Search results

  1. O

    Can I salvage frozen cabbage and frozen onions?

    We let a local congregation use our large refrigerated delivery truck for a youth group camp - they keep all their food in it during the camp instead of in a gazillion ice chests. In return they give us all the leftover food - I really think we come out on the better end of the bargain - it...
  2. O

    Foamy kefir?

    I've been making kefir for a while now. It never gets very thick - I wish it would - but it tastes fine, so I try to be content with it. My last batch sat a little longer - about 36 hours instead of 24. It actually separated - but didn't smell overfermented - still smelt like kefir. When I...
  3. O

    Meat birds in a chicken tractor

    I think I'm almost ready to take on a batch of meat birds. I have a tractor of sorts that I've raised my newest 10 hens in to add to my laying flock. It's small, but any bigger and I wouldn't be able to move it easily. It's 4 foot by 12 foot, with an attached mini coop of sorts. It was just...
  4. O

    still experiencing kefir problems

    I bought kefir about a month ago. Directions said to let it culture in just 1 cup milk for 48 hours - repeat for a total of 3 cultures. By then kefir should be thick and can start regular 24 hour cultures - if not, continue the 48 hour cultures until is is thick. I went through a half gallon...
  5. O

    Why isn't my kefir getting thick?

    I bought kefir grains and a kombucha scoby - the kombucha is happily brewing. My kefir, I'm not sure what to think of it. The directions sent to me said that to get them acclimated and going in my milk to put them in just 1 cup of milk and allow to set for 48 hours. Do this for the initial 3...
  6. O

    Buttermilk from raw milk

    You can get buttermilk starter at culturesforhealth.com They also list that you can make it from store bought buttermilk, but they say it won't continue to reculture long term. The directions with their "heirloom" buttermilk culture says that if you're using it with raw milk you need to keep a...
  7. O

    Do I need to chill my freshly milked goat milk before kefir is added?

    I chill my milk as fast as I can because no one in the family can stand goat milk if it has even the slightest "goaty" flavor. But what about kefir? Will it taste goaty because it has cultured at room temperature? If I get it cold first and then add the kefir will that help at all? Just...
  8. O

    When do I need to stop keeping my doeling and buckling together?

    I have a 2 month old buckling and a 5 week old doeling. I'm bottle raising him to breed my two adult does and hopefully the little doeling if/when she's big enough. Right now the doeling is put in with him at night so I can milk her mama in the a.m. I've read at about 2 months they are...
  9. O

    Tell me about the different yogurts please.

    I'm looking at ordering some yogurt cultures. I've only ever used the yogormet brand powder starter, along with my yogurt maker. I prefer a thicker yogurt (spoonable rather than drinkable) and I don't like to use powdered milk, so thickening that way isn't an option for us. I didn't realize...
  10. O

    Another goat question, do you grain your babies?

    I'm bottle feeding a buckling that I'll be using to breed my does to this fall. He's 7 weeks old. He gets 3 12oz bottles each day and free choice alfalfa/grass mix. We let him out daily for a bit to run and graze on the fresh weeds/grass that are coming in. I also have a 4 week old doeling...
  11. O

    Lactating goats, Calf manna alternatives for putting on condition?

    Since the last several weeks of gestation I've been giving a little Calf Manna to my goaties. With me being so new to goats I was a little nervous about toxemia so I added it for extra calories. Since kidding they have dropped condition so quickly that I kept giving it. My doe that is 7 weeks...
  12. O

    Buttermilk questions and suggestions/

    I made buttermilk for the first time this past week. At first I thought it didn't turn out, didn't seem as though it had thickened any at all after 36 hours. I put it in the fridge to give to the chickens the next morning. As I was pouring it over their feed I could smell good buttermilk...
  13. O

    I want to grow something on 30' of chain link fence

    are grapes a good option? I want something that has decent yields. We love grapes, but I HATE seeded grapes. I'd want a seedless variety. I'm not interested in making juice or wine - these would be just for snacking on fresh and maybe feezing or drying a bit. I have an area that I'm...
  14. O

    Planting cabbage and broccoli this weekend - any tips?

    last year was my first attempt at gardening. I used the square foot gardening method - great for beginners like me. I want to step it up a notch, but keep it simple too, since I'm still such a newbie. I have 18 cabbage and 18 broccoli starts that need to get in the ground this weekend. I'm...
  15. O

    Sour cream from goat milk?

    I was reading on another website about culturing dairy products. I'm excited - I just started my first batch of buttermilk (I used the last of my Organic Valley cultured buttermilk to get it going). There was a post from a lady who said in Poland they take milk and make sour cream similar to...
  16. O

    Gearing up to make cheese.

    What do I need? I have an order to place with Hoegger and thought that I might as well get a few cheese making basics while I'm at it. So what are the very basic essentials to start with? I'm' not planning on anything fancy - I need to keep it simple, both for budget and for my sanity. I...
  17. O

    Where do you get your kefir/kombucha starters?

    It's been a while since I've made real kefir with the grains, I've been using the packets and I know it's not the same. Now that I have a steady supply of raw milk I want to obtain grains again. I've been looking at a few ebay sellers, but thought perhaps there might be recommendations here...
  18. O

    Anyone feed chickens a simple mix of whole grains?

    I know freemotion feeds her chickens whole grains so I hope she posts here. I know this is likely more suited to the backyardchickens site, but quite honestly I really don't want to hear how unhealthy my chickens will be if I don't have the pefect formulation made up for them. I know others...
  19. O

    Been lurking a while, finally an intro

    Hi all! :frow Freemotion and Ohiofarmgirl invited me over here some time ago from BackYardHerds and while I've spent some time lurking I haven't gotten around to posting yet. My name is Debbi. My husband Tom and I have 7 children (ages 16 down to 3) and we live in central Washington state...
Top