Drying Mushrooms

One of the benefits of having grazing animals is the edible field mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) that

Preparing mushrooms for drying

appear in the grassland in the Olive grove.   Grasslands evolved with grazing animals, as did many other diverse plant and animal life, and field mushrooms like the conditions supplied by grassland and grazing animals.

Eating a freshly picked, naturally grown, organic mushroom pretty is a gourmet experience which we relish in the autumn.   However, an important part of living sustainably at Semilla Besada is preserving produce for winter use.   Selecting the best specimens, we simply wipe the cap and remove only that part of the stalk that cannot be cleaned.   The mushroom is cut into slices about 5mm thick and placed on a drying tray, which is then placed in the outside drying frame, or on top of the dutch airer in the kitchen.   Once dried they are stored in glass jars.   They will last throughout the winter and are a wonderful addition to soups and stews during the winter.

Aspen signing off on a misty autumn day in the Alpujarras

Prickly Pear (Opuntia nopales)

At Semilla Besada this is the first time we have harvested and prepared the paddles or ‘leaves’  of the Prickly Pear (Opuntia nopales).   There were three distinct phases to this process.   First, selection of the appropriate paddles.   Second, safe harvesting.   Third, preparation of the paddles for eating.

Based on the research we did, we selected only young paddles (about 16cm in length from this year’s growth).   Both the paddles and the fruit are covered with tiny spines which easily pierce the skin and cause irritation.   They are easily disturbed and float in the air where they can be inhaled or enter the eyes.   We protected ourselves from these affects by wearing long-sleeved shirts, trousers, a bandana over the nose and mouth and leather working gloves.   We did not wear anything over the eyes, but sunglasses should provide some protection.   That said, we still got the spines in our hands and clothes, but the irritation only lasted a day.   A shower and clean clothes are a must after harvesting!

Again, based on research, we processed the paddles as follows.   Wearing leather or thick rubber gloves, we

Preparation of Prickly Pear paddles

 held the paddle at the end which was originally attached to the plant.   Using a sharp paring knife we removed the skin and spines along the edge of the paddle.   We then removed the spine nodules on both sides of the paddle.   Beneath the skin is the gelatinous looking flesh.   The paddle was then rinsed under cold running water with the knife, then placed on a clean plate, where it was sliced into small pieces.

Finally, the diced paddle was added to a pot of boiling water and cooked until tender, about 20 mins.   When it was cooked, we rinsed it under cold running water again and served it as part of a salad.   We also read that the rinsing process was to remove the surplus mucilagenous sap, which was an acquired taste.   We did not find any surplus sap …. perhaps it depends upon the age of the paddle.

And, of course, last but not least … the taste?   Initially, they taste like a French bean, but then a slightly acidic taste follows rather reminiscent of sorrel, for those who are familiar with wild-crafting salads.   For those not, it tastes slightly vinegary.   I think these are a ‘last resort’ vegetable as they are time intensive in harvesting and particularly, preparation.   But if time is not of the essence, then enjoy!

Aspen, still itching, signing off from Semilla Besada.

Pasteurisation / Sterilisation of Milk

We normally buy, or swap, fresh goats milk from our spanish neighbour, Paco. This we usually boil for 20 minutes to sterilise it completely.  This we believed necessary to eliminate the risk of Brucellosis, TB, Listeria etc. However at this time of the year when the goats are reaching the end of their milking cycle, very often when we boil it it curdles. All is not wasted since we turn it into soft cheeses but a cup of tea using  UHT milk is almost undrinkable!.  So with that in mind I’ve been on the internet and found from various sites that pasteurisation is sufficient to clean the milk of  the above ‘nasties’ and it affects much less the nutritional quality of the milk. The possible methods for pasteurisation are as follows:

Temperature of 66C ( 150F ) for 30 minutes, or

temperature of 72C ( 161F ) for 15 seconds, or

temperature of  89C ( 191F ) for 1 second, or

temperature of 100C ( 212F ) for 0.01 second.

With this new information we can save us and our planet a lot of butane gas,  and a large amount of our time.

I’m off for a cup of tea!

David