Tag Archives: how to

Should You Use Calcium Chloride When Making Mozzarella?

Stretching Mozzarella

Lately, online cheesemaking forums have been abuzz with controversy over the question of whether calcium chloride should be used when making mozzarella. Some folks insist that calcium chloride is necessary for proper curd formation, and others argue that it prevents the curds from stretching.

So, who’s right?

To get to the bottom of this controversy, we turned to world-renown cheesemaker Margaret Morris, author of The Cheesemaker’s Manual, 2015 winner of First Prize at the American Cheese Society (ACS) Society, and 2013 winner of the top award at the Global Cheese Making Competition in Somerset, UK.

Here’s what we learned. Continue reading →

Q&A: Questions About Our Speedy Sprouts

A customer asks: I’m confused about your Speedy Sprouts wheat sprouts. What do you do with them?

Speedy Sprouts Just Wheat It

Speedy Sprouts Just Wheat It

Jerri says: Just Wheat It, our organic hard red winter wheat berries, can be used in a couple of different ways. One thing you can do is bake your own healthy sprouted grain bread. For bread, you sprout the wheat just until the little tail starts to show. Then dry the sprouts and grind them in a grain mill. Bread made from sprouted wheat is easier to digest than store-bought flour and breads.

 

Speedy Sprouts Sprouted Wheat Berries

Speedy Sprouts Sprouted Wheat Berries

Wheatgrass Grown from Speedy Sprouts Just Wheat It

Wheatgrass Grown from Speedy Sprouts Just Wheat It

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or, the wheat can be grown as a grass in shallow soil on a flat tray. When the grass is ready, you can put it through a wheatgrass juicer to make a sweet health tonic. You can do the same with Bob Barley.

Stainless Steel Wheatgrass Juicer

Stainless Steel Wheatgrass Juicer

Q&A: Questions About Our Grain Mills

A customer asked: What’s the best grain mill for nut butters?

WonderMill Junior Deluxe

WonderMill Junior Deluxe

Jerri’s answer: The WonderMill Junior Deluxe manual grain mill wins hands down. Even though it’s a manual mill, the WonderMill Junior really is the king of grain mills in our opinion. You have the stone and the burrs…so the best of both worlds. With the WonderMill Junior, you have can grind dry flour from dry grains and beans, like wheat, barley, oats, and so on. In addition, you can grind wet beans, seeds, and even coffee. So, the Wondermill Junior is definitely the ultimate tool for milling your own peanut or almond butter, or even cashew butter…or pumpkin seed butter…

An alarmed customer asked: Help! I’m grinding buckwheat to make flour and it smells like the motor is burning!

Jerri’s answer: Don’t worry. It’s perfectly normal to get that funny odor when grinding buckwheat, in particular.

A concerned caller asked: I was grinding my first batch of flour and found all these little black bugs in the flour.

Jerri’s answer: They’re not bugs! It’s important to read the manual before you use your new grain mill. Because your mill came brand new, direct from the manufacturer, you need to mill a white grain like rice before you use it. Use the least expensive type of grain you have on hand, because you will be throwing it away.

You are the first person using your machine and the inner metal parts have to be ground down the first time. When you break in your new machine, you’ll see tiny, black metal shavings in the flour. Mill a couple of cups of flour, until no more metal shavings appear. If the manufacturer did this for you, your machine wouldn’t be brand new when you receive it…it would be used!

 

Q&A: What Kind of Lamp Oil Should I Use?

Question  What kind of oil should I use in my lantern?

oil lamp

Jerri’s answer  You want a sootless, smokeless, and odorless lamp oil that burns clean. This type of oil is safe to use indoors because it doesn’t give off dangerous gas and won’t leave a residue on room surfaces.

We recommend standard clear lamp oil (no dyes) or “Klean-Heat” Kerosene Substitute.

WARNING!

DO NOT USE PARAFFIN OIL, DIESEL, BIO-DIESEL OR OLIVE OIL!
These are not suitable substitutes for any of the approved fuels because they have a flash point of over 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can find lamp oil in places like Walmart or large home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot.

Curried Squash Soup

There’s nothing like finding a steaming hot bowl of soup waiting on the table when you come in from the cold. The Indian-inspired flavors in our Curried Squash Soup will warm you up right down to your toes, and the aromatic spices will make your tastebuds tingle!

Read on for step-by-step instructions and special tips from the Chef!

Continue reading →