Prepped Living Blog

 After making rose petal jelly a couple of weeks ago, our daughter let us come and pick some of her roses to make another batch. These roses were a mixture of dark pink and red, so we were anticipating a more colorful jelly for this batch. We followed the same instructions as we did while making the rose petal jelly, with the exception that we followed the recipe exactly (using 4 c. of water and 4 c. of sugar rather than 5 1/2 cups of each). We picked the roses and poured hot water over them for tea. It was so fascinating to watch, because the water turned blue first before eventually turning a beautiful dark pink. We put the jar in the refrigerator and left it sit...for a few days since we left it in town. When we brought it home, we strained out the petals and put the "tea" on the stove to heat. We added the pectin and brought it to a boil for 60 seconds. We added the sugar, brought it back to a rolling boil, and boiled it for another 60 seconds, following the recipe instru...

We have written about lilac jelly but never made a post about it. It is time to remedy that! The first time we made lilac jelly, we had beautiful medium and dark purple blossoms. The jelly turned out to be....surprise...a lovely lilac color! Well, at least it was purple until we canned it. Something about the canning process turned it from a lilac to a golden color. The taste was amazing, but I was a bit sad that the purple faded. We have a white lilac bush at our current house. The blossoms are beautiful, the scent is lovely, and they make a wonderful jelly with a pale golden color. To make our jelly, we first picked lilacs and pulled off just the blossoms. Once we had 4 cups of blossoms, we soaked them in water with a bit of baking soda to remove any bugs and dirt. After about 30 minutes of soaking, we put fresh water on to boil, then rinsed the blossoms well with cool water. We transferred the blossoms to a half gallon jar, poured 5 cups of hot water over the top, and stirred with a...

Floral jellies and syrups are a lovely addition to your pantry. If you are unable to grow fruits and berries for jams, syrups, or jellies, floral options can make it easy to "harvest what you have" since many people can at least grow flowers.  Roses are a common and much-loved flower to grow. They are particularly good to have in your flower garden, since both the petals and hips have many uses. We have foraged rose petals for several years now, but this is the first year we have actually made jelly from the petals. I have been so excited to try this recipe! Making the Syrup We used a rose petal jelly recipe we found online.  We  checked the online directions and quantities against the insert for the pectin to be sure that they instructions aligned. They did - in short, both said to boil one minute on the stove, add sugar, boil one minute, then can. I was a bit leery, because we have tried the "updated" instructions with the lesser boil time after adding sugar (the ...

The garlic scape salt was such a hit, that we decided to try another herbal salt. While the garlic scapes are not yet ready,  we currently have chives growing in our garden. After looking online for recipes, we found two - one for chive salt and one for chive blossom salt. We did not have enough blossoms for the chive blossom recipe, so we decided to make the chive salt and toss in some of the blossoms for an extra bit of color. First, we wilted the chives for about 2 hours to lessen the amount of moisture in them. Then, we blended approximately 3/8 cup of chopped chives with 1 1/4 cups of salt. This was more than the recipe called for, but we wanted a strong flavor. After blending, we spread the mixture out on parchment paper on a baking sheet. We pulled the petals from the blossoms and sprinkled them over the salt. We put the mixture in the oven at its lowest setting (170 degrees) for 1 3/4 - 2 hours. We opened the oven every 30 minutes and stirred the salt mixture to allow even ...

We love making vanilla extract and recently made two new extracts: lemon and maple. Why would we make our own extracts? First, it is much more affordable than purchasing them in the store. Second, we can be assured that the ingredients are clean with no fillers or unwanted chemicals. Vanilla - We use a lot of vanilla in nearly all of our baked goods and enjoy different flavor profiles. We keep two "flavors" on hand: a vanilla infused in vodka or Everclear and a vanilla infused in bourbon. You could also do it with rum, which sounds amazing! We keep two containers for each type of vanilla - one container for use and one container in which we  infuse the vanilla. For the first jar, we purchased a glass oil/vinegar set with the pour tops. We keep the vodka vanilla in one and the bourbon vanilla in the other. These containers make it easy to dispense and measure the vanilla without spilling. The second jar is what we use for the "mother" container (the jar in which we ...

A while ago, we reported on the blog that we made coffee liqueur with used coffee grounds. The result was a strong coffee liqueur. We used it in several mixed drinks, but the flavor was not quite like most coffee liqueurs. It may be due in part to the fact that I used vodka to make the liqueur rather than rum. A few weeks ago, we ran out of coffee liqueur and wanted to either get or make some more. We have a friend who makes a wonderful homemade coffee liqueur, so we asked him for the recipe and gave it a try. This was a more mild liqueur that makes a better mixer than the previous recipe we tried.  What are the benefits of making your own liqueur? First, you know what the ingredients are. Second, you control of the quality. Third, it is more economical than purchasing a brand name liqueur, especially if you use an economical brand of rum. Just remember, though, that the quality of your ingredients will affect the quality of the results! Here is the recipe we used: Coffee Liqueur I...

We have a recipe for homemade ketchup that I copied down several years ago but never tried. We were curious to see how it tastes, so we tried it this past week.  While it wasn't just like the flavor of the commercial brands, it was quite nice and made a nice ketchup sauce for hamburgers. We made this batch with honey. We will likely make the next batch with cane sugar and compare the taste. Homemade ketchup Homemade Ketchup 6 oz. tomato paste Just under 1/3 c water 2 T vinegar 1/4 t. onion granules 1/4 t. garlic granules 1/4 t. dry mustard pinch of cinnamon pinch of cloves pinch of allspice pinch of cayenne 1/4 t. sea salt 1/8 c. sugar or 1 - 2 T honey Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Do any of you make ketchup? Feel free to share your favorite recipes in the comments below!

We had a blog post a couple of weeks back about ways we have used pine. We knew there had to be more ways pine, so we did bit of research online.  We found several more uses: Pine needle infused cooking oil - Infuse chopped pine needles in cooking oil and try it in your favorite dishes. Pine resin salve - This website has instructions for making pine resin salve.  Pine soap - This was such a fun one to research! As it turns out, there are many soap recipes out there that include using different parts of the pine tree - pine needles, pine resin, and pine tar. Pine Needle Soap : We found this winter spice soap recipe that sounds amazing. I would venture to guess that it smells as wonderful as it sounds. We like that we can put pine needles Pine Resin Soap :  We also found a pine resin soap recipe. We like this link because it directs you to use the resin to make an infused oil rather than adding the resin directly to the soap mixture. We also love this link because it i...

Homemade jams and jellies have been a part of our life for many years. Both Husband and I had homemade jams at home when we were growing up and only on a rare occasion had store-bought jam or jelly at either of our houses. When we married and had children, we continued this tradition. I would can berry jams, and in the early years of our marriage, Husband's grandmother would send jars of grape or apple jelly each year. It was a sad day at our house if we had to buy jam or jelly from the store. Many years later, both of our daughters ended up marrying men with celiac. Early on, when I would send jars of jam or jelly home with them, they would thank me, then kindly remind me that they don't eat a lot of bread and wouldn't likely use it up very quickly. I knew jams and jellies are not only used as a topping for toast or a filling for a sandwich, but I had never really taken the time to list all the ways we have used jams or jellies outside of topping bread.  Why bother coming ...

At the beginning of the month, we put pine and fir needles in vinegar to soak as preparation for making our own cleaning solution. This reminded me one of our mottos: "Harvest what you have." We have a lot of pine and fir trees around (I love evergreens!) and we have used them for several projects. Here are some of the uses we have personally tried for pine tree products: 1) Pine needle infused vinegar for cleaning - Pine needles have anti-bacterial properties, and when combined with white vinegar can be used to create a cleaning solution for many household uses.  To make the vinegar cleaning infusion , simply cut up pine needles, place in a jar, cover with white vinegar, and infuse in a dark place for at least two weeks.  To use as a cleaning solution : Use a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Add to a spray bottle and use for general cleaning. For greasy areas, you can use a stronger solution of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water.  2) White pine tincture . - White ...

In our area, many grocery stores offer fantastic deals on turkeys around Thanksgiving and Christmas. With the rising cost of groceries, this is often the most affordable meat we can find. Even though turkey is not our family's favorite meal, we really can't pass up the great prices that are offered. Thus, each year, we pick up some very affordable meat and put it in the freezer. This past fall, we ended up with two turkeys. We hadn't used up the two turkeys from the prior season, so it was past time for us to do something with them. One way we all enjoy turkey is in a pot pie, so I looked online to find a pot pie filling that could be canned. There were many recipes. Some called for ClearJel, some called for white wine, some called for specialty items. We ended up choosing a recipe that called for common items we typically have on hand. The recipe we used was from Farmhouse Harvest , though we found a similar recipe from SBcanning.com .  A friend was coming over to can with...

In a previous blog post we talked about the benefits of canning meat. While this is a great idea, we also love to can meals in a jar.  What is the difference? While canned meat can be eaten alone, it is usually intended to be an ingredient in a larger dish. Canned meals, on the other hand, have most or all of what you need for a complete meal. While you can add canned meals to rice or potatoes, for example, the meat, most of the vegetables, and the spices are already cooked together in the jar. One of many options for disaster preparedness Canned meals in a jar are the homestead version of  healthy   fast food. It may take time to prepare ahead, but you end up with a meal that is nearly ready to go - just heat and serve.  While you can do this with freezer meals as well, from a preparedness standpoint, it is always a good idea to store your items in many forms - frozen, canned, dehydrated, freeze-dried, etc. This gives you options for multiple scenarios.  For ex...

Do you ever have pieces of bread left from the loaf that go a bit stale? Perhaps it is the heel that no one likes, perhaps it is a piece that was sliced imperfectly and didn't work for a sandwich. We put pieces like these in the freezer and save them until we have enough to use for a project. Whether you make your own bread or you buy bread from the store or a bakery, don't waste it when it goes a bit stale! Below are some ideas for using stale bread, or just using it up before it molds: Make French Toast   Stale bread slices are perfect for making French Toast. Slightly stale bread soaks up the mix better, making for a more moist result. Just use your favorite French Toast recipe! Make French Toast Casserole   This is our favorite way to use up our leftover bread slices. Whether you have pieces of the heel or the center, cutting the slices into smaller pieces and soaking them in the mix overnight makes for a moist casserole the next day. Check out our website for the recipe ...

We have  previously   posted about canning bone broth and have mentioned the usefulness of having prepared meals. Today we want to talk about canning meat or meals containing meat. First, let me say that meat, as with any low-acid food, requires pressure canning to be safe to eat.  This post contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Each purchase helps to keep this blog running. Thank you for your support! Why should you can meat? Quick Meals Canned meats provide a great base for a quick, easy meal. If you have a busy day and forgot to take out meat for dinner, just pull a jar off the shelf to make a quick meal. Healthy Meals Have you ever read the ingredients on the cans of store-bought meat? Some brands have a lot of preservatives. Canning your own meat provides you with a flavorful, preservative-free protein. Preparedness Having a shelf-stable protein is a great idea for preparedness. If the electricity goes out or your freeze...

As most of you know, both Husband and I grew up in households with very modest incomes. Our grandparents were either farmers or ranchers. They grew and preserved a lot of their food. Our parents continued this by canning, hunting, and gardening through much of our childhood. We carry on the tradition of growing and preserving food for many reasons: We know our food is healthy, it helps keep our grocery budget affordable, and it allows us to build up a pantry for lean times.  Tomatoes and jalapenos for hot sauce; calendula, comfrey, and parsley to dry Health issues have pushed us to branch out and learn to do even more projects ourselves in an effort to further reduce the toxins in our food and environment. Some of these projects can be enjoyed right away, like canned sauces, fruits, vegetables, and meats. We had been canning off and on throughout the summer and now have a nice variety of items in the pantry to enjoy in the months to come.  Canned hot sauce and tomatoes for the...

This past week we canned organic apple-pear juice. A friend of ours invited us over to pick apples and pears from their fruit trees a couple of weeks ago. We filled two five-gallon buckets with fruit and returned home to let the pears finish ripening. When everything was ripe and we had the time, we washed the fruit, sliced it, cut out the blemishes, then put it in the canner/juicer.  A bucket of pears and apples It took four batches, but we ended up with seven quarts of apple-pear juice. Ten gallons made seven quarts! 🫣 Juice from two different batches of apples and pears   Note: This newsletter contains affiliate links. Purchasing through these links helps support our website and blog at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. We are fortunate to have a steamer/canner/juicer that my mom handed down to us. It uses steam to release the juice from the fruit. If you have everything sterilized, all you need to do is fill the jars once the juice is ready, attach the lids and...

We finally did it! We made homemade soap! I had been really nervous about it due to the causticity of the lye, but youngest daughter came over one afternoon and we braved the experiment together. Overall, it was a good experience, though I did have a big mishap. I didn't get the lid to the lye container screwed on tight enough, and when I picked it up (by the lid, of course 🙄), it fell, tipped over, and spilled half its contents. This became a learning opportunity on how to best neutralize lye pellets. I am slowly making my way through neutralizing half a container of now-dirty lye pellets (I was mixing the lye-water solution outside to better vent the fumes and had to sweep them up, dirt and all). 😂  For our first experiment, we followed the recipe and directions from  The Soapmaker's Companion , a book we had sitting on the shelf waiting for the moment when I would finally try soap making. We used the recipe for the Soap Essentials Bar II (p. 18 in my copy) and added lemon...

As noted in previous blog posts, we have made several batches of different salves over the years. However, we had not yet experimented with making black drawing salve. Black drawing salve gets its name from the color of the salve, which is owed to the activated charcoal powder that it contains. Husband's   grandmother once shared her memories of buying black drawing salve from the Watkins representative that would come door-to-door when she was young. She mentioned that it was something they always had on hand for splinters, boils, insect bites, and minor irritations. We were looking forward to making our own medicinal drawing salve to have in the medicine cabinet. While some black drawing salves use corrosive ingredients that can be harmful, the recipe we found uses safe, natural ingredients.  For our first time making this salve, we followed the recipe by Living Simply with Valerie . (Note: please go to the website for the recipe. We are will refrain from posting here in ord...