Our Pioneer Ancestors Rendered Lard on a Regular Basis. Did They Know Something We Don’t? A lot of people are quick to say “no” to lard as a cooking ingredient. That’s unfortunate. They certainly have their reasons, and some are well-founded, but lard isn’t the bad guy that many … [Read more...]
The World’s Oldest Bread Recipe – Just 3 Ingredients
People have been making bread for thousands of years. In fact, there is evidence of people making bread as far back as 30,000 years ago. Unfortunately, prehistoric men didn't write down their bread recipes on clay tablets. However, we have a good idea of what those recipes … [Read more...]
8 Foods You Should Never Put In The Refrigerator
Most people are storing their food wrong and don’t even know it. By refrigerating non-refrigerable goods, you are likely causing your food to spoil faster than it should. You might be thinking that the fridge is like a cryogenic chamber where time moves slower, right? Wrong! … [Read more...]
5 Off-Grid Water Sources and Systems
A dry homestead, or one that relies on municipal water lines, is not a sustainable homestead. When creating an off-grid water system, whether it is for primary or backup use, it is wise to set up multiple options in order to maximize your self-reliance. Rural homesteaders and … [Read more...]
50 Staple Foods That Should Be In Every Cook’s Kitchen
A well-stocked pantry offers peace of mind. When you have all the basic cooking supplies on hand, you can be ready to prepare a meal on short notice and without the time and expense of running to the store for ingredients. Every family is a little bit different in terms of … [Read more...]
How to Cook on a Wood Stove + 9 Cooking Tips
Cooking on a wood stove requires a bit of patience at first, but the delicious rewards make the learning process well worth it. Having a wood cook stove or a wood burning stove will allow you to heat your home and cook food during a disaster where the power grid fails. You can … [Read more...]
6 Ways People Stored Food Before Refrigerators
Long before the modern conveniences of refrigeration, people were storing their food using time-tested methods. Many modern homesteaders are learning and honing these skills as a way to preserve their harvest and continue to serve their families home-grown, home-raised food … [Read more...]
10 Tasty Recipes That Use Acorns
Did you know that you might have a bountiful and nutritious food source right at your feet this fall? Acorns are much more than something to rake up with your leaves and deposit into your compost pile. With a little preparation and know-how, you can eat them as you would other … [Read more...]
20 Strange Meals People Ate During The Great Depression
The Great Depression brought out both the resiliency and ingenuity of literally millions of people. With few options, people had to make do with what was on hand. Clothes were sewn with spare flour sacks and shoes repaired with cardboard. Food, however, is where things got … [Read more...]
Off Grid Coffee Roasting and Brewing
If you're prepper or homesteader who also loves coffee, then at some point you probably asked yourself, "How can I drink coffee while living off the grid?" If going to the grocery store or a coffee shop isn't an option, you'll need another way to feed your addiction. Of … [Read more...]
Canning vs Dehydrating: Which Method is Better?
As a homesteader, you enjoy growing your own fruits and vegetables, and fresh is always the best choice for taste and nutrition. But what can you do to preserve some of your harvest for the rest of the year? Two tried and true options are canning and dehydrating. Both methods … [Read more...]
10 Best Campfire Snacks
One of the main highlights of any camping trip is cooking food over the campfire. The warmth of the fire, the smell of the air, the company of loved ones, and the delicious meals--nothing beats it! When I was a kid, I relished those times. Unfortunately, my parents weren't … [Read more...]
Simple and Delicious Pemmican Recipe
European explorers learned all kinds of things from Native Americans. Fish as fertilizer, the three sisters gardening method, and the process of making pemmican. The word comes from the Algonquin language known as Cree and the direct translation is rendered fat. Because of the … [Read more...]
Fermentation 101: How to Make Yogurt, Sauerkraut, Apple Cider Vinegar, and More
It Boggles the Mind to Think that Allowing Food to Rot Would Make it Taste Better, Last Longer, and Actually Be Good for You… But it Does. We eat this stuff all the time and don’t even know it. Everything from bread and cheese to beer, wine, and simple things like sauerkraut, … [Read more...]
14 Foods That Store Well in Root Cellars
Root cellars are one of the best ways to store food, whether you're a prepper or a homesteader. One of the reasons they're so great is that they're able to keep a pretty constant temperature year-round. During the summer, well-insulated root cellars will stay cool even when … [Read more...]
DIY Cinder Block Grill
Have you ever thought about building your own grill? Most people wouldn't even consider doing this. They're afraid they don't have enough knowledge or that it would be way too much work. But after watching this video from Dr. Stewart Productions, you'll realize that building a … [Read more...]
