| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Bugs |
Ginger beer, dandelion and burdock and sarsaparillaFrom these people: http://www.spyder.org.uk/I am currently testing the ginger beer, it's not unpleasant but it's a bit too sweet and not gingery enough for me. I've never tried the other two before...a friend brought me a selection pack from the Good Food Show and I thought today would be a nice day to try one. Looking for stockists I found this site http://www.allaboutginger.co.uk which says it stocks this brand, and has various other bits of information about...ginger. There's no point to this post, I just thought people might be interested 
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| cab |
Ginger beer... Hmmm... I must make some, haven't made any in ages.
Anyone know where I can get sassafrass root from so I can make proper root beer? |
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| Bugs |
I don't really know what sassafras is although its name rings a bell somehow. I'm just having a quick explore of Gavin's site and he's got liinks to some interesting seed suppliers - http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk/diary/links/catalog.htm
Of course the other obvious one is the RHS plant finder which is online and doesn't need registration - it'll show you mail order suppliers and by region. And then there's our own fabulous web links section of course |
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| cab |
Sassafrass is, I think, a cactus root. I don't fancy growing it 
You used to be able to buy it, then it got labelled as poisonous 
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| Bugs |
 I must be more cynical in future. I don't know try to help a person  
I still swear I read about it somewhere not that long ago... |
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| cab |
I might have remembered wrong
I've tried every herbalist shop I've gone past in the last two years, and no one has been able to get sassafrass root. Odd, isn't it? |
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| Bugs |
Sassafras seeds from - https://secure.agroforestry.co.uk/seeddataord.html | ||||
| cab |
Excellent... I may have to try growing it. | ||||
| ButteryHOLsomeness |
i have an american friend that's here in edinburgh and he's making root beer... he told me it's illegal to buy sasafras in the states now (unless you're a root beer company i presume) he's said he'll share with me when it's done...i hope so, i'd hate to have to do something drastic 
will sasafras grow in this country? |
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| cab |
I have no idea. I'll try to find out; I think it's in Phillips herb book. |
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| tahir |
If agroforestry's selling it then it'll grow in the UK | ||||
| Bugs |
Warning to Buttery and Cab, I can take no responsibility for your cheque books if you click on the following link:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/pfregions.asp?ID=44746 |
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| ButteryHOLsomeness |
no worries for me bugs, i haven't currently got the ground for planting anything like that 
and they don't show any nurseries in scotland... the mail order is tempting but it doesn't have the same impulse buying factor as a nursery however i must forget that we have a dobbies quite close with a cafe with lovely food and 2 playgrounds....
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| mochyn |
Why would you want to drink something that tastes of Germolene? (Root beer, that is: I hate the stuff)
And, Cab, do you have a good ginger beer recipe? Or one for nettle beer? |
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| ButteryHOLsomeness |
you've obviously not had a&w rootbeer in a frosted mug then mmmmmm i admit that poor quality root beer is boggin! but a&w is much nicer. it's all creamy tasting and the head on it has a slight taste of aniseed
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| cab |
Hmmm... Germolene... It's pleasingly like germolene.
Mochyn, my ginger beer recipe is an old one from a cook called Phillip Harben, and it's at home at the moment. I'll dig it out; remind me. For nettle beer, you can do a lot worse than use the one over at the Rivercottage website, which is as near as dammit the same as the recipe I've always used: http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/recipe.jsp?ref=recipes.200504041459 |
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| gai |
Has anyone got a recipe for dandelion & burdock please? | ||||
| cab |
Yes. Not with me. Any others while I'm hitting the books? |
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| selfsufficientish |
Yes ginger beer please, been wanting to make some for ages and having the recipe will certainly spur me into action. | ||||
| mochyn |
Philip Harben is the first TV cheh I remember. I probably owe him a lot! Looking forward to the recipe, and the thongs! (That's got 'em wondering!) | ||||
| sean |
No, you're in one of the few places where mentioning thongs makes people think horseradish. | ||||
| mochyn |
and then again  just don't get confused!
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