This Sustainable House » Diary

Every element serves multiple purposes…

Shane — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:00:56 +0000

One of the most important permacultural principles is that every important purpose should be served by multiple elements, and each element should serve multiple purposes. By following this principle we build resilience and efficiency into our systems.

As you know, I recently brought online a new element at TSH… the incubator! One of the reasons that the incubator was built the way it was is that the size allows for multiple uses. For example, whilst the device is running to incubate the chicken eggs, at a ‘cool’ 37.5 degrees celsius, there is also room for a few other items. Over the past week the incubator has produced several kilograms of natural yoghurt, and a couple of loaves of sourdough. Wonderful!!

It would appear that the temperature is just perfect to get all those lovely little micro-organisms pumping…

A little later, when it’s not in use as an incubator, it will also produce some lovely ales… keeping that temperature just right for the yeasts.

Can you guess what my second favourite sin is?

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First Cheese…

Shane — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:49:54 +0000

Well it has been two weeks since I put the Camembert experiment aside to age, and today all three cheeses where covered in a thick white mould.

The first thing one notices about the cheeses is the fact that they have slumped a bit, indicating that there was a little too much moisture in the curds. I think it was a case of not cutting the curds small enough. The next batch, which will probably be made tomorrow, will have the curds cut a little finer.

But apart from the aesthetics, what’s it like???????

Well upon cutting the cheese one is definitely met with the correct consistency, colour and odour. The interior of the cheese has that lovely gooey, off-white that is so familiar with Camembert. The flavour is mild, though I expect that’ll change with a little more aging, but delicious!

In short, I think the very first attempt at cheese making has produced an edible product… Who’d have thunk it!

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Raw Milk Cheese Petition

Shane — Tue, 04 May 2010 09:38:41 +0000

My recent foray into the world of cheese making has opened my eyes to a number of ‘issues’ that I wasn’t previously aware of. One of those is the issues of raw milk cheeses. In Australia the law insists that all cheeses, with limited exceptions, made for sale are made with pasteurised milk. The reason for the pasteurisation is to prevent pathogenic organisms getting into the cheese and, therefore, our food supply.

However those against pasteurisation claim that the pasteurisation process kills the natural flavours of cheese and the health benefits of eating/drinking a ‘living food’.

What is Pasteurisation?

According to Wikipedia, pasteurisation is;

“Pasteurization is a process which slows microbial growth in food. The process was named after its creator, French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur. The first pasteurization test was completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard on April 20, 1864. The process was originally conceived as a way of preventing wine and beer from souring. Pasteurization is not intended to destroy all pathogenic micro-organisms in the food or liquid. Instead, pasteurization aims to reduce the number of viable pathogens so they are unlikely to cause disease (assuming pasteurization product is stored as indicated and consumed before its expiration date).”

There are a large number of foods that can be subjected to pasteurisation such as milk (obviously), wine, water, eggs and almonds.

What’s the BIG Deal?

Well this is also a valid question… after all, germ theory (on which pastuerisation is based) has done us a lot of good. Let us not forget that throughout humanity’s history countless people have died due to bacterial/fungal infections.

Well for me the issue is one of choice. I think that individuals should have the choice on whether they eat unpasteurised cheeses and not be dictated to. I know that some would argue that the laws are there to protect people from themselves, but honestly who wants to live with the nanny state… if you’ll excuse the pun.

I would therefore invite each of you to learn what you can about raw milk, and make up your own mind. The raw milk petition on Slow Food Australia has some great information and links to other informative sites including Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. If you, after making your choice, feel the same way as me then please sign the online petition.

The choice is yours…

Pasteurization is a process which slows microbial growth in food. The process was named after its creator, French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur. The first pasteurization test was completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard on April 20, 1864. The process was originally conceived as a way of preventing wine and beer from souring.^[1]

Pasteurization is not intended to destroy all pathogenic micro-organisms in the food or liquid. Instead, pasteurization aims to reduce the number of viable pathogens so they are unlikely to cause disease (assuming pasteurization product is stored as indicated and consumed before its expiration date).

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That’s a lovely cheese…

Shane — Sat, 01 May 2010 11:32:29 +0000

One of the major personal drivers of the TSH experience is to bring the produce from the farm back into the kitchen and turn it into glorious food. And this passion was recently reignited by an episode of the Gourmet Farmer in which Matthew Evans made cheese from his Jersey Cow.

This got me to thinking about Dalila, who is due to calve in August, and the possibility of doing the same at TSH. In order to test my ability to use the diary output that Dalila will produce (approx 5-8L per day if sharing with a calf) I spent this afternoon evening making cheese. Camembert to be precise… though I did consider a Wensleydale.

It really is a delightful process and, like making bread, incredibly satisfying. From the 4L of unhomogenised organic milk I used I managed to produce 3 small camembert rounds (about 330g each), and an indeterminate quantity of fresh ricotta, from the whey left over from the cheese. The ricotta quantity is still indeterminate as it is hanging over the sink as we speak though I am sure that it’ll be GREAT with museli ‘n honey in the morning.

I’ll post an update in 4-6 weeks when the cheese gets it’s taste test and let you know if I’ll be milking Dalila. In the meantime, if you are interested in making cheese yourself then check out Cheeselinks, and the book Home Cheese Making, for advice and supplies.

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