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55 Comments | Jill Winger

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

homemade cranberry sauce recipe -- you won't believe how easy it is to make it yourself!

*Slurp* *Plop!*

Ah… the lovely sound that canned cranberry jelly makes as you delicately extract it from the can…

Even back before my real food transformation, it always seemed out of place. I mean, you spent all day basting the turkey, and making the rolls, and mashing the ‘taters, only to have the last item you put on the table be this bizarre ridged cylinder of store-bought cranberry jelly. But hey– who was I to argue with tradition?

As a young newly-married cook, I had a life-changing moment: I realized you could make cranberry sauce FROM SCRATCH. (Ok, ok… I know those of you who grew up with homemade cranberry sauce are rolling their eyes right now… but you have to realize I had my head in the sand for a good many years…)

Ever since then, I look forward to making this cranberry sauce recipe every year. It’s sweet enough that you won’t pucker, but sweetened with honey and orange juice so you don’t get a sugar-rush from it either. It’s pretty much cranberry perfection. And here’s the recipe—>

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce (video tutorial)

homemade cranberry sauce recipe -- you won't believe how easy it is to make it yourself!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

  • 3/4 cup orange juice (about 2 large oranges if you are freshly squeezing it)
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup honey (see note below) (where to buy- affiliate link)
  • 12 ounces whole cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

In a medium saucepan, combine in the orange juice, honey, and zest. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cranberries and continue to cook them until they burst and the mixture thickens (about 15 minutes).

Spoon the cranberry sauce into a mold (or bowl, or whatever you want) and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, or until set.

Kitchen Notes:

  • I like to use freshly squeezed orange juice, but if that’s not available, premade orange juice will work too.
  • The amount of honey you use will depend on your taste. 1/2 cup yields a pleasantly tart sauce, while 3/4 cup is a bit more palatable for those who are unsure if they really like cranberries or not… Also, I’ve found that my cranberry sauce tends to lessen in sweetness the longer it sits in the fridge, so take that into consideration as well.
  • I love that you can easily make this recipe a day or two in advance– so it makes Thanksgiving day preparations a wee bit easier.
  • I adore the combination of orange and cranberry– they are the perfect complement to each other.

So there you have it, a delicious homemade cranberry sauce recipe — may your homestead table be full of delicious, from-scratch foods this year, without a single jiggly red mass of canned cranberry sauce in sight. 😉

Print

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

  • Author: The Prairie Homestead

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup orange juice (about 2 large oranges if you are freshly squeezing it)
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup honey (like this)
  • 12 ounces whole cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine in the orange juice, honey, and zest. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the cranberries and continue to cook them until they burst (about 15 minutes).
  3. Spoon the cranberry sauce into a mold (or bowl, or whatever you want) and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, or until set.

 

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe -- you won't believe how easy it is to make it yourself!
More Holiday Food Recipes:

  • Honey-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie Recipe
  • How to Cook a Pastured Turkey
  • The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe
  • Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

55 Comments | Farmstyle Sides

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Reader Interactions

55 Comments

  1. Dee says

    November 20, 2014 at 5:27 am

    Is it possible to can this recipe? I like to make a recipe called cranberry chicken and would love to have homemade cranberry sauce on hand.

    reply to comment
    • Ann says

      November 20, 2014 at 7:30 am

      Hi,

      I’ve canned cranberry sauce for years, just as my mother did, as I like having it all year too. I ‘used’ to use sugar 🙁 but for the last several years, have been using Stevia or honey. I also buy raw, organic honey, and hate heating it in that boiling water, but I also don’t want the sugar, even if organic. The Sucanut sugar should work also.

      When I can it, I use a food mill to separate the skins. That takes some extra time, but is so much tastier without the skins to chew.

      We just bought cranberries yesterday at Sam’s, who has a good price, but they aren’t organic. 🙁 One of our grocery stores does have organic cranberries, but they are very expensive. At Sam’s, the price is $4.?? for 3 lbs. My only complaint is that the popular brand they sell no longer has the ‘all ripe’ RED berries they used to have. Each year, it seems they have too many very light and even white berries….! You can also freeze the berries for later.

      Hope this helps.

      reply to comment
      • Barbara says

        November 20, 2018 at 10:16 am

        I made this cranberry sauce and ite the best I’ve ever made! So easy and a beautiful additive color to my me All!

        ★★★★★

        reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 20, 2014 at 2:08 pm

      I haven’t personally canned it, but here’s instructions for canning sauce: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/cran_sauce.html

      reply to comment
  2. Peggy Barnett says

    November 20, 2014 at 6:17 am

    I would also love to have homemade Cranberry sauce available year round. Wish they did not just sell this from Oct through Dec. After that you cannot find the berries.

    reply to comment
    • Ann says

      November 20, 2014 at 7:34 am

      Peggy, I just answered above what I do in order to have cranberry sauce all year. If you don’t want to can the sauce, you can buy larger amounts and freeze the berries. If you have a FoodSaver, it works wonderfully to keep them fresh for a very long time. With any berries I freeze, I put them on trays to flash freeze individually so they don’t all freeze together, and then freeze so you can take out what you want.

      reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 20, 2014 at 2:08 pm

      The berries freeze super well though!

      reply to comment
    • Sissy Williams says

      November 16, 2017 at 7:16 am

      I buy lots of Cranberries when they’ in season and freeze or dehydrate them for use later in the year. Don’t know how to can but, if I had loads of money, I’d buy that Harvest Right Freeze Dryer.

      reply to comment
      • Tammie Warren says

        December 10, 2019 at 7:37 pm

        Want to go over the top? Add 1/4 cup brandy while cooking. I can eat this every meal!!

        ★★★★★

        reply to comment
    • Susan says

      November 20, 2019 at 7:49 am

      I just put them in the freezer in whatever bag or container they come in. The berries are dry, so they don’t stick together. Then I have them year-round for baking, saucing, or whatever.

      reply to comment
  3. Tracy @ Our Simple Homestead says

    November 20, 2014 at 6:58 am

    For as many things as I make homemade I have to say I have never made homemade cranberry sauce….silly me! Thanks for the quick and easy recipe!

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 20, 2014 at 2:06 pm

      I think you’ll enjoy it Tracy! 🙂

      reply to comment
    • Rita says

      October 23, 2016 at 1:17 pm

      Home Made is WONDERFUL!!! I’ve never liked cranberry Sauce until my niece made the homemade kindnfor Thanksgiving one year! I tasted it not knowing it was Cranberry Sauce! WOW, WHAT a Difference!!! DELICIOUS!!! Her recipe was different! Not sure exactly without looking. But I think it’s 1 lb cranberries, bring to rolling boil and they start popping open (almost like popcorn) with 2 cups of sugar.
      Her’s doesn’t have the orange zest and I’m sure you could use honey instead of the sugar. Whatever recipe you chose it’s delicious I’m sure!!! And VERY Easy and worth every bit of the few minutes you spend to make it!!!

      reply to comment
  4. TracyEllen Carson Webb says

    November 20, 2014 at 7:06 am

    I love homemade cranberry sauce. In fact my children call the canned stuff “the abomination”. I always try to buy extra berries and store in the freezer for later in the year.

    reply to comment
  5. Jedonne says

    November 20, 2014 at 7:48 am

    I buy extra berries when they go on sale (or even if they don’t). I just throw them – bag and all – into the freezer. They don’t stick together b/c they aren’t wet from washing. When I’m ready to use them, I dump them into a colander and wash them just before I use them! Works great – especially for recipes such as this. I’ve GOT to try this one! My old one has the naughty “s” word in it! (sugar)

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 20, 2014 at 2:05 pm

      Yes– they freeze beautifully!

      reply to comment
  6. Ann says

    November 20, 2014 at 7:52 am

    Jill, forgot to say thanks for all your great recipes. I love your statement: The Newsletter for People who Love Farm Animals, Mason Jars, and Dirt Under Their Fingernails

    I wish we’d had the opportunity earlier in our lives to have a small farm. With all that’s going on in today’s world, it is vital to be self-sustained and prepared for the worst. My parents both grew up on farms in PA and although they didn’t farm, it was a small town and I had the benefits of being on the farms and my folks gardened all their years. We’re not at a place in our lives now where we could start all over, but know the Lord will provide our needs.

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 20, 2014 at 2:05 pm

      You are welcome Ann! And yes, He will provide. 🙂

      reply to comment
  7. cassia says

    November 20, 2014 at 7:52 am

    LOVE the latest email format linking to this post. simplicity is best 🙂 thanks for the recipe, too! love the blog!

    reply to comment
  8. Sarah says

    November 20, 2014 at 8:26 am

    We make everything from scratch but haven’t made cranberry sauce from scratch yet! I will definitely try it because I don’t like all the sugar in the canned stuff.

    reply to comment
  9. Joanne B says

    November 20, 2014 at 9:11 am

    This is my basic recipe. The only difference? I take my hand-blender stick and smooth it out. It is beautiful.

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 20, 2014 at 2:04 pm

      I like that idea Joanne!

      reply to comment
  10. Diana says

    November 20, 2014 at 10:02 am

    My husband’s family always used the canned stuff and served it sliced so that it looked like beets. The first time we made cranberry sauce from scratch, we were blown away by how easy it was and how much better it tasted. We couldn’t understand why anyone would use the canned stuff.

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 20, 2014 at 2:04 pm

      My thoughts exactly! 🙂

      reply to comment
      • Jill Winger says

        November 20, 2014 at 2:04 pm

        And the canned stuff totally looks like beets, lol!

        reply to comment
  11. Sheri says

    November 20, 2014 at 5:46 pm

    Yep! So easy and simple! My daughter has the job of doing the cranberry sauce. She makes one basic batch and a new recipe. My daughter like to experiment with the sauce. Sometimes she throws in other berries. It’s on if my favorite parts if the meal! I like tart and sour things. After Thanksgiving, I will use the cranberry sauce like jam. I spread some cream cheese on bread, then the cranberry sauce. Yum! I love leftovers!

    I buy plenty of bags of cranberries for the freezer. I throw them into smoothies or eat them raw. Yep! Raw! The first one zings, but after a few, they don’t feel so tart and I’m used to it.

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 23, 2014 at 2:09 pm

      I like using like jam too!

      reply to comment
  12. Susan O says

    November 22, 2014 at 12:51 am

    Jill – Thanks for this! I have made a similar sauce (with orange, but mine also has a little bit of fresh ginger) for years, but this year I really wanted to use honey instead of ALL that sugar. I was going to experiment with ratios before next Thursday, but now I won’t have to!

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 23, 2014 at 2:08 pm

      ooooh…. I love the idea of adding fresh ginger!

      reply to comment
  13. Gina says

    November 24, 2014 at 6:03 am

    I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner this weekend and oh my…. Simply wonderful!!! Will definitely make this cranberry sauce a family tradition!!!

    reply to comment
  14. mrsdmk says

    November 24, 2014 at 8:37 am

    I made this recipe last Thanksgiving & I’ll be making it this year too. My husband loves cranberry sauce and unfortunately he missed it last year because he was out of town. I’m looking forward to making it for him. I’m not a big cranberry sauce person myself but leftover sauce is great for making cranberry muffins!???? Happy Holidays everyone…

    ★★★★

    reply to comment
  15. Debra says

    November 24, 2014 at 9:59 am

    Hi Jill 🙂 Just love love love ur site! Love the content, love ur vision n passion, n love ur heart! Thx for all u do to provide us with all this valuable information!

    Im so excited to try this cranberry sauce recipe 🙂 How much does it make? Wondering if I need to double it to fill a mold?

    Thx so much! May God continue to bless you for all you’ve done to bless us!

    reply to comment
  16. Charlotte Moore says

    November 24, 2014 at 5:21 pm

    I just made this today. I used 1/2 cup honey and it seems tart to me. My husband says it is just right. I have never cared for cranberry sauce. All I had ever seen was the canned stuff. Last year I made my first and I think it had pineapple in it. I wanted to try yours this time.

    HAPPY THANKSGIVING !! GOD BLESS!!!

    ★★★★★

    reply to comment
  17. Sheri K says

    November 24, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    At our church Thanksgiving this year, several people commented there was no cranberry sauce. I want to make a big pot full next year. How many times would you multiply this recipe to make say a gallon? I know crazy question but it does sound good and I would love to surprise my church family.

    ★★★★★

    reply to comment
  18. JenZ says

    November 26, 2014 at 11:06 am

    This is simmering on my stove right now! I also made a sugar-free version earlier using xylitol and orange oil, so now everyone in my family can have a delicious orange-cranberry sauce!

    ★★★★★

    reply to comment
  19. SweetJeanette says

    November 12, 2016 at 3:08 pm

    I love turkey, bacon, smoked Gouda and cranberry sauce sandwiches … AND I have 5 lbs cranberries in the freezer! Woot!!! This is so timely. I can’t wait to do this. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    reply to comment
  20. Lanita says

    November 16, 2016 at 11:04 am

    My moms recipe uses one whole orange , 1 bag of cranberries .throw everything in the processer and sometimes organic walnuts for crunch , she used sugar but organic honey sounds good to me . Do not cook .

    reply to comment
    • Bumblebee says

      November 18, 2016 at 8:20 am

      Lanita, I had eaten this type of recipe once at my old boyfriend’s mom’s house and adored it! Couldn’t find a recipe for it, maybe this is it? I have organic raw honey too, to try. Thanks for posting. Mmmm….. The store I usually shop at, doesn’t have OCEAN SPRAY brand cranberries this year. First time I haven’t seen them. They carry another brand and this week is 2 for $4 and I think next week is 2 for $3. Our sales change every Sunday.

      reply to comment
      • Susan says

        November 20, 2019 at 7:52 am

        Thanks for the recipe, it sounds delicious and I love trying a new one every year. Orange zest is always good with cranberries, so is grated fresh ginger!

        reply to comment
        • Kayla- Prairie Homestead Assistant says

          November 20, 2019 at 1:23 pm

          Yay! We hope you love this one! 🙂

          reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 21, 2016 at 9:05 pm

      Sounds yummy!

      reply to comment
  21. Katerina says

    November 19, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    I wander if I could use maple syrup instead of honey, do you think that would change the consistency?

    reply to comment
    • Jill Winger says

      November 21, 2016 at 8:56 pm

      Hmmm.. I haven’t tried it– I would think it would work– just would impart a slightly different flavor.

      reply to comment
  22. LeeAnn says

    December 23, 2016 at 8:48 pm

    Love this recipe! I really like that it is made with honey instead of sugar. I end up licking the spoon after I make it. Perfect every time!

    reply to comment
  23. Vickie says

    November 7, 2017 at 10:15 pm

    How much is 12 oz. in cups? I have a large bag of berries and don’t know how much to use to get 12 oz.

    reply to comment
  24. E. J Atkinson says

    November 14, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    So – pardon my ignorance…if I make this cranberry sauce ahead and refrigerate? Do I heat to serve? Serve it chilled? Room-temp? Please advise. Sincerest Thanks!

    reply to comment
    • Wrefordmama says

      November 16, 2017 at 2:34 pm

      It’s all a matter of preference. I make the homemade cranberry sauce and serve warm as a side dish, then cold as a topping for homemade cheesecake!

      ★★★★★

      reply to comment
  25. Shirley says

    November 21, 2017 at 10:13 am

    I also grew up eating the cranberry sauce out of a can. I am 59 years old and this is my first time making it from scratch. I just want to know what is considered a serving…..I’m scratching my head trying to figure this out!

    ★★★★★

    reply to comment
  26. Briana says

    November 21, 2017 at 11:38 pm

    Thank you so much for the recipe. This was my first time making homemade cranberry sauce. I put the whole 3/4 cup honey and feel like the end product was too honey tasting. Any ideas how to drown it out a little? Maybe add more orange? Thank you.

    reply to comment
  27. Debbie says

    November 15, 2019 at 6:45 am

    I will have to try cooked cranberry sauce this year. We make ‘raw’ cranberry sauce and eat it with cottage cheese. Same ingredients as cooked except we chop the cranberries and not as much o.j. Add sweetener to taste. It’s a favorite around here. ?

    reply to comment
    • Kayla- Prairie Homestead Assistant says

      November 18, 2019 at 9:44 am

      Glad to hear it’s a hit! 🙂

      reply to comment

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  1. Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe – The Prairie Homestead » webindex24.ch - News aus dem Web says:
    November 23, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    […] Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe – The Prairie Homestead […]

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  2. NEW Holiday recipes…Wordless Wednesday | Agri-Cultural with Dr. Lindsay says:
    December 10, 2014 at 9:42 am

    […]  Homemade Cranberry Sauce from Jill at The Prairie Homestead — Four ingredients, and the perfect combination of sweet and a little tart! […]

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  3. Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes says:
    October 30, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    […] sauce from Recipe Girl features freshly squeezed orange juice. The Prairie Homestead’s homemade cranberry sauce is sweetened with […]

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P.S. if you have sunflowers and are wanting to roast the seeds, I just threw up a blog post with all the deets!

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Oct 15

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Instagram post 2155375013048437517_446098322 I’m back to my prairie after spending the weekend at Homesteaders of America conference. Virginia is stunning— I totally understand why so many of you choose to homestead there (although I’ll still never leave the West 🤪).
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I’m still unpacking my thoughts (and my suitcases), but stay tuned for a video later today— I’ll be sharing my biggest takeaways from the last few days. My brain & heart are so full. ❤️

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Oct 3

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Instagram post 2146559158512678282_446098322 Chicken Hack: Running short on roosting space for your flock? Just get a goat. #problemsolved

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Sep 28

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Instagram post 2143176903509473504_446098322 The garden didn’t give us much in the way of pumpkins, winter squash, beans, corn, or cucumbers this year (aka if we were real homesteaders depending on our garden for survival, we’d starve this winter…) but I did somehow manage to accidentally grow a lifetime supply of sunflower seeds, so I guess there’s always that. 😂

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Sep 23

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Instagram post 2139574228628940715_446098322 Dear Cows,
Thank you for making me feel better about being lazy and not using the garden lettuce before it went to seed. At least someone got to enjoy it. 🤷‍♀️
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P.S. I always plant leaf lettuce. I never remember to use it in time. EVERY. STINKIN. YEAR.

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Sep 10

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Instagram post 2130011933020167074_446098322 The cookbook has been out in the world for 5 months now, but I still am blown away every single time I see one of you making one of my recipes. Hearing the stories of how you finally made bread for the first time, or used your cast iron skillet after it collected dust for years, or roasted your first chicken, I feel like a proud mama. 😍
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To celebrate all of you being such kitchen rockstars, I’m doing a GIVEAWAY! TWO lucky winners will get an all-access pass to my Heritage Cooking Crash Course ($97 value). It’s my next-level curriculum for homestead cooks and includes detailed info on sourdough, fermentation, canning, curing meats, and more!
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HOW TO ENTER:
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1. Follow @theprairiehomestead & like this post.
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2. Post a photo of the cookbook (or what you made from it!) on your Instagram (either on your feed or in your stories)
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3. Tag @theprairiehomestead and use #theprairiehomesteadcookbook in the post or stories. This is how I choose the winners! (If your profile is set to private, I may not be able to see your tags)
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The Giveaway will run through Wednesday, September 18th and the winners will be announced here on this post on Friday, September 20th.
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(If you haven’t grabbed your copy of the best-selling Prairie Homestead Cookbook yet, you can find it at your favorite local bookstore or Amazon.)

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Sep 9

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Instagram post 2129365202179949758_446098322 You’ve been lied to, my friends.
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Those big food corporations? They want you to believe that anything made from-scratch is complicated, fussy, and ridiculously time-consuming.
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Except it’s not.
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I made this pie last-minute this morning in the middle of packing for DoTERRA convention trip, homeschooling the kids, and processing 20 lbs of nectarines that should have been dealt with yesterday…
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It’s not because I’m superwoman (because I’m most certainly not—trust me), but it’s just NOT that hard. Really. In less than 25 minutes of hands-on time, I had a from-scratch nectarine pie that I will give to Christian as a peace offering before I leave him home alone with the kids for the next 4 days. 😬
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Don’t believe the lies— you don’t need the frozen pre-made pies or the hydrogenated fat-filled refrigerated pie crusts. You got this.
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Check out my stories for my pie filling recipe and a step by step of how I did the lattice top! (And thanks to @nwcherrygrowers for the delicious fruit!)

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Sep 9

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Instagram post 2128758081725719121_446098322 Just so you know: in the event that one cannot find oxen for a Little House on the Prairie game, a pack goat makes a decent substitute.

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Sep 1

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Instagram post 2123440706877049266_446098322 “Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.” - Cecil Beaton
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I used to think I started homesteading just for the food, but ultimately, this quote beautifully sums up the deeper reason I was drawn to this old-fashioned lifestyle.
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I’ve never been one to go with the flow, to fit into the mold, to play it small and safe, or to do the things I’m “supposed” to do just because everyone else is doing it.
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That journey will look different for each and every one of us. But for me? It means choosing to grow vegetables even when we live in a harsh environment. It means raising our own meat, even though the styrofoam-packages at the store are so much less messy. It means standing in the kitchen canning green beans even though I can buy cans for 89 cents. And it means celebrating sourdough and fermented foods in a world obsessed with fast and convenience.
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How about you??
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