Tag: pickles

Garden-health

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Garden-health

I have added a new tag called garden-health in the trend of “let food be your medicine” as nothing beats wholesome home grown food.  So I thought I would create a new category detailing  my attempts at gardening and different recipes etc and combine that with articles about health.   I will still keep the health tag running but this allows me a bit more leeway.

In about October-Sept 2021 I planted a garden built a small chicken coup and started prepping. My first four chickens were obtained from a farm and were different breeds (I can’t even remember the breed names).  We got them as chicks and I kept them inside in a large cardboard box lined with plastic and lamps. One of them got poopy butt which I managed to clean after watching a YT video. Long story short they grew up but one of them turned into a (beautiful) rooster (which we found a home for in the country – he was called “poopy butt”) and another beautiful white chicken became slowly paralyzed (poor thing).   I believe it had Marek disease and was probably unvaccinated ( I know…most chickens are vaccinated see my article on Marek). Anyway I had the poor thing put down by the vet and got two more chickens (these are reddish brown and smaller) from a grain and feed store.   Henrietta and Eggy are great layers. The other two chooks lay bigger eggs  but less frequently but I tend to get two eggs a day.  I have an ongoing battle with swallows getting into the run and I am trying to find their entry points (I put shade cloth and smaller gauge wire and still they come, I tried wind chimes and electronic hooting owl and still they come).    I have started pickling eggs and have bought calcium hydroxide because apparently you can keep raw eggs (unwashed straight from the chicken therefore covered with the “bloom) in a solution outside the fridge for two years. Apparently you can still fry them up after you wash them in water.  Anyway, that is another experiment that I will try.

Anyways, I am into the second year of planting and learning fast.  Making my own compost using the wood shavings and chicken poo when I clean out the run. Also kitchen scraps. Added worms to the compost bin and keep it moist.  The soil is rich but field mice have made a home in the compost.  I put down traps in the garden (to catch them live to release elsewhere) but they are too smart.  I had to resort to poison (carefully hidden and inaccessible to the dog) because they were chewing through my chicken feed (seed) bags.  These have now been placed in large plastic boxes on a pallet (live and learn).  Problem solved but I hate baiting and have left the mice in the compost alone (I know I should  probably do something). I have two tame doves who now strut about the garden and I give them a handful of seed (I know I should not do it).

In the first year we planted a radish from the fridge that had a root and it grew into a big plant that flowered and produced seed pods which I harvested.  Obviously, I did not know what I was doing and had to YT a lot but these pods provided lots of seeds that are now being planted and producing radishes.   We planted a lot of chard and that did well in the first year. We also planted spinach and carrots.  Some successes but lots of failures.  Bugs and over-watering were problems.  It is going better this year. We covered everything with fine netting and have less bugs.  I am growing bok-choy from the shop. Simply bought it at Woolworth’s (no longer shop there due to them sacking the unvaccinated) and stuck them in the ground.  Did the same with potatoes (in grow bags) and beetroot.    Bought a whole load of root vegetables and plan to make a new flower bed (front garden) – ginger root, turmeric, galangal, Jerusalem artichoke, kipfler potatoes and sweet potato (purple).  Sweet potato is not a potato but a vine root.  These are all shop bought and are lying on a tray outside. I am waiting for them to sprout and I will plant them just before spring.  Going to make a special flowerbed for the root veg.   We are still experimenting but I have enough soil and other materials to make raised flower beds and scale up the quantities quickly if necessary.

The moral of the story is start experimenting….it takes time.  It is OK to fail that is how you learn.  I thought it was just a case of stick it in the ground and it will grow but that is not the case. We are now in winter but it will soon be spring.  My advice is to get your beds ready now, buy your seeds, soil,tools and fertilizers and get your beds ready for spring.

My harvest

Here is my harvest and attempts at pickling eggs and vegetables.  The two jars of veg which are from the garden with the exception of the onions and garlic (but we have planted them for next season).  We pick the outer leaves of the bok-choy and chard leaves (they grow back). A lot of stuff (spinach leaves) can be continuously harvested during the season. We have lettuce growing (and doing well during the winter).  We cover the lettuce with netting (in pots) and we save our clear plastic bottles and square containers and cut a hole in the top and use them to protect the small plants. Together with slug pellets (dog safe etc uses EDTA) it seems to be working thus far.  We even have tomato plants outside in hanging pots. I put them in a very sunny location and protected with clear plastic containers. Seems to be working as they are less liable to get frost when they are off the ground.  Anyway it is all an experiment.  I have a bunch of Russian Red tomatoes (lolz) which will go in the small green house that I built (I forgot about that -lolz).  I take some pictures when I have time.  So, I am not busy blogging all the time….gardening and prepping keeps me very busy.

I have started making water-kefir, milk-kefir, yogurt and natto beans. kefir water tastes like (slightly alcoholic) lemonade. The milk kefir can be tart if you ferment too long but at 2 days it is like drinking yogurt. As for pickles…I like sauerkraut etc. Will report back next week after tasting. The covid virus stays in the gut for weeks. If you take quercetin other supplements they reduce your gut flora. Fermented products are pro-biotic and restore gut health. Kombucha made with green tea is good against amyloidosis and heart attacks.
Stinky beans (natto) has an enzyme called nattokinase studies show benefits against amyloid build up and dementia. The Japanese eat it a lot and have an elderly population.

Gut health

It is all connected (lolz) – we are a complex system…far more complicated than they suppose. We are not just “code” that can be manipulated.

Our butt is connected to our brain.  “The trigeminal and vagus nerve or the gut-brain axis are the entrance of SARS-CoV-2 in brain” – find here. So perhaps a brain fart is a real thing? (lolz)  The vagus nerve is the connecting link.  Now you know why the  Chinese were obsessed with anal schwabs (or is it swabs?).

Stinky beans

Stinky (natto beans) is supposed to help restore gut health.  That is why I have started with all the fermented products.  Gut health is critical.

Not only that but people are shitting out covid and it enters the drinking water. What have these lunatics done to us? In South Australia they are adding Chloramine  to drinking water. I use spring water for my fermentation but should it not be available I will boil puratap (filtered) water or use my treated rainwater.

However, back to stinky beans. I will report back on the tasting of pickles etc and include recipes. I believe the smell disappears if they are kept in the fridge and then you need to vigorously stir them (100x) serve mixed with lemon juice, raw onion, hot mustard etc. There are various scientific articles on the benefits but here is a vox pop article:

Kombucha can be made with green tea. Mine has been fermenting for nearly seven days and I will leave it another seven. Walter Chestnut has an article showing that green tea extract combats amylodosis.

 

Has this given you a headache?

Has all this given you a headache?  Take an aspirin and give one to your plant as well (lolz). Not all plants (or people) may be suitable for the aspirin regimen, but it has been shown that the nightshade family (eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes) do benefit greatly. Just keep an eye on your flowers response to aspirin and make conclusions.  So not only can aspirin help with covid clotting it can help your plants (see my health article on aspirin before taking any).

See What Happens When You Use Aspirin in Your Garden (3 min)

Why not try gargling with a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide to stop sore throats and viruses. Or you could give it to your plant! (always try on a small area first).

Conclusion

I will be reporting back with recipes and tastings and a record of what works and does not work in my garden and with more photos. I only have a small garden but it is big enough if used properly. My advice get growing now.