Here's the thing about custard, at it's most basic level it is only 4 ingredients, all of which can be safely brought to a powder texture. The food safety danger-zone is 4-60 degrees Celsius and my dehydrator can run at 70 degrees, therefore it stands to reason that custard powder can be made safely (and… Continue reading Custard Powder
With this one it is best to find a good quality rose water. I define "good quality" as one that uses real roses or "natural rose flavour" rather than rose essence. I find that any amount of rose essence can leave a dish, especially a dehydrated one, tasting of hand soap. A good Indian or… Continue reading Raspberry and Rose Fruit Leather
Some people, who are me (Sapphire), got BBQ smoking tubes for Christmas and have been smoking anything they can get their hands on ever since. You, too, can get a BBQ smoking tube from bunnings for about $15 and have all the cold smoking fun your family can handle. Some people, (me again!), also love… Continue reading Smoked Apricot Fruit Leather (Mebos)
Where we went: Montezuma Falls, West Coast Tasmania (with the whole Sapphire Clan)When we went: Summer 2023Grade of walk: long 2Proposed time for walk: 3 hoursTime spent walking: 3.5 hours (long lunch) the falls are tall, but there isn't much spray in the drier days of summer, so the rocks below are the prefect picnic… Continue reading Montezuma Falls
“What is with Tasmania’s obsession with donuts?” (Someone I, Sapphire, served while working at a Tasmanian donut shop, 2022)It's fried dough, what’s not to love, is the obvious answer, but I think there is something deeper than that. In this essay I will explore the assumption, which is mine, that if you consider that most… Continue reading Donuts of Salamanca Market: A comparative essay
Ingredients: 1kg strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved. 1 cup fresh green or red shiso, finely sliced (dried shiso should be fine to use around 2 Tbsp, but I have never tried that, I only make this fruit leather when I see fresh shiso for sale at the farmer's market. I am trying to grow it… Continue reading Strawberry and Shiso Fruit Leather
Ingredients:1kg blueberries (fresh or frozen), washed¼ cup raw sugar1 Lemon, washed1 Vanilla pod (or 1 Tbsp vanilla powder, or 1tsp vanilla essence) Method:Preheat the oven to 180⁰c. Put all the blueberries into a roasting dish and sprinkle with sugar. Peel the lemon using a potato peeler/pairing knife being careful to avoid pith and to keep… Continue reading Blueberry and Lemon Fruit Leather
Where we went: Twelvetrees Walk, Southwest National Park.When we went: Spring 2022Time spent on walk: 2 hoursGrade of walk: high 2, low 3As this track passes through Tas Networks property it would be best to do this walk on a weekend or public holiday so as not to disturb any site works. Sapphire, admiring the… Continue reading Twelvetrees Range, Southwest National Park
Where we went: Mt Field East, Mt Field National Park When we went: Spring, 2022 Proposed time to complete walk: 4-5 hours Actual time spent on walk: 5 hours Track rating: Grade 4 (out of 5) – note that this rating seems to be primarily based on navigation needs in this specific instance. Parks passes… Continue reading Mt Field East, Mt Field National Park.
There isn't much to specifically describe the track by other than 'steep rock scramble', it is marked with some permanent light reflective yellow arrows, and some faded spray painted arrows. Occasionally the arrows suggest that some sections have separate paths for people travelling up, and for people travelling down. It is, otherwise, a fairly lawless place, at least as far as navigation is concerned. There are 3 distinctly difficult sections that will have you questioning every decision you made that brought you to the moment you find yourself in now. These feelings will pass (at least until you have to attempt those same sections in reverse).
Sapphire and Sommelier 