The federal government on May 1 announced “modernized” beer standards under Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) — the rules laying out the requirements to be met by a product labelled, packaged, sold and advertised as beer in Canada.

The FDR updates are expected to allow brewers to “develop new products by using new ingredients and flavouring preparations while maintaining the integrity of beer,” the government said in a release, while offering more “clarity on what constitutes standardized beer.”

For instance, the new rules clarify the term “carbohydrate” and clarify that herbs and spices are allowed. Apart from cereal grains and flavouring preparations, the rules also allow for addition of “honey, maple syrup, fruit, fruit juice or any other source of carbohydrates.”

The updated rules also remove listed processing aids from the beer standard, making it more consistent with most of the 300-plus food standards covered in the FDR which don’t list processing aids, such as antifoaming agents used during manufacturing.

“A modernized beer standard allows Canadian brewers to develop a new range of products that meet the tastes of our consumers,” Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in the government’s release.

But the FDR will now also require beer labels to declare food allergens, gluten sources and/or added sulphites. Flavouring preparations will also have to be declared, such as, say, “beer with blueberry flavour.”

Such a declaration must either be included in the list of ingredients — which, as with all standardized alcoholic beverages, is voluntary for beer — or be added as a statement, such as, say, “Contains: Sulphites.”

Those requirements “will give consumers assurance that the beer they drink will not pose a risk to their health because of a food allergy or food sensitivity,” Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said in the same release.

The updates also set a limit of four per cent residual sugar — that is, the sugars left in the product after fermentation is completed. The limit is meant to “distinguish standardized beer from sweeter malt-based beverages.”

‘Distinct’

The updated standard is also expected to reduce “duplication” in the FDR as it removes the standard for ale, stout, porter and malt liquor — which was “virtually identical” to the standard for beer — to have just one standard for all beer styles and types.

The changes to the FDR must be applied starting Dec. 14, 2022. Until then, the government said, Canadian brewers and beer importers “must follow either the previous or the new requirements.”

The requirements for compositional standards under the FDR only apply on products traded interprovincially or imported into Canada.

The new rules “will ensure beer is treated as distinct from other beverage alcohol categories for decades to come,” Luke Harford, president of trade association Beer Canada, said in the sam release. “We are pleased to see that the changes permit the use of new ingredients and recognize beer as a beverage alcohol product that is low in sugars.”

According to the government’s impact analysis statement, the FDR’s beer standards “had not previously undergone a major amendment for at least 30 years” while the industry “had recently been seeking the use of more ingredients than was permitted by the compositional standard.”

Some small craft breweries, the government said, “may experience difficulty in complying with the requirements because of limited financial resources.”

Also, the government granted, some products “may not meet the modernized beer standard and will have to be sold as unstandardized alcoholic beverages and not be represented as beer.”

Also, the government said, the FDR updates could potentially impact trade with other countries that don’t have the same beer compositional standard. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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With their variety of shapes, blossoms and foliage, they also add interest and colour to gardens. And, when planted strategically, they’re effective at attracting beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and pollinators while repelling pests such as mosquitoes, rabbits and deer.

With so many things in their favour, it’s not surprising that most Manitobans have at least some herbs in their garden or on their patio. But while growing herbs is becoming increasingly popular, many people are still unsure how to best prune, use and preserve herbs. If that’s you, here are a few tips and recipes to try this summer.

Prune regularly

To get bushy, tasty herbs prune early and prune often. It may seem scary to cut the growing tip of your herb plant, but doing so encourages branching which leads to a fuller more luscious plant.

For basil, mint, lemon balm, hyssop, marjoram, oregano, catnip and the evergreen herbs (bay, rosemary, thyme, lavender, lemon verbena, sage) prune from the top down on each stem. Follow the stem until you reach a set of growing leaves. Cut just above these leaves with sharp scissors for a clean cut. Within days, you’ll see two new shoots growing out of the stem near your cut.

Herbs like parsley, sorrel, lovage, lemon grass, cilantro and chives don’t need to be pruned. They can be harvested throughout the season by picking the outer stems first, cutting near the bottom of the stem.

Woody stems, like on old growth of rosemary, thyme, lemon verbena, lavender and oregano, will not regrow new stems. Unless you want to completely remove a section of the plant, do not cut into the woody stems.

Remove blossoms

Herbs will lose flavour and will not grow as much once they have flowered. Removing blossoms on herbs like basil, dill and cilantro will extend the harvest and make them bushier.

To ensure continued good growth, never take more than one-third of the plant at a time. At the end of the season, harvest all your annuals and let your perennials overwinter with two-thirds of the plant still intact.

Fresh herbs are very aromatic, but when added to recipes, you need to add three to four times as much compared to their dried counterparts. And, you’ll need to add them at the end of the cooking process to retain their colour and flavour unlike dried herbs which should be added earlier in the cooking process.

Dry or freeze herbs for use all year.

Herbs can be preserved by drying or freezing. While both techniques will work with any herb, flavour and colour loss will occur more quickly in some than in others. The following shows which method is most ideal for which herb.

Drying:

• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Sage
• Savory
• Lemon verbena
• Lavender
• Lemon grass
• Oregano
• Mint*
• Basil*
• Lemon balm*

* Most susceptible to mould or colour loss

Freezing:

• Parsley
• Basil
• Chives
• Dill
• Tarragon
• Mint
• Sorrel
• Lemon balm

To dry herbs, gather small bundles and hang in a dry, dark, well-ventilated space. The larger and moister the leaf, the more susceptible to mould or colour loss, therefore it is best to dry these herbs quickly using a dehydrator or microwave.

When freezing herbs, the general rule of thumb is that the less surface area exposed to air, the longer the herbs last in the freezer. For that reason, you’ll find many recommendations for freezing herbs in oil or water. You can purée 2 cups of herbs with 1/4 cup of oil or simply place herbs in an ice cube tray and cover with oil or water.

This works well for herbs used in soups, stews or sauces. For sprinkling herbs on salads or other dishes, herbs can also be frozen chopped or whole without anything else. By drying herbs well and laying them in a single layer to freeze before packing in a freezer container, chopped frozen herbs can be easily accessed any time. This is my preferred method of freezing herbs.

Following these tips will help you freeze and dry herbs for use throughout the winter. The recipes below will help you enjoy them while they’re fresh.

Parsley and Barley Salad

Move parsley from garnish to main attraction with this barley salad that works equally well on the tractor or a fancy dinner party. A great make-ahead salad. Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw hulled barley
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 bunch chopped parsley
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped (2 tsp. dried)
• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground pepper

In large pot with tight-fitting lid, add barley and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 55 to 60 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain and cool.

In large bowl, toss together barley, parsley, tomatoes, green onions and mint.

In small jar with tight-fitting lid, combine canola oil, lemon juice, salt and ground pepper. Secure lid and shake well to blend thoroughly.

Pour dressing over salad and mix well.

Rest for one hour before serving to allow flavours to blend and parsley to soften somewhat.

Herb Butter

A quick and easy way to use fresh herbs and add incredible flavour to bread, pasta, veggies or meat. Use single herbs or your favourite herb combination.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped herbs (chives, garlic chives, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, dill, etc.)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper

In a small bowl or jar, mix all ingredients using a small spatula or butter knife.

Mix until well combined.

Use right away, keep in fridge for 7 days or freeze for several months.

To freeze, place butter on a large piece of parchment or wax paper or plastic wrap. Roll and shape into a log shape. Secure ends, place in freezer bag and freeze.

To use, allow butter log to soften in fridge overnight or on counter for 1 hour. Slice rounds from roll as desired. Refreeze any remaining butter.

Classic Basil Pesto

When the basil is plentiful, make pesto to go with pasta, pizza or any dish involving tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts or hazelnuts)
• 5 cloves fresh garlic
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil

Wash and gently dry basil leaves. Set aside.

In food processor, coarsely chop pine nuts and garlic.

Add basil leaves, Parmesan cheese and salt and process until well blended.

Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Do you prefer more salt, garlic or cheese?

With processor running pour oil into basil mix to create a paste.

Fill ice cube tray and freeze.

Once frozen, transfer cubes into a freezer bag and seal well.

Keep for 3 to 6 months in freezer.

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One of a few dozen garlic agents in Jinxiang, in China’s eastern Shandong province, 34-year-old Yang is at the centre of a trade that has attracted a small group of retail investors, mainly wealthy businessmen, seeking a surer bet than China’s volatile stock and real estate markets.

When prices are low, around the spring harvest, investors buy as much of the crop as they can, put it into store, and release it onto the market when prices rise later in the year.

“Manipulating the garlic market and hyping the price is pretty simple compared to the stock market and real estate. Many of my clients have stocked tens of thousands of tonnes of garlic and don’t sell it until the price rises,” another agent, Liu Yunfei, told Reuters.

Yang’s profits and those of his dozen or so clients ballooned to seven million yuan (C$1.39 million) last year, when the price of garlic rose to 10.6 yuan (C$2.10) per kilogram.

“For the last three years, our investors have made money, we made a 100 per cent profit last year,” said Yang, who has built five warehouses for garlic storage and plans another four.

This year, though, may be different.

The one-way bet on garlic has lured many new investors, driving prices up to a record 13.4 yuan/kg in March, much earlier than usual. Also, frosts in China at the turn of the year hit plantings and yields, and that could squeeze margins when the investors’ stored garlic comes onto the market later.

Agents said there were more investors this year, and they were spending more to buy up the garlic crop.

“This year, garlic prices are especially high,” said an agent named Yan Jianhua. “A lot of people have been looking for me. I know one person from Guangdong who wants to store around 5,000 tonnes. Last year, he stored less than 1,000 tonnes.”

Garlic boom

With a population of around 640,000 and no previous claim to fame other than proximity to the provincial capital, Jinxiang has boomed.

It produced 1.69 million tonnes of garlic last year, around seven per cent of China’s total — and more than the whole of South Korea, the world’s third-largest producer. China’s annual crop of around 25 million tonnes dominates the global market.

Garlic fields stretch out around Jinxiang, and at harvest time the air is filled with dust kicked up by trucks ferrying the crop to market and storage. The town also grows onions and hot peppers.

As production around Jinxiang has doubled in a decade, the ‘garlic economy’ has sprouted new villas, auto dealerships and modern retail space.

“Garlic has made Jinxiang richer in the last two years,” said Su Xiuling, a local grower who makes some extra money by peeling garlic at the market once the crop is in. “There’s a huge change. Our roads are wider… and even farmers now build bigger homes.”

Garlic is a staple in Asia’s diet, used in everything from the ubiquitous monosodium glutamate (MSG) to desserts. Believed to have medicinal healing powers, it’s even added to foot salve.

It’s easy to grow, harvest, transport and store. Modern coldstores — some bigger than a soccer pitch — can keep it fresh for up to two years, giving investors a longer window to sell into.

Zheng Xiang from Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan — a more than two-hour flight away — is one of those investors who converge on Jinxiang each year to meet their agents, inspect the crop and check on prices.

“I came to inspect the market and see how big the harvest is and whether the price has increased,” Zheng said over dinner, with heaps of stir-fried garlic.

Zheng invested 300,000 yuan (C$59,446) in garlic last year and plans to spend up to two million yuan this year — hoping to recoup some of the 60,000 yuan he lost on the stock market when property shares fell.

“Isn’t everybody switching from stocks to agriculture commodities now? It’s the trend. Speculating with garlic is similar to stocks, but (physical) garlic is not as unreliable as futures (trading),” he said.

But not everyone gets to share in the spoils.

Garlic farmers see little of the profits once their crops are harvested. They typically sell their garlic for around 4.4 yuan/kg, according to local official media.

Opaque market

China’s garlic market is difficult to track as there is no official data or clarity on acreage and no centralized pricing. That can exacerbate wild price swings as in some of China’s other nascent, casino-like futures markets.

And the scale of production in places like Jinxiang is felt thousands of miles from China among rival growers who accuse a hands-off government of failing to regulate the crop or control the “dumping” of cheap exports.

“The Jinxiang government is paying close attention to garlic prices, but isn’t regulating and controlling the market. It is trying to guide planting and trade,” said a local commerce official who gave only his surname, Li.

Yu Li, a spokesperson, said the Dalian Commodity Exchange has no plans to add garlic futures, and pays little attention to the crop.

As more money pours in, next year’s garlic acreage is expected to increase again, potentially squeezing margins, but not by enough to deter investors.

“You can buy garlic pretty much any year and still make money,” said Wang Xiaoying, an investor who owns four Jinxiang warehouses.

“If you invest a million, you’ll make a million, it’s that simple,” she says.

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Kevin Falk, a research scientist with Agriculture Canada, specializes in breeding Polish canola and Ethiopian mustard, and has been working with them since 1995. He told an Alberta Canola Industry seminar that the first commercial production of the crop is set for 2012.

Falk said Ethiopian mustard is an extremely vigorous crop that can range from a full white petal to a full yellow petal. When he first began working with Ethiopian mustard, it flowered about two weeks later and matured two to three weeks later than Argentine canola. “I worked roughly for about five years just to get the maturity down,” he said. “Our target was the Argentine canola plus about 10 days.”

Saskatoon is the farthest north that Ethiopian mustard can be grown as the crop is mainly suited for hot, dry areas.

Ethiopian mustard is immune to blackleg, but needs to be monitored for alternaria. It is heat and drought tolerant, and easy to seed in drought conditions. The larger seeds make it easier to seed deeper to reach moisture. The seeds have high oil content, with most of the germplasm now available testing around 30 to 35 per cent oil. “Our best material in the program is pushing about 50 per cent oil,” said Falk.

There’s a possibility to use the meal as a biopesticide, and other byproducts can be used for fuel, lubricants and plastics.

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I still harvest quite a number of seeds from my garden. Some of the plants are old favourites that I have grown for years, and others are plants that are not hybrids, so seed from them can be used with the assurance that I will get the same plants again next year. A few of the seeds that I collect are from plant varieties that are no longer commercially available, and even though they may be hybrids I do collect the seeds and grow the plants, knowing that some of them will not come true. I can often tell when I look at the seedlings which ones are true to variety, and by selecting carefully when I transplant, I can usually get good plants.

I collect seed from a salvia called “Lady In Red,” which is a blousy variety that is taller than the standard bedding types. I save seed from some of my perennials, including rudbeckia, matricaria, lupin, several grasses and mallow. I also collect seed in the vegetable garden, notably a heritage spinach seed, beans, and an old variety of edible pod peas given to me years ago by a gardener in southern Manitoba.

If you are going to collect seed, you must be careful not to be too enthusiastic with your deadheading, as you will have to leave some seed pods on the plants to ripen. Keep an eye on the pods as they ripen and if you see that they are thoroughly dry and beginning to split, open and cast their seeds as it is time to harvest them. I usually just take a pair of scissors and cut off the pods, letting them fall into a tub or paper bag.

Choose a warm, sunny, dry day to harvest seeds. The lower the humidity and the hotter it is outside, the lower the moisture content will be in the seed pods and the seeds. This is a pleasant task to perform during the afternoon on a breezy, warm fall day. After the seed pods are collected, dry them thoroughly by spreading them out to dry in a warm, dry location. Don’t be afraid to leave them spread out drying for several weeks – they can never get too dry. Finally, it will be time to store the seed. Place the seed pods into a plastic bag and shake and squeeze to shell the seeds. I sometimes use a rolling pin to break open the pods. Then clean out the chaff and empty pods and you will be left with the seeds.

Store seeds in a cool, dark place that has as low humidity as possible. A basement is not a good place to store seeds – I use an upstairs bedroom closet. Store them in paper envelopes or bags, in tins or boxes, but not in plastic containers. During the whole seed collection process and certainly as you store the seeds away, be sure to label everything so that in the future you will know what seeds they are. I also print the year on the labels so that I will know how old the seed is. Next year you will enjoy growing plants from seed you collected from your very own garden.

– Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

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Out of the five new products that were presented, which included a pumpkin yogurt, high-protein soy noodles, popcorn snack bars, and celiac-friendly granola snacks, the one that came out on top was Manitoba Mustard. A spicy, sweet twist on the traditional favourite, Manitoba Mustard is unique not only for its flavouring, but for the fact that four of the main ingredients are grown or produced in Manitoba: horseradish, blueberries, mustard seed and honey.

Though the judges were quite happy with the product, the team members were surprised by their win and will discuss as a group whether they see a future for their mustard on store shelves.

“We are quite surprised that we won today, but we are definitely going to talk and think about it. Now that we know it’s a great product and there is availability for it, the sky’s the limit. We will see where it goes,” said Kerri Muzyka, a nutritional science major. The team had only started developing the project in January.

Along with awarding the top prize, the three judges, Dave Shambrock executive director of Manitoba Food Processors Association, Judy Wilson from the Asper School of Business and Doug Speirs a humour columnist with theWinnipeg Free Press,gave helpful advice to each group during their individual presentations.

Comments on production, taste and marketing were all discussed and provided helpful information to not only the contest participants, but to the audience on what it takes to make a product taste good and be sellable.

Agriculture in the City officials say that this contest is an excellent opportunity for the students to learn about the food production industry and get a new product off the ground.

One of last year’s groups went on to place second at the annual American Association of Cereal Chemists International (AACCI) Product Development Competition held in Savannah, Georgia, with their product “The Beta Fruit Bar,” a bi-layered (apple and blueberry) gluten- free, naturally sweetened, oat glucan bar with dried fruits. The University of Manitoba students were the only Canadians as well as the undergraduate team at the international competition.

The Food Fight Competition is one of many events featured at Ag in the City this year. The three-day event which runs Friday to Sunday was started six years ago as an opportunity for city people to explore the vibrant and innovative world of agriculture and get a chance to discover how agriculture impacts our daily lives.

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– Joe Kozak

There’s really only two kinds of people: those who love garlic, and those who can’t abide it.

Some manage to get by on cheap Chinese or Filipino imports. Even shipped in from halfway around the world, it still only costs about 67 cents a pound.

But for hardcore garlic addicts, the people who wouldn’t even think of dirtying a frying pan without throwing in a clove or two, life at the end of such a long, tenuous supply chain is enough to cause panic attacks.

The imported version, although starchy white and clean, is already months old by the time it hits store shelves. It doesn’t keep well, either, so the risk of running out just as you’re planning a culinary masterpiece is everpresent.

For aficionados, that leaves two choices: either get to know a local grower or learn how to grow it yourself.

A good place to resolve garlic-related issues is Manitou’s Garlic, Honey and Maple Syrup Festival, which was held last weekend.

Inside the main hall last Saturday, Gordon Hopko, owner of Gord’s Garlic Patch in Balmoral, was doing a brisk business selling this year’s hard-necked garlic harvest for $5 per pound. From a one-acre plot seeded last fall, he harvested about 600 pounds worth.

He and Texan friend Judy Wisener were eager to spread the word about garlic “scapes,” the curly seed pods that form on hard-necked garlic in early June.

“You can really reap the profits by growing this variety. The scape is a gourmet delight,” he said, adding that the juicy tendrils can be cooked like asparagus, added to omelettes, or ground into garlic scape pesto. Cutting them off makes the bulbs grow bigger, he added.

For those interested in achieving garlic self-sufficiency, a chat with Joe Kozak, the founder of Manitou’s popular Garlic, Honey and Maple Syrup Festival, is in order.

A garlic grower for over 20 years, he was left feeling slightly chagrinned this year when the festival opted to use Chinese garlic for the community feast instead of local produce, simply because the imports were so much cheaper.

“As far as I’m concerned it’s inferior garlic,” he said.

There’s an estimated 400 varieties, but only two kinds, hard-or soft-necked, so named because of the nature of the stem.

Hard-neck garlic, a winter variety, is planted in late October or early November. The soft-neck types are best planted in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked – no later than the first week of May.

There seems to be a relationship between garlic growth and the length of the days, said Kozak. Prior to the summer solstice on June 21, top growth dominates. After that, as the days get shorter, it packs bulk onto the bulb.

“If you plant garlic on the 20th of May, it only has one month to develop,” he said. “So you end up with small garlic.”

The notion that garlic requires heavy heat units was put to rest this year, Kozak added, noting that even with the cool, late spring, this year’s crop was the “most beautiful” ever.

Time of planting is critical for successful garlic growing, he said. Additions of well-composted manure helps, but might not be necessary in areas with rich soil. One inch of water every two weeks is enough. To avoid disease problems, never grow garlic where onions or cereal grains have been planted, and always rotate growing locations from year to year.

But most important of all, said Kozak emphatically, is to use only local seed. Many who try to grow garlic and fail are guilty of neglecting this cardinal rule, he said.

“It takes awhile for the seed to become acclimatized. Never buy seed from a grocery store or even the seed dealers, which may get their seed from all different parts of Canada or the States.”

Garlic is best harvested around the first week to the middle of August. Seed garlic is then placed for a month or so in a warm, dry spot for curing – say an open, covered porch – and then moved for long-term storage to a cool, dry place such as a basement or a garage that never freezes. Drastic temperature changes may trigger sprouting. It keeps especially well in braids – which add a nice peasant touch – in the kitchen.

daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com

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Check first to determine if they are indeed ready. Remove soil from around a few bulbs to see it they are well wrapped and not splitting open. This ensures garlic will keep well. Pick a dry day for harvesting. Using a spade rather than a fork is less likely to cause damage and they do bruise easily. Shake off as much soil as you can.

Do not dry in direct sun as this can cause sunburn and alter the flavour of some varieties. Good ventilation is necessary so a garage with a door or window open is ideal. Spreading burlap bags over lawn chairs and placing the garlic on the bags creates a good drying surface. When curing is complete, top growth will be totally dry. Brush off any remaining soil from the roots. Avoid washing if possible. If garlic has been grown in heavy clay soils, be sure to let it dry completely. Cut stems about an inch above the bulbs using pruning shears or a sharp knife. Cut off dried roots to produce clean bulbs. Ideal storage conditions are cool, dark and well ventilated. Do not store in plastic bags as this will collect condensation. With proper storage you’ll be able to enjoy your garden garlic well into the winter.

– Eva Krawchuk writes from Winnipeg

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Opening the windows that have been shut all winter. Breathing in the fresh country air.

Tilling the garden and being in touch with the soil again. Thankful that I have all the land I need to plant a garden. Smelling the musky, pungent odour of the soil as I plant. Eating the first baby potatoes of the season. Seeing my first hummingbird of the year. Hearing the frogs croaking.

Hearing the birds singing through my open window. Watching the goldfinches at the feeders.

Eating my first roasted hotdog of the season, done over an open bonfire. Roasting marshmallows.

Taking my grandchildren on outdoor walks. Smelling the freshly mown hay.

Enjoying the sunshine and the green of trees and grass. Kneeling in prayer to thank God for these wonderful creations. Thankful that I made it to another season. Snuggling down in bed after a good day’s work.

Waking up refreshed to enjoy another day with so many favourite things around.

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