one Ameraucana (also known as an Easter Egger, since it lays blue/green eggs) and at least one Bantam (a small breed that lays eggs 1/3-1/2 the size of an average egg). Beyond that we're going to talk to the farmer and just see what he has.

So far our purchases for the new arrivals have been the following:

-Chick Feed (un-medicated), 5 pound bag, $6
-Chick Waterer, 1 quart size, $2.50
-18 Gallon Plastic Container (this will serve as our "brooder", home for the chicks for the first 6-8 weeks), $6

Things we had at home were:

-Lamp suitable for keeping the chicks warm (my Ikea drafting-table-style lamp, which has a shiny metal shade to amplify the heat from the bulb)
-Incandescent light bulb (gasp!)
-Food dish (ie, a small plate)
-A shelf high enough to keep the chicks away from the dogs
-Newspaper (bedding)

Once we get the chicks in place I'll post some photos. I'll also be sure to post photos of the chicken tractor as we build it.

And now we wait with bated breath for a phone call from the farmer with good news!

Crazy Green Lady Goes to Russia, II

So, we've boarded the luxurious Volga Dream river cruise ship, and we are having a lovely and relaxing time taking in the countryside and listening to lectures by our hosts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Harvard Alumni Association, the Wellesley Alumni Association, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I can't post pictures because the ship's internet does not support Macs, but I will add them when we get home.

Yesterday we had a private tour of the Kremlin that started an hour and a half before the museum opened. We toured the armory with no one else in it! The armory was full of coronation gowns, carriages, Faberge eggs, gifts to the czars, and the crowned jewels. The coronation gowns were fantastic--hand sewn with fabric made of silver! Sadly the silver has tarnished with age, and it is too delicate to clean, so they didn't shine like they did on the coronation days. Also interesting were the crowns, which had fur on the bottom.

We also walked around the Kremlin grounds, which has 5 churches. Following that we drove to the convent where Peter the Great locked up his sister Sophia, to keep her from stealing the crown from him. Finally, we visited the National Cemetery, which has graves of many famous Russians, as designated by the Russian presidents.

The evening ended on the ship, where they greeted us with an ice cold shot of the best vodka I've ever had and a piece of a welcoming bread. Our ship is delightful, and offers a reprieve from the heat in Moscow (it reached 100 degrees F our last day in the city!). There is a lounge with a live pianist in the evenings, 4 decks, a library, a dining room, a snack bar, a gift shop, and 2 bars. Our rooms are small, but feel quite roomy.

This morning we went through a lock (after going through several overnight, which I slept through), and it was really fun to watch the water level drop before the gate opened. The countryside is very beautiful, and is dotted with summer homes. Evidently about 50% of Moscovites have a country home, and we are passing by a lot of them over the next few days.

Later this afternoon we will visit the village of Uglich, which is known for it's souvenirs. Shopping here I come!

Crazy Green Lady Goes to Russia!

Let me preface this by saying that there is nothing particularly sustainable about this trip. What can I say? We all have our indulgences.

And what an indulgence this trip has been so far! Yesterday I celebrated my birthday, which was absolutely wonderful. We started the day with a walk around Red Square, where we saw St. Basil’s Cathedral. The colors and shapes of this traditional church are fabulously whimsical, as you can see. 

Following that, we visited the Ostakino Palace, which was built by the Sheremetev Family in the 1700s to serve as a theatre and entertainment palace. Much of the palace has been restored to its original glory, including the theatre itself. It was fabulous!

At lunch I was surprised by a HUGE poppy seed birthday cake, made especially for me by the hotel’s pastry chef. It was filled and covered with a chocolate whipped cream, which was topped with glazed mixed fruit. It was fantastically messy and enjoyed by the whole group. After lunch we opted for the subway tour, where we got to see 3 very different stations, each elaborately decorated. We even got to rub the nose of the lucky German Shepherd Dog statue.

           

The highlight of the day was a behind the scenes tour of the Old Moscow Circus. Technically this tour was meant for the 18 and under crowd, but they had a few extra spots and let the birthday girl join them. It was by far the coolest tour I’ve ever been on. We got to stand in the ring, pet the animals (not the tigers), see dressing rooms, and meet some performers. The end of the tour was spent with a clown and a hoola-hoop acrobat getting a circus lesson. I hoola-hooped like a pro, and even managed to “juggle” 2 clubs. Dima (Dimitri) the clown was very patient with all of us, as we sent clubs, rings, and balls flying around the room. Photos will come later, they are on my mom’s camera…

After the tour, we joined the rest of our group to watch the Old Moscow Circus’ (in)famous performance, which was absolutely spectacular. There were clowns, dancers, tumblers, acrobats, a strong man, dogs, seals, ferrets, a fox, and tigers.

We finished the evening at a very nice restaurant, Barashka, where we were served by a waiter that I would like to put in my suitcase and bring home with me. He speaks (some) English, and Mom even approved! :)

Needless to say, it was the absolute best birthday I have ever had, and certainly one I will not forget. What a start to this trip!

 

PS: When we returned to the room today there was a gift from the hotel staff on the table—fresh fruit, a box of chocolates, and a bottle of champagne! It’s a day late but not a dollar short.