Once you learn how to make applesauce at home, I guarantee that you will never want to get store-bought again. Not for fresh eating, and not for canning either. Why? …

Banana peppers are an interesting warm season crop to grow. At this time of year, your thoughts may be turning to making the most of this ingredient you’ve grown in …

Bacon is like no other protein. As a type of salt cured pork, bacon has a unique flavor profile that is above all savory and salty. Made crunchy or chewy, …

Did you grow ground cherries (sometimes referred to as cape gooseberries or husk cherries) this year? If you did, I’d bet you’re up to your eyeballs in pale yellow, papery …

Are you craving a taste of the tropics from your home garden? Consider the ground cherry. This humble berry is easy to grow and tastes reminiscent of mango mixed with …

A super spicy cultivar within the chili pepper family, the habanero (Capsicum chinense) is like a little ball of fire. Native to the Amazon and domesticated some 8,500 years ago, …

Keeping chickens on your homestead gives you far more than just eggs (and potentially meat). Chickens also help to incorporate organic matter by scratching, they eat pests that would otherwise plague …

Being a successful home grower involves understanding how to make the most of each and every crop that you grow. Experienced organic gardeners soon learn that not everything goes according …

While there are several ways to preserve fresh table grapes, making grape juice tops the list of most delicious ways to make those fragrant bunches last well into the winter …

Flowering bulbs (and corms and tubers) are early harbingers of spring, providing some much needed color and beauty after a long and dreary winter season. Aside from buoying our spirits, …

Raising perennial berry bushes on the homestead can take years of effort, often with minimal reward. A better option? Focus on foraging the wild fruit abundant in your region. Autumn …

Look, I already know what you’re thinking. “Beet wine? Is she crazy? That sounds terrible.” Of course, beet wine. Maybe a little. And no, it’s quite wonderful actually. But it’s …

When the warmth of summer suddenly comes to a halt, will your garden be ready for cold nights and beautiful, sparkling frosty mornings? Many gardeners know the feeling all too …

There are few fall pleasures as profound as biting into a homegrown apple. However, apple trees cause far more than their fair share of stress for any home growers.   …

When you live in a part of the world with distinct seasons, dutifully checking the weather forecast every day is a semi-annual gardening tradition. Sudden swings in temperature in late …

If you’ve been gardening for any length of time, you know that compost does magical things for your yield. But even the most active compost bin can’t break down all …

Am I the only one that grows herbs and then thinks, “Okay…now what the heck do I do with these?” I mean, for some herbs, it’s obvious. Mint you make …

With a bountiful apple season on the way, are you prepared for the work – and joy – that comes with preserving a hundred apples? Or a hundred pounds of …

Lemons are such an amazing and versatile ingredient, it’s always a good idea to have some on hand. The sweet and sour flavoring of all parts of the lemon fruit …

Compost always amazes me. You take scraps from your kitchen that you’d typically throw away, mix them with microbes and air, and dry scraps from your yard that you’d normally …

Elderberries are one of my favorite fall-garden attractions. Where elders grow, the glossy, black berries on their reddish-pink stems are a definitive sight of the season. Here on our homestead, …

Blueberries and basil go together like peanut butter and jelly. This flavor combo pops up everywhere these days, and for good reason. A couple of summers ago I was inundated …

We are always on the search for easy canning recipes that are not only delicious all winter long, but those that store well for several months too. As sweet as …

Keeping chickens is a lot of fun, but when you first start off, it can be so nerve-wracking. If you’re a nervous beginner, one of the best things you can …