It's now December and it's finally starting to get cold. Normally, the weather feels like November, so it feels like the seasons are about two weeks to a month out of sync. This year, summer was long, but I feel like I was able to enjoy autumn for a long time, too. While I was a little surprised by the unusual weather, I was able to enjoy the autumn leaves and the pleasant breeze.
Now, in December, the strong frosts have started to fall, and the flavor of the leafy vegetables has increased. I harvested the Nozawana that had been hit by the frost several times and made my annual Nozawana pickles.
At Pitara Farm, we have been making pickled Nozawana every year for over 10 years, with two main varieties: pickled in ginger and soy sauce, and salted. Even this year, as the rainy season has arrived, we have continued to make Nozawana using the same recipe. We dried the peels that we peeled when making dried persimmons, and pickled them together. This adds a sweetness and fragrance.
In addition to the members from my time at the farm, I called out to some new friends I had met this year, and several of them came along. Working together, chopping Nozawana and ginger, the work progressed in a lively and fun atmosphere.
When you're using your hands, conversations naturally arise, and people who have just met can easily strike up a conversation and make new connections.
Through the act of handicrafts, which have been practiced since ancient times, people can connect with each other and share the delicious and beautiful things that are created. I believe it is very important to pass on this wonderful and rich culture that has been passed down from ancient times to the next generation.
The second installment of the December Pickling Party series will be held on Saturday, December 21st at Pitara Village. We plan to make pickled red turnips and radishes. Let's all pickle together and share the finished product!
If you would like to participate, please contact us by email or social media.
The state of the fields
I dug up daikon and yacon and buried them in the soil for storage. After cutting off the leaves from the daikon, I placed them neck-side down, leaving a little space between them so they wouldn't touch each other, and finally covered them with about 20cm of soil.
The necks are placed downwards to prevent new sprouts from emerging from the cut ends of the leaves. When sprouts appear, energy is consumed, which causes the radish to lose its flavor. The reason for preventing them from sticking together is that radishes rot easily, and if one radish starts to rot, the others that are stuck together will also rot. Covering the radishes with 20cm of soil is probably something that only cold regions do, but the top 20cm of soil freezes, so the radishes need to be buried below that level.
The holes where the radishes are buried are roofed to protect them from the rain, and the roofs are made of bamboo. There's a magnificent bamboo grove on my property, so I have an abundance of bamboo. Lately, I've been trying out making everything from firewood and straw storage out of bamboo. It's incredibly strong and straight, and you can choose the thickness you want. After three years, you can cut new bamboo. It's reaffirmed to me what a wonderful building material it is. As a farmer, I feel like if I could master bamboo, I could do almost everything with just bamboo. It eventually decays, turns to charcoal when burned, and can be used to grow rice and vegetables, while also maintaining a healthy soil environment. It's truly a savior-like plant. I hope to see bamboo's use become even more widespread in Japan.
We are now accepting new orders for our vegetable set subscription.
We still have spaces available for our popular vegetable set subscription, so please share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.
We are now accepting orders for our New Year's special vegetable set and smooth rice cakes. They will sell out quickly, so please order early.
