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I have a number of recipes and links about making kraut in the Simple Recipe Article. This Article is about canning the kraut for long term storage. Because of the high acid content, a pressure canner is not needed. Water bath canners are safe to use. Get your basic water bath canning methods and processing times from a source you trust, such as the USDA recommendations found in modern books. I like some of the older ideas in my collection of vintage cooking and canning books, but I double check... Read more →

When I was a young girl, Apricot Nectar was widely available in large cans at most grocery stores. It was a treat for us to get one to enjoy. Last year I very carefully canned many batches of peaches, and we still have plenty on the shelf. I was looking for something different to do with some of this years peach harvest. As I looked though my collection of old cooking and canning books, I found making Pear, Peach, and Apricot Nectars was popular many years ago. They were all... Read more →

Be sure to stop by our 'Videos' in green lettering on the homepage to find "Harvesting Flint Indian Corn at Seed for Security" Flint and Dent corn are truly the King of American grains. Where ever Corn can be grown, it yields more grain from less seed. It needs fertile soil, and a good amount of water throughout the growing season. It likes at least two months of hot weather. You may have a drier climate, or it may not get hot enough where you live. Then you will have... Read more →

I grow a wide range of plants to enhance our diet. Hops, St. John's Wort, dandelion, purple cone flower, lemon balm, burdock, thyme, rosemary, dill, parsley, sage, oregano, basil, and many kinds of mint. I also prepare Tonics which are supposed to improve our health, or help fight off disease. I am NOT making any claims that these are real Medicines. They are old fashion traditional ways of dealing with common health problems. Different parts of the plant are used. Sometimes the leaves are collected and dried, or it might... Read more →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →