J.R. Davis

Marla Kacey wrote:A freezer is pretty dry - maybe too dry?  How cold does it get where you're from in S. Africa?  Maybe the fridge?

And please tell us what biltong is.  Beef?  Goat?  Seasoned with coriander seed and . . . ?

Good luck!

Sorry. Didn't see that I had replies until just now. In the Transvaal part of South Africa, I'm not sure, but it can get down to freezing, if not slightly below that, but I think the temperatures used in the rafters would be in the low 40s, upper 30s, maybe. Not exactly sure.

Essentially, biltong is cured, cold-dried meat. It can be beef, ostrich, deer, antelope, there's no set meat. The name goes with the way it's prepared - cured overnight in a mixture of seasonings (bare minimum: salt, coriander, worchestershire/soy sauce/vinegar), rubbed in another seasoning mix, and then hung to dry - I know a couple people who hang their biltong in the spare bathroom, over the tub.

What g mac shared is a decent way to get biltong more quickly and reliably (especially, as he said, in damper weather). Cold drying it can take a couple days-weeks, as the moisture is drawn to the surface and evaporated out, which is why the process doesn't work under moist conditions. Warm-drying, such as with a lightbulb, solar heater, etc, works well and quickly, but I've heard the finished product can sometimes taste a little different - I cannot personally verify that, though.

I happened to find this page on dry-curing, if anyone's interested (http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/ai407e/ai407e18.htm)

I'm sorry. I didn't see your reply until today.

I'm not sure whether or not Madison is too far. I think it would just depend on the day/time of year. (Being in medical school, there's not a whole lot of free time)

What do you mean by a skill-sharing group? I'm not too familiar with the term

Expensive? Yeah, it's probably not cheap to get a few into the US, but the payoff could be pretty good (especially if you're in an arid or semi-arid region)

Now, I haven't heard of any farmer deaths by ostrich, but I have heard of intruders being viciously kicked who've startled them. And as for them being bird-brained, remember, we have that adjective for a reason.

I dunno. I've seen it work with the birds as livestock and as guardians. It's just not done outside of Africa, so there's very little ever discussed or written about it, which is why I'm wondering if anyone's stuck their neck out and tried it.

So, this may come out of left field, but has anyone ever considered incorporating ostriches into their livestock plan?

They've got great meat, leather, and feathers, but most interestingly, they can be very territorial and attack predators. I grew up in South Africa and many sheep farmers there will incorporate a couple ostriches into the herd purely for herd protection - they've got great eyesight, are very fast, and are devastating with their talons.

Anyways, just curious

My wife and I are interested in learning more about permaculture and how to implement it and were wondering if there's anyone in the Charlottesville --> Roanoke --> Danville triangle who might be willing to show a couple tenderfoots around their farm/how they personally implement it.

So, recently my wife and I laid out our 10-year plan, the end goal of which being to have bought a couple acres and have built a house and farm on it to manage a good portion of our food (and establish quality assurance).

The kicker, though, is that we will likely have had to move twice before that point (once as I enter residency and once as I finally enter the workforce). We're currently starting off with some potted garden plants and have had some limited successes (hampered largely by unexpected pests). We've since come across permaculture and are thinking of implementing some of those strategies for next season's crops.

What are some ways we can prepare for that ten-year goal (whether by increasing the potted crops, gaining experience, etc) while still balancing a student loan budget (supplementing food efficiently, planning for the future, etc)?

So, coming from the glorious South Africa, I'm rather appalled at American jerky and am wanting to make biltong, but I also want to do it the proper way.

Traditionally, it's seasoned with whole coriander and then hung in the rafters during winter to dry (the Transvaal region of the country gets really cold and dry). Does anyone have any ideas on how to simulate a cold, dry setting in a rented house in suburban VA?