Sunday, April 24, 2011

SPROUT PEOPLES PLACE

EAT MORE SPROUTS...SPROUTS ARE A POWERHOUSE OF NUTRIENTS
Sprouts have been grown by many civilizations over the past 5,000 years.  Research shows that sprouts are a veritable fountain of youth. Sprouts abound with antioxidants, they are full of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Broccoli sprouts have been found to contain 50 times as much of the antioxidant sulfurophane as mature broccoli. Wheat Grass juice is the closest substance to hemoglobin, and is therefore a phenomenal blood purifier and liver de-toxifier. Sprouts contain enzymes, giving your body a much needed rest as they digest themselves - invigorating you while requiring no help from your body to process them. New research indicates that peanut sprouts reduce harmful cholesterol and that sunflower, buckwheat and grain sprouts dramatically improve the quality of life for diabetics. The list goes on and on.

Why not be the first in your group to look like you just came from one of those $25,000 health spa experiences that took twenty-five pounds and twenty-five years off your life?
All you have to do is eat sprouts for protein.
Sprouts for protein? Who ever heard of that?

It's not a fad, really. Before we had fire, we knew the value of sprouting grains, legumes and seeds. We knew instinctively that Nature had created them as potent nutritional bundles of health and energy. Without science at our disposal to tell us what we needed, we automatically germinated and sprouted these concentrated natural sources of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids. We built our bodies on them.
Hung up on protein?
Amino acids are proteins in their most digestible form. Pound for pound, Lentils and other sprouted beans give you as much protein as red meat, chicken or fish, with none of the fat, cholesterol, hormones, anti-biotics, and dangerous rendered feed residues found in animal proteins today.

Not to mention the cost.
The Lentils and other beans you sprout in your kitchen cost just pennies per pound. Think about this next time you pull $10.00 out your wallet for a small package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts or fish fillets.


Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to rejuvenate?
Just this month, try something different. Grow fresh protein in your kitchen.
Simply purchase a pound of red or green Lentils or Mung beans. You'll find them in packages in your supermarket or in bulk in your favorite natural food store.
Measure out about a cup and soak them overnight in a covered container. Drain them in your colander and rinse them well to be sure you washed off all the natural inhibitors that keep them from sprouting until you need them to sprout. Now leave them right in the colander, on your kitchen counter, spreading them out a little so they don't clump together.
And watch what happens.

In only a few hours to just about a day, Lentils and Mung beans will start to grow little tails. As they begin to sprout, rinse them occasionally, and you'll see a miniature, kitchen garden of tiny, power-packed, living plants. When the tails are just barely visible, place the sprouts in an airtight container and store them in your fridge. They'll continue to sprout more slowly.
If rejuvenating weight loss is your goal, this is the clean, fat-free, practically instantly-absorbed protein you want for a beautiful body.
Now once, or twice a day, if you're motivated, add your sprouts to your salad. I say twice a day, because, like me, you may love this revolutionary high-protein, power-packed meal so much, you'll occasionally want it that often.
Not only for the slenderizing protein, but also for the abundance of vitamins and minerals, in readily available, economical form.
Here's how I make one of my REVOLUTIONARY HIGH PROTEIN SALADS:
I mix my dressing directly into a large salad bowl, using twice as much fine quality olive oil as lemon juice, and adding some coarse Celtic sea salt, whisking this mixture into a creamy slenderizing dressing.
Now I add plenty of ripe, sliced tomatoes and some chopped basil, mint and thyme. The tomatoes and herbs macerate while I prepare the rest of the salad. I finely chop my favorite greens - baby spinach, mesclun, baby lettuces, romaine, butter or Boston lettuce, so they absorb lots of the dressing. I thin-slice unpeeled cucumbers and radishes. They add the silicon and sulfur I need for healthy hair, skin and nails. Sometimes, I toss in lots of oil cured olives, high in protein and fatty acids, and low in salt.
Time to add the sprouts from my kitchen harvest, about 1/2 to one cup per person.
Time to toss and toss to insure my REVOLUTIONARY HIGH PROTEIN SALAD is really well blended and combined. It should be like a live chop suey. I serve an ample portion, and eat it slowly, chewing well to appreciate the textures and flavors of living protein for my living body.

Are you sick and tired of how the years take their toll on your health? Are you bored and frustrated with all the confusing and contradictory diet fads and trends? Would you enjoy having so much energy you practically never run out? How about having the confidence to know each time you sit down to the dinner table that you're preventing, rather than causing disease?

Sprout Nutrition

Sprout
Protein
Vitamins
Amino Acids
Minerals
More






Alfalfa
35%
A, B, C, E, K

Calcium,Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc As much Carotene as carrots. Chlorophyll
Adzuki
25%
A, C, E
All except Tryptophan
Iron, Niacin, Calcium
Buckwheat
15%
A, C, E

Calcium Lecithin
Clover
30%
A, B, C, E

Calcium,Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc Trace Elements
Fenugreek
30%
A

Iron, Niacin, Calcium Digestive Aid
Garbanzo
20%
A, C, E

Iron, Calcium, Magnesium
Lentil
25%
A, B, C, E

Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus
Mung Bean
20%
A, C, E

Iron, Potassium
Pea
20%
A, B, C
All Essential

Carbohydrates
Radish
Yes
C

Potassium Chlorophyll
Sunflower Greens
Yes
B Complex, E

Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium Chlorophyll
Wheat (and Rye)
15%
B Complex, C, E

Magnesium, Phosphorus Pantothenic Acid, Carbohydrates












Now most of the time, I MONETIZE anything I do but this posting is an exception as I will not be offering any products for sale here.  I would not being doing family, friends, or readers any favor by doing so.  Here is why:

SROUTPEOPLE.ORG  ARE SIMPLY THE BEST IN THE WORLD AT WHAT THEY DO. FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED, BIGGEST AND  BEST  SELECTION OF ORGANIC SEEDS, BEST SPROUTING EQUIPMENT, BEST KNOWLEDGE AND "HOW TO RESOURCE" OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE.  THEY GROW AND EAT THE SAME SPROUTS THEY WRITE ABOUT AND HAVE FOR YEARS.   I AM A CUSTOMER MYSELF...GIVE THEM A VISIT AND START EATING AND LIVING BETTER FOR LESS MONEY AND LEARN SOMETHING NEW WHILE YOU ARE AT IT!  Tell em Chet sent you!


Saturday, April 16, 2011

How To Smoke Fish

Smoking Fish

 

Smoking Fish


The fisherman's catch, if properly preserved, can be a welcome addition to family meals over a period of several weeks or months. Smoking is an excellent way to preserve fish that you don't plan to eat right away. Fish is smoked as it dries over a smoldering fire. Wood smoke adds flavor and color; the brining process helps to preserve the fish.

Smoking Methods

There are two general methods of smoking fish: hot-smoking and cold-smoking. Hot-smoking (also called barbecuing or kippering) requires a short brining time and smoking temperatures of 90°F for the first 2 hours and 150°F for an additional 4-8 hours. Hot-smoked fish are moist, lightly salted, and fully cooked, but they will keep in the refrigerator for only a few days.
Cold-smoking requires a longer brining time, lower temperature (80-90°F) and extended smoking time (1-5 days or more of steady smoking). Cold-smoked fish contain more salt and less moisture than hot-smoked fish. If the fish has been sufficiently cured, it will keep in the refrigerator for several months.

Parasites In Fish

Freshwater and marine fish naturally contain many parasites. These parasites are killed during the hot-smoking process, if the temperature reaches 140°F. Use commercially frozen fish for cold-smoked fish and lox, or freeze the fish to -10°F for at least 7 days to kill any parasites that may be present. Freezing to -10°F is not possible in most home freezers.

Smoking Tips

Any fish can be smoked, but species high in fat (oil) such as salmon and trout are recommended because they absorb smoke faster and have better texture than lean fish, which tend to be dry and tough after smoking. Use seasoned non-resinous woods: hickory, oak, apple, maple, birch, beech, or alder. Avoid: pine, fir, spruce, etc. or green woods. If heavier smoke flavor is desired, add moist sawdust to the heat source throughout the smoking process.
Control heat by adjusting air flow.
Control temperature:

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  • Hot-smoking--90°F for the first 2 hours; 150°F for remaining smoking time
  • Cold-smoking--80-90°F for 1-5 days or more
  • Lox--70-80°F for 1-3 days

Preparing Fish For Smoking

Use only freshly-caught fish that have been kept clean and cold. Fish that have been handled carelessly or stored under improper conditions will not produce a satisfactory finished product. Do not use bruised, broken, or otherwise damaged flesh. If you catch your fish, clean and pack them in ice before starting home. When you get home, store the fish in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare them for smoking.
Different fish species generally require specific preparation methods. Salmon are split (backbone removed); bottom fish filleted; herring headed and gutted, and smelt dressed. The following preparation steps can be applied to any fish:

  1. Remove scales by scraping against the grain with the dull edge of a knife.
  2. Remove head, fins, tail, viscera.
  3. Wash body cavity with running cold water to remove all traces of blood and kidney tissue (dark red mass along the backbone).
  4. Split the fish by cutting through the rib bones along the length of one side of the backbone.
  5. For large fish, remove the backbone by cutting along the other side of the backbone to produce two fillets or boneless sides. For small fish, the backbone can be left attached to one of the sides.
  6. Cut the sides of large fish into uniform pieces about 1½ inches thick and 2 inches wide. Small fish halves can be brined and smoked in one piece.

Preparing Brine

Prepare a brine of 3½ cups table salt in 1 gallon of cold water in a plastic, stainless steel, or crockery container. Red or white wine can be substituted for a portion or all of the water, if desired. Stir the salt until a saturated solution is formed. Spices such as black pepper, bay leaves, seafood seasoning, or garlic, as well as brown sugar, may be added to the brine depending on your preference.
Use 1 gallon of brine for every 4 pounds of fish. Brine fish in the refrigerator, if possible.
Keep the fish covered with brine throughout the brining period. A heavy bowl can be floated on the brine to keep the fish submersed, but do not pack the fish so tightly that the brine cannot circulate around each piece.

Cold-Smoking

  1. To cold-smoke fish, follow steps 1-6 under "Preparing Fish for Smoking."
  2. Brine ½-inch-thick fillets for ½ hour; 1-inch-thick fillets for 1 hour; and 1½-inch-thick fillets for 2 hours. Brining times can be lengthened if the cold-smoked fish are to be preserved for long periods of time.
  3. After brining, rinse the fish briefly in cold running water.
  4. Place the fish skin-side down on greased racks in a cool shady, breezy place to dry. The fish should dry for 2 to 3 hours or until a shiny skin or pellicle has formed on the surface. A fan will speed pellicle formation.
  5. Place the fish in a homemade or commercial smoker. The temperature of the smoker should be kept at about 80°F, and should never exceed 90°F. If a thermometer is not available, the temperature may be tested by hand. If the air in the smoke-house feels distinctly warm, the temperature is too high.
  6. Smoke the fish until its surface is an even brown. Small fish that are to be kept 2 weeks or less may be ready in 24 hours. Salmon and other large fish will require 3 to 4 days and nights of steady smoking. To store longer than 2 weeks, smoke all fish a minimum of five days; for larger fish, at least a week or longer.
  7. The smoker should not produce a lot of smoke during the first 8 to 12 hours if the total curing time is 24 hours, or for the first 24 hours if the curing time is longer. When the first part of the smoking ends, build up a dense smoke and maintain it for the balance of the cure.
  8. If cold-smoked fish has been brined for at least 2 hours and smoked for at least 5 days, it will keep in the refrigerator for several months.

Lox

Lox is similar to cold-smoked salmon, but is moist, lightly salted and lightly smoked. Much practice and experience are needed to prepare satisfactory lox. The appropriate length of brining and smoking to produce lox that suit one's taste is determined mainly through trial. Lox can be prepared following the instructions for cold-smoking with the following modifications:
  • Smoke at 70-80°F for 1 to 3 days (temperatures above 80°F will cook the fish).
  • To give a sheen to the surface of lox, rub with vegetable oil after the smoking is completed.
  • In the refrigerator, lox will keep for 1 to 2 weeks. It will keep longer, if frozen.

Hot-Smoking

  1. To hot-smoke fish, follow steps 1-6 under "Preparing Fish for Smoking."
  2. Brine ½-inch-thick fillets for about 15 minutes, 1-inch-thick pieces about 30 minutes, and 1½-inch-thick pieces about 1 hour. Brining times can be adjusted to give the fish a lighter or heavier cure.
  3. After brining, rinse the fish briefly in cold running water.
  4. Place the fish skin-side down on greased racks in a cool, shady, breezy place to dry. The fish should dry for 2 to 3 hours or until a shiny skin or pellicle forms on the surface. The pellicle seals the surface and prevents loss of natural juices during smoking. A fan will speed pellicle formation.
  5. Place the fish in a homemade or commercial smoker. For the first 2 hours, the temperature should not exceed 90°F. This completes the pellicle formation and develops brown coloring.
  6. After the initial 2-hour period, raise the temperature to 150°F and smoke the fish for an additional 4 to 8 hours. The length of time will depend on the thickness of the fish, and on your preference for dry or moist smoked fish. Generally, ½-inch-thick pieces are smoked for 4 hours, 1-inch-thick pieces for 6 hours, and 1½-inch-thick pieces for 8 hours.
  7. Store hot-smoked fish in the refrigerator. Freeze hot-smoked fish if it will be stored longer than a few days.

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Grow your own tobacco and Save thousands of dollars!


There has never been such a need like there is today to grow your own tobacco. With huge tax increases adding
even more to the cost of cigarettes more and more people have decided to grow their own tobacco plants.
Don't be forced to buy store bought cigarettes ever again.

....
Easy to grow this large leaf tobacco can be grown in pots on your patio or in your garden.

.
Curing tobacco

Grow your own organic smoke or chew! Even if you don't smoke, the plant and flowers are very pretty, a talking point of your garden.

.TA34 Havana #608
Said to be the best Havana for home use. Produces a quick crop in about 65 days, and is good for cigars or chewing. This plant gives a high yield and is also recommended for growing in the North. First time growers should definitely try this one!

Great Taste. Press tiny seeds into the ground, don't cover they need light to germinate. start inside or outside. Tobacco seeds initially require temperatures of 70-80°F
Grows great in pots and even as a houseplant. full sun is best, but will grow in part shade.
$4.99 for 40+ Seeds.  Free shipping in the US $1 International shipping.






250+ Maryland Tobacco Seeds
Easy to grow this large leaf tobacco can be grown in pots on your patio or in your garden. Includes growing instructions to get started.  $5.99/250+ seeds US shipping-free    International shipping- $1.00







~Orinco Tobacco Seeds~
~250 seeds~
Orinco is a favorite of pipe smokers. It also is a good
blending tobacco for cigars and cigarettes. 
 $5.99/250 Seeds  US shipping-free    International shipping- $1.00
Seeds are Germination tested




 
~Monte Calme Tobacco~
~250 seeds~
 Monte Calme has wide leaves used for cigar wrappers. 
It's mild flavor also makes it good for use in cigarette blends.
Grows to 6 feet tall.

Used for cigars and cigarettes. 
 $5.99/250+Seeds  US shipping-free    International shipping- $1.00
Seeds are Germination tested






~Midewivan Sacred Tobacco~
~100 seeds~
 A stronger flavor tobacco good blended
with other tabacco's (Virginia, etc).  
Used by Native American Indians in scared ceremonies.  
Fast grower.  $5.99/100 Seeds
 US shipping-free    International shipping- $1.00




 
250+ Walker Broadleaf tobacco seeds
Easy to grow this tobacco can be grown in pots on your patio or in your garden.
Includes growing instructions to get started.
$5.99/250 Seeds US shipping-free    International shipping- $1.00








Seeds are Germination tested

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HOW TO GROW TOBACCO

Growing your own tobacco is so easy and not dissimilar to growing tomatoes. Place commercial seedling compost into a tray and soak the soil with water and allow the excess water to drain off. Sprinkle the tobacco seeds onto the surface of the damp soil. Do not cover the seeds, as they need light for germination. Tobacco seeds are very tiny, so be careful to spread the seeds as evenly as possible. Keep the soil damp being careful not to wash the seeds around when you water; better still water from below or use a mist sprayer.

Start the seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost, making sure they are kept warm during this period and not allowed to dry out. A typical propagator is ideal. At a temperature of 75-80 degrees, seeds typically take a matter of days to germinate; though at this stage they are still rather small. At lower temperatures, the germination simply takes a few days longer.









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Includes everything you need, 4 Terrariums with Bases and Grow Pellets, and Plant Food. Instructions included.
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Plantlets are ready to be transplanted into bigger pots, when the leaves are about 1cm in length. Plant outside after all danger of frost is past. Care should be taken not to disturb the roots. Feed should only be given to established and rapidly growing plants after they have been replanted. Tobacco requires a lot of nitrogen and potash, which can be supplied using standard garden fertilizer. You may want to grow your tobacco using only organic fertilizers.

Ideally, space the tobacco plants about 2 ft. apart in rows 3 ft. apart. Transplant outside in the evening or when it is cloudy and overcast to avoid the youngsters from drying out. Water plants thoroughly after transplanting and water daily until plants become established. Like tomato plants, the branches (suckers, offshoots), should be removed to focus the plants energy on the large leaves.

Tobacco plants generally require full to partial sun to grow properly. Tobacco is ready to be harvest after 60-90 days after planting.
HOW to CURE TOBACCO
 Put simply, after tobacco is harvested, it is cured, or dried, and then aged to improve its flavor. There are four common methods of curing, and the method used depends on the type of tobacco and its intended use.

Air-cured tobacco is sheltered from wind and sun in a well-ventilated chamber, where it air-dries for six to eight weeks. Air-cured tobacco is low in sugar, which gives the tobacco smoke a light, sweet flavor, and high in nicotine. Cigar Tobacco and burley tobaccos are air cured.

In fire curing, smoke from a low-burning fire on the barn floor permeates the leaves. This gives the leaves a distinctive smokey aroma and flavor. Fire curing takes three to ten weeks and produces a tobacco low in sugar and high in nicotine. Pipe Tobacco, chewing tobacco, and Snuff are fire cured.

Flue-cured tobacco is kept in an enclosed heated area, but it is not directly exposed to smoke. This method produces Cigarette Tobacco that is high in sugar and has medium to high levels of nicotine. It is the fastest method of curing, requiring about a week. Virginia Tobacco that has been flue cured is also called bright tobacco, because flue curing turns its leaves gold, orange, or yellow.

Sun-cured tobacco dries uncovered in the sun. This method is used in Turkey, Greece and other Mediterranean countries to produce Oriental Tobacco. Sun-cured tobacco is low in sugar and nicotine and is used in cigarettes.

Once the tobacco is cured, workers tie it into small bundles of about 20 leaves, called hands, or use a machine to make large blocks, called bales. The hands or bales are carefully aged to improve flavor and reduce bitterness.

Further technical reading : Harvesting & Curing Flue-cured Tobacco - An excellent pdf document guide to curing cigarette tobacco by the University of Georgia.

HOW TO MAKE A CIGAR

There are three parts to a cigar:

   The bottom third of the plant is called the binder.
   The middle third is the filler,
   The top of the plant is the wrapper, which holds the filler under the binder.

Once dry, the leaves are stacked into piles. Darker tobacco is stronger, while the lighter-colored leaves smoke milder.

The leaves are laid out and flattened. The vein is cut out from the filler leaves and binder leaves. The leaves are stacked into bales, and ought to sit for about a month to complete the aging and drying process.

The first step is bunching. Here, you fold the prepared tobacco leaves by hand to the desired thickness. At this stage, you can blend different types of tobacco together to give the finished product its distinct character and flavor.

Once the tobacco is bunched and is as thick as it needs to be, it is rolled into a softer more elastic piece of tobacco called the binder. Its purpose is to hold together the tobacco in the body of the cigar. Once the binder is in place, the body is then pressed in a mold for about two hours to give the cigar its shape.

When the body comes out of the mold, it should be a perfect cylinder, and ready for the wrapper. The wrapper is responsible for the cigar's even appearance and aroma. Fold the end of the wrapper over each end of the cigar and cut to length.

Sounds easy? It's not!!