John Zeron II

Philip McGarvey wrote:...
This is a good thought, but not sure the math checks out around here.  A freezer that uses say 1-2 kwh / day would cost $80-$160/year just in electricity at 20c/kwh.  ..

I quite appreciate this. I annually struggle with the idea of a freezer with the advent of friends who are are hunters heading into the field. I have begun raising rabbits for meat also.

For me, canning meat is  the preferred method. Although, I have a 5 year experiment with pemmican going strong, it relying on refrigeration. I am not certain cellaring would have the same effect.

Did I have the footprint for a freezer, or even were I willing to sacrifice the space from other uses, then I could not in good conscience have it running all the time. $160 a year flies in the face of my frugal nature.  However, I would use it to hold meat while I process it by other means. The argument always settles that I will not get a freezer. But, that also limits me to how much meat I can receive/harvest.

S Haze wrote:last year, around this time, i tried pickling some raw sunchokes.  they tasted great and it seemed to help the gas thing.  anyone else tried this or know what effect fermentation has on them?

Late to the party, but maybe this will revive this thread.

So I read https://modernfarmer.com/2018/02/jerusalem-artichoke-sunchoke-recipe-prevents-gas/ about acid hydrolysis converting the inulin to fructose.
I am experimenting with refrigerator pickling in a Polish Zesty Dill brine.
Another experiment is stewing them with stewed tomatoes (add some Italian seasoning, Robusto Italian Dressing {for vinegar}, and lemon juice).
A third experiment is sliced thin (1/16" on the mandoline) then cut into strips and marinated in the Robusto Italian Dressing along with some cherry tomatoes, arugula, and some parmigiana cheese.

I am quite interested is the inulin as a prebiotic. The probiotic regimen I am using is resulting in a lot of gas, which is a fair trade for the benefits I feel I am getting. One source suggests that over time the inulin loving bacteria will out compete the  gas producing bacteria.