I was born a scientist. I have always been curious to learn new things and much to my parents dismay, I loved to experiment on almost anything. My mother still tells me about how my father caught me taking the family station wagon apart because I wanted to understand how an internal combustion engine worked. It was during the oil embargo of the 1970s and I wanted to find a way that we didnt have to wait in lines for hours for our allotted gas rations. I always tell people that the belief part of my brain never fully developed, I really dont believe in much, then again I dont disbelieve in much either. Its just the way I think. Because I was a curious, scientific type, when I was younger I went out and joined all sorts of different scientific societies. Nation Geographic (back when it could be taken seriously), Wisconsin Ornithology Society, Wisconsin Meteorology Society, you name it, if I thought I could learn from it, I joined it. When I was 12 I joined the Wisconsin Phenology Society. Phenology is the study of seasonal changes and the changes within these changes. A phenology journal will often contain when the person saw their first robin of the spring or when the first skunk cabbage flower melted through the snow. For those who live with the earth, a phenology journal can contain information of when the last frost of spring happen or when the first frost of autumn hits. When does the maple sap start running or when do the deer begin their rut. Every persons phenology journal would be different for they would look for things that are common in their area and speak about their interest in life. Phenology is not a short term study, it is actually based on a lifetime or even several lifetimes worth of information. Our ancestors who lived with nature did this automatically. They passed on their observations to their children and their childrens children. Fishermen would know when the spawning seasons would begin or when certain fish would migrate from one area to the other. Farmers knew when to plant and when to harvest. Hunters knew when the animals would have the most fat or the thickest coat. Firsts, lasts, how long does the season last, when does migration happen, all important information our ancestors needed to know. Wise men and women were the scientists of the past, they wove their knowledge into legends, myths, and stories to aid in memory when they passed their information to the next generation. On this day I mark in my phenology journal the last harvest of stinging nettle tops. While weve had a few frosts, tonight there will be our first hard freeze. Stinging nettles are much more frost tolerant than their cousin the wood nettle, but tonights freeze will mark their end for the 2014 year here on this farm. So we did one last nettle top harvest and canned a bunch of shitake and nettle broth for those cold winter days when we need a quick but nourishing pick me up . I also put up my last batch of nettle beer. As a fan of wild beers, nettle is probably one of my favorite and is darn easy to make. It can be made from the first early nettle tops to the last nettle tops of the season. If you wish to try this youll need: about 1 1/2 pound of nettle tops around a pound of sugar, brown sugar, honey, sorghum, maple syrup--whatever you have around a gallon of water 2 lemons, or limes, or oranges, or a combination of these sliced with the peel still on a tablespoon of any kind of yeast you have or a hand full of raisins or the lees off the bottom of your last wine you made, etc. In case you cant tell, I dont do exact all that often. The great thing about nettle beer is you can make different batches with different things and if you keep track of your recipe you can always find your own favorite. Clean your nettles well. Put them in a big pot with the water and boil it for a few minutes. I then turn off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for at least an hour. Then I put the sugar and lemons into another pot that I can fit my strainer on and strain the nettle broth into the new pot. Mix until the sugar dissolves and cover until blood warm (around 100 degrees). Sprinkle the yeast over the top, cover, and let this sit for 2 or 3 days until the bubbling slows down. Rack or filter into some old clean gallon jug you have and put an airlock or a balloon onto the top of this. At about day 7 start tasting it for its sweetness level. You want it still to be a little too sweet but not super sweet. When its just a little too sweet (usually happens around day 10) strain it into beer bottles you can cork or cap or flip top wine bottles and let sit for 3 more days. Then you can refrigerate or drink it warm. If you drink it warm, open it outside or over a sink just in case its a bit too much on the bubbly side. Usually if it is cold it wont overflow the bottle. Drink, share with friends and enjoy. The last nettle top harvest of the season. Were rushing through fall just a little faster than I would like to see, but Nature has her own time table. Ill mark it down in my phenology journal, now on its 37th year, and compare it to years past. Marking the sacred changes of the season is what first drew me to paganism all those years ago. Science calls it phenology but we witches call it The Wheel of the Year. Both parts of me know it is forever turning and the old goes out as the new comes in. October is always a good month for changes. This video is the bubbling of the last batch of nettle beer for the year...
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 18:35:24 +0000
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