Blog

I save a lot of money for other projects by buying large containers of foods, and repacking them. This article will describe a few examples. I love to add garlic to all sorts of foods, and a very inexpensive way to buy it, is chopped and dried. Garlic prepared like this will keep on the shelf for a long time, if it is protected from moisture and sunlight. We use small canning jars, and repack the large tub of dried, chopped garlic, and store it inside a cabinet, protected from... Read more →

When I was a young girl, Spring was ushered in with freshly caught rainbow trout and dandelion salad. My dad and I got up early on the first day of fishing season and caught our limit. Mom would have some tender young dandelions already picked over so she could put them together in a salad. Oh what a wonderful lunch that was! I still love the taste of fresh young dandelions. Picked early in the season, they are tender and mild and delicious in a salad or steamed. The flowers... Read more →

The photo gallery has been updated to load faster. As always, feel free to contact us with any questions or comments at Contact Us Read more →

I keep getting this question emailed to me over and over again, asked in slightly different ways. For the longest keeping seeds, five to ten years or more, I offer seeds sealed in foil pouches. This includes Our Garden Security Collection, Our Garden Bean Collection, and two small grains. Hulless Oats and Winter Rye. These have been carefully dried and a desiccant packet has been added. They are properly prepared for even longer storage in your refrigerator. In your freezer they will last much longer, like Grampa Neffs... Read more →

Carrots and parsnips are both excellent served as boiled vegetables and cooked in soups and stews. They are hearty sources of carbohydrates as well as vitamins and minerals. This is very important to anyone who is actually hungry. We live in a time when diet foods are constantly promoted for having few calories. That is good for couch potato TV watchers, and those whose life's 'work' is behind a desk. When we need to be more active, we will need to eat more calories. Carrots are easy to grow, but... Read more →

I love all the members of the onion family, and the tastes they bring to our table. Claims are made they improve our health, and help our bodies fight disease. So why aren't I selling them, you ask? Onion seed has one of the shortest lifespans of any garden seed. Germination rates fall by the second year, so it cannot be kept for long term storage, no matter what you do to preserve it. Bulbs or cloves cannot be stored reliably for more than one year either. Onions and garlic... Read more →

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 →