What’s in the ground:

Even though the Phillies are in the League Championship, and I’m going apple picking this weekend, I still can’t get used to the fall weather settling in. But, if I want to enjoy my lettuce and other fragile greens, now is the time to get a good harvest before that first frost sneaks up and burns my crops. All lettuce, arugula and annual herbs will need to be picked. Don’t worry too much about spinach, it’s hearty and actually tastes better in colder temps.

What’s going on in sustainability:

As I said, this weekend is the annual apple pick and press in West Philadelphia, organized by the lovely Urban Homesteaders over at Preston’s Paradise. We will be gleaning many of the fallen apples in danger of rotting for use in cider, and we will be picking apples to take home and turn into any delicious desert creations we can think of.

Even though I do have a sweet tooth, the gleaning and pressing is what I’m excited about. And this is not just because of the alcohol to be produced (damn, I’m displaying all of my vices.) But more so because any kind of gleaning is a major part of sustainability. So much food goes to waste as rot, or in the trash. If it is not suited for market, but is not totally ready for the compost, it’s our duty as sustainably minded people to glean these fruits and veggies.

The second, even more important part is the fermentation process. I’ve already written about kombucha, that magical drink that keeps Sean Hoots’ beard red. But no matter what some of the more puritanical new age people decry, fermented alcohol can be a major health benefit. As is reported with wine, and when used in moderation, fermented beverages like beer and cider can be very beneficial. Fermented foods and drink can lower cholesterol, improve immune systems, and flush out dangerous toxins.

As I said, if alcohol is abused, then you’ve negated positive benefits. But this can be true of anything in life.  Recently, I read in the Philadelphia Inquirer of a UPenn professor who researches fermented beverages around the world. His studies have taken him to all six inhabited continents, finding recipes and sometimes actual liquids of fermented beverages. His expertise has also been employed by our local brewery, Dogfish Head to make some amazing craft brews. My favorite is Theobroma, modeled after a recipe found in ancient Peru.

So, when you ferment, you are not just improving your health, but you are upholding a tradition that has evolved with humans over thousands of years. If you do go apple picking this fall, and have time to press the apples for juice. All you need is a pound of sugar, a packet of brewers yeast, and five gallons of juice. If you have a brewing friend, you can use her car boy to rack the juice and let the beauty of the fermentation process take over. For more information on the brewing process or supplies, there are many beer brewing stores around the country that can be found in your area.

For other resources on fermenting and its positive effects, please read:

-Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods

By Sandor Ellix Katz

-www.wild fermentation.com

Until next week, this is the note from the urban homestead.