How to Read Seed Packets
Seed packets can contain a lot of confusing information, but learning how to read seed packets is crucial when it comes to giving your plants the best start in life. Here’s a breakdown of all the information included on most seed packets, and how to actually understand it all.
* * *
As I write this, it’s the first week of March, which means spring gardening season is just beginning for most of us here in the northern hemisphere.
That also means it’s seed-starting season!
But 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?!
The risks of NOT reading your seed packets…
If you’re a newer gardener or you’ve never actually learned how to read a seed packet before, some of the information can feel a bit confusing and even overwhelming. I remember the first time my husband and I made a pitiful attempt at starting carrot seeds one spring…
We were still living in our city condo, and decided we weren’t going to wait to move out of the city to start our garden. We were going to start it right there, on our shady, north facing balcony, where we couldn’t even keep herbs alive!
(I’m living proof that anyone can learn to garden and grow food, because I clearly had NO IDEA what I was doing at first!)
For starters, I don’t think we even really knew that we had to read a seed packet. We just sort of assumed that you started seeds in the spring. We also didn’t know that you’re supposed to direct sow carrots seeds and not start them indoors. Had we read the seed packet, we probably wouldn’t have made that mistake!
Oh, and we put them on a dresser that was sort of near a sunny-ish window, but not nearly close enough. Our little seedlings we reaching desperately for the sunlight while we flooded them with water and, eventually, drowned them.
Now, I’m not saying that learning how to read and understand a seed packet would have helped us to avoid all of those mistakes, but it would have helped.
Set yourself up for success
I’ve spoken to many first-time gardeners who’ve done similar things with their seeds and then wondered what went wrong— why their seeds didn’t germinate, why their seedlings died or didn’t make it when they transplanted them into the garden, or why they barely produced any food in the end. Very often I find that many of the mistakes that led to these outcomes could have been avoided if they’d only read and followed the directions on their seed packets first.
Because believe it or not, there’s actually a lot of useful information on there!
It’s a little like reading a full recipe before you start to cook, or reading the instructions before you put a piece of IKEA furniture together: if you don’t take the time up front to read through thoroughly, you could find yourself missing ingredients halfway through a recipe, or with a bunch of extra hardware wondering where on Earth you went wrong!
The point is, if you really want to set yourself up for success in the garden, take some time to read and understand your seed packets before planting!
How to read seed packets
Now that you know why it’s important to read seed packets, here’s how to actually read them…
What information is on a seed packet?
Most seed packets include a lot of information about the seeds and the plants they will one day become. While not all seed packets are created equal, most seed packets include the following information:
- Plant type and variety
- Seed type (open-pollinated/heirloom or hybrid)
- Days to maturity/harvest
- When and where to start seeds
- Packaging date
- Number of seeds
- Seed depth and spacing
Every seed packet is different and includes slightly different information, although in general most seed packets available commercially will include the information listed above.
Other information that is sometimes (but not always) included:
- Germination rate
- Days to germination
- Light/sun
- Optimal soil conditions & temperature
- Seed/plant descriptions and specifics
Let’s unpack each of these things one-by-one…
Plant type and variety
The single most important piece of information on a seed packet is the plant type and variety. Obviously this is important because without it you’d have no idea what you were planting! Usually this can be found right on the front of the seed packet— for example, it might say “Lettuce/Romaine,” or “Tomatoes/San Marzano.”
This sounds like an obvious piece of information to check, but it does matter, because certain types of plant varieties are better suited for different needs.
For example, San Marzano tomatoes are best for making tomato sauce, while a variety like Brandywine is best for fresh eating. Other varieties do well in containers while some do much better in the ground.
Decide what you want to get out of your garden and then choose seed types and varieties that will best suit your specific needs.
*Another reason why knowing the specific plant type and variety is important is because even if there’s little other information included on the seed packet, you can easily Google the plant type and variety and find all sorts of information about planting and growing that particular crop.
Seed type
Most seed packets will also tell you what type of seeds are inside. The seed type is not the same as the plant type. Rather, seed type refers to whether the seeds are open-pollinated or hybrid seeds. This could also refer to whether or not the seeds are heirloom seeds, or even genetically modified seeds.
Open-Pollinated Seeds (OP)
Often referred to as “OP” on seed packets, open-pollinated seeds are seeds that are pollinated naturally— by wind, by insects, or even by self-pollination.
Open-pollinated seeds are sort of like the purebreds of the plant world, that will grow true to whatever parent plant they came from. Therefore, if you want to be able to save seeds from your plants at the end of the season, you’ll want to plant open pollinated seeds. You can learn more about saving seeds here.
Hybrid Seeds (F1)
Hybrid seeds are often referred to as “F1” on a seed packet. This stands for “Filial 1” or “first children.” In other words, they are the first generation of a hybrid seed that was pollinated by crossing one variety of plant with another. They’re basically cross-breeds that are deliberately bred by hand to create an offspring that has desirable qualities from both parents. However, they are definitely not genetically modified or created in a lab.
Hybrid seeds are perfectly healthy and organic (as long as their parents were raised organically and they haven’t been treated with anything), and are comparable in taste and nutrition to open pollinated and heirloom plants. So don’t ever worry about growing hybrid seeds! However, if you want to save seeds from your plants, you’ll want to avoid hybrid seeds because often when you save and replant seeds from hybrid plants, they won’t grow true. Instead they may revert back to one of their parents or will end up with a mix of strange (unintentional) traits.
Basically, you don’t really know what you’re going to get in the end when you plant seeds from hybrid plants, so you’ll need to re-purchase them each year.
Heirloom Seeds
Ah, heirloom seeds… These are the seeds that every gardener tends to covet; the ones that gets put on a pedestal above all the other seeds. But heirloom seeds aren’t always necessarily the best.
Heirloom seeds are simply open-pollinated seeds that have been selected, saved, and replanted for a number of decades or generations. So they’re naturally pollinated seeds (unlike hybrids), but they’re seeds that have been selected from the healthiest plants with the most desirable traits for long enough that they’ve often developed special qualities like superior taste, high yields, large fruits or unique colouring and visual characteristics.
Basically, all heirloom seeds are open-pollinated seeds, but not all open-pollinated seeds are heirloom seeds.
There is no exact number of years that a certain seed strain needs to be saved for to be considered an heirloom, although it’s generally agreed upon that it should be at least 50 years old (or about three generations) in order to qualify as an heirloom strain. Some people say it should be at least 100 years old. But at the end of the day you could create your own heirloom strain from any open-pollinated seed variety; you’ll just need to save it for 50 years and hand it down through a few generations first;)
Seed packets do not always specify if the seeds are heirloom seeds. Some will, but others will just say “OP,” so if growing heirloom seeds is important to you, you might have to do a little research on heirloom varieties first.
You can learn more about the best heirloom seeds and about growing an heirloom vegetable garden here.
Genetically Modified Seeds (GMO)
Genetically modified seeds (GMOs) are definitely seeds that you want to stay away from for many reasons, but the good news is that GMOs just aren’t available to home gardeners. They’re made (in a lab) for large, commercial, monoculture farms, and while some GMO seeds can cross-pollinate with plants in your garden if you’re too close to a farm that grows GMO crops, you don’t have to worry about accidentally buying genetically modified seeds.
Days to maturity / Days to harvest
Most seed packets will also tell you the “days to maturity” or “days to harvest.” This is the number of days a plant will take to produce a harvest from the time of planting out in your garden.
This is important information to know depending on your climate, because if you live somewhere colder with a short growing season, you’re going to want to choose seeds that will grow and produce a harvest before you get your first frost.
Likewise, if you’re late on planting, the “days to harvest” will help you to know if you can still plant something and expect to get a harvest before the season ends.
One thing to note is that you start counting the “days to harvest” at different times, depending on what you’re growing. For seeds that are direct sown in the garden, you can start counting the days to harvest as soon as the seeds germinate and emerge from the soil. (Some people say to wait until the seedling has its first true leaves before beginning the countdown).
If, however, you have started seeds indoors or have purchased seedlings from a nursery, you’ll start counting the days to maturity/harvest once you’ve transplanted them into your garden.
When and where to start seeds
While the “days to harvest” will give you a good general idea how long it will take for your plants to produce a harvest, most seed packets will do the math for you and will tell you when and where to plant your seeds in the spring.
For example, a seed packet might tell you to “start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before planting out.” This means you would start your seeds indoors roughly 6 to 8 weeks before you’re ready to transplant the seedlings out into your garden. Many seed packets will state more explicitly when you should transplant seedlings to your garden, as some crops can go outside in early to mid-spring (like lettuce and onions), while others need to wait until the weather warms up more (like tomatoes and peppers).
If the seed packet says to “direct sow outdoors once all danger of frost has passed,” then you would wait until after your last frost date and plant the seeds directly in your garden.
Knowing when your first and last frost dates are is definitely helpful as a gardener. You can find your average frost dates here.
Packaging date
Seed packets typically include a packaging date, which is simply the year they were packaged for— so if you buy a new seed packet, it will most likely say that it was packaged the same year that you bought it. But if you end up gardening for any length of time, you will inevitably end up with leftover seeds from years past.
The packaging date is super helpful because the older seeds are, the lower their germination rate tends to be. You’ll want to make sure you use up older seeds first in order to get the most out of them. So if you plant a packet of seeds with a packaging date of 2015 and none of them grow, you’ll know it was most likely because they were too old and were no longer viable.
Number of seeds
Most seed packets should also tell you the number of seeds in each packet. This is useful to know and pay attention to so that you can ensure you have enough of certain crops to fulfill your needs, and roughly how many seasons the seed packet should last you. It helps you to avoid overbuying, too.
For example, when we start our tomatoes indoors, the seed packets we get typically come with about 30 seeds. We grow around 30 plants each year, so one packet of seeds per year is enough. Our packet of broccoli seeds, on the other hand, contains upwards of 300 seeds! We grow about 12 to 16 plants per year, so one packet will last many years so long as the seeds remain viable.
Onions are another example that comes to mind. This year, I planted a different variety of storage onion and just assumed we’d get around the same yield as last year when we planted a different variety. But when I planted all the seeds, I discovered there were only about 50 seeds in the pack compared to the 200 seeds we started last year. I didn’t manage to get more onion seeds in time this year, so we’ll be growing fewer onions than I had hope this season.
(See… I still make rookie mistakes too!)
Seed depth and spacing
Seed packets will also usually tell you how deep to plant the seeds and how far to space them apart when direct sowing or transplanting outdoors.
The general rule of thumb is to plant seeds twice as deep as they are large. So for tiny seeds like broccoli seeds and lettuce seeds, you only need to plant them about ¼-inch deep. But for larger seeds like peas and beans, you’ll need to plant them about one to two inches deep.
As for spacing, most seed packets will tell you how far apart to plant each seed, or how to space each plant so that they have room to grow and stretch their roots. Sometimes it will also tell you how far apart to space your rows so that you have room to walk between them, but this is only important for market-style gardens that are planted in rows.
It might also say to plant and thin seedlings to a certain distance apart. In this case (like with carrots), it’s easiest to plant a bunch of seeds in rows and then thin (aka. pull out) extra seedlings as they emerge in order to give the ones that remain enough room to grow big and produce lots of food for you!
Germination rate
The germination rate is the average percentage of seeds that you can expect to actually germinate and grow. There are almost always at least a few duds in every seed packet, and some varieties tend to have a slightly lower germination rate than others (aka. more duds). Knowing the germination rate ahead of time can give you a better idea of what to expect in terms of how many seeds to start and how many plants you’re likely to end up with.
Remember too that older seeds tend to have lower germination rates, so if a seed packet says “92% germination rate” but the seed packet is three years old, that number might be closer to 80-85%.
Days to germination
Along with the germination rate, your seed packet might include the “days to germination,” which is the average number of days it takes for certain seeds to germinate and start to grow.
This can be especially useful to know when you’re waiting for what seems like FOREVER for your seedlings to emerge from the soil —ahem… I’m looking at you sweet peppers!— because you can refer to the seed packet and see whether it’s normal for the seeds to take that long to germinate or whether you’ve got yourself some duds and should do another planting of newer, more viable seeds.
Light and/or sun
Many seed packets will also tell you how much light or sun your plants will need as they begin to grow. Your seed packet might say “full sun” or “direct sun,” “partial sun,” “partial shade” or “full shade.”
Usually if a seed packet doesn’t indicate how much sun your plants will need, you’re probably safe to assume “full sun,” as most plants (annual vegetables in particular) do best in full sun.
Optimal soil conditions
Your seed packet may also tell you what soil temperature and conditions are best for the seeds. Some seeds like peas and radishes can be planted when the soil is still fairly cold— as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Other crops like cucumber, squash and melons need warmer soil to germinate and grow. Some crops do better in sandier soils and others need more humus-rich soil, etc.
You’ll probably have a pretty good idea of what soil temperature is best based on the information on when and where to start your seeds, and as far as soil composition, you can really never go wrong with adding compost and organic matter to any type of soil.
Seed descriptions and specifics
Aside from all of the above, some seed are just very unique and require special planting instructions or warrant a special description, so look for additional information on your seed packets that can help you get the most out of your plants.
What if your seed packet is blank?
If you save your own seeds, participate in any type of seed exchange, or are gifted seeds from a friend or neighbour, you may end up with homemade seed packets or envelopes with no information on them at all. If this is the case, you’ll have to do some digging online (or in books if you’re old school), but you will at least need to know the seed type and variety first.
Always make sure to write this information down when saving seeds so you don’t forget! And if you do have the original seed packets, I make a point of holding onto mine throughout the growing season and sometimes even longer so I have them to refer back to whenever I need them.
At the end of the day, you could ignore basically everything on a seed packet and just throw some seeds in the ground and hope for the best, but you’ll likely have a lot of things fail before you ever get a harvest. So do the work up front and read your seed packets before planting! You’ll save yourself a lot of wasted time and effort in the end.
And just know that the longer you garden for, the more second-nature it will become and the less you’ll have to look at the seed packets. Sort of like cooking without a recipe, or putting together IKEA furniture without the instructions;)
(Although, is there seriously anyone out there who can put a piece of IKEA furniture together using ALL of the parts without the instructions? Doubtful. Very doubtful.)
>> For more help with seed-starting, sign up for my FREE Resource Library to get my Seed-Starting Cheat Sheet (and so much more!) You can find the cheat sheet under the Gardening Resources section of my resource library:)
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness:)
CATEGORIES
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
Easy Fermented Jalapeños Recipe
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. When we first started growing jalapeños, we did so with the intention of using them to make homemade salsa. We figured we’d be lucky to get enough jalapeños to...
How to Can Homemade Tomato Sauce
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. When it comes to home-canned food, tomato sauce reigns supreme when it comes to versatility. I don’t know about you, but in our house we eat a lot of...
What’s your favourite food preservation method??
For Angi Schneider of @schneiderpeeps, the answer is pressure canning, hands-down.
The fact is, there are many ways to preserve food, and each of them has its place and serves its purpose. But the only preservation method that allows you to preserve full meals that are ready to eat straight out of the jar is pressure canning.
Water bath canning allows you to preserve high acid foods like fruits, pickles, jams and jellies.
Fermenting adds beneficial bacteria, increases the nutritional value and adds a distinct (and acquired) flavour to foods.
Dehydrating and freeze drying are great long term storage preservation methods, and are a great option for preppers, hunters or anyone who needs to carry their food preps with them.
Pressure canning, on the other hand, allows you to have jars of food ready to serve and eat at a moment’s notice. It’s great to hand on hand during an emergency, but it also serves as practical, every day food that you and your family will actually eat.
Whether it’s a busy weeknight and you have no time to cook, you’ve got unexpected company or you find yourself in the middle of an emergency or power outage, having jars of healthy, homemade food –including full meals– on hand always comes in handy.
Angi and I sat down to chat about the many benefits of pressure canning, and about her brand new book Pressure Canning For Beginners And Beyond in an interview for the fall issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine (out now).
To read the full interview and/or to check out Angi’s new cookbook (which includes some seriously drool-worthy canning recipes like Chicken Marsala, Beef Street Tacos, Maple Ginger Glazed Carrots and French Onion Soup), click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to www.modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe and get your first issue free!
For a limited time, you can also become a member and get full access to our entire library of issues for just $7.99/year. Link in bio to get all the goods:)
Seriously though… What’s your favourite food preservation method and why? (There are no wrong answers!)
Let me know in the comments below!👇
For the past week or so, I’ve been sharing a new morning routine I've been committing to...
It's the simple act of lighting a candle to start each day.
In this age of unnatural blue light emanating from our screens, fluorescent and even LED lighting from overhead lights and lamps, it can be quite a shock to the system to go from sleeping in complete darkness to flipping on the bright lights and checking email on your smartphone first thing in the a.m.
By simply lighting a candle and allowing your eyes a minute or two to adjust before turning on the lights or checking a screen, you have the power to create a much calmer and more peaceful start to your day, and that has lasting effects that can and will stay with you all day long.
I know I’m not the only one who can benefit from this simple but powerful morning ritual, so I decided to start a challenge to encourage others to do the same.
If you'd like to participate, grab a candle and a pack of matches (or a lighter) and commit to lighting a candle to start your day for as many days as you can during the month of October.
Every time you share a photo of your candle/morning ritual on Instagram posts or stories and tag me @thehouseandhomestead and use the hashtag #candlelitmorning, you'll be entered to win a naturally-scented candle of your choice from Plant Therapy!
This being said, I know that good quality candles aren't exactly cheap, but you can save a tone of money by learning how to make your own!
If you're interested in learning how to make your own all-natural soy candles with essential oils at home, I'm currently offering my DIY Scented Soy Candles Masterclass for FREE as part of the Handmade Holiday Giveaway, hosted by my friend and fellow Vancouver Islander Diana Bouchard of @wanderinghoofranch
Other limited-time freebies include:
* Exclusive homestead holiday recipes
* Free knitting and crochet patterns
* Free homemade cocktail mixers course
* Cute printable gift tags and more!
Click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead to check out everything that's included in the Handmade Holiday Giveaway.
And don't forget to join in the #candlelitmorning challenge right here on Instagram!
Sometimes I don’t post photos because I can’t think of a brilliant, thought-provoking caption to go with each one.
But then again, sometimes a photo speaks for itself:)
This weekend reminded me how important it is to be present, both with ourselves and with the ones we love. This weekend I was reminded of what I’m truly grateful for. 🧡
Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!
#givethanks #staypresent #familyiseverything
Drop a ❤️ below 👇 if you can relate!
A professional teacher turned homeschooling mom of two, Allyson Speake was spinning her wheels trying to keep up with her family’s fast-paced modern lifestyle until she made the intentional decision to slow down and quit her job as a teacher to stay home and educate her children at home. Nowadays she helps others do the same!
If you’ve ever stumbled across her Instagram page @tanglewoodhollow, you’ve likely been met with beautiful photos of children playing and exploring in the woods, nature crafts, treasures and toadstools galore. Her passion for slow, seasonal living and nature-based education shows in everything she posts!
But her inspiring Instagram page is just a glimpse into what she has to offer other homeschoolers, teachers, parents and guardians from all walks of life who want to bring a little more seasonal magic into their children’s lives, and who know that the best classroom is the great outdoors.
I sat down with her for the latest issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine and she shared some real nuggets of wisdom for anyone with young children (not just homeschoolers!)
In the interview, Allyson shares that “on average three-year-olds can identify 100 different brand logos, and that increases to 300-400 by age 10.” If that’s not reason enough to turn off the TV and get outside, I don’t know what is!
“Whatever children are exposed to, they are able to soak it up like sponges, but they aren’t getting that exposure to nature,” she says.
Catch the full interview in the Fall issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine. Subscribe for free to read your first issue free or become a member to get this issue plus access to our entire library of past issues for just $7.99/year!
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to www.modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
#homeschool #homeschooling #naturebasedlearning #naturebasededucation #wildandfreechildren #freerangekids
🛠 “Even the simplest tools can empower people to do great things.”
- Biz Stone
The other day I asked you what the most valuable asset is on your homestead, and I shared that mine is my dear husband @thehumblehandyman
Everyone who knows him knows he can build and repair just about anything. It’s a true talent, but he’s also spent years learning and sharpening his skills.
But talent and skills are only half of the equation; You’ve gotta have the right tools for the job!
As homesteaders, our main mission in life is to become more self-sufficient, and that extends to building and repairing things at home. But whether you’re an expert handyman or a fledgling fixer-upper, you can't do the job if you don't have the right tools on hand.
If you’re just starting out and wondering what tools to invest in, The Humble Handyman and I put together a list of 15 essential tools that everyone should have on hand for minor repairs and odd jobs around the home (and homestead), along with tips on how to actually use each one.
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead to check it out or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/15-essential-tools-home-toolkit/
Which of these tools do you already have?
Which ones are next on your list to invest in??
What are your go-to tools to use around your house and homestead??? (Duct tape totally counts 😉)
Let me know in the comments below! 👇
#toolsofthetrade #toolkit #diy #handyman
🪓 What’s the most valuable asset on your homestead?
For me, it’s this guy right here.
He was only away for two weeks, but that’s all the time it took for me to realize how much he brings to the table, and how valuable it is to have a live-in handyman on a homestead!
When our burner crapped out on our stove in the middle of a canning project last week, I had no idea how to fix it and was ready to buy a brand new stove, but luckily Ryan came home with all of his tools just a couple days later and fixed it for a fraction of the cost of buying a new stove.
When we were getting chickens, he built our chicken coop. When I wanted to put in new garden beds, he built them. Deck? Done! Firewood? Chopped! Bathroom? Remodelled! Car broken down? Fixed! (Did I mention he’s a trained mechanic too?)
If you don’t have your own handyman at home though, you can still learn the skills you need to become more self-sufficient when it comes to tackling new building projects and repairing and maintaining things at home.
I’m thrilled to announce that @thehumblehandyman now has his own regular feature in each issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, where he’ll share simple steps you can take to increase your self-sufficiency by learning how to DIY all sorts of projects around your house and homestead.
In his debut feature, he shares 5 simple steps you can take this fall to help you prepare your house and homestead for the coming winter, all of which could save you time, money and effort during the season of rest.
Check out the full article in the Fall issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, available now!
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to www.modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe and read your first issue free, or become a member and get this issue plus unlimited access to all past issues for just $7.99/year!
I’d love to know what handyman/DIY skills or projects you’d like to see featured in future issues. Leave a comment below👇and let me know!
#handyman #homesteading #diy #handymanhusband #skills #woodworking #jackofalltrades #selfsufficiency #selfsufficient #selfsufficientliving #sustainableliving #homesteadersofinstagram
Did you know you can now buy pumpkin spice ramen noodles, pumpkin spice Pringles, pumpkin spice macaroni and cheese, pumpkin spice sausages and even pumpkin spice dog treats?
It’s not exactly a stretch to say that we’ve taken the whole pumpkin spice craze a little bit too far.
But our obsession with pumpkin spice speaks to something much deeper than the flavour itself. (Let’s be honest, pumpkin spice ramen noodles sound gag-worthy).
The reason we tend to love pumpkin spice so much is because it triggers feelings of comfort and nostalgia; Memories of days spent with family at the pumpkin patch or around the Thanksgiving table. In short, pumpkin spice triggers our emotions as much as it tantalizes our taste buds.
But let’s be real, pumpkin spice Pringles ain’t it.
If you’re feeling all the fall vibes and craving a little pumpkin spice in your life right now, stick to the tried and true pumpkin spice latte, but ditch the expensive (and highly processed) commercial PSLs and make your own pumpkin spice syrup (with real pumpkin!) at home for a fraction of the cost! Keep it on hand to add to your coffees, teas and steamed milk beverages all Autumn long.
It’s super easy to make and will put pumpkin spice macaroni squarely in its place (and keep it there!)
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead to grab the recipe or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-pumpkin-spice-syrup/
#pumpkinspice #psl #pumpkinspicelatte #fallvibes #fromscratch
I’ve been feeling pulled to slow down and retreat into my home lately; To turn off the news and social media and focus on the tangible things like lighting the wood stove, preserving the mountains of food still coming out of the garden, and slowly stirring a pot of soup as it cooks on the stovetop.
With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I know I’m not the only one feeling pulled toward hearth and home. This is a heavy time for all of us. No one person is meant to bear the weight of the world on their shoulders, but I've heard from so many people lately who say that's exactly how they've been feeling.
If you read my post from a few days ago, you know I’ve been feeling like that too, but luckily, I've learned how to soothe my soul in difficult times.
And so that's what I've been doing lately...
I've been focusing on the tangible things that I can control, like cooking meals and preserving food.
I've been lingering a little longer in the morning, taking time to sit by the river or sip my coffee in front of the wood stove before hurrying on with my day.
And I've been making a conscious effort to turn off the noise of the outside world and give my family and my own emotional health my full attention.
If you've also been feeling that pull to turn off all of the noise and immerse yourself in more nourishing, productive activities, I want to tell you about a collection of resources that will help you do just that.
The Simple Living Collective’s Autumn Issue includes seasonal guides, tutorials, e-books, recipes and more to help you slow down and reconnect with what matters this season.
* Learn how to forage for healing herbs and how to make your own natural medicine
* Find new ways to celebrate old traditions, and create new seasonal traditions with your family
* Discover new seasonal recipes and crafts to do on your own or with your kids
And much more.
If this sounds like it’s exactly what you're in need of right now, check out the Simple Living Collective and get the Autumn Issue for just $25. But this issue is only available until tomorrow, so don't wait…
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead to grab it now before it disappears 🍁
If you’ve ever grown peppers, you know they take FOREVER and a day to grow from seed.
Peppers are one of the earliest crops that we start from seed, usually in January or February. Usually by August the sweet peppers and bell peppers have finally grown a few peppers each, and it’s around this time that I ask myself why I bother with growing peppers in the first place. That is until I inspect the jalapeño plants and find them LOADED with little green spicy peppers!
Our jalapeño plants are about as prolific as our tomato or zucchini plants, so all of the waiting for these pepper plants to mature and produce is totally worth it. But as with all high yield plants, the problem becomes what to do with them all!
While I do use a fair amount of jalapeños to make homemade salsa, I’m always left with more than I need. And personally, I don’t like fresh jalapeños. I prefer them pickled. And if I’m going to pickle them, I may as well ferment them and make them both tastier AND healthier while preserving them to eat throughout the year,
Fermented jalapeños have actually become one of my favourite ferments, and probably my favourite way to enjoy jalapeños too! Plus, they’re so incredibly easy to make. All you need are jalapeños, some water and salt. (A few jars and some @masontops pickle pebbles help too 😉)
As for how to use them, try adding fermented #jalapeños to homemade nachos, tacos, chilli, pizza, salads, burgers and anything else you can think of that could benefit from a little spicy heat (and a healthy dose of probiotics;)
Or, if you really like heat, just grab a fork and eat some straight out of the jar! (Maybe keep a glass of milk on hand to cool your mouth down… just in case;)
If you don’t have ay jalapeños but have other hot peppers (or any type of peppers), just sub them for the jalapeños. This recipe can be used to #ferment any type of peppers:)
If you’ve got an abundance of peppers on hand and need a quick, easy, healthy and DELICIOUS way to preserve them, I’ve got you covered!
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/fermented-jalapenos/ for the recipe!
#fermentation #fermentedfoods #wildfermentation
I laid in bed the other night and couldn’t sleep.
I know that probably doesn’t sound out of the ordinary, especially considering the collective stress we’ve all been through over the past year and a half. But if I’m being totally honest, I’ve done a pretty good job of not letting it get to me.
I used to have really bad anxiety, and I made a conscious effort to learn how to manage it in (mostly) healthy, natural ways. I practice a lot of gratitude every day, and overall I’ve learned to deal with stress, anxiety and negative thoughts pretty well.
Lately though, I’ve been feeling the weight of it all. Aside from dealing with personal issues like our ongoing infertility/pregnancy loss journey and the every day stresses we all face, the bigger things have been feeling bigger and heavier lately; The mandates, the politics, the pushback, the arguments and attacks online, the divisiveness, and the seemingly never-ending pandemic that every single one of us is still dealing with in some capacity.
I’ve been seeing more and more calls to “choose a side.” I’ve witnessed my own close friends on both sides of the debate hurling insults at each other, defending their ground, and refusing to listen to each other’s valid points and concerns.
I’ve even witnessed a widening crack in the homesteading community, despite the fact that so many of our core values and beliefs align and are unique to us.
Despite the division, I would still argue that ALL of us have much more in common than not, and to see the divide continuing to deepen has started to get under my skin lately.
(Continued in comments…)
🍁 There's something almost magical about the changing of the seasons, and especially the transition from summer to fall.
For us homesteaders, summers are often chaotic and offer lots of projects and distractions to keep us busy, but fall beckons us to slow down and focus on what we want out of this life and what sort of changes and transitions we need to make to get to where we ultimately want to be.
This latest issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine reflects this spirit of change and honours the many transitions that this season brings.
From transitioning our homes and gardens for the fall and winter to transitioning our kids back to school, we're covering a wide range of topics to help you to make the most of this season before we transition to the next.
And speaking of changes and transitions, I'm very excited to announce a brand new format and vision for Modern Homesteading Magazine.
As we celebrate two years in publication and 24 monthly issues on topics ranging from organic gardening to herbal medicine to raising livestock to fermentation and just about everything in between, the time has come for the magazine to expand, diversify and transition from a monthly publication to a seasonal one.
This will also be the last issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine that we're offering for free.
If you're already a paid member, nothing will change and you'll continue to enjoy full access to our entire library of past, present and future issues.
If you're not a member yet but you'd like to continue to receive each new issue and get full access to our entire library of past issues, you can still do so for the super low introductory rate of just $7.99/year.
A huge thanks to @planttherapy for sponsoring yet another issue!
Plant Therapy's fall collection is out now, along with their vast selection of essential oils, home and body care products, CBD oils and more! Shop now and get 10% off site-wide when you use code HOMESTEAD at checkout.
I hope you enjoy everything that this issue has to offer, and that it inspires you to make the most of the season.
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead to become a member or subscribe and read your first issue for free!
Fun fact: The word “ferment” comes from the Latin word “fervere,” which means “to boil.”
During fermentation, wild yeasts and bacteria feed off of the sugars in food and produce carbon dioxide, which is what makes the signature bubbles in fermented foods.
It’s thought that this bubbling action -which looks similar to the bubbles produced during boiling- is what gave fermentation its name.
But fermentation itself dates back even further than that. The earliest known evidence of humans fermenting foods on purpose comes from Neolithic China.
Fermentation is also incredibly widespread. In fact, practically every culture on Earth includes some sort of fermented foods and/or beverages as part of their culture and traditional foods.
The three recipes in the latest issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine are a good example of this diversity as they come from three different parts of the world.
First up is a traditional sauerkraut recipe, which hails from Eastern Europe. Then there’s my personal favourite Kimchi, which is South Korea’s national dish. And finally there’s Curtido, which is basically like sauerkraut with a delicious twist that comes from El Salvador.
Get all of these recipes and learn all about the wonderful world of fermentation while you still can by subscribing to Modern Homesteading Magazine. Right now you can subscribe for free and you’ll still get the weekend to read through this issue before the Fall issue drops next Monday.
Or, if you want unlimited access to this issue, along with every other issue of the magazine, you can still become a member for the super low introductory rate of just $7.99/year!
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead to subscribe for free or become a member and get unlimited access to our entire library of issues packed with helpful information, resources and exclusive recipes!
#modernhomesteading #homesteading #fermenting #fermentedfoods #fermentation #sauerkraut #kimchi
0 Comments