The Steady Home-stead 🏡
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Your guide to harvest preservation + work-life harmony...

Your guide to harvest preservation + work-life harmony...

Plus, which aspect of homesteading do you find most intimidating?

Cedie Omaña
August 13, 2024

Which aspect of homesteading do you find most intimidating?

In Today's Edition:

Homestead Tip 🌱
Poll Results From Last Sunday 📊
All Things Homestead: Simple Ways to Preserve Your Harvest 🥒
Personal Development: When Personal Meets Professional ⚖️
Today's Top Picks 🛍️
Let’s Keep It Reel 🤣

Brought To You By:

Your Top Guide to Houseplant Care!

Do you love houseplants? Join the club! The Wellness of Plants is all about the fun and fulfillment that comes from growing your own little green buddies. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned plant parent, there’s always something new to learn and enjoy.

Feel free to subscribe to The Wellness of Plants here!

Homestead Tip of the Day:

As summer comes to an end, it’s time to harvest the remaining warm-season crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini. Be sure to pick them before the first frost to prevent damage. Consider canning, freezing, or dehydrating these crops to enjoy them throughout the winter.

Poll Results From Last Sunday 📊

What type of beginner homesteading guide would you find most helpful?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Step-by-step gardening tutorials

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Basic animal care and management

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ DIY projects for the home and garden

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Budgeting and financial planning for homesteading

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Others (Feel free to specify your answer after you've voted.)

via @beehiiv polls

Feel free to participate in fun polls in our next newsletters! 😉

Also, follow us on Facebook and Pinterest for daily homesteading inspiration and updates.

All Things Homestead

Simple Ways to Preserve Your Harvest 🥒

So, you’ve got a garden that’s more bountiful than you expected, and your kitchen is starting to look like a produce aisle. What’s next? Time to get savvy with food preservation!

Let’s break down the basics of canning, freezing, and drying so you can enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of your labor all year round.

1. Canning: Capture Those Flavors

Water Bath Canning: Perfect for high-acid foods like tomatoes, fruits, jams, and pickles. You’ll need a large pot, jars, lids, and a rack. The process involves boiling your jars to kill off any bacteria and create a vacuum seal. Think of it as giving your foods a nice, hot bath that tucks them in tight for a long shelf life.
Pressure Canning: This method is for low-acid foods like vegetables and meats. It requires a special pressure canner that cooks your foods at a higher temperature. This is the big leagues of canning, ensuring your carrots and corn are safe and sound during their shelf-life slumber.

2. Freezing: Cool It Down

Blanching Before Freezing: Most vegetables like green beans, broccoli, and carrots need a quick dip in boiling water (blanching) before freezing. This stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color, and texture. Imagine giving your veggies a quick spa treatment before their winter nap.
Packing: Use airtight containers or freezer bags to keep unwanted air and moisture out. Label each package with the date and contents, unless you like surprise meals.

3. Drying: Embrace the Shrinkage

Air Drying: Best for herbs and hot peppers, which can just hang out in a dry, warm place until they’re crisp. It’s like a low-effort method that asks, "Got air? Then you’re good to go."
Oven Drying: Slice fruits and vegetables thinly, spread them on a baking sheet, and let your oven do the work at a low temperature. This is perfect when you want to make those trendy, chewy apple chips or sun-dried tomatoes without the sun.
Using a Dehydrator: If you're serious about drying, invest in a food dehydrator. It’s designed to circulate warm air and is more energy-efficient than using an oven for hours. It's like having a dedicated snack-making machine.

Preservation Tips to Remember:

Always Start Clean: Make sure your hands, surfaces, and tools are squeaky clean before you start. Bacteria loves a messy kitchen.
Stay Organized: Keep track of what you preserve and when. It’s not just good practice; it’s how you avoid discovering a mystery jar at the back of your pantry.
Safety First: Follow recipes and guidelines, especially with canning. Botulism, the party crasher of canning, is no joke.

Personal Development

When Personal Meets Professional ⚖️

Ever feel like you're leading a double life, balancing who you are at home with who you are at work? You're not alone! It's a common juggle, especially when your home might also be your workplace, like on a homestead.

How Personal and Professional Selves Influence Each Other

Values Drive Actions: The values you hold dear personally, like honesty or kindness, naturally spill over into your professional interactions. For example, a commitment to sustainability at home likely means you'll bring that same care to your professional practices, perhaps by choosing eco-friendly materials for your products.
Skills Cross Borders: The skills you develop in one area can enhance the other. If you’re great at managing your family’s budget, those financial skills can help you manage your business accounts too, or vice versa.
Stress and Success Feedback Loop: How you handle stress and success in one area affects the other. Successfully navigating a busy market season can boost your confidence at home, while a harmonious home life can reduce stress and increase productivity at work.

Strategies to Harmonize Your Personal and Professional Life

Set Boundaries: Especially important for homesteaders who often live where they work. Decide when you’re "on the clock" and when you’re off. This might mean setting specific work hours even if the office is just a stroll across the yard.
Communicate Openly: Whether with family or colleagues, clear communication about your goals, limits, and needs helps prevent misunderstandings and aligns your actions with your values.
Reflect Regularly: Take time to think about your achievements and challenges in both spheres. This can help you identify what’s working and what isn’t, and adjust accordingly.
Integrate Don't Compartmentalize: Instead of keeping personal and professional lives separate, look for ways to integrate them. This could be as simple as sharing your homesteading stories on your professional social media to humanize your brand or using your professional skills to organize community events at home.

Here’s to being the same awesome person in boots or business attire!