Hope Vine at the top of the fence
Trailing along the fence
These are the actual hops - not quite ready yet.
I am pretty excited - I try to find things that I can use if I am not able to get different items from the store.
One of these items is yeast to make bread. I was given a Hops Vine and put it on our play yard fence because it grows fast and looks great. It dies back every year and I clean it off. One day while doing some research I found that hops is a plant that can be used to make yeast. I thought, "I have one of those!"
I didn't know very much about this so I have been studying to learn about it and how to do it. In my research I found it is also used to brew beer. Since I don't drink beer, this option is obviously out!
Here is a great video that shows hops and when they are ready for harvest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVxuVzDz_L0
This next video is the best one I have found to date that explains things so well on how to make your own yeast cakes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=-fjNaWa_Dzs
Good luck - if you try it. let me know how it works for you!
Recipe from video above:
1 - Cover 1 cup dry hops with water and boil/Strain and throw hops away (keep water)
2 - Boil 2 peeled potato's /Boil till potato's will mash
3 - Add 1 TBSP yeast to hops water when it reaches 100*
4 - Add potato water to 1 cup flour and stir till a smooth paste
5 - Add mashed potato's and 2 tbls sugar - stir till smooth
6 - Add hops water
7 - Mix all well - should be soupy thick - if need to thicken, you can use cornmeal 1/2 cup at a time
8 - Let rise till double (About an hour in 100* oven)
9 - Add cornmeal to make thick so you can cut it (Use up to 4 cups including amount used in step 7)
10 - Spread in 13x9 pan and cut into 3" squares
Let dry (can dry in dehydrator (95*))
Should make about 12 cakes 1/2 inch thick.
1 cake is enough yeast for 2 loaves of bread
Save one cake to start next batch.
