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Not so much these days, but I have. What kind are you thinking of?
Makes me glad I live in a nation where asparagus is a delicacy sold on every farmer's market when season comes.Asparagus from the back garden: delicious for about 3 weeks a year, before it gets more than a couple feet tall. Asparagus otherwise, horrible bitter poison thing.
I make about two gallons of yogurt a month and an absurd amount of sauerkraut every year.
I've tried my hand at sauerkraut a few times
Beer or wine? I've never tried to make beer, but we have enough muscadine vines to make ~150 bottles of wine a year. I'll need to start harvesting in the next week or two.
Mead primarily, then beer and cider as well. I enjoy lots of small experimental batches, where I make things that basically unavailable (I make Bochets for Christmas, they are very nice when spiced)Beer or wine? I've never tried to make beer, but we have enough muscadine vines to make ~150 bottles of wine a year. I'll need to start harvesting in the next week or two.
Had to look that one up - I've never actually heard of bochet before. It certainly sounds good!
As someone else who lives in a muscadine-producing region (I don't currently grow them myself -- Mom wanted passionfruit instead), I fully agree. Muscadines are awesome.I've always been surprised that it isn't more popular; muscadines are extremely hardy and disease resistant, tolerate a wide range of soils, and are impervious to the southern heat. I know someone with a real vineyard who grows a bunch of French wine grapes, and he has to be extremely careful about the soil PH, pests, and the summer heat. Muscadines require a fraction of the effort.
The grapes themselves are enormous, candy-sweet, extremely fruity and intensely aromatic. The thick skins are also packed with flavor.
Can you really claim to love muscadines if you don't eat the seeds? Next you're going to tell me you don't eat the peach pit. Crunch crunch crunch crunchThe lack of a seedless variety is my only complaint, such as it is.
At one point muscadine wine was the most popular wine in the states. Prohibition put an end to that.Lots of fun history RE why they're looked down on as wine grapes, though. And, well, fruit wines in general are fun. Are you familiar with Schnebly Redland's?
I mean, it's south of me, and far enough that it's not a casual trip. I know about them because they make really interesting stuff. If you're talking about winemaking... well, they make avocado wine. They make lychee wine. They make mango wine. They make... well, you get the idea. Starfruit? Guava? Passionfruit? Pineapple? Yeah, they've done all of 'em.At one point muscadine wine was the most popular wine in the states. Prohibition put an end to that.
Never heard of Schnebly Redland's; that's quite a bit south of me.
hot sauces or kimchiNot so much these days, but I have. What kind are you thinking of?
It's annoying how many products with a specific thing for a name turn out to be some combo of flavoring and dye. Like Wasabi. It's never actual wasabi, it's horseradish with dye, flavoring, and a miniscule amount (like 1,6% at best) of actual Wasabi.Most 'caramel' is HFCS with food dye and flavoring; the real thing has an incredible depth of flavor.
Like Bochet, the unit economics of fruit and vegetable wines are always going to be scuffed at least to some extentI mean, it's south of me, and far enough that it's not a casual trip. I know about them because they make really interesting stuff. If you're talking about winemaking... well, they make avocado wine. They make lychee wine. They make mango wine. They make... well, you get the idea. Starfruit? Guava? Passionfruit? Pineapple? Yeah, they've done all of 'em.
If their product wasn't so expensive these days (it's like doubled or tripled in price since the pandemic), I'd experiment with cooking with some of them.
Note my phrasing: "these days." Also note my why here: the prices have increased dramatically in the last few years. The cycle you're mentioning is largely irrelevant.Like Bochet, the unit economics of fruit and vegetable wines are always going to be scuffed at least to some extent
But there's also the vicious cycle of: niche product -> low sales -> a few sellers, disproportionately hobbyists selling relatively small amounts -> no economies of scale -> high price per unit/low availability-> product remains niche
Anyway, this is why, if you want a winter warmer acerbochet, you have to make it yourself