GardenFork – Eclectic DIY

Category: Video

  • Dehydrating Apples, A how to video

    Dehydrating Apples, A how to video

    Dehydrating apples is a great way to preserve food into winter. To us, dehydrated apples are like candy, so they get eaten faster than I’d like. The whole idea being to have some apples in the middle of winter. Watch this video on dehydrating apples and then read on for more information on the dehydrator we use.

    Dehydrating apples, what we use:

    We use a simple forced air dryer, its not the fanciest dehydrator, but its affordable and works for us.

    dehydrating apples

    This is a forced air dehydrator, its a pretty simple design, hot air is circulated around the trays. The model we have is no longer available, but Nesco makes several models that are similar, shop Amazon for food dehydrators here. I have found it helpful to rotate the trays halfway through the drying process, the newer models may not require this step. We don’t spray the trays with any oil, the dehydrated apple slices don’t stick when they are dry.

    dehydrating apples

    Slicing the apples is a ton of fun with this apple corer-slicer rig we got as a present one year. What fun. This is a very handy device to have if you want to dehydrate apples, saves a bunch of time. Shop for apple peeler – corer on Amazon here.

    dehydrating apples

    You can also make sun dried apple slices with a solar dehydrator. This is pretty simple, use some twine or fishing line and put the apples in a very sunny place. The hard part is keeping bugs from landing on the fruit while it dries. You may be able to fashion some sort of mesh or window screen system to keep the bugs off the apples while they dry.

    dehydrating apples

    Do you have any thoughts on what is a good food dehydrator? or any tips on using one? Please let me know in the comments below. thx!

     

     

  • Sweet Cornbread Recipe with Maple Syrup – GF Video

    Sweet Cornbread Recipe with Maple Syrup – GF Video

    Maple syrup makes this sweet cornbread recipe extra special. And not too sweet either, which is the way I like it. Watch the video and check out the recipe below.

    The vegetarian chili recipe video we mention in the video goes great with this.

    How to make this sweet cornbread recipe

    The maple syrup adds a smokey caramel flavor, I think. If you don’t have any, you can use sugar or honey, but it will have a different taste. You can also dial back the sweetness if you like. Be sure to mix the syrup into the wet ingredients, or else it will sit in the bottom of the mix.

    sweet cornbread recipe

    I really like the stone ground cornmeal. It happens to be from upstate New York, but I’ve seen different brands of stone ground. This might all be in my head, but I like the feel it gives the cornbread. But use what you got, and if you have regular cornbread, then go ahead and use it. K?

    I use butter in this recipe, but you can use bacon fat, vegetable oil, or lard. This fat melts in the pan in the oven, so keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn. The fat will melt faster than you think!

    I prefer a glass baking dish, but I also use a metal pan with fine results. I think the bottom crust is crunchier with the glass pan. This could all be in my head, anything is possible, you know…

    sweet cornbread recipe

    Sweet Cornbread Recipe with Maple Syrup
    Recipe Type: Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 9 pieces
    This cornbread recipe is based on one by Mark Bittman in the NY Times. I use whole wheat flour and maple syrup to change it up. I’ve found the whole wheat works very well with cornmeal in baking.
    Ingredients
    • 4 tablespoons butter
    • 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, stone ground if possible
    • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder – make sure its fresh!
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup – you can substitute sugar or honey
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup milk
    Instructions
    1. Turn on the oven to 375F.
    2. Put the butter in a 8″ baking pan in the oven.
    3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
    4. Put the milk into a small bowl and beat in the two eggs.
    5. Add the maple syrup to the egg-milk mixture.
    6. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together.
    7. Its ok if there are some lumps in the batter.
    8. Pull the pan out of the oven – carefully!
    9. Pour the batter into the pan – it may spatter – and put back in oven
    10. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.

     

  • Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe with Butternut Squash – GF Video

    Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe with Butternut Squash – GF Video

    Here it is, the best vegetarian chili recipe I’ve made yet. Omnivores, do not skip this chili, its great. Butternut squash adds a sweetness and a fun color to your mix. Watch our recipe video and start cooking. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

    Tips on the Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe

    You can use canned beans or cook some dried beans – see our pressure cooker vids here. I used pinto beans, but use what you got. Northern beans, kidney beans, whatever works for you. They will all have a slightly different flavor.

    Start with a small amount of cocoa! In the video I added too much, and have since adjusted the recipe. Add in the cocoa before the squash to preserve the orange color of the squash.

    Cut the squash smaller and it will cook faster. I cut the squash in to pretty large chunks, if they are smaller, it less time to be done.

    Chili powders can be very different. They vary in the amount of heat and smokiness, I’ve found. Start with less powder when you first start. You can add more later to boost the chili flavor if need be.

    This recipe is perfect for a slow cooker. Cook down the onions, then throw everything in a slow cooker for the day on low.

    Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe

    What are your thoughts and experience with making chili? Let me know below.

     

     

    Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe with Butternut Squash – GF Video
    Recipe Type: Dinner
    Cuisine: Vegetarian
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 3 quarts
    Easy chili recipe that features butternut squash. This one will appeal to everyone, and fill them up. Start with a small amount of cocoa, you can always add more. The first batch I made for the video had too much cocoa.
    Ingredients
    • 1 sweet onion, coarse chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 4 carrots sliced into rounds
    • 3 tablespoons chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon cumin
    • 1 28 ounce can chopped or diced tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons oregano
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 3 tablespoons cocoa
    • 1 24oz to 28 oz can kidney, pinto, or northern beans (do not rinse the beans)
    • 1 medium butternut squashed, peeled and cubed
    Instructions
    1. Use a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot for this chili. Turn the burner to high.
    2. Pour a few glugs of vegetable oil into the pan, about 1/8″ deep or so. In other words, enough to saute the onions.
    3. When the oil is getting hot, turn down the flame to medium and add in the onions. I like to cook the onions down to where the edges are getting brown.
    4. Add in the minced garlic, be sure it doesn’t stick and burn in the bottom of the pan. Cook for about a minute
    5. Add in the carrots and mix it all up. If you have time, I like to get some cooked edges to the carrots, but its not a deal breaker if this doesn’t happen.
    6. Push the vegetables towards the sides of the pot and allow the oil to flow back into the center of the pot. Add in the chili powder and cumin and let the spices toast in the hot oil for about 30 seconds.
    7. Mix the spices into the vegetables and pour in the can of tomatoes.
    8. Drop in the oregano and tomato paste and salt. I usually do two squirts of the tomato paste from the tube.
    9. Measure in the cocoa powder and mix it all together.
    10. Add the squash and beans.
    11. Bring this to a low simmer, cover the pot, and let cook on low. Depending on your stove, pot, and how thin the squash is cubed, this should cook down in about 30 minutes.
    12. If the chili is too watery for your taste, you can leave the top off while cooking for part of the time.
    13. The chili is done when you can easily pierce through the squash with a fork.

     

  • How To Cut Glass – GF Video

    How To Cut Glass – GF Video

    Learn how to cut glass to repair a broken window or to use cut glass in a crafts project. In our DIY video, we show you  few tips to make cutting glass easier.

    This same glass cutting method applies to crafts projects too. If you are doing stained glass, the glass cutting process is the same. You will do more curved cuts as you practice.

    Tips On How To Cut Glass

    • Oil the glass cutter
    • Apply firm pressure
    • Use a straight edge
    • Wear safety glasses and gloves
    • Cut clean glass

    Oiling the glass cutter was a wake up moment for me when I was learning how to cut glass. In one of our how to glaze windows videos, Bobby showed me hoe he oils his glass cutter, and it made all the difference. You can use motor oil, automatic transmission fluid, or vegetable oil, use what works and what you have.

    When cutting the glass, firm pressure is key. But you don’t want to put all your weight on the cutter. The cutter should make a sound like paper being torn, but a bit louder. You want a clean score line, not a deep gouge in the glass.

    I found a square is very helpful when cutting glass. You can run the cutter right along it, and you can put your hand on it to hold down the glass. It helps to tape the square to the glass, duct tape works well.

    Clean the glass before you cut it. You don’t want the cutter to hit any debris, and it makes it easier to draw any cut lines.

    how to cut glass

    After you score the glass, you can use the metal tapper on the back of the cutter to tap the back of the glass, the side  opposite the score line, to cause the break to expand, and then put the glass on an edge and snap it off.

  • Pallet Christmas Tree Project – GF Video

    Pallet Christmas Tree Project – GF Video

    Craft a pallet Christmas tree in about an hour from start to finish. This wood pallet project all started when my neighbor put a pallet out with the trash, and I grabbed it and brought it into my house. Watch the video to see it all go together:

    How To Make A Pallet Christmas Tree

    pallet christmas tree

    The ideal pallet for this has at least one good side. In other words, the wood slats are in good shape and not splintered. Remember you are only going to use 2/3 of the pallet, so if one side has some issues, that’s ok, just use the other side for the pallet Christmas tree. When cutting through the slats, do not cut into the studs, only cut the slats.

    Flip the pallet over and cut off all the slats except the last one, the one at the bottom, is left whole to serve as a support.

    pallet christmas tree
    Cut of the back slats except the bottom one.

    Pallet Christmas Tree

    pallet christmas tree

    Decide on your color and spray paint the wood. If you want to upgrade this into a super craft project, you can sand the wood slats, prime the wood, and brush on some quality paint. I like the transparent feel to the light coat of green spray paint I applied. Its a matter of taste and patience. And you know how I am with patience. K?

    I hand drew some stars on card stock, and then used some paper to make a larger stencil mask to avoid spraying the red paint where I didn’t want it.

    pallet christmas tree

    I cut two stabilizers from the scrap wood and screwed these into the bottom of the pallet Christmas tree. This could be improved, I think, but for this holiday season I went with this solution.

    One thing to pay attention to is make sure the pallet you use has the letters HT branded somewhere on it. This means heat treated for insects, so its safe to use for projects. More info on pallet safety from our friends at Root Simple here.

    pallet christmas tree

  • Varroa Mite Treatment For Bees – Beekeeping 101 – GF Video

    Varroa Mite Treatment For Bees – Beekeeping 101 – GF Video

    Here is the oxalic acid varroa mite treatment I use on our honeybees. I’ve used a few mite treatments in the past, tried the varroa resistant queens, one year I did the hands off method, and the oxalic acid mite treatment is the best thing I’ve used so far. This is based on my use, and other beekeepers I know. Some mite treatments are pretty awful in the hive, oxalic acid strikes a good balance.

    Oxalic acid occurs naturally. It is present in spinach and rhubarb, and is found in small amounts in honey. My treatment method is based on a post by Rusty on my fav beekeeping blog, Honey Bee Suite.

    One of the great things about this method is that it is super easy. Some people will vaporize oxalic acid in their hives, but this requires some gear, and I don’t recommend it for the hobbyist beekeeper. Our treatment process uses a 60 ml syringe. You can buy these at agricultural supply stores, or online here.

    Varro Mite Treatment

    This sugar – acid mix is also great for spraying bee packages before putting then in a hive. It knocks down the mite load quite a bit. All the packages I hive are sprayed with it before dropping into a hive. When treating a regular hive, it is best to apply the mite treatment in late fall, when there is little brood in the hive. The acid will not kill any mites that are in capped cells.

    winter-beekeeping-watch-more

    Varro Mite Treatment
    Oxalic Acid is easiest to buy as wood bleach

    The oxalic acid varroa mite treatment recipe:

    Oxalic acid is also known as wood bleach. It is used by wood finishers. You may be able to find it in a hardware store. I couldn’t find it, so I bought it online, order oxalic acid here. You can buy the syringe here.

    Put 600 ml of hot water in a quart Pyrex container, or similar glass jar.

    Add 35 grams of the oxalic acid crystals and stir to dissolve in the hot water

    Add 600 grams of granulated sugar.

    Store in a glass jar – I use a canning jar.

    Take the cover off the hive, do not break apart the hive. You apply the acid through the top super.

    Measure 50 ml into the syringe, and dribble 5 ml into the spaces between each frame of a 10 frame hive. Some people will use more of the acid in the frame space areas that have more bees in them.

    Rusty suggest practicing the dribble with water before doing this, and I agree. It takes a little work to get it right. Rusty references the Scientific Beekeeping site in her post for the exact oxalic acid varroa mite treatment recipe.

    watch beekeeping videos insert

  • Beehive Winter Wrap – Beekeeping 101 – GF Video

    Beehive Winter Wrap – Beekeeping 101 – GF Video

    After trying several kinds, this beehive winter wrap works best for me. Its easy to put on, and I can re-use it every year. It makes winterizing beehives easier, and the honeybees make it through winter.

    Beehive Winter Wrap How To:

    Insulating the beehive is the first part of winter prep. The second and third parts of winterizing the beehive is to use an insulated inner cover and add a backup source of food, we use the dry sugar method. Before any winterizing, treat the bees for varroa mites.

    watch beekepeing videos insert copyI use the 2″ thick polystyrene you can buy at the lumber store. Its usually used for insulating walls and basements. Its not the cheapest stuff, but it will last a long time, just don’t beat it up. One 24″ x 96″ piece will wrap a hive with some leftover.

    Beehive Winter Wrap

    I cut it with a retractable box knife with the blade pushed all the way out. Be very careful when cutting. Use a piece of metal or wood as a straight edge, and make series of cuts down through the polystyrene. You can also use a hand saw with a straight edge. Best to cut this on a work table or somewhere you don’t mind getting knife marks. Once you make several cuts down through the material, you can snap it off, kinda like cutting drywall.

    Keep in mind the pieces do not have to be perfect.

    Beehive Winter Wrap
    Do Not Block The Lower Entrance
    Beehive Winter Wrap
    Upper Entrance Kept Clear!

    The front piece of insulation will be shorter than the back piece. You have to make sure not to cover the lower or upper entrances with the insulation. These both need to stay open through winter. I use a ratchet strap to hold the hive wrap against the beehive, you could also use 2 bungee cords, one near the top, one near the bottom.

    winter-beekeeping-watch-more

    mountain-feeding-sugar-beekeeping-play

    bee-oxalic-acid-mite-treatment-play

  • Easy Insulated Inner Cover – Beekeeping 101 – GF Video

    Easy Insulated Inner Cover – Beekeeping 101 – GF Video

    Here’s how to put together an insulated inner cover for your beehive without having to buy a new cover or build one. I learned this method from Phillipe at MudSongs.org , he  has some great info on his beekeeping site, very down to earth.

    An insulated inner cover reduces or prevents condensation in the beehive in winter.

    Why does this matter? Condensation is water that collects on the top of the hive. It forms on the side of the inner cover that faces the bees. When enough water collects, it will drip back down onto the bees. Not a good thing.

    Wet bees are dead bees.

    Especially in winter.

    How does this cover help? Condensation happens when warm air meets a cold object. In the beehive in winter, the bee cluster is warm, and there is some humidity in the air. When the warm air from the cluster rises and hits the cold inner cover, the water vapor condenses and drops back onto the bees. Not good.

    Insulated Inner Cover Beekeeping

    The insulation that sits on top of the inner cover here keeps the cover from getting real cold, thus reducing or eliminating condensation. Since I have been using the insulated inner cover, I have not seen signs of condensation in the hive. If you find mold in your hives, you have condensation, FYI.

    My variation on the insulated cover is to put a shim between the upper super and the inner cover. I then put sugar on top of the frames, using the dry sugar, aka mountain camp, method. This sugar provides a backup food source, and absorbs moisture in the hive.

    Be sure the slot of the inner cover is not covered, one should always provide an upper entrance to the hive, plus it allows for air flow. Yes even in cold weather, I believe a hive needs some air flow, so provide an upper entrance. Remember to invert the inner cover.

    You should also insulate the sides of the hive.

    watch beekeeping videos insertHere is how to stack the parts of the top of the beehive, top to bottom:

    • Outer cover sits on top of insulation, and usually covers it.
    • Insulation – I use 2″ thick polystyrene.
    • Inner cover, turned upside down, flat side faces upward.
    • Spacer shim, with dry sugar on top of newspaper.
    • Top brood super

    I built some DIY insulated inner covers that are more involved than this stack method, and they work well for me. If you are handy, have at them.Insulated Inner Cover Beekeeping

    mountain-feeding-sugar-beekeeping-play

    winter-beekeeping-watch-more

  • 9 Cookbooks To Get For Yourself or Others

    9 Cookbooks To Get For Yourself or Others

    Every year I send out the GardenFork Gift Guide to our email list. (sign up here) This year I wanted to break it up into a series of gift guides, the first being the cookbook holiday gift guide.

    I am not one for buying stuff one doesn’t need, but I do think a shelf of cookbooks is OK. If I find I am not using a cookbook, I give it away. The cookbooks below are ones that I use. I either cook the recipes as printed, or I use them as a starting point for ideas of my own.

     

     

  • 10 Tips On How To Deep Fry Turkey – GF Video

    10 Tips On How To Deep Fry Turkey – GF Video

    When learning how to deep fry turkey, there’s a lot of info left out, here’s GardenFork video with 10 tips on deep frying.

    My 10 Tips On How To Deep Fry Turkey:

    Read fryer directions: This is one of those times where I advocate reading the directions that come with a rig.

    Do a trail run: Make sure your propane tank is full, and the burner works correctly. If you deep fry turkey the weekend before, you can have it all for yourself. The oil you used can be used again, see below.

    Cheap vegetable oil works: Mike Wells at Popular Science is on the same wavelength as I am on this. I don’t think you need expensive peanut oil.

    How To Deep Fry Turkey

    Start with 3 gallons: I have found a 30 quart deep fryer usually takes about 3 1/2 gallons to deep fry a 14 pound turkey . You can test this by putting the bird in the empty fryer, adding water to cover, and measuring the water as you pour it in. Be sure to dry the turkey after doing this, water and hot oil can cause boil overs.

    Smaller turkeys are better: An 18 pound turkey is a big deal to deep fry. It can be hard to hold up and get into the pot, and it is more likely to boil over. I deep fried a 12 pound bird for these videos and there was plenty of turkey.

    Calibrate your thermometer: Thermometers can be off by quite a bit. Boil some water and see what your temp reads. Water boils at 212F at sea level. As you elevation rises, the water boiling temp will drop. we are at 1500′ and the temp is 210F.

    More Deep Fried Turkey Videos:

    watch more how deep fryWear old clothes: You will get oil on your clothes and shoes, so don’t wear nice clothes. Dress like me, at least for a few hours.

    Fresh is better than frozen: I have messed up defrosting turkeys several times. It is much less stressful to just buy a fresh turkey. Plus, unless the turkey is completely thawed, any ice or water in the turkey can cause the oil to boil over the pot. A very bad thing.

    ABC fire extinguisher: Have one nearby, OK? It has to say for A B & C type fires on the label.

    Turn off burner: When lowering or raising the turkey into the pot, turn off the burner. This way any oil spills down the pot, it wont be ignited by the burner.

    I Love These Gloves:

    Wear oven gloves: I really like these silicone oven gloves a GardenFork viewer sent me.

    How To Deep Fry Turkey

    Dry rub is ok: If you are a fan of dry rubs or dry brining, you can do that, just use more of it, as some the dry rub or salt will get washed into the oil.

    Let rest on metal baking tray: After the turkey is cooked, let is rest on a metal baking sheet for 2o minutes. Keep away from your kids and pets, its still real hot.

    Cook on grass: When you deep fry turkey, oil can spill. If you place the burner on the grass, the oil is absorbed by the soil. If you deep fry on your driveway, you have oil on your concrete and its slippery, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

    Reuse oil: You can re-use the vegetable oil 3-4 times, but between frying, keep the oil cool in the basement or fridge. Be sure you strain the oil to remove the turkey bits from the oil after each use. You could also give the oil to someone who uses it to power their car or truck.

    How To Deep Fry Turkey

    Use long lighter: This is one of the easiest when I wanted to write about how to deep fry turkey. When you have a big pot on the burner and you need to relight it, a long lighter is key.

  • Deep Fried Turkey Recipe The Easy Way – GF Video

    Deep Fried Turkey Recipe The Easy Way – GF Video

    Here is my deep fried turkey recipe, its not rocket science, and you will be amazed at how great turkey can taste. Deep frying is the best way to cook turkey, I think. I’ve had way too many dry Thanksgiving dinners, where the only moist thing is the gravy. With this, you don’t need gravy. Watch our video and get the recipe below.

    How to deep fry turkey – gear you need:

    There is some equipment needed to deep fry turkey, but once you have it, you will have it for years.

    This post covers the basics of how to deep fry turkey. We show you some more tips in our follow up video here.

    How much oil to use in a turkey deep fryer?

    It depends on the turkey, but with a 14 lb bird, approx 3.5 gallons of vegetable oil usually works for me when using a 30 quart pot. Check the instructions that come with your turkey fryer pot. As you fry the bird, the level of the oil may drop a bit, that is OK. The legs may stick out a bit – I fry with the legs pointing up – that is ok too.

    You will heat up the oil to 350F, turn off the burner, and then lower the turkey into the fryer. Fire up the burner again, you’ll notice the temperature will drop quite a bit. The last time I did it, the temp dropped to 200F. The ideal is to keep the oil temp at or near 350F, but that doesn’t always happen. If you are deep frying in cold weather or the wind is blowing, the fryer may not get back to 350F after putting in the turkey. I keep the cover on the pot when initially heating the oil up to 350F, and keep the cover off when the turkey is in the pot. But if its cold outside, you might try keeping the cover on while frying, but you have to keep constant watch on it, to make sure it does not boil over.

    Deep Fried Turkey RecipeHow long does it take to deep fry a turkey?

    Usually its 4-5 minutes per pound. What is more important to done-ness is temperature of the meat. I use a digital thermoter, and stick it in the thigh. You can pull out the turkey at 145F, I usually pull it at 150F or so. Its an inexact science at best. I've had turkey at 170F that was fine. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes on a baking tray before carving. watch more deep fry tips Deep Fried Turkey Recipe

    Important deep fried turkey recipe safety tips:

    • Turn off the burner when putting the bird in the pot and when removing it. I don't think you need a ladder - derrick rig.
    • You do need to use common sense.
    • Wear silicon oven gloves or welding gloves.
    • Turkey must be fully defrosted! Any water or ice in the turkey can cause the oil to boil over the pot.
    • Lower the turkey very slowly into the hot oil, take 30 seconds at least.
    Deep Fried Turkey Recipe
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 1 Turkey
    Deep Fried Turkey is the best way to cook a turkey, I think. Watch our how to video that accompanies this recipe.
    Ingredients
    • 1 fresh or defrosted turkey 12-15 lbs is best
    • 3 gallons vegetable oil - buy what's on sale
    • 1/2 cup Dry Rub spice mix - if you like to spice your turkey
    • 1/4 cup table salt - if you want to dry bring the turkey
    Instructions
    1. Defrost your turkey fully. This will take several days, or buy a fresh turkey.
    2. If you want a dry rub or brine, apply the dry rub or salt the day before cooking to the turkey. You can put the dry rub under the skin if you want. Keep the turkey in the fridge overnight.
    3. hours before dinner time, assemble deep fryer burner rig. Put on fry pot and add vegetable oil.
    4. Light burner using long butane lighter.
    5. Heat oil to 350F. This can take 30-45 minutes.
    6. Place turkey legs up on the poultry rack that comes with the fryer pot.
    7. Use the grab hook to slowly lower the turkey into the deep fryer.
    8. Re-light the burner and heat the oil back to 350F.
    9. Cook the turkey until the thigh temperature reaches at least 145F
    10. Turn off burner and remove the turkey using the grab tool.
    11. Rest on a baking sheet for 20 minutes before carving.
     

  • Cheater Apple Pie Recipe, aka The Apple Galette – GF Video

    Cheater Apple Pie Recipe, aka The Apple Galette – GF Video

    Simple apple pie recipe hack, this apple galette is much easier to make than a proper apple pie, and tastes and looks just as good. Call it Rustic Apple Pie. Watch the video and check out the recipe below.

    We’ve done a few galette recipes already, and we’ll be doing more, as the form is versatile. Its kinda like a pie tart shell, you can put all sorts of stuff in it, be it sweet or savory. Sign up for our email newsletter to be in the know when we post them.

    Cheater apple pie recipe, aka The Apple Galette

    I call this a cheater apple pie, because its similar to an apple pie recipe, but is less fussy. Roll out dough, drop in fruit, bake, done. Apple pie seems more involved, but we’ll make those too. Now I have ideas for pie in my head. Do you? Let me know below.

    Cheater apple pie recipeThis galette is a low sugar version, a sprinkle of sugar is all I added, and it was fine. I used dried cranberries and learned that its best to have the cranberries tucked under the apples on top of the galette, else they get too crunchy from the oven heat. You could use other dried fruits, but I think we need to eat more cranberries.

    Don’t sweat the pie crust! It’s not rocket science to make a decent crust. Be sure to put the pie dough in the fridge for a while to let it set up. A key ingredient in my pie crust is sugar. It adds a bit of sweetness and crunch to the crust, this same crust would make good rugelach, you know. Have to work on that one. My grandmother made those every Christmas.

    Cheater apple pie recipe

    The apples in this galette get soft, but don’t break down and go mushy, its baked apple slices and cranberries, and goes well with a bit of vanilla ice cream. Some liquid may leak out the side, but that’s ok. Best to bake this on a lined cookie sheet or a greased cast iron flat skillet just in case.

    I used Fuji apples for this, and use my fav apple corer, it makes the prep go fast, I think.

    Cheater Apple Pie Recipe, aka The Apple Galette
    Recipe Type: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 1 pie
    A simpler version of apple pie, the apple galette is a open faced rustic crust pastry that you can add all sorts of fruits to. Today we use apples and cranberries
    Ingredients
    • 3-5 apples cored and sliced – if the apples are small use more apples.
    • 1 cup of dried cranberries
    • 1-2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • lemon zest
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 stick of unsalted butter – cold
    • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • ice water
    Instructions
    1. If possible, make the pie crust a few hours beforehand, or the day before:
    2. Cut the stick of cold butter into 1/2″ cubes, and place in food processor.
    3. Add the flour and sugar and salt.
    4. Pulse the processor until the flour and butter have cut together. it looks kinda like lumpy cornmeal. if you’re not sure, make sure all the butter cubes have been mixed into the flour.
    5. Put this dough in to a bowl, and add ice cold water a few tablespoons at a time. mix the water into the dough until the dough can form a ball. Don’t add too much water and make the dough sticky. If you do, add some more flour to the dough.
    6. Place this dough onto some plastic wrap, shape it into a large hockey puck, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes, or the fridge for 30 minutes. The longer it is in the fridge , the better the dough gets, I think.
    7. Combine in a bowl the apple slices, lemon, sugar, zest, cornstarch, and cranberries. Mix together.
    8. Roll out the dough on a floured board, you want it about 14″ in diameter, about 1/4-1/8″ thick.
    9. Place the pie dough onto a greased cast iron pan or cookie sheet.
    10. Pour the apples into the center of the crust and pull up the sides onto the pile, pinching the dough together to hold it up. Slip any exposed cranberries underneath some apples.
    11. Bake at 400 for about 35-40 minutes. The apples will not break down, but will be soft.
    Cheater Apple Pie, aka Apple Galette Recipe
  • Split Wood With A Log Splitter – GF Video

    Split Wood With A Log Splitter – GF Video

    If you have a lot of wood to split, you should split wood with a log splitter. We borrowed our neighbor’s wood splitter to tackle a large cherry tree that had died. We made a lot of firewood in a few hours, watch the video:

    Some safety tips when you split wood with a log splitter

    watch more axe

    Know how to stop the machine immediately.
    Where is the off or reverse switches? Know how to back up the piston real quick or to turn off the rig. Don’t become lax about operating the log splitter, its a powerful machine.

    split wood with a log splitter

    Be aware of everyone near the machine.
    Accidents will occur if more than one person is operating the log splitter. Don’t assume your co-worker knows where you and your fingers are at all times.

    Always wear ear and eye protection, and steel toed boots.
    Its obvious, but prolonged exposure to loud noise, like that from a small engine, takes it toll on your hearing. Eye protection is a must have, after all, we’re splitting wood here. And good boots will save your feet. You need them to get along in life, OK?

    split wood with a log splitter

    Block the machine wheels to keep it from rolling.
    Log splitters are on wheels so they can be moved around, so chock the wheels when its where you want it, so it doesn’t roll. Remember, round wheels will roll. Gravity wins.

    Keep fingers out of log splits.
    When splitting wood, its easy to get you fingers in the openings of the wood, don’t do it. Those cracks can just as easily close back up, with your fingers in them. A bad thing if you ask me.

    split wood with a log splitter

    Square the ends of the log.
    You want the logs to sit flat on the back plate of the splitter. If that isn’t square, the log can twist, and potentially move in a way you’d rather it not to go. Square straight logs = good.

    If you’ve borrowed the log splitter from your neighbor, return it in better shape then you got it. And fill up the tank with fresh gas that has gas stabilizer added. Your neighbor will be impressed and let you borrow it again.

     

     

  • Split Wood With An Axe – GF Video

    Split Wood With An Axe – GF Video

    Learn here how to split wood with an axe and get some exercise the same time. Using an axe to split wood is one of those zen activities for me. Its very analog and rhythmic, its you, an axe, and some firewood.

    You can split wood with an axe if you are working on lighter woods, or wood that is not too large in diameter. If you find yourself using a sledgehammer or wedge to drive the axe through a log, you should consider using a maul instead.

    watch more wood splitting machine

    If you have a pile of wood to work on, you might consider borrowing a powered wood splitter, we made a video about using one.

    split wood with an axe

    Couple of safety tips when splitting wood:

    • Wear safety goggles
    • Use steel toed shoes
    • Keep kids and pets out of the area
    • Split wood on a solid axe friendly surface

    Whenever you hit a metal object with another metal object, like a sledge and an axe, you should be wearing safety glasses.

    Steel toed shoes save your feet. Logs rolling onto unprotected feet is not a fun thing, trust me.

    split-wood-with-an-axe-1

    Its obvious, but when you are swinging a weighted sharp tool, you don’t want anyone nearby, not a good thing to get near when its flying toward a log being split.

    Put the wood to be split on a surface that can take axe blows. A large diameter log is great, and it get the wood up higher and makes it easier to swing at. I use a large wide piece of thick lumber. Also avoid splitting wood on wet ground, makes for a mess.

    Wood needs to be dried usually before you split wood with an axe. There are a few trees that split easily when freshly felled, but its easier to let them dry out, aka ‘season’. The birch logs above have cracks in them, called ‘checking’ that shows they have dried out.

    Your choice of axes ranges from really nice to use what you got. What’s most important is to use a sharp axe. You can sharpen it yourself using a hand file or a metal grinder. The wood or plastic handle should be in good shape, not split or cracked. If the axe head is starting to shows signs of damage, like a mushroom back end or the handle hole is bowed out, do not use the axe, OK?

  • Kale Pesto Recipe – GF Video

    Kale Pesto Recipe – GF Video

    A new kale pesto recipe, one that is simply and brilliant and why didn’t I think of this earlier. Kale pesto. Easy to make and a new way to get more green superfoods into your diet. Here we go.

    This kale pesto recipe is a classic GardenFork ‘Use What You Got’ kine of meal. The short version is take kale, make pesto, mix into pasta, dollop into soup, or spread on toast. This recipe makes a big batch which you can use for a pasta dinner, and then use the remaining pesto for lunch or enhance dinner the next night or two.

    This kale pesto goes nicely mixed into our White Bean Soup recipe. The smooth flavor of the white beans gets spiked with this greens & cheese mix. Nice.

    Kale Pesto Recipe

    In this recipe video I show how we stem the kale. I don’t use a knife,  just stripping the stems off with your hands saves time. I think I learned this technique from watching Sarah Moulton do it on one of her cooking shows.

    You can use whatever kale you have on hand or that is in your garden. I grow a classic green curly kale, and a red russian kale, which has a flat leaf. For this video, I added both into the food processor. Lacinato kale, aka dinosaur kale, also works. Wash off the kale before you start!

    Kale Pesto Recipe

     

    Key here is to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Buy the real thing. Cheap extra virgin probably isn’t the real deal, in my opinion. I like to use Pecorino Romano cheese, which has a nice saltiness to it. You can also use Parmesan, but don’t buy any pre-grated cheese, it tastes like stale cardboard.

    Start out with one medium clove of garlic, the garlic flavor will grow if you store the pesto. I like to let the minced or pressed garlic sit out on cutting board for a while before adding it into the processor, I believe it mellows out the bite a bit.

    If you are using this new kale recipe with pasta, drizzle some olive oil over the pasta and pesto just before serving. Make it all work that much better.

    Easy Kale Recipe

    Thanks to Sarah Moulton for the kale stemming tip, you can check out one her cookbooks here:

    Kale Pesto Recipe
    Cuisine: Italian
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 2 cups
    A kale recipe that is a no-brainer but one I had not thought of before. Easy to make and one more way to get your family to eat kale and like it.
    Ingredients
    • 1 good bunch of kale, Stems removed, Enough to fill your food processor.
    • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup walnuts
    • 1 1/2 cups of Pecorino Romano cheese
    • 1 medium clove garlic
    Instructions
    1. Mince or press the garlic clove and let it sit while prepping the other ingredients.
    2. If you have time, toast the walnuts in a pan on the stove, toss a few times. Pay attention so you don’t burn them. You can also toast them in the oven
    3. Wash and remove the stems from the kale. Dry the kale as best you can.
    4. Put the kale leaves in the food processor and pour the oil over the leaves.
    5. Process for about 15 seconds and then press the leaves down with a rubber spatula, process again to get the leaves roughly chopped.
    6. Add to the processor the cheese, walnuts, and garlic
    7. Process again, stopping to use the spatula to get everything mixed well.
    8. I prefer a coarse chopped pesto, but process to the consistency you prefer.
  • Mountain Camp Method for Winter Feeding – Beekeeping 101 Video

    Mountain Camp Method for Winter Feeding – Beekeeping 101 Video

    The mountain camp method of feeding your bees sugar during winter is the best way I’ve found so far to provide bees with an emergency food source. For whatever reason, honeybees may run through their winter food stores, and need additional food to get through the tough winter months. The mountain camp method provides this back up food source in a brilliantly simple way. Watch our intro video and follow up video, then read through the rest of this beekeeping 101 post.

    Mountain Camp Method How To

    Mountain Camp Method Beekeeping 101

    Before I started to use this technique, every fall I would make sugar patties for the top of the hives as an emergency feed. They work fine, but making sugar cakes is a pain. This does the same thing.

    The mountain camp method of feeding honeybees emergency sugar is pretty simple. And that’s why I love it. Here’s how to do it:

    • Lay a sheet of newspaper over the top of the hive, cutting it down so there is space around the inside perimeter of the hive box.
    • Pour granulated sugar on top of the newspaper.
    • Spray the pile of sugar with water so it crusts over.
    • Place a spacer shim and/or an insulated inner cover over the pile of sugar.
    • Tilt and strap your hives down for winter.

    watch beekepeing videos insert copyWe built these DIY insulated inner covers that have a spacer built in to allow for sugar feeding, be it sugar syrup in zipper bags or pollen patties. If you don’t use a cover with that allows for this, you can build a simple spacer out of 1″x3″ common pine. I haven’t seen a spacer that’s deep enough for sale anywhere. They are easy to make.

    Insulated Inner Cover with built-in spacer for sugar feeding
    Insulated Inner Cover with built-in spacer for sugar feeding
    Mountain Camp Method Beekeeping 101
    Simple spacer allows for dry and wet sugar feeding. Easy to build.

    This pile of sugar on top of the hive provides a second benefit, it absorbs moisture in the hive during winter, and prevents condensation from dripping back down on to the bees. Wet bees in winter is a very bad thing.

    Questions I have gotten about this method:

    Can I feed them this dry sugar instead of sugar syrup in the fall? No. You still need to feed the bees sugar syrup in the fall. Watch our Sugar Syrup Feed videos.

    My bees have plenty of honey and I fed them sugar syrup during the fall, why do I need to do this? I do the same thing in the fall, but the dry sugar is an emergency winter feed. Sometimes bees run out of their own stores, or sometimes they can’t get to them. Below is a photo of bees taking up sugar I provided them. If I hadn’t provided the bees with this emergency sugar, they would be dead now.

    Mountain Camp Method Beekeeping 101

    Why is it called mountain camp? From what I understand, a person who goes by that name posted this method online a while back and the name stuck.

    winter beek check list watchCheck out more of our beekeeping 101 and winter prep videos and posts:

    Winter Bee Inspection Video

    Build an Insulated Inner Cover

    Let us know your comments below, thanks!

  • Natural Weed Control in the Vegetable Garden – GF Video

    Natural Weed Control in the Vegetable Garden – GF Video

    Want to keep weeds down without spraying? Natural weed control is the way to go using this woven weed fabric. This video is an update to our previous how to control weeds video, showing how the weed fabric has held up to 6 years of New England weather.

    I’m using the term natural weed control in a broad sense here, not wanting to get into the weeds about whether using a plastic material is natural. But rather in the sense that we are not using chemical weed killer, and by depriving the weed seeds of light, we keeping the weeds down in the garden.

    watch more weed free 3
    This was purchased from a local greenhouse supply, you can buy the weed fabric online also. I’ve seen this fabric used as the floor of greenhouses and nursery yards. The fabric comes in rolls, and my neighbor got a friend to sew the fabric into a one giant piece. Each fall, the plants are pulled up and the fabric is rolled up and stored in the barn.

    natural weed control

    Large cement blocks hold down the edges of the fabric, and bricks are interspered between the plant rows throughout the garden to keep it from blowing up and away. To plant seedlings in the fabric, a propane torch is used to create holes. The torch singes the edges of the plastic, keeping it from fraying.

    natural weed control

    This natural weed control method works great for squash cucumbers, and whatever other vines you want to grow. It makes it much easier to harvest squash when the plants aren’t covered in weeds. It also makes it easier to spot damage by insects – watch our squash vine borer treatment videos.

    natural weed control

    This weed fabric is UV stable, meaning it is resistant to the sunlight degrading the material. If you use regular plastic sheeting, it will break down in the sunlight. You can see us use black plastic mulch in this tomato video.

    Questions or comments? Let us know below.

  • Making Sauerkraut Made Easy – GF Video

    Making Sauerkraut Made Easy – GF Video

    Making sauerkraut is the gateway recipe to fermentation success. Here’s how to make sauerkraut: shred cabbage, add salt, put in jar. Done. In this recipe video i wanted to show that making sauerkraut does not have to involve large fermentation crocks and lots of work. This is small batch kraut made easy.

    Making Sauerkraut Is Not Rocket Science

    I’ve heard from a few people about their fermentation failures, usually with a recipe for making sauerkraut. The first time I tried to make it, it didn’t work out. I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is using tap water that has been chlorinated. I figured this out when I was baking bread, I found that using water from our Brita Water Filter Pitcher allowed the yeast to work much better.

    This sauerkraut how to is based on the methods laid out by Leda Meredith in her book, Preserving Everything. I think a lot of people have this impression that you have to have big fermentation crocks and tons of cabbage to make this. Leda’s method uses mason jars. You can use most any glass jar, you just need to be able to cover the jar in some way. Either with a lid or maybe plastic wrap with a rubber band to cover the top – whatever works for you. What does not work is metal containers, use only ceramic, glass, or food grade plastic. If you use a plastic container, it will smell like fermented food forever after, in my experience.

    Making Sauerkraut Made Easy - GF VideoHow you chop the cabbage for making sauerkraut is a matter of preference. Basically, do you like chunky or fine kraut? If you cut the cabbage with a knife, you can get chunky cabbage. If you use a knife, mash and crush the cabbage before adding it to the jar, you want to break down the cell walls of the cabbage leaves to allow the fermentation to start quickly.

    Making Sauerkraut Made Easy - GF Video
    A box grater works, but I suggest a food processor with a shredding blade.

    You want the cabbage to start making a brine fairly quickly, which is why I like to use a food processor to shred the cabbage. This method lets a lot of liquid out of the leaves and mixes with the coarse salt you’ve added to make the brine.

    If the brine does not start by itself within an hour, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a cup of filtered water, and top up the jar. Some cabbage will always float a bit, but you want most of the cabbage submerged.

    Press down the cabbage, if you see some bubbles come up out of the brine, you are making sauerkraut. If you don’t see bubbles, be patient, wait up to 4 days, just be sure the brine is topped off and keep the jar in a dark place. You can start eating the kraut after it has been fermenting for 3 days, but I like to wait at least 1 week. Some people wait a month.

    Making Sauerkraut Made Easy - GF Video
    Small bubbles means fermentation has started!

    After the initial 3-4 days of fermentation, I keep my sauerkraut in the fridge, I think it mellows the kraut, and it will keep for 6 months. Visit Leda’s website for great foraging info and food preservation recipes.

    Bonus! I got to interview Sandor Katz on GardenFork Radio, Some fermentation books we recommend:

     

    How To Make Sauerkraut Recipe
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Small batch fermentation in mason jars allows you to make sauerkraut the easy way. This sauerkraut recipe is based on Leda Meredith’s single jar kraut in her book, Preserving Everything.
    Ingredients
    • One small head green cabbage
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
    • Filtered water
    • One pint mason jar
    Instructions
    1. Remove any wilted parts of the cabbage
    2. Cut cabbage in half lengthwise, then cut each side into quarters.
    3. Put shredding blade on food process and shred the cabbage.
    4. Layer the cabbage into a pint mason jar, adding about 1″ of cabbage, then some of the salt.
    5. Press down the cabbage a few times while adding the layers.
    6. Add cabbage until the level reaches about 1/4″ below the rim of the jar.
    7. Let sit for 1-2 hours.
    8. If brine does not develop, add 1/2 teaspoon salt into 1 cup water, and add to top of cabbage.
    9. Keep cabbage submerged in brine, add saltwater mix as needed.
    10. Put on jar lid loosely, let sit in a dark place to ferment for 3-4 days.
    11. Tighten jar lid and refrigerate.
    12. Kraut keeps for 6 months.
    13. If you use a quart mason jar, double this recipe.