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<blockquote data-quote="CleverNickName" data-source="post: 9374527" data-attributes="member: 50987">I'm not sure how it happened, but I sort of stumbled into another hobby over the last few years:&nbsp; food preservation.&nbsp; I know it's a weird one.&nbsp; &quot;What do I do for fun?&nbsp; Well, I like to take fresh produce and pack it in salt and/or sugar, and just like, watch it change colors for a few months.&nbsp; Then eat it.&quot;&nbsp; But turns out I have a knack for it, and it's downright useful and interesting.&nbsp; Also delicious.It started out with basic stuff like pickles, jams, and jerky, then I started brewing my own beer.&nbsp; During the pandemic my hobby expanded to include sourdoughs, krauts, chutneys, and kimchi, after I ordered a water-sealed ceramic crock over the Internet.&nbsp; Then I got a pressure canner about 18 months ago, and suddenly my pantry was overflowing with canned chili, fish, stews, and homemade sauces.&nbsp; The food dehydrator and vacuum-sealer were next, to predictable results.&nbsp; And I've only gotten more unhinged:&nbsp; I'm rolling the calendar back several centuries with mellifications, distillations and tinctures, vinegars and oxymels, hand-blended herbal teas and cosmetics that I've grown in my back garden.My kitchen looks like what I would imagine a D&amp;D alchemy lab to look like.&nbsp; I'm spending my Downtime to craft all sorts of alchemical preparations and potions.&nbsp; The vendors at the farmer's market know me by name, the local grocer is probably very concerned about the amount of salt, sugar, and alcohol I purchase in a week, and I'm the reason people in Downtown Portland can't find canning jars.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CleverNickName, post: 9374527, member: 50987"] I'm not sure how it happened, but I sort of stumbled into another hobby over the last few years: food preservation. I know it's a weird one. "What do I do for fun? Well, I like to take fresh produce and pack it in salt and/or sugar, and just like, watch it change colors for a few months. Then eat it." But turns out I have a knack for it, and it's downright useful and interesting. Also delicious. It started out with basic stuff like pickles, jams, and jerky, then I started brewing my own beer. During the pandemic my hobby expanded to include sourdoughs, krauts, chutneys, and kimchi, after I ordered a water-sealed ceramic crock over the Internet. Then I got a pressure canner about 18 months ago, and suddenly my pantry was overflowing with canned chili, fish, stews, and homemade sauces. The food dehydrator and vacuum-sealer were next, to predictable results. And I've only gotten more unhinged: I'm rolling the calendar back several centuries with mellifications, distillations and tinctures, vinegars and oxymels, hand-blended herbal teas and cosmetics that I've grown in my back garden. My kitchen looks like what I would imagine a D&D alchemy lab to look like. I'm spending my Downtime to craft all sorts of alchemical preparations and potions. The vendors at the farmer's market know me by name, the local grocer is probably very concerned about the amount of salt, sugar, and alcohol I purchase in a week, and I'm the reason people in Downtown Portland can't find canning jars. [/QUOTE]

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