I much prefer the pace of March on a homestead than any sporting season on the planet! Seeds, baby birds, garden clean up, canning, roller coaster spring weather; I am here for it all. Another busy month flew by for us, and I genuinely can't believe we are already walking into April! GardenBaby Ducks Backyard … Continue reading Homestead March Madness: Seeds, Ducklings, Backyard Weeds for Tea, Whole Chicken with Herb Oil Recipe
In the Kitchen
Rosemary Oil Recipe | EVOO infused with Rosemary
I love having herb oils in my kitchen, and rosemary oil is no exception. There is no easier way to upgrade your day-to-day cooking than with some olive oils that have been infused with some dried herbs. This rosemary oil (one that's aimed for cooking) is easy to make and can be done with homegrown … Continue reading Rosemary Oil Recipe | EVOO infused with Rosemary
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Butternut Squash Soup Starter | with Carrots, Onions, Celery | Pressure Canning
This soup starter is a great way to get some butternut squash, carrots, onions, celery sliced & diced, and ready to go for cooking. Processed in broth, these vegetables can be used in soups, pastas sauces, or even left as a vegetable side dish, and are full of flavor! Here I go into tools you … Continue reading Butternut Squash Soup Starter | with Carrots, Onions, Celery | Pressure Canning
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Water Glassing Eggs | Half Gallon or Quart
Here I go into tools you needs, ingredients, and instructions to fill up either a Half Gallon Jar or a Quart Jar of water glassed eggs. What is Water Glassing?Water Glassing Farm Fresh Eggs | Half Gallon or QuartHow to use Water Glassed EggsFAQs That's It! Visit The Cottage Vegetable Shop What is Water Glassing? … Continue reading Water Glassing Eggs | Half Gallon or Quart
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Blueberry & Lemon Syrup | Water Bath Canning
Each jar costs me about $3.85; that's including the fancy wild blueberries we had too. Storebought comparatives (that are somewhat "natural") are $15 or more! This blueberry syrup has no food dyes, no thickeners, no artificial nothing. It's just blueberries, lemons, sugar, and water. It's very easy to make at home, and this recipe is … Continue reading Blueberry & Lemon Syrup | Water Bath Canning
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Bagels from Scratch (using Yeast)
This recipe is 5 basic pantry ingredients and about 2 hours' time total (from mixing to boiling to baking), and if you can make a cake, you can make bread. Here I go into tools you need, ingredients, and instructions on how to make bagels from scratch right at home, using yeast and not sourdough! … Continue reading Bagels from Scratch (using Yeast)
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Herbed Potatoes with Onions | Pressure Canning, Raw Pack, Potatoes in Water
Canned potatoes can be baked, fried, boiled, and even turned into soup. And for some reason, potatoes are more delicious after canning than in some fresh potato recipes turn out! And adding herbs and onions to the potatoes makes them even better. This is an easy raw pack method to get 7 pounds of potatoes … Continue reading Herbed Potatoes with Onions | Pressure Canning, Raw Pack, Potatoes in Water
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February: Time to get up and go! | Earache Herbal Remedy, Canning Season Starts, Don’t be fooled by this early spring!
Around here, our season of rest is done. The weather is breaking, the holidays are long gone, and it's time to move onto the next part of the year. And if you garden or homestead like we do, you know spring, summer, and fall are the best times of the year, so this is an … Continue reading February: Time to get up and go! | Earache Herbal Remedy, Canning Season Starts, Don’t be fooled by this early spring!
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Pork n’ Beans | Pressure Canning Red Kidney Beans with Bacon & Tomato Sauce | 7 Quarts
Pork n' beans come with many names and can be made several different ways, but around here we tend to treat them like BBQ beans and keep things simple. This recipe avoids excessive sugar, no molasses, uses basic pantry items like your favorite bacon, red beans, diced tomatoes, and some spices to make that sweet … Continue reading Pork n’ Beans | Pressure Canning Red Kidney Beans with Bacon & Tomato Sauce | 7 Quarts
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Canning Strawberry Jam | Low Sugar, Pectin, Fresh or Frozen Berries | Water Bath Canning
Strawberry jam is a pantry staple for our house, and canning your own is thankfully easy enough. In fact, I haven't bought storebought jam in years because all you need are 3 basic ingredients, some pectin, and a couple hours slotted away to make a batch. That said, I have learned that we prefer a … Continue reading Canning Strawberry Jam | Low Sugar, Pectin, Fresh or Frozen Berries | Water Bath Canning
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Canning Cranberry Juice | Water Bath Canning, Raw Pack Method
Cranberry juice is one of those fruit juices that holds a punch in health benefits: it contains plenty of antioxidants, vitamins, and polyphenols that help the heart and body. It's easy enough to find cranberry juice in the stores, but it's even easier to make it at home with fresh, frozen or even homegrown cranberries … Continue reading Canning Cranberry Juice | Water Bath Canning, Raw Pack Method
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Freezing Cinnamon French Toast | Vacuum Sealing | High Egg Count Recipe [Video]
My favorite way to preserve extra eggs is to make them into "non-egg" recipes: waffles, muffins, pancakes, and in this case delicious cinnamon French Toast. Duck eggs in particular, are great for baking due to their higher fat and protein content and are my preferred egg to use in recipes like this. Here I will … Continue reading Freezing Cinnamon French Toast | Vacuum Sealing | High Egg Count Recipe [Video]
The Cottage Vegetable 