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A Pressure Canner is required for canning meats and fresh vegetables without vinegar added. Although tomatoes are thought of as a vegetable, they are technically a fruit and the older varieties contain enough acid for water bath canning. Many years ago accidents did happen with early pressure canners 'exploding' so they earned a bad reputation. More modern pressure canners have multiple safety features. I'd still recommend you watch the canner during the whole time it is under pressure, and keep the safety relief valves or plugs pointed in a safe... Read more →

I just returned from a delightful fishing trip with my father. My only catch was a tiny fish which I threw back into the brook and Dad didn't even get a bite. Never the less we had a pleasant morning. My father and I have fished together as far back as I can remember. Dad told me today that he started fishing in his family pond at the ripe old age of 5. Dad is now 81 years old. Now that is a lot of fishing experience. If trout are... Read more →

Once you have your place to garden or homestead, there are a number of kinds of food you can harvest from beds or plantings which are relatively permanent. For example, I have been cutting asparagus shoots for weeks now, and the rhubarb is ready as well. Dandelions grow wild in our lawn and fields, but if they did not we could establish a small bed just for them. You could do the same for Cow Slips if you have an area wet enough. I grow strawberries in a garden... Read more →

Yield: 7 Pints 7 pounds of beets 1 cup granulated white sugar 2 cups water 3 cups white vinegar Pinch of salt and pepper Scrub 7 pounds of beets and roast them in a covered roaster at 400 degrees until they can be pierced easily with a fork. This takes at least one hour. I use a brush to scrub the beets. Then pour cold water on the beets and remove the skins. Make a brine by boiling together the above listed ingredients Cut beets in slices or chunks and... Read more →

Nothing beats the wonderful taste and aroma of foods made of freshly ground grains! You will also be getting all the nutrients naturally in the food. Most whole grains contain some oils, which are removed by commercial flour makers because they spoil after milling. For example, Kernels of wheat are a good source of vitamin E, but whole wheat flour from the grocery store has that vitamin removed, so it will keep on the shelf. White flour has much of the healthy fiber removed too. Grinding your own grains... Read more →

The nights are getting frosty here in Southern New-England and the garden is just about ready to be put to bed for the winter. But wait there are still some beets, spinach, lettuce and turnips to harvest. These vegetables are so precious this time of the year. As I serve them for dinner I will not be tapping into my winter supplies. I also have some tiny green tomatoes that haven't had a chance to ripen. I decided to modify my refrigerator dill pickle recipe and pickle them. My daughter... Read more →

Dry Beans are the best source of protein you can easily grow in your garden. In order to cook dry mature beans, they are normally soaked over night, and boiled until they are as soft as you want to serve them. This could be one or two hours, depending on what variety of bean you are cooking, and how soft you like them. Seasoning with salt, sugar or anything which contains some acid, such as tomato or lemon interferes with the beans softening, and should be added after boiling is... Read more →

Be sure to stop by our "Videos" and watch "Harvesting Flint Indian Corn at Seed for Security". From the home page just click on the word 'Videos' in green lettering to see a list of all of them. Our corn is ripe for the harvest. I began collecting dry ears three days ago. Around October 7th is my usual harvest date but this year the crops are about one and a half weeks early. How do you know when the corn is ready? The stalks will be brown and... Read more →

When I was a young child, I found a Con-Servo Steam Canner in one of my Grandparents attics. Being curious, I had to examine it carefully and ask lots of questions. It was a large metal box with a door and two sets of shelves like an oven. In the bottom was a pan for water. I was told a lot of jars of food could be canned in this at once, using steam instead of hot water. Most people were still pumping or even carrying there water by hand... Read more →

Yield: approximately 7 pints 10 cups finely chopped zucchini 4 cups finely chopped onions 1 green pepper, chopped finely 1 sweet red pepper, chopped finely 5 tablespoons pickling salt 2 1/2 cups white vinegar 1 large cayenne pepper with seeds 1 tablespoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons celery salt 4 1/2 cups of sugar Chop the vegetables and sprinkle with salt over them. Mix well. Let stand overnight. Drain the vegetables. Rinse thoroughly with cold tap water. Drain again.... Read more →