Zack Cobb

Beer Department: So much more than a bottle shop!

These days it can be pretty tough to decide where you’re going to buy your beer. Even the local gas station offers a few staples and breweries are keeping thirsty customers coming back with a near endless stream of bottle and can releases every week. So what’s an intrepid bottle shop to do?

It’s no secret that we like to do things big here in the Jungle. Forget that old mantra of “something for everyone”— we try our darnedest every day to be everything for everyone.

Get Egg-cited for Spring with a Jungle Jim’s Egg Hunt

Quail eggs are tiny white eggs with brown speckles that are full of important nutrients. Interestingly, these eggs have a larger yolk and a smaller egg white, which gives them more flavor. Some describe the flavor of quail eggs as “gamey,” but most people like the taste. As with anything, it’s important to consume quail eggs in moderation because the larger yolk-to-white ratio does mean that they are slightly higher in cholesterol than chicken eggs.

Oh, Sheep! Sheep Milk Month at the Cheese Shop

This month at the Jungle Jim’s Cheese Shop, we’re celebrating everything sheep!

Sheep milk cheese is often very rare and harder to find than cow or goat milk cheeses. This is partly because sheep only have two teats while cows have four. This means that sheep produce less milk than their bovine counterparts, and, resultantly, sheep cheese is not as popular in the United States.

However, the rarity of sheep milk has made sheep cheese one of the world’s most popular cheeses!

Discover Chickpeas with Our Favorite Recipes

Though the humble chickpea is often taken for granted, these little legumes are useful for more than just hummus! Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, contain a wealth of important nutrients, including folate, iron, phosphorus, and manganese. They’re packed with protein, delivering about 3 grams per 50 calories, and are a great source of fiber! This combination can help keep you full longer, meaning that you’ll be less tempted to reach for the chips or cookies when that two o’clock slump rolls around.

Beer Department: Debunking the myth of “Helium beer” once and for all

Since April 1 is April Fool’s Day, I feel that this a good time to address one of those pesky misunderstandings about beer that just won’t seem to go away: helium beer. The myth is that there are one or more beers out there that are imbued with helium rather than carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Beer drinkers are keen to try this bizarre-sounding beer, excited to try a beer that also makes your voice high pitched.

Summer Garden Series Part I: Getting Started and Avoiding Common Mistakes

Welcome to the first installment in our ongoing gardening series, where we’ll be providing tips and tricks to help you cultivate the garden of your dreams! This week, we’re focusing on getting started and avoiding common mistakes.

However, it’s not a bad idea to start planning early! Our Garden Center is opening on March 25 of this year because late March or early April is when most people begin planning their spring and summer gardens.

Garden Center Summer Series, Part II: Choosing the Best Plants for Your Yard

Summertime is quickly approaching, and many of us are preparing to enjoy the warm weather by hosting barbecues, indulging in summer pool parties, and most likely ending up on the receiving end of a sunburn. When you picture yourself enjoying the summer, what do you see? Maybe you’re spread out in an Adirondack, cocktail in hand, four hot dogs into a slightly regrettable cookout binge? Maybe you’re up and about, socializing with colleagues and neighbors,

Garden Center Summer Series, Part III: Stayin’ Alive

So, it’s mid-June. Your garden is planted, the flowers are blossoming, and your vegetables are starting to grow. You’ve finally begun to notice the fruits of your labor (pun intended), and now you’re in maintenance mode. You need to water your plants, make sure they’re getting enough sun, keep those dreaded weeds at bay, and fend off the hungry neighborhood critters, such as squirrels, bunnies, and deer. That can be quite a lot of work,

Smoke and Bacon Month at the Cheese Shop

This month, we’re highlighting anything and everything in the Cheese Shop that has to do with smoke and bacon, two popular flavors that blend together beautifully!

You can find cheese with different intensities of smoke flavors. Apple smoked and maple smoked cheeses have lighter smoky flavors and are good for people that prefer milder flavors. However, if you’re looking for a cheese with a stronger flavor, you may be interested in beech or oak smoked cheeses,

So, You Think You Know Wasabi? Think Again!

So, you think you know wasabi? Most wasabi paste you see on the shelves isn’t even wasabi at all. In fact, you’d be lucky to find more than 1% of real wasabi powder in the ingredients. Most of what we consume in the U.S. is a green horseradish paste meant to mimic the bite of real wasabi.

True wasabi comes from a leafy, green plant that requires full shade and an abundance of water.