Preserving fruit by making jam is a timeless tradition. Most jams rely on commercial pectin, but it’s not required. If you want to try something more traditional, you can make jam without pectin or by combining your fruit with other fruits that are high in pectin. Here’s my first experiment with preserving mulberries, without commercial […]
How Much Do I Plant
How much do I plant? It’s a common question among gardeners and homesteaders. One that’s not as easily answered as all those charts from the extension service make it look. There’s a lot to consider, things like space, growing season, what a person likes to eat, and preservation qualities.
Tapping Maple Syrup on a Small Homestead
Maple syrup is one of nature’s sweeteners that is easy to collect, process, and preserve. On our small homestead we tap 24 maples using the old-fashioned method of buckets and spiles. We have mainly silver maples on our property which yield less syrup, but we canned 20 pints this year. Maple syrup is a great […]
Falling Fruit: Preserving Supplies to Keep on Hand
Whether you have a fruit catastrophe or inherit a lot of fruit from someone’s tree, it’s good to be prepared. Here’s what I like to have on hand to rescue fruit and vegetables.
How to Can Pears at Home
Canning pears may seem like a daunting task, but it actually takes no special equipment beyond basic canning supplies and little bit of time. A bit of work in the kitchen when pears are on sale in the fall will mean your family can enjoy delicious pears all winter long. Here are step-by-step instructions for […]
Canning Ground Meat
Canning ground meat now makes for quick and easy meals later on! I’ll show you how!
