Put a lid on autumn with this delicious weekend at Tower Hill Botanic Garden focusing on the world of canned, jarred, jammed, pickled, preserved, fermented, and brewed produce. Find out how to make your harvest last all winter with tried and true techniques and fresh ideas. Bring your garden’s bounty to the Let’s Get Growing competition with prizes for all ages–professionals, hobbyists, and amateurs alike. For complete details visit www.towerhillbg.org.
Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge, will hold a beginner level class on Saturday, March 3 from 11 – 2 on Brewing with Botanicals, a beginner level class. We introduce you to the art and science of home brewing. We lead you through a full brew day as we discuss the four main components of beer: malt, yeast, hops, and water; the brewing process; and how to avoid and troubleshoot the most common problems. This class includes complimentary samples of Beerology’s home-brewed beer! $35 for BBG members, $45 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926. Photo by Jerrey Roberts of Beerology owners Jordana Starr and MIchael Schilling from www.gazettenet.com.
The Gardens at Elm Bank, and Barleycorn’s in Natick, present a full day on hops and their use in brewing on Saturday, August 26 from 10 – 4. Dr. Heather Darby, Agronomist and Soils Specialist with the University of Vermont will cover the basics for growing hops in the Northeast, including information on site selection, variety selection, fertility management, irrigation systems, and pest management. Protocols to determine harvest times, harvest equipment, drying requirements, and storage will also be covered. Come and learn from UVM’s vast experience in growing hops in our region.
After, we will harvest hops from our Seed to Table Garden at Elm Bank and rejoin at Barleycorns in Natick, where we will use those hops to brew our own 3 Goddess Pale Ale. $60 Mass Hort members; $85 general admission. *Add $50 to bring home a case of the brew. Sign up at www.masshort.org.
Instructor Bruce Lucier of Homebrew Emporium in West Boylston will introduce you to the history, cultural significance and biochemistry of beer, while providing the hands-on experience of making your own, in this two session class at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, on Wednesdays, October 13 and 27, from 7 – 9 pm. THBG members will pay $20, and non-members $25. To register, log on to www.towerhillbg.org. Painting by Morgen Chandomba.
