New Authors on the Hilltop

A big part of homesteading for us here on the hilltop has been to learn from others and talking new ideas over with folks just like us - more or less. A few homesteaders I have known have some amazing skills that I have asked them to share with us. Here are two I expect …

Canning Labels; What is in that Jar?

Have you ever gone down to the pantry to look for dinner ideas and spotted one of your jars of well preserved deliciousness just to wonder what did I put in that jar? Is that grape jelly or blackberry - maybe it is blueberry. I better be certain because my mother in law will be …

Saving Seeds

When it comes to seed saving in my garden, I have just one go to resource. The book Seed to Seed Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners, 2nd Edition by Suzanne Ashworth. This book has guided me through step by step on how to get the most out of my efforts of having seeds …

Root Cellars

If you are lucky enough to have one of these, or the means to build one, then you are participating in one of the oldest methods of winter food storage. Root cellars are a very old-fashioned way of preserving food, and it can be one of the simplest if you have the right location for it. …

Dehydrating foods

Dehydration of foods dates back hundreds of thousands of years. Drying is the world’s oldest and most common method of food preservation. Canning technology is less than 200 years old and freezing became practical only during this century when electricity became more and more available to people. Drying technology is both simple and readily available to most of …

Homesteading Skills for Fall/winter 2017

One of the greatest parts of our adventures here has been learning so many new skills. Some I grew up learning from my family, and some are completely new to me and will be trial and error. I am ok with failure as long as I learn something from it. Now, I have seen multiple …

Making your own spices.

I am a fan of old cook books, the recipes are so simple once you learn the lingo, and there are not a whole lot of outlandish ingredients.These recipes are real food for real people. But where did they get things like onion powder or garlic salt, or cinnamon before 1910? Sure, some of it …

Mice & Organic Pest Control

Like many, I have had a mouse problem. This property sat fully furnished (and cupboards stocked) for over seven years with little to no cleaning and minimal human activity once every six to nine months. When I started cleaning... Oh My! It was bad enough that we completely skipped ALL thoughts of any kind of …

Why you should keep 1lb of Salt above the stove.

  Mom always had a round paper container of salt above the stove. I never really understood why till I started doing some of the cooking. I like you am very human! My potatoes and noodles sometimes tend to boil over, and I'm usually in to big of a hurry to stop the cooking process …

Hoarded Vacuums?

With each room we clear, there is a new discovery. Some are so astonishing that we are simply dumb founded. For today's adventure, who hoards vacuums? I mean, really? My family are hoarders, they are not known for their spotless living rooms and well cared for carpets. In total, we have found seven old vacuums, …