Homegrown & Homemade
Wondering how to freeze onions? There are a couple good ways to do it! If you need a way to turn a lot of onions into something useful that doesn’t take up much freezer space, my favorite method is making French Onion Soup Starter. This is a fantastic way to preserve onions that are starting to sprout, when you need to use them up before …
Want to improve your freezer game? Let me introduce you to Freeze Fresh Meal Prep! I thought I knew a lot about freezing produce when I wrote my first book, Freeze Fresh. And I did: Freezing has always been my preferred way to put up fruits and veggies. It was through developing that guidebook—testing countless freezer recipes and eating a tremendous amount of extraordinary frozen …
Here in the Midwest it’s common for every homestead, farm, or country property to have their own patch of rhubarb. It’s a fast growing spring veggie (or fruit!) and it’s a welcomed first harvest. Rhubarb is tart and sprightly, and can be frozen in many ways– here are 4 of my favorite ways to freeze rhubarb! I’ll link the full video tutorial if you want …
If you like the feeling of digging up buried treasure, potatoes are the crop for you! We’re going on almost 10 years of growing our entire year’s supply of potatoes every year (or as Karl’s grandpa calls them: spuds!). In my 4-part video series on growing potatoes, I’ll walk you through how to prepare seed potatoes (including how many to get, trusted sources, and how …
Stuffing my face with big, juicy, homegrown raspberries is one of my favorite summer pastimes! Learning how to prune raspberries can be the difference between a successful harvest and a disappointing one. Pruning is necessary no matter which type you have, and doing it properly will give you the biggest, sweetest berries, and the most berries possible. It really does make a difference! Are your …
I love being able to grow shiitake mushrooms! It has been one of our most rewarding homestead endeavors. AND THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!Thorough and detailed instructions! Shiitake logs are actually pretty easy to make and the tools and mushrooms spawn are not that expensive. And shiitake mushrooms are a fantastic crop to grow in the shady parts of …
I see you out there… you with your thick walls of ice who haven’t defrosted your freezers in 3 years. This is for you. :) Defrosting your chest freezer regularly will help it have a longer lifespan, and your food will keep better. I’ll show you how to defrost properly, as well as what not to do. You’ll find both written and video instructions here! …
If there’s anything that homesteading has taught me, it’s that food is precious. The amount of work and love and care that goes into growing every calorie, whether plant or animal, is significant… so best not to waste any of it. Especially the organs: the most nutrient-rich part of the animal! This chicken liver pate recipe is mild and is perfect for anyone who doesn’t …
If you’ve never had a homemade marshmallow, you are in for a real treat— the texture, the bounce! They are nothing like store bought (which is a good thing!). And because these are made with only maple syrup (there’s no corn syrup and no cane sugar), the flavor is wonderfully maple-y and so delicious. The maple flavor really comes through in a lovely way, and …
Currently at the top of my “favorite things I’ve ever preserved” list! Freezing Chicken Tortilla Soup Starter is a fantastic way to take what is in abundance during the summer, and tuck it away as something incredibly useful and delicious for the winter months. I love stuffing the freezer full of high value items like this! And if you have tomatoes and peppers to preserve, …
