Blog

Canning Jar Rack Lowered Home Canning of Fruits
All fruits may be canned at home. They do not require a pressure canner, a simple water bath unit will do, or you could even use a deep kettle to process jars in. Equipment designed for the task at hand is easier to use. In the case of water bath canners, it is hard to find many kettles which cost less than a canner the same size. The most common size is for processing seven quart jars at a time. If used to boil wash water, or for a... Read more →
Goose Berries Gooseberries in a Steam Juicer
There are many varieties of Gooseberries. The fruit of those grown in England can be much larger than our US varieties. They do well in our colder Northern states, and different kinds mature to be red, yellow or green. They tend to be rich in pectin, and a jelly recipe for half raspberries and half gooseberries needs no pectin added to set. By growing gooseberries, you can save on buying liquid pectin products. The fruit from each variety will all ripen about the same time. They are thorny bushes, so... Read more →
More Raspberry Jelly! Raspberries in a Steam Juicer
Raspberry juice is quick and easy to make with a steam juicer. The steam simply bursts the little cells of the berry, and out runs the precious juice. It is hot and ready to be sealed in sterile bottles, where it will keep on the shelf indefinitely. The lids and containers do need to be washed and then sterilized in boiling water, or use the oven for the jars or bottles. The juice from Raspberries will be extracted from a full juicer basket in the first hour after you... Read more →
Nubian Buck A Home Dairy?
There are two common animals raised for milk, the cow and the goat. Either one will require you to milk your animal twice a day for most of the year. It is a huge investment of your time, and they must be milked the same times EACH day. They will get to know you, and many dairy animals in small herds simply will not let anyone else milk them. The milk must be cooled promptly, and everything it comes in contact with must be kept incredibly clean, or it will... Read more →
A couple of Piglets?
My second choice for livestock at home is to buy 2 or more piglets, and raise them to butchering weight. That is around 220 pounds live weight today. Larger weights will have more fat, but not that much more meat on them. Piglets will weigh about 35-40 pounds when you buy them at 6-8 weeks of age. They should be ready for slaughter when they are about 5 months old, so you will have them for around three and a half months. Fed grains from the Mill, a pig will... Read more →
Young Chicks 1 A Flock of Chickens?
If you are thinking about keeping any type of livestock, I would start off with a flock of hens. They will require less time and expense than any other animals you might raise. This article is to let you know the considerations about keeping a home flock of Chickens. It is meant to help you decide if you would want to have your very own fresh eggs, and fertile manure for your garden. Some may even want to raise chickens for meat as well. In the long term, I think... Read more →
Herbs 5 Cottage Industry, and the 'new' Economy
Our Economy is highly specialized. People work at jobs to provide products and services for some small and often distant market. Most of what we buy has come great distances and is a part of International trade. We rely heavily on oil, but don't produce or refine enough for our own country. In tougher times, people had to go back to using what was locally produced. Centuries ago, any imported item was very expensive. Mass production and trade have built huge Economies, bringing us modern conveniences, and paying for... Read more →
Articles Section
We've updated the blog section with a sort feature. By default all of the articles are sorted into categories. With a simple click of the mouse, you can sort the articles alphabetically or by date, with the newest article on top. If you can think of another way you'd like to be able to sort the articles, or have a comment about the new system feel free to contact us. Read more →
Corn Stalks and Silk Simple Recipes
Nan's favorite Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe- 3 Quarts Cucumbers 1 Quart Sweet Peppers 6 Onions 20 Whole Cloves of Garlic 1/2 cup Pickling Salt Slice the cucumbers , peppers and onions into thin slices. mix with salt and garlic. Cover with ice and let stand for 3 hours under a cloth. Then make pickling solution as follows Bring to boil- 3 cups cider vinegar 4 cups sugar 1 tsp. Tumeric 2 tsp. Celery Seeds 2 Tbsp. Mustard Seeds Drain the water and ice from cucumber mixture and... Read more →
Crimson Clover cover crop 2 Beans, Beans, Beans!
Beans are the most important single garden crop. Once fully mature, they provide protein. Peas and lentils are part of the same family too. I like both of those, but I'd much rather choose from the milder beans to eat every day. They are all Legumes, which means they can use Nitrogen from the air to make protein. Other vegetables or grains can't do that. Peanuts, clover and alfalfa are in the Legume family too. The plant residue after the final harvest should be cultivated in, to share the Nitrogen... Read more →