Pumpkin spice can be found in just about everything this time of year. The other day I saw a sign for a pumpkin spice car wash.
While the folks at the car wash were probably poking fun at the pumpkin spice trend, there’s no denying the combination of home-grown pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices makes for some delectable treats. Especially when it comes to pumpkin spice beer.
It turns out the best pumpkin for cooking or brewing isn’t really pumpkin, according to Wendy Tweten and Debbie Teashon in their new book, Gardening for the Homebrewer. Squash is the ingredient that makes a sweeter and smoother puree.
Pumpkin and squash from the garden make for flavorful home brews, especially when mixed together with some traditional pumpkin pie spices. Another tip for home-brewed pumpkin beer is to bake the squash first for a deeper flavor.
These are just two of the many tips for vegetable gardeners who’d like to take their home-grown produce from “garden to glass.”
Even if you’ve never thought about growing plants to make into beer, wine or cider, this book will encourage you to get started. You’ll also discover how to make gruit (herb beer) and perry, the pear beverage Napoleon dubbed “the champagne of Britain.”
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry and More is a complete guide to getting started. The authors give down-to-earth advice on the tools and materials gardeners need to get going, including which plants you’ll need and how to grow the most productive garden.
If beer is your beverage of choice, there’s information on growing hops, malt and other grains. But don’t limit yourself to the traditional fare. There are plenty of ideas for making flavorful homebrews using peppers, cucumbers, herbs and other easy-to-grow fruits and vegetables.
There’s something for small-space gardeners, too. If you can’t plant an apple orchard or pear trees, you can still make fancy liqueurs and infused spirits with ingredients grown in patio or balcony containers like angelica, anise, basil, lemon verbena, rosemary and many other common herbs.
Gardening for the Homebrewer will make a great gift for your favorite gardener – either to give away or to keep and use for planning next season’s spirited garden.
(Voyageur Press provided a complimentary copy of Gardening for the Homebrewer for this review. As always, opinions are my own.)
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Ho-Mi Digger - Korean Triangle Blade
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Comments
Hi, thanks for the helpful post. A review of a book that ideally should be informative and interesting, thesis and memorable, Gardening for the Homebrewer Book Review this is the case. I know how difficult it is to create such things, and I recommend that you read here the current EduBirdie review, learn more about this a highly rated writing service that will help you get such materials quickly and with high quality for your studies, your own activities, business or anything else.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in