As someone recently pointed out, We’re really rather Cultured here at Briden Farm! What with our rekindled passion for making Sourdough Starter, and using the Discard for everything from Crumpets to Sourdough Pancakes, as well as our recent stint of Cheese Making, I guess I have to agree! In fact, as I’m writing this I’m also sipping a Tea and eating a nice piece of Toast with some really nice Briden Farm made Goat Milk Butter!
So, I thought You might like to see these beautiful Sourdough Pancakes!
Made from our Sourdough Starter who We’ve dubbed, John Dough! Of Course!
We always tweak our recipes using Watkins Flavours and Extracts, like the Maple for making a Syrup!
We borrowed, and adapted, the Recipe from King Arthur and wish They Shipped to Canada!
After a pretty mild Winter, Nova Scotia has been hit with a major Winter Snow Storm! More snow in one Weekend than All Winter! Compared to other areas like Halifax, and Cape Breton, where they declared a State of Emergency, we got off easy here in Bear River.
However, after a pretty decent Saturday, We got hit over night as the Temps dropped and the snows moved in. Leaving our Berkshire Sow, Lara, and her three daughters out in the cold. So to speak. It also used up most of the battery on our Solar Power Electric Fencer. Thankfully, even in these conditions Lara and Her Gals respected the fence and stayed in their pasture. Although they were waiting and glad to see me when I got there today!
Pigs really are incredible creatures, and while they only need minimal shelter to weather storms, it was a bit much! They were ready to get out of the elements, but we’re also patiently waiting for me when I got to them today. They, as they most always do, faithfully followed me back up the hill from their pasture to the Barn.
Once inside they were, of course, happy to eat, but they weren’t shivering, nor were they overly food aggressive. Pigs are always happy to eat, and always at least a little too excited and somewhat aggressive when they are presented with Food. So, even though, as the video shows, the tips of their hair was covered in snow and mostly ice, they weren’t really as bad off as I thought they might be! Thankfully.
See, Lara’s daughters are part Mangalitza, also spelled Mangalitsa, or Mangalista, and they have woolly hair that covers them and help keep them warm. Pigs also have a layer of fat under their skin that helps act as insulation.
What happens, even with Lara who’s a Berkshire Pig, is they grow a somewhat thinker coat in the winter. This helps, as the heat from their bodies keeps the hair closest their bodies dry and the ice forms on the tips. Even when faced with cold temperatures, I think it was about -7°C or 20°F over night, with mixed precipitation. While They’re usually not out in that, the best laid plans of mice and men, and apparently pigs, often go awry! To loosely coin a phrase from Bobby Burns in His poem, “To a Mouse“.
Anyway, by the end of the day all were back in the Barn and as warm as Pigs in a Blanket! Well… Almost! 😉
With a couple of our Briden Farm Goats recently freshening and our regular milking goat still milking nearly two years after her last freshening we now have three of our six goats in milk. Freshening is when Goats give birth to their Kids. Having three goats giving milk at the same time produces a little extra, although some of it is definitely going to the kids, we’re able to use enough to not only give us fresh milk everyday, but also enough to allow us to have a little extra for making Cheese!
I love the process of Cheese Making and when we can do it with our own fresh Milk, and then use Watkins Herbs and Spices to flavour it! Wow! I most always use Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Oregano, and either Minced or Fresh Garlic and often fresh onions. Adding the dry ingredients to the Milk as it heats, just after adding the White Vinegar and before the curds separate from the Whey! Yes, just like Little Miss MuffetLittle Miss Muffet, we eat ur Curds and our Whey! I even have the spider to prove it!
Actually the Curd is what is used to make the Cheese, and the Whey is delicious and nutritious and we often use it as a base for making some type of Seafood Chowder! It really enhances the flavour, is full of protein and very good for,You and makes it taste great! Topped with Sea Salt and Black Pepper of course!
Ok, I know, I probably didn’t need to include the photo of the Spider! However, other than that, this is a wonderful time to come visit! Of course You’ll have to walk up our snowed in Laneway, but once you get here you’ll find some really good Cheese, and maybe even a good cup of tea, or coffee! Or, something else!
Anyway, thought you might like to se how we keep busy this time of year when we’re not doing chores! Cheese Making is just one of the fun things we get up to here in our Winter-Wonderland…
It is a great little escape and wonderful place to play in the snow!
Please let us know You’re coming though! Just call Brian at 902-907-0770
