Country Living in a Cariboo Valley

Homesteading in BC

How To Improve Clay Soil for Gardening

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If you’re looking for tips on how to improve clay soil, check out these frustration-free ideas!

Here in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, we have clay based soil in our lawn that we are always trying to amend. I had never seen heavy clay soil before we moved here.

Over time we learned how to improve clay soil. Here’s how we were able to improve soil fertility in our home garden.

How to Improve Clay Soil

Before I share how to fix your soil, here is a bit of history of what our soil (and first time garden) was like when we moved here to the Valley.

We came here at the beginning of June and maybe 3 days later, we had our first garden in. We planted mostly potatoes which are good for breaking up the soil.

This is something to keep in mind if you are breaking in a first year garden with hard, lousy soil. Plant potatoes! Plant lots of potatoes.

Head on over here if you want to learn how to grow potatoes.

Potatoes growing in a garden bed.
Growing potatoes is a great way to break up heavy soil

I didn’t think we would have much of a harvest that year. But the garden did better than we thought it would and we grew some beets,  peas, salad greens and even pole beans.

 

Buckwheat plant growing to be turned under to improve soil
These two plants are natural ways to improve your clay soil!

A great resource for homesteading and gardening was Carla Emery’s book Encyclopedia of Country Living.

I am still often looking something up in this awesome book. It is full of widespread information about different aspects of homesteading.

This book covers everything I needed to know about growing food, preserving food and even raising animals. There is lots of information about the importance of building your soil.

 

Why is Clay Hard to Grow In?

Solid clumps of clay are hard to garden in! Because of the shape of clay particles (flat and condensed instead of round, as something like sand, silt, or loam might be), compaction is a large problem, especially when wet or under any kind of pressure.

A garden bed full of heavy clay soil is like mud when there’s been a good rainfall. Then, when it does dry out, it is like concrete.

This prevents things like air, moisture, minerals, and nutrients from filtering in and out, which is a surefire way to stunt any plant growth.

Great ways to promote better drainage and aeration in clay soil is by top dressing with any (or a combination) of these components:

  • pine bark
  • gypsum
  • mulch
  • composted leaves
  • grass clippings

 

Buckwheat growing in garden to improve soil
If you’re frustrated with the quality of your clay soil, grow these two plants to improve it.

 

How to Amend Clay Soil for Vegetable Gardens

There are a number of soil amendments you can make to enrich your clay and loosen it up. Use aged manure or compost.

Using Cover Crops to Improve Soil

Growing some cover crops that are rich in the nutrients your soil needs is a great way to use organic matter to improve soil quality. Getting a garden soil test is a great first step.

A large vegetable garden growing in summer
With a little patience and work, even the most dense and difficult clay soil can be turned into a great base for growing.

Great choices for cover crops include:

  • Buckwheat
  • Fall Rye (or Winter Rye)
  • Clovers, both red and white
  • Alfalfa

Grow Buckwheat

We use buckwheat as a form of green manure and you can read about how we grow and use it. It works very well for us as we have a shorter gardening season (Canada Zone 3) and it matures so quickly.

buckwheat growing in garden
Growing buckwheat is a great way to naturally improve the quality of clay soil.

Buckwheat grows especially well in moist, cool climates and cold areas. It’s also a good grain choice if you have poor soil, especially if it’s dense clay, because the roots break up the clay and make it loose.

A real advantage to Buckwheat is we use it to cover areas from early harvested vegetables. So, it’s a cover crop that we can grow in a few weeks, let it set seed and use as Buckwheat flour. Or turn under the entire plant to add nutrients.

Just don’t let it set seed and then dig it under or you’ll have  a lot of Buckwheat growing in that spot.

Grow Rye Grass

We have always used fall rye as a green manure for the garden. We sow it in the fall and in spring, once growth starts again, we work it in to the soil by tilling.

Some people are opposed to tillage on such heavy clay, but we are adding lots of air and other materials like the green manures. It doesn’t take long and you will see the soil become lighter with a good ability to drain properly.

fall rye being tilled under in garden
Once planted, the right green manure will make all of the improvements for you!

If you don’t have a tiller, you can use a shovel or a garden fork instead. Dig deep and turn over the entire root system. Leave the stems and leaves (full of plant nutrients) to decompose further into the soil.

This has been a big help for us and we also use it in harvested areas of the garden during the gardening season. It grows quickly, which is another bonus.

If you grow Fall Rye just don’t let it get to tall before cutting. The stalks can get tough and that makes it difficult to cut down. Cut it before it gets over 2 feet tall; there are plenty of nutrients in plants that size.

Other Soil Building Organic Materials to Improve Bad Soil

  • Well aged manure, including chicken, pig, cow and horse.
  • Well aged kitchen compost.
  • Old bedding from animal pens is done as well. The hay/straw breaks down and adds to allow air into the soil.

 

Basket full of leafy greens and broccoli fresh picked
After some work, we managed to make our clay soil work for all of our purposes!

We get wonderful harvests from our gardens. Vegetables, berries, perennial veggies like asparagus and rhubarb.

We grow enough to fill our cold room and eat lots of great fresh food!

Each year the garden soil has improved and we can tell by the texture. It’s lighter and fluffier than last year, and last year was better than the year before.

The more compost, green manure, straw etc. we add – the better the soil will become. And this has to be an ongoing project; otherwise, the good soil will again get depleted.

Another Benefit of Using Cover Crops

Using some type of plant material to help improve your soil, has another benefit. That is keeping your soil covered. Try to not leave soil bare and exposed to the elements; erosion will easily happen and whatever is good in your top soil will be gone.

Keep your soil covered (as in fully planted) and it will help not only the soil ph but will keep any soil microorganisms in better health. 

If you can’t seed a cover crop for whatever reason, consider covering exposed parts of your garden with a layer of straw.

 

Fix clay soil so you can plant vegetables or flowers. Amend the soil using these 3 types of plants! #gardening #soil #DIY
Fix clay soil so you can plant vegetables or flowers. Amend the soil using these 3 types of plants!

Homesteading Articles You’ll Love

 

So now that you know how to improve clay soil, hopefully you can use these tips to lighten your soil and get better garden harvests.

 

a garden of healthy soil instead of clay soil
Clay soil may be difficult to plant in, but it’s not impossible! Follow these tips for a bountiful harvest.

 

 

originally published 2011; last updated April 2025

How to Plant Fruit Trees in the Backyard

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Have you ever wondered How to Plant Fruit Trees in your backyard but you’re not sure where to get started? Keep reading for all the best tips so you can start cultivating your very own trees for fresh and delicious fruits!

Apple tree with a graphic that says how to plant fruit trees.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about how to plant fruit trees and get started growing your own fruits!

 

Why You Should Plant your Own Fruit Trees

The most obvious reason is this: once mature, they’ll provide lots of fresh fruit! You can experience the joy of picking tree-ripened fruit in your own yard and have delicious fruits to boot.

You can eat these fruits as healthy and home-grown snacks, use apples for baking, to making smoothies for breakfast, and so much more! I enjoy making Dehydrated Apple Slices with my apple harvest.

This will save you money in the long run, as long as you’re willing to be patient and care well for the trees.

But aside from the fruit, the trees are also great for contributing to a healthy ecosystem in your yard. They produce lots of oxygen which can increase your air quality, and they also attract a whole slew of wildlife.

In addition, before the fruits grow, the trees will flower beautifully and provide gorgeous scenery before the fruits develop throughout the summer.

This guide has some information on how to plant apple trees in clay soil, as well as general information about planting all kinds of different fruit trees, including dwarf fruit trees.

 

When to Plant Fruit Trees

Fall is the best time for planting fruit trees – planting fruit trees in fall or the very late summer gives the trees time to settle in before the winter cold sets in.

You can plant a fruit tree in the spring – just be sure to give it regular watering ALL season long until the winter comes. Here’s how we got started with fruit trees on our homestead. We decided on planting apple trees.

Now, our trees are loaded with fruit each year and we really enjoy a good Apple harvest! Think about getting a couple of fruit trees for your yard and then….get them planted.

The branch of an apple tree.
Growing your own fruit is a great way to save money and know exactly where your food is coming from.

We talked to the fellow at the nursery and he suggested these trees – there are 4 different kind of apples on each tree.

And the tree is hardy to this area (which is something that is important here where the Winters can get so cold).

fruit tree
This particular apple tree was labeled to let us know what kind of apples would grow.

Each branch is labelled as to the type of apple. If we treat these fruit trees well, we should have a good bounty of different apples.

I love planting things once and getting the rewards every single year. We grow perennial foods here like Rhubarb and Asparagus.

Learning how to grow fruit trees include digging a very deep and wide hole in soil.
Be sure to dig a large enough hole for the roots of the tree to take hold.

Preparing for Planting Fruit Trees

So, in the Fall we got them planted. That hole in the above picture may not look very big or deep, but it is. It is easily 2 times the width and depth of the fruit tree itself.

This is a very important step. Prepare your hole well! You only get one chance at it – make sure you dig a deep and wide hole.

You can see that the natural soil here is clay, just by looking at the picture. It is much more difficult to garden with and so we are always amending it.

Here is how to improve clay soil, which is a good step to take before learning how to plant fruit trees in clay soil.

Measuring the depth of a planting hole with a potted tree.
You only have one real chance to plant the tree, so make sure the planting hole is deep enough!

This picture above gives a better idea of just how deep that hole is. I have added lots of very well composted manure already. Then I set the tree in the hole and stand back.

Depth for Planting Fruit Trees

I am trying to determine whether I have:

  1. Dug the hole deep enough
  2. Added a deep enough layer of manure or top soil

This is very important – you want the tree to sit at the same level as it was sitting in the pot. The picture is a bit deceiving – don’t look at the top of the pot – look at the trunk of the fruit tree. It is at a good level here for planting.

Adding manure to a planting hole. An important part of how to grow fruit trees is the addition of compost
Adding some kind of compost or manure for additional nutrients can help trees settle in.

I removed the fruit tree from the center of the hole and put in 3 good handfuls of Bonemeal.

You only get one chance to fortify the planting hole, so make sure you do this before setting your tree in the ground.

Using a shovel to break up an apple tree's root ball.
Sometimes the root ball needs to be coaxed apart to encourage proper rooting.

Here’s the Apple tree out of the pot – can you see how rootbound it is? I never just plop plants in the hole like this, as usually the plant is rootbound.

Rootbound Fruit Trees

I like to either loosen up the rootball by prying it apart with my fingers or using a shovel, like I did with this Apple tree.

Score the rootball all the way around. What we want is for the roots to be free, it is OK to slice them with your shovel. This way, once planted the roots will begin to spread and grow.

You can also plant bare-root trees, as long as you don’t bury the graft union when planting. (This is the raised bulge that should remain above the surface when a tree is planted.)

A newly planted apple tree.
Once planted, be sure to care for your tree to ensure it roots properly and can start to grow fruits!

How to Plant Fruit Trees

Finally, in goes the fruit tree, root ball first. I then backfill the hole with more well composted manure. Use organic fertilizer if you don’t have compost. Tamp down the soil to eliminate potential air pockets.

This apple tree is already staked and we will leave the tree stakes in for at least a year. After the backfilling, I make a “well” so that any water the tree gets will not run off.

Keep in mind that many fruit trees are attached to a rootstock, and the join should be above the ground as opposed to buried.

The nursery guy told me to water it when I first plant it. Then water it once a week if the weather is very hot.

If there is some rain, water the young tree once every two weeks. Letting the tree roots dry out between watering will encourage it to send out feeder roots.

It will become settled in faster and the tree trunk will grow better.

An apple on the branch. Learning how to grow fruit trees means lots of free fruit to harvest.
Plant a fruit tree in your yard and get fruit every year.

The finishing step is to put a palmful of tree and shrub fertilizer around the base of the tree. If you’re using mulch, try to avoid letting the mulch touch the trunk of the tree.

Normally, we don’t use fertilizers of any kind here, except for the composted manure. With these trees, I was advised to use some and I think that is a good idea.

The best tips for planting fruit trees in the backyard.
Keep reading for even more tips and tricks about how to grow fruit trees in your own backyard.

Hopefully these two Apple trees will contribute nicely to the other fruits we grow here, including Raspberries, Strawberries, Rhubarb and Saskatoon berries.

It’s great that we don’t have to buy fruit at the grocery store! Consider planting a couple of fruit trees this year.

 

How to Care for Fruit Trees

  • Try to keep pests away. Insects, fungi, and diseases can easily ruin a perfectly good fruit tree. With proper monitoring, you’ll be able to keep trees healthy. Employ other plants that have natural repellent properties, rely on natural repellents, or choose types of trees that are particularly hearty, disease-resistant, or inherently resistant to pests.
  • Plant at the proper times. Any time after the frost is gone in the spring is okay, as long as the ground is fairly dry.
  • Like many plants, deal with weeds as necessary. You don’t want other plants competing for nutrients or space.
  • If you live in an area with lots of deer, you may want to employ some kind of fence, like this fruit tree fencing, to prevent them from chewing up your trees.

 

FAQs

When is the best time to plant fruit trees?

This can vary depending on the variety of fruit tree you’re planting, but a good window of time is typically late winter or early spring.

As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you should be able to dig a decently sized hole that will be big enough for any fruit tree. You can also plant early in the fall in some cases.

Check your local nursery to see if they’re displaying bare-root fruit trees or other fruiting plants. That’s typically a good sign that you can start planting.

As long as you plant before summer begins, the root system will have time to take hold and adapt to the new setting. This will prevent extra stress in the summer when it comes time to flower and grow leaves and fruit.

 

Learn how to grow fruit trees like this growing apple tree.
Learning how to grow fruit trees means decades of healthy organic fruit.

Can you plant fruit trees in the fall?

Some say that fall is actually the best time to plant fruit trees, as it will give the tree roots maximum time to take hold and establish themselves before the following summer.

Hearty fruit trees, like apple trees, peach trees, pear trees, and cherry trees are especially good for planting in the fall.

They’ll hold up well through the winter and be ready to start growing tasty fruits in the late spring and summer.

How to plant fruit trees in clay soil?

There are certain kinds of fruit trees that are better suited for clay soil. Some trees, like avocados, citrus, and sweet cherries, require more drainage or are just intolerant to heavy clay soils.

But some apple trees, certain kinds of peach trees, and tart cherry trees are good for clay soil.

It also depends what kind of clay soil you have. A soil pH of between 5.5 and 7.5 can indicate clay loam, as long as there’s good drainage.

Too much moisture can lead to root rot in many trees. This kind of clay soil is generally okay for most fruit tree varieties.

There are also certain solutions to planting in clay soil. One such solution is to use compost in order to gradually change the soil’s composition to be more receptive to fruit trees.

 

Apple tree with lots of growing apples on it.
Want apple harvests like this one? Learn how to grow fruit trees.

This will take some time and patience, but is a great way to naturally improve your soil.

Otherwise, you can plant in raised beds or opt for dwarf trees, which can be grown in large planters or large pots. Dwarf variety fruit trees can also be moved inside for some of the year in some cases.

In these cases, it is always best to use one of these heavy duty dollies with wheels to make it much easier to move large pots.

What are some of the best fruit trees to plant?

When it comes to choosing a fruit tree, there are many variables to keep in mind. Soil quality, climate, and amount of space are all important.

That being said, here’s a list of some popular fruit trees to grow. Use this as a starting point and decide which varieties will work best in your particular area, as long as which types of fruit you’re most interested in growing, eating, and even selling!

Best Types of Fruit Trees

  • Apple Trees – This is a classic option, and one that’s great for beginners. Apple trees are hearty and versatile and can grow in a wide variety of climates. Recommended in zones 3-9, apple trees required little maintenance once planted and will start bearing fruit in anywhere from 2 to 4 years.
  • Lemon Trees – If you have soil that’s unsuitable for planting, lemon trees are a great option to plant in pots or planters. They can add a tropical and exotic flair to any yard, and many can even be grown indoors during the winter. Lemons are best grown in zones 9-11 and require proper pruning and a good citrus feed to flourish.
  • Plum Trees – Generous yielders, plum trees are another easy variety. They’re also typically compact and don’t take up too much space. Like apple trees, they can be grown anywhere from zone 3 to zone 9.
  • Cherry Trees – Looking for something that will brighten up your yard in the spring? Cherry trees are known for their gorgeous pink flowers, and they’re also considered a beautiful autumn tree. Not to mention the gorgeous red fruits in the summer! Low maintenance cherry trees are best in zones 3-9.
  • Peach Trees – For something particularly low maintenance, turn to peaches. These zone 4 to zone 9 fruit trees tend to be some of the least fussy, and will grow in any soil with decent drainage as long as they have access to enough sun.

Some other good options are mulberries, nectarines, apricots, and figs.

Are fruit trees self-fertile?

In other words, can fruit trees pollinate themselves? Again, this depends on the particular variety.

Many types of fruit trees rely on cross-pollination in order to fruit properly. This means you’ll want at least two of the same species in order to bear fruit.

When planting for cross pollination, be sure to position the trees close enough that they won’t have issues with pollinating. But not so close that they’re competing for water, sunlight, or nutrients from the soil.

Learn even more about growing fruit trees here.

 

apple tree with fruit
With all of this information, head to your nearest nursery and pick up some fruit trees to start growing them yourself!

 

 

originally published 2011; latest update May, 2023

How to Make a Gravel Path

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Gravel paths and walkways add a lot to the look of your yard. Here’s how to make a gravel pathway.

A nice gravel path in the yard has a few benefits. It of course, gives a clear idea of what route to take to your vegetable garden or orchard. For us, it’s the “road to the barn”. As homeowners, we are always looking for ways to increase the beauty of our yard but also the value. The cost-effectiveness of putting in a DIY pathway is pretty good, if you’re willing to do the work yourself.

Whether you want to make a gravel path leading to your front door or a walk way through your backyard garden, paths are awesome additions to your yard.

 

How to make a gravel path in your yard.
A gravel path is an easy project to do in a weekend.

Here’s the “before” picture of our yard. See that flower bed leading down to our barn?

I created a perennial flower bed and filled it with irises, Jacob’s Ladder, sedums other perennials. We also planted a couple of apple trees there. Here’s how to plant fruit trees, if you want to add one to your yard.

How to make a gravel path for your yard. DIY garden walkway project. A path for the front yard or a garden path for the backyard. Landscaping DIY project for side yards. Step by step instructions. #path #garden #walkways #sideyards #landscaping
These step by step instructions will make you an instant gravel path expert!

After that part of our DIY backyard project, we decided to add a gravel path that would take us down to the barn.

A path here would work to tie in all the landscaping elements of the Greenhouse, perennial flower beds and our main vegetable garden.

 

How to Make a Gravel Path

A machine removes the sod to a depth of about six inches.
A machine removes the sod to a depth of about six inches.

Prepare the Ground for Gravel

Don’t let this photo scare you! You do NOT need a machine this big.

Heck you don’t even need a machine, you can do it by hand with a shovel or a square-edged spade. Chances are your walkway won’t be as long and wide as ours.

Graham has an excavator, so he uses it a lot here for doing all kinds of work. He used it on this path way to dig out the grass. He went down to a depth of about 10 inches. Use a tape measure to give yourself a general idea of the depth.

You can likely get away with removing the sod and soil under the sod to a depth of 6 inches. We went over board because we wanted to make sure the couch grass was totally destroyed on this path.

Be sure to keep a wheelbarrow handy to collect anything you excavate so you can move it elsewhere.

Raking the ground level to make a gravel path.
A flat and even base is crucial for a gravel path that will last.

After the sod has been dug out, you should level the ground as much as you possibly can. Even out any humps and dips using a rake.

Add soil to the low spots if needed. Taking your time on this step will pay off in the end. A flat and level path way is what you want! You can even use some sand as a setting bed if you need to even out the area.

 

Edging the Garden Pathway

Plastic edging ready to be used for edging when you make a gravel path.
Plastic edging is an affordable and easy way to map out your path.

You will want something to edge your walk way with. If you don’t edge it, chances are the gravel will eventually spill over onto the lawn or into your flower beds. When possible, try to avoid steep slopes.

We used plastic edging, but you could use concrete pavers or wood boards cut to length and gently hammer them in. A garden hose is also a good option for planning out pathways, or you could use some spray paint. You’ll want line-marking paint specifically.

 

Landscape Fabric Cloth for Under the Gravel Path

Landscape cloth being put down to keep weeds out from the gravel path.
Landscape cloth is a huge time saver when it comes to creating a path from gravel!

Because we want this pathway to stay as weed free as possible, we first laid down landscape cloth in the bottom of the trench. This cloth helps stop weeds from growing up through the base layer.

This cloth helps stop weeds from growing up through the base layer. Be sure to lay the membrane down the right way! Just test it with some water if needed; you need to make sure the rain will go through the cloth to the ground below!

We actually used two layers of this cloth because we have such a problem here with couchgrass. It is notorious for spreading and I can’t stand the stuff. I would spend a LOT less time weeding if proper lawn seed had been sown here when our house was built.

If you want to literally save hours, I totally recommend using the landscape cloth. Doubling the layers helps to ensure minimal upkeep for the pathway in the years ahead.

You can easily use a sharp knife to cut the tarp to fit any curves.

 

What Kind of Gravel to Use for the Walkway?

Gravel that has been crushed to build the gravel path.
There are many options for gravel, so be sure to do some research and decide what will look and work best for you.

There are a number of other options, and it’s up to you to decide what will be the best gravel for your path. Smaller pieces of gravel like pea gravel and river pebbles are typically more comfortable to walk on and can be packed tightly, but also may be more likely to shift under weight or weather.

Other common choices are decomposed granite or crushed stone/brick.

We used what is called 1/2 inch clear crush for our walk way. At the gravel pit, rocks bounce along a screen. In this case a 1/2 inch screen. Larger rocks get carried along and deposited elsewhere.

Any rock under 1/2 inch falls through the holes in the screen. This is basically how gravel pits separate the rock sizes.

One half inch crushed gravel being used to make the pathway.
One half inch crushed gravel being used to make the pathway.

Just to give you a better idea as to the size of the gravel we used. This size is called 1/2 inch clear crush.

This means the rocks are under 1/2 inch in size. You can also get 3/4 inch clear crush.

The best thing would be for you to visit the gravel pit and look at the various sizes. They will have them separated in bins and labelled so you can tell which is which.

Before adding gravel, lay down landscape fabric.
With some patience, you can make a beautiful and functional gravel path.

Pathway Edging

You can see the size of the path way project in this photo. We not only made the walking path down to the barn, but decided also to branch off and add a gravel path to the Greenhouse we built (for under $200!).

After laying the landscape cloth down, it’s time to edge the side of your path. We installed the path edging, then started adding the gravel crush to the path. Add enough gravel so that it comes to about half an inch shy of the top of the edging.

It can be helpful to spray the gravel with water to help with compaction. You’ll want it compact enough that it’s a walkable path, but the benefit of gravel is it provides natural drainage, so don’t worry too much about really packing it down.

 

Our Finished Garden Path Project

The path after gravel is laid, with edging and perennial flowers along side.
This is how it looks once finished. Beautiful!

Doesn’t this walk way look better now? Especially with all the perennials blooming in the flower bed!

The white blooming flowers are perennial Baby’s Breath. The Irises have finished blooming and the Sedums are growing. They will bloom in the Fall.

How to make a gravel path for your front yard or back yard.
This path goes perfectly in our yard and makes it much easier to get around.

Another photo of the completed gravel walk way. All these years later, this garden path has stood up very well.

The odd weed now gets through those two layers of cloth, but they are much easier to pull because they are so weak.

Here's a DIY weekend landscape project. Build a garden pathway. Great for side yards and soggy wet yards too. Fix your yard with a path. #DIYgardenproject #gardenpaths #gardenwalkways #entrypath #frontyard #backyard
You’ll love your new gravel garden path!

We are still delighted with this DIY backyard project!

Add value to your home and beauty to your backyard or front yard entry way and make a gravel path.

 

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Originally published 2019; latest update Dec 2024

How to Defrost a Freezer

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Here’s how to defrost a freezer quickly – whether it’s a chest deep freezer, an upright or your fridge freezer!

Once the gardening and outside work is finished for the season, it’s time for me to get going on the inside work. Not only giving the house a good cleaning, but also doing a little appliance maintenance. Cleaning out my frost-free freezers is pretty high on the list, because it’s one of the hardest working appliances we have. 

 

Learning how to defrost a freezer from ice buildup
Here’s how to defrost a freezer in under an hour.

We have four, including the two big drawers under our refrigerator. We also have an upright freezer (awesome) and one chest freezer (also very good). That’s a lot of storage for meat, vegetables and fruit.

We need to make the most of our food storage space and give both of them a good cleaning and organize them properly. Regular maintenance will also extend the life and that’s a good thing.

Many fridge freezers and upright models do self defrost, but most chest freezers need to have a good manual defrost a couple of times a year. 

The Fastest Way to Defrost a Freezer

Why Have a Freezer?

We would never be able to live as frugally as we do, if we did not have a couple of freezers.

Instead of raising our own meat (in quantity) we would have to buy meat on a regular basis at the store. Much more expensive. And it’s not just meat that gets put in our freezers.

Usually what happens at our place is, the chest freezer gets filled with all the berries we harvest in the summer.

 

the fastest way to defrost a deep freezer quickly is to use boiling water.

 

Bags of freshly picked and blanched frozen peas also get tossed in that freezer.

Since it is housed on our main floor, it’s easier for me to get the peas frozen and tossed in there, rather than having to go downstairs to the upright.

The upright freezer holds all of our meat, which, depending on what we have raised that year and the previous year is:  Pork, chicken, fish and beef.

How can I Defrost my Freezer Quickly?

I’m going to show you how I defrost my freezer fast – usually in an hour or less, this chore is done. At the end, my freezer will be clean and free from ice, plus all my frozen food items will be organized efficiently. 

How to Defrost a Freezer in Under an Hour

Unloading and Organizing Frozen Food

Our freezers are quite new and are both energy efficient, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need a good defrosting and cleaning at least twice a year. Even frost free freezers need regular maintenance.

And you can lower your electricity bill by making sure you don’t let the ice buildup in your freezer. And I’ve found a way to speed up the process to get this job over and done with.

I gather some of the twenty odd (it seems) coolers we have. I have no idea why we have so many – they tend to gather for conventions at our house. And they just don’t leave!

Even though I have tried to organize the meat by type in each of the freezers, inevitably chicken ends up mixed with pork, and fish ends up with beef.

The first thing I do for the defrosting process is unplug the freezer. You can turn down the adjustable thermostats, if you can’t easily reach to unplug the freezer. Then, after opening the door, I leave the door open to let warm air in will help things go quicker.

 

Frozen Meat stored in the cooler
Raising pigs has been a great way to fill our freezer with good healthy meat.

Use Coolers to Hold Frozen Food

I try to fill each cooler with ONE type of meat, to start with the reorganization. This makes it quicker when I reload the freezer after cleaning.

 

Frozen Berries for Wine
Bags of freshly frozen berries will be turned into juices and even wine.

 

It takes a LOT of coolers to hold the meat and you can see the overflow starting. Berries seem have migrated from one freezer to the other!

 

Defrost your freezer every year
Twice a year at least, we defrost our freezer to keep it running efficiently.

If we go to California, we always bring lots of citrus fruits home with us. I freeze mason jars of lemon juice every year.

We use the juice to make home made Lemonade and also use it in cooking. The pink juice is grapefruit.

 

Coolers full of frozen food
Organizing the chest freezer helps to keep track of our frozen food inventory.

 

How to Defrost a Freezer 

Once all the frozen food is out of the upright freezer, I want to make the rest of the job go as fast as possible, because I want to be able to  get the frozen food back in the freezers.

Using a large stock pot or two, fill them with water to boil on the stove. The more pans you can use, the quicker and easier this job will be.

 

Hot Water in the Freezer
Adding pots of boiling water will work to defrost the freezer more quickly.

 

Very carefully bring the pots of boiling water to the freezers. I set the pans of hot water on each of the shelves in the freezer.

Always put a couple of old towels on the base of the freezer floor, because it’s guaranteed you will need something to sop up all that melted ice and excess water.

 

 Close the door and leave it alone for 10 or 15 minutes.

While you wait for the ice to melt, put more water in the kettle to get it boiling so you can replace the water in the pots. Every large bowl of hot water you can get in the freezer will help make this job go faster.

Make sure you’ve got a large bucket or empty cooler to wring out the towels into. 

How to Melt Big Chunks of Ice

If you’ve got some large chunks of ice that are really stubborn about melting, use a plastic spatula or plastic scraper to see if you can pry it from the freezer wall or shelves. Always use plastic when you are scraping the ice.

You can also use a hair dryer to melt the worst of the ice if you need to.

Once the water is all sopped up, I just use dry towels to wipe the interior and inside freezer door. Wipe down the door seal and the cord as well. Then I toss all the wet towels into one of the empty coolers to bring to the laundry room.

Plug the freezer in again, adjust the temperature control if needed and get started organizing the frozen food. Double check that the power on indicator light is lit up.

 

How to organize a deep freezer

You’ll find you can get the freezer all defrosted and cleaned in about half an hour. Once I’m done, I start right away to refill the shelves.

Take the time to organize the inside of your freezer again. Organization goes a long ways to having the maximum freezer space, especially when the freezer is really full. I try to put pork one on shelf, chicken on another. Fish and bagged berries in the freezer storage baskets at the bottom of the freezer.

Doesn’t this look better?

 

A clean and organized deep freezer
After cleaning, the freezer is restocked and organized.

 

Take inventory of what is in your freezer. It’s also a good idea to take an inventory of your pantry and a cold room inventory as well.

This way, you can get a great idea of what you need to plant in the garden this year.

If you’re thinking of buying a freezer, think about the amount of food you will need stored. A rough idea is to allow 1.5 cubic feet of freezer space per person; you can find more information here. 

Whether you have a frost free upright freezer or a manual defrost chest freezer, it’s a good idea to clean and organize them a couple times a year.

Can you defrost a freezer without turning it off?

Yes, you can defrost a freezer without turning it off. Just follow the same steps as above – it will take longer, though, because the freezer will be trying to stay as cold as possible (with it being plugged in).

Is it worth defrosting a freezer?

Yes, it is absolutely worth it, for several reasons. Defrosting your freezer will help it run more efficiently, because the ice build up will be gone. And when your freezer runs efficiently, it takes less electricity, saving you money every month!

Defrosting your freezer on a regular basis also helps you reduce any food waste. You should use this time to competely organize the contents of your freezer. 

Move the older food to the front (or top of a chest freezer) and be sure to use that food first. You will also be able to organize by type of meat, types of frozen vegetables, etc.

This will help you save money in the end, because as you notice you are running low, you can add these items to your grocery list and watch for them to come on sale. 

 

Bottom Line:  Now that you know how to defrost a freezer quickly, add it to your scheduled maintenance list for household chores.

 

Defrosting a freezer

 

 

 

an organized freezer after defrosting and cleaning

 

 

latest updated November 2022

How to Make Pickled Eggs – Easy Recipe

By

Here’s how to make Pickled Eggs – just store them in the refrigerator.

If you raise hens, come late Spring you may find yourself with a lot of eggs!

Whenever you have a surplus of fresh eggs, why not use pickling as a delicious way to use some of those extra eggs?

A jar of pickled eggs sit on a counter
Save this to your Pinterest recipe board.

Pickled Eggs Recipe Backstory

I love our backyard chickens! They add so much to a homestead and they don’t cost a lot to keep. Our chickens help us in lots of ways – we love keeping our chickens busy. And they love to work, fluffing up compost piles and eating weed seeds.

Chickens often stop or slow down the egg laying in the winter time. And let’s face it, chickens deserve a rest just as much as we do. They also expend a lot of energy just trying to stay warm in the cold winters.

New to having chickens in the backyard? Here’s some Chicken Questions and Answers for you to learn before you get your own back yard chickens.

Once Spring starts to come around, chickens start laying again. A lot of this has to do with the hours of light in the day. More daylight hours signal chickens to start laying again. If you’ve got hens, often you will end up with a stockpile of eggs. Chickens lay so well in the spring, it doesn’t take long to get several cartons stacked up.

How to Store Extra Eggs

Eggs will last a long time. And, they don’t need to be refrigerated, although most people do. When we get several cartons full of eggs from our chickens, we start storing them in our cold room. There they will last for months.

I store them in order of when I gather them. So, oldest eggs on the top or at the front of our shelf, and newer eggs behind that. This way, I can be sure we are eating the oldest eggs first.

 

A basketful of extra eggs.
Look how beautiful these fresh eggs are!

 

I often make deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches, but there’s a limit to how often we eat these egg dishes. So when we have lots of cartons of eggs to use fresh, we start pickling eggs. We just take the oldest ones we have and pickle them up – Graham loves them.

We think there’s nothing better than a pickled egg or two with lunch or as a late afternoon nibble.

Here’s how we make them – super easy! And great to have on hand for a healthy snack.

 

Several cartons full of fresh eggs.
Pickled Eggs take minutes to make. Delicious as an appetizer. Great way to use up lots of eggs.

Pickled Eggs – Ingredients and Instructions

Here’s what you need to whip up a batch!

  • large eggs
  • white vinegar
  • water
  • pickling spice
  • cayenne, habanero pepper or red pepper flakes
  • garlic ( we use at least 5 cloves in each jar because we love it so much)
  • bay leaf

 

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove the pot from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from hot water, cool and peel.

Pickling Brine Recipe:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together the vinegar, water and pickling spice. Bring to a boil and mix in the garlic and bay leaf. Remove from heat and let it cool a bit.

Fill a clean quart jar with boiling water, let sit while the eggs are boiling. When ready to put eggs in jar, just dump the water.

Put in your hard-boiled eggs and pour the pickling liquid over the eggs. Then seal and refrigerate 8 to 10 days before serving. 

 

Tips on Making Pickled Eggs

  • Here’s the one thing you need to know if you are using really fresh eggs. Don’t. Make sure you are not using really fresh eggs. If you are using farm eggs, leave them in cool place for 2 weeks. Here’s why: the eggs need to be about 2 weeks old.
  • Grocery store eggs are never as fresh as those from the chicken farmer, so you can likely use store bought eggs right away.
  • Your boiled eggs need to be aged a bit because, if they are too fresh, you can take a bunch of the egg white away when you peel them. They’ll look awful with gouges of white missing. You want them to be pretty and smooth, especially if you want to serve them to guests.
  • Pickled eggs take only a few minutes to get ready and put in the fridge. They make for a great quick snack. They’re nutritious, low in saturated fat, filling, have lots of protein and come in their own carrying case 🙂
  • Serve them along side some Garlic Pesto on crackers and some smoked canned salmon. You can even have them as a side dish at dinner.
  • Pack them for school and work lunches for a quick healthy bite to eat. They are also great to take along when you are hiking or camping.
  • Take 30 minutes and get a jar ready. Then, leave them there for a couple of weeks before eating.

 

Fresh eggs in a chicken coop.
Keeping your own chickens and collecting fresh eggs is incredibly rewarding!

 

How long does it take Pickled Eggs to be ready to eat?

You have to give the eggs time to sit, so the pickled flavor can get right through and penetrate the eggs. I put the date on the lid, so we know when they were made. Roughly, they take 10 days before they are ready to eat.

Do pickled eggs need to be refrigerated?

There is always a debate about whether eggs should always be kept in the fridge – some people leave theirs out on the counter at room temperature. 

We don’t do that – we always store them in the fridge. If we don’t want to eat them really cold, we remove a few, set them on a plate and let them warm up just  a bit.

Here’s the finished product – don’t they look good? And they’re delicious along with some of our home made Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns!

 

Jar of pickled eggs and peppers.
Look how delicious these eggs and peppers look together, and so easy to make!

 

If you want to make the flavor milder, you may want to use 1 tbsp pickling spice and skip adding any peppers for your first batch. Go ahead and add dill seed if you like!

You can always spice things up more when you make your second batch, should you want them a bit zingier. You can also add beet juice for beautiful color.

And by the way, here’s an easy way to test an egg for freshness. This is a sure fire way to tell if eggs are still good. This works well if you should ever find a clutch of eggs your hens have been hiding!

 

Green and red peppers still on the plant.
These fresh peppers really heightened the flavors of our pickled eggs.

How Long do Pickled Eggs Last?

Once opened, food that has been pickled generally lasts for months if kept in the fridge. Pickled eggs can last up to 4 months, provided they are kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Their long life makes them one of the perfect snacks there is. 

Variations and Serving Suggestions

  • You can vary this recipe by using different kinds of peppers, using mustard seeds or adding some small pearl onions.
  • The only thing you should not change is the ratio for the vinegar and water. Sometimes we add jalapeno peppers or habanero peppers….or both! Make these spicy pickled eggs with any spice you like.
  • Graham loves eating the peppers and I love eating the garlic cloves!
  • Since we grow all kinds of peppers in our Greenhouse, we usually have several varieties of peppers to choose from! We grow cayenne, jalapeno, habanero along with different kinds of sweet bell peppers.

 

More Recipes

Our entire Country Living in a Cariboo Valley Recipe Collection can be found here, but here are some highlights!

  1. If you like beets, here’s a recipe for pickled beets that is sure to please.
  2. Lentil Soup with Ham is a delicious and hearty soup recipe.
  3. Another great snack is Paprika Kale Chips; so easy and tasty!
  4. Making Homemade Lemonade is a great way to stay cool and refreshed in the warmer months.

 

Pickled Eggs Recipe

If you enjoy this guide on how to make pickles eggs, please be sure to rate it 5 stars below! And print this off or save it to your Recipes folder!

Pickled Eggs

Pickled Eggs

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

This Pickled Eggs recipe makes a dozen to keep in the fridge. Great with a beer for an afternoon snack. Healthy and tasty; add peppers and garlic if you like.

Ingredients

  • 12 extra large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons pickling spice
  • 1 cayenne or habanero pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed ( we use at least 5 cloves in each jar because we love it so much)
  • bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Remove from hot water, cool and peel.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together the vinegar, water and pickling spice. Bring to a boil and mix in the garlic and bay leaf. Remove from heat.
  4. Fill a clean quart mason jar with boiling water, let sit while the eggs are boiling. When ready to put eggs in jar, just dump the water.
  5. Put in your eggs and pour the hot liquid over the eggs then seal and refrigerate 8 to 10 days before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 79Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 6g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Annie
Cuisine: American

First Published January 2017; Updated March 2021

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Bowl of fresh brown eggs.
Whether you use fresh or store-bought eggs, this recipe makes for a delicious and healthy snack or breakfast!
 

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