This has been the year of the fruit leather, and my favorite so far is this plum and crabapple fruit leather… it’s sweet and tart, with a gorgeous color, plus it is very pliable and tender (a great quality for fruit leather, as some can end up as tough as… well, leather). I’m on my third […]
{Easy} Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
For years I’ve tried making pickles- everything from bread and butter refrigerator pickles to classic dills… and for years I’ve never found a recipe I have fallen in love with, until now. I didn’t realize how much my general lack of pickling skills was weighing on me- I mean, a homesteader should be able to […]
How to Use and Preserve Green Garlic
You might take one look at our garden and wonder if we’re preparing to be invaded by werewolves, vampires, and other evil spirits. Currently, a good 1/6 of our garden space is planted in garlic! My next post should really be on how to combat garlic-breath! Have you seen “garlic soap” before? If you’ve tried it, I’d […]
A New Way to Preserve Fresh Basil (freezing method, and NOT in an ice cube tray!)
Basil: the quintessential smell of summer around here! If only there was a way to preserve it… Oh, but there is! And I’m not talking about basil-scented soap and basil hand lotion. I can’t quite decide if these products are a good way to get a basil fix, or completely weird?! While I agree that there […]
Spiced Canned Apple Slices Sweetened with Honey {Canning Recipe}
Did you ever discover something new that totally changed your world, and you can’t believe you went all this time never knowing about it? And then you feel silly because the thing you didn’t know existed and that changed your life was a jar of essentially homemade canned apple pie filling? No? Just me then… […]
Homestead Monthly: September 2016 {purple veggies, mushroom hunting, and canning}
Hi friends! This is where we take a look back at all that we’ve accomplished during the month, and reflect on the real-life ups and downs that come with “living close to the land.” We’re on the downhill slide towards winter and are busy wrapping up summer projects on the homestead. Here’s what happened in September: […]
How to Freeze Lettuce
Freeze lettuce?! You might think that sounds crazy. I think it’s genius! Vibrant lettuce, grown organically, picked fresh that very day from your own garden is full of nutrients… preserve them! Of course, a couple of beautiful lettuce heads from the farmer’s market are also worthy candidates for freezing. This all started last year in May when I […]
The Best Way to Cook an Old Chicken (Hint: in an electric pressure cooker!)
For many homesteaders and farmers, chickens are more than backyard pets- they are meat and eggs to feed the family, or possibly a source of income. The reality of farming is that if a chicken isn’t producing or earning her keep, then she’s got to go. They’re business, not something you name and let sit on your […]
The BEST Way to Freeze Eggs!
Farm fresh eggs: it’s either feast or famine around here! During the long days of summer I’ve got baskets full of eggs and I’m piling them on the kitchen table, the washing machine, and any other flat surface I can find. A good problem to have, I know… And then the days get shorter and […]
Homestead Monthly: November 2015
For it being one of the colder months… we really accomplished quite a bit on the homestead! On the blog I made vegetable stock powder, shared my no-cut way to cook a whole squash, recapped the best books for homesteaders, and wrote about weird chicken behavior during the molt. Hornet Nests and Honey Bees Karl was […]