The Secret to Germinating Milkweed!

Advice for Germinating Milkweed Seeds: I originally bought some milkweed seeds and knew nothing about getting them to germinate. Why would I want to grow milkweed? I want to provide host plants for the Monarch butterfly, the population of which has declined dramatically in recent years. Milkweed is essential for reproduction of Monarch butterflies. It is the ONLY plant on which the butterflies will lay their eggs.

On my first attempt at germinating the seeds, I just put them into soil straight from the package, watered, and waited... nothing. The next year, I bought a couple of plants from a native plant nursery, planted them, and collected seeds in the fall. Around January, I cold stratified the seeds in the refrigerator for about 6-8 weeks.

This requires wetting a paper towel and wringing out all the water, placing the seeds between two pieces of damp paper towel, and placing the "sandwich" of seeds in a Ziploc bag. I threw the bag in the refrigerator and waited. In late February, I gently scarified the seeds with some sandpaper, placed them in some soil, and voila! near perfect germination.

Vegan Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos

Vegan Recipes - Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos. I tried this great recipe the other day. The amount and combination of spices in this particular recipe was just right, and the outcome was really awesome. I want to post the original link and provide another source for the recipe here on my blog. My photos aren't as nice as on the original website, but you get the idea. Jackfruit is native to Southeast Asia and you can buy it canned in salt and water at your local Asian market. It is quite commonly used in vegan recipes as a substitute for meat because, when cooked, it shreds into meat-like fibers.

I fried the carnitas in a cast-iron skillet adding more oil when it became a bit too dry. The idea is to fry it long enough to get the edges a bit crispy. The maple syrup helps with this. I was really impressed with the result.

Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos

Ingredients:
Spice Blend:
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
pinch cinnamon
1 tsp lime juice

For the carnitas:
1 Tbsp cooking oil (Canola or something neutral)
1 small onion, diced
2 clove garlic, crushed
Homemade spice blend (see above)
1 20 oz can of Jackfruit in brine, drained
1 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:
Place a pan on medium heat. Add oil, onion, garlic, and spice blend. Stir until onions are clear and coated with spices. Add jackfruit and maple syrup and stir occasionally to break up the jackfruit. It will be ready when the liquid is dissolved and the jackfruit darkens and starts to look like shredded meat.