Canning Apples

Earlier this fall I bought some apples at a local orchard.  A small bag cost $7.95, which I thought was high.  But, I figured the price for local food is going to be higher but worth it.  Then I found a local Amish store.  This week I paid $8.50  for a bushel of apples.  Do you have any idea how many apples are in a bushel?  A LOT!!  A bushel of apples is four huge grocery bags stuffed full.  So today I decided to can some of them.  It was my first time for canning anything except for the pickles I did this past summer.  I got directions from a website and simply followed it.  It was so easy.  The most time-consuming part of it was preparing the apples.  That's a lot of peeling, coring, cutting, and slicing.  I canned six quarts and am quite proud of my efforts.  And that was only one bag of apples.  I have three bags left and am thinking of making and canning or freezing some homemade applesauce this week.  Will also get some baked goods made and in the freezer.  I love having things on hand in the freezer for when company comes.  Here is a picture of my quarts all ready to be processed in the canner:  

And here is the finished product:

Home Remedies and Alternative Medicines

In trying to get back to basics and live more sustainably,  one of the things I've been doing is trying to depend on doctors and medicine less.  Don't misunderstand me - I'm NOT saying I don't think we should go to the doctor or take medicine.  I do think, however, that in general, people depend on them too much.  I have been doing a  lot of reading on home remedies, and have decided to occasionaly post some here. 
One of my favourite home remedies for headaches is lavender oil and peppermint oil.  You must make sure you buy the 100% pure, or Grade A.  It is best to buy these at a good health store.   When I get one of my bad headaches, I put a few drops of lavender oil on my forehead and temples.  Don't overdo it, because it may not work .   More isn't always better.  I also put peppermint oil on my neck and temples when I feel a tension headache coming on.  It really works!

The Ragbag

When I was growing up, my mother always had a ragbag.  I don't know the origin of this, but I imagine they kept rags in pioneer days as they didn't have papertowels or handiwipes : )  I have always kept up the tradition of having a ragbag since I got my first apartment.  Rags are great for dusting or washing walls.  I don't own a mop as I don't like them.  I mop my floors on my hands and knees.  And yes, I use a rag to mop with.  Whenever an article of clothing no longer fits or is stained and isn't fit to give away, it goes into the ragbag.  I cut it into various sized squares.  I like my rags on the small side.  I cut larger rags for my husband to use in his workshop and on vehicles.  Not all material is suitable for rags.  I don't cut up anything silky because it just isn't good to clean with.  Cotton and denim are great.  And flannel is wonderful for dusting.  I used to keep my rags in a grocery bag in the closet.  However, I recently bought one of those thingies that holds plastic grocery bags, and I filled it with my rags  and keep it in my kitchen.  It is much handier.

Apples, Apples, Apples!

This is the time of year for apples!  Saturday I baked two apple pies with apples from a local orchard.  One pie went in the freezer.  The other, my husband and I enjoyed!  I recently read an article in "Countryside Magazine" about how to use the apple peels and cores.  Usually my peels and cores go to the chickens, but this article intrigued me.  It was written by a woman who grew up during the 1940's .  Her mother was very thrifty.  By the way, anyone who wants to do homesteading or just live the rural life should get their hands on "Countryside Magazine."  We have learned so much from it in the year and a half that we have gotten it. 

Well, after I peeled and cored my apples for the pies,  I put the peels and cores in a large pot and added about one inch of water.  Then I simmered it on the stove until it all boiled down to applesauce.  Then I put it through a strainer to catch what was left of the peels and cores.  What remained was delicious applesauce.  I added sugar and cinnamon until it suited my taste.  I had never heard of making applesauce without using the entire apple!!  What a thrifty thing to do!  My chickens got the leftover peels and cores after it all boiled down.  Oh how they loved that!

I then put the applesauce in a Mason jar.  It only made one pint, so obviously I didn't go through the canning process just for that.  But isn't so much prettier in a Mason jar than in a Tupperware bowl?  What are you all doing with apples this fall?

                                                             

A Full Freezer

Well, I haven't posted in quite a while.  Have been busy.  My garden was a bit of a disappointment this year.  We have many tomatoes, but they are getting moldy on the top very quickly.  I am told this is because of so much rain.  I had visions of making jars and jars of homemade tomato sauce and stocking up my pantry.  It has been very hard to get the tomatoes to ripen all at once.  Last week I stopped at an Amish farm and found a wonderful treasure -  a whole big box of roma tomatoes - all for just $4.00!!  I quickly grabbed that box.  Saturday found me literally up to my elbows in tomatoes.  This was my first experience with both making homemade sauce right from tomatoes, and with canning them.  What a long process, and what a mess I made of my kitchen!!  After boiling down all those tomatoes I ended up with only three quarts of sauce.  I decided that it wasn't worth canning them.  Canning takes about two hours and a lot of cooking fuel.  Too much for just three quarts.   So, I decided to simply freeze the sauce.  It sure smelled good, even if it didn't look as pretty as it would have in mason jars. 

Our carrots didn't get too big, but I picked and froze those, too.  Our green beans did great, and those are all in the freezer.  I am still a bit intimidated by the canner.  We didn't have the variety of vegetables I had dreamed about having last winter.  The garden just wasn't big enough.  But I still wanted to have fresh vegetables without chemicals and pesticides.  So, I am doing the next best thing.  I am buying in bulk at farmer's markets and roadside stands and freezing the veggies.  I bought some really nice cauliflower for $2.00 apiece as well as some broccoli for $1.00 a bunch.  Also, zucchini and yellow squash.  My freezer is getting full.  My goal is to not have to buy any vegetables from the stores this entire winter.  I have a great start so far!!

Chickens and God

If you want to start a homestead or just start living more self-sustainably, a great place to start is by keeping some chickens.  They are the easiest livestock to care for and are relatively inexpensive.  Just feed and water them and you will be entertained for hours!  Our chickens are free-range, meaning they are allowed to roam freely on the property.  Chickens won't stray.  They stay close by and go right back into their coop on their own when it gets dark.  I believe that free-range chickens are the healthiest.  They were made to scratch in the dirt and peck at leaves and bugs.  We had one rooster that ate a frog and another that ate a mouse!

We have butchered three roosters so far.  It was the best tasting meat we ever had!  I felt some guilt over having them killed, but I try to remember that we are maintaining a working mini-farm, not a zoo.  It can be hard though, but I try not to get too attached.  Some of the egg layers we know will be around as long as they are laying eggs.  They lay eggs regularly for about two years.  Once they stop, some may end up in the freezer.  After two years they are probably only good for soup.  A few of the hens will live their entire life here even after their egg-laying years are over.  I have a few favourites. 

This Spring we acquired a funny little chicken.  She appeared to be a cross between a cochin and a Polish crested.  She was low on the pecking order and was often picked on by the older hens.  For this reason, I kind of took her under my wing, so to speak.  I gave her the name Fifi.  She had a fluff ball on top of her head which reminded me of a poodle, so I thought she should have a poodle name.  Because I carried her around a lot, she got quite used to me and would let me pick her up whenever I wanted. 

One day last week I went out in the yard and discovered Fifi's little body laying limply next to the new dog.  This was the eighth chicken the dog killed.  I felt bad about the first seven, but cried and mourned for this one.  "Why Fifi?!", I yelled to God.  There were 23 other chickens the dog could have got.  Why my beautiful Fifi?  The Lord knew that little chicken was special to me, and I couldn't help but think that He could have intervened and kept her out of the dog's reach. 

Throughout my spiritual journey, this thought has always haunted me.  Why do sad things that can be prevented have to happen?  Why doesn't He stop it from happening?  It has always seemed mean to me when He has the power to do anything. 

I know I must be growing because I didn't stay angry and question God for days like I would have in the past.  He simply says to trust Him.  I believe when He takes something or withholds something, he will give us something back.  Maybe something better.  Something that will help our hearts to heal.  I don't know just what He's goint to do, or when, but I do know He's going to give me a special gift to help replace the loss I feel regarding Fifi.  Isn't God good?

A Button Jar

I remember my mother always having a jar full of buttons.  Actually it was a coffee can which she had decorated.  I can still see it in my mind's eye.  For some reason I loved that jar and all the many different shapes, sizes, and colors of the buttons in it.  As an adult, I have always saved buttons.  Sometimes an article of clothing comes with an extra button in case you lose one.  I always kept those and put them in my jewelry box.  Recently I decided that I needed a button jar of my own.  I had bought a set of glass canisters at a thrift shop last winter.  I needed them to hold mixes for cookies in a jar that I was giving as gifts.  I kept a couple of the canisters for myself and decided that the smallest one would be perfect to use as my button jar.  I don't know why I feel the need for one.  Maybe as a connection to my childhood.  Maybe to continue a tradition; something from a simpler time.  I like the way it looks on my dresser.  Aren't the buttons pretty in their jar?