Terrell Deppe

I don’t have time to read all the comments in detail right now, but I glanced over them. Here’s my thoughts (sorry if I repeat others)…

My all-time favorite recipe:

https://brokenarrowranch.com/blogs/recipes/espresso-rubbed-venison-with-shiner-bock-beer-blanc

As others have said, preparation starts in the field. However, for those who don’t appreciate the natural flavor of the meat, here’s a tip: quarter the animal and place in a cooler. Cover with ice and sprinkle with 1 lb of salt. Let it brine for 24 hours and no more. Remove and process. The meat will have a milder flavor and very moist when prepared.

If you leave it too long (salty meat), I’ve had success blanching the meat in ACV for a minute or so. Some say this also helps make the flavor more palatable for people not use to venison.

My brother in law collected morels in Ohio. He placed a couple of them in a jar of water, and then shook them up periodically to release the spores into the water. A month later, he brought them to our RV Park in northern Michigan. He shook the water out along the mulch we use for landscaping at the park. The next year we had a few morels where we never had them before. The next year, we had many more, and started doing the same technique he did. They continue to propagate. The soil is sand, and rich with American Oaks with a few pines mixed in. The PH tends to be on the acidic side due to tannins and pine tar. The morels we see are much more robust than many of the ones I’ve seen posted on this thread.

I’m no expert, and don’t like to eat mushrooms. I just thought I would share my observations over the past 5 years.

Acetic acid, the stuff in vinegar, has a vapor pressure of about 15.7 mmHg at 25°C—lower than water’s 23.8 mmHg—so it evaporates, just more slowly than water. In vinegar (4-8% acetic acid in water), the water evaporates first and faster because it’s the dominant component and more volatile in that mix. If you leave vinegar out long enough, you’ll lose both water AND acid to the air, though it’s mostly water going early on.

The only logical reason to do this is to concentrate the vinegar by removing the water (less weight during travel — very logical). If you remove the acid, you would probably end up with useless goo… and not much of it.

I genuinely love how respectful this thread is, and how the community has established some boundaries. The clearer the better.

It raises a subtle question in my mind: is permaculture the common thread, the like mindedness in faith, or a mutual respect between the two?

As a believer and follower of Christ, I would want my positions to be respected within the confines of this community.

There is no right or wrong answer to my postulating, but the answer will likely dictate the level of interest from others. Religion usually injects a dynamic that results in more of a commune. I suspect that the freedom to discover your relationship with God and your relationship with His creation, is pretty fundamental to most people.

To be blunt: How autonomous are people within your community?

Barbara Simoes wrote:I was able to air dry my hot peppers by just stringing them up.

In colder climates hanging them near a wood burner works as well as living in NM even if you start now while it’s still warm and don’t use the wood burner. Air conditioned space or as dehumidifier helps significantly if hanging them.

Susan Mené wrote:Does anyone out there want to share other ways to preserve jalapenos and habaneros?

We live in south Texas. We also pickle, but mostly make salsas and hot sauces that we jar/can. With the leftovers we dry them whole like they do in the open air in NM. Depending on where you live, a dehydrator might be necessary, but we usually use our oven at 100-120° until dry and brittle. We also freeze dry some for other uses.

Roasting only changes the flavor. It doesn’t help with preserving them.

It really depends on what you like to use the peppers for. We dry them to crush them as a seasoning, freeze dry to have “fresh” peppers, pickle for … you know, pickles, etc.

Bob Stuart wrote:That's an interesting point about the possibility of the heat exchanger itself icing up, and one I'd have to keep in mind.  However, I should have probably stated that the purpose of the heat exchanger is to just expel considerable quantities of moist indoor air while recovering the heat for a corresponding intake of fresh, dry air.  

Look into Energy Return Ventilation (ERV) systems. They are compact fresh air return systems that may do what you need. Last time I researched them for a tiny house, Panasonic had the best results.

Bob Stuart wrote:My recollection of Texas is both hot and humid.  For my northern climate, what would you think of using an air-to-air heat exchanger instead of a dehumidifier?

Heat exchangers (vs heat pumps) differ in terms of dehumidification in several ways.

A heat exchanger transfers heat between two or more fluids, or between a solid surface and a fluid, without allowing them to mix. In the context of dehumidification, a heat exchanger can be used to remove moisture from air by cooling it below its dew point, causing the water vapor to condense and be removed. However, a heat exchanger itself does not actively dehumidify the air; it merely facilitates the transfer of heat.

On the other hand, a heat pump is a device that transfers heat from a cooler space to a warmer space, using mechanical work. In the context of dehumidification, a heat pump can be used to actively remove moisture from the air by cooling it below its dew point, causing the water vapor to condense and be removed. Unlike a heat exchanger, a heat pump actively dehumidifies the air by transferring heat.

I hope this helps. Heat exchangers are probably not what you’re looking for.

Regarding condensation on the door skin side, vehicles are already vented for that. They are designed to allow rain water to fall through if it gets past a seal up top. When that doesn’t happen, you get rust-through. You can prepare for that by pouring water all over it before you work on the interior and make body panel drain modifications to let the water out. Convertible cars have the most engineering focused on that. It’s the same concept as a vapor barrier on a typical house.

The biggest problem is the interior!

I’m a former full-time RVer of over 5 years, 20 years in the industry, and now owner of an award winning RV resort. I’m a FIRM believer that all RVs should have a small dehumidifier. In warmer climates, the air conditioner works great for that, but in cooler, humid environments the AC will not run, humidity builds up fast, comfort is lost and mold sets in.

You must to condense the moisture from the air.

The simplest and cheapest solution is a basic dehumidifier. Run the drain hose outside, and let it run on auto ALL THE TIME. Yes, that’s a drain on electricity especially when off grid, but there are no easy shortcuts. You must seal the inside from the outside, and condense what’s on the inside.

Something else to consider is fresh air exchange. If you seal it up too tight, you won’t get a quality air supply. There are energy return ventilation systems that address this problem so you get air exchange with minimal loss in energy and environmental control. Those must be sized according to the interior space.

RVs do not need ERVs because they leak air like a tent. Schoolies and 4 season RVs on the other hand CAN be tight as a drum.

My suggestion is to tighten up with insulation followed by dehumidification and ventilation.

I also live off grid, and can run a ~3500 SF house on 5k solar, and a 3K backup generator using this approach in south Texas.

Forgive me if I misunderstood your original post, but this is a potentially complex problem. I tried to keep my response simple by saying, “insulate, dehydrate and ventilate”.