Well we are finally getting some snow instead of ice here in central Maine. Which also means that the weather is a bit warmer as well, thanks goodness. Last week was lazy for me. I did the minimal amount of housework, didn't cook very much from scratch and certainly didn't preserve anything. This week started off strong though! We delivered the last of this year's halves pigs to the butcher for our customers, which means 2 less animals I have to care for. We also got in our milking machine! It has already been a life (and hand) saver.
Today I started off the morning with some canning, and will finish off the day with some cheese making. However that's for another blog. Today we are going to talk about the things we have already preserved that we use the most in our household.
-First most important thing is tomatoes. I think this is a big one for every homestead. We do not can tomato sauce, however, because I really just don't have time in August to stand around a stove. We can our tomatoes diced or in quarters and use accordingly when the time comes. We often can them with other veggies that we need to put up, that helps with soups and sauces later on. We also add garlic and basil to the jars.
-Next is broth. I have digestion problems and sometimes a cup of just bone broth hits the spot. I also like to keep a soup in the fridge at all times during the winter. We also use broth to cook our rice! I make all of our broth from scratch, 90% of the time with bones of animals that we raised ourselves. My favorite is to take nice meaty beef soup bones and cook them down in the crock pot. Then I can the meat and the broth! Don't be fooled thinking your bones can only be used once though! If you cook your first round of broth for 16 hours or under, throw those bad boys back in the crock pot with some water and veggies for a second bone broth.
-Mixed berry jam. Ohhh our favorite discover this summer... I had some strawberries in the freezer from strawberry season and had just gotten done picking blueberries. I threw them together for an experimental jam and it might be all we make this year!
-Pumpkin butter was a new to us recipe this fall. It has gone fantastically in baked oatmeal and I plan on putting in our homemade ice cream this week! We found our recipe on That's 1870's Homestead Youtube channel. Check it out!
-Soups. SO. MANY. SOUPS. Not necessarily for the boys but more for me and little Stevie Wren. I have everything from ham hock and kale soup to beef and barley soup in pint sized jars on our shelves. Convenience is a must for lunch time around here. The ham hock, carrot and kale soup is probably my favorite. I have even drained the liquid out into a different jar and used the solids as a breakfast hash!
Those are just 5 of our favorite things that we can here. What are your favorite things to can and how do you use them? Leave a comment! Up next I will be chatting with you guys about all of the new dairy products we are trying, so stay tuned! Until next time, happy homesteading!
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