My youngest fledgling is studying to be a pastry chef. As luck would have it, last week her class was tasked with dehydrating pears. Everybody needs to know this: at chef school, nothing is supposed to be ‘easy. If it is easy, it will just be awful! So, my daughter, being who she is, after …
Native Americans – they were the ultimate survivalists. Their lifestyle was such that they made everything that they needed. They were farmers, extraordinarily efficient hunters, and experienced foragers. By October and early November every year, they had harvested most of their cultivated crops. However, the hardest part was preserving the food for the coming winter …
8 Ways of Preserving Food like the Native Americans Read More »
I know I have thrown away a lot of cornmeal in my young and dumb years. I have wasted a lot! But the cornmeal I have thrown out was never due to expiry dates, it was always because of mealworms. If stored in the correct conditions, your cornmeal can stay fresh for more than 10 …
Preserving food is crucial when you’re living off the grid; if your food supply goes bad; you go hungry. Storing your preserved food properly is also crucial; improper storage can cause the food to spoil. One such way to preserve food – specifically meats – is to make pemmican. It’s fairly easy to make and …
I am 100% proudly South African. The land of biltong and droë wors. I have had to explain the difference to both South Africans and foreigners, as many people think that because they are both dehydrated meats, they are one and the same products; however, they are not the same! Both biltong and beef jerky …
What is the Difference Between Biltong and Beef Jerky? Read More »
If you are into an active life; running, hiking, cycling, or any other sport, you burn calories fast and need energy fast. Clif bars are designed to fuel your muscles for exercise that lasts for an hour or more. But what is the shelf life of Clif bars? They should ideally be consumed 2 to …
The idea of being able to go out to your hen house and collect some fresh eggs for breakfast, or buy pasture raised eggs at a farmers’ market, is appealing. But is there really a difference in the color, taste and nutritional content, or are we just happy to think that because they are fresh …
Farm Versus Store Bought Eggs What Are the Differences? Read More »
Whether you make your own jerky, or prefer to buy from your local, you will want your jerky to retain its flavor and consistency. Jerky (dehydrated meat) that has been made and stored should last well, but the most important question is: Just how long can beef jerky last? If your jerky has been properly …
It is believed that Romanians were the first to start smoking meat to make it last longer way back in the 1800s. Since then, as technology and knowledge have improved, smoking meat has become a cross between art and science. If you want to give it a go, one question you may be wondering is: …
Have you ever forgotten your jerky in the dehydrator for too long, or just left it a bit too long without eating it? I think the only person who has ever NOT done this is my carnivorous husband! Jerky that has been neglected is not very palatable. The lack of moisture can make it taste …
