Canning and Stuff

11/13/07 - 3rd Day - After Breakfast. Make sure you don't miss reading episode 4 of the Off-Grid Living for Agrarians series. You can find the links to the first three parts at the beginning of part 4.

We're still milking Holga and we are getting plenty of milk for the family, and some to give away and/or feed to the pigs. Danielle has been really busy rendering and canning lard, and canning bacon. I would have never thought that you could can bacon, store it in your root cellar and not have to keep tons of it frozen in the freezer. But you can! A neighbor has told us that we can come and pick up all the pecans we want out of his pasture, so I will likely be taking the children over there today (or very soon, if the Lord wills). Apparently people can pecans too...

Canning Pecans

Heat pecans in oven at 300 to 325°F until they feel hot, not so much as they lose any oil. Put in hot, dry, sterile jars. Seal and process.
--Water Bath Method:--
Place in 2 inches of boiling water and process for 30 minutes.
--Pressure cooker method:--
Place in 2 inches of water, leave weight off as steam escapes for 7 to 10 minutes. Put on weight at 5 pound and process for 3 minutes. Let pressure drop normally and remove jars.

So, we may be canning pecans as well... sounds pretty easy, and pecans are a great source of protein and good fat. I plan on planting several pecan trees this spring if the Lord wills it.

I really love the idea of preserving food, and it is gratifying to see things as they might have been in a homestead 100 years ago. We are currently canning mostly meat and protein, and I figure that that is the way it will usually go... canning vegetables and fruit in the summer and canning meat in the fall and winter. If the Lord wills, we will be planting a bunch of nut trees, and I have hope that our fruit trees will begin bearing next year, if not the next. I am very pleased at the percentage of our diet that comes from food we have produced here on the land, and I give thanks to God for all He has done for us.

David and I spread more gravel yesterday after we had two more truckloads delivered. We were able to spread all but about half a truckload, which we hope to finish this morning. I also plan on working on fixing up the pig pens this morning since Liviu will be working with me. I think with the four truckloads we will have about 100 yards of the front road graveled, which is pretty nice, since I think we covered most of the really bad spots. Anyway, we'll find out how much it helps, Lord willing, when the rains come.

Herrick Kimball has posted some thoughts on Christian Agrarianism.

Chad Degenhart has Agrarian Angst.

Peace Brethren,

Michael Bunker