Getting Off The Grid - That Dirty Word!

I have been so happy in my little world of hot weather and vegetable gardening. Still gathering in mid October. 

Last night I heard the dirty word, cold. Yes the weather lady said by Monday night it would be a crispy 39 degrees and in these woods that could mean a frost/freeze for me since its somewhat colder.

This week I have had this drive deep inside to home can food, maybe it stems from hurricane Michael, maybe its just me.

I have home canned 72 pints of mixed greens, mustard and turnip, kale and collards. But I gave someone in Florida a case to take home with them, so I have 60 pints so far, I may can more this evening. I will try to gather more this week to get them done, just in case. Besides canning for myself I have cooked and frozen two quarts and gave them to an elderly lady and cooked and froze 2 more quarts for my sister, I have picked and gave away so many grocery sacks packed with greens, mostly to the elderly, a few sacks for my friend, I do think I was blessed with greens this year. I give thanks to God.

While at Walmart I seen carrots for .94 per two pounds so I bought a couple, making four pounds. I home canned six pints, sliced, and I made Lentil soup with the rest, I got six pints of soup. 

I had left over beef roast, not much, but I had plenty of broth so I made seven pints of vegetable beef soups.

The hickory nuts are falling and there seems to be many this year, I reckon I need to get the hammer out and try to smash them enough to pick some of the goody out. I hate to waste them and not many people wants to try and pick them. However, my friend did ask for some to try and I took her about a half sack.


We picked the lemons off the small tree I have in a huge pot, there were 17 this year and they smell so good!

I will began to prepare for wintertime, heat, I need to try out the heater one day soon before it get really cold.

How are you doing on your homestead? 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

How To Home Can Greens - Getting Off The Grid

Fall is the time to enjoy greens of all kinds, especially turnip greens, mustard greens , kale  and collards. 

There is no sense in letting them go to waste, home can them for later, home canning preserves food for years! 

So how to do this? 

First you plow, or till, the dirt and make it softer, toss out seed and that is it!

In a matter of weeks you will see those greens coming up, another week or so and they are ready to pick and eat. 

Yes it is that simple! 

Lets get started.

Pick the greens by pinching off the outer leaves, by leaving the inside leaves the plant will continue to grow and you will have more greens. Do not put up the plants.

Once inside put them into a sink and fill with cold water, allow them to soak a few minutes, maybe 5 to 10, and then rinse them off, if you think you have any type of bugs on them just add salt to the soaking water. 

Now they go into a very large cooking pot and add only one half water, the greens will make their own juice too. 

While those greens are cooking wash and sterilize your canning jars. Set aside on a clean towel, put seals into the bands also setting those aside.

Get your pressure canner out and add 3 quarts of water and a splash of vinegar. Put the canner on the stove top and get that water mixture hot. 

Now that your greens are cooked pack the jars 3/4 the way, then add the juice to one inch head space ( that means to where the jar lid band will go) and 1/4 teaspoon canning salt. 

Wipe the jars rim with a clean damp cloth, making sure no food is in the way. Apply seal and band, tight but not really tight.

Place the jar into the pressure canner and out the lid on. Once the pressure has built up for 10 minutes put the jiggler on (10 pounds)  and time once it begins to rock for 30 minutes for pints and 45 for quarts.

Remove the canner from stove eye to a near by counter top. Allow pressure cooker to cool.

Remove the home canned greens to a towel to finish cooling, when cool enough to touch remove bands to use another time. 

That is how easy it is to home can greens. 

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry

Getting Off The Grid - First Of The Fall

Its been a while since I have talked about the homestead. Seems life is in the fast lane and I have not slowed down to sit and talk about the homestead.

Summer has came to an end, as far as the calendar is concerned, and Fall is on us. Here in central Alabama the temps are the same as in summer so I am still waiting for the fall weather to come by and set a spell.

The Homestead :

I have not really did much on the homestead, I have been in the business mode.

I am not sure if I will try the greenhouse this year, it flopped last year, however I still have it. 

I have planned out the entire homestead, how to always have something to harvest, now I need to apply that plan and get life going. 

I need to build another dog house and rake the pine straw, other than that all is good.

From The Garden :

A dry spell came and stayed a while, slowed down or killed, any vegetables that were or may still bear till freeze. 

Then we had a couple days of rain and with that rain I got greens up and growing.

Finally I got to harvest enough to put in a green salad. A week later I picked 2 huge sacks.

The okra is still bearing, I am getting a few quarts a week now, I am giving away more than I keep at the moment.

The stockpile :

I have been lazy, I know this. Seems all I have canned or frozen are fruits. 

I still have muscadine juice waiting to be made into jelly.

But I did get off the road long enough to home can greens. I did the first yesterday, I got 7 pints of mixed greens. I will try to do more later so that I will have at least some put away for that rainy day.

I have been slicing okra for the freezer so no shortage of okra but I have been sharing as much as I keep with the elderly. 

The Learning :

 I have not learned anything much about homesteading this past month. But what I have learned is that people are not as nice as they pretend to be. 

I have to say, I am what you see, what you see is what you get.

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

Come by and see me : Sunshine`s homestead creations