That sort of depends where you source your eggs from.
]]>This means they will lay a mountain of eggs during the sunny warm summer weather but then reduce their efficiency over the winter months. Of course, this varies depending on the environment in which they live but if left to their natural state, this is what happens.
Our chickens at Wholesome Pastures live with the sunshine while roaming our open pastures alongside our cattle and sheep. They are more sensitive to the change in daylight hours once fall comes knocking. We have little to no supplemental lighting which means the birds go into a more dormant state of mind and body. This is true while they are kept in a chicken coop in the winter months with natural light coming via a glass window.
A chicken molting is natural and tends to happen in the fall. They stop laying eggs and begin to exchange old feathers for new. This means they start looking a little bare and if you haven't seen it before, you may question if something was wrong with them. It would be wise to evaluate the birds for other issues during this time.
A chicken owner may feel these effects of the molt with an abrupt decline in eggs to collect. For this reason, we tend to store eggs during the heavy laying periods in order to prepare for low production periods. After all, we eat nearly a dozen eggs in one day.
That sort of depends where you source your eggs from.
If you purchase grocery store eggs, they have been collected at least 1+ week ago and were washed and cooled. This limits your options on storage.
If you have unwashed farm fresh eggs they are stable at room temperature for extended periods of time. In many other countries, people keep eggs in this way for weeks.
Unwashed farm fresh eggs have sat on our counter for a month without going bad. I'm not saying you should do this, I'm just letting you know what we have done with our own eggs, at our own risk.
The reason they can stay good for so long is because they haven't been washed. This process removes a protective layer called the bloom. Its role is to protect the egg and block the porous nature of the egg so that bacteria cannot enter. If this is washed away, the egg is at risk of being infected.
But what about store bought eggs that have been washed?
Refrigeration helps to slow any bacterial growth and reduce the chance the eggs turn bad. This is why commercial eggs are also refrigerated. Keep in mind, even if you leave the eggs unwashed, once you put eggs in the fridge, they cannot be stored back on the counter.
Be sure you follow @wholesomepastures and if you're local, check out the food via our farm shop in person or on our website: www.wholesomepastures.ca. We do ship non-perishable items.
Below: Waterglassed Eggs; Wholesome Pastures Farm Fresh Eggs; Freezing eggs
]]>
Whether drying, freezing or canning, food preservation has been a massively important homestead tool. History tells us that food shortages happen and it's best to be prepared with an abundance of shelf stable items. The hydro can and will go out and whether you have a generator or not, it's possible it runs on gasoline and that too may be a challenge to access if times or weather are bad enough. How do we keep our families fed?
Food prep can be wildly overwhelming as there are tons of resources and opinions that can vary.
So where do you start? What items do you really need?
An easy and great way to store almost any food is by freezer. You can do eggs, meats, fruits, vegetables, bread and more. While some items require a bit of prep, most do not. What is required is a solid seal on your containers or zip bags with all extra air removed. This impacts quality and reduces the risk of freezer burn.
When you do vegetables, you may have to blanch them first. Search for what items require this and what may not. The last thing you want is soggy veg when you pull them out!
I would encourage you to grab a vacuum sealer so that all the extra air is removed to optimize the quality of the product. We have one like this. If you want to keep it on the inexpensive side, you can always use a regular freezer zipper bag and a straw. Zip the bag closed with the straw pushed through and suck out all the air. Once deflated, quickly remove the straw and seal the hole. It works!
While you can freeze jam and apple sauce, I prefer to can them so the freezers have space for other things that cannot be stored elsewhere.
What is the difference between these?
Quick explanation, a dehydrator dehydrates enough for short term storage with lots of moisture removed so that it's shelf stable. The freeze dryer, dries the product out totally and can be stored for years using mylar bags. I don't particularly like eating freeze dried things on their own however, they are great on yogurts and salads (think berries!). When freeze dried, they can be rehydrated back to their original state. This includes mashed potatoes, milk, carrots, apple slices, liver... nearly anything you can think of!
The dehydrator we use has stainless steel exterior, interior and racks. They can be washed with ease. The glass door is great because you can view the progress of your items without opening the door and compromising the heat and air quality.
Pressure canners can feel intimidating but their use is worth getting over any fear of using them. You can cook soups, stews and more or you can do long term canning of any type of food. This past year we did some great stew beef and it will be shelf stable for years! Maybe this sounds off-putting but tuna is a canned meat and that is widely accepted. "Weird" ideas are simply what you're used too and growth comes from getting uncomfortable, learning and adjusting to new things, including canned meat.
Check out this preserving link
Stay active and nourished.
Happy Cooking!
~ Lindsay
*Disclosure: We only recommend products we do or would use and all opinions expressed here are our own. If our exact item isn't available we may link something closely related and with good reviews. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, but I may earn a small commission. Our earnings help us create content. Thank-you for any support.
]]>Growing up on the farm and having our food cared for out our own back door was a gift. Nourishing our livestock daily, watering and tending to a garden and then prepping and preserving foods for winter use.
Can you cook from scratch and grow your own food too? Absolutely yes!
]]>It's not only a job, it's a lifestyle.
Growing up on the farm and having our food cared for out our own back door was a gift. Nourishing our livestock daily, watering and tending to a garden and then prepping and preserving foods for winter use.
Can you cook from scratch and grow your own food too? Absolutely yes!
Whether you're in a condo or acreage, grow that tomato plant and get started with something. The connection and value created and the relationship with food massively shifts when you begin growing or raising your own.
While I was raised seeing whole foods and home cooked meals (thanks mom!), there is no better time to start than yesterday. Let me share some of my favourite items to use when we cook.
The best mini spatula and bowl scraper on the planet absolutely goes to Pampered Chef. I've had tons of different brands and there is no doubt these are top shelf when it comes to flexibility, steadiness and ability to scrape the bowls clean! They are also dishwasher safe. There is a larger size as well.
We also really love wooden spoons. Did you know, if you lay a wooden spoon across the top of a pot of boiling water (think boiling potatoes), the wooden spoon somehow ensures the water doesn't boil over! Wild, but it's true!
(*Disclaimer: I'm not holding responsibility if for some reason this does not work for you, but I can say this has worked each and every time for me!)
Glass measuring cups that can be heated are my favourite. Though small scoopable stainless steel exists, if you want to pop some butter in the microwave, the glass ones are ideal. They can tolerate tons of abuse and are a great way for kids to get involved and see the various value measurements side by side.
Measuring tablespoon and teaspoons, I like to keep it minimal and get an all in 1. This adjustable measuring spoon set is easy and saves space in your drawers.
Mixing can be done by hand or electronics and these are the items I have in my kitchen. Mixing by hand I use a Danish Dough Whisk. If I want to use an electronic mixer I'll use my hand mixer or my stand mixer.
Lastly, if you need to weigh out items (like when making bread) then you can use a digital kitchen scale. I got this from Canadian Tire for less than $20 a few years ago and it's so helpful to us, we have a second one in our barn.
We stay away from any non-stick coatings as they are shown to have negative health implications. They're often times seasoned with seed oils and we prefer to reseason everything with plenty of lard or butter if we can't find them unseasoned. This isn't a huge deal by any means nor will this little blimp of seed oil exposure be catastrophic but it's worth mentioning.
What we want is stainless steel, enamel , cast iron or stoneware.
Stainless steel is a high quality and in tact product that does not scrape away over time. Have you ever noticed with non-stick products that scrapes and flakes of the pans end up going "missing"? Well, they're not likely missing when you've stirred up your food on top of it. (psst. they're in the food!). We use a mix of Cuisinart and Paderno products and really enjoy them!
You can use any utensil on stainless steel so we suggest sticking with other metals for easier cleaning and antibacterial reasons. They're also far more sturdy!
One pot that reminds me of my grandmother is my Dutch Oven and I use it at every opportunity. I love braising meaty bones like Osso Bucco for hours until they are so tender they've fallen off the bones before we even scoop them out to eat! This pot is also so great for chilli using Wholesome Pastures pastured grass fed and finished ground beef or stew or soup!
Seasoning it: When you receive your cast iron it's important that you season it, if it isn't already. In short, this means getting the pan really hot and coating it with an high heat point oil (butter or tallow). Let it soak in then wipe clean with a paper towel or otherwise.
When cooking with them, it's important to ensure a nice coating of oil (butter, ghee, lard, tallow) to prevent sticking. You can use any utensil on these so do not fear metal utensils - actually, we prefer them! Toss those plastic ones that can melt on your pans so you aren't ingesting any more micro plastics than necessary!
The pans will get hot, including the handles. To avoid burning your hands when handling the pan, try our leather handle cover or a silicone option here.
Cleaning: When washing, don't use soap! Get really hot water and steel wool or chain link scrubber. If you have hard to remove food that you don't want mushed into steel wool, we always have one of these pan scrapers available to prep before scrubbing.
When I need backing sheets I look to my stoneware or stainless steel. What's great about the stone ware is that it's nonstick without the toxins and it seasons itself over time with each use! It does have a heat maximum of 500-550 degrees fahrenheit.
I certainly have more utensils and products than this but I think this a great intro into some commonly used items in our kitchen. I hope you feel inspired to get in the kitchen and try your hand at something new!
Stay active and nourished.
Happy Cooking!
~ Lindsay
*Disclosure: We only recommend products we do or would use and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, but I may earn a small commission. Thank-you for any support.
]]>