Chart: Gardening, Fruits, and Homemade Items (Including Baking Soda & Yeast)
Item | Type | How to Grow or Make | Yield or End Product |
---|---|---|---|
Tomatoes | Vegetable/Fruit | Plant from seeds or seedlings. Needs full sun, well-drained soil. | Fresh tomatoes (can be processed into sauces, canned, etc.) |
Lettuce | Leafy Vegetable | Direct sow seeds in early spring. Prefers cool weather and partial shade. | Fresh lettuce for salads and sandwiches |
Carrots | Root Vegetable | Direct sow seeds in loose, well-draining soil. Prefers cooler temperatures. | Carrots (fresh, or stored in root cellar) |
Potatoes | Root Vegetable | Plant seed potatoes in soil after the last frost. Requires well-drained soil. | Potatoes (stored for long-term use, or fresh for meals) |
Beans | Legume | Direct sow seeds in spring in warm soil. Needs plenty of sunlight. | Fresh beans (can be dried for winter use) |
Cucumbers | Fruit/Vegetable | Plant seeds or seedlings in warm soil. Requires full sun and space to spread. | Fresh cucumbers, pickles, or cucumber relish |
Squash (Zucchini) | Fruit/Vegetable | Sow seeds directly in warm soil. Needs space to spread and full sun. | Zucchini (can be eaten fresh or made into zucchini bread) |
Strawberries | Fruit | Plant in early spring. Requires well-drained soil and full sun. | Fresh strawberries (can be frozen or made into jam) |
Apples | Fruit | Plant apple trees from nursery stock. Requires well-drained soil and 2-5 years to mature. | Fresh apples (or cider, applesauce, etc.) |
Blueberries | Fruit | Plant in acidic soil with lots of sunlight. Space 3-4 feet apart. | Fresh blueberries (frozen or made into jams) |
Herbs (Basil, Mint) | Herb | Sow seeds in pots or garden in well-draining soil. Prefers sunny spots. | Fresh herbs (can be dried or made into pesto) |
Garlic | Bulb/Vegetable | Plant garlic cloves in fall or early spring in well-drained soil. | Garlic bulbs (can be stored or used in cooking) |
Onions | Bulb/Vegetable | Plant onion sets or seeds in early spring. Needs full sun and rich soil. | Fresh onions (or stored in cool, dark conditions) |
Spinach | Leafy Vegetable | Direct sow seeds in cool, early spring soil. Prefers full sun to partial shade. | Fresh spinach leaves (can be frozen for later use) |
Chickpeas | Legume | Plant seeds in well-drained soil, requires warm temperatures and full sun. | Dried chickpeas (used for cooking, hummus) |
Wheat | Grain | Plant wheat in fall or early spring. Requires full sun and rich soil. | Wheat (can be milled into flour for baking) |
Baking Soda | Chemical (not plant-based) | Make it from scratch: Combine baking soda and cream of tartar or vinegar. Also, you can mine sodium bicarbonate naturally in some areas. | Baking soda (for cleaning, baking, and other uses) |
Sugar | Plant-based (not easy to grow everywhere) | Make from scratch: Extract sugar from sugar beets or sugar cane. (Requires a processing facility). | Sugar (used in cooking, canning, etc.) |
Salt | Mineral (from sea or earth) | Make from scratch: Harvest salt from saltwater or from natural salt deposits. | Salt (for cooking and preserving food) |
Vinegar | Fermented Product | Make from scratch: Use fruit juice (like apple cider) and ferment with yeast or bacteria to make vinegar. | Apple cider vinegar (or other fruit vinegars) |
Honey | Animal Product | Make from scratch: Beekeeping—harvest honey from beehives. | Honey (used in cooking, baking, or as a sweetener) |
Yeast | Microorganism | Make from scratch: Cultivate wild yeast from the air (or a sourdough starter) by mixing flour and water and allowing it to ferment. Alternatively, buy a packet of commercial yeast and propagate it at home. | Yeast (used for baking bread, brewing beer, and other fermentation) |
How to Make Yeast from Scratch:
- Wild Yeast (Sourdough Starter):
- Mix equal parts flour and water in a jar (roughly 1/2 cup of each).
- Leave it out at room temperature, covered loosely with a cloth, to capture wild yeast from the air.
- Stir the mixture once or twice daily and feed it more flour and water every 24 hours.
- After 5-7 days, it should be bubbly and have a slightly sour smell, indicating active fermentation. This is your wild yeast ready for baking.
- Commercial Yeast Propagation:
- If you have commercial dry yeast, you can propagate it in warm water with a bit of sugar. When it bubbles and activates, it can be used for baking or brewing.
Summary
This updated chart gives you a broader view of how to grow or create a variety of garden crops, fruits, and essential items like yeast, baking soda, sugar, and more. Each item includes a brief guide on how to cultivate or make it from scratch, as well as the yield or end product.
Let me know if you’d like any more details or a deeper dive into any of these processes!
You said:
Provide a step by step guilde for vinegar, baking soda, yeast, molassess with videos
ChatGPT said:
Here’s a step-by-step guide for making vinegar, baking soda, yeast, and molasses from scratch, along with suggestions on where you can find relevant instructional videos to help guide you through the process.
1. How to Make Vinegar from Scratch
Ingredients:
- Fruit juice (apple cider, grape juice, or any sugar-rich fruit)
- Vinegar mother (can be purchased or made from a previous batch of vinegar)
Steps:
- Choose Your Base Liquid:
Start with a natural fruit juice. Apple cider is a common choice, but you can use any sugar-rich fruit juice (grape, pear, etc.). - Fermentation Process:
- Pour the fruit juice into a glass jar, leaving some space at the top.
- Add a vinegar mother (this is a gelatinous mass of acetic acid bacteria). If you don’t have a vinegar mother, you can use raw, unfiltered vinegar as a starter.
- Cover and Store:
- Cover the jar loosely with a cloth or paper towel to allow air to enter but keep debris out.
- Store the jar in a warm, dark place for about 2-3 weeks. Stir occasionally.
- Taste Testing:
After 2-3 weeks, taste the vinegar. If it’s acidic and tangy, it’s ready to use. - Strain and Bottle:
Once the vinegar has reached your desired acidity, strain out the solid particles and bottle the liquid.
Video: How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar (with or without a mother)
2. How to Make Baking Soda from Scratch
Ingredients:
- Sodium carbonate (soda ash)
- Carbon dioxide (usually from a reaction with an acid like vinegar)
Steps:
- Obtain Sodium Carbonate:
You can extract sodium carbonate from trona ore (found in some areas) or buy it commercially. However, for a home process, it’s simpler to start with washing soda. - React with Acid:
To make baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), mix sodium carbonate with an acid (like vinegar or lemon juice). The reaction will release carbon dioxide gas, forming baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in the process.- Formula: Na₂CO₃ + H₂CO₃ → 2 NaHCO₃.
- Dry the Baking Soda:
After the reaction, the baking soda should be collected and left to dry out.
Video: How to Make Baking Soda from Scratch
3. How to Make Yeast from Scratch (Sourdough Starter)
Ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour or regular all-purpose flour
- Water (preferably filtered)
Steps:
- Mix Flour and Water:
- In a clean jar, mix 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of water.
- Stir until there are no lumps.
- Let it Sit:
- Cover the jar loosely with a lid or cloth to allow air to reach the mixture, encouraging wild yeast to grow.
- Leave it in a warm place for 24 hours.
- Feed the Starter:
- After 24 hours, you should see bubbles and smell a sour odor. This means wild yeast is forming.
- Add 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of water, and stir again.
- Repeat for 5-7 Days:
- Continue feeding the starter every 24 hours with equal parts flour and water. As it ferments, it will become more active and bubbly.
- Ready for Baking:
After 5-7 days, your starter will be bubbly, have a tangy smell, and be ready for baking. You can use it in recipes like sourdough bread.
Video: How to Make a Sourdough Starter (from Scratch)
4. How to Make Molasses from Scratch
Ingredients:
- Sugar cane or sugar beets (if you’re making molasses from scratch)
- Water
- Lemon juice (to help clarify)
Steps:
- Extract Juice from Sugar Cane or Beets:
- If you’re using sugar cane, strip the outer layers and crush it to extract the juice. For sugar beets, peel and chop them before boiling them to extract the juice.
- Boil the Juice:
- Pour the extracted juice into a large pot and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow it to reduce. You want to cook it until it thickens and becomes syrupy. This could take several hours.
- Clarify the Juice:
- Occasionally skim off the foam or impurities that rise to the top.
- You can add a bit of lemon juice to help with this process.
- Continue Boiling:
- As the syrup thickens, continue boiling until you reach your desired consistency for molasses. The longer you cook it, the thicker and darker it will become.
- Strain and Cool:
- Once it’s thick enough, strain the molasses to remove any solid particles.
- Let it cool to room temperature, and store it in an airtight jar.
Video: How to Make Molasses from Sugar Cane
Summary of Steps and Videos:
Item | Process | Video Link |
---|---|---|
Vinegar | Ferment fruit juice with a vinegar mother. | Make Vinegar from Scratch |
Baking Soda | React sodium carbonate with an acid (e.g., vinegar). | Make Baking Soda from Scratch |
Yeast | Create a sourdough starter from flour and water. | How to Make Sourdough Starter |
Molasses | Boil sugar cane or sugar beets and reduce to syrup. | How to Make Molasses from Sugar Cane |