Homesteading

It happens to us all. We have this picture-perfect experience planned in our heads. You’ll wear a cute fall outfit with a cozy fall sweater; the kids will all have …

Warm and spicy, almost Christmassy, pickled beets are quite unlike most pickles. They go great with a charcuterie or cheese board, or layered on your favorite sandwich. And since we’re …

A quick note to our readers: We made the decision to pull this recipe from the website because it had a few factors that made it unsuitable for canning. First, …

When it comes to pickles, cucumbers are usually the first to come to mind. But if you’re a gardener or a gourmand, pickled red onion needs to be in your …

Quick pickles are incredibly popular these days. No fussing with canning in a hot kitchen, they take mere minutes to make, and they’re perfect for those who don’t have the …

Pickle season is here! And whether you plan on going all out and canning pickles to enjoy even in the winter months, or you’re a fan of quick and easy …

I’ve been making switchel for decades. Quite a few years ago, I introduced this summertime drink to the Rural Sprout community, and our readers loved it. As we head into …

It’s mid-March, and the soft magnolia buds are getting plumper and plumper. Any minute now, the fuzzy shells will no longer be able to contain them, and every single velvety …

You can keep your hot cocoa bombs. Hot apple cider is the way to go. And when you throw in a few spices, some pomegranate juice and honey, well, all …

If you do a lot of cooking, you likely go through herbs and spices much quicker than most. And if you’re anything like me, I’ll bet you go through garlic …

If “giftable” is a word, then allow me to declare this the most giftable advent calendar of the season. If you like fruit, if you like sweets, but especially if …

Whether you grow them yourself, buy a couple at the farmer’s market, or you’ve got a spare can of puree in the pantry, fall is the time for pumpkin in …

Mason jars are among the most useful containers available. They can be used for crafts, decorations, storing non-food items, and, of course, their intended purpose – canning food. It’s funny, …

Ah, the humble crab apple. How many of us have walked right past these tiny little apples growing in our yards and parks? Sure, they have beautiful blossoms, after all, …

Everyone has recipes for tomatoes – sauce, soup, salads, sandwiches, the list goes on and on. But when the garden season draws to a close and you find yourself staring …

At the beginning of the season, we’re all guilty of sweating our tomatoes. We continually peek at them, waiting for that first tomato to ripen to perfection. And when we …

When it comes to tomatoes and pepper plants, I’m always feeding an army, even though there isn’t an army in sight. I assume the worst and end up planting way …

Gardeners know the absolute joy of tasting a homegrown tomato, bitten into, right off the vine. It’s why so many of us turn our noses up at those tasteless things …

Kombucha is gaining popularity as a drink of choice not only for its delicious taste, but its health benefits too. Kombucha is chock full of probiotics and antioxidants. Many people …

After a whirlwind week of sauce-making and canning, I have myself a sizable heap of tomato skins. Related Reading: How To Easily Peel A Whole Load Of Tomato Skins Normally, …

Garden for long enough and you’ll eventually find yourself surrounded by so much fresh produce that you couldn’t possibly eat it all quickly enough. As far as problems go, it’s …

Watermelon – the official fruit of summer picnics and barbecues everywhere. It’s hard to imagine a picnic table piled high with hotdogs, hamburgers, sweet corn, macaroni and potato salads without …

I love sweetcorn season! Nothing says summer like golden ears of corn dripping with butter, salt and pepper, served so piping hot you burn your fingers trying to pick them …

Groceries are expensive. Anymore, I find myself spending $50 to “pick up a few” things when it used to cost around $20. Curbing my food waste is more important than …