Mart Hale

I find "off grid living"    for most is moving from the electrical grid to the propane / gasoline grid.

It seems you move from one grid to another grid....


Through the years I moved up to 5,000 watts of solar,  with propane/wood as my back up means.       There are cloudy days,  and there needs to be plan B for power when the clouds take over...

The advantage we have today is there are thousands of videos on youtube that show how to be off grid and one can learn from the mistakes of others before they go out and waste time energy money on things that do not work.

I don't have a dryer, I found that a powerful fan on my clothes works great for drying them.      I also use a dehumidifier  to remove that moist air from the room....    This has worked for me...      

I think of it as a learning curve, when you do something new, you have to experience the problems to know how to cope with the problems.   So perhaps going out camping may help get a good dose of reality of what it is to be  making your own power.       It can be done, but the learning curve is included.

Interesting,    use of quartz tube heating....

Use of alum shavings mixed with sand looks promising....

I found this, thought I would share...     Location where broken items can be fixed.

https://rumble.com/v1c8t3a-the-tool-librarys-dare-to-repair-cafe-returns-saturday.html?e9s=src_v1_s%2Csrc_v1_s_o&sci=6798a07d-393d-4778-8f0c-7782e8512687



https://www.repaircafe.org/en/visit/

Interesting, I don't see her soaking the cassava when she makes the flour....    

Nigerian method of making the flower with bitter cassava..


Soaking for 3 days, the skin comes right off...  interesting.

Ulla Bisgaard wrote:

Mart Hale wrote:
As for the stalks,    I cut them into 12 - 14 inch segments and plant them 2 -3 inches deep in the fall,  so that they can start the rooting process thru the winter time and be ready for spring.         I used to store them inside but as I thought about it, that is a waist of time for me as cutting them and putting them back into the ground for my 9A zone.

That’s interesting. We live in Growzone 10b, and I have never had any success when I plant them in fall. When I do that, they don’t develop any roots. That’s why I have switched to planting in March, an advise I got from a gardener friend. I wonder why you can do it that way, when I can’t.

I am special LOL

Some suggestions.

I have put over 10 inches of wood chips on my soil about 6 years ago which has all composted and mixed with the sand so the higher humus in my soil might be a factor...         I have heard the soil can be very very poor in your area, that also may be a factor,    I have only certain areas of my land that the cassava does well in,     In those areas I am putting more and more cassava,      We have seen temps of down to 25 deg in this area, so  that may be a factor, or it could be the variety of cassava that may play a role.      But all 4 varieties of cassava I have work with this method.

Ulla Bisgaard wrote:

Mart Hale wrote:I think this is the first time AI was useful for me....  

Knowing that grating the cassava so that it has more surface area to help get rid of the bitterness sure makes sense...      

This answers the question about why I have never tasted any bitterness in my cassava flour. I peel them, cut them, wash them and then cook them in water, before freeze drying and grinding.

The freeze dryer is going to pull  out the moisture......

What I am now thinking of doing is 1) boil the cassava in instant pot till soft,      2) remove cores.    3)  blend in vitamix adding water,  put in fridge for a day...     Bring out strain thru cheese cloth.....    

When I get off my diet,   this looks like the path I want to travel down.     The bitterness in mine is an after taste, not terrible, but I imagine with dumping the water, and increasing the surface area I will see huge improvements..

I think this is the first time AI was useful for me....  

Knowing that grating the cassava so that it has more surface area to help get rid of the bitterness sure makes sense...      

Thomas Skipper wrote:
@martin hale
"I am in Florida, I have 3 different varieties of cassava."

What are the varieties that you grow?  Also, do you cut the stalks down now, and save them to replant next spring?

Also--- cassava should never ever be washed from coming out of the soil-- it has microbial activity on the outside of the root; keep this intact and place in a dark well vented area and it will keep for weeks on end... No washing or waxing needed... I learned this from The Reid Nursery in Deland, Florida...

Looks like I have 4 types...
Togo
CMC 40
Yuca Manihot Esculent    ( the one I got from Africa off Ebay )    
One I got from David the Good, I don't know the variety..

As for keeping the tubers, I don't pull it from the ground then store, I only pull it when I am ready to cook it, but I have room to do that.    

As for the stalks,    I cut them into 12 - 14 inch segments and plant them 2 -3 inches deep in the fall,  so that they can start the rooting process thru the winter time and be ready for spring.         I used to store them inside but as I thought about it, that is a waist of time for me as cutting them and putting them back into the ground for my 9A zone.

I have not tried the fermenting method, I have heard of that being done, but I have no experience in doing it.       I am curious about it as I have heard others doing it with tree spinach.

Skipper is that you from telegram?    

Mart