Mesquite processing Bee, November 18, 2006
In 2006, we held our mesquite processing at the Cascabel Community Center. As usual, the operation was organized by Pearl Mast and David Omick as members of the Cascabel Hermitage Association.
Below, Pearl Mast cooks massive quantities of mesquite pancakes based on flour we have preserved from last year, while David Omick ponders breakfast logistics.
Below, Daniel Baker mans the toasters. Jodie Wert awaits a mesquite waffle.
Below, numerous feasters kept up a steady demand. Prickly Pear syrup was a favorite.
After introductory orientation, the work began. We had two hammer mills this time, one ours and one brought out from Tucson by our friends the Desert Harvesters Association. Below, folks having brought their own bags of mesquite pods sat and pulled off stems, cleaned off dirty pods, and discarded discolored ones.
Below, setting up and operating the hammer mills and flour separators:
Below, a close-up view of a hammer mill in operation.
These machines automatically separate out the chaff, shown below:
Leaving the final product, a fine flour.
