🏆 The Ultimate Guide to Canning Safety + Focus Hacks You’ll Love!

IN TODAY'S EDITION

1. Homestead Tip 🌱

2. Poll Results From Last Thursday 📊

3. All Things Homestead: Canning Mistakes That Can Kill You (And How to Stay Safe!) ❌

4. Personal Development: The Art of Focus 🤓

5. Today's Top Picks 🛍️

6. Let’s Keep It Reel 🤣

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POLL RESULTS FROM LAST THURSDAY

Do you trust that “certified organic” products are truly organic?

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes, I trust the certification process.

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Sometimes, but it’s not perfect.

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 No, I think it’s mostly marketing hype.

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ I grow my own so I don’t worry about it.

via @beehiiv polls

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

Also, follow us on our social media accounts for daily homesteading inspiration and updates.

ALL THINGS HOMESTEAD

Canning Mistakes That Can Kill You (And How to Stay Safe!) ❌

Canning is a game-changer for preserving your hard-earned harvest. But let’s be real, it’s not something to take lightly. A single mistake can turn your delicious home-canned foods into a potential health hazard. According to the CDC, around 110 cases of botulism are linked to home-canned foods every year. Scary? Yes. Avoidable? Absolutely!

Why Safe Canning Matters

Canning is more than just filling jars—it’s science. The process involves eliminating harmful bacteria, like Clostridium botulinum, which thrives in low-oxygen environments (like your sealed jars). When done correctly, canning ensures your food is safe, delicious, and shelf-stable. But if corners are cut, you risk food spoilage or worse.

Top Canning Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using Unreliable Recipes

• The Risk: Food spoilage or botulism.

• How to Avoid: Always use tested recipes from trusted sources like the USDA or Ball Canning. Never make up your own canning methods.

2. Skipping Sterilization

• The Risk: Contaminated jars and unsafe food.

• How to Avoid: Sterilize jars, lids, and tools before canning. Boil them or run them through a dishwasher on a sterilization cycle.

3. Improper Altitude Adjustments

• The Risk: Under-processed food that allows bacteria to grow.

• How to Avoid: Adjust boiling times or pressure settings based on your altitude. (Tip: Check your altitude online if you’re unsure!)

4. Using an Instant Pot to Pressure Can

• The Risk: Under-processing due to improper calibration.

• How to Avoid: Use a USDA-approved pressure canner. Instant Pots are great for cooking but not reliable for safe canning.

5. Over-Tightening Lids

• The Risk: Improper venting during processing, leading to seal failure.

• How to Avoid: Screw bands “fingertip tight,” meaning just until you feel resistance.

6. Ignoring Acid Levels

• The Risk: Low-acid foods (like tomatoes) can allow botulism growth.

• How to Avoid: Add bottled lemon juice or vinegar as specified in tested recipes.

7. Cooling Too Quickly

• The Risk: Jars may not seal properly, or food may be under-processed.

• How to Avoid: Let jars cool naturally in the canner for 5 minutes before removing them. Never run hot jars under cold water.

8. Neglecting Venting

• The Risk: Uneven heat distribution in the pressure canner.

• How to Avoid: Vent your canner for 10 minutes before sealing it with the weight or gauge.

Activity: Review Your Canning Setup

Take a moment to assess your canning process. Ask yourself:

• Am I using trusted, tested recipes?

• Have I cleaned and sterilized all jars and tools?

• Do I understand the altitude adjustments for my area?

• Is my pressure canner in good working order?

If you find gaps, address them before your next canning session. Safety first!

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Art of Focus 🤓

We’ve all been there: you start working on a task, but somehow, five minutes later, you’re scrolling your phone, staring out the window, or sidetracked by yet another “urgent” thing. Staying focused isn’t easy, especially in a world where distractions seem to multiply like weeds. But with a few intentional changes, you can minimize interruptions, stay on track, and get more done with less stress.

Why Focus Matters (and What It Can Do for You)

When you’re truly focused, everything flows. You work faster, make fewer mistakes, and feel a real sense of accomplishment. This is what experts call deep work—the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. And it’s not just for office workers. On a homestead, deep focus can mean planting an entire garden bed or finishing a day’s worth of preserving without wasting time figuring out what’s next.

Tackling Distractions Head-On

Distractions come in all forms, from phone notifications to unexpected requests. Here's how to handle the most common culprits:

• Your Phone: Keep it out of reach or set it to "Do Not Disturb." You can also use apps like Forest or Focus@Will to block distractions and reward your focus.

• Social Media: Set a specific time to check your accounts, preferably after completing your tasks. Logging in “just for a minute” can easily spiral into half an hour.

• Interruptions: If someone interrupts you mid-task, kindly but firmly say, “I’m in the middle of something. Can we talk in 20 minutes?” Over time, people will learn to respect your focused times.

• Mental Distractions: Keep a notepad nearby to jot down random thoughts or reminders that pop into your head. That way, you can deal with them later without losing focus.

Simple Strategies to Stay on Track

Building focus takes practice, but these strategies will help you strengthen that muscle:

1. Start with a Clear Plan: Know exactly what you want to accomplish before you begin. For example, instead of saying, “I’ll clean the shed today,” be specific: “I’ll sort the tools into bins and sweep the floor.”

2. Break It Down: Large tasks can feel overwhelming, so break them into smaller, actionable steps. If you’re planting a garden, focus on prepping one bed at a time.

3. Use a Timer: Try the Pomodoro Technique—work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. This keeps you focused while giving your brain little rests.

4. Celebrate Small Wins: Finished organizing the seeds? Great! Give yourself a quick coffee break or admire your progress. Celebrating small wins keeps you motivated for the bigger tasks.

Applying Focus to Homesteading

Focus is especially valuable on the homestead, where the to-do list never ends. Here’s how to apply these techniques to common tasks:

• Planting: Focus on one type of plant or one garden bed at a time instead of trying to tackle everything at once.

• Canning: Set up your workspace with all the tools and ingredients you need before you start. This reduces the temptation to wander off looking for something mid-task.

• Organizing: Pick one small area to declutter each day, like a single kitchen drawer or shelf in the shed. Small areas lead to big results over time.

Activity: Identify Your Top Distractions

Let’s make this personal. Take a moment to think about what distracts you the most. Is it your phone? A noisy house? Endless mental to-dos? Write down your top three distractions.

Now, for each one, come up with one solution to minimize it. For example:

• Distraction: Constant notifications. Solution: Turn on “Do Not Disturb” or put your phone in another room while working.

• Distraction: Family interruptions. Solution: Set clear working hours and communicate them to your household.

• Distraction: Cluttered workspace. Solution: Spend 5 minutes tidying up before you start.

Once you’ve made your plan, try it for a week and see how much more focused you feel.

THE STEADY HOME’S GIGGLE CHAMBER

What’s a bee’s January motto?

"Hive a great start to the year!"

TODAY'S TOP PICKS

LET’S KEEP IT REEL!

I've put together some fantastic farm videos that are sure to make you laugh. Take a look and enjoy the fun!

1. If only we could hear what our plants really think! 😂

@philoden_jen

🤣🤣 I was laughing too hard making this one. Enjoy! 😆🤪🤗🌱 #planthumor#plantfunny#plantmeme#plantcomedy#houseplanthumor#plantjoke#plantsoftik... See more

2. If you want to have a serious case of baby goat fever, watch this:

@zolikha_bouanan96

#goat #goatbaby#goatlove #mygoat🤤🥰🐐❤️

ENGAGE WITH US

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