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Kaweah Post Office to

celebrate centennial

By Brian Rothhammer

   All friends and neighbors of Kaweah Country, and visitors too, are invited to attend the centennial celebration honoring the first 100 years of the Kaweah Post Office. On Saturday, Oct. 23, from 10 am to 4 p.m., at the site of the historic post office, there will be live entertainment, crafts, living history exhibits, artists, and past postmistresses, all with the atmosphere of a 1910 country picnic.
   Earlier this week, Kathleen McCleary, current postal contract holder, announced the establishment of Kaweah Postal Foundation to preserve and protect the historic Kaweah Post Office. While the United States Postal Service has all but abandoned the treasured local icon as obsolete, Three Rivers and Kaweah residents see things differently.
   McCleary, who owns the unique eight-by-10-foot structure that has faithfully served area patrons since 1910, is dedicated to finding practical means to continue service to the community. The Foundation will be the recipient for those who wish to contribute funds, labor, or political support to keep the Kaweah Post Office as a functioning post office and as the vital hub of the community of Kaweah.
   Also on Saturday, Oct. 23, a newly organized running club, the Kaweah Country Runners, will be staging an inaugural 10K (6.2 miles) run and 5K (3.1 miles) walk. The group’s first outing will be called The Kaweah PO Centennial 10K Run & 5K Walk.
   The scenic course for the 8 a.m. race and walk will start and finish at Slick Rock Recreation Area, and racers will complete a loop of the historic highway to Three Rivers, now in the bottom of the Lake Kaweah basin.

  “We support the local runners and walkers who use the Lake Kaweah trails and are staging this inaugural event,” said Phil Deffenbaugh, Lake Kaweah’s general manager. “Events like these bring attention to more of the recreation possibilities we have at Lake Kaweah, including the new trail project that will loop the entire basin.”
   Prizes will be awarded to overall winners. All run/walk entrants receive a special edition T-shirt commemorating the historic event.
Sign-ups cost $20 and are available by calling Lee Goldstein (561-3204) or John Elliott (561-3627). No sign-ups for the limited field of competitors will be taken on the day of the race.
   Proceeds from the race/walk will be donated to the Kaweah Post Office.

Sheep Fire surpasses 9,000 acres

   The Sheep Fire complex, being managed as an interagency prescribed fire, was expected to officially surpass 9,000 acres on Friday, Oct. 1. The fire was sparked by lightning in mid-July and won’t be extinguished until the first significant rainfall of the season.
   Locales in Cedar Grove, Hume Lake, and throughout Kings Canyon have been heavily impacted by smoke. Earlier this week, fire crews contained the creeping blaze on the western perimeter, which lessened smoke impacts in most areas.
   One employee of the Hume Lake Christian Camp said the down-slope breezes have kept the entire area smoky for several weeks. The conditions, she said, are much worse in the morning until up-canyon winds clear the smoke out in the afternoon.
   Several trails remain closed in both Kings Canyon National Park and on the Hume Lake Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest. Call ahead (565-3341 or 338-2251, respectively) if planning an outing in those areas.

In brief: All the news that fits, we print

Buck Rock Foundation
garners grant
   The non-profit organization that maintains a network of historic fire lookouts announced last month that they had been awarded a grant of $1,000 by the Bank of the Sierra. The money will be used to benefit the foundation’s program of environmental studies for youth.
   The program is available to students from the San Joaquin Valley who have had little or no exposure to the outdoors nor any studies dealing with natural history of the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains. The program is offered each summer to groups of children from schools and summer camps and is conducted at the Buck Rock Fire Lookout in Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Gov. Schwarzenegger
signs college bill
   To increase access to the California State University (CSU) system, on Wednesday, Sept. 29, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed SB 1449 and AB 2302 guaranteeing CSU admission to all community college graduates.

  “These two pieces of legislation are a historic victory for California’s students, and I’m proud to sign both into law,” Gov. Schwarzenegger said.
   He called the law “monumental” in guaranteeing admission after a prospective student completes the new transfer requirements. The legislation effectively streamlines the process for admission to the CSU system and also makes the transfer process to a UC more transparent.

Former Sequoia-Kings Canyon

staff now superintendents
   Jeff Bradybaugh, a 28-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Bradybaugh served a stint as an acting superintendent in 2009 at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks before current superintendent Karen Taylor-Goodrich was appointed.
   Bradybaugh officially assumes his new duties on October 24.
In other superintendent news, Frank Dean, a 34-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been appointed the new general superintendent of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Dean worked previously as a ranger at Sequoia-Kings Canyon.
   Last week in the TKC it was reported that former Sequoia-Kings Canyon ranger Randy Larson will step into the post of superintendent at Sitka National Historical Park in Alaska.

Searching for sequoias:

Author has 45 more groves to go

by Brian Newton

  After buying the book A Guide to the Sequoia Groves of California by Dwight Willard, I decided it would be a worthy and challenging goal to visit all 67 groves. I had already been to 20 of them so I had a good head start.

  On September 22, I drove to the end of the road north of Buck Rock Fire Lookout in Giant Sequoia National Monument. The Boulder Creek Grove is one mile beyond the end of the pavement, down a steep, rocky dirt road. Four-wheel drive is best but my Toyota Camry did just fine with proper coaxing.

  One might expect a giant sequoia grove to be quite conspicuous, but honestly, sometimes I couldn't positively identify them mingled among huge fir and sugar pines. However, back up the road about a mile, there is no mistaking the Little Boulder Creek Grove.

  There is a road turnout and a sign marking the trailhead. It's only a five-minute walk to be among dozens of magnificent, solitary giants, which makes them appear even larger.

  My initial objective the following day was the Skagway and Pine Ridge Groves below the Muir Grove trail, which is halfway between Grant Grove and Giant Forest . Muir Grove is two miles west of the Dorst Creek Campground, which recently closed for the season. The extra mileage necessary just to get to the trailhead was enough deterrent for me.

  The nearby Lost Grove is split by the Generals Highway and gets thousands of visitors for obvious reasons. A split-rail fence fronts it on the northeast side which suggests one should stay out, but there are no signs and the ground around the trees has been heavily trampled.

  Traveling southbound, the Suwanee Grove is next in line. There is no trail to it but the author described it as “… now reached by a few miles of cross-country forest travel over relatively easy terrain.”

  Maybe if you are young, strong, and a seasoned bushwhacker. I think I qualify in one of those three attributes, which clearly raised the stakes. Hiking solo, I planned my equipment as if I might have to bivouac overnight. No sleeping bag, but the other essentials.

  I felt confident but didn't get far before recognizing I forgot matches and my hiking pole. I returned for matches and forgot the pole again. That was okay because the forest was full of natural hiking staffs, just not very light or strong.

  I parked 1.5 miles south of the Little Baldy saddle where a road repair crew was busy. Coincidentally, one of them, Mr. Rizzo, had recently led a crew to the grove a few times so he gave me some helpful route advice.

  He said I might be able to follow some of their “social trails.” I probably was some of the time but on my return route the paths were just as likely game trails.

  A brief description of the terrain: a 600=foot vertical drop in one mile seemed much steeper in the soft rich soil. A fairly recent fire left a blackened forest that I had to negotiate to prevent my clothing and skin being blackened by the charcoal.

  I've bushwhacked through thicker vegetation but it's slow going against springy branches, slippery boulders hidden under a thin layer of duff, and knee-deep ferns. This two-mile outing took me three hours but felt like six.

  Anyone up for a hike way down upon the Suwanee or are the Giant Forest and Grant Groves enough?

  Brian Newton is an avid outdoorsman and a subscriber who resides in Visalia.

WHO'S NEWS

Cooking with the sun:

Solar oven demonstration at Green Faire

by Bill Becker

  At the now-yearly Three Rivers Environmental Weekend event at the Art Center — Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2 and 3 — I always demonstrate my newest solar oven, usually cooking a pot of pinto beans.

  At home, I also cook yams, squash, and rice pilafs. I've fried eggs in a cast-iron skillet heated in the oven for a while, and not long ago I baked a nice Mexican lasagna.

  I've cooked many loaves of solar bread. Even though I'm a vegetarian, one of the first meals I tested in the oven was a chicken. It came out perfectly.

  My standard practice is to solar-cook several days worth of beans or rice, then freeze them in meal-sized quantities. After thawing them out, I heat them in the microwave.

  In late summer, I usually cook enough to last through the winter and spring, when solar cooking is often less practical. I almost never use a stove top, and I never use a standard gas oven.

  I do cook my vegetables in the microwave, but I plan to use the solar oven more for that too.

  I do not expect that many people would limit their cooking methods, or their diets, to the extent that I do. Nevertheless, for those who might be interested in cooking with the sun to reduce their carbon footprint even a small amount, here is some information that might be useful.

  (I am not a thermal engineer, so I present the figures below for the ballpark energy savings they suggest rather than as a precise analysis of how much oil or natural gas is saved through any particular solar meal. I welcome corrections to my conclusions or computations, of course.)

  The earth's surface receives about 1020 watts (roughly 1 kilowatt for our purposes here) of energy per square meter at sea level. An hour's worth of this energy thus equals 1 kilowatt-hour, the standard measure of electrical energy. This is the equivalent of about 3413 BTUs of thermal energy.

  My oven has a solar ray collecting surface of 9 square feet, or 0.8361 square meters. This converts to 853 watts of solar energy, and one hour of this insolation would light a 60-watt bulb for 14 hours if it could be converted to electricity with 100 percent efficiency.

  Efficiency limitations of design and insulation cannot be avoided, so it is somewhat difficult to compute exactly how much the solar oven saves in electrical, gas, or oil energy. Using a Kill A Watt power meter, I determined that cooking a 9-ounce yam in my microwave uses 0.22 KWH. This saves me roughly 1 KWH per week.

  The energy saved by solar cooking a pot of beans or rice instead of using a gas or electric cooktop is more difficult to determine; it depends on the BTU output of the burner, whether the beans are soaked ahead of time, simmer versus full boil duration, and other values that would require experimentation to determine.

  Nevertheless, it is clear that substantial energy is saved by cooking my beans or rice in the solar oven.

  There is also the question of the total energy it takes to make the oven itself. Some of my materials were scrap, some were purchased.

  I do not have the technical expertise to compare the respective energy requirements for making my solar oven versus a standard range, but I believe that the energy cost of my solar oven is lower. (I believe too that economies of scale in the production of commercial solar ovens vs. conventional stoves would probably make for substantially greater lifetime energy savings for solar ovens over conventional ones.)

  In any case, I am sure that by now I have probably saved more energy than I used to make my oven, and I will try to use scrap materials as much as possible in the future as well. I welcome comments on this subject.

  I am confident that solar cooking is a practical way to save energy. Solar cookers are increasingly popular in Third World villages to cook and pasteurize water without using scarce and expensive firewood.

  For me and many others it is fun. The U.S. solar cooking population is growing daily. Indeed, two days after I posted the first photos documenting the construction of my newest solar oven on my website, I received a message from the Yahoo Solar Cooking Group telling me that they would watch the process with interest. These folks are at the front of the curve.

  My own fantasy is that cooperative solar cooking projects catch on. An ideal situation, perfect for urban neighborhoods in any sun-drenched locale, for example, would be one or more solar ovens in a central location, so that people can walk to the ovens and back home. (An oven takes up minimal space in a yard.)

  Solar meals could also be made for the elderly or disabled in the neighborhood. Somewhat in that line, I recently traded Teriz and Don Mosley of Three Rivers a solar-cooked yam and half of a butternut squash for a dozen of their free-range chicken eggs. (So as to neutralize the negative offset from driving, I combined the trip with an already planned shopping visit to town.)

  For those who are interested, I show two solar oven designs on my website: www.williambecker.com/SolarCooking.html, and www.williamgbecker.com/MakeSolarOven.html.

  Bill Becker of Three Rivers will demonstrate his solar oven and his cooking skills at this Saturday's Green Faire.

Rapid response:

A new fire truck in town (photo caption)

   It was a cooperative effort between several community groups and the County of Tulare that resulted in this week’s delivery of a new, retrofitted Engine 14 for Three Rivers that is built for everything from muddy roads to narrow driveways.

Election Day is November 2:

Voter deadlines looming

   Local voters received their sample ballots this week. On this mid-year election ballot are 18 races with candidates, nine state initiatives, and one local measure, which is Measure V, the levy to provide educational programs and preserve autonomy for the Three Rivers Union School District.
   Highlighting the candidates’ contests are the races for governor, Barbara Boxer’s seat in the U.S. Senate, and the local races for the school boards of Woodlake High and Three Rivers School. In the governor’s race, it’s come down to a photo finish for Jerry Brown (Democrat) vs. Meg Whitman (Republican).
   Among the statewide initiatives, Proposition 19 that legalizes marijuana is garnering the most attention. If approved, the controversial measure would legalize marijuana use for those 21 and older in California but it would remain illegal under federal laws.
   Rita Woodward, Tulare County’s Registrar of Voters, issued some important advisories relative to dates and deadlines critical to making your vote count in the upcoming general election on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The last day to register to vote for this election is Monday, Oct. 18; mail-in voter-registration cards are available at the office of THE KAWEAH COMMONWEALTH or request a voter-registration online card at www.sos.ca.gov.
   Vote-by-mail (absentee) ballots will be made available beginning Monday, Oct. 4. Tuesday, Oct. 26, is the last day the Registrar of Voters office may receive the Vote by Mail ballot requests via the mail. After Oct. 26, voters may come to the Elections Office in the Government Plaza at 5951 S. Mooney Boulevard in Visalia to request a ballot in person.
   All Vote by Mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day at the county Elections Office or at any polling place in Tulare County.
   If registered to vote elsewhere in the county or state, you might need to re-register to change your address and be able to vote in the local precinct of your choosing. For more information, or to answer any questions about the voting process, call Ann Turner at 624-7300.

SPEAKING OUT

The impact of health reform

by Harry L. Foster

   If you are among the many skeptics who wonder about the impact of health reform on your health and family, look no further.
   Starting this week, you will no longer have to worry about being denied insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition. You do not have to worry about being dropped from insurance or going bankrupt if you or a loved one gets sick. There are no more “lifetime limits” so that insurers can arbitrarily stop your benefits if you max out. And young adults can stay on their parents’ plan until they are 26.
   These are just a few of the benefits that became effective on September 23 thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law six months ago. And the best is yet to come.
   You might be one of the 16 million Americans eligible for Medicaid in 2014 under the new law. If not, the law makes it easier to find and purchase affordable insurance and even walk into a local community health center, like Family HealthCare Network, where primary care services are provided whether you have insurance or not.
   More people will have both insurance coverage and a place to go for care – two critical components of staying healthy. A key provision of the new health reform law expands the national network of Community Health Centers across the country and provides people with more health homes, better quality, and lower costs. And this expansion will happen almost immediately.
   Yes, change is coming to the American health care system, and I am proud to be part of it as a member of Family HealthCare Network.
We are a part of a national network of federally supported health centers, which sprang into existence 45 years ago to bring doctors and basic health services to medically underserved areas. Today, our work is more important than ever as we reach out to communities hard hit by job losses and the recession.
   The ranks of people shut out of preventive care have grown. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), there are 60 million people living without access to a doctor or basic health care. But, with the new law, there is hope.
   Every day in our waiting rooms I witness the value of having a health care home. When people have a place to go for regular care, they use it and stay healthy.
   We provide a range of services onsite – primary care services, pediatrics, pharmacy, dentistry, even behavioral health and nutritional and health education counseling services. Our patients not only experience a whole health approach under one roof, but they are treated as individuals, with dignity and respect.
   This is what health care should be, and the prescription is simple: treat people with good, preventive care before they get sick. The benefits are immediate and widely distributed across all segments of society.
   Local hospital emergency rooms are free to focus on saving lives and the cost load is lightened for consumers, taxpayers, and governments. Public health improves with the portals of affordable health care open to more people.
   But the approach is not from the top down, but the bottom up. That is where the real work of health reform happens – at the local level.
   As someone who works on the frontlines of health care, my message is that the new reform law will make health care coverage more secure by ensuring that working families cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition, or lose their coverage, or be forced to choose between buying groceries or going to a doctor. In addition to having coverage, consumers will see a revitalized health care delivery system that emphasizes primary care and medical homes.
   With coverage and access available to more people, the prognosis for America is getting better already.
   Harry L. Foster is the president and CEO of Family HealthCare Network.

Real estate team offers

knowledge and experience

   For many visitors to Three Rivers, the question arises: “Wouldn’t this be the perfect place to live?” Ask a local resident and they are likely to reply, “Why yes, it is!”
   So how do you find that perfect home, whether you’re new to the area or a longtime resident seeking to trade up? See a qualified, professional Realtor.
   Realtor Melinda Deathriage and Realtor-Associate Esther Garcia are just the professionals to see. Located at the Century 21 office at 40486 Sierra Drive (across from the Three Rivers Post Office), Esther and Melinda offer a wide variety of properties from quaint country cottages to grand estates.
   Their ever-changing listings also include lots and acreage for those who wish to custom-build their own dream.

  “I like to help people find the perfect home for them, be it a quiet place to retire, the ideal place to raise a family, or a place to start a business,” said Esther, who was raised in Woodlake, but has lived in   Three Rivers for most of her life. Her career in real estate began in 2004.

  “It’s fun and exciting to help people find their dream homes,” added Melinda. “Over time you establish a relationship with your clients based on trust, professionalism, and a desire to help people find the ideal property to fit their needs.”
   Melinda has been with the Century 21 Three Rivers office for just over a year. She is, however, no newcomer to real estate or to understanding her clients needs.
   She is a Mt. Whitney High School grad who worked in the banking, loan processing, and mortgage-lending industries for 17 years. She is a licensed Realtor.

  “We make an excellent team,” said Melinda. “Esther and I work very well together. We know the properties and the folks.”
   Esther agrees: “We give it the personal touch… these are our neighbors. For an intimate view of Three Rivers (and available properties) come see us. We know the hot spots, the secret spots, and where the good buys are.”
   Visit Esther and Melinda at the local Century 21 office or give them a call: Melinda, 967-9418; Esther, 359-7033.

Vettes visit Three Rivers (photo caption)

   During the weekend of September 24 to 26, SLO Vettes, a Corvette club from the Central Coast, toured Three Rivers and Sequoia National Park. While in Three Rivers, the group stayed at Buckeye Tree Lodge. SLO Vettes, founded in 1979 as the Golden Coast Corvette Club, has about 50 members and takes one weekend trip every few months and many day trips throughout the year.

How to prevent a cold

   It’s that time of year again when the common cold begins being passed from one person to the next. To avoid the misery of sneezing, coughing, sore throat, and runny nose, prevention is the best cure.
   Here are some proactive ways to help prevent catching a cold:

  —Wash hands frequently. Shaking hands and touching doorknobs, keyboards, and telephones are all easy ways to catch germs. Keep hand sanitizer available for when hand washing is not possible.

  —Avoid touching your face. The eyes, nose, and mouth are primary entry points for cold germs to enter the body.

  —Stay away from people who are coughing and sneezing. The less exposure to viruses, the less chance of catching them.

  —Drink plenty of water. Water is the best way to help flush toxins out of your system.

  —Eat healthy foods. A well-balanced diet provides the vitamins and minerals necessary for a strong immune system.

  —Exercise. Regular aerobic exercise will help keep the immune system ready to fight off invading germs.

  —Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke. Smokers are much more likely to catch colds than nonsmokers. Second-hand smoke suppresses the immune system.

  —Reduce alcohol intake. Alcohol dehydrates the body and has a negative effect on the immune system.

  —Spend time outdoors. Germs thrive in closed areas. Also, central heating systems dry out the air and subsequently your body, leaving you more susceptible to germs.

  —Get adequate rest. Not getting enough sleep lowers your resistance to germs. Plan for eight hours of sleep each night.

WELCOME TO MY FOOD COLUMN

Ballymaloe Cookery School

Part Five: Desserts

by Tina St. John

   This is the fifth installment in a continuing series about the author’s two-week visit this past summer to the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in rural County Cork, Ireland. Previous installments may be read online at www.kaweahcommonwealth.com (Newspaper Archives, September 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2010).

* * *

  Desserts are a subject close to my heart. If I could have bottled and sold my excitement while eating the many desserts at Ballymaloe, I’d be rich.
   There is no end to the delights, and I plead guilty to my contribution in supporting the continual consumption of Ballymaloe sweets.
   Everyday the lunches were grand, as they say in Ireland. However, in my opinion, the desserts were even more grand.
   Regularly after lunch, dessert was served; more dessert than one could imagine. It was decadence so irresistible that delusion was probable.
   Meringue Tarts with Raspberry and Cream, Lemon Pudding, Chocolate Pudding, Old-fashioned Rice Pudding, Ballymaloe Praline Ice Cream, Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes, and Wellington Bars are just a few of the assorted recipes taught and served at the school.

  With every dessert there was cream: whipped cream, clotted cream, and regular pouring cream. There is never, ever a shortage of cream in Ireland.
   I could have bathed and had regular facials in cream if had I chosen to do so. And fresh raspberries or black currants just picked and still warm from the sun were also an enticing addition.
   What I loved most about the desserts, aside from their taste, was the way they were presented. Appearance really is half the appeal to eating.
   Arrangements strategically placed on colorful, artistic platters, plates, and trays with fresh flowers accenting the dish were brilliant.    For instance, a simple serving of Lemon Posset, nothing more than cream mixed with lemon juice and sugar that magically thickens into a pudding consistency, was placed in a colorful bowl laced with sweet geranium leaves and a sprig of lavender. Another eye-catching dish was Ballymaloe Praline Ice Cream scooped on a simple white ceramic serving tray with raspberry choli, a puree-type syrup made from fresh raspberries, drizzled across the tray with edible flowers of yellow, orange, and red.
   Everyday, when approaching the dessert tray, I justified my thoughts by telling myself that someone had to eat them. It was nothing short of divine bliss and what I will always consider as one of the many blessings at the school.
   I’ve included some of my favorite dessert recipes from Ballymaloe Cookery School for your happiness and bliss. Along with these dishes, I hope you take the time to present them with your own gift of flare.
   Bon Appetit!

OLD-FASHIONED RICE PUDDING
   A creamy rice pudding is one of the greatest treats on a cold winter’s day. Use short-grain rice, which plumps as it cooks. This is definitely a forgotten pudding, but a favorite at the Cookery School.

3½ oz short-grain rice
¼ cup castor sugar or baker’s sugar
Small knob of butter
5 cups of milk

  Put the rice, sugar, and butter into a 9-inch (1 quart) pie dish. Bring the milk to a boil and pour over. Bake for 1½ hours at 350 degrees. The skin should be golden, the rice underneath should be cooked through and have soaked up the milk, but still be soft and creamy. Time it so when it comes out you’re ready to eat it. If it sits in the oven for any length of time, it will be dry and dull and you’ll wonder why you bothered.
   Three good things to serve with rice pudding: Softly whipped cream and soft brown sugar, compote of apricots and cardamom, compote of sweet apples and rose geranium.

TUSCAN PLUM TART

Serves 10-12

1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 lb. plums
1¼ stick soft butter
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 ¾ cup self-rising flour
10 in. saute’ pan or cast iron skillet

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

   Put sugar and water into a pan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring until sugar caramelizes to a rich golden brown.
Meanwhile, halve and stone the plums, arrange cut side down in a single layer over the caramel.
   Put the butter, sugar, and flour into a bowl of a food processor. Whizz for a second or two, add the eggs, and stop as soon as the mixture comes together.   Spoon over the plums, spread gently in as even a layer as possible.
   Bake in the preheated oven for approximately one hour. The center should be firm to the touch and the edge slightly shrunk from the sides of the pan. Allow to rest in the pan for 4-5 minutes before turning out. Serve with softly whipped cream.

LEMON POSSET

  This recipe is so simple, yet so delicious and satisfying. I was amazed how thick it was after it had cooled. You can top with berries, nectarines, peaches, pears, some toasted almonds, or even whipped cream for added joy.

1¾ cups of double cream or heavy cream
½ cup castor sugar or baker’s sugar
2 fl. oz. of lemon juice

  Place the cream and sugar in a pan and bring it to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice, strain and allow to cool. Place in the fridge for an hour in a small, deep bowl.