How I make Cayenne Pepper
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Start cayenne seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. I start mine in my basement. They are on a rolling shelf that gets rolled to face the basement window.
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Water with 'scrap' water to keep moist.
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When they reach 2-3 inches tall, place them in a clear tote with a lid, and transfer them outside during the day. Bring them in at night! Over time, leave the lid off in the day, and leave them outside at night for longer and longer periods of time to acclimate.
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I have found peppers to be very sensitive to wind and cold *fragile buggers*
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When they're 'tough' enough to go in the dirt, put them there!
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Plant with carrots, basil, spinach, or onion every other......they make great nutrient friends
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Water and marvel as they grow, grow, grow.
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Pick mature peppers and de-seed if desired (use gloves for crying out loud!)
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Dehydrate them at 130F for 24+ hours.
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Place them in a food processor, and puree.
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Walaaaaah!!
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Same concept works for onions, garlic, herbs and spices. Go crazy and try it. The flavor in your food will definitely have a boost that's undeniable. ​​
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How I DRY-Render Tallow
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Dice tallow into small cubes and place in a colander​​
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Place the colander in a tall pot
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Place the pot in the oven - you'll probably need to adjust the racks so the tall shuh-nanigan will fit.
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Heat at 210F for 18-20 hours, mashing 2-3 X. I use a potato masher and stir, smoosh & hold, repeat. The dripping is music to the ears!​
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When cracklings are all that remain - hard curd-like pieces that no longer drain or drip, remove the colander. Cracklings are great for pig, dog, human or chicken snacks. Eat up!
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Secure a cheesecloth over a pitcher or other large bowl/pot and pour 'gold' on the cheesecloth for straining. Straining gold!
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Congrats. You've now got a pitcher of golden, priceless tallow. I like to weigh mine (according to whatever recipe I'll be using) as they go into jars for easier using when I'm ready.
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Have fun cleaning up the mess. It's a doooooozy - super greasy.
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Leave the jars on the counter, uncovered until completely solidified.
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Pure tallow should last a year. Well, mine wont. But, science says the triglycerides remain structured that long.
Ever notice how different tallow batches are different shades of yellow?? Yellow-White indicates a cow with a grass-fed diet because of the Vit. A, which tints it white-creamy. A golden, darker yellow indicates grain and corn was in his/her diet, or it is an older cow. Lutein, in the corn tints it darker golden.
In my opinion, they both provide a dense amount of nutrients that are highly beneficial!
Do NOT buy soil!!! Do not. Do not.
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I have not bought soil for years and years and never will. Nope, not ever.
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If you have an existing garden, dig up dirt from last season's row, uprooting a plant possibly. Shake off the excess dirt from roots and use it for starting seeds indoors
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WHY?
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Because most plant roots have bacterial nodules called rhizobium. The rhizobium converts Nitrogen into a usable form and then expel wastes which are nutrients for plants. BONUS fertilizer!! Microbe friends are BFF's.
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This soil is already jam-packed with microbes and nutrients - just what the little starter seeds need.
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In addition, it's probably denser than soil found in a bag. That's a plus! Light soil contains too much oxygen/air flow, which kills the natural microbiome system.