Ultimate Aquaponics setup
13.9 years ago aquaponics, herbs, hydroponics, indoor growbox
I actually thought I already posted about this bad boy which unfortunately is only a design concept from Philips. For those that are not familiar:
Aquaponics is the symbiotic cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a recirculating environment.
Aquatic animal effluent (for example fish waste) accumulates in water as a by-product of keeping them in a closed system or tank (for example a recirculating aquaculture system). The effluent-rich water becomes high in plant nutrients but this is correspondingly toxic to the aquatic animal.
Source Wikipedia
This system is called the BioTower, the first 2 levels are hydroponic plants with the third being algae. The fourth layer contains shrimp and fish which produce organic waste which is stored in the bottom layer.
The lights are powered using optical fibers from the sun and the methane from the organic waste powers the lights at night. The plants and seafood can then be consumed all powered by the various ecosystems.
I couldn’t even imagine what something like this would cost if it came out of the design phase, though a simple cover over the organic waste and this would make a great conversation piece.
More Fun with Food Dehydrator
14 years ago dehydrator, herbs, strawberries
I decided to be adventurous with the food dehydrator and grabbed some stuff from the refrigerator to make some nice nutritional snacks.
I started with some strawberries, the process is very simple, take some strawberries slice about 1/4 inch thick and place on the tray.
Next I moved on to apples which I soaked in a solution of lemon juice (about 1/4 cup) with 1 cup of water. To add a little extra sweetness I also dumped in a packet of artificial sweetener to reduce the sourness from lemon. After letting the apples soak in this solution for about 3 minutes I added them to the tray.
After slicing bananas about 1/4 inch thick I also soaked these in the same lemonade bath I did for the apples for 3 minutes as well.
Finally I spliced some watermelon at the same approximately 1/4 inch thickness while removing as many seeds as possible and then placing the slices on the trays and moving them into the dehydrator preheated at 100 degrees F.
After about 24 hours the apples were ready and very delicious, these did not last wrong. Next came the strawberries which tasted ok, but were very difficult and basically not worth the time to attempt to wedge from tray and eventually gave up a through most of these away. This was followed by the watermelon which wasn’t quite as messy and tasted like semisweet candy with a light watermelon flavor which seems about right since watermelon does not have nearly as strong a flavor naturally as you would get in artificially sweetened gum or candy. Lastly were the banana chips which were good and were all eaten though for the long time required to dry I probably will opt to buy the non-fried version of these at the store.
Overall it was fun to make these but apples will probably be the only ones in a future rotation but looking forward to drying some garlic, onions, and herbs later this year.
Tags: cheap, garden seeds, garlic bulbs, herb garden, strawberry plants, vegetables
Drying peppermint leaves
14 years ago dehydrator, herbs, peppermint
Excited to try out my new to me food dehydrator, I collected some peppermint leaves from my 2 year old peppermint plants which is fighting the confirms of the 1 gallon pot I have used to keep it from consuming my entire flowerbed, lawn, house, etc.
For the best potency, it is best to collect mint right before they start to flower and first thing in the morning when their oils are at their peak. Given it is a couple months before they will be flowering I picked them in the early afternoon.
If they were dirty you should wash them off and pat them dry with a paper towel and add directly to your dehydrator. In my case we had a rain the night before and they were very clean so I skipped the washing step.
Next I simply put them into the dehydrator at 100F degree and in a few hours later they were all crumbly and looked like what you see below.
To store the leaves I went with the poor man’s vacuum packing technique…Ziploc bag and sucking the air out with a straw which should keep the herbs fresh for a few months.
Lastly I tried out the product by taking a pinch of the leaves and quickly breaking them up with my fingers and added them to a tea strainer.
After a few minutes of steeping I had some good looking and tasting peppermint tea.
I would say my testing of my new dehydrator was a success…now off to see what else in the fridge I can dry out.
Tags: cheap, garden seeds, herb garden, outdoor plants, pepper plants, peppermint plant, vegetables
How to freeze herbs
14.8 years ago cilantro, freezing, herbs, mint, peppermint
One of my goals in my garden is to make salsa entirely from ingredients from my own garden. In the past I have come close only requiring the purchase of a couple jalapeño peppers from the grocery store but this year with much effort and a strangely hot summer for the Pacific Northwest I have all the ingredients growing in my garden. Though unfortunately the ingredient cilantro could be my elusive ingredient since hot weather means great growth then subsequent bolting. My solution to this problem is successive planting and freezing herbs.
Now drying is also a viable option though I prefer freezing since many moist herbs can lead to mildew without the right equipment to dry efficiently. Frozen herbs also maintain the same potency for several months in the freezer as fresh so no guessing on measurements of your frozen herbs.
There are actually a few different methods for freezing herbs, each of which depends on how you plan on using them later.
The first method is great for keeping the herbs texture and flavor intact. The process is nearly identical to that of freezing berries.
Flash freezing herbs
- Pick the best freshest herbs you can find
- Wash and pat herbs dry
- Lay on layer of wax/parchment paper on cookie sheet
- Freeze overnight
- Place leaves in freezer bag(s), using a straw to suck out excess air
If you are planning on using your herbs in soups or stews, I would definitely recommend the ice cube method.
Ice cube tray method
- Pick the best freshest herbs you can find
- Wash and pat herbs dry
- Hand chop (or use food processor) leaves
- Put chopped pieces into ice cube trays and fill with water of stock
- Freeze overnight
- Place cubes in freezer bag(s), using a straw to suck out excess air. You may also put the trays right into the freezer bag sucking out the air if you wish.
Note: Also try mint with a little extra water to add to drinks during the summer (or winter)
Now if you are planning on using your herbs for dishes that require oil such as Pesto with your Basil. This is a great time to do a little up front preparation.
Ice cube tray method (with oil)
- Pick the best freshest herbs you can find
- Wash and pat herbs dry
- Add 1/3 cup of oil for each 2 cubs of herbs to food processor or blender
- Put chopped pieces into ice cube trays
- Freeze overnight
- Place cubes in freezer bag(s), using a straw to suck out excess air. You may also put the trays right into the freezer bag sucking out the air if you wish.
Now in a few months you can add some parmesan and have some previously frozen pesto in the middle of winter.
Tags: cilantro, herb garden, outdoor plants, pepper plants, salsa garden
