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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 →

These are ideal crops to grow because they are so easy to keep in a cool dry place. For back room storage, select sound fruit, free of surface damage. Let it cure in a sunny but dry place, such as a porch or car port. Later, If your house is still too warm, a dry barn or shed is fine until colder weather. Then you can safely bring them inside. During this whole process, protect them from freezing. You should check them about once a week. If you find a... Read more →

I produce a fine tasting apple juice in my Mehu-Liisa steam extractor. It tastes more like cider, and is fairly thick and very rich in flavor. For drinking, I dilute it with an equal amount of water. It is also great to add when roasting pork, and can be added to baked goods for extra flavor and nutrition. It is bottled hot, and keeps indefinitely right on the shelf, like any other canned good. You can use apples which have blemishes, and would not keep in the root cellar. From... Read more →

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Spelt is a high protein grain, which tastes fairly similar to whole wheat. I have grown the grain here several different years, but I have not found an efficient, home scale way to thresh bushels of it. It is very low in gluten, so it will not rise much with yeast, and some of the people who can't eat wheat, are able to enjoy spelt. Here is my slow cooker recipe for a small loaf of spelt bread. Grind a cup and a half of whole spelt grain... Read more →

All freshly ground grains taste much better, and corn is no exception. The natural oils and vitamins are at their peak of perfection. Flavors normally lost in processing give a rich and full bodied aroma. This is how I make fresh cornbread, and bake it in a 'Crock-Pot' or slow cooker. For everyday convenience, I use an electric powered mill to grind the grains, and mix the dough. That takes less than a half hour. Once in the slow cooker, I won't need to check it again for about 3... Read more →

The easiest to grow, starchy vegetable is the Jerusalem Artichoke. This vigorous relative of sunflower, tobacco, tomato, and potato is a member of the Nightshade family. It is raised to produce eatable roots. It is started from root cuttings, like potatoes, and forms tubers in the fall. Your first harvest can begin after the tops die back for winter. Dig in spots scattered throughout the bed. The tubers are sort of knobby and skinless, and you will recognize them as being like what you planted. They keep best right... Read more →

I want to grow the very best animal or plant I can, adapted to my own needs. With vegetables, an early large crop is usually the best eating, and what you will want to be preserving also. You want to have enough to fill your drying racks, dehydrator, or canning kettle FULL several times. My pressure and water bath canners are the common size, and take 7 quarts or 10 pints in each batch. An excellent canning guide came with my pressure canner from Lehman's Hardware, and there are... Read more →

Even with only a relatively small area to work with, much of our food can be grown at home. This is how to start. You should have a very short list of foods you absolutely will not eat, or are allergic to. Remember, freshly harvested foods all taste much better than anything you can buy. Your goal is to be harvesting a reasonably balanced diet as many months out of the year as possible and to store foods for the rest of the year. You want to spread out the... Read more →

Most people eat far more starchy foods than meats or vegetables. Wheat, Rice, Corn, Potatoes and Beans have been the foundation of many cultures. These are field crops that don't require the attention of vegetables, but will need several times as much space to grow a year's supply. Your local climate will determine which ones you can grow. I'd try to find out what the native peoples and early settlers grew for their own food. The common agricultural crops in your area today are worth noting, but they... Read more →