Getting Off The Grid - Its Pepper Time

This year my garden did not make it so I took what the land had to give me naturally, and the gifts of friends, and added to the home canned stockpile.

The past week it was peppers, mostly Jalapeño peppers, I did five pints of whole green pickled, one half pint of sliced and then I went out of my comfort zone, I made my own red hot sauce. (think of Frank`s or Texas Pete) It was easier than I thought it would be, I got two liters, and the dried peppers I picked are now hanging for next years seed.

Home canning any peppers has been easy for me and I was taught how to do this back when I was just 13 years old. So, Here I will share with you how I can mine.

Always clean your jars with soap and water, then sterilize them. I heat my lids and seals in boiling water and keep them hot. 

I use pints for whole and half pints for sliced.

Pickled Peppers

I wash the peppers, making sure no dirt is on them. 

I pack the jars with the peppers leaving 1 inch head space.

In a large stainless steel cooking pot I add:

1 part water

1 part vinegar

1/2 teaspoon canning salt to each jar

1 tablespoon sugar to each jar

With this recipe you can make one jar or 12 jars. 

Red Hot Sauce

Wash the peppers to make sure they are clean of any dirt.

Put on steady plastic gloves! Make this in a well ventilated area!

You will Need :

25 red jalapeño peppers - chopped

1 small onion chopped

5 cloves of garlic or 7 teaspoons of minced garlic

2 tablespoons of lime juice

2 teaspoons of canning salt

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/4 cup sugar

Slice off the ends of each pepper and chop in a couple pieces, it doesnt have to be pretty. Chop onion.

Put all ingredients  in a large stainless steel cooking pot, bring to a boil, Lower the temp and cover, allowing a slow boil for 20-30 minutes, the peppers will be soft.

Set off the heat and allow to cool.

In a food processor, or blender, puree till smooth. 

Use a mesh screen to remove the seed, pouring through into a large glass or plastic bowl.

Pour your hot sauce into jar of choice, using hot lids, and process to seal, using a water bath.

This made 1 liter.

NOTE :

If the consistency is to thick, add a little vinegar at a time till its just right for you.

There! Do you think you will make your own pickled peppers or red hot sauce? 

That is what is going on at my homestead, what is happening on yours? 

By Andria Perry

Photos - Pixabay

Getting Off The Grid - Defining The Homestead This Summer

What does it mean to get off the grid and have a homestead?  I am sure many will say " to live free!" And that would be the ideal situation, however, we cannot live for free.

Why not? 

Here is a small list of why not`s :

1 - Someone has to pay property taxes, there is no way around this, unless you are over 65 years old, then you get an exemption card to mail in. Most of the people I know that are off grid or on the way like me are far from being retirement age, we have to have some type of income.

2 - Food and Preserving. While we can grow and kill our own food we still will need some type of foods that are store bought. We will need jars, seals,  salt and sugar. I know as time goes by we learn to adjust down the amount of salt and sugar we eat but, yes there is that but, if we make jelly we can make money also by selling it.

3 - Clothing is something we all have to have, so there has to be an income, even if you make your own, you will need fabric and thread.

Those three are the main reasons I did not just do it! 

What does off grid on a homestead mean to me?

No more rushing! I will be out of the rat race, the daily grind of work that pays the power company, the water company, the middle man for food (aka grocery store) and in some cases the doctor.

How Has The Homestead Evolved? 

While this year I didn`t have a vegetable garden to eat fresh foods I still had all the home canned foods in the pantry from last year and the year before, some 3-4 years old, because like the good old tin cans the jars keep foods for 4-5 years.

With the time I would have used to gardening it was not wasted by any means. I have been home canning what the woods has gifted me with and collecting plants for medication as well as items I can sell to make money. 

Learning how to use many of the plants for medication, making medication from those plants as well and using it, especially for my skin, seems everything causes an allergic reaction and these new products do work, all natural and free.

When I look at the homestead now, I don`t see how I am to work the land to get the best benefits, instead I see how can this land work for me and use what it has to offer already. Even what people look at as "the trash of the woods" I now see what it has to offer me.

What Is New?

Most know I named my homestead,  Sunshine`s Homestead,  with the online store, and soon to be physical store, Sunshine`s Homestead Creations. I have one more thing up my sleeve but I won`t reveal till its happened.

Anyways....

As I mentioned above I have made some forms of medication, for my skin. I get ant bites, I get poison ivy rash, even grass breaks me out after mowing so I made a wonderful line of salves. The most organic ever is the plantain, and in my opinion the best to stop an itch and heal a rash within days. 

I do have a link for anyone interested.

September I added a new line of salves. Click for  Sunshine`s Homestead Creations online store. Now what new products can I get ready for October? 

Remember I do have lotions, body washes and even deodorants, with scent and without added scents, never any dyes! And none to very little preservatives. 

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry and pixabay