Homesteading can be a great adventure, but it can also present its fair share of challenges and a whole lot of questions!   

In this episode of Pantry Chat, Josh and Carolyn have fun trying to answer some of your questions on everything from pressure canning beef stew to best practices for storing ancient eggnog, how to select the right wood cookstove, and so much more! 

In this Episode:

• Josh and Carolyn are hard at work planning new content for 2021.  
• Carolyn is hosting a sourdough challenge on January 16th that will be inside the bread class, and there will be a best price of 2021 for people who want to join. More details are coming soon. 
• Carolyn made 16 pies this year for Thanksgiving, and they finished them all off! 
• Josh had a custom rack made for Carolyn to hold all of their cheese wheels, and in the interim, they used it to store all their pies for Thanksgiving. 
• There’s an energy shift happening in the house due to the kids wanting to be more inside instead of out, and it requires a lot more time management for Carolyn. 
• Josh cooked two medium-sized turkeys for Thanksgiving and had fun doing the rotisserie version, which he highly recommends!  
• Bud asks, “Is it OK to pour out some of the stored egg and alcohol mixture to make smaller batches of eggnog, then put the remaining mixture back into storage without ruining it?” 
• For this season, was Josh able to create as much compost as he needed, or did he have to supplement it in other ways? 
• Michelle asks, “Is there a way to take your pie pumpkins and turn them into a pumpkin spiced power that you can use in your coffee?”  
• Rachel asks, “Could you buy astragalus in a pill form to take daily to boost your immune system?” 
• Josh recommends “Food, Inc” as an excellent documentary to motivate you to start raising your own meat or start looking for a local producer. “Indigestible” is another one on his watch list that he hasn’t seen yet.  
• SweetProtege asks, “If you have a rooster in the coop that has fertilized the other eggs, is it still safe to leave them on the counter, unwashed for weeks?”
• A FB user asks, “If I bought a wood cooking stove that was newly manufactured and properly maintained, how long should it last?”  
• What’s the best way to pressure can beef stew, and how many jars should it take?” (Blog post with a printable recipe is available here) 
• For a refresh on the top mistakes people make with canning, watch this video. 
• A FB user asks Josh, “How wide are your walking paths in the garden for laying down compost with the BCS tractor?” 
• Betty asks, “When you pressure can the beef and veggies together do they get mushy, and what is the right cooking time for the stew?”  

Resources: 

• MadeOn skincare products (use code “homesteadingfamily” for 15% off your purchase)
• Top 5 Canning Mistakes Video
• Beef stew canning instructions and recipe blog post
• Follow Homesteading Family on In

Every month, I host a free live training on a new homesteading skill. This January, we’re focusing on herbal medicine and how to create an effective family herbal protocol to help stop the cycle of winter sickness. Join the free live training on January 22 and start becoming a confident family herbalist. Register HERE!