Tag: food

Homemade Yogurt from Scratch
Why Make Yogurt at Home?

Homemade yogurt isn’t just about saving money—it’s about freshness, control, and nutrition. When you make it yourself:
- Cost savings: A single gallon of milk can yield 8 cups of yogurt for less than store-bought tubs.
- Customization: You choose the milk type (whole, skim, goat, raw, organic, etc.), thickness (Greek-style or regular), and flavors.
- Fewer additives: No thickeners, stabilizers, or hidden sugars—just milk and live cultures.
- Sustainability: Making yogurt at home cuts down on packaging waste.
How Yogurt Works: The Science Behind It

Yogurt is created by fermenting milk with beneficial bacteria. The two classic starter strains are:
- Lactobacillus bulgaricus
- Streptococcus thermophilus
Together, they convert lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. This acid lowers the pH, thickening the milk proteins and giving yogurt its tangy flavor. Many store-bought starters also include additional strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium lactis, which may aid digestion.

The fermentation process not only preserves milk but also boosts probiotic content, supporting gut health.

Ingredients
- 1 quart (4 cups) milk – whole milk makes creamier yogurt, but any type works
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt with live, active cultures (store-bought or from a previous batch)
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Thermometer (optional but helpful)
- Whisk
- Clean glass jar or container with lid
- Towel or blanket for insulation
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the milk
  Pour milk into a saucepan and gently heat to 180°F (82°C). This denatures proteins so the yogurt sets thicker.
2. Cool the milk
  Remove from heat and let it cool to 110°F–115°F (43–46°C). This is the ideal range for the cultures.
3. Add starter
  Whisk 2 tablespoons of yogurt into a small bowl with a bit of the cooled milk. Then stir this mixture back into the pot.
4. Incubate
  Pour into a clean jar, cover, and keep warm (around 110°F) for 6–12 hours.
  - For thinner, milder yogurt: check at 6 hours.
  - For thicker, tangier yogurt: let it go longer.
    You can wrap the jar in a towel, place it in an oven with the light on, use an Instant Pot’s yogurt setting, or a dehydrator set to 110°F.
5. Chill and enjoy
  Once it’s set, refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The yogurt will thicken further as it cools.
Variations
- Greek Yogurt: Strain finished yogurt through a cheesecloth or coffee filter for 2–4 hours to remove whey.
- Flavored Yogurt: Stir in honey, fruit purée, vanilla, or jam just before eating.
Storage

Homemade yogurt keeps for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Save 2–3 tablespoons from each batch to use as the starter for the next one.

If you would like a video on the process, check out this one on our YouTube channel!
October 2, 2025
Deer Bone Broth
Bone broth is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can preserve for your pantry shelves. When made with venison bones, it brings a deep flavor and is full of collagen, minerals, and marrow. Pressure canning makes it shelf-stable and ready to use anytime for soups, gravies, or sipping on its own.

This is not a recipe that has to be followed exactly, but simply what we did this time. Last time was different and next time will probably be different again. We ended up with enough broth to can 7 quarts, but obviously that depends on the amount of bones you start with and how strong you want it.

Ingredients
- Deer bones, cut into smaller pieces (helps release marrow and collagen)
- Water (enough to cover bones in stockpot, refill as needed)
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- 1 onion, quartered
- A handful of carrot tops
- A handful of radish tops
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Salt, to taste
- A splash of vinegar (helps pull nutrients and minerals from the bones)
Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Broth
1. Place cut deer bones in a large stockpot.
2. Add garlic, onion, carrot, radish tops, rosemary, salt, and vinegar.
3. Cover with water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook long enough for the bones to release nutrients and flavor (at least 24 hours is ideal).
Step 2: Strain and Fill Jars
1. Strain broth through a fine strainer or cheesecloth to remove solids.
2. Ladle hot broth into clean, hot quart jars, leaving 1 inch headspace.
Step 3: Pressure Can
1. Wipe rims, apply lids and bands.
2. Place jars in pressure canner with 2–3 inches of simmering water. A splash of vinegar in the canner keeps hard water stains from forming.
3. Process at 10 pounds pressure (adjust for altitude if needed):
  - Quarts: 25 minutes
  - If you don’t have enough jars of broth to fill the canner, put some jars of water in to keep everything from rattling around.
Step 4: Cool and Store
1. Allow canner to depressurize naturally.
2. Remove jars and let them cool 24 hours without touching.
3. Check seals before storing. Keep in a cool, dark place.
Using Your Deer Bone Broth

This broth is versatile—use it as a base for venison stew, wild rice soup, or simply heat it with a little extra seasoning, if needed, and sip it warm.

Homestead Hilarity

Micah, age 9 — A self proclaimed “hilly-billy”.
September 23, 2025
Bluegill Supper

Some of y’all might disagree, but nothing tastes quite like fried bluegill that you caught yourself. Especially when it’s pan fried so nicely and combined with foraged Train Wrecker mushrooms and sautéed green beans.

Tim brought in most of the fish, but Micah managed to land one too.

I cleaned them the night we caught them while Tim made the marinade for them.

Once all 10 were ready to go, Tim placed them in the marinade and we put them in the fridge overnight.

Then, the next afternoon I went looking for mushrooms. We had seen a cluster of them, so I knew where to go.

Train Wreckers, or Neolentinus lepideus, earned the name by their ability to grow on highly treated railroad ties. If they’re ignored, the tie would eventually disintegrate and could cause a train wreck. Thankfully for us, these mushrooms were growing on a pine root which meant they were safe to eat.

They do have some look-alikes, some of which are poisonous, so a positive ID is essential before they go in the skillet.

Fresh green beans were in the fridge just waiting to be used. And so the meal came together.

The results were delicious and filling. We’re already planning our next fish meal. 😊

August 7, 2025
Best Buttermilk Biscuits
Hello again!

Around here, we usually keep breakfasts pretty simple. Bacon and eggs, eggs and bacon, that sort of thing. Sometimes, for variety, we add cottage cheese, veggies, or fruit to the menu.

And then, other times, we feel like splurging a bit. Usually in those cases, our minds (Tim’s for sure!) turn to biscuits.

Finding the perfect recipe was a bit of a journey. Especially since we started with store-bought biscuits out of a can. I still shudder sometimes to think of it.

This recipe is not original to me. I found it online at bakerbettie.com

The enjoyment we get from eating these flaky rounds of yummyness is ours, though. They are amazing with butter and honey or jam, with Tim’s delicious sausage gravy, or as breakfast sandwiches. Or even reheated with a little butter.

OLD FASHIONED LARD BISCUITS

Ingredients
- 2 c Flour
- 1 T Baking Powder
- 1/4 t Baking Soda
- 1 1/4 t Salt
- 6 T Leaf Lard, cold *
- 1 c Buttermilk, cold
Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.

Grease a cake pan or cookie sheet or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, if desired. I never grease my pan for biscuits and they seldom stick more than a little bit. If you use a cookie sheet, make sure it has a rim to keep any melted lard from running off.

Keep lard and buttermilk in the refrigerator until needed.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk. *

Add in the cold lard and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or fork. You want the lard to be mostly in pea-sized pieces with a few larger.

Add the cold buttermilk and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined. This will not take long and you don’t want to overmix as the biscuits will be tough. The batter/dough will be pretty wet and sticky.

Turn the mixture out onto a floured table or countertop. Dust flour over the top. With floured hands, bring the dough into one mass.

Pat the dough out and then fold in half. Turn 90 degrees and pat out again. Repeat this 5-6 times. The folds help the biscuits end up flakier.

Press the layered dough out until it’s about an inch thick and use a round cutter that has been dipped in flour to cut the biscuits. Press straight down with the cutter and do not twist. Pat the scraps back together and cut again. Or you can pat the dough into a rectangle and use a sharp knife to divide into 8 biscuits.

Place the biscuits in the prepared pan, making sure the edges are touching to help the biscuits rise.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Do not open the door for at least the first half of the bake time. Keeping the steam trapped inside the oven helps with the rise.

Let cool, if possible, and then enjoy however you choose.

Notes

* I have substituted butter, tallow, and bacon grease for the lard with no problems. You just want it cold when it goes in.

*I make mine in my stand mixer and it works just great. Just don’t overmix.
August 5, 2025
Fifty-Three Pounds Of Chicken

Hey there! Welcome back.

What is your favorite way to process fifty-three pounds of frozen chicken if it suddenly landed on your counter? Probably like you, I had never thought of what I would do with that much chicken at once. But then a friend showed up with a large box of chicken pieces just hoping we would be willing to take it off their hands. How could I say no? It may have also been that saying no never even crossed my mind. I mean, this was fifty-three pounds of free chicken for me to put up. That sounded like a home canner’s dream come true. So I quickly decided that this much chicken just had to be canned, as that opened up practically endless possibilities for how it could be used later.

Since the chicken was still frozen solid, I let it sit out to thaw, aiming to start processing once it was thawed enough to separate. After getting a “good” start, I saw that despite all the chicken baking and boiling and cooling I had gone through less than half the box. It was quickly becoming obvious that this was just the beginning of a full-blown chicken canning marathon.

So, more chicken went into the oven, stockpan, and even my crockpot in a seemingly endless procession until all 120+ pieces were cooked and ready to be picked off the bones.

That was a whole process in itself and for a while I wasn’t sure if I was going to run out of chicken first, or fingers. Micah and Alayna both wanted to help, but as they struggle to detect all the bones, I stuck it out myself.

Once the meat was all ready, I pulled out my jars, filled them with steaming meat, topped them off with broth and a little salt, and prepared my pressure canner. Only to find that the weight was missing. That sent me into researching and digging until I found out how to water bath chicken. Since my water bath canner was also missing in action I made do with a large stock pan. Now, before anyone gets worried, I know pressure canning is the standard for meat, but since water bath canning used to be all anyone did, I decided to give it a try.

I have to admit, waiting the entire 180 minutes while the jars canned was definitely not my favorite part of it all. Since I was using a substitute pot, it was not tall enough to put as much water in as was needed. Instead, I had another pan of water going and kept topping off the “canner” when it got a little low.

After removing all the bones for bone meal, the scraps for dog food, and enough meat to make four meals for ten people, I was able to put up five quarts of chicken. Not a huge amount, but I was happy.

By the time I was done, it was 11 PM and I was rather tired but satisfied. Seeing those jars lined up on the counter, knowing they’d be feeding my family in the months to come, made all the effort feel worthwhile. It’s funny how something as simple as preserving food can feel like such an accomplishment, but every time I do it, I’m reminded why I love it.

And now, if fifty-three pounds of chicken shows up at my door again, I will know what to do with it!

May 29, 2025