Day 102

Contact with McLaren Vale Beer Company
http://www.mvbeer.com/

Me - "Hey guys - I am on a hundred mile diet, and live in Aldinga - any chance you guys source your ingredients from around here?"

McLaren Vale Beer Company - "The menu at the Salopian is full of local produce, ask Billy the chef - prides himself on it.... Willunga markets every week!"
"And sadly all of Australia's hops come from Tasmania which we believe is at least 101 miles from Aldinga. Sorry Bridget !"

A friend put me onto this local brewery too - Goodieson Brewery in Mclaren Flat, they do a Pilsener and a Pale Ale, apparently very nice. http://www.goodiesonbrewery.com.au/


JuJubes

$12 per kilo from Perry's Fruit & Nut Nursery in McLaren Flat.

We tried some jujubes from Yummy Nuts in McLarenVale (for reserach purposes - they were from China). They were so delicious, so I decided to try dehydrating my own. Jujubes are nutritious fruits requiring very little water, and tolerating our soils and climate well. They would be a great addition to our orchards here in the EcoVillage. Perry's sell the fruit but not the trees as they are notorious for sending out invasive succers and they refuse to sell the trees until they have developed a tree that does not succer. Apparently this may be a reality next year, so I have put my name on their waiting list for a tree.

The jujubes have a smallish seed that clings to the flesh of the fruit and is hard to remove, the skin is tough and the fruit is somewhat like an apple in texture and taste. The common name is Chinese date.

the jujubes took overnight to dehydrate, and they did not become sweeter in the process and the skin is still tough. Apparently they can be left on the tree to dry naturally. I think that this would definitely produce a sweeter result.

Michael's fabulous fruit bread made with McLarenVale sultanas from the food co-op, home dried MclarenVale jujubes, and McCarthy's apples, very tasty.

It's War Against The evil weevils

The fight is on to save the olive trees from total destruction. Tree number one looks like it might not make it, and we are now getting up to 20 weevils every 2 nights - it is not looking good! So I am trying vaseline on the trunks to stop the critters climbing.

Michael is worried the vaseline will hurt the trees.

It has made absolutely no difference to the numbers of weevils we are still catching 20 or so every couple of days. Help!