How to Can Homemade Tomato Sauce
When it comes to home-canned food, tomato sauce reigns supreme in terms of versatility.
I don’t know about you, but in our house we eat a lot of tomato-based dishes; Pastas with marinara or bolognese sauce, pizzas topped with homemade pizza sauce, soups and stews with tomato sauce as the base, casseroles and bakes like cabbage rolls and lasagna… The list goes on and on.
For this reason, we go through a ton of tomato sauce. And since I like to grow, preserve and prepare as much of our own food as possible, this means we grow A LOT of tomatoes, and we can A LOT of tomato sauce with those homegrown tomatoes so that we always have what we need on hand to prepare our tomato-based meals from scratch.
Related: 6 Hacks for Growing A Bumper Crop of Tomatoes
This basic tomato sauce recipe has just three ingredients: Tomato sauce, a little bit of salt and a splash of lemon juice (for safe preservation purposes).
I don’t typically add any herbs or spices to my home-canned tomato sauce because I can dry those herbs and then add them when I’m ready to use the sauce. This way the tomato sauce stays really neutral and versatile, so I can use it for whatever I want.
Having jars of basic tomato sauce on hand is much like having a blank painter’s canvas that you can use as a foundation to create whatever you like. You can add Italian herbs like dried basil and oregano for a pizza or pasta dish, or season the sauce with cumin and chilli powder for a Mexican-inspired dish when you’re ready to prepare a meal.
That being said, if you’d like to add some herbs to this tomato sauce, I’ve included instructions on how to do so safely, because if you do intend to can this sauce, you’ll need to stick to the tested amounts in order to ensure a safe finished product.
Water bath canning vs. pressure canning tomatoes
The general rule when it comes to home canning is that high acid foods can be canned in a boiling water bath while low acid foods MUST be canned in a pressure canner.
High acid foods include things like fruits, jams and jellies, pickles, etc.
Low acid foods include things like vegetables, meats, stocks and broths, soups, combination meals, etc.
* For more information or if you’re new to home canning, I highly recommend getting familiar with the basics of water bath canning and/or pressure canning before you get started.
In order to qualify as high acid, a food must have a PH of 4.6 or lower. Most high acid foods like fruits and pickles fall well under that 4.6 marker, but tomatoes tend to straddle the line between acid and non-acidic, so they are treated differently than all other fruits and vegetables when it comes to canning.
Some tomato varieties are exactly a 4.6 on the PH scale, while others are either higher or lower (making them either less acidic or more acidic).
In addition, tomatoes become less acidic the longer they’re allowed to ripen on the vine.
Since there’s no real way to know how acidic each batch of tomatoes is, they must either be acidified with lemon juice when water bath canning, or they must be pressure canned to ensure a safe final product.
That being said, even pressure canned tomatoes require the addition of bottled lemon juice (or citric acid). This is because the process for pressure canning tomatoes does not actually heat the tomatoes more than water bath canning. Rather, it offers a quicker cook time than water bath canning.
According to the USDA’s National Center for Home Food Preservation website, “There has not been a properly researched process for pressure canning of low-acid tomatoes without added acid, so the available process times still require the addition of acid as if they are being processed in boiling water.”
So whether you decide to water bath can your tomato sauce or pressure can it, you’ll need to either add lemon juice or citric acid to ensure a safe end product.
I’ve included instructions for both water bath canning and pressure canning tomato sauce so you can choose the method you prefer.
Choosing the right tomatoes for canning
There are countless varieties of tomatoes out there. This is especially true if you’re a gardener or homesteader growing heirloom varieties.
(By the way, I HIGHLY recommend that you try growing tomatoes at home if you haven’t yet. There are SO MANY cool varieties you can grow at home that you’ll never find in stores! Read more about how to grow tomatoes from seed right here, and check out some of the incredible varieties of tomatoes you can grow at home here – affiliate link).
The best tomatoes for canning, however, are paste tomatoes (also known as plum tomatoes). This is because paste tomatoes are meatier with less liquid and less seeds than slicing tomatoes. While they’re not great for fresh eating, they’re excellent for canning and making tomato sauce because there’s less liquid to cook off and less seeds to either filter out or that will get blended in with the sauce.
San Marzanos, Romas and Amish Paste tomatoes are some of the most popular.
Here on Vancouver Island, we grow San Marzanos as well as a dual purpose variety called Ardwyna Paste tomatoes. The Ardwynas are a local heirloom variety and are hardtop come by, but if you do happen upon some meds one day, I highly recommend then as they work great as both a paste tomato and a slicer!
Either way, choose a paste variety of tomato for canning purposes.
How (and why) to freeze tomatoes before canning
If you grow your own food, you know that everything seems to come on at once and, seemingly overnight, you find yourself elbows deep in produce that needs to be preserved before it goes bad.
In some cases, this means you need to break out your canner right away and start processing your fruits and veggies while they’re at their peak. Vegetables like cucumbers need to be processed fresh and turned into pickles right away before they go soft. The same is true for fruits like peaches.
But in the case of tomatoes, not only can you toss them in the freezer first before you’re ready to can them, it’s actually easier to peel them if you freeze them first.
This works great for us because while I’m busy canning everything else, I can just toss my tomatoes in the freezer and worry about canning them later in the year when I have more time.
In fact, I’ve been known to do a lot of my tomato sauce canning in January when I finally get around to pulling the bags out of the freezer!
But even if you only freeze them for a day or two, they’ll be much easier to peel and prepare for canning if they’re frozen first.
To freeze tomatoes, first wash them and remove the cores. Then toss them in a freezer bag and freeze until frozen solid.
Simple!
How to peel tomatoes
If you’ve frozen your tomatoes first, peeling is a cinch. Simply run frozen tomatoes under hot water and slip the skins right off!
If you decide to peel them fresh, there are a couple ways you can go about this…
Option 1: Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then plunge them into an ice water bath until the skins begin to slip off. Once you see the skins begin to peel off, remove tomatoes from the ice water and peel the rest of the skins off with your hands.
Option 2: Use a food mill to remove the skins. If you have a food mill, this is an easy way to removes the skins and turn your tomatoes into sauce at the same time! However if you want to keep any of the tomatoes whole for any reason, you’ll want to peel them by hand.
How to make homemade tomato sauce
Once your tomatoes are cored and peeled, the hardest part of your work is already done!
From here, all you need to do is toss them in a large stockpot and start cooking them down.
If your tomatoes are frozen, you’ll need to cook them for a little bit longer until they begin to warm up and cook down. However if they’re frozen, what I like to do is leave them in the pot with the lid on for a couple hours before cooking and a lot of water will naturally drain out as they begin to thaw. I then pour that excess water out before I begin to cook them down. This makes for a thicker sauce in less time.
If you’re starting with frozen tomatoes, heat them over medium heat –stirring frequently to prevent scorching– until they’re completely thawed and begin to soften.
Once tomatoes are thawed (or if using fresh tomatoes), bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a potato masher to help crush the tomatoes down. Continue cooking, stirring and crushing tomatoes until all of the tomatoes are soft and have released their juices (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Using an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes until smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender or food processor and blend before returning sauce to the pot.
Bring sauce to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil until volume is reduced by about half. (You may want to use a splatter guard to keep the sauce from splattering all over your kitchen as it cooks down!)
How to can homemade tomato sauce
To can your tomato sauce, start by preparing your canner and jars. This process will be slightly different depending on whether you decide to water bath can your sauce or pressure can it. (See specifics below).
Once your jars and canner are ready, fill each jar with bottled lemon juice and salt (if using).
For pint jars, fill each pint jar with 1 tablespoon bottled of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt.
For quart jars, fill each quart jar with 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt.
(The salt is optional, however the lemon juice is not. You MUST use bottled lemon juice for this recipe to ensure the acidity and safety of your home-canned tomato sauce).
Personally, I don’t even notice the taste of the lemon juice in the sauce, but some people prefer to use citric acid to avoid any flavour the lemon juice might impart. If you choose to use citric acid instead of lemon juice, add ¼ teaspoon of citric acid per pint jar or ½ teaspoon citric acid per quart jar.
If you’d like to add any herbs, you can add some now. Dried basil, oregano and thyme are all good options for tomato sauce. You can use just one herb or a combination of dried herbs if you like. Add ½ teaspoon dried herbs to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon dried herbs to each quart jar.
How to water bath can tomato sauce
To water bath can tomato sauce, ladle hot tomato sauce into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. (Make sure you’ve added your lemon juice first -and salt, if using).
* If you’re new to canning, follow the steps for water bath canning here.
Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as needed. Wipe rims, place lids on top and screw down bands.
Place jars in canner and bring water to a boil. Process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes.
After time is up, turn heat off, take the lid off the canner and allow jars to sit in hot water for another 5 minutes. Remove jars and let cool completely before storing.
How to pressure can tomato sauce
To pressure can tomato sauce, ladle hot tomato sauce into prepared jars leaving 1 inch headspace. (Make sure you’ve added your lemon juice first -and salt, if using).
* Again, if you’re new to canning, follow the step-by-step for pressure canning instructions here.
Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as needed. Wipe rims, place lids on top and screw down bands.
Place jars in pressure canner and process both pint and quart jars for 15 minutes at 10 lbs. of pressure. (Increase to 15 pounds of pressure if canning at over 1,000 feet above sea level).
Once processing time is finished, turn off the heat and allow the pressure canner to depressurize completely, then remove weighted gauge and wait another 2 minutes. Remove lid and wait another 10 minutes before removing jars from canner. Remove jars and let cool completely before storing.
How many tomatoes do I need to can tomato sauce?
This recipe for home-canned tomato sauce is very flexible, so you can use as many tomatoes as you have.
However on average, you’ll need about 7 pounds of tomatoes for every two pints (one quart) of sauce.
A note about siphoning
If you pull your jars of tomato sauce out of the canner and notice that a bunch of the sauce appears to be missing, you may be the victim of siphoning.
Siphoning is when sauce or liquid is drawn out of canning jars while in the canner. It happens when there’s a quick and drastic change in temperature.
Siphoning is much more common in pressure canning than water bath canning (which is why I tend to prefer to water bath can my tomato sauce).
The best way to prevent siphoning and liquid loss is to make sure that your jars and sauce are hot when they go into the canner, and make sure to leave your jars to sit in the canner for the recommended time after your processing time is up. This reduces the chance and amount of siphoning over all, however some liquid loss may still occur when pressure canning.
This being said, some siphoning is normal when pressure canning, and as long as the lids have sealed and the jars haven’t lost more than half the amount of liquid in them, your tomato sauce will still be safe to store and eat.
How to use your home-canned tomato sauce
There are so many ways to use home-canned tomato sauce. Use it as a base for pizza or as a sauce to top some homemade pasta. Use it in soups and stews and as a base for all kinds of red sauces and casseroles.
The sky’s the limit!
I’ve definitely got my favourites, but I’d love to know, what are your favourite ways to use tomato sauce at home?
Let me know in the comments below:)
How to Can Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- Paste tomatoes, peeled and cored*
- Bottled lemon juice
- Pickling or kosher salt (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare canner, jars and lids.
- Add tomatoes to a large stainless steel pot. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Using a potato masher, crush the tomatoes as they cook and stir tomatoes constantly. Continue boiling, stirring and crushing until all of the tomatoes are soft and have released their juices (about 10 to 15 minutes).
- Using an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes until smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender or food processor and blend before returning sauce to the pot.
- Bring sauce to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil until volume is reduced by about half. (You may want to use a splatter guard to keep the sauce from splattering all over your kitchen as it cooks down!)
- Remove jars from the canner and fill each jar with bottled lemon juice and salt (if using). For pint jars, fill each pint jar with 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice and 1⁄2 tsp of salt. For quart jars, fill each quart jar with 2 Tbsp of bottled lemon juice and 1 tsp of salt.
- Ladle hot tomato sauce into prepared jars, leaving 1⁄2 inch headspace if water bath canning, or 1 inch headspace if pressure canning.
- Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as needed. Wipe rims, place lids on top and screw down bands.
- If water bath canning, place jars in canner and process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes. If pressure canning, place jars in pressure canner and process both pint jars and quart jars for 15 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. (Increase to 15 pounds of pressure if pressure canning at over 1,000 feet above sea level).
- After time is up, turn heat off and, if water bath canning take the lid off the canner and allow jars to sit in hot water for another 5 minutes before removing jars. If pressure canning, allow the pressure canner to depressurize completely, then remove weighted gauge and wait another 2 minutes. Remove lid and wait another 10 minutes before removing jars from canner. Remove jars and let cool completely before storing.
Notes
* To peel tomatoes, immerse fresh tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds until skins start to crack. Remove tomatoes from boiling water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in ice cold water and slip the skins off. If tomatoes are pre-frozen, you can use this method or simply run them under hot water until the skins begin to crack and slip off.
This recipe yields roughly 2 pints or 1 quart of sauce for every 7 pounds of tomatoes used.
Wanna learn how to can your own food?
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Over the course of 12 easy-to-follow lessons, we cover both water bath canning and pressure canning, and I show you step-by-step how to can your own jams, jellies, pickles, pie fillings, fruits, vegetables, tomato sauce and chicken stock at home. And of course we’ll go over canning safety, equipment and over all best practices in more depth so that you always feel confident both during the canning process and while enjoying your home-canned food afterwards.
You’ll also get a collection of bonuses including:
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If you’re ready to get started canning (or canning more food than ever before this year!) enroll now and get started stocking your pantry!
*** Use code PREPARED2023 until the end of September 2023 to take 20% off the regular price and get lifetime access to the course and all bonuses! ***
I hope to see you in class:)
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I’m all about practical gifts; Gifts that will truly make life easier and contribute to my and my family’s wellbeing. And our family includes our animals!
One of the ways we make sure our chickens are taken care of is by letting them free range during the day, but making sure they’re locked up and safe from predators at night. But who wants to be up at the crack of dawn to open the coop, or wake up to a bloodbath because you forgot to close the coop the night before?
(The answer is obviously no one… No one wants that).
Automating our homesteading tasks as much as possible allows us to worry about other things and saves us a ton of time. Plus, it makes sure that things get taken care of, whether we remember or not.
Using an automatic chicken door has been a GAME CHANGER for us. It’s one of those lesser known homestead tools that can make all the difference, and I’m always recommending one to anyone who keeps chickens!
This chicken door from @chickcozy_ is so easy to install and use too, and right now you can get one for a steal during their Black Friday sale!
Save over $40 off an automatic chicken door, plus use my coupon code for an ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT!
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Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for the perfect gift for the chicken lover who has everything (which might also be yourself;) the @chickcozy_ automatic chicken door is one Christmas gift that won’t soon be forgotten!
Comment “Chicken” below for more info and to get my exclusive coupon code! 🐓
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Yes, you read that right…
Modern Homesteading Magazine is coming to an end.
This decision has not come easily, but there’s a season for everything, and more and more I’m feeling called to transition out of this season and into the next in both life and business.
And so this final farewell issue is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s the first ever annual issue, with 100 pages packed with brand new content that celebrates the best of the past 32 issues!
And it’s the first issue I’ve ever offered in PRINT!
But on the other hand, it marks the end of an era, and of this publication that I’ve absolutely had the pleasure of creating and sharing with you.
If you’re a digital subscriber, you will not be charged a renewal fee going forward, and will continue to have access to the digital library until your subscription runs out. As part of your subscription, you’re able to download and/or print each issue of you like, so that you never lose access to the hundreds of articles and vast amount of information in each issue.
Rather than subscribing, you can now purchase an all-access pass for a one-time fee of just $20, which gives you access to our entire digital library of issues.
Plus, for a limited time, when you purchase an all-access pass you’ll also get a gift certificate for a second all-access pass to gift to someone else.
I’m also still taking preorders for the print version of this special edition issue, but only for a few more weeks!
When you preorder the print issue, you’ll also get a digital copy of the special edition issue (this issue only), and will receive a print copy in the mail later this year (hopefully by Christmas so long as there are no shipping delays!)
Click the link in my profile or visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to check out the latest issue, purchase an all-access pass to the digital library and/or preorder the print issue today!
Thanks to everyone who has read the magazine over the past 4 years. I’m humbled and grateful for your support, and can’t wait to share whatever comes next:)
#modernhomesteading #homesteading #homesteadersofinstagram
It’s easy to romanticize homesteading, but the truth is that those homegrown vegetables, those freshly laid eggs, that loaf of bread rising on the counter, and that pantry full of home-canned food takes time, effort and dedication. It doesn’t “just happen” overnight!
But if you work on learning one new skill at a time and gain confidence in it before moving onto the next, one day you’ll be looking back and marvelling at how far you’ve come.
That’s where I’m at now. Life today looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, when our homesteading and self-reliance journey was just beginning.
Back then we still lived in our city condo and were just beginning to dabble in all of this stuff. But my husband Ryan and I felt a sense urgency to start pursuing a more self-reliant lifestyle, and we committed to taking small steps, one day at a time to make that vision a reality.
Over the years we’ve continued to put one foot in front of the other, adding new skills and tackling new projects along the way that have helped us get to where we are today.
While there’s always more we want to learn and do, as I look around me right now, I’m so grateful that we took those first steps, especially considering what’s happened in the world over the past few years!
If you’re also feeling the urgency to take the first (or next) steps toward a more self-reliant life, this is your final reminder that today is the last day to join The Society of Self-Reliance and start levelling up your homesteading and self-sufficiency skills so that you’ve got what it takes to:
• Grow your own groceries
• Stock your pantry
• Create a natural home
• Get prepared
• Learn other important life skills like time management for homesteaders, goal setting and how to become your own handyman
And more!
If you’ve been feeling called to level up your self-reliance skills (because let’s be honest, we’re in for a wild ride these next few years with everything going on in the world), now is the time to heed that call.
Link in profile to enroll before midnight tonight, or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society
#homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homesteadingskills #preparedness
There are so many reasons to grow your own food at home:
💰 Saves you money at the grocery store
🍴 Healthier than conventionally grown food
🔑 increases your overall food security
🫙 Gives you an abundance to preserve and share
But perhaps the number one reason is because it just tastes better!
Not only does food taste better when it’s freshly picked or allowed to ripen on the vine, there’s something about putting in the work to grow something from a tiny seed and then getting to see it on your dinner plate that just makes it so much more satisfying than anything you’ll ever buy from the store.
Plus, having to wait all year for fresh tomatoes or strawberries or zucchinis to be in season makes that short period when they’re available just that much more exciting!
With the world spinning out of control and food prices continuing to rise, it’s no wonder more people are taking an interest in learning to grow their own food at home. But that also means changing our relationship with food and learning to appreciate the work that goes into producing it and the natural seasonality of organically grown fruits and vegetables.
(It also means learning to preserve it so you can make the most of it and enjoy homegrown food all year long).
In my online membership program, The Society of Self-Reliance, you’ll learn how to grow your own food, from seed to harvest, as well as how to preserve it so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long!
You’ll also learn how to grow and craft your own herbal medicine, detox your home, become your own handyman, and so much more (because self-reliance is about more than just the food that we eat… But that’s a pretty good place to start!)
The doors to the Society are now open for a limited time only. Click the link in my profile or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#foodsecurity #homegrownfood #homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homegrownfoodjusttastesbetter
If you’ve been watching events unfold over the past few years and you’re feeling called to start “cutting ties” with the system and begin reclaiming your independence, The Society of Self-Reliance was made for you!
When I first launched this online membership program last year, my goal was to create a one-stop resource where members could go to learn and practice every aspect of self-reliance, as well as a space to connect with other like-minded people pursuing the same goal. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you join!
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn inside the Society:
🌱 Food Security and Self-Sufficiency: Learn the art of growing and preserving your own food, ensuring you and your loved ones have access to nutritious meals year-round.
🌿 Natural Living and Herbal Medicine Mastery: Discover the secrets to creating a low-tox home and and to growing, making and using herbal remedies to support your family’s health, naturally.
🔨 Essential Life Skills: Learn essential life skills like time management, effective goal setting and practical DIY skills to become more self-sufficient.
As a member, you’ll enjoy:
📚 Monthly Video Lessons: Gain access to our ever-growing library of video lessons, with fresh content added each month.
📞 Live Group Coaching Calls: Participate in our monthly live group coaching calls, where we deep dive into a different self-reliance topic every month, and do live demonstrations and Q&A’s.
🏡 Private Community: Join our private community forum where you can ask questions, share your progress, and connect with like-minded individuals.
I only open the doors to The Society once or twice each year, but right now, for one week only, you can become a member for just $20/month (or $200/year).
In today’s world, self-reliance is no longer a luxury, a “cute hobby,” it’s a necessity. Join us inside The Society of Self-Reliance and empower yourself with the skills you need to thrive in the new world!
Link in profile or visit thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#selfreliance #selfreliant #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #sustainableliving #modernhomesteading #homesteadingskills #preparedness
Got out for an early morning harvest today. Been up since 3am, contemplating life, the future and the past, the order of things…
There is a rumbling right now, not just in North America, but around the world. Many of us can feel it, and know we are on the precipice of something big.
I’d been hearing about this new song that’s become an overnight viral sensation, written by an (until now) unknown singer named Oliver Anthony. His new song Rich Men North of Richmond has had 14 million views on YouTube in the past week alone, so I decided to check it out.
I also saw a clip of him playing a Farmers Market last week, and anything that has to do with Farmers Markets always has my attention;)
I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve already cried listening to that song. If you’ve heard it already, you probably know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, I highly recommend giving it a listen. All I can say is it’s been a while since a song resonated so deeply with me, and in this strange new world, I know I’m not the only one.
One of the lines in Anthony’s song is “Livin’ in the new world, with an old soul,” and that’s something I think so many of us in the homesteading community can relate to.
Trying to cling to better days; To a simpler time; To the old ways, all while doing our best to get by in the new world.
The world has changed drastically in the last few years especially, and it’s set to change in immense ways over the next few years. Today I’m feeling thankful for people like @oliver_anthony_music_ who give a voice to what so many are feeling right now.
Know that if you’re feeling it too, you’re far from alone. And while the future may feel uncertain and even a little scary, remember that if we stand united, we the people are a force to be reckoned with.
(Continued in comments…)
Another garlic harvest in the books!
Garlic is easily one of my favourite crops to grow. It’s pretty much a “set if and forget it” crop. We plant in the fall and leave it to overwinter, fertilize a couple times in the spring, start watering only once the ground starts to dry out, and then harvest in the summer. We can even plant a fall succession crop after our garlic if we want so it really makes great use of garden space all year round.
Over the years we’ve managed to become completely self-sufficient with garlic. We now grow enough to eat all year (and then some!), plus we save our own seed garlic and usually have extra to sell or give away. And around here fresh, organic garlic ain’t cheap, so it’s a good cash crop for anyone who’s serious about selling it.
It took me a few years to really get the hang of garlic, but it’s one crop I’m now very confident with (knock on wood, because it’s always when we make statements like this that next year’s crop fails! Lol.)
A while back I compiled a comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and using garlic both as an edible and medicinal crop. This is usually only available as part of a paid bundle (or in the fall 2022 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine if you’re a subscriber;), but for a limited time I’m offering it for free, no strings attached!
Plus you’ll also get access to my step-by-step video lesson on planting garlic so you can set yourself up for success with your garlic crop this year.
Comment “Garlic” below or head to thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-guide to get your free copy!
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#garlic #garlicharvest #homesteading #selfsufficient #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #selfreliance #homegrown #groworganic #growfoodnotlawns #gardenersofinstagram #homesteadersofinstagram
Going through photos and videos from our trip to the @modernhomesteadingconference and the vast majority are of our daughter having the time of her life!
Even if I personally got nothing else out of this gathering (which I most certainly did), watching her discover her own love of this lifestyle outside of what we do at home made my heart grow three sizes!
Homesteading is about so much more than homegrown food and self-reliance. It’s about passing on invaluable skills and an understanding of and respect for our connection to the land that provides for us to the next generation.
Being around so many other kids and families who are also pursuing a homesteading lifestyle helped show our little one that this is a movement that is so much bigger and greater than what our own family does on our little plot of land. This is a lifestyle worth pursuing, with a community unlike any other.
Glad to be back home and more excited than ever to involve my kids in everything we’re doing. But also, I think I speak for my whole family when I say we can’t wait to go back someday!
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#homesteading #modernhomesteading #raisinglittles
If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
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#houseandhomestead
#momentsofcalm
#pursuejoy
#simplepleasuresoflife
#thatauthenticfeeling
#findhappiness
#artofslowliving
#simplelifepleasures
#lifesimplepleasure
#simplepleasuresinlife
#thatauthenticlife
#authenticlifestyle
#liveanauthenticlife
#livinginspired
#savouringhappiness
#livemoment
#localgoodness
#simplelive
#lifeouthere
#enjoywhatyouhave
#frugallifestyle
#homesteadingmama
#offgridhomestead
#modernfarmhousekitchen
#crunchymama
#rusticfarmhouse
#farmhouseinspo
#farmhouselife
#modernhomesteading
#backyardfarmer
A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!
In this issue:
🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds
🏠 A sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional homes, greenhouses and more
👨👩👧👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)
🫙 What to focus on when preserving food for true food security
🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home
🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)
💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home
🧑🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency
And more!
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.
Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!
*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***
This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.
I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.
I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.
#homesteading #modernhomesteading #selfsufficiency
If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
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#houseandhomestead
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#garlic
#garlicscapes
#garlicscapespesto
#granolamom
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
#homesteadingfamily
#sustainablelifestyles
#happyhomesteading
#homesteadersofamerica
#homesteaders
This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/chive-blossom-vinaigrette/
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#houseandhomestead
#herbalgarden
#gardenherbs
#herbsfromthegarden
#freshherbsfromthegarden
#gardenfreshherbs
#chiveblossoms
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#seasonalrecipes
#eatinseason
#liveseasonally
#eattheseasons
#seasonaleats
#summersbounty
#eatseasonal
When I added lemon juice to my hot jars I had a jar Crack. Have you ever had this happen what do you do? Can I add the lemon juice to the sauce before adding the sauce to the jar?
Hi Sue – adding lemon juice wouldn’t cause the jar to crack. Most often, jars break if there was already a tiny hairline crack in the glass or a chip somewhere, or from rapid temperature changes (ie. a cool jar is placed into rapidly boiling water). Be sure to examine your jars closely before canning, and also do your best to keep the jars hot before placing them in the canner. Outside of that, unfortunately, sometimes it just happens! -Ashley (Assistant)
Thank you for all the details included in your recipe/directions! Is it safe to use Parmesan rinds during the cooking portion if planning to can? Thank you in advance
Hi Ashley, it’s not recommended as safe to can dairy products. For more information, check out this article:
Instead of peeling the tomatoes, can they be pureed in a high speed blender, skin and all?
Tomato skins are generally removed because they can be tough and bitter, adding an unpleasant taste to the tomato sauce. The USDA also recommends peeling tomatoes because it greatly reduces the amount of bacteria, yeast, and molds that can be found on the skins.
Are the tomato seeds left in the sauce, or did I miss a step?
Seeds left in the sauce are totally fine. If you want to remove them for aesthetic reasons, you can push the tomatoes through a fine mesh strainer, but leaving them in is perfectly fine and many people even find that it enhances the flavour and texture of the sauce in the end.
Can you freeze the tomatoes whole, and then run them through a mill?
Thanks
Yes – as long as they’re fully thawed, that option works great.