WHAT'S IN YOUR BEEF

 

 

Growing up, I never remember my folks buying meat from the store. All of the kids and grandkids would meet at my grandparents and at least three hogs would be butchered and the meat divided up. Fun times, we kids got to play (some of us lucky ones got to help Uncle Harold in the smoker!) and the adults would cut, clean and wrap.

Chickens were the same. My grandparents always raised enough for all the kids and we would all pluck feathers, pin feathers and help cut up…this was not my favorite job! As for beef, we never did our own but we knew a farmer who did and we would always get our beef from him.

Then, because of time and convenience, we gradually got to buying our meat from the store, like most people do. How things change!

Dissatisfied with not knowing where meat is raised these days and how it is raised, I recently purchased a quarter of a beef from Martin and Clint Burdick’s Sycamore Valley Grass Fed-Beef, a local farm whose family has raised Polled Herefords continuously since 1987.

I was a little leery at first because these have always been 100 percent grass-fed. I had always heard the rumors that it would have no flavor, that I wouldn’t like it, etc. Well, to say the least, I was so overwhelmingly surprised! The meat is full of flavor, tender with just the right amount of marbling, better beef than I have had in a long time.

 

RUMORS ABOUT GRASS-FED

 

So, where are all those rumors coming from? Part of the confusion is whether the cattle have been grain-fed all the way or if it is just in the beginning. Naturally, all cattle start out the same; calves are born in early spring and are raised first on their mothers’ milk. Then, they roam free and eat grass and other edibles in the field.

 

It’s later in the game that usually changes. It used to be that all cattle roamed free and foraged their whole lives. When the demand for more beef in less time became an issue, things changed. Many times, cattle are now moved to large feed lots and fattened up on grain-based feeds to put more weight on quicker so they can go to market sooner.

The cow breed and how they are fed definitely affects how the meat tastes and its nutritional value. Most folks are used to grain-fed meat since that is what you buy in supermarkets most of the time. Grain feeding beef changes the composition and flavor of the meat. However, when beef is grass-fed all the way, it has a more complex and earthy flavor.

 

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

In spite of getting a bad rap in recent years, beef is a source of high-quality protein and is loaded with vitamins B12, B3, B6 as well as bioavailable iron, selenium and zinc and lesser known nutrients like creatine and carnosine. Not just beef, but meat itself, contains almost every nutrient needed for man to survive.

The saying, “you are what you eat” goes for cows too. Grass-fed usually contains less total fat than grain-fed, thus it has fewer calories and that is another reason why it is touted as being healthier. Also, the composition of fatty acids is different in the two kinds of beef. Grass-fed contains much less monosaturated fat than grain-fed. Both contain similar amounts of omega-6 fatty acids but grass-fed has up to five times more omega-3 fatty acids, which are the ones that most of us don’t get enough of. Grass-fed also has twice as much CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which also has health benefits. Fat composition is also affected by cow breed and type of cuts of meats. Vitamins A and E are also more prevalent in grass-fed beef.

 

STRESS AFFECTS BEEF QUALITY

Not only how beef is fed, but how they are raised plays an important role in its flavor and tenderness. Cattle that are not stressed, free to roam and raised in a calm atmosphere produces more flavorful and tender meat. Beef from cattle that are stressed tends to be tough and flavorless. Stress causes muscle fibers to tense up and triggers a cascade of changes in the body chemistry of the beef animal. Tense muscles and nervousness are not a good recipe for tender beef.

Adrenaline changes the pH (acidity) of beef. Stress causes chemical responses that are designed to prepare muscles for action. Just like humans, the chemicals don’t disappear when the threat goes away. The body has to break down those chemicals and expel them from the body through vital organs like the kidneys.

Short term stress causes temporary changes in meat, resulting in it being tough and flavorless. If the stress is long term, the changes are even worse and the persistent high acidity will start breaking down the meat like the body does when it is being digested, making it dark, soft, mushy and sticky.

Lots of things cause stress in animals such as fear, physical discomfort, cold, heat, injury, lack of consistent schedules and how they are handled. So, if you want a good quality beef, look at how they are raised and handled as well as how they are fed.

According to Consumer Reports, grass-fed beef costs between $2.50 to $3.00 more per pound than conventional supermarket beef. The fact that it typically takes a year longer to fatten the grass-fed to slaughter weight and that these cattle are usually smaller translates to less meat but more feed and labor costs and that is what drives the price up. It is with beef, like anything else, you get what you pay for.

The grass-fed movement isn’t only for beef. Although pigs cannot survive solely on foraging like cattle, it is estimated that pasture can replace up to 50 percent of the diet in gestating sows and up to 30 percent of a finishing diet in hogs. Hogs raised like this, as well as cage-free chickens have healthier meat than those raised en masse in cages.

If you want to be sure you are getting grass-fed beef and don’t know the farmer, the next best option is to look for beef labeled and endorsed by the American Grass-fed Association. These labels ensure that all animals are raised in open grass pasture and that they are free to graze and not confined in lots, they are antibiotic and growth hormone free and all are born and raised on family farms in the United States.

Grass-fed beef is not for everyone simply because most of us are used to the flavor of grain-finished beef that we buy in supermarkets. You never know until you try it. I, for one, am so glad that I stepped outside my comfort zone and challenged all the rumors about grass-fed beef. It is a good feeling knowing that it is healthier but also knowing that it was raised in a gentle, family farm atmosphere makes it an all-around good choice…and the flavor and tenderness guarantees that I won’t go back to store-bought in the future.

WHY WEED

 

 

Ahh, about this time of year, the humdrum task of weeding, whether it be the garden or flower beds, begins to weigh on even the most devoted gardener. It seems like you pull one and two takes its place.

Some are even sneaky. I got the whole garden weeded the other day. It looked so nice until I noticed a weed a foot tall hiding in the midst of a potato plant. Real sneaky!

Of course, like most everything, there are two sides to every issue. Believe it or not, weeding is no exception. There are some people of the philosophy that some weeds can be beneficial. Really? Well, to give them the benefit of the doubt, here is their reasoning:

*Weeds are an easy-to-grow superfood. Ones like lamb’s quarters and purslane are actually nutrient-packed. Purslane growing with corn will make the corn grow better.

*Weeds can be free groundcover. Wherever there is open ground, if you don’t plant something, something will plant itself. So, you may as well choose what you want in that space. This is actually a good thing because topsoil is lost to erosion where there is bare ground.

*They attract beneficial insects and pollinators. Bees don’t care if the flower that serves them nectar is planted on purpose or is a product of the wild.

*Weeds act as food for problem bugs. Many bad ones dine on weeds while beneficial ones can also find certain weeds very tasty. Also, some good insects actually feed on the bad ones. There will always be bugs, the trick is to have a healthy balance.

*Many, such as chickweed, clover, dandelions, chickory, lemon balm, German chamomile, purslane and thistles are great soil builders. There are over 20 different plants that show up every year whose roots go deep in the soil and pull up nutrients in their leaves. When they die in the fall, the nutrients go back into the soil.

*Weeds can be used for a weed tea fertilizer, another way they benefit the ground. For every pound of weeds, add eight cups of water in a bucket. Cover it and let it “brew” for two to four weeks. It will have a foul smell but it works wonders for the plants you actually want to grow. To speed up the process, you can boil the weeds and use the liquid. Either way, plants can be powerful medicine.

 

 

OK, now the case for those of us who want a clean space, free of weeds:

 

 

 

 

*All plants need water, sun and nutrients to thrive. Weeds compete with the desired plants for these and often they survive and push the good plants out.

*Every plant has a root zone, sort of like its personal space. When the roots of one plant try to share space with another, the plants become stressed. Consider that roots of tomato plants can spread to five feet in diameter. Thus, weeds compete for space below ground too.

*Weeds will crowd out garden fruits by blocking plants’ flowers from both light and pollinators. Without these factors, plants cannot produce.

*Weeds can camouflage pests and disease, letting these get the upper hand.

*Weeds can create a habitat for pests to over-winter.

*They can carry crop diseases. Insects like aphids feed on the weeds then move to the crops.

*Some weeds like lamb’s quarters, thistle and pigweed may contain allelopathic compounds that create a zone of infertility around roots. This is designed so they can take full advantage of sun, water and nutrients. They can even inhibit the germination of seeds altogether which is the reason why cover crops work so well. This not only affects the current season, but the next season as well which makes crop rotation so important.

*Weeds area a problem that only compounds itself. Several successions of weeds can grow to maturity and go to seed before the garden is done producing. One lamb’s quarter can have over 75,000 seeds. Thistles produce about 2000 seeds each, but just the thought of 2000 more thistles…yikes!

*Weeds just look bad! They make a garden or any space look unkept.

 

All in all, I think most would agree that, despite their few defining qualities, weeds just don’t belong in flower beds and gardens. 

BEHOLD THE TERTILL!

For those that absolutely despise weeding, there is the Tertill…weeding’s answer to the Roomba for vacuuming. It lives in the garden, lives on sunshine (solar powered) and runs everyday gobbling up the little monsters. You have to have at least a foot between rows and a barrier around the perimeter of the garden to keep it from wandering off.

It works on small weeds by cutting them off at ground level. Never mind that it doesn’t get the roots, since it works every day, if they grow back, they just get cut off again. If there is anything that you want protected, just put a barrier around it.

I may be the odd one out, but I actually enjoy weeding. Yes, it is a little daunting knowing that the job is never ending all through the growing season but there is a peace, a serene feeling when I am in the garden, just me and my weeds. It’s like I am making my space that God entrusted me with better while at the same time relieving all tension and stress. Weed on!

KNOW YOUR BERRIES

 

 

This time of year is berry time, pretty much wherever you live. From May through September there is always some kind of berry ripe in just about every state. 

Of course, the big one is strawberries. Who doesn’t love those sweet, juicy red berries that make shortcake, jams, pies and frozen desserts come alive? Most everyone knows and likes strawberries in one form or another. However, although they are one of the first berries to ripen and get our attention, there are many others that deserve their time in the spotlight.

Blackberries and black raspberries are right up there on the list. These two are probably the ones that get confused the most. Most people lump them both together and just call them blackberries. Although similar, there are some distinct differences.

First of all, they grow both in the wild and also as domestic varieties. Both cultivars make to-die for jams and jellies and star in cobblers and pies. They both are known as bramble plants which are bushes that have thorny bristles that produce deep purple fruit with bumpy textures during the summer.

Even so, they are entirely different fruits. Black raspberries are harvested earlier than blackberries, handle the cold better and are sweeter. The real difference is that black raspberries have a hollow core with tiny hairs and blackberries have a white core and are larger, shinier and smoother.

Both black raspberries and blackberries are packed full of nutrition. They are rich in anthrocyanins which give the berries their deep purple pigment. They are also chock full of antioxidants so they both are good for you. For those watching their sugar intake, blackberries are higher in natural sugar.

Now, here is the kicker, strawberries, black raspberries and blackberries are not technically berries at all. Instead, they are “aggregate fruits” because they are made of drupelets which are individual nubs that together make a whole berry. A true berry is a fleshy fruit that has multiple seeds inside embedded in the flesh of the ovary.

 

A strawberry is not produced by a single ovary. It has an enlarged stem, or receptacle, in which many fruits are embedded. These are the seeds that we see in berries. So, bananas, chili peppers and eggplants are technically berries. Blueberries, huckleberries and gooseberries are actual berries. Confusing, isn’t it?

 

 

Regardless of how we refer to them, berries are some of the most varied fruits there are. There is a berry for just about everything and use imaginable. Here are some of the more popular ones and their characteristics:

 

 

BLUEBERRIES. In the wild, they grow on bushes low to the ground and so are classified as lowbush berries. Domestic cultivars grow on higher plants and are known as highbush ones. Packed full of nutrition, they shine in a wide variety of desserts from pie to muffins to pancakes.

 

 

 

RASPBERRIES. There are two basic types, summer bearers which produce berries once in the summer and everbearing which produce two crops of fruit each season. They come in red, black, purple and golden, with each having its own distinct flavor. They can be preserved by either freezing or canning.

BLACKBERRIES. These are great in baking, making jams and in cooking. They also lend themselves well to making a tasty wine.

HUCKLEBERRIES. These are small, dark berries which are similar to blueberries but with a taste all their own. They are basically found in the Pacific northwest and are the state fruit of Idaho. They take a few years to grow before producing fruit so they are not cultivated for commercial farming. This fact makes them rare and expensive.

BOYSENBERRIES. These look like oversize, unripe blackberries. Rudolph Boysen developed these berries in California in the 1920’s. The crop dwindled because of their short shelf life, they are hard to find and they spoil fast. Walter Scott of Knott’s Berry Farm in southern California rescued a few cuttings from a defunct berry farm in northern California. Thankfully so because, although they are delicate, prone to bleeding and can’t be shipped very far, their flavor is a wonderful balance of sweet and tart.

GOOSEBERRIES. There are two completely different berries called gooseberries. The Eurasian gooseberry is unlike most berries.  They are green, look like grapes with veiny and fuzzy exteriors and are tiny and translucent. They are tart, taste like sour grapes and are good for pies and jams. They were popular in the 19^th century until they became illegal to grow in the early 1900’s as an effort to curb the spread of white pine blister rust. There are also red ones which are similar to currants.

DEWBERRIES. These are closely related to blackberries and the leaves are used for tea.

ELDERBERRIES. These tiny blue-black berries are packed full of antioxidants that can boost the immune system. However, they need to be cooked or fermented before eating otherwise the alkaloids will make you sick.

LINGONBERRIES. The properties of these closely resemble those of cranberries.

MULBERRIES. These mostly grow wild and can be purple, lavender, black or white. They make excellent pies and silkworms thrive on them.

LOGANBERRIES. These are a cross between an heirloom blackberry and a European raspberry with a taste like both.

TAYBERRIES. These are a cross between a raspberry and blackberry, so you get the best of both worlds!

OLALLIEBERRIES. These just about sum up the berry experience. They are a cross between a loganberry and a youngberry, each of which is a cross between a blackberry and another berry…a whole mess of delicious berries bred together.

Each region has their own favorite berry from wild blueberries in Maine to fat and juicy marionberries in Oregon to dewberries in Texas. Whatever your favorite berry is, now is the time to double the fun by first picking them and then enjoying them in your favorite desserts.