When it comes to food, our goal is to raise and grow the best, nutrient dense food possible. After spending months raising quality pork on the homestead, using a pre-mixed package seasoning seemed counterproductive. While I have tried many recipes, this sausage pork recipe shared by my Amish neighbor is our favorite! It uses just…
When Philip and I moved to the homestead full-time, our goal was to live as self-sufficiently as possible. While we raise a significant amount of our food, there are staples that we depend on that come from sources outside of the homestead. Making maple syrup is a way to produce another staple product right here…
As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to fall, apple season is well underway. One of my favorite fall canning projects is a big batch of delicious homemade cinnamon applesauce. The aroma of sweet, cinnamon apples simmering on the stove is a warm welcome as harvest season finally wraps up. Once you’ve tried…
One of my favorite summer preservation projects is fresh salsa. There is nothing like the taste of fresh tomatoes, peppers, and onions that we grew ourselves in a perfect spicy medley! For years, I had made salsa with only Amish paste tomatoes, but I was starting to get overwhelmed by the abundance of cherry tomatoes…
Whole grains are one of the best foods to keep on hand, whether you’re stocking up to mill your own flour or building a pantry for long-term preparedness. Whole wheat berries maintain their nutritional value and last much longer than whole grain flour. Buying in bulk saves money and ensures you always have fresh, nutritious…
Buying whole grains in bulk is one of the best ways to save money, build your pantry, and enjoy healthier foods at home. If you are new to milling your own grains, knowing how to buy in bulk can feel a little overwhelming. Where do you find quality wheat berries? How do you know which…
In our modern society, many people have become accustomed to one-use products that we use and throw away when the job is complete. Even more so, many people use disposable materials in the kitchen. However, in past generations, the materials and kitchen tools people used were reusable. While I have used cheesecloth limitedly in the…
Like many homesteaders and hunters, we want to honor the animals we harvest by being good stewards of the harvest. If you have ever processed a deer, you may have wondered, What can you do with deer fat? For many hunters, the instinct is to toss it in the gut pile, assuming it’s part of the waste of…
When it comes to home food preservation, most home cooks are familiar with the most common sizes of canning jars. Â However, several types of canning jars are available. Each jar is designed for specific foods, batch sizes, and storage needs. Selecting the correct jar means preparing your food in the best jar sizes to meet…
Whether you process meat at home or buy meat in bulk at the grocery store and repackage it, proper packaging of meat is essential for long-term storage in the freezer. Knowing how to wrap meat for freezing preserves the quality of the meat, reduces food waste, and saves you money. While there are several good…
