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Sprouting is Easy! If you have been interested in sprouting seeds at home, it’s always a good time to start. Regardless of the weather outside, you can sprout on your kitchen counter all year round, and in as little as two days you will have a batch of inexpensive, nutritious sprouts. Sprouting is also a fun activity for kids, and they can be recruited to grow their own little “garden” indoors. For the most basic set-up, all you need is a glass mason jar, seeds to sprout, water …

The Perfect Celebration of Fall Flavors If you’re craving refined sugar-free sweet treats, this honey ice cream is for you! It’s a great way to use that honey harvest, is perfect for hot days, and is absolutely delicious served over homemade apple pie! Even people who say they don’t like honey will enjoy this recipe. You’ll want to make this fabulous dessert anytime you’re craving homemade fresh ice cream! Why Use Honey in Ice Cream? Lots of people want to eat less …

Create Herbal Tea Blends When cool weather sets in, all of the comfort food recipes come out, but one area of kitchen comfort you may not have explored is blending your own herbal teas! Growing and gathering flavorful and aromatic plants for tea can be a year round hobby, but you can just as easily create your tea blends with ingredients purchased in bulk, peppering in your own farmed or foraged additions. Even a small amount of garden space can yield a significant amount of tea makings – …

If you’re wondering how to flavor homemade kombucha, you’ll love these ideas for using frozen fruit, fresh ingredients, or even essential oils to add a fun twist to your brew. What is kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented tea packed with flavor, fizz, probiotics, and healthy enzymes. It makes a great alternative to soda or juice and is even associated with certain health benefits. Health benefits of kombucha The antioxidants found in kombucha may help to prevent diseases such as diabetes …

I love tools that have multiple purposes. When choosing things for my kitchen, I keep that in mind! And oftentimes you can find purposes for tools beyond what they were intended or created to do! For example, I received my Butter Making Kit from Roots & Harvest and I used the butter churn to crank out some lovely homemade butter and used my butter paddles to press the excess buttermilk out of my butter and as I looked at the ridges on the butter paddles, my mind went in a totally different d …

Did you know that some dehydrated foods can last up to 25 years when stored properly? While that is true, I personally try to eat my dehydrated foods within about five years for maximum nutrition, texture, and taste. There are a few ways you can store dehydrated foods to extend the shelf life. The first is by using a mason jar, canning lid, and a canning jar sealing kit. The second is by using mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. Both are effective but based on how you use your dehydrated food you …

Learning to make things from scratch is one of the main goals of anyone who desires to live a homesteading lifestyle. Even if you don’t have a homestead of your own yet, learning to make things from home with whole, real ingredients can be a skill you practice! Long before you buy the farm! Begin with something simple! Like applesauce!!! What you will need: Food Mill Ripe Apples Stockpot Using a stockpot, some ripe apples, and Roots & Harvest food mill and you are on your way to fres …

I often wonder what my great-grandmother would think if she could see me now. In this fast-paced, technologically advanced world we live in, spending my days on our homestead rebelling against the status quo by slowly fermenting my sourdough starter to craft our homemade bread, churning butter by hand as I connect with my daughter through conversation, weighing out my vegetables while making memories with my son as we can, gathering eggs from our hens, and tending to our gardens and orchard. Thi …

I have spent many years making grape juice. In the past, I never used any special tools or gadgets. I would squish the grapes in a pot as they heated then pour the released juices and pulp through a sieve. It took me countless hours of work to yield just a few quarts of juice. I finally decided to upgrade and try a steam juicer. One try and I wondered why I had waited so long. It took just one hour of letting the juicer do the work for me and it was ready! I’m excited to share with you jus …

Sauerkraut is one of those foods that’s simple in concept, yet quite intimidating. It’s like sourdough bread – just a few ingredients and a little time transforms these traditional foods into nutrient-rich staples. Even I, an experienced home cook, have felt hesitant to ferment cabbage in my own kitchen. That’s the beauty (and brilliance) of the Kraut Kit by Farm Steady. Everything you need to make a simple batch of sauerkraut at home comes in a convenient little kit. The …