Sims Homestead

06/16/2024

06/10/2024

My grandmother and mother have passed down this cherished method of preserving tomatoes through generations. It's a delightful way to savor the taste of summer all winter long. Our table is graced with a delightful tomato salad during the chilly months, seasoned with aromatic spices. This recipe holds a special place in our family's heart and is prepared with love.
Ingredients and Preparation:
2.3-2.5 kg of tomatoes, cut into quarters
6-7 cloves of garlic (2 cloves per jar)
A bunch of fresh dill
A bunch of parsley
Any additional greenery of your choice, stems included
400-450 grams of onions
Clean and sterilize the jars thoroughly
Boil each jar for several minutes to ensure cleanliness
Sterilize the lids by boiling them
I prefer using 1.5-liter jars
Layering in the Jars:
Start with 1 clove of garlic at the bottom of each jar
Add some black peppercorns and any additional greenery
Layer in the tomatoes and onions
Add another clove of garlic and more greenery
Continue layering until the jar is filled, ending with onions and greens
Preparing the Marinade:
Boil drinking water and pour it into the jars, covering the contents
Close the jars tightly with the lids
Let the jars sit for 15 minutes to heat through
After 15 minutes, strain the liquid from the jars into a pot using a sieve
For the Marinade (for a 1.5-liter jar):
Liquid from the jars
2 teaspoons of salt (18 g)
2.5 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of neutral, refined oil
Bring the marinade to a boil, ensuring all spices dissolve
Add 25 ml of 9% vinegar to each jar
Pour the hot marinade over the tomatoes in the jars
Seal the jars tightly and turn them upside down briefly to check for a secure seal
Final Steps:
Cover the jars with a warm blanket and allow them to cool completely
The preserved tomatoes can be stored for up to a year at room temperature
Enjoy your homemade preserved tomatoes!

06/01/2024

06/01/2024

Get ready to grab your balls! 😂🫙

Canning season is here✨

05/15/2024

😬

05/14/2024

👏🏻

This is a sobering thought to me… but one that makes me want to roll my sleeves up even more and get to it! 💪🏼🫙🍅🥕🥔🧀

05/06/2024

Saving peony buds in the refrigerator for up to 3 months — The peonies are starting to bloom! Did you know it’s easy to save peony buds for up to 3 months for blooms later? Here’s how to do it—Just as the buds are starting to show color at the top and feel like a marshmallow, cut the stems, strip leaves to reduce water loss and snuggly wrap in a paper towel before wrapping in plastic wrap/plastic bags/damp newspaper (stem to bud making sure everything is covered). Then you simply place the buds horizontally in the refrigerator up to three months for use later. When you’re ready to use the flowers, remove from the refrigerator, cut the stems at an angle to the appropriate length, put them in a vase of room temperature water and they will soon open. This is such a simple way to enjoy these beauties well beyond their regular blooming time in the garden. Photos by Dickie Chick Gardening

05/03/2024

If you don’t have a scrap bag in your freezer, what are you even doing with your life? Carrot, onion, and celery peelings and ends, mushroom stems, parsley stems - it all goes in the scrap bag. When it’s full, simmer it for a few hours and voila! Free vegetable stock! Bonus points if you have some chicken bones to throw in there - I get big bags of just chicken bones from my local Asian market, but you can use any random bones from a chicken you have previously had for dinner. Waste not, want not!

04/29/2024

How to Construct a Hinged Hoophouse for Your Raised Bed Garden 💬👇
1. Prepare Your Raised Bed: Build a sturdy raised bed in a sunny spot, ensuring it fits the size of your hoophouse.
2. Measure and Cut PVC Pipes: Measure your raised bed's length and cut PVC pipes to create hoops, spacing them every 2-3 feet.
3. Install Hinges: Choose one side of the raised bed for the fixed base and attach hinges to the opposite side for the hoophouse opening.
4. Attach PVC Pipes to Hinges: Secure PVC pipes to the hinged side of the raised bed using screws and pipe clamps.
5. Cover with Plastic Sheeting: Drape heavy-duty plastic sheeting over the PVC hoops, leaving extra to cover the bed's ends. Secure tightly with UV-resistant zip ties and staples.
6. Secure the Plastic Sheeting: Ensure the plastic sheeting is tightly secured to the PVC hoops and wooden frame to protect the interior.
7. Final Adjustments: Test the hoophouse for proper functionality, adjusting hinges, plastic, or frame as needed.
8. Ventilation: Provide ventilation by rolling up the plastic sheeting or installing vents to regulate temperature and humidity.
Maintenance Tips:
1. Regularly inspect for damage, especially after severe weather.
2. Replace plastic sheeting when needed for clarity and durability.
3.Lubricate hinges periodically for smooth operation.

04/28/2024

I’ve wanted strawberries for a long time but we’re limited on space, vertical gardening for the win!
Thank-you to hubby for helping with my project ❤️

04/15/2024

When you miss one day cutting the asparagus 😂

04/15/2024

Homemade Chicken Broth is not just a kitchen staple, it’s a versatile foundation for countless recipes. Rich in flavor from simmering chicken bones and aromatic vegetables, this broth can elevate any meal, providing a depth of flavor that only comes from carefully crafted, slow-cooked broth.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken bones
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
4 quarts water
1/2 bunch fresh parsley

Directions:
Place the chicken bones in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for 3-4 hours.
Add the fresh parsley in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Allow the broth to cool, then refrigerate until the fat solidifies on the surface. Skim off the fat before using or storing the broth.

04/15/2024

Going to give this a try!

04/15/2024

04/12/2024

While dandies are going off, make up a batch of this dandelion salve.

https://homespunseasonalliving.com/dandelion-salve/

04/10/2024

Homemade Cleaning Solutions.
Not mine...
I got it from this site and they provide quantities for all 12
https://thelittleshine.com/natural-cleaners/?fbclid=IwAR10s4dUdbdEdpzgxq4y7M_9PlJ_PVSzBjeX3s_7meE219hencUMgUiSA7M

04/06/2024

How to Grow Your Own Spiral Herb Garden 🌿💬👇

04/02/2024

My daughter has been harvesting dandelions for weeks, excited to see what she makes 👏

Yes, the entire Dandelion plant is edible, but what many don't realize is that its roots are the real treasure🌼🌼🌼
Full guide in the first comment 💬👀

04/02/2024

My first crop of the year! 😍
I cut them in the dark tonight before the storm hits, here’s to praying the cooler temps later this week don’t mess with my asparagus 🙏

03/19/2024

The asparagus plant is made up of top (ferns), crown (buds) and roots. All three are vital to a productive plant. The ferns are the “factory,” which produces food stored in the crown and roots below ground. The number of spears in the spring depends on the amount of food produced by the ferns and stored in the crown during the preceding summer and fall. Producing a good crop of ferns is necessary to ensure a good crop of spears the next spring.

Do not cut back the old ferns at the end of the season until they are completely dead. In the fall, nutrients move from the dying ferns to the crown. Removing the ferns too early weakens the crown and may reduce the size and number of spears the following spring. Asparagus needs a LOT of NITROGEN to get all that ferny growth, so fertilize them with a nitrogen only fertilizer such as Calcium Nitrate or if you don’t have a lot of wildlife pests, blood meal. Do not use a generic triple 10-10-10 as this is a very poor source of Nitrogen for the plant.

Photo by aspara buddies

03/19/2024

It's almost time for spring foraging!
🌿✨️😊
This is what I use these things for.

I use Hebit for tea. Fresh or dried I make an awesome herbal tea to reduce inflammation.

Creeping Charlie.... we do not get along. 😒 I pull it but save the purple flowers for crafts. It spreads too much for me.

Purple Dead Nettle is my favorite of the 3. I make tinctures, tea and salve with it. In traditional folk medicine it has been known to help with seasonal allergies and itchiness 💜

And of course....I make no medical claims and encourage y'all to do your own research.
Everything I forage comes from my own land so I know there are no chemicals sprayed anywhere ☺️