A visit to the apple man, Beryl Novak

Because we’re starting a new homestead and planting lots of fruit trees, I was tickled to meet a self-taught fruit tree expert while shopping last year. Since then, I’ve been to his homestead up north of us twice. My second visit was yesterday for a photo shoot for an article I just finished on grafting fruit trees. (I had taken a bunch of pictures when he was here this spring, teaching me an easy method of grafting. But when I went to attach the photos to my article, I discovered that they’d been accidentally deleted!)

What started out as a cussing and gnashing of teeth and a sleepless night turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon visiting Beryl and his huge orchard. I’ve never seen so many grafts on a tree in my life. And they are from around the world, too. How exciting!

We spent a couple of hours talking fruit tree varieties, hardiness, grafting, economics and just plain visiting. Because of caring for Mom, I seldom “get away”, so this was a real huge treat for me. And I learned a lot, too. Just goes to show you that out of the awfullest accident can come something wonderful.

Oh. I got new photos, too.

Readers’ questions:

Written any books?

Was wondering if you have written any books? Not, that you have extra time :) Just thought I could find all the answers in the books.
Julie Jaco
Senatobia, Mississippi

I have written a couple of books, including the rewrite of A VETERINARY GUIDE FOR ANIMAL OWNERS. But I haven’t done one on canning or
self reliant living. Yet. I’m trying to figure out something now. I’ll keep you posted. — Jackie

Canning goats milk

I hope it’s OK that I subscribe though our village library. We showed BHM to our local library so they could get a subscription that all the country folk in our little bit of wilderness could enjoy it. I hope you will still consider answering my question, because I think it is a really important one.

I would really like to can my excess goat milk, however since it is a low acid, high protein food I have put it in the “high risk” category for botulism. However, I noticed in your column you have given a recipe to can it at a time/temp that is far less than what is normally done for high risk foods.

Am I missing something? Is there a reason why you have not treated milk as a potential source of botulism? Clearly it can be done safely, as demonstrated by all the cans of “evaporated milk” at the grocery store.
Diane Thompson c/o Nazko Library
Quesnel, BC Canada

Milk is high in lactic acid. This is why your milk sours, not rots and your cheese molds instead of rotting. Remember all those cheeses that are aged in caves in Europe for months and months? Meat would rot. Cheese only ages. Remember, you make yogurt from milk at room or slightly warmer temperatures and you eat it. If you left a chicken or hamburger out like that, it’d probably kill you. Meat is not acid, therefore is a higher risk food. Does this make sense to you? Hope so. I know some “experts” frown on canning milk and other dairy products, but they conveniently forget the lactic acid factor. — Jackie

Canning Kimchi and sauerkraut

We sell big generators to farmers and this year I had a greatful farmer give me cases of cabbage. I am making sauerkraut out of most of it and kimchee out of the rest. Question #1: I can’t find directions for canning kimchee. Most recipes say refrigerate until it starts to stink. Question #2: I was also wondering since this is my first try at sauerkraut if you had any canning or krauting advice. I’m about two weeks into my krauting and have a 25 lb crock going.
Laura Battin
Milwaukie, Oregon

I have no information on canning kimchi. Three of my adopted children were Korean and they loved kimchi because they had eaten it for years in their birth country. So I learned to make it. Because it keeps for months in the fridge or any other cool place, I never had any reason to can it. I tried to find a recipe for you, but couldn’t. I’ll keep looking. As for the sauerkraut, you can certainly can that. When it has fermented, dip it out and pack it into sterilized jars to within 1/2″ of the top. Fill with juice or a brine made of 2 Tbsp salt to one quart of water to cover the kraut. Process quarts for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath. — Jackie

Moldy pickles

I accidentally deleted a question from a man who had tried my sour pickle recipe and it developed mold on it after 6 days. He asked what he should do. Here’s my answer:

If there was just a little mold, dip it out and re-submerge the pickles. If there was lots, you’ll have to toss the batch. Mold usually happens when the pickles were not completely submerged in the brine. Only a little bit sticking out will cause this. Better luck in the future! — Jackie