October Unprocessed

There’s a challenge out there for October to eat no processed foods for the month.

When I first heard about it, I thought it would be a ton of work to actually do that, but then I looked closer at the definition, which is simply the “kitchen test” as in, if you can reasonably create the food in your own kitchen, then it’s okay to eat it.  That would leave out things like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, PopTarts and just about anything sold at 7-11.

Looking at labels, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, can’t visualize what the ingredient looks like, don’t know where one could purchase such an ingredient, then that food should stay on the shelf this month, and probably forever.  It’s pretty difficult to imagine where one could purchase such ingredients as Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Red 6, Yellow 6 or Blue 3, or even “cheese product.” What does that even mean?

My favorite magazine, Mother Earth News, upped the challenge for their readers who are all do-it-yourself types, to include making foods that you haven’t tried yet, such as condiments like ketchup, mustard and mayo, or cheese, pasta, tortillas or butter.  Perhaps more of the “Laura Ingalls Wilder” test. If Laura could make it or eat it, so can you.

That sounds like more my cup of tea.

When I first read the definition, I scoffed. I do that nearly all the time, overlooking a very rare excursion or two to 7-11.  Real food, with real ingredients is the norm for our household. It’s common for me to know not only  who grew the food, but where and exactly when it was harvested.  I’ve made eating local a huge priority for our family, and with that comes real food that’s all easy to pronounce.

My daughter, Julia, and I have made cheeses (thanks to a research project she did on artisan cheese making) and found that it wasn’t difficult at all.  A kit from the internet, plus milk, a thermometer and a big pot and in hardly any time at all you’ve got fresh cheese. It was surprisingly easy to do.  We really enjoy queso fresco, which doesn’t require the kit, just some vinegar added to the milk when it reaches the right temperature.

Homemade condiment recipes come by the dozen on the internet.  Once again, surprisingly simple to make your own. It can save you a lot of money to make your own, plus you can make it the way you and your family like it.

Tortillas, both corn and flour, can be made as easily as pancakes.  You don’t have to grind your own corn to make corn tortillas either (but it sure tastes delicious if you do), you can simply by masa harina, and add water.  Flour tortillas call for more ingredients including fat and baking powder, and require some raising time, but are far superior to store bought.

Butter and buttermilk are fun to make. Simply add cream to an electric mixer and watch as the cream passes the whipped cream state and breaks into butter and buttermilk.  It’s fun because as you watch the blades whipping the cream and seem to push the clouds of cream higher and higher, suddenly there’s a splooshing noise and then sloshing sounds, and all of a sudden you see the butter solids form.  After it’s separated you squeeze out the buttermilk through a cheese cloth and you can choose to add salt to the butter at that point, or leave it as it is.  The buttermilk, of course, can be used for dressings and baking.

Although I’ve done a lot of these food challenges already, I’m always looking for more.  The biggest challenge will be at the end of the month, when Halloween rolls around.  I’ll have to figure out how to make some sweet concoctions to share with my family and friends; a delicious chocolate cake perhaps.