Honeysuckle Syrup

 Yes, we really use all this syrup

Today we noticed the honey suckle bushes in full bloom so it is time to store a bit more of spring .. yes we use all this stuff we have already gone through 3 of my jelly and 1 of my syrups in the weeks since making it.

Collected and cleaned 

Smell so amazing 

Boil 1 cup of flowers to 1 cup water ... when the water changes color strain our the flowers 

 add one cup of sugar and simmer on low till the spoon comes out and the drips are slow 

I always can small when doing spring jelly 1 to store, 1 to use and 1 to share.

I can in a water bath for my syrups and it works well to water bath just put in boiling water for 15 mins and then let cool on the counter when you hear the pop you are sealed up and can store for up to 6 months in the fridge and a year in the root cellar.

 We have been watching closely all of the wonderful landscape edibles we have. The girls say this one tastes like the bees honey combs.

Poor Mans Honey and Violet simple syrup

 This week has been a fast week of getting things harvested and canned with the spring flowers. A big part of this is setting the flowers in hot water for 24 hours ... I have to put them on the windows because the tiny hands can not keep from touching them 

We made Poor mans honey which is 
2 cups dandelion tops ( the sunbursts ) with no greens we clip them off 
1 cup water   let steep for 24 hours in the end remove the flours and move to a saucepan then add 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 cups sugar

if you want at this point add 2 tables spoons of pectin to make jelly boil it for 15 mins and then into jars it goes,

       

The violet syrup is similar it is 
1 cup violets no green 
1 cup water 
2 cups sugar

add 2 tables spoons of lemon juice to give it a light purple color or caster sugar to turn it blue. Boil for 15 mins then jar.

Maple Tree start

Welcome to the Mom farm fashion this outfit is best for going into streams and collecting Maple Sap
Last year we got this brilliant idea to tap our trees but we were too late in the season. We have been monitoring the other farms around here and Sat we were set to tap. To tap a tree you want snow on the ground and the daytime temps above 40* for more than 3 days. The season only lasts till the nighttime temps at overnight get above freezing.

We have a big tree with 8, 18 inches around shoots we can tap at the moment we have 4 taps in ( we brought a kit on amazon with tubes and taps ) The instructions that came with it were so easy. Dad drilled and the girls set the taps in.

 We check the taps twice a day and usually get a gallon or 2 a day. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Springtime is really big chores in the O house and everyone does the chores because everyone eats.
                                             The kit we ordered Tap Kit

Pickled Eggs

                 What do you do when you have Eggs for Days?

            So when we got chickens in the spring of 2020, we had just gone into lockdown the stores had run on eggs and other things. We had planned chickens and it just seemed like the right moment to start that journey ( more on that later when the next set of chicks come ).              

            In starting that journey we underestimated first how much chickens who are loved and cared for and feed a very healthy diet lay. We only have 5 chickens ( we started with 6 but lost one to a hawk). We get on a good day half a dozen eggs on a bad day 4 eggs. We have an egg tracker sheet and a health chart to see which egg layers need some help.

         My kids have got to be getting sick of eggs for breakfast, hard-boiled eggs, egg salad, breakfast for dinner, and dad can cook eggs pie. As I was putting away the cucumbers into pickles last year in my classic book there was a recipe for pickled eggs. I thought why the heck not we have 8 dozen eggs in the fridge and they last for 3 to 4 months. They really can be used in all the ways you use hard-boiled eggs and keep longer for storage. 

Here is how I did it  

1 bag pickling herbs about 4 tablespoons  * we used dill, peppercorn, sage, and bay from the garden* but you can so buy it.

3 cups vinegar ... apple cider will give it a sweet flavor, balsamic and soy is tasty chopped with ramen.
1/4 cup sugar  ... less sweet you can get away with a tablespoon but we like sweet pickles.
1 tablespoon coarse salt 

and a dozen hard-boiled eggs peeled 

Wide mouth jar

                                        Egg collection method and eggs ready for the fridge

                                                    I cool my eggs before putting them in the fridge

                                                    Eggs for days of all sizes!

• Now how to make it :

1. Place all ingredients except eggs, in a saucepan
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 
3. Place eggs into the wide mouth jar in this case bigger is better 
4. Pour the liquid over the eggs and seal the jar.
5. Refrigerate at least 3-4 days before eating (1 week is best).

Momma's Mayo Muffins

Mayo Muffins

 

                            As part of this Homestead journey, we are learning to bake from scratch and use what we have. We have a very old cookbook from the great depression and picked up a few things from in it and look for more all over the internet. We are really trying to use my cookbooks more but I am not alone in the cooking adventure most nights my 9-year-old helps cook or bake. 

One thing you will never see me do is "fix " a mess or a tray she has made ... she is learning from her mistakes if it has flour on the tops she knows to mix it better next time.

They were so yummy and they think next time we add cheese or seasoning to them to really get some bang out of these in different meals.

Now for how to make these wonderful fluffy muffins

2 cups flour 

2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp of salt 

1 cup of milk

4 tbs of mayo
1 egg  
stir in wet to dry for 5 mins scoop into a well-greased muffin pan bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15-18 mins.