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Sauerkraut: It’s Not Just For Bratwurst AnymoreSauerkraut, while usually paired with bratwurst and mustard, has so much more to offer than most people realize. Not only is it delicious, nutritious, and easy to make, it has origins that can be traced through and even beyond its German name. After touching on the history and benefits of this tasty fermented vegetable, we’ll show you how to make it yourself and tell you why you shouldn’t wait for Oktoberfest to put it on your plate.The Origins of S …

The Best Homemade Sourdough Bread. Period.That’s not a claim we make lightly. But, if you start with quality ingredients, read a little and practice a lot, you can master the art of baking sourdough bread so amazing you’ll never want store-bought bread again. Baking sourdough bread is a journey, and this is your first step to mastery. However, bread this good starts well before the flour hits the mixing bowl. If you want to master sourdough bread, you should learn how to grind your own flour.Why …

MAKE YOUR OWN KOMBUCHAKombucha is surprisingly easy to make. If you are just getting started brewing your own Kombucha or you are trying something new with your homemade Kombucha, we have the tips and tricks to help make the process effortless. What is Kombucha? Kombucha is an effervescent, slightly tart, slightly sweet fermented tea that has been consumed for thousands of years. It is known for its tangy, fizzy flavor and believed to have many health benefits including digestion, inflammation, …

R&H Staff Hints & Tips For DehydratingFood Drying GuidelinesDrying times will vary depending on the room temperature, relative humidity and moisture levels in the food that you are drying. If the moisture level is high, the drying time will be on the high end of the range. Keep in mind that drying times are also affected by the amount of food placed on the dehydrator shelves. Overloading the shelves will slow the drying time and may produce poor results. When dehydrating foods, it is im …

Raising Chickens for EggsKeeping chickens at your home is a good way to produce protein-rich food on a small amount of land (even within city limits), and helps to transform kitchen scraps and garden waste into beautiful eggs. I love to see my children interacting with our backyard chickens, and raising chickens for their eggs is a delightful and adorable journey. While there are SO many aspects to getting started raising chickens, I am going to focus here on egg production, storage, and ideas f …

What is a Probiotic Soda or Punch?Homemade sodas are vitamin-rich, fun to make, and economical! Unlike the sugary drinks you pick up in the store, at home you can make your own delicious and effervescent drinks using natural ingredients. These simple fermentations occur due to the natural yeasts and bacteria present in the air and on the fruit/substrate, which start to feed on the sugars present, and create the bubbliness of a soda. Because the bubbles come from a wild fermentation, you end up c …

Strawberry Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Jam Made Oh So EasyNo homestead pantry is complete without homemade jellies and jams. Besides being so tasty to eat, they’re also very easy to make!If you’re intimidated by making your own jams and jellies, don’t be! Learn how easy it is to use the Jelly and Jam Maker from Roots & Harvest to make the perfect strawberry rhubarb vanilla bean jam and then get the creative juices flowing with so many more flavor combinations – many of which you can make from forag …

During Herbert Hoover’s 1928 bid for the presidency, his election campaign promised a chicken for every pot and two cars in every garage. Unfortunately, those promises were derailed by the Great Depression that started just a few months after he was elected, but it remains a great sentiment to this day.Not only can one whole chicken be transformed into several meals for an entire family, it’s also one of the easiest and cheapest animals to raise for meat. I take great satisfaction in preparing a …

Three Delicious Recipes to Make with Sourdough DiscardSourdough starter is the gift that keeps on giving. In addition to making the most perfect bread you’ll ever eat, sourdough discard can also be used to make delicious breakfasts, desserts, and baked goods of all sorts! If you’ve jumped on the sourdough train, here are three ways to use up sourdough discard.There are a few important things to know as you work with sourdough starter and discard. One of the most important steps is to measure ing …

The first in a long list of reasons you should be making your own yogurt is that the process is easier than you think. Surprisingly, making yogurt is less complicated than most recipes. While it does take time, much of that time the yogurt is fermenting, which doesn’t require any effort from you. Not only is it relatively easy, it’s also a good money saver, as homemade yogurt is less expensive than store-bought yogurt. That’s two reasons. Reason three? You get total control of what goes into you …