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food production – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Tag: food production

  • How to Grow Watermelon in a Pot

    How to Grow Watermelon in a Pot

    There’s nothing quite as refreshing on a hot summer day as a nice, juicy watermelon.

    Unfortunately, the watermelons you find in the supermarket are often conventional and even GMO. If you’d like to harvest some of your own this summer, you don’t need a whole field, you can grow them right in your backyard or porch!

    Here’s how:

    Container: 

    Watermelons will need a large, deep container, at least 2′ deep, so that it’s long taproot will have enough space to expand. Choose something sturdy as well, and with proper drainage.

    Soil:

    Watermelons like both sandy and loamy soil, with plenty of airy and well-drained substrate and a pH around 6-6.8. Well-composed animal manure is very helpful in achieving the right texture and soil nutrients for watermelon.

    Propigation: 

    Due to the taproot of watermelon, it will need to be sowed directly into your container as it does not transplant well. Sow 3-4 seeds in one pot in the early spring, as soon as temperatures are above 65 degrees. It should sprout within 6-10 days, after that, choose the heartiest seedling and thin out the rests.

    Placement: 

    Watermelons like lots of sun so be sure to place them somewhere they will get direct sunlight for at least 6 hours out of the day. They will also want to climb, so a sturdy trellis is very important. This can be placed directly in the pot once the plant is big enough to train up it, or you can place the pot at the bottom of a freestanding trellis.

    Watering:

    Watermelon, true to its name, is a very thirsty plant, so you will want to make sure it gets plenty of water and also is draining properly. Water at least once a day.

    Care:

    Fertilize accordingly for both growth and fruiting, and make sure to prune appropriately. This means removing any sickly or weak branches, and try to keep a central stalk by removing any extra branches as they sprout.

    Harvesting: 

    Harvest time will vary from plant to plant, but it is typically around 30-50 days after flowering. When the fruit is ripe, it won’t look any different than the younger fruit, so you’ll have to “thump” the side of the fruit to see if it sounds dead and hollow; that’s how you know it’s ripe!

     

    Enjoy!

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  • First Time Butchering Chickens (Video)

    First Time Butchering Chickens (Video)

    Being able to raise and butcher your own animals is a dream of many aspiring homesteaders.

    I think a lot of people don’t think about what it actually involves to butcher chickens, and in this video, you hear the account of some novice homesteaders trying to butcher two roosters for the first time.

    Chickens are feisty and evasive, and it’s never as simple as simply grabbing them, killing them, and roasting up dinner, and you’ll hear the various challenges this couple faced when they spontaneously agreed to take two roosters for butchering.

    They did do a bit of research before butchering the roosters, so you can both learn from their mistakes as well as the knowledge they acquired along the way.

    I’m a big fan of learning by doing, and I think this couple’s haphazard experience will probably help them a lot for the next time they butcher chickens, and, thanks to the magic of the internet, we can learn from them too!

    If you are planning on butchering chickens but haven’t ever done it before, this is definitely a great video to watch, and I learned a lot. Enjoy!

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  • How to Safely Handle Raw Milk

    How to Safely Handle Raw Milk

    Probably the primary appeal of having a family cow is the delicious, nutritious and plentiful milk you can get from her. Raw milk, meaning fresh, unpasteurized milk, has many more beneficial enzymes and bacteria than store-bought milk.

    But it is important to handle it safely to maintain optimum freshness and sanitation. This is particularly important if you plan on selling your raw milk. If you want to sell your milk, make sure to check your local laws. In some states, it is highly illegal to sell raw milk. In other places, there may be certain restrictions. But even if you just want to share with friends and family or just keep it yourself, it’s always best to use safe, clean practices to maintain the quality, nutritional content, and longevity of the milk.

    Here is a simple guide to safe raw milk practices:

    1. Prepare your milking area

    You will want to have a proper set-up for milking. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but a dry, covered area, with a place to tie up your cow and feed her as well as space to comfortably sit by her, is probably all you need. You will also want a place that will either have a sink or be in close proximity to the area where you will clean your milking equipment.

    2. Have the right Equipment

    Again you won’t need anything fancy, but a good, stainless steel bucket for milking is ideal, especially with a top to keep the milk protected. Stainless steel is easier to clean than plastic and will withstand possible kicks from a grumpy or restless cow. You may also want some soft, cotton rags to wipe the teat while milking.

    3. Sanitize

    Before milking, you will want to make sure you have properly washed your bucket, hands, and cow’s teat thoroughly. Some people use a small amount of bleach, but hot water and soap should be sufficient.

    4. Practice

    When you first start milking, it might take some practice to keep the milk clean. You are ultimately trying to keep the milk from getting any debris like manure or dirt in it, so if that happens, you won’t want to drink that milk. You can give it to your other animals.

    5. Strain the milk

    You can use a coffee filter, fine mesh strainer, or strainer made specifically for milk, but the idea is to get out as much debris as you can.

    6. Cool the milk

    As soon as you are done milking, you will want to cool your milk as quickly as possible. Some people even keep reusable ice packs at the bottom of their bucket. When your milk is strained into the bottles or jars you want to use (which should be properly cleaned and sanitized first as well), put them in the freezer for an hour-set the timer so you don’t forget about them! And then transfer to the fridge. You can now use as you would any other milk, although because it is raw it might not last as long, but it’s so delicious that might not be a problem for your family!

     

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  • Are Vertical Farms The Future Of Agriculture?

    Are Vertical Farms The Future Of Agriculture?

    When space is tight and the demand for food is high, vertical farms might be the best answer. Check out this piece from PBS on the subject.

    Here are some fun facts about vertical farms. If you are interested in building your own vertical farm, https://homesteaderdepot.com/supports-for-vertical-gardens-infographic/here are some alternative or unique supports you could use to get started.

    How to get started with Aquaponics.

    Vertical Farming

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  • Tips for Making Your Own Crispy Pickles

    Tips for Making Your Own Crispy Pickles

    Do you and your family love the taste of fresh crunchy pickles? If you do, and you are a homesteader, you have probably been trying to make your own pickles. It is not a difficult process, but you might’ve found that pickles you’ve made don’t quite have the same snap and crunch that you really like. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with soggy, bendy pickles for much longer. Just use the tips that follow and you will find that your pickles will have a much more significant crunch.

    One of the first things you want to do is make sure you’re using the freshest cucumbers possible. When you go to the grocery store to buy cucumbers or, even better since you are a homesteader, go out to the garden and pick the cucumbers, you want to use them right away. The fresher the better, as this will typically mean the texture is going to be crisper.

    Another good tip is to cut off the blossom end of the cucumbers. This is one of the best ways to make sure the cucumbers are nice and crisp. The reason for this is because this area of the cucumber has microbes that can cause the pickles to become soft. Also, make sure that you do not keep the pickles in the canning pot for too long. Be aware of what the timer says when you are making the pickles and take them off right away. Otherwise, the additional heat has the potential to soften the texture. Just make sure they have enough heat to kill any bacteria that may be on the vegetables.

    Now that you have a few more tips on your belt for making pickles, get out there grab some cucumbers so you can start making the best pickles of your pickling career!

     

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  • The Cost-Effectiveness of Homestead Pigs

    The Cost-Effectiveness of Homestead Pigs

    A lot of people don’t like pigs because they’re stinky, dirty and loud. But most people won’t object to bacon, ribs or pork chops. And this is a pretty good reason to have pigs, and why most people raise them!

    Not only are pigs delicious, however, they are also very cost-effective sources of meat, especially if you are looking to be more or totally self-sufficient. Larger meat animals like cows need a lot of space, and smaller meat animals don’t yield anywhere near as much meat.

    But pigs are just perfect! Here are some reasons why they are economical choices for the homestead:

    Space

    As opposed to cows or even goats, pigs need much less space to live. Of course, the bigger the space, the less offensive the smell, but you can keep your pigs in a pen with a minimum of 20 square feet per fully-grown hog. Given how large pigs can get, this is a great use of small space on a homestead for a big meat yield.

    Quick Growth

    It takes about 12 to 18 months until you can butcher a cow. However, if you buy a weaned piglet and give it 24/7 access to food, you can butcher it and fill your freezer up in as little as four months! Buying a piglet every six months will more than exceed your yearly bacon quota.

    Waste Not, Want Not

    One really fantastic advantage of pigs is that you can feed them your slop! Homesteads often produce lots of scraps from the garden or food processing, so you will have to spend very little on pig food if you regularly feed them scraps from your kitchen and garden. Plus it adds variety to their diet!

    Multiple Babies

    Cows only have one or maybe two calfs at a time, but pigs have whole litters! To breed them you will of course need a male and a female, but you can quickly turn your two pigs into nine or ten, which means more pork than you will know what to do with.

    Overall Cost

    Piglets are very affordable, especially compared to weaned calfs that can cost hundreds of dollars. Your average weaned piglet can cost about $50-$100 (depending on your area). And given how much meat you can get in such a short period of time, this is a steal! Add that to the small amount of space they need, how much you can supplement their diet with scraps and how easily you can multiply your herd, this makes pigs a very economical choice for the homestead.

  • How to Make Goat Cheese

    How to Make Goat Cheese

    Goats are such wonderful homestead animals, for many reasons, but of course, at the top that list is plenty of fresh, raw, delicious goat cheese!

    Goat cheese is great not only because it is delicious and nutritious, but if you do have goats, you probably also have lots of extra milk. Making your own cheese can be a great way to use it up, and you can even sell it at the farmer’s market or right out of your homestead-goat cheese has gotten very popular in recent years and many folks are willing to pay top dollar for fresh, local, homemade goat cheese right from the farmer.

    There are fancier ways to make goat cheese than the following recipe, but this is just by far the simplest and doesn’t require anything special at all. Let’s begin!

    Farmer’s Cheese

    *2 quarts of milk

    * ¼ cup vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, or citric acid

    • Heat the milk on low on a skillet, carefully, until the milk is about 185 degrees or almost boiling, then quickly remove from heat
    • Add your acidic medium, and cover for about fifteen minutes. The milk should start to separate, meaning you will see a distinct difference between the yellowish “whey” and the “curds” which are, well, curdled chunks.
    • Slowly ladle the curds into a colander (you can set aside the whey and use for other cooking or fermenting projects) that has been lined with cheesecloth
    • Tie the corners of the cloth together and hang; and easy way to do this is to secure the bundle with a string, tie to a wooden spoon, and suspend over a bowl in the refrigerator.
    • Let the additional whey strain for about 12-24 hours in the refrigerator, occasionally checking the consistency of the cheese until it is to your liking. Then place in an airtight container and use over the next five to seven days.

    And that’s it! Super simple delicious goat cheese made right at home! Have you ever made goat cheese?

     

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  • How to Make Your Own Butter

    How to Make Your Own Butter

    You don’t have to have your own cow to make butter at home, although of course it helps. There’s nothing like fresh, homemade butter from your own dairy cow to make you feel like the ultimate self-reliant homesteader. But even urban homesteaders can easily whip (literally) up their own batch of delicious homemade butter with raw milk from a farmer or even cream from the store.

    The ingredients and process are simple: cream + agitation + time = butter. The process of making butter basically involves agitating the cream long enough to separate the fat from what will become buttermilk (so you’re really getting two dairy products out of this) into delicious creamy butter. You mostly just need patience and maybe a little practice, but with today’s modern kitchen gadgets, it’s pretty simple compared to spending hours in the barn with an old-fashioned butter churner!

    She doesn't look too happy!
    She doesn’t look too happy!

    What you need

    • Cream, either from the top of fresh, raw cow’s milk or purchased at the store. If it is store-bought, make sure it is organic, preferably grass-fed and never ultra-pasteurized
    • 1 tbs buttermilk, either from the store or left over from a previous batch of butter
    • A stand mixer, food processor or blender

    What you do

    1. If using fresh milk separate the cream from the milk. It will usually be right on the top if the milk has been resting and you can spoon it off. You’d ideally like to have a cup or so, but use what you can get!
    2. Combine the buttermilk with and cream in a container you can seal and leave on the counter for eight hours. This will culture the cream, which allows the bacteria to convert the sugars in the milk into lactic acid.
    3. After 8 hours, you’re ready to churn! Put the mixture in your blender, stand mixer or food processor, and mix on low.
    4. This will take some time, but the cream will slowly start to get lumpier until eventually, it’s completely separated from the buttermilk until it looks distinctly like clumps of butter floating in milk. You should be able to take the butter out and loosely pack into a form (which might not happen until after the next step). Strain the buttermilk off the butter and continue to try to gather it into a ball.
    5. Finally, rinse the butter in water, kneading and forming as you go. After a few minutes, you should have a nice, smooth ball of butter. You can now salt as desired or even add herbs or garlic!
    6. Keep the butter and buttermilk in the fridge for up to a week, or if you plan to keep either for longer, in the freezer.

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