Consumer Q&A: The "What Is It?" Edition

Q: My father used to order these things called “beer seed” from advertisers in the Market Bulletin. You could make a good drink out of them. What were they, and does anyone still have them? I haven’t seen them advertised anymore.

A: We cannot fully answer your question as to exactly what they are, but we can shed some light on them and will ask readers if they can provide more information.

One thing we do know is that these are not actual seeds of plants. They appear to be a byproduct of making molasses and sorghum. According to one person online they are yeast that “inhabits the sugar cane or sorghum plant drippings around the mill and would grow and multiply like tiny round white balls.” These yeasty globules are also called California beer seed, bee wine and bees wine according to some sources. The “bee” names come from the fact that the clumps move up and down in a jar of sweetened water and look like busy bees. The end product is a sweet drink.

We did a spot check of old issues of the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin going back into the 1930s and did not find any ads or articles about beer seeds, but were not able to check every issue. We have not had any recent ads for them that anyone here can remember.

When Elizabeth Lawrence wrote Gardening for Love, The Market Bulletins, her book about the market bulletins in different states, she came across beer seeds in Mississippi’s Market Bulletin and was curious about them. She never got her questions thoroughly answered and concluded beer seed “is one offering in the market bulletins that still remains quite mysterious to me.”

Q: I was served something last week I had never heard of before: salmon salad. It was like tuna salad, but canned salmon was used instead of tuna. Is this a Georgia thing? I liked it better than tuna salad. Do you have a recipe?

A: Salmon salad is not unique to the Peach State, although you can certainly give it a Georgia flair by using Georgia-grown products to make it.

Salmon salad has been around a long time. We found a recipe for it in a Georgia cookbook published in 1872. There are as many ways to make salmon salad as there are ways to make tuna salad. The basic recipe is to drain one can of salmon and mix in one or more tablespoons of mayonnaise. You do not need as much mayo as for tuna salad because salmon is not as dry as tuna.

Add chopped hard-boiled eggs and celery stalks. You can also add chopped sweet or savory pickles, chopped green or black olives and minced Vidalia onion. Finely chopped Georgia pecans add texture, flavor and more antioxidants. Some people may add a few capers or sprinkle fresh dill or tarragon on the salad.

Salmon salad is good served with Georgia-grown cucumbers or tomatoes. It can be eaten as a salad on fresh spinach or lettuce or as a sandwich spread. If tomatoes and cucumbers are not available, serve it with wedges of Georgia-grown apples. If you don’t want to use canned salmon, use cooked fresh salmon that has been chilled and then flaked. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Q: I noticed something in my lawn that I thought was left by a stray dog, but when I scooped it up it seemed to be a leathery material and at the center some black dust puffed up. Do you know what this could be? Should I spray the spot?

A: It sounds like the remnants of a puffball mushroom. The dust is the spores that are part of the reproductive cycle of the fungus. You do not need to spray or take corrective action.

Q: I just came across a recipe for roasted chicken that calls for celery root. What is celery root? Do we grow it in Georgia?

A: Celery root is another name for celeriac, a variation of celery. The name “celery root” is actually a misnomer in that you are not eating the roots but the bulblike stem. Celeriac is comparable to Florence fennel, which is a bulbing form of fennel, and kohlrabi, which is a bulbing form of cabbage.

We do not know of anyone commercially growing celeriac in Georgia, although some home gardeners may be growing it.

Celeriac is sometimes called "turnip-rooted celery" since the edible part resembles a turnip. Celeriac’s flavor is starchier and sweeter than celery. It is peeled and served raw in salads, boiled, fried or cooked in vegetable soups and mashed potatoes. It is also roasted with chicken or roasted with onions, parsnips, beets, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, winter squash and other vegetables.

Q: I found a slimy, worm-like creature under a potted plant outside. It was about seven inches long, brown with black stripes and had a flat, fan-shaped head. What is it? Is it dangerous?

A: It sounds like Bipalium kewense, a flathead worm that is also known as a land planarian or hammerhead worm. The species is believed to be native to Indo-China. It has been found in American greenhouses since 1901 and is now found outdoors in numerous states, including Georgia. Land planarians need to stay moist, so you may find them in leaf litter or under potted plants. They eat earthworms, slugs, insect larvae and each other. Control is generally not recommended in a home garden. They are not dangerous to you or your pets. For more information visit this website.

Got a question? Visit our website, write to us at 19 MLK Jr. Drive, Room 128, Atlanta, GA 30334, or email arty.schronce@agr.georgia.gov.