I set myself the challenge of participating in this years Wild and Slow Food festival in Macreddin Village. Being that its something I have been looking forward to for the last 2 years (since it last took place), and how much I enjoyed the ethos, the speakers and the stalls- I applied to have my own stall selling my local wildcrafted, foraged wild food products.
I spent 3-4 months this year making apple cider vinegar from scratch using the local organic apples that grow around me in abundance- using natural fermentation methods and Angie’s natural spring water from Carraig Mountain. I produced a raw organic apple cider vinegar that I was proud of! I tested the pH before bottling to be sure that it was under 5pH in order to be safe for food preservation methods- and indeed it tested at about 3-4pH.
I bottled some vinegar live and raw, plain and the rest i infused with local herbs and flowers and organic spices. I made a fiery tonic called Fire Cider- guaranteed to get your circulation going and to clear out any sinus issues. I also made the old gypsy remedy Queen of Hungary’s water. Both recipes in fact were thanks to Rosemary Gladstar- and both were slightly modified to what I had growing locally around me in abundance.
Along with the fire cider, the most popular product was my gomasio. This I made with organic toasted crushed sesame seeds, mixed with sea salt and with the added wild ingredients of local porcini/ cep powder, nettle seeds and wild garlic.
Tinctures, wild berry kefir sodas, seed crackers, sloe gin, and cultures such as water kefir, milk kefir, mother of vinegar and kombucha were also on sale for the weekend.
Here are a few images of the day. (thanks to Lily!)
