Author: jeremy

  • How to grow store bought ginger

    How to grow store bought ginger

    Growing your own ginger isn’t hard and you can start with the ginger rhizomes you get at your local store. Buy once and have plenty of fresh ginger each year. 

    Grab some fresh ginger from your local store.

    Organic is better, or whatever is available. Look for fresh ginger which is firm and full. And ginger with the little green buds forming is a good sign. 

    Give it a bath

    Soak your ginger in water overnight. It’s often sprayed with a growth inhibitor to prevent it sprouting in transit and while on the shelf. Soaking it helps to remove the inhibitor and revitalise its moisture content. 

    Snap!

    Break your ginger into pieces so you can plant and grow ginger. The green buds (if your ginger has them) are where it will sprout, so use that as an indicator of where to break it. 

    Dry it out

    Now give it some time to dry out a little. Place the ginger pieces in a cool dry position (shelf) and let them air dry for a few days. 

    Time to plant

    Plant your pieces 5cm / 2 inches deep into the soil in a 1-2 litre / 0.5 gallon pot. Place it in the shade and keep the soil slightly moist, but not wet. In 8 months or so you should have plenty of fresh ginger growing. 

    Harvest, eat, repeat

    You’ll know your ginger is ready when the long thing leaves start to yellow and brown off. Dig up your ginger roots, wash them off and store them in a dry cool place. Use some immediately for the amazing zing of fresh ginger. You can also eat the stalks in salads or other dishes. Ginger is a fantastic immunity booster. 

    Replant some smaller pieces of your ginger for next season. If you keep the rhizomes in soil and don’t overwater them, they shoot again when it’s time. 

    Enjoy growing ginger at home and comment if you’ve had success.

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  • Jeremy Burton – Artist and Illustrator

    Jeremy Burton – Artist and Illustrator

    I’m an artist and illustrator working in Perth, Boorloo – Western Australia. 🌱 I illustrate a sustainable lifestyle of growing your own food, whimsical characters, books and also Shop✨ If you’re looking to hire an illustrator or collab, hit me up on socials or contact with your requirements.

    As a student I studied Fine Arts at Curtin University majoring in sculpture and lived in Melbourne and Kyoto and travelled a little. I spent over 10 years living in Japan in the game development industry. Eventually the winds brought me back to Perth and now I create in a small garden. 

    The ocean and our green world is what I dream about and you’ll find lots of that inspiration throughout my work. I try to produce everything in a sustainable way using available materials. I love to draw, paint and sculpt and use many mediums to illustrate, make bush crafted materials and produce gifts. 

    Thanks for checking my site out and I hope you find something that moves you. 

    Artwork

    Join me on these platforms for more: threads, Insta, TikTok

  • Character design artist, Perth – Jeremy Burton

    Character design artist, Perth – Jeremy Burton

    I make art and illustrate a whimsical life. I’m an ocean and nature lover and try to contribute back by sharing knowledge and supporting protection efforts where possible. Mixed in amongst all of that, are plenty of cute characters, like coconachan 🙂

    I previously worked in the game development industry in Japan with some amazing game artists. The teams in Japan worked on Nintendo, Xbox, Playstation and other console games. And yeah, a bit of that slot (pachinko) work too. 

    Check my blogs for art prints, stickers and decals or merch and sustainability ideas. 

    If you have a collaboration idea or your searching for an artist in Perth, WA to design characters or other things for your business, please reach out and let’s have a coffee contact me

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  • How to make spicy ginger beer

    How to make spicy ginger beer

    How to make spicy ginger beer

    I’ve been making all sorts of combinations of this, mixing in other fruit, honey and spices. You can use any organic material that will ferment, basically any fruit. 

    I’ve experimented with peach, mango, ginger, strawberry, lychee, watermelon and all sorts. Sometimes you hit a good combination, sometimes simple is best. I love just a simple ginger and a little honey mix. 

    Make your ferment mix or ginger plant

    Start off by making your ferment mix (ginger plant). Sugar, water and ginger bits in a jar and let it ferment and bubble for a week. Warm weather helps this whole process.

    I just pierce a metal jar lid for breathing holes. Add in two tbsp of your fruit ingredient, and one of sugar and ill with water. Keep adding a little fruit and sugar each day. Throw some water or fruit out if you overfill. After a few days it should start to generate CO2 and bubble. Cover it with a cloth or paper towel (keeps the ants out) and then put your aerated lid back on.

    Boil your ingredients

    I put them in a pot with a little more water than I need, chuck in all of the fruit ingredients and bring it to the boil. Let it simmer for 10 mins and tun the heat off. Then let it cool to room temperature. 

    Bottle it up!

    Put your boiled mixture (including the fruit) into your sealable bottle (I use these flip cap ones) and add a cup of your ferment mix (or half will do). Give it a gentle roll upside down to mix. Sit it in a cool, dark area to ferment for a week or two. 

    Top up your ferment mix

    Add whatever you used back into the mix and you can make as much as you like!

    If you don’t want to use a ginger plant / fermentation method, you can used a soda machine to carbonate your mix. Just keep it in the fridge and mix it with soda to the strength you like. 

    This is all worth the effort, my ginger and honey 🍯 mix is really carbonated and so refreshing in the morning. It’s a real zing and immunity booster in the morning or hot afternoon.

    Let me know in the comments if you make your own probiotic ginger beer!

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  • Living with chickens – training the egg laying location 🐓

    I need help with chicken training 🥹 one hen 🐓 refuses to lay in the nest box and lays under the olive tree. How do I get her to relocate? I’ve tried fencing off the area, she just flies over it. Any ideas … ?💡