Tag Archives: harvest

Fall Seasonal Muscadine Kombucha now on tap!

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MUSCADINE KOMBUCHA: It’s that very special time of the year when the scuppernongs start coming off the vine, and that means making a seasonal batch of our annual Muscadine Kombucha!

This limited flavor is made by Half Hill Farm from fresh, organic scuppernongs grown by Sylvia at Green Door Gourmet. It’s a probiotic taste of Fall, and it’s available on tap by the cup our growler refill while it lasts exclusively at all our stores:

How to get more vitamin D from your Shiitake mushroom harvest

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Shiitake mushrooms growing on oak logs at Half Hill Farm in Woodbury, TN

If you purchased a Shiitake mushroom log from Half Hill Farm that is tagged “F14,” now is the time to follow your soaking / shocking steps to get your first edible mushrooms within a week.

Once your Shiitake mushroom log starts producing mushrooms, there’s a simple technique that dramatically increases their vitamin D before you either eat them or dehydrate them for long term storage.

Mycologist Paul Stamets details this simple process and science here, but the basic steps are pretty simple:

  1. Remove stems and slice into roughly half inch slices.
  2. Spread slices evenly on drying racks (anything that allows air flow) in the sunshine with the gills facing up for 6 peak hours avoiding early morning dew and evening moisture.
  3. Bring the mushrooms indoors overnight to avoid humidity, then repeat 6 hours of sun exposure the next day to achieve 12 total peak hours of UV exposure.
  4. Finish completely drying your Shiitake mushrooms in a dehydrator, and store them in sealed jars. To enjoy anytime, simply soak them for an hour and follow most any recipe for fresh mushrooms.

According to Stamets, Shiitake mushrooms that are not exposed to sun may have less than 40 IU/100g of vitamin D. With the steps above, you can expect 46,000 IU/100g of vitamin D, D2, D3, and D4!

To achieve healthy serum levels of vitamin D exclusively from your dried Shiitake mushrooms, you will need to eat no more than 10 grams a day which is roughly equivalent to 100 grams of fresh Shiitake (3.6 ounces).

Purchase your own mushroom log: Our one foot Shiitake mushroom logs are available for scheduled pick up on our farm in Woodbury, TN. They are $22 and will produce 15-20 lbs. of mushrooms over a 3-5 year period. Here is how to get yours.

Make your own mushroom log: Schedule your own private 2-3 hour mushroom log workshop for groups of up to four people on our farm, take home the log you make, and start turning your own logs into a sustainable food source. Here’s how to schedule your workshop.

DISCLAIMER: I am a farmer. I am not a doctor. Please consult your physician before using any of our products or advice for health purposes.

Saving seeds from last year’s crop

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Seeds are pretty inexpensive, and you can find just about any variety of anything in the world online. But this year we selected seeds from some of our best organic plants that were left in the garden to fully mature and produce seeds well into Autumn.

I take small brown paper bags, place the seeds in them, label them with the variety and date and allow them to fully dry for a couple weeks. Since warm temps and humidity can ruin your seeds, place them in small airtight jars and then store in a cool place like your fridge.

Fermenting Seed: This year I went a step further with my tomato seeds by fermenting them. This removes the seed’s gel which contains a germination inhibitor and other potential disease. The entire process take about 5 days, but the steps are pretty easy.

 

Take a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of filtered water and place the freshly harvested tomato seeds in the water and sit in a cupboard for 3-5 days. Over time, the seeds will float and then sink. A film or mold will develop over the top and the water will become a little cloudy. It will also smell really bad. This is normal.

Close to the 5th day, or when all the seeds have sunk to the bottom, carefully remove the top film and then add water. What you are wanting to do is stir up the pulp and other sediment to slowly pour off until you can put the seeds in a sieve and rinse. Set them aside on a paper plate (seeds will stick to napkins) to dry. You should have fuzzy seeds ready to plant next year!

RECIPE: harvest, brine and roast organic sunflower seeds

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Sunflower seeds are a great byproduct from flowers we plant to attract bees and other pollinators to the garden. Here’s how we harvest, brine and roast them to enjoy all year.

When to harvest (3 large flowers yield 1 lbs. of seeds):
First, it’s important to harvest them at the right time. Too soon and you might not have fully developed seeds. Too late and you might lose a lot to birds and squirrels. You will want to cut the flower heads when the seeds are plump, have dark stripes and the green leaves protecting the pedals start to slightly brown. If birds and squirrels are eating them early, you can cover the heads with a mesh bag until you are ready to cut them. You will also want the seeds to be dry enough that they fall out when you rub them. You can leave the heads in a protected place to dry more if you need to. To remove the seeds, simply rub them into a bowl and then rinse out the excess plant material.

Brine and roast:

  • Place your seeds in a salt brine (about 2 cups of salt per gallon of water) and let the seeds soak for 12-24 hours. Put a plate or bowl on top of them to fully submerge floating seeds.
  • Drain and remove the seeds. Lay them out on napkins to remove excess moisture. Do not rinse or remove the brine in anyway.
  • Evenly cover cookie sheets with the seeds and place in the oven at 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes until seeds are crisp. For more seasoning, you can lightly oil your seeds. I like mine very salty and add more salt to the brine step.