How to Can Homemade Cherry Pie Filling


* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure.

 

 

Cherry pie is a sweet summer treat. But you can just as easily preserve it for enjoyment all year long! Here is a super easy (and tasty) recipe for canning cherry pie filling at home.Of all the pies in the world, cherry pie is my favourite. A piece of cherry pie fresh out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is pure bliss.

I don’t even live in the U.S., but there’s something “All-American” about cherry pie to me. It reminds me of the beginning of summer and fireworks and the 4th of July. It’s comforting and down-home and I absolutely LOVE a piece of sweet cherry pie on a warm summer night.

Then again, I also love it in the middle of winter;)

As much as cherry pie is totally a summer treat, the beauty of home-canning is that it’s possible to preserve all of the beautiful fruits of the season to enjoy later. And in the dead of winter, anything that reminds me that summer was not just a figment of my imagination is more than welcome around here!

Now, if you’re not comfortable canning, you can always freeze this cherry pie filling and then defrost and use later. But this recipe is seriously easy to can at home and I would always rather can than freeze if possible as I can guarantee my food will be shelf stable and won’t go bad if the power goes out (which happened last year and thawed out all my frozen cherries, which I then ended up having to can anyway to salvage them).

 

Related: Perfect Homemade Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

 

Also, I like to be able to just open a jar and use it right away without having to wait for it to thaw. And, well, let’s just say I like having the option of eating the pie filling straight out of the jar with a spoon! Don’t judge. Once you try it you’ll understand:)

Cherry pie is a sweet summer treat. But you can just as easily preserve it for enjoyment all year long! Here is a super easy (and tasty) recipe for canning cherry pie filling at home.

And speaking of eating it with a spoon, there are other ways to enjoy this pie filling aside from in a traditional pie and right out of the jar. You could make a cherry crumble (which is super easy and requires no prep time for pie crust). Or you could eat it over cheesecake or ice cream or yogurt or oatmeal… So many possibilities! 

However you choose to enjoy it, you really can’t go wrong by having some of this pie filling on hand. Having jars of any type of pie filling in your pantry is also a huge time saver if you’re having company or need to throw together a quick dessert for any reason. You can still say it’s made from scratch , but you will save tons of time when making your dessert if you already have the filling prepared and ready to go!

It also makes a great gift for Christmas or for a housewarming gift. You can add a pretty label to it and gift it on its own or you can mix up the dry ingredients needed for pie crust or for a crumble topping and attach a recipe with it to give as a “gift set.” You can’t go wrong either way!

 

Related: How to Can Blueberry Pie Filling

 

So what do you need to can your own cherry pie filling? 

One thing you will definitely need to can any pie filling successfully (and ensure the quality stands the test of time) is a product called Clear-Jel. Clear-Jel basically takes the place of cornstarch or flour in pie filling recipes; It is used to thicken the mixture so that it holds together and doesn’t make your pie runny and liquidy. But Clear-Jel is better suited for canning as it does not degrade over time. Flour and cornstarch can both end up clumping together and ruining the consistency and quality of your pie filling. I use Hoosier Hill Farm Clear-Jel and have always had perfect pie filling, even after a year or more of sitting in the pantry. 

Cherry pie is a sweet summer treat. But you can just as easily preserve it for enjoyment all year long! Here is a super easy (and tasty) recipe for canning cherry pie filling at home.

Since cherries are an acidic fruit (and since we are also adding some lemon juice), you can safely water-bath can cherry pie filling. Water-bath canning simply means you need to process your jars in a boiling hot water bath in order to kill any bacteria and ensure the jars seal. It’s really simple and you technically don’t even need a proper canner to do it. You could just use a regular large pot as long as you put something in the bottom of it to be used as a rack (even some rolled up kitchen towels will work). 

If you do opt for a canner, I would recommend forgoing the water-bath canner and just getting a pressure canner. Then you have the option of water-bath or pressure canning instead of needing a different canner for each. I personally like the All-American pressure canner. But I also like the Presto pressure canner for a little bit cheaper option. The Presto is a good in-between as it is more functional than a water-bath canner but not a lot more expensive. 

I have an old All-American as well as another older pressure canner that were handed down to me by family members. I’m not sure of the brand of the other one, but it’s very similar in style and functionality to the Presto and for water-bath canning it works great! I will be testing it out this year for pressure canning so we shall see! 

Aside from maybe having a canner, I would definitely recommend some jar lifters. You can buy these for super cheap here on Amazon or at your local kitchen supply store. They are well worth the few dollars they cost and will go a long way toward protecting your hands from scolding water when lifting jars in and out of the canner or pot. They also provide really good grip so you’re not worried about the glass jars slipping and breaking.

I also use this special canning scoop and funnel to help me get my pie filling into my jars without making a total mess everywhere. My funnel is also a measuring tool so I don’t have to guess how much headspace I have in my jars. Headspace is important as it allows air to escape from the jars to create a tight seal. Each recipe calls for a different amount of headspace, so I like having the measurements right on my funnel so I don’t need to estimate or get a ruler out.

Cherry pie is a sweet summer treat. But you can just as easily preserve it for enjoyment all year long! Here is a super easy (and tasty) recipe for canning cherry pie filling at home.

This is the canning funnel that I use. It allows me to accurately measure the headspace while filling my jars so I don’t have to guess!

You will obviously need jars, lids and bands as well.

I usually find most of my jars at thrift stores for super cheap when it’s not canning season and stash them away until I need them. Just make sure to check your jars for knicks and cracks (I have personally lost a jar of cherry pie filling that exploded in the canner because there was a small crack in the jar that I didn’t notice!)

You can reuse bands as well, but make sure you only use new lids. Once lids have been used to seal jars once, they are not safe to use again as they are not meant to seal more than once. I keep my old lids to store dry goods and non-food items in Mason jars, but when I’m canning at home I always use new lids.

As for the process of canning, it’s super simple and safe, but it is important to follow directions exactly (at least until you understand exactly how canning works and what is safe and what is not). Because you are preserving food without any freezing or refrigeration, it’s important to make sure you don’t cut corners or try to get too creative with recipes because it could affect the safety and stability of your end product.

As long as you stick to a trusted recipe and process your jars in boiling water for the time specified in the directions, you have nothing to worry about. Canning itself is very safe as long as you follow best practices according to up-to-date guidelines.

The recipe I use (and have included here) is adapted from my “canning bible” The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I can’t stress enough how much I LOVE this book. I’ve tried at least a couple dozen recipes in here and they are all really good! And Ball pretty much sets the standard for safe home canning, so nothing to worry about when you’re following their recipes.

I did adapt this recipe slightly as I didn’t have enough cherries to make up the 10 lbs the book called for. But I kept all important ratios the same. I also added a little more cinnamon, but cinnamon is completely optional.

As for the cherries, to pit them I just use a toothpick that I insert where the stem meets the cherry and I run the toothpick along the outside of the pit to loosen it and then pop it out. You can also buy a cherry pitter like this and it will definitely speed things up, but the toothpick method has always worked just fine for me. Maybe one day I’ll invest the $10 or so a cherry pitter costs:)

Cherry pie is a sweet summer treat. But you can just as easily preserve it for enjoyment all year long! Here is a super easy (and tasty) recipe for canning cherry pie filling at home.

We have a cherry tree in our backyard so we used about 5 lbs of our own cherries to make this pie filling. But you can use any cherries you like. Of course, if you use tart cherries, your pie filling will be more tart, and if you use sweet cherries it will be sweeter. But neither one is better or worse than the other. Just use whatever cherries you have. I guarantee it will be amazing either way, and you’ll be eating it with a spoon too before long;)

 

Cherry pie is a sweet summer treat. But you can just as easily preserve it for enjoyment all year long! Here is a super easy (and tasty) recipe for canning cherry pie filling at home.

How to Can Homemade Cherry Pie Filling

Yield: about 4 pint jars or 2 quart jars

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs pitted cherries (you can use fresh or frozen and then thawed)
  • 1 ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup Clear-Jel
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice (only use the store-bought kind for canning as it is guaranteed to have the correct level of acidity)

Instructions

  1. Place cherries in a colander or sieve over a large bowl and allow them to drain until you've collected 4 cups of juice (this is sometimes easier to do with cherries that have been frozen and then thawed). Set cherries and liquid aside.
  2. Prepare canner, jars and lids.
  3. Whisk together 2 cups of the cherry liquid, sugar, ClearJel and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat stirring constantly until it begins to bubble.
  4. Add lemon juice and continue to boil for another minute, stirring constantly. Then add cherries and return to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly and being careful not to mash up cherries too much.
  5. Remove hot jars from canner one at a time and ladle hot pie filling into each one, leaving one inch headspace at the top. Remove any air bubbles with a knife and adjust headspace if needed.
  6. Wipe rim, place lid on jar and screw band down until fingertip tight.
  7. Place jars in canner and make sure they're completely submerged in water before placing the canner lid on. Bring water to a boil and process jars for 35 minutes. Once processing time is up, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid and allow jars to rest in the canner for another 5 minutes.
  8. Remove jars and let cool completely before storing in a cool dark place.

CATEGORIES
HOMESTEADING
REAL FOOD
NATURAL LIVING

21 Comments

  1. RJ Fitch

    This recipe was awesome enough that I had to make it a point to come back and say as much. My Montmorency sour cherry tree produced abundantly this year (33 pounds!) and I needed ways to use all of it the best ways possible. The extra 4 cups of cherry juice (I made two batches) worked out great for making cherry jelly. I made a pie with one of the jars a couple of days ago and it was fantastic! One thing; there was note in a response here that said it made “2 or 3 quart jars”. I came up with 2 quarts and maybe ¼ cup extra. Regardless, terrific recipe, Anna!

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      So glad you enjoyed it! This is one of my favourite ways to use cherries too, and honestly one of my favourite canning recipes in general!

      I do say 2 or 3 quarts because I have found that it can vary. Sometimes I end up with just a little over a quart (like you did), and other times I have ended up with almost 3 quarts. So I always prepare an extra jar just so that I’m ready with it on hand. Then I just refrigerate the extra and eat it right away:) You could also prepare an extra pint jar or two and can the extra if you have at least a pint extra, or do all pint jars (double the amount of jars if you do). But I find a quart jar is exactly enough to make a 9” pie.

      If you’re in need of more ways to preserve cherries, this recipe for Amaretto Cherry Preserves is another one of my faves:)

      Reply
  2. Pat

    What kind of cherries did you use? Tart or Sweet?

    Reply
    • Tish Painter

      Hi Pat,
      Anna’s recipe here used sour/tart cherries. Technically most recipes allow you use either type of cherries without any difference in measurements. However, if you have sweet cherries and don’t wish it to be too sweet, Anna says to reduce the sugar to 1-1/4 cup and increase the lemon juice to 3 Tbsp. That should give you a similar product to hers.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Francie

    The 5lbs of cherries this calls for, is the weight for pre frozen or post frozen? Pre pitted or post pitted?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      5 lbs. pitted cherries. They should be the same weight whether they’re fresh or frozen, however this is the weight before you drain the juices out.

      Reply
  4. K

    Is clear gel
    Other wise known as gelatine?

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      No, Clear Gel is a different product made from a modified corn starch. It is used as a thickener in pie fillings but isn’t as thick as gelatine. You can purchase Clear Gel here: https://amzn.to/2MOffei (affiliate link)

      Reply
      • Connie

        You ask to collect 4 cups of juice but the recipe only calls for 2 cups. What happened to the other 2 cups?

        Reply
        • Anna Sakawsky

          Hi Connie,
          You must collect 4 cups of liquid but then you only use half of that in the cherry pie filling otherwise there will be too much liquid. I usually just drink the rest or use it to flavour kombucha or homemade lemonade. You could also use it to make jelly. This recipe is adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, which specifies the same.

          Reply
  5. Jen

    Anna, how does one drain liquid from fresh cherries? A quick search did not reveal the answers to me. I figure juicing the cherries will just pulverize them. Squeezing them doesn’t seem quite right. I agree that frozen/thawed would be a good way to go about it, but i have fresh picked cherries in front of me.

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      Hi Jen,

      I’m trying to remember now if I have done this with fresh cherries, and I want to say I have. For the past couple years though I have thrown my cherries in the freezer first and canned them later, and once you freeze them and thaw them the juice just drips out and collects in a bowl beneath if you put them in a colander over a bowl.

      I just double checked the Ball recipe that I adapted this one from and it also recommends freezing first. I also wondered about the juice draining on its own when I first made this recipe but if you leave them long enough you will see the juice just naturally starts to drain out.

      I would recommend freezing first (just overnight is fine) and letting them thaw out and drain. I will have to try this recipe again with fresh cherries to test how well they drain and will report back when I do. But just to be sure this time around I can definitely assure you the juice will drain out if they are frozen first and then thawed.

      I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes.

      Reply
      • Jen

        thank you! very helpful. I can’t wait to try!

        Reply
  6. roger thompson

    How many jars does this make? It says reserve 4 cups but only uses 2 cups, am I missing something?

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      Hi Roger,

      This recipe will make 2 or 3 quart jars (I often find I get two quart jars and end up with almost another quart, which I then use right away in a pie or a crumble). You could always use pints instead and you should get 5 or 6 pints out of each batch.

      As for the cups of cherry liquid, drain 4 cups of liquid out of the cherries so they’re not too “watery.” It just helps to preserve the integrity of the cherries, if that makes sense. But only add 2 cups of liquid back in when making the pie filling because all 4 cups will be too thin and watery. You want the pie filling to be fairly thick.

      I hope that answers your questions!

      Reply
      • Daina Harper

        I also end up adding a little bit more than the 2 cups so that I can get the consistency I like:) you never need all 4 cups but sometimes I end up using 3.

        Reply
  7. Dr. Alina Marcu

    Great tips. I will try this definitely. It reminds me of mommy’s recipes

    Reply
  8. Emma Dawn

    I’m going to start following your blog because I have been wanting to get into canning certain things. That way I can enjoy yummies all year round

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      Awesome! Canning is sort of a lost art these days, but it’s definitely making a comeback. More people are wanting to be more involved with where their food comes from as well as what’s in it. Growing and preserving your own food (or at least preserving fresh, organic local food when it’s in season) is a huge step in the right direction.

      Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  9. Kimberley

    This post made me so so hungry! I’ve always just used all up all of munch pie filling in one go and never thought about canning it so thank you for the tips I’ll have to try this next time I make pie ?? – http://www.teaisawishyourheartmakes.wordpress.com

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      Absolutely! It’s so easy to do too, and such a huge time-saver to have it ready to dump out of a jar if you need to fix a quick dessert.

      Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Chocolate Cherry Sauce Canning Recipe - […] dehydrate them and eat them dried, I love to make old-fashioned low sugar cherry jam and of course canned…
  2. Mini Cherry Pies in a Muffin Tin - […] work great with any type of fruit pie filling. I’ve tried them with fresh cherries and with my home-canned…

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

ABOUT ANNA
Hi! I’m Anna, and I’m a city girl turned modern homesteader who’s passionate about growing, cooking and preserving real food at home, creating my own herbal medicine and all-natural home and body care products, and working toward a simpler, more sustainable and self-sufficient life each and every day. 
You Might Also Like
How to Use a Rocket Mass Heater to Cook & Heat Off-Grid

How to Use a Rocket Mass Heater to Cook & Heat Off-Grid

* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure.   Learn how to heat and cook off-grid with a rocket mass heater, and why this is an even more energy-efficient solution than a traditional wood stove! This is a...

read more

My Favourite Things – 2022 Edition (aka. The Modern Homesteader’s Christmas Wish List)

My Favourite Things – 2022 Edition (aka. The Modern Homesteader’s Christmas Wish List)

* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure.   Every year around this time, I compile a list of my favourite things: Things that I love, use or covet for my own homestead, and things that I know other modern...

read more

If you haven't checked-in lately, the last week or so, we've sorta been in the trenches of homesteading and life over here. While some make it out to be glamorous all the time there are high's and low's just as there are in life. ⁣

With all that's going on, I've been making a point to find my way back into the garden, which is not only needed to feed my family, but also for some personal spiritual nourishment. ⁣

I just want to take a minute to love on my favorite veggie today, Broccoli! 🥦 It's one we plant over-and-over and I'm leaning into its abundance this year. ⁣

Not only is it one of my favorites, but we've also found it's one of the easiest veggies to grow so if you haven't tried it or added it to your garden yet, there's no better time than the present. ⁣

I've got an entire post on How to Grow Broccoli from Seed here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-grow-broccoli-from-seed/ if you're looking for any tips or tricks.⁣

In my "How to" post you'll also find a link to one of my favorite recipes for Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup!
...

29 5

Can I be honest?

Sometimes you've gotta take a step back and look at the life you've created for yourself and ask yourself "is this truly what I want?"

The other day I shared about losing two of our rabbits this week to Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease. The stress of losing them comes amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions around here...

From work pressures for Ryan to me trying to run a business and handle a very fussy, colicky 2-month-old (and a very busy 6-year-old), to things ramping up in the garden again and all of the other million things that need to get done (including multiple loads of laundry a day thanks to more spit up than I ever knew a baby was capable of producing), I finally felt like I was ready to crack this week.

Oh, not to mention we're doing this all on next to no sleep thanks again to our sweet boy.

I know this is all part of what we signed up for, but when it all happens at once, it can feel completely overwhelming. And when I'm completely overwhelmed and stressed out, that's exactly when I get sick too, which is exactly what happened a couple days ago.

Then yesterday (Saturday) I woke up feeling awful and decided to scroll Instagam as I nursed Noah. I saw other mothers with 6, 8 or even 10 kids somehow keeping it all together getting three square meals on the table every day while managing to keep a tidy kitchen and find time to Instagram about it.

I saw other homestead bloggers reaching new levels of success in their business that I can only dream about right now. And as I sat there in bed, covered in spit up with a ravenous baby nursing off me as I tried to console him, I felt sad for myself in that moment that I couldn't live up to the folks I was comparing myself to.

Later in the day I had to work, so Ryan took the kids to the beach and I stayed home. And I felt sad once again; Sad that I was missing out on yet another weekend with my family because I had created a life where I now have to work weekends just to keep up.

But the silver lining was that the work I had to do yesterday forced me out into the garden, and it was probably the most soothing thing I could have done for my soul.

(Continued in comments…)
...

86 23

Sometime homesteading looks like homegrown vegetables and freshly laid eggs and sourdough rising on the counter.

And sometimes it looks like tears when you have to bury one of your animals 😔

Ryan went out to feed the bunnies yesterday and Flopsy -our little black and white bunny- was laying dead in the pen. There was no blood, other than a little bit by her mouth. Seems like something internal happened. We’re not sure what.

Evelyn helped lay her to rest yesterday. It was a hard weekend for her. First she stayed with grandma and went with her to put her sick, 17-year-old cat down. Then she came home to the news that Flopsy was gone.

But I believe she’s more resilient because of it. We talked to her about how death is a part of all life, and allowed her to go through the stages of grief and process it however she felt she needed to.

Homesteading isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and snuggly barnyard animals. Homesteading teaches us hard lessons and helps us to become stronger and more resilient by challenging us daily.

Yesterday was a sad, hard day. But I’m glad we got to experience it together as a family.
...

72 9

A few years ago, Forbes published an article titled Dear Homesteaders, Self-Reliance is a Delusion.

Let’s unpack this…
What does self-reliant really mean? Is it actually achievable, or just a pipe dream?⁣

Over on the blog today I'm unpacking all of these thoughts, and the things I do know for sure as a homesteader, mother and member of a strong and self-reliant community. ⁣

But I really want to hear from you! Post in the comments below what self-reliance means in modern times, or what steps you're taking to be more self-reliant. ⁣

Read the full article here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/what-is-self-reliance/ or at the link in my bio
...

53 6

The spring issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine is out now!

It’s that time again...

The time when things begin ramping up in the garden, the barnyard and the home.

From trays of seedlings to baskets full of eggs, spring is in the air and I don’t know about you, but I’m here for it!

It’s also time for a brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, and boy do we have a good one for you…

In the spring issue, we cover a diverse range of topics from how to trade your skills for land to the realities of going off-grid, from seed-starting to what to do with too many eggs, and from the simple joys of a homemade herbal cocktail to the sometimes heavy emotional toll of raising meat animals.

In this issue, you’ll find:
🌱 What it really takes to live off-grid, with Tammy Trayer of Trayer Wilderness
🌱How you can trade your skills for a piece of land with the SKIP program from the folks at Permies.com
🌱 Everything you need to know about seed-starting to set your garden up for success and abundance!
🌱 What to do with too many eggs! Author Mimi Dvorak-Smith shares 800+ ways to use ‘em up when your hens start laying.
🌱 How to make your own healthier cocktails with homemade botanical syrups
🌱 Dealing with the emotional toll of raising meat animals on the homestead

Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to login to the library and read the spring issue (current subscribers) or subscribe for just $19.99/year to read this issue and gain instant access to our entire library of past issues!

#modernhomesteading #homesteading #selfsufficiency #springonthehomestead
...

29 5

If you grow plants from seed (or if you want to), you’re likely going to want to start a few of them indoors. And if you start your seeds indoors, something that will make your life so much easier (and make your seedlings bigger, stronger and healthier) is an indoor growing stand with grow lights. ⁣

I've got a post I'm sharing with you today that will walk you through choosing the best type of lighting for whatever you're growing and then a step-by-step guide of how to make your grow stand, along with product recommendations if you want to make yours just like mine! ⁣

Ours can accommodate up to about 200 seedlings, but you can make yours as small or big as needed:)⁣

You can check out the post here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-build-indoor-growing-stand/ or at the link in my bio. ⁣

Let me know in the comments what you're growing new, or what you're most excited about in your planting journey this year!
...

25 1

Theme of the Month: ADIDAS ⁣
No, not the textiles brand, it stands for: 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 because it's officially March and we are in full swing around here! ⁣

Before you just start throwing seeds in the ground or into red solo cups on your windowsill, it’s important to take some time to read your seed packets and get to know each crop’s specific needs.⁣

Understanding the information on a seed packet is super important when it comes to gardening, especially if you want your plants to get a strong, healthy start and produce an abundance of food for you. And what gardener doesn’t want that?!⁣

Set yourself up for success and take a minute to read through my 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦, before your weekend gardening plans begin. ⁣

Grab the guide link in my bio, or get it here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-read-seed-packets/⁣

Happy Planting:) ✨
...

26 3

This all-natural homemade toothpaste recipe is made with just four simple ingredients that are good for both your body and your bank account!⁣

I’m on a personal mission to replace every commercially-made, toxic product in our home with homemade, all-natural alternatives. One-by-one, I’m getting closer every day.⁣

The benefit of making all-natural toothpaste at home is avoiding the unhealthy additives found in most commercial toothpastes by substituting ingredients with proven benefits for oral health.⁣

So if you’re also on a mission to rid your own home of toxic products and replace them with healthy, all-natural versions that actually work, then I highly recommend whipping up a batch of this all-natural homemade toothpaste.⁣

Wishing you health, wealth and squeaky clean teeth… The all-natural way;)⁣

You can find the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/all-natural-homemade-toothpaste-recipe/ or at the link in my bio.
...

21 2

It's that time of year 🌱 seed starting season! ⁣

I know you can feel it too. The transition from winter to spring is truly a special time. It’s when life begins again. It’s the very first taste of all that lies ahead.⁣

So before you go just planting any and every seed you can get your hands on, I've got a list of 8 Things to Think About Before Starting Seeds, to get you off on the right food! ⁣

I will walk you through, planning, sowing, containers, watering, lighting and more, and if that's not enough you can download my Seed Starting Cheat Sheet at the end to lay it all out. ⁣

I hope you're as excited as I am for the beautiful Spring season that lies ahead:)⁣

You can find the list here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/before-starting-seeds/ or at the link in my bio.⁣

What are you planting this year? Anything new you've never tried before? Share with me in the comments!
...

25 5

Ever thought about growing mushrooms at home??

A great EASY way to get started is with one of these mushroom grow kits from @northsporemushrooms

All you need to do is cut open the pack, spray with a little water (the kits even come with a handy little spray bottle), and then sit back and watch the magic happen!

And seriously, watching mushrooms goes does feel a little like magic because they grow so fast you can practically see them growing, no time lapse necessary!

The mushrooms are ready for harvest in just a few days. No gardening experience or land necessary! Even a newbie homesteader in an apartment in the city can grow these babies!

This is a great way to dip your tow into the much bigger world of mushroom growing and harvesting, and to try out a few new varieties that you probably won’t find anywhere else.

I grew Pink Oyster Mushrooms, Lion’s Mane and Blue Oyster Mushrooms (all pictured here). I’ll be using the Pink Oyster Mushrooms in a rigatoni pasta for dinner tonight. I turned the Lion’s Mane into Lion’s Mane “crab cakes” and the Blue Oyster Mushrooms are delicious as part of a stir fry or sautéed in butter and spooned over sourdough toast.

If this reel intrigues you, you can grab your own mushroom grow kit (along with time of other mushroom related products, including fruiting blocks, outdoor log kits, medicinal tinctures, capsules and more) at northspore.com. Use code HOUSEANDHOMESTEAD for 10% off your order!

And if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my interview with Louis Giller of North Spore Mushrooms in the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine. You can also find my recipe for Lion’s Mane “Crab Cakes,” along with other delicious mushroom recipes and an in-depth feature on medicinal mushrooms including Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga and Cordyceps in the winter issue.

Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe or login to the library and read the current issue.

Mushrooms really are pure magic, don’t ya think? 🍄 ✨

#mushrooms #mushroomhead #shrooming #eatyourshrooms #mushroomsaremagic #modernhomesteading #urbanhomesteading #homegrown
...

65 16

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, it probably comes as no surprise that I don’t exactly love relying on the grocery store to provide for me and my family, and that sentiment is only getting stronger as time goes on.⁣

Between supply chain issues, rising food costs and the plethora of unhealthy ingredients, chemicals and GMO foods on grocery store shelves, I’d rather toil in the garden and kitchen all year to grow and preserve my own food than have to rely 100% on grocery stores to provide for me.⁣

But that being said, we are in no way 100% self-sufficient so when I do go to the grocery story, I haveI have some ingredient guidelines in mind that I use when shopping for my family. ⁣

Check out my shopping tips, what I do and don't buy, and where and who I like to buy from here at this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/healthy-grocery-shopping-tips/ or at the link in my bio.
...

29 1

Usually by late February/early March, right about nowish, I’ve pretty much had enough of winter and the thought of enjoying a tropical fruit platter and a cold adult beverage on a sunny beach in *insert tropical vacation destination here* seems to be just about all I can think about...⁣

But with a newborn at home that's about the last thing on our to-do list right now! So this year, I will be visiting my tropical escape via my favorite Low-Sugar Mango Jam recipe. ⁣

If you do have tropical vacation plans, have a piña colada for me 🙏🏼, but if you don't then this recipe may be just what you need to "escape" for a few minutes into that tropical paradise:) 🥭🍹⁣

Check out the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/low-sugar-mango-jam-recipe/ or at the link in my bio. ⁣

Let me know how the recipe works for you, and if add in any additional fruits to change it up!
...

35 6

© The House & Homestead | All Rights Reserved | Legal

Skip to Recipe