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Since it does take some time to soak, cook and simmer Boston Baked Beans, why not cook larger batches and freeze or can some of them for later meals? The usual recipe calls for soaking the dry beans in water over night. Change the water a couple times. Then cook the beans by boiling hard for an hour or two. To save a lot of both cooking time and fuel use a pressure cooker for 30 minutes instead. I prefer to use stainless steel pressure cookers for cooking foods and... Read more →

Native Americans all across the USA planted these three crops for a very good reason. By combining them in there diet they had a base of complete nutrition. It is not just any kind of beans. corn and squash. You need to grow mature dry beans, corn as a grain and winter keeping squash. String beans, sweet corn and summer squash will not do. Neither beans or corn develop protein until fully mature and dry. Summer squash has almost no calories and not that much in the way of vitamins.... Read more →

If you are saving seeds to plant in next years garden you do! For example - All squash varieties are outbreeding which means they are insect pollinated. Squashes are divided into 6 different species and different varieties within the same species will cross readily. Crossing however does not occur between the different species. So what in the world does that all mean? O.K. say you plant Buttercup and Hubbard squash in your garden, you carefully save the seeds from each variety and plant them next year. Ouch what is that??... Read more →

I captured a video showing a flock of more than 30 Wild Turkeys feeding under my songbird feeder and in my front yard. To see click on the word video at the beginning of my other videos on my home page. Read more →

Here in New England, Fall is the Harvest season when we get ready for the long Winter ahead. There is great satisfaction as each thing we need is stocked up. It is such a great feeling to look into a full cupboard, see a large wood pile or know our fuel tanks are full. Seeds and herbs drying here and there around the house are a delight and bring real security. Learn now to save your own seeds and keep enough for a couple years ahead. Some preparations actually save... Read more →

On Sept 26, 2013 Nan posted a new video to explain how to choose fully mature ears of our dry Flint Corn to harvest and explains the harvesting and drying process. Click your mouse on the word "Videos" in green ink on our homepage to see all our Utube videos. Read more →

On Sept. 13, 2013 Nan posted a new video on The Seed for Security Utube channel. The title is 'Seed Saving California Wonder Peppers'. How to save California Wonder Pepper seeds, make pickled peppers and freeze pepper slices. Read more →

I made and bottled a batch of mostly Concord grapes into grape juice. This is an easy way to prepare fruit to keep on the shelf. It was still harvest time so I was very busy. Just one of the quart jars is just enough to make a batch of grape jelly later when I will have more time and a hot stove is even more welcome in our kitchen. The night before, I put enough clean jars in the oven, and turned it on in the morning. The... Read more →

Be sure to check out our video on Harvesting Flint Indian Corn. According to Suzanne Ashworth*, in her excellent book "Seed to Seed" Flint corn seed keeps "for 5-10 years ". I continue to highly recommend her detailed seed saving book. This figure is for seed storage in a cool dry room, not sealed in aluminized poly bags with a desiccant, Flint corn seeds not only keep better than Sweet corn, once fully mature it also is a good source of protein. Sweet corn is a... Read more →

The usual time of year to make sauerkraut in Connecticut is in the late Fall. After a few frosts, the huge heads of cabbage are a little sweeter and more tender. But mid Summer is a good time to make sauerkraut too. You will need more heads of cabbage since each one is smaller, but they are tender and and have more juices in them. The warmer Summer temperatures make fermenting faster and the room does not have to be heated to stay around 70 degrees here. The shredded mid... Read more →