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Chili is one of those things which is made differently around the country. When my Yankee father made chili, it was really a chili sauce used like ketchup. He simmered together about equal amounts of diced tomato, onions and vinegar and added dry pepper and some diced sweet peppers. Once cooked and mashed it would fit down a funnel into ketchup or soda bottles which had been washed and scalded. We used it up in the Fall and with all that vinegar it kept on the shelf good enough for... Read more →

I have been using this huge hand powered grain mill for a few months now, and I continue to be impressed. It is large enough to quickly grind a pint and a half of corn. The handle turns more easily than any of my much smaller hand cranked mills. With smaller mills, I usually make more than one pass to keep the effort low. First I crack the kernels, then I grind it again, adjusted finer and finer. The total time and effort are less when you do that... Read more →

I have a small anodized aluminum pressure cooker but I am not completely satisfied with the idea of cooking food directly in any sort of aluminum pot. In tests that I have conducted this pressure cooker used about 1/6th the fuel needed to cook the same amount of beans or brown rice as a regular pan. Aluminum is great for all types of canners, where the food is inside a jar, and will never come in direct contact with the pot. Aluminum heats up much faster and more efficiently, but... Read more →

I like both pumpkins and squash as Winter vegetables because they keep without canning, drying or freezing. Only a cool dry room is needed to store them. Use our Small Sugar Pumpkins first, they keep past Christmas. Waltham Butternut Squash keeps here into the early Spring. Combined you have dark orange colored vegetables for six months of the year. Squash and Pumpkins are not hard to grow in large hills. You should harvest at least eight to twelve fruit from each hill. Most families would get sick of eating... Read more →

This fast moving storm dropped 10 inches of extremely heavy snow on us in a matter of hours. Trees still had most of their leaves. With the heavy snow clinging to them, massive numbers of branches and many whole trees fell to the ground. Damage to power lines was extensive, Our electricity was out for 8 days. Some homes in our area where out for 12. That is the longest power outage I ever experienced. Branches fell across both of our vehicles. Luckily they landed on top of the first... Read more →

A Pressure Canner is required for canning meats and fresh vegetables without vinegar added. Although tomatoes are thought of as a vegetable, they are technically a fruit and the older varieties contain enough acid for water bath canning. Many years ago accidents did happen with early pressure canners 'exploding' so they earned a bad reputation. More modern pressure canners have multiple safety features. I'd still recommend you watch the canner during the whole time it is under pressure, and keep the safety relief valves or plugs pointed in a safe... Read more →

I just returned from a delightful fishing trip with my father. My only catch was a tiny fish which I threw back into the brook and Dad didn't even get a bite. Never the less we had a pleasant morning. My father and I have fished together as far back as I can remember. Dad told me today that he started fishing in his family pond at the ripe old age of 5. Dad is now 81 years old. Now that is a lot of fishing experience. If trout are... Read more →

Once you have your place to garden or homestead, there are a number of kinds of food you can harvest from beds or plantings which are relatively permanent. For example, I have been cutting asparagus shoots for weeks now, and the rhubarb is ready as well. Dandelions grow wild in our lawn and fields, but if they did not we could establish a small bed just for them. You could do the same for Cow Slips if you have an area wet enough. I grow strawberries in a garden... Read more →

Yield: 7 Pints 7 pounds of beets 1 cup granulated white sugar 2 cups water 3 cups white vinegar Pinch of salt and pepper Scrub 7 pounds of beets and roast them in a covered roaster at 400 degrees until they can be pierced easily with a fork. This takes at least one hour. I use a brush to scrub the beets. Then pour cold water on the beets and remove the skins. Make a brine by boiling together the above listed ingredients Cut beets in slices or chunks and... Read more →

Nothing beats the wonderful taste and aroma of foods made of freshly ground grains! You will also be getting all the nutrients naturally in the food. Most whole grains contain some oils, which are removed by commercial flour makers because they spoil after milling. For example, Kernels of wheat are a good source of vitamin E, but whole wheat flour from the grocery store has that vitamin removed, so it will keep on the shelf. White flour has much of the healthy fiber removed too. Grinding your own grains... Read more →