Homesteaders

[boskelli1571]

I haven't read that first one but I like and own the second two. I also checked out everything I could at the library and sat in book stores and perused, bought the ones I liked. I have The Ultimate Guide to Self Reliant Living by Casell on my coffee table right now. It's a good start to a lot of things but I have found some of his information to be incorrect (like he says you HAVE to feed goats grains because they won't get all their nutrition on pasture, which is BS, goats digestive systems are made to process grain). But other than that I like it for a book that has a little of everything to get you started with resources to delve further.

For canning I have found that I use the Ball canning book the most. I checked out a lot of them at the library and they were too much info to weed through for a reference book to have on hand. I reference my Ball book constantly though.

Hey there Rancher - I'm with trsturself as far as canning books go. The Ball book is about the best. If I feel like something new, I resort to the internet - but that's infrequent. As far as homesteading goes, I really haven't found a 'bible' so to speak. I rely a great deal on Mother Earth news and scan through library books for specific items. I know you have internet problems, but try looking at some of the homesteading sites out there. You could use the computer at the library maybe??

 

[wyoDreamer]

The ball book of canning is great. There are so many recipes in it, that I am always finding something new and different to try. I like the tables and information in the back, especially the table on how much fruit you need to buy. For example, one pound of fresh cherries will yield 2 1/2 cups of stemmed, pitted cherries for your recipe.

 

[rancher hicks]

These are three of the five I have open on my desk right now. The others are Texas Trees (for edible landscape) and Gaia's Garden (for permaculture techniques & edible landscaping).

I checked these five out so many times from the library, that I just went ahead and bought them.

What canning books do you recommend? We've started canning, but just mostly experimenting with recipes I find online. I'd much rather have a good book. Internet is pretty sporadic where I live.

The tree I bought are , "250 Home Preserving Favorites, from jams to jellies to marmalades & chutneys. ( we don't here much of Chutneys, but there a "side", kind of like apple sauce I think)
"Preserve It! Bottled fruits , jams & jellies, pickles, cured meats. and We sure can! How jams and pickles are reviving the lure and lore of local foods.

What I like about these is the variety and unconventional recipes. Things like how to use that oddball or leftover food in a jam, jelly or other food. If I don't have enough of one ingredient I don't have to toss it I can mix it with another and have a nice jam or jelly or pickle.

Examples. I once got a left behind grapefruit from the school I volunteer at, brought it home and used in a jam. I had one banana that was on the verge? I tossed it in my applesauce.

I hate waste.

 

[rancher hicks]

I haven't read that first one but I like and own the second two. I also checked out everything I could at the library and sat in book stores and perused, bought the ones I liked. I have The Ultimate Guide to Self Reliant Living by Casell on my coffee table right now. It's a good start to a lot of things but I have found some of his information to be incorrect (like he says you HAVE to feed goats grains because they won't get all their nutrition on pasture, which is BS, goats digestive systems are made to process grain). But other than that I like it for a book that has a little of everything to get you started with resources to delve further.

For canning I have found that I use the Ball canning book the most. I checked out a lot of them at the library and they were too much info to weed through for a reference book to have on hand. I reference my Ball book constantly though.

Well I can't seem to get folks to NOT believe everything in the books. Many of them contradict each other. Plus I just come here and get all the answers/opinions I can deal with.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hey there Rancher - I'm with trsturself as far as canning books go. The Ball book is about the best. If I feel like something new, I resort to the internet - but that's infrequent. As far as homesteading goes, I really haven't found a 'bible' so to speak. I rely a great deal on Mother Earth news and scan through library books for specific items. I know you have internet problems, but try looking at some of the homesteading sites out there. You could use the computer at the library maybe??

I've learned that some of the "old" ways are out of date as far as safety is concerned. Sometimes.

What I like about books Is I can hold them on my lap and not get detoured. "oh look a chicken" and zip, I'm off on some other subject, web site etc. etc. Ever spend two hours on Pinterest?

I did subscribe to Mother Earth but then they started getting into things I didn't think they should. Such as creation and euthanasia. I just want to know about growing and living. I don't want religion and all that. I remember it in the 70's. Which I think got me interested in Homesteading and off the grid living. I still look at it at the bookstore but only buy certain issues.

Which is why I like BYC. They kind of keep things in check here. I'm not here for religious education nor political drama.

None of what I said here is directed at you Bos, or anyone else. (Sometimes folks take what I say personal if I quote them, which is never the case)

I pretty much know computers and am frequently clearing the history and all that, running a Spybot scan and updating it. I have Norton. I have a site for cleaning but haven't. I had one other one and that one wiped all the pictures off with everything else. It's this TWC that is slow. The slowest internet speed you can get I think.

 

[Sabz]

Talking about books here?? I love books too, Rancher. Prefer them to internet. If I read in a bath and I happen to drop the book, it's still readable. If I drop my laptop well...

I love the book Back to basics although sometimes lacks details.

My two favorite EVER related to gardening and self sufficiency are:

The Winter Harvest Handbook by Bret I Makham. I have followed it 100% and learned a lot.
For more fun:
The Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman

 

[rancher hicks]

Talking about books here?? I love books too, Rancher. Prefer them to internet. If I read in a bath and I happen to drop the book, it's still readable. If I drop my laptop well...

I love the book Back to basics although sometimes lacks details.

My two favorite EVER related to gardening and self sufficiency are:

The Winter Harvest Handbook by Bret I Makham. I have followed it 100% and learned a lot.
For more fun:
The Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman

I have some older Church cook books that are like that. I think they're from people in a place without gas stoves. Perhaps using wood. Now that really took some trick to bake a cake without a thermostat.

I've also seen some Stove top ovens at antique shows too. My former sister in law could bake a pie with one of those. She's long passed on.

I'll look for those two books at the library or the bookstore. I have a membership to B & N and get coupons for 20% off on top of my 10% membership in the store. I just used one for 25% off. Christmas time they send me a lot of coupons.

The library has Colemans book but I've got so many on hold now I've reached my limit.

 

[alldembirds]

I have well over a dozen books on self sufficiency and simple living, I really enjoy re-reading my foxfire books time and time again, a lot of useful information, some stuff in there is obviously outdated but provides a good laugh. I am building a house without any electricity or propane, so I read up on it a lot

 

[Sabz]

I am building a house without any electricity or propane, so I read up on it a lot

Really!!! How interesting. I also read about that. If you even open a thread on the methods you used, I would like to know please.

Funny that you guys (this forum) are the only people I know interested in homesteads of self-sufficiency. I have no one "in real life" to talk about that, compare methods, etc. I wish I'd have friends doing it so I could go visit and takes some tips and tricks from them, considering they'd be in the same climate as I am.

Do you all know "real" people trying to be self-sufficient? I wonder if in the USA it's more "popular" than here, so you could know more people doing it.
I know people that raise meat or have gardens, but no one trying to be informed and understand it enough to provide for their whole family. And certainly no one I know even bought or rented a book on "advance" gardening (I mean something other than the flower colors for next year and stuff like that)!

 

[skunknchatter]

We are working on being more self sufficient. We would like to some day go fully self sufficient but that will require more than the 1/3 acre we live on. We currently garden, bottle, raise chickens and the occasional cow. I'd like to get a couple of milk goats next but hubby isn't so sure about that. Subbing to keep up with this great thread.