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stephen.hogwood@optusnet.com.au http://1910lifestyle.com/ twitter.com/1910bc
Self Sufficiency & Sustainability
MAGAZINE December Number 1
Inside this issue -
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Basic Blacksmithing.
Collecting your own seed.
Home Preserving. Jarring your own food with Fowlers Vacola.
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ELCOME to the first 1910 Lifestlye online magazine. Here’s a place you can find all sorts of stuff about self sufficiency, sustainability, organic farming, growing your own veggies, the old forgotten crafts and stacks of resources. The 1910 Lifestyle site’s in its infancy at the moment but I’m always looking for comment, content and interesting products and links - so I look forward in seeing you there regularly very soon!
Collecting your own seed is really. easy..
Collect k your own
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seeds c
WHY BUY SEED, WHEN IT’S SO EASY TO COLLECT YOUR OWN?
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ollecting your own seeds for the vegie garden is really easy, very cost effective and easy to do. We started collecting seed from our favourite plants last year and we noticed that by collecting our own seed from the most vigorous plants, they were more disease resistant and favoured our micro climate in Wildes Meadow.
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Firstly you’ll need to select the plants you want to collect seed from - just ear-mark the most vigerous and healthy specimens in the flower or veggie garden.Most people leave the stragglers or weaker plants to collect seed from and then harvest all the healthy specimens for the table. Wrong! The other things you’ll need are these fantastic old style paper seed bags- yes paper, from heaveninearth.com.au (See pic below) They also have a stack of other great gardening stuff to choose from, all will wet those gardening taste buds! So why use old fashioned paper seed bags?
Paper bags keep the seeds dry and absorb the moister from the air. Please don’t use plastic bags, the seeds tend to sweat and attract mould and plastic bags are
certainly not very sustainable. Once you’ve selected your prize plants for seeding, allow them to flower and set seed. The plants will then wither and die if Annuals, so I suggest you can pull up the whole plant and dry it by hanging in the shed in a large paper carry bag and then collect the dry seed. If the plants you want
to collect seed from are Bi-Annuals or Perrenials, they will also set seed. Once the seed pods have set on the plant and are mature, cut the mature seed heads off and place them in paper carry bags and once again hang in a airy place to dry completely, or you can carefuly dry the seed heads in a warm oven.
Broccoli (disambiguation) Only choose the best and heathiest florets to seed.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) Comfry can easily be grown form collected seed as well as producing ‘offsets’ from mature, strongly growing plants by driving a spade horizontally through the leaf clumps about 7 cm (3inches) below the soil producing new plants.
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seeds k Continued from previous page -
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Another important reason for collecting your own seed is to preserve the heritage or vintage varieties of plants you are hopefully planting in your garden, and rare species such as the Wollemia Pine. Although the magnificent Wollemia Pine was originally
propagated for public distribution using the technique of tissue culture, from cuttings taken from the few adult species remaining in the wild, a living fossil discovered in NSW as recently as 1994. In fact I have two Wollemia Pines growing in my garden in the Southern Highlands of NSW and
LEFT -Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a root vegetable closely related to the carrot. RIGHT - Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum), also called turnip-rooted celery or knob celery pictured flowering in this shot for seed capture, hence plenty of clean organic seed for sowing next year thats suited to the local environment.
one of the set some seed cones last year - hey, so who knows? You can save seed from any plant that sets seeds, but remember some plants, trees or shrubs are not hermaphrodites, that is they have separate Male and Female plants and you have to have both gender to produce seed. The medicinal Ginkgo, another living fossil is a prime example of this. The Ginkgo will not set seed if there is only one plant or one gender. To be continued next month -
ABOVE - Ginkgo bilobaThe ginkgo is a living fossil, recognisably similar to fossils dating back 270 million years. LEFT Wollemia Pine. Wollemia is a genus of coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae. Wollemia was only known through fossil records until the Australian species Wollemia nobilis was discovered in 1994 in NSW.
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blacksm part 1
Basic TOOLS
When buying an Anvil, get the best one you can afford, you can buy them second hand or new. A selection of basic tongs will be required.
A portable forge is a good place to start, if you don’t want to build a perminent hearth.
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Above is a Swage Block - a nice to have but not crucial.
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Pictured here is a blacksmiths shop from the early part of the 20th century. In those days there was a local Smithy in most villages or towns.
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his is Part 1. of Basic Blacksmithing, practical
information, links and resources for the homesteader, or for those of you who want to be more self sufficient and sustainable. This series of articles has been gleaned from personal experience over 30 years of practising this amazing craft, learning from some fine old craftsmen, many who have now gone to that huge blacksmith shop in the sky. Basic Blacksmithing, is about getting the right gear, fixing things or making basic items yourself, and its easy to learn and fun.You don’t need a large area to work in either but if you’re in a built up area please consider your neighbours and of course local Council bi-laws. PTO
A Leg Vise, an essential piece of equipment in any Blacksmith’s shop.
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blacksmithing
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waist, mass moved into horn and heal). Other art 1. of this series on Basic than this brief period anBlacksmithing is talking vils were made in a great about tools, what to get, variety. Today there are still a number of manuwhere to look for them and some great resourc- factures making anvils but in small quantities es to check out. Firstly I suggest you get and there are still organizations and indithe King of tools viduals that make anvils 1. Anvil - Get the to suit themselves. biggest one you can Any book on blackafford, from my expesmithing will give the rience the bigger they are the easier they are to shape and basic nomenclature. Start with work on - I work on a Bealer’s classic The Art 250Ib anvil. Types and Specifications of Blacksmithing, p.65 Medieval Anvils, p.66 First - One should The London Anvil and recognize there is no nomenclature, p.68 A “standard” anvil. During the early part of Liêges anvil. Then try Eric Sloane’s A Museum the twentieth century, of Early American Tools, shortly before the automobile and other techni- pp.90-93 Early, Colonial, Stake, Nailers. cal advances put the And for a classic of Australian Blacksmith custom design see out of business, anvils Otto Schmirler’s Werk were made in great quantity and under great und Werkzeug des competition. Most anvils Kunstschmieds, the most beautifully illustrated were made in the book about BlacksmithLondon pattern or it’s ing that I’ve ever seen. modification the AmerOld industrial catalogs ican pattern (narrower
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the anvil part 1 - TOOLS
will often include photos and specs of the anvils they carried. Industrial Supply Corp., Richmond, VA, 1955 catalog, page 172 lists Fisher “Eagle” Anvils from 50 to 700 pounds,
Pictured above is a classic London style Anvil.
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The face of a classic Anvil produced by power hammers up until the 1960’s was made from one piece of high grade tool steel, accurately ground and tempered and heat welded to the body. Once welded the face will not A stack of brand new forgedsettle, break or become double horned anvils. loose. The Horn is a
See resources below for NEW Blacksmith gear - See Gum Tree & Ebay for second hand gear.
www.horseshoeshop.com.au
http://stockmanssupplies.com/
solid piece of forged steel and the Anvil Body was usually of gun iron. Today most good quality anvils are made of cast steel the type dependent on the manufacturer. CAST ANVILS: There are also a large number of cast iron “shop anvils” sold. Cast iron anvils are worthless for forging as they are dead (no rebound) and very brittle. MODERN ANVILS : Modern anvils have been made by a number of methods. Wrought iron bodies with heavy face plates welded on. Cast iron or ductile iron bodies cast onto a steel face plate. Ductile iron castings with the face heat treated. Solid steel castings (hardened and occasionally tempered). All these methods make fine anvils. They all have their good and bad points. HARDNESS: Ideally the face of an anvil should be as hard as it can be made. Problems arise at the corners where hard means brittle and corners shatter. Selective tempering helps but sometimes leaves corners
too soft. Studying used anvils it is obvious that the faces are generally as hard as can be made with a mild tempering. USED ANVILS: When purchasing a used anvil, look for wear, dishing on the face, and badly chipped edges to the face. Make sure the Step/Table is not to mangled from cutting, as the step of the Anvil is soft. Also make sure the horn is true, not dished or ground back to a point and look out for deep cut marks on the horn
An Anvil in very nice condition - aim for this quality.
http://www.independentfarriersupplies.com.au/
too - now for the final test, the ring of the anvil. Take a good size hammer with you to strike the face gently, hold the hammer loosely in your hand and allow it to fall and bounce of the face, and bounce it should, along with a shrill ring, if it does neither, it’s cast or cracked somewhere and possibly repaired walk away, as a 25olb Anvil in good condition could set you back a minimum of $600 to $800. But well worth the investment.
Continued next month -
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Worn or very badly chipped Anvils or door-stops as we call them. Worthless!
8 http://www.independentfarriersupplies.com.au/
god preserve PART 1
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owlers Vacola had humble origins as a fruit-bottling business started by Joseph Fowler at the rear of a small house in Burke Road, Melbourne. By 1915 the company of J. Fowler & Co. had begun producing home-bottling kits containing a sterilizer, bottles, lids, rings and a thermometer. Initially Fowler travelled the district, selling his kits door-to-door from the back of a cart. In 1920 he bought a shop in Hawthorn, and registered his business as a private company. During the Depression Fowlers Kits became a household name. In 1934 Fowlers Vacola Manufacturing Co. Ltd was registered as a public company. Housewives, nationwide, were urged to bottle their own fruits and jams by ‘Mrs B Thrifty’, the dainty cartoon character who graced the firm’s advertisements. Today Fowlers Vacola range of Vaccuum Preserving and Food Dehydrating equipment and accessories are enjoying renewed
popularity as consumers turn to back to traditional methods of food preparation and storage. Basic steps when preserving fruit re the Fowlers Vacola boiling method.
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Step 1 Place the Fowlers Vacola boiling unit on a sturdy countertop, and fill with cold water so as the jars are submerged. Step 2 You can place salt in the Vacola boiler water to increase boiling tempreture if required.
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Step 3 Place your washed and sterilised jars you will be using - Set the preserving ring on the lip of the preserving jar, with their appropriate lids and clips to hand, with your produce prepared for jarring.
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Step 5 If blanching before canning, place produce in boiling citric acid water. Leave apples for instance in boiling water for approx. 1 minute - depending on variety and size. Blanching apples and pears helps to preserve their color and reduces moisture retention - this avoids floating in jars. Hot packing is preferred over cold packing, although I have found pears are firmer if packed cold. When jars are packed, they should not stand for more than 2 hours prior to sterilising due to fermentation however you can refrigerate the contents over night - with Apple Sauce and Rhubarb, I have found this helps the taste of the end product.
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Step 4 Prepare fruit to be jarred and place it in a bowl of cold water with citric acid added; this avoids discolourisation of the fruit due to oxidation - pack and fill jars with the aid of a packing stick if packing tall jars. Fill the jars with liquid of choice as you pack the jar.
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Step 6 Once the jars are packed, place the tin or preferred S/S lid on the jars, then secure with the preserving bottle clip (slid the clips on gently to avoid chipping the bottle edges) - allow for headroom when sealing jar, this allows for fruit expansion and for a suitable vacuum to form when the jar cools.
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Step 7 Put filled jars into the Fowlers Vacola unit, secure the lid of the boiler, plug in the unit and set the tempreture.
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Step 8 After 1 hour, from the water going from cold water to a steady boil, the jars are ready for removal from the boiling unit. Unplug the Fowlers Vacola boiling unit. When opening the unit - open the lid away from yourself to avoid possible scalding of the face and neck. Using the preserving bottle tongs and heat proof rubber gloves, carefully grip the jars under the glass lip and ring recess of the jar and gently lift out of the Fowlers Vacola boiler. Please make sure you have a suitable surface prepared ajancently to
TOP - The new standard Fowlers Vacola boiler is unfortunately plastic, although they still produce a Stainless Steel version. ABOVE - Sealed 36 & 31 Vacola Jars, cooling on a wooden surface - mmm, crunchy pickled onions
rest the jars on and allow them to cool undisturbed for 12 hours. Press the lids down gently to secure the vacuum.
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Step 9 Once the jars have cooled and the vacuum is formed you can carefully remove the clips, by sliding them off gently. To check if a vacuum is formed the lids should be dished and the contents should be off the base of the jar, you can also use a straight edge across the lid to check if the lid is dished - Please note - Tin lids will dish more than S/S lids.
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Step 10 If the jar for some reason refuses to seal, there could be a few reasons for this. The ring was not fitted securely, the rubber ring was perished, the lip of the jar was damaged, there was food on the ring or lip of the jar, the lid was not fitted correctly, when the clip was placed on the jar it displaced the ring or lid - Always squeeze the clip down on the jars prior to preserving to make sure there is a good seal prior to boiling. If a jar has not sealed, you can re boil
god preserve
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the jar for 30 minutes or refrigerate the contents and consume. The only issue with re boiling is the fruit becomes overcooked and could dis-colour and the nutritional content of the produce is diminished.
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TOP - When jarring with Vacola, you’ll need rubbers, caps and clips. ABOVE - Sealed No 20 jars of chopped and peeled tomatoes - try and use stainlees steel lids over the tin ones. BELOW - Nectarins jarred in No 36 Vacola Jars, unfortunately they don’t make these beautful jars anymore.
fruit to preserve, it is also a good time to decide which liquid to use to fill the jars with. You can use fruit juices, honey syrups or plain water. You can use an apple corer, peeler or slicer to cut down on the steps of preparing the apples. If you blanch your apples before preserving, be sure to rinse them off to remove any excess citric acid on them. Having a towel beside the machine will give you a safe and dry area for the jars, as they will be wet and hot to the touch.
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Remember to use care: There will be steam inside the Fowlers Vacola when preserving is finished. Take care to not hit the jars against any surface, as this can cause the seals to pop or even, in some cases, the jars to break. Always place the jars on a timber cutting
board or bench or folded towel - do not place the jars on a cold surface of leave the jars in cool breeze or draft, as the jars could crack. So how does Vacola work? Boiling your Vacola bottles kills the food-spoiling bacteria. However, for the food to stay fresh, it needs to stay in a completely sealed environment - so that it cannot be re-infected. This is where the special Vacola vacuum seal comes in. How does it work? Heating the bottles causes the air trapped under the lid to expand - the clip holds the edges of the lid up so the excess air can escape between the lid and the rubber ring. When the bottle cools down, the air shrinks, pulling the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle. This vacuum force holds the lid onto the bottle very tightly, and the clip can be safely removed.
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To be continued. See you all again in Jan. 2014
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