Free Plants Part Two: Cuttings

Propagation from cuttings is relatively simple, though we've had the lowest success rates with this method. We're becoming increasingly conscientious in our experiments, however, and have lots of hope for future success. 

We collect cuttings from nearly any plant we're interested in growing, popping or cutting off a stem of new growth at the node. We take pieces of plants from nurseries and from yards. It's polite and ethical to ask the permission of the plant owner or retailer first. Big box nurseries like Home Depot tend not to be very proprietary over a stem or two. 

It's important to make a clean cut so as to not infect the rest of the plant. If the stem doesn't pop off easily, a sterile pocket knife can be used. 

The ideal size for a new cutting is 3-5". Avoid plants with flowers or buds because you want a cutting that will put its energy into root production rather than reproduction. 

Plant in a rich potting soil. We're using the same EcoScraps Organic Potting Mix that we hustle on weekends. It's good stuff.

To maintain higher humidity, we cover the cuttings with our free cloches: halved plastic milk cartons.


With consistent moisture, sunlight, and good soil, the cutting should start rooting quickly. To help the rooting process along, we use a free, natural rooting hormone that I'll write about soon.

Hard apple cider.

I started homebrewing hard cider in 2011, when I lived in Tempe and wanted to make a cheap source of cider. My method hasn't improved significantly as I've just added an airlock to control flavors and prevent a gooey cleanup every day the cider bubbles over.

The cider bubbling happily.

We started this batch two days ago and usually keep it going for a week. The organic, preservative-free cider we bought in the 1 gallon glass carboy sells for about $8 here in Albuquerque. Preservatives kill yeast and won't let the brew ferment properly. We picked up the airlock along with some Champagne yeast from my LHBS for $6. The airlock and yeast can be used indefinitely and it's such a low up-front cost that we felt like skimping really isn't worth it. The airlock beats the rubber balloon and hole method by a lot.

We didn't add sugar or honey to this batch because we're looking to see what a week is like for the unadulterated juice.  It's also been over six months since I've made a batch so we'll see what the flavor profile is like. Costco has a Sonoran honey jug for the cheapest price around so we may consider adding it if we feel like it's lacking enough tasting notes or alcohol. Though, living a mile up, we drink less because of the thinner air.

Anyhow, here's our extremely simple and frugal method:

Purchase:
1 gal Organic Apple Juice/Cider without preservatives, preferably pasteurized
1 packet of Champagne yeast (There are cider yeasts available also)
1 airlock with rubber stopper (Bring the vessel in question so that a diameter can be matched)
White vinegar

1. Clean the airlock with a vinegar and water solution and allow to air dry.
2. Pop open the glass jug and pitch the yeast. Our packet was intended for a 5 gal recipe so just put in less, in case something spoils the brew so you wouldn't have to buy yeast again.
3. Insert the sterilized airlock and fill it with water.
4. Wait! It took me anywhere from 4 days to several weeks to determine if my brew was ready. If you taste it, pour it out or use a sterilized baster. Every time you open it beyond the initial pitching, you allow bacteria to possibly infect and compete with the yeast. So, wait for the bubbles to slow significantly. The longer you wait, the fewer sugars that remain, unless you use maltodextrin or lactose which cannot be consumed by yeast, and the dryer the cider. YMMV, so if you feel like you have achieved the proper flavor, cold rack it!
5. Drink up, sucker! If you leave some yeast sediment at the bottom, you may use it to create the next batch. If you age it, 3-12 months will suffice and give it a flavor nearer to white wine. Pour it off of the sediment into a sterilized jar such as one from a previous batch.

There are countless additions to your brew, such as raisins, pectic enzymes, oak, bourbon, that you can mix in and many forums cite varied results. Your first batch and your last batch will never be the same using this method but the variety makes for entertaining experimentation. If you find that it tastes too much like hooch, age it. It will mellow out with time. But, we prefer nothing better than fresh cider with some friends!

Making Yogurt

Making yogurt is stupid easy and cheap. You need milk and yogurt. Costco sells two gallons of full fat milk for about $5. I picked up a container of organic yogurt for less than a buck. You only need to buy the yogurt once, so opt for a variety with as many active cultures as possible. I found one with eight. 

The process: 

1. Heat up your milk to 160° F, or just until it's about to boil. I use a meat thermometer to measure the temperature.

2. Once the milk is hot enough, turn off the stove and let the milk cool to about 110°. It'll take a while.  

3. Add a tablespoon or so of your yogurt and mix it in.

4. Now you have to maintain this temperature, which is kind of tough. We have a gas oven with a pilot light, so it's always warm. Putting the lid on the pot and closing the oven door is enough for me. You might need to wrap the pot in a blanket for added insulation.

5. Keep your soon-to-be yogurt at 110° for 6-8 hours. The longer you let it sit, the more sour it will become.

6. And boom, you've got gallons of yogurt. Save some of your yogurt to use as a culture in the next batch. 

If you mess up and don't end up with yogurt, just squeeze a lemon into your milk mixture and stir until curds form. Drain off the liquid (or save it, I like whey) and you're left with farmer's cheese, essentially Indian paneer.

To make Greek yogurt, drain your yogurt through cheese cloth. I like to keep my yogurt relatively thin so it's drinkable. My favorite is to mix it with salt and ground cumin for a savory lassi.

Restoring Cast Iron

Cast iron lasts lifetimes and is readily available for next to nothing at thrift stores, or you can find it new for less than you'd spend on a non-stick that'd only last, if you're careful, for about a decade. We found an ugly, rusted, abused pan at a thrift store for a few bucks and decided to restore it. The process was a bit time-consuming and smoky, but we can now fry eggs and sear meat, which was impossible in the cast iron enamel cookware I'd brought with me. 

How to do it:

1. Scrub the cast iron with steel wool

2. Coat it with fat (we used leftover bacon fat)

3. Stick it in the oven on broil and let it heat up until it's smoking (open your windows and be prepared for everything to smell like bacon grease for a week)

4. Take out the pan and let it cool

 5. Repeat steps 2-4 until the cast iron has a silky black patina and is smooth, i.e., not sticky, to the touch

To clean, you just rinse and scrub without soap. Stick the pan on a hot stove to evaporate any excess liquid. Periodically rub it down with oil.