→ 2009-09-15 07:56:19 (1 Comments)
August 9, 2010
Across the nation, folks are down on their knees, hands dirty, seeds and trowel clench firming in hand determine to grow their own food. With hard work, effort and patience this hearty lot of homegrown soildiers will be blessed up to their eye balls in produce.
February 23, 2010
Though winter is still lingering (there’s a huge storm set to pound the LA area this weekend!), it’s canning time again!
What’s in season is citrus and what’s on the stove top is marmalade! Thanks to a local, organic supply of citrus from Sergio’s farm we gals are back in the kitchen – jammin.
With the versatile [...]
November 18, 2009
by Anais in Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Homestead, Kitchen, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Skills & Crafts
The Jr High School “Harvest Homesteaders” canathon finished up today.
This time around we made up a batch of peach jam and spiced apple sauce.
Peeling and cutting the apples. I told the girls they should get extra credit for peeling and chopping the apples with an eco-plastic knives!
One piece for the pot, one piece for me, [...]
November 17, 2009
by Anais in Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Homestead, Kitchen, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Skills & Crafts
Jordanne & I gave a hands on canning workshop at a local girls high school today. Seven enthusiast girls made a batch of delicious strawberry jam which will be donated to a local food bank for the holidays.
The girls chop up the strawberries they got from the local Farmer’s Market
Using the handcranked food processor
MASH! MASH, [...]
September 10, 2009
by Anais in Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Homestead, Kitchen, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Skills & Crafts
It’s a messy, sweaty, steamy and sometimes sticky work; but the fruits of our labors are certianly worth the hours of labor.
With summer winding down, canning efforts have increased so that our cupboards will be stocked for fall and winter. Here on the urban homestead we try not to purchase any canned food products – [...]
August 26, 2009
by Anais in Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Homestead, Kitchen, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Skills & Crafts
Following in an age old tradition here at the urban homestead we’ve been busy in our preservation efforts – canning, drying and brewing.
Canning
Made a batch of jalapeno jelly (first time trying this recipe and was quite pleased with the results)
After straining the liquid for the jelly, saved up the leftover chopped peppers and added it [...]
November 26, 2008
by Anais in 100 Foot Diet, Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Liberate Your Yard, Pickling & Preservation
Our family are firmed believers that change begins at home. And “Home” is certainly a hot word these days and touted as “one of the most radical thing you can do.”
In the last year we’ve seen a growth of more and more people who are staycationing, growing their own food, preserving, being crafty and doing [...]
September 26, 2008
pink…
or should I say green and yellow. Pickling is in full swing here on the urban homestead. Putting up pickled dilly beans and peppers.
Without a pressure canner, pickling is a simple easy way to preserve the harvest using vinegar, spices, salt and into the hot water bath they go.
More on pickling vegetables.
Thanks for all your [...]
September 24, 2008
by Anais in Challenges, Community, Garden, Harvest Keeper, Homestead, Kitchen, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais
Another busy week of harvesting and preserving in our efforts to bring food security closer to home.
While the kitchen is hub for the harvest happenings and we gals hang out with the likes of Ms Guava and Mr Pepper, outside we shift gears into a fall garden mode.
In the kitchen, since we had an abundance [...]
August 13, 2008
by Anais in Brewing & Fermenting, Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Kitchen, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais
Going Back to Basics
Los Angeles chefs are happy to be in a pickle
Pickling is as old school as the patés and prosciutto that often accompany its results. It’s a technique born of pre-refrigeration necessity and the cyclical pattern of gardens.
Read full article
In a Pickle?
Do you have loads of vegetables and there’s no more room in [...]
August 7, 2008
by Anais in 100 Foot Diet, Challenges, Community, Garden, Harvest Keeper, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais
Zukes alive.
Tis the season when gardens are teeming with ripe veggies and fruit and kitchen counters, freezers and cabinets overflowth.
So with to do with the all the earth’s summer bounty? After all you can only eat three meals a day. Preservation (canning, drying, freezing, fermenting) is one possibility and swapping crops with fellow gardeners is [...]
August 1, 2008
The preservation efforts continue here on the urban homestead. Like our pioneer predecessors would say ”make hay while the sun shines.” It’s preservation time!
More scrumptious strawberries
Homepreservation efforts continue
An afternoon’s worth of canning: figs, strawberries and peaches
Collection of scented herbs and roses drying for homemade herbal teas
A day’s harvest of beans from the garden.
Homegrown Anna apples waiting [...]
July 25, 2008
Another canning day yesterday. Yep three days in a row – we’re on a roll! When the bounty calls you have to be there to answer – no ands, ifs or buts.
Yesterday’s preservation efforts were canning up some tomato sauce, marinated peppers and the rest of the ‘crop swap’ plums (the plums are absolutely delicious [...]
July 24, 2008
One of those days which are the same as the day before and the one before. Same dress (low impact living), same place, same thing…
Hmmm, sounds to me like a popular 90’s movie?
More planting, harvesting & preserving going on.
Stay tuned for details, photos and more.
Note: this post is not a complaint – just stating the [...]
July 6, 2008
by Anais in 100 Foot Diet, Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Liberate Your Yard, News, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Updates
Declare Your Independence
FIGHT FOR FOOD SECURITY
This July 4th PTF is excited to announce the relaunch of our new sister site for all you homegrown revolutionaries out there. Here’s your chance to connect with fellow food fighters from all over the world.
The site will features feeds for contributing bloggers, spot for highlighting ‘Freedom Gardener’ of the [...]
June 25, 2008
by Anais in 100 Foot Diet, Challenges, Community, Garden, Harvest Keeper, Menu Planning, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Production: Harvest Tally
One thing and urban homesteader learns early one – it’s all about records. Keeping records helps motivated you to better yourself each year, outline successes and failures, not to mention, tally up all those baby steps taken along the way.
Although we’ve always had a pretty productive garden since I can remember our growing efforts turned [...]
May 30, 2008
by Anais in 100 Foot Diet, Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, Homestead, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Supplies
As summer approaches and the onslaught of garden harvests is about to descend on gardeners across the nation, planting gives way to preserving. Fellow Freedom Gardeners and those who’ve joined the Harvest Keeper Challenge will be stocking up their homegrown harvest for the fall and winter months ahead.
Now, more than ever folks are relearning [...]
May 23, 2008
by Anais in 100 Foot Diet, Challenges, Community, Harvest Keeper, News, Pickling & Preservation, Posts by Anais, Updates
Psst, hey fellow Freedom Gardeners!
Challenge Icons for your Profile
Want to know what Freedom Gardens Challenges your friends are taking? Now it’s easy to find out with the new challenge icons:
Check them out on an Example Profile and click on the icon of your interest to find others who are participating.
To get these icons on your [...]
May 6, 2008
The Wartime Pantry
During the two world wars, despite the increased availability of canned goods, American women were called upon to put up their own food as part of their patriotic duty. Available tin was used for some commercial canning but most tin was used in the war effort. By this time, hot pack canning was [...]
