Since cabbage grows so easily (and big!) here in the Cariboo, we often end up with heads over 10 pounds. What to do with all that cabbage? That's easy - we turn it into Sauerkraut. We love having jars of home canned kraut on hand for a quick meal in the winter. Here's how to make Sauerkraut (and how to can it too). We do keep several heads in the Cold Room and … [Read more...]
Harvesting Potatoes
The garden is slowly being emptied for the season - every day more and more potatoes are being dug up, sorted and put away. If I get one row of potatoes harvested every day, it doesn't take long for the potato bed to be emptied. Every year we grow enough potatoes to eat all winter long, plus enough stored to use as seed potatoes the following year! They take up garden … [Read more...]
Still on Evacuation Alert, But All is Well!
It's been hard for me to find time to write new blog posts - we have so much going on here right now. Here's a quick update - we are still on evacuation alert, but all is well. There is still quite a bit of smoke here at times, but not so much that we aren't able to work outside. We have been following the various Cariboo Facebook groups for official information. Today we are delighted to hear … [Read more...]
Never Buy Pea Seeds Again – Save Your Own Seed
Who doesn't love to eat fresh garden peas? There's nothing like a handful of peas scooped right out of the pod and into the mouth. Just make sure you don't eat them all fresh! Save some for eating at any other time of the year. Blanching and then freezing bags of garden peas to enjoy during the winter is a great idea. The peas will have that freshly picked flavour … [Read more...]
Growing Cabbage
Cabbage is not a difficult plant to grow, especially in the Northern areas. It loves cooler weather and is quite hardy. It is a heavy feeder though, so that means there will need to be a good layer of composted manure in the garden for it. It is such a good Cold Room staple for over Winter, it is more than worth it to set aside some room in your garden for … [Read more...]
8 Great Ways to Use and Preserve Rhubarb
Spring on a northern homestead, what a wonderful time of year! Along with Asparagus and Jerusalem Artichokes, another early plant in our gardens in Rhubarb. Here are 8 great ways to use and preserve Rhubarb (with help from some of my awesome gardening friends). 8 Great Ways to Use and Preserve Rhubarb But first, here's an article I wrote years … [Read more...]
The Five “W’s” – Spring Chores
My days are really full right now with lots of outside stuff going on. I have a bit of the garden planted - the peas are all planted, as well as some carrots, lettuce and spinach. I am early this year getting things in the ground but these cool weather veggies should be fine. We're looking forward to a good harvest in a month or two. Things grow quick in the Cariboo. Spring is one of the … [Read more...]
Growing Rhubarb
Rhubarb is one of the earliest producers in Spring. It's very easy to grow and it is a perennial, meaning that you plant it once and it will come up year after year. Many people get 20 years worth of harvest off of a single rhubarb plant. That is a great return. Use rhubarb in all kinds of recipes, from jams to pies, stewed or added to homemade juices or … [Read more...]
Cold Room Inventory
Before I sit down and write out seed orders, I take a trip downstairs to do a Cold Room inventory. There is no point in taking up space planting a wide row of beets, if I still have 5 dozen jars of them waiting to be eaten. So, yesterday I spent half an hour down in the Cold Room, writing down everything we had canned and stored away. Here's my Cold Room … [Read more...]
