Our summer didn’t have its mind made up. One day it was 90 and the next the temperature was 55 and raining. It seems like this winter is going to be the same. Just a short while ago we were in T-shirts and this week it began snowing and getting into the high teens at night. But the beavers said so and we worked pretty steadily at getting as much dry firewood stacked in under cover as we could. (The beavers have built a thicker, much bigger house, and have stockpiled lots of brush in the mud bottom of the pond next to their house. This means plenty of snow and cold temperatures are in store for us.)

I’m continuing to can up tomato products. Last week it was more pizza sauce, salsa, and chopped tomatoes. This afternoon it will be more seasoned tomato sauce. The green tomatoes are ripening nicely and we really aren’t losing many to rot.

We are thrilled with our Burro Mountain Anasazi corn!

We’re also shelling more corn. Last week and this week I’m shelling Burro Mountain Anasazi corn, an ancient popcorn developed by the Anasazis of Arizona, thought to be over fifteen centuries old! It grew well for us, here in the northland, each stalk bearing two or more ears. The tall plants also sent up tillers, many of them also having an ear. So it was very productive. Yes, the ears are small and so are the pointed kernels, but it is such a historical corn and pops well into small, nutty flavored puffs.

This weekend Will, David, Ashley, and her dad Troy again worked on the new cabin. They got all the support beams in place, save one. Will found a small rotted spot on the beam so it was discarded. Luckily, they could cut two shorter beams from it. Unluckily, it was the longest beam so they had to hunt around for a tree which was tall enough and large enough in diameter to cut the big beam from. Will had spotted a big white pine in the swamp near our pasture which was leaning badly so he chose it. He and David cut it down, finding the bottom was rotten so it wouldn’t have lasted longer. But after cutting off a shorter section, they found good, solid wood. They limbed it and dragged it out of the swamp with the crawler-loader and on to the sawmill. Soon it will become the final beam. In the meanwhile, they cut several 2x10s for more floor joists from a log already on the mill.

Will looks the white pine log over after it was brought home.
David cuts the log to size, allowing a few inches for “wiggle room.”

We’re pretty happy with our pumpkins and squash this year, despite the horrible growing conditions we encountered. One of my favorites is Galeux d’Eysines or Peanut Pumpkin. This medium-sized pumpkin from France is simply gorgeous with the peanut-looking scars on the orange surface. And the thick meat makes wonderful pies, soups, and many other meals.

Isn’t the Galeux d’Eysines pumpkin pretty?

— Jackie

20 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Jackie

    I started a new job, and with all the switching of schedules, etc, I’ve missed logging into BHM and reading your blog. Well it seems like you, Will and the kids have sure kept busy the last couple of weeks. I tried saving my broccoli, but with snow, wind and lows in the low 20s, it just didn’t happen. Also, I know you said you weren’t planning on selling any more pork or beef, but if you change your mind or have any an extra quarter walking around :-), please let me know…the past meat has been delicious! Keep warm and see you in the spring!

    Lisa

  2. Enjoy reading about your escapades on your homestead. I would have chosen to live on a farm as I grew up on one but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. I love to work outside in the dirt growing flowers and a vegetable garden. I wasn’t able to do any gardening or canning this year due to a health issue. I learned to can from my mother who learned from her mother who learned from her mother so its a family thing. My brothers now have the farm we grew up on and are farming them in addition to several others they have purchased. I read that big farms are buying up the smaller farms as they become available for sale. I wonder what that means for the family farm in the future. Can we get your books from Back Woods Home Mag? I like to read and winter is coming – my time to read.

    • Sure thing. Here’s the basic recipe:
      30 lbs tomatoes
      1 large, finely chopped onion
      1/2 C finely chopped green or sweet red pepper
      1/2 C (or more to taste) brown sugar
      1/4 C olive oil
      2 cloves garlic
      2 Tbsp oregano
      2 Tbsp basil leaves
      3 tsp salt (optional)

      I run my tomatoes through my Victorio tomato strainer to remove the seeds and skins. You can also peel, dice, cook then run through a Foley or some other mill.
      I chop onions, garlic and peppers in my blender (or you can roast, remove skins and run through a food mill)
      Mix ingredients well then slowly bring to a simmer. Cook down until fairly thick. (I usually put mine in a turkey roasting pan and place in the oven overnight on low temperature, stirring a couple times.)
      Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Add 1/2 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to each pint jar. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 35 minutes (pints). Newest recommendations say to process in a pressure canner for 20 minutes (pints) at 10 pounds pressure.
      I don’t fill my pints full; it’s too much for even large pizzas. Instead I fill about 2/3 full so I don’t waste any sauce.

    • We raise several different pumpkins from Howden (which was bred long ago from Connecticut Field pumpkin as it has a rounder shape) to Iran, Moranga Del Mesa and Galeux d’Eysines, the Peanut Pumpkin shown in the photo. We love different crops and as you can see, Galeux d’Eysines is sure different….and tasty!

  3. Love watching the progress of the cabin. Wondering if you could give us some advice about canning spaghetti squash. One of my friends already baked hers and feels that canning may make it too mushy. I don’t want to freeze it—hope you have the answer

    Thank you.

    • Unfortunately, spaghetti squash doesn’t really can up too well. It does tend to get soft. You can try a little and see how you like it. I’d raw pack it then can as you would any squash.

      • Thanks so much for your time. I am going to cut in in banana-sized spears and raw pack. Hope we can get some longer strands in that process. Will let you know!

  4. Yeah, tell me about winter. The house has been cooling down so much during the long days at work, and with no sunshine, that tonight I’m baking a blueberry pie just so the oven can help warm it back up to…say 60 degrees, maybe.

  5. I have to tell you how much I enjoyed all 3 of your books!
    I will be giving a set of them to 2 of my daughters.
    Thank you for the wonderful stories. I am hopeful you will write more!

    • I’ve got more Jess Hazzard Westerns on the way as well as a few others so stay tuned! They’re fun for me, too! I’m glad you liked them.

Comments are closed.