Update - What I am Brewing: Azorean Blackberry Fig Honey Wine

My Blackberry Fig Mead... after almost 7 months of aging, it is still not ready!

Update: 22 March 2013

I finally had some time to rack (transfer) the mead into another carboy (glass jug). As you can see in the photo above, the red color has remained, though it has softened a bit. I stole a small glass to sample it. The mead was a very beautiful light pink in color, not the deeper red of the whole five gallon (19 L) batch. There was a very harsh, acidic first taste to it, but after that passes there was a very good flavor that lingered around for quite a while. I couldn't quite identify what the flavor was, probably because I had such a small sample, but I really like it. I am hoping that with some additional aging, the harsh flavor will mellow.

Today, I racked the mead to a new carboy leaving the lees (sediment) on the bottom of the original carboy. The new volume was lower than desired, so I added some additional honey water. I mixed 6 ounces honey with 18 ounces filtered water. This got it closer to the top of the carboy. I could have added more, but to be honest, I wasn't exactly sure how much additional volume I needed, and I didn't have a whole lot of time to mix and add even more.

Finally, I added a pack of yeast (Saccharomyces cervisiae (ex-bayanus) for sparkling wines from Lalvin). My original plan was to make this mead entirely a wild fermentation experiment. However, after waiting seven months, I think I lost my nerve! The flavor is developing well, and I really just didn't want to mess things up, especially after such a long wait. My future plan will be to run some side by side experiments (which I will document here) comparing completely wild fermentation, partially wild fermentation (like this one), and as non-wild as I can make it. Then I will be able to do some side-by-side taste tests and see which one turns out best. However, with just one batch, I really wanted success more than scientific results. The raw material was more difficult to come by since I was not raising the blackberries or honey myself. Once I get these things producing on my land, then I will be doing quite a lot of experimentation.

This batch of mead likely needs another 3-6 months before it is truly drinkable. I will let this fermentation cycle run its course, and then I will bottle it. Once in the bottles, I will be able to sample some every few months and taste how it matures. I expect it will only get better with time.

Name: Blackberry Fig Mead

Brew Date: 28 August 2012

Okay, to be technically correct, a mead is a honey wine. When fruit is added to mead, it is then called a melomel. So this concoction should be called a Blackberry Fig Melomel, but few people know what a mead is, let alone a melomel. With all that said, here is what I did...

Ingredients:

• 1 Gallon Azorean Raw Honey
• 1 Gallon Figs, mostly skinned, from my garden
• 1 Pint Azorean Blackberries, from my garden wall
• 4 Gallons Water

Method:

• In a 6.5 gallon bucket, slowly added 1 gallon honey to 4 gallons water, stirring constantly
• Added figs and stirred
• Stirred 3-4 times a day - a cap of fruit and seeds formed each time the water settled and needed to be broken up a few times each day
• Let ferment for a total of 3 days
• Racked (transferred the liquid) to a 5 gallon carboy, leaving behind the fruit and lees
• Immediately added fresh blackberries, added air lock
• Let ferment for 7 days
• Racked to another 5 gallon carboy
• Topped off with fresh honey water (with same 1:4 ratio as initial)
• Let slowly ferment and mature... this is currently where things are at

Notes:

• This is a completely wild fermentation. I didn't boil or sterilize any of the honey or fruit. No packaged or extra yeast was added. The yeast that is fermenting this mead is only from the raw honey, the figs, and the blackberries.
• I still maintained a very clean environment, as much as I would if I were brewing a beer with selected yeast strains.
• I left a few skins on the figs as this is where I figured the highest concentration of natural yeasts would reside. However, I had read that the fig skins can give a bit of an off flavor, so the vast majority of the figs were skinned.
• My goal is to let this ferment/age for a few months, maybe rack once or twice more, then bottle and age for 6-12 months before sampling... if I can wait that long.

Figs from my garden.

Day 2 of the fig and honey fermentation... smelled like Fig Newtons!

The melomel after the first racking.

The pint of blackberries from my garden wall.

I only fell off the wall once during harvesting!

Just after I added the blackberries.

Next to this is a small reserve of honey water that wouldn't fit.

I am letting this ferment without any fruit as well.

After about 5 days of fermenting with the blackberries, the liquid took on a beautiful pink hue.

Racked off the blackberries, topped off, and ready for aging.

Just racked into a clean carboy after 7 months of aging.

Questions from Readers: What Trees to Use and Avoid in Hugelkultur Beds?

The cut branches from my recently trimmed fig tree.

Can I use the timber from the fig trees to build a Hugelkultur raised beds? 

-Valter

I recently had a reader post a question on my article, Pruning the Fig Tree... Wood for smoking and heat!  For more information on hugelkultur beds, you can read about them in my article on Permaculture Projects: Hugelkultur.


The short answer is to Valter's question is yes.

Here is the long answer...

To be honest, almost any tree, shrub, or woody material can be used for hugelkultur beds. Well, in fact, any wood at all can be used in hugelkultur beds, but some woods should really be avoided.

The benefit of a hugelkultur beds is likely derived from numerous things. First, as the wood slowly breaks down, the rotting material acts like a sponge. This "sponge" holds on to water and slowly releases it over time. Any plants which are growing above it will be able to stay hydrated with deep roots during periods of little or no rainfall for much longer than other plants nearby. Great!

Second, as the tree rots, it will slowly be giving off nutrients, specifically nitrogen, which will act as a slow release fertilizer. Perfect!

Third, fungus and bacteria are some of the key players in the rotting process. These organisms are also vital components to the underground network of soil life. When we place logs and branches underground (remember that they are already going to be inoculated with local fungus and bacteria, and they will readily welcome new fungus and bacteria as well) we are jump starting the intricate soil web of life. We are placing highways and tunnels all through the soil which will shoot these beneficial life forms under everything we grow. We are, in effect, helping to create an established forest soil in a matter of hours or days. Amazing!

There are likely many more benefits to hugelkultur and probably dozens of more things that are going on in wood and soil, but this is what we know for sure right now.

With all that said, all trees will eventually break down and be of benefit to the soil life. However, when we are designing Permaculture systems, and especially when we are trying to reclaim a barren soil or overgrazed pasture, then we want to expedite things a bit. And some wood just takes too long to rot.

So we should avoid using wood that naturally resists rotting in our hugelkultur beds. Here are some examples of trees that are considered to be very or significantly rot-resistant:

• Chestnut (Castanea species)
• Catalpa species (Catalpa species)
• Cypress species (Family Cupressaceae) i.e. Bald Cypress
• Walnuts (Juglans species) - note that these trees also release juglone, a natural growth inhibitor
• Juniper species (Juniperus species) i.e. Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• Osage-Orange (Maclura pomifera)
• Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)
• Oak (Quercus species)
• Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
• Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Sassafras species (Sassafras species)
• Redwood species (Sequoia species)
• Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia)

Pruning the Fig Tree... wood for smoking and heat!

Our fig tree last summer - pre-pruned.

Yesterday, two men came to the house. After a phone call for translation (my Portuguese was about as good as their English!), I learned that the owners of the house we rent had sent these two men to prune the fig tree. Learning how to prune the fig tree was actually on my list of things to do... along with literally a few hundred other things! The tree was quite large and "leggy" in appearance with long, skinny branches and not many leaves except at the tips. I knew the tree needed to be pruned back, but I had no idea how to do it, so I was excited to see how it was done.

The fig tree post-pruning.

To be honest, I have no idea if these men were professional fig tree pruners, if they were professional or skilled tree trimmers of any kind, or if they were just a couple of guys who had some tree loppers and were available for hire. It did appear that they had at least done this before. They removed about half of the branches and really opened up the tree's framework. When I took the time to research pruning fig trees, it turns out that it is pretty simple. Figs will be produced on new shoots in the same year from even severe pruning.

The pile of pruned branches. 

There were five or six piles of branches left in the yard after the pruning was complete. This morning my boys and I, okay it was mostly me, moved all the branches onto the patio area. This was for a few reasons. I wanted to have a clear area to work. I wanted a place for wood to dry out, and that patio gets a lot of full sun. It gets hot in the summer since it is all white and walled in. Also, the patio was really close to the piles, so a close location minimized the work.

The (mostly) cut and trimmed pile of branches.

I ended up cutting up all the branches in to smaller lengths for kindling and firewood. There are many places in the world (Spain and Portugal included) where people think burning fig wood is hazardous; they think it releases deadly toxic fumes. However, this is not true. In Turkey, for instance, skewers are often made of fig wood to give a unique flavor to the meats. As it turns out, fig wood is used for smoking meats in some of the finest restaurants in the U.S. A New York Times article states that, "At Mercer Kitchen in SoHo, the chef, Chris Beischer, uses the wood to roast lobsters and make pizza. Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., uses it for smoking meats. Oliveto, also in Berkeley, burns it for spit-roasting."

This whole process got me thinking about a few things...

• First - trees produces a LOT of biomass. The fig tree looks like it got a trim, but it was not radical. We are left with a lot of cut branches... from just one small tree. The wood from trimmings and wind damage and die back from even a small forest garden will produce a lot of wood, likely all a small homestead will need. I can't wait to get mine started!
• Second - this just reinforced Permaculture Principle Six: Produce No Waste. I can't help but think of growing up in the suburbs of South Florida. There would be so much "yard waste" picked up by the garbage trucks each week that, at a minimum, could be used for compost or chipping, but ended up in a landfill. Ughh!
• Third - Experience is so important. I had never seen a fig tree pruned before in my life. Now that I have, I feel confident I could do it myself next time. Time will tell if this project was done correctly, but I will always have this as a reference point to go back to, either to repeat or to refine.
• Fourth - It is important to challenge tradition. Don't do it just for the sake of doing it, but do so when you have reason to doubt. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul writing to the Thessalonians to "test all things; hold on to what is good." The context was a bit different, but I have applied this to my life in general, and it holds true. The local knowledge here says not to use this fig wood. I didn't heed or ignore that tradition blindly. I questioned it. I researched it... quite a bit, because I don't want to put my family or myself at risk, and I am now choosing to ignore it and not waste a valuable resource.
• Fifth - Cutting this many branches was a lot of work, but it felt good to be working outside! It felt great to be working with branches and wood. It felt good to know that this work was going to be directly used for a purpose for my family. Many people in the modern world do not get to experience this anymore. It is just one of many things our modern culture has lost and needs desperately to gain again.
• Sixth - It has been too long since I have smoked some meat. Now I have some good motivation to get smoking!

Dehydrating Figs

My dried Figs... delicious!

  

I recently wrote about how our fig tree that is just pumping out the figs. I can fill up a plastic grocery bag with ripe figs every two or three days. That means a lot of figs. I have already shared my recipe for Pineapple, Port, & Fig Sauce. Today, I'll just share some photos of the dehydration process.

 

We have an Excaliber dehydrator, and I highly recommend it. This dehydrator is simple to use, easy to clean, comes in many sizes, and the company has great service and warranties, but it is not incredibly cheap. If you are not ready to buy a dehydrator, you can use your oven or even use your car (see this article on dehydrating in your car).

 

My biggest advice for food preservation, is to just get in there and try it. For more information on dehydrating, I recommend Dehydrate 2 Store, and as a great resource for dehydration tips and tools. She does use and promote the Excaliber, but she provides a goldmind of free information.

  

I started out with lots of figs and quickly washed then is some fresh water.

  

The figs were quartered and laid on the drying trays, dried for about 24 hrs, and that was it.

 

Pineapple, Port, & Fig Sauce

The figs from my garden.

As my harvest of figs is reaching a peak, and I am able to pick from six to ten fresh figs per day, I am really able to experiment and create new recipes for fresh figs. Here is the latest one with two thumbs up from the wife.

Pineapple, Port, & Fig Sauce
A savory sweet sauce to be used over meats.

10 Fresh Figs, skin trimmed away (see note below for variety)
1 Cup Chopped Pineapple (fresh is best, but an 8 oz can with liquid will work)
1 Cup Ruby Port
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Small Red Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth or Stock (homemade is best, but use what you have)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons fresh Cilantro, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Optional - Hot Sauce (use as much as you like, but don't overpower it)

1. Heat olive oil in pan and sautee onions until just beginning to brown.
2. Add chicken stock and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
3. Pour into bowl and set aside.
4. Add port and vinegars to pan and bring to a boil.
5. Continue boiling until liquid is reduced by half; this will take about 10 minutes.
6. Add the figs, pineapples, and honey.
7. Simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit and fruit is cooked through.
8. Add the reserved chicken stock and onions (and hot sauce if you want).
9. Simmer until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened to the consistency you want.
10. When cooled to room temperature, add the chopped cilantro.

Just a fraction of the varieties of figs... pleasantly overwhelming!

http://www.fruitlovers.com/FigPoster.jpg

NOTE: There are so many fig species and varieties out there. It really doesn't matter what kind you use. I have no idea of the kind of fig growing in my garden. All I know is it tastes really good. Fresh figs are vastly different than the more commonly available dried figs. Fresh figs have a tropical flavor, kind of a mix between peaches and strawberries... at least mine do. Some figs have a deeper, more rich flavor; it seems the dark or purple figs are like this. Others are lighter, more tropical. It just depends. Experimenting is fun!





The Fig Tree Bears Fruit...

The fig tree we planted last year began to push out leaves about two weeks ago. I was working in the garden over the weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised to see tiny figs forming. To be honest, I initially was shocked to see the fruit already on the trees without seeing any flowers. Then I remembered that what we commonly think is the fig "fruit" is actually something termed a "syconium". This is a hollow, fleshy structure that houses many flowers each with an ovary.... basically, all the flowers are inside the fig "fruit". There is a tiny hole at the end of the fig "fruit" that allows a special wasp (from the family Agaonidae) to climb inside and pollinate the fruit. I won't go into the details of the pollination process or the life cycle of the Agaonid wasps... I don't want to ruin this great fruit for you.

Now in reality, my figs won't ripen for another 2-3 months. Unfortunately I will have moved out of my home by then. But that is one of the things I have really enjoyed about gardening and experimenting with Permaculture. I get things started. I get things growing. I get to enjoy, literally sometimes, the fruits of my labors... and sometimes I don't. But that is okay. I hope that I have a hand in getting others excited about producing food in their own backyards. Maybe once they eat off a tree I planted years ago, they will get over their fear of natural foods, their fear of growing their own food, their fear of planting a seed or planning a garden. They will return to the cycle humans which are designed.

That is my hope.