It looks like more shutdowns are coming, so we are getting prepared. Even if you are super isolated like we are here in Wyoming, grocery stores get out of stock, shipping times get delayed, and we were caught a bit off-guard this spring for the first lockdown, and I'm not going to let that happen again. So I'm going to show you exactly what we've been doing slowly and methodically over the summer and fall to get prepared. Honestly, ...Continue Reading
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How to Can Tomato Sauce (My Favorite All-Purpose Version)
I've shied away from posting a canned tomato sauce recipe forever. Not because it's hard... Not because I don't make tomato sauce... Not because I don't have tomatoes... Mostly just because I've just been too lazy to write down my ingredients any time I make a batch. So there you have it. Now that's off my chest, I feel better. Anyway. Of all the things I can (like peaches with honey and cinnamon, canned apple ...Continue Reading
How to Can with a Water Bath Canner
I got my first water bath canner at a garage sale for $1. You would have thought I'd won the lottery. I left that garage sale feeling giddy... I kept wanting to look back over my shoulder because I was certain they'd realize I'd just made off with the deal of the century. I was a newbie homesteader back then, but I was on the cusp of adding canning to my homestead skill repertoire and knew that it was going to be something that ...Continue Reading
Honey Currant Jam Recipe
Homegrown fruit and I do not have a good relationship. The apple trees I planted? Dead within 10 months. The blueberry plant? It didn't stand a chance. The raspberry patch? I get about a cup per summer if I'm lucky. The strawberries? Maybe a bowlful on a good year. It's not entirely my fault... Wyoming's growing season isn't exactly conducive to fruit orchards. I gave up for a while, until I started doing ...Continue Reading
My Favorite Ways to Preserve Food at Home
Here it comes... The cucumbers, beets, and tomatoes are rolling in, with the potatoes, onions, corn, and squash not far behind. I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love it because it's the pinnacle of what we've been working towards since early spring (HARVEST!), but holy moly... it can be overwhelming sometimes. More than ever before, I feel like now is the time to have full pantries, cupboards, and ...Continue Reading