Outdoor Re-Education

It is a proud moment when a friend learns skills and becomes autonomous. Amber has been training in fire skills for some time, and there’s nothing that can put her to the test more than a frigid snowstorm in the southeast. As part of the group was focusing on setting up tents and tarps, she took charge to collect, prepare, and start the massive long fire we would use for the entire evening as the temperature dropped near zero degrees Fahrenheit.
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On a sunny 😎 day, using a simple stick in the ground and a little time, an East/West line can be calculated. By marking the tip of the stick’s shadow every 5-10 minutes, you can eventually begin seeing a line. Place a stick along the line, and another perpendicular, and you have the cardinal directions of North, South, East, and West. Remember, the shadow moves to the East…
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The cold weather started to creep in, so we tested the hot-tent together this weekend. The real cold came a day late, but at least we got a good rep in before I take her camping in snow and sub-freezing conditions 🥶 😊
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Pot hangers are cool 😎. I could always use a Jet Boil or other backpacking stove to boil water, but when resources are available, I like to keep old skills alive. Making withies from twisting pliable young branches from birch made a great pot hanger with a tripod, making it extremely easy to adjust the pot to the flame on my recent backpacking trip.
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Sumac Gummies and hard candy! I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the sumac I harvested this year, but eventually settled on candy. I soaked the berries (drupes) in cold water for a few hours to get the tart flavor, then poured it through a filter and it was stovetop ready. The gummies were made with a simple recipe of 1 cup liquid to 1 cup sugar (I should have used less so they were more tart), then adding in 3 tablespoons of gelatin after I brought it to a boil then turned off the heat. They cooled in the refrigerator for about half an hour and were perfect. The hard candy was made by adding 1 cup sugar to the remaining liquid (about 2 cups) and simmered (low boiling) until the liquid cooled hard. I tested a small amount on a spoon and placed in the freezer for about a minute. Once finished I poured directly into a small tray lined with parchment paper and placed in the refrigerator. This basically turned out like a soft jolly rancher. They are good and tart, but I overcooked the sugar and there is a slight hint of bitterness. Lessons learned and ready to try again next time!
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Collecting aerial bulbils, often called “air potatoes”, from an invasive Chinese yam. Each bulbil that drops can create another vine and rapidly spread. The roots are delicious but often difficult to harvest, whereas the bulbils can be collected very easily. The air potatoes must be cooked, and my preferred method is to pan fry, then season with a bit of coarse salt.
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Winged/Dwarf/Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum) can really produce a lot of malic acid, which is what gives it its wonderful taste. I harvested several clusters today and will decide what to use it for later. In the past I’ve made Sumac-Aid, Sumac Syrup, and even a paneer cheese. Time to think of a new challenge…
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