Self Sufficiency
Top 15 Modern Homesteading Skills You Need To Know
Modern homesteading is a joyous but chore-filled way to live a self-sufficient lifestyle that enhances your chances of survival during a long-term disaster in the process. Starting and properly maintaining a homestead can feel quite overwhelming at times. Like most everything else in life, education, organization, and motivation are the keys to success.
Modern Homesteading Skills
Whether you are new to homesteading or have been enjoying the back-to-basics lifestyle for several years, there are still new things to learn and ways to hone your skills to enhance the bounty offered by the land and better prepare for any curveball either Mother Nature or man, could throw our way.
Cross-training should be a priority for the homesteading or prepping family. If the one person who knows how to complete an essential task becomes ill, breaks a leg, or even dies during a long-term disaster, the entire homestead could fail and vastly decrease the odds of survival of not merely the crops and the livestock, but the entire family.
Remember, the more you learn to do yourself, the less time and money are wasted. After mastering some basic homesteading skills, ample opportunity will exist to make money selling the fruits of your labors both locally and online.
Top 15 Homesteading Skills
1. Learn how to mill your own grains.
Making flour from crops you raised yourself is a valuable and money-saving farm to table endeavor.
2. While most homesteading families have a well to use for their drinking water and other water needs, redundancy is the key to both survival and sustaining the homestead.
A well can run dry, become contaminated, not be located conveniently to the garden or barn, or run off of electricity which, as well all know, can fail without warning. Having the skill to find, cleanse, and store drinking water should be a priority for all homesteaders, even if you have multiple wells or are connected to a county water line system. Having access to a source to maintain potable water, such as a creek, pond, or a rainwater catchment system – or all three, are the best water well back-up sources. Water must be filtered and boiled before it is safe to drink, skipping these steps or not having the supplies necessary to complete the steps for many months, could leave you without the water necessary to sustain life and keep plants thriving during a drought.
3. Capture your own wild yeast for making bread.
For hundreds of years bakers used a sourdough starter to keep a steady supply of live yeast handy.
4. Butchering your own meat is not only a money saver, it could be a money maker!
When we found our dream land after more than two years of searching for a perfect homestead/prepper retreat, is came with quite a self-sufficient bonus – a complete butcher shop. We didn’t know how to butcher at the time, but a member of our tribe (my favorite term for our self-reliant group of family and friends) did.
We delved into the process by first learning how to use all the saws, knives, and hydraulic lift – a massive back-saver when dealing with large livestock, at least until the power grid fails. Setting up a modest home butcher shop with a cooler would cost about $3,000, but would be a wise investment for any homesteader. Butchering your own beef, pork, and poultry not only defrays the cost of processing, but also ensure the humane treatment of the animals you raised and the safe handling of the raw meat before it hits your dinner plate.
5. Learn how to make your own butter from cream and to make cheese from the milk garnered from your cows and goats.
Successful homesteaders rarely, if ever, need to go to the grocery store to fill their refrigerators and cupboards! Making a homemade cheese press is quite simple and extremely inexpensive. Once you have the knack of making your own butter, learn how to pressure can it to make the butter shelf-stable for at least two years.
6. Composting is a simple skill.
But as I noted in my book, Power Grid Down: How to Prepare, Survive, and Thrive After the Lights Go Out, not doing it to the best of your ability vastly detracts from the quality of dirt used when growing your own groceries and natural pharmacy. Learning the many, many things which can be composted but are often thrown away, and how to simply test the soil to detect nutrient levels problems, can greatly increase the annual crop yield and provide not only ample food to feed the family, but have plenty left over to sell.
7. Learn about all the uses for greywater around the homestead.
Never let a valuable and free resource go to waste! The collection of greywater on a regular basis will reduce the drain on your well or potable water stores during a drought, power outage, or disaster.
8. Growing your own sprouts to feed to small livestock.
During the winter this is a great money-saver and could be the only feed they get if disaster strikes during the cold winter months. No homesteader or prepper ever wants to be forced to eat their breeders and be left without a flock or colony of meat rabbits. Devoting some space to the growing of field corn for medium and large livestock can help preserve the herds during lean times as well.
9. Preserving what you grow and raise off grid.
This style will help reduce waste, save money, and ensure the shelves in food storage areas never go bare. Building you own solar dehydrator, root cellar, and smokehouse takes very little money and each can be completed in the space of a single weekend – depending upon the size of the root cellar and terrain.
10. Learn how to properly preserve your own seeds and plant starts for future plantings.
Not only will planting your own seeds save you money, it will also allow you to continue cultivating quality strains of plants and herbs which have produced strong yields for future harvests.
11. Stockpiling firewood properly involves more than just back-breaking work.
Every member of the homesteading family should be taught how to identify the various varieties of trees on the property – and learn which type of wood is best for specific aspects of fire building. Some wood is lightweight and is great for starting a fire, such as pine. Hardwoods, like red and white oak, take longer to get going, but are thick and heavy and perfect for stoking up the woodstove or fireplace to ensure the fire last throughout a long cold night – or when smoking meat.
12. Nearly every single part of the livestock raised on the homestead can be consumed or used in some manner.
Learning how to tan hides and turn them into useful or money-making projects, utilize bones, and to preserve unwanted yet edible portions of the animal to be used to make feed for the farm dogs, will help stretch the family budget while stockpiling necessary items to be either used or sold for profit at a later date.
13. Learn how to render tallow and lard from the animals butchered on the homestead.
There are a plethora of uses for lard and tallow around the homestead!
14. Become an amateur blacksmith and farrier.
It allows the homesteader to not only save time and money when horses need tending and farm projects need completed, but which could turn a profit or be bartered for goods or services from other homesteading or prepping families both now and during a long-term disaster.
15. Learn some basic sewing skills.
Then expand upon them so you can make and mend the clothing for the family – and even sale your wares for extra money. There is no need to spend a small fortune on buying patterns, ample exist online for free in a vast array of sizes and styles for all sewing levels. If a fiber flock is being raised on the homestead, learn how to dye and spin the fibers into yarn.
Up Next: Everything You Need To Know About Raising Meat Rabbits On Your Homestead
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Self Sufficiency
How To Make Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut In A Mason Jar
The thing about homesteading is you get to create your own ingredient right from scratch! Cheese, yogurt, butter and now sauerkraut, a delightfully sour and crunchy ingredient you can use on your meals — or consume by itself — while on a homestead, or while facing this health crisis!
This homemade sauerkraut is a great meal because it has a long shelf life. You can either make plain sauerkraut or mix it with herbs and spices. In this tutorial let us make Lacto-fermented sauerkraut that preserves all the good probiotics in a jar, good for your guts.
So how to make sauerkraut in a mason jar?
RELATED: How To Make Buttermilk On Your Homestead
Delicious Sauerkraut Recipe Every Homesteader Should Know
Why Make Sauerkraut?
Not only does sauerkraut spoil a long time, but it is also a meal in itself, and it is also easy to make! You don’t need to be an expert cook, all you need to do is follow these simple steps.
So let us get started. Here are the steps in making sauerkraut in a mason jar.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cabbage or 2 1/2 lbs cabbage
- 1 tablespoon of salt
Tools Needed:
- knife
- bowl
- mason jar
- smaller jar
- rubber band
Step 1: Wash & Clean the Tools & Ingredients
Wash all the equipment and utensils you need. Wash your hands too.
You don’t want to mix your sauerkraut with bad bacteria, anything that is going to make you sick.
Next, remove the faded leaves from your cabbage. Cut off the roots and the parts that don’t seem fresh.
Step 2: Cut the Cabbage Into Quarters & Slice Into Strips
Cut your cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Then, slice it into strips.
Step 3: Place in a Bowl & Sprinkle With Salt
Put the stripped cabbage into a bowl. Sprinkle the cabbage with 1 tablespoon of salt.
TIP: Use canning salt or sea salt. Iodized salt will make it taste different and may not ferment the cabbage.
RELATED: Homemade Yogurt Recipe
Step 4: Massage the Cabbage
Massage the cabbage for five minutes or more to get the juice out.
TIP: You’ll know it’s ready when you see a bit of juice at the bottom of the bowl and will look similar to coleslaw.
Step 5: Press Cabbage Into the Mason Jar
Add the cabbage to the mason jar gradually. Press it in hard to allow the juice to come out. Do this every time you add about a handful of cabbage.
IMPORTANT: Food should be covered by the liquid to promote fermentation. Add any excess liquid from the bowl to the jar.
Step 6: Press a Smaller Jar Into the Mason Jar
You want to squeeze every ounce of that juice from the cabbage. To do this place the mason jar in a bowl and get a smaller jar.
Fill it with water or marble to make it heavy. Press it into the bigger mason jar. Allow any juices to rise to the surface.
Step 7: Cover the Jars With Cloth & Tie With Rubber Band
Leave the small jar on. To keep your jars clean from annoying insects and irritating debris, cover your jars with a clean cloth. Then, use a rubber band to tie the cloth and the jars together, putting them in place.
Step 8: Set Aside & Check Daily
Set it aside in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight. Check the water level daily. It should always be above the cabbage.
Step 9: Taste Your Sauerkraut & Keep at Cool Temperatures
After about five days, you can taste your sauerkraut. If the taste is to your liking, tightly cover it with the lid and store in the fridge or cellar.
NOTE: If after five days it’s still not your desired taste, leave it for a few more days. This will allow the fermentation process to continue.
You can now enjoy your sauerkraut in a mason jar. Enjoy its goodness! You can use it as a side dish or mix it with your favorite sandwich.
Things to Remember in Making Sauerkraut
- Store away from direct sunlight and drafts.
- Colder weather will make the process longer. Spring is the best time to make them since the warmth helps activate the fermentation.
- Always make sure that the cabbage is below the water level during the entire fermentation process.
- If the water level decreases during the fermentation process, you can make a brine and add it.
Let us watch this video from Kristina Seleshanko on how to make delicious Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar!
So there you have it! Making Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar is as easy as slicing the cabbage into strips. Remember that as long it remains unopened, your sauerkraut can last for months. Best of all, you can partner this sauerkraut in many recipes.
What do you think of this homemade recipe? Share your best sauerkraut recipe in the comments section below!
Fellow homesteaders, do you want to help others learn from your journey by becoming one of our original contributors? Write for us!
UP NEXT:
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Self Sufficiency
9 SPRING VEGETABLES FOR YOUR GARDEN
Having plants in the house will bring peace to people. Having a little garden with vegetables is even better! You can grow these vegetables in your backyard garden easily as well!
RELATED: Microgreens Growing Guide
In this article:
Growing veggies in your garden will give you an opportunity to understand what you eat and value it more. Early spring is when most vegetables are being planted. Keep reading to learn about 9 spring vegetables that anyone can grow in their garden!
Tomato
Tomato is the most popular garden vegetable in the States! There are different varieties to choose from. Tomatoes need to be planted in early spring because they won’t survive a frost.
Because tomatoes are consumed daily, try adding them to your garden! They’re not difficult to grow either.
Eggplant
Eggplants are known to have low-calorie, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Plus, they are delicious! So why not plant them in your garden?
Eggplants shouldn’t be planted too early because they won’t be able to survive a frost. So you could consult an expert in your area before you plant your eggplants.
Beets
Beets are known to be a superfood for its various health benefits. They’re easier to grow in the garden, usually around late March or early April.
If the weather is always cool, beets will keep getting bigger and bigger. Once the weather starts to warm up, you’ll need to harvest them, or they’ll go to waste.
Spinach
Spinach is a delicious early spring veggie, and it’s also very beneficial for health. And it’s not difficult to grow spinach in your garden!
Spinach needs cold weather to grow. Getting spinach to grow is easy, but keeping it growing will require some extra care.
Pea
Peas are usually planted in late April. Peas will die in freezing temperatures, but they also won’t survive the heat either. So make sure you plant your peas in early spring.
Peas are widely used in many different ways, and there are different types of peas. The soil you’ll be planting your peas should be suitable for them, so make sure you ask while buying seeds.
Carrot
There are different types of carrots, but regardless of their size and color, it’s a fact that carrots are both delicious and rich in vitamins.
They’re root vegetables, so with proper sun and watering, they can be picked up as baby carrots as well.
Radish
A radish is an excellent option for beginners because it doesn’t require too much care. Radish is easy to harvest.
Radish grows fast, so it’s better to keep an eye on it after a few weeks. Radish usually is grown pest-free, but there’s always the chance of unwanted guests, so watch out for worms. Radish can be eaten raw or can be added to garnish recipes.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower isn’t the easiest vegetable to grow at home, but it is very popular.
Cauliflower grows better in colder weather, so before you plant it, consider the climate of your garden. Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked, and it is known to be very beneficial for health.
Asparagus
Freshly picked, tender asparagus is very delicious!
Asparagus plants get more productive with each harvest, and mature asparagus harvest can last for months! Make sure you plant them at the correct time, or else they might go to waste.
All the vegetables listed above are great for your healthy diet, and it’s fun to watch them grow. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to grow your own veggies and eat healthy this spring!
So tell us which veggies will you be growing this spring? Tell us in the comments section!
UP NEXT
- 50 Gardening Tips And Tricks To Become A Successful Homesteader
- 10 Vegetables To Grow Indoors For A Productive Garden
- Self-Sustaining Ideas For Living The Homesteader’s Dream
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