Free article Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

Home canning safety tips

By Liz Case Issue #66 • November/December, 2000 Like many who were born shortly after World War II, I grew up in a family with a solidly "city" lifestyle. My mother saw canning as drudgery. For...

Recipe of the Week Sweet Pickles Courtesy of Kathy Myers (Dave's mother-in-law) My mother has made these sweet pickles ever since I can remember. They were always on a relish tray for special family gatherings. After marrying Dave, he...

Homemade bread: a metaphor for life

By Claire Wolfe Issue #113 • September/October, 2008 My parents never actually bought Wonder Bread; I got my fix only at friends' houses. The breads that entered our little three-bedroom,...

Pears in Caramel Syrup

Recipe of the Week Pears in Caramel Syrup Courtesy of Louise Boudreau Ingredients 8 firm, unblemished, ripe Pears, preferably Anjou or Comice 3 cups Water 2 cups Sugar 1/3 cup Coffee Liqueur juice of 1 Lemon Water Whipped cream (optional) Method Three-quarters fill a pot or bowl...

Build a passive-solar food dehydrator

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #143 • September/October, 2013 The finished passive-solar dehydrator maintained a fairly constant temperature of 150° F throughout most of the day without any repositioning, which shows that this design can...

Presidents’ wives of the past Part 3

By John Silveira Issue #34 • July/August, 1995 (This is a four-part series. Click the links to navigate to parts one, two, three, and four.) Do I have to stay and help you?" my 12-year old son...

Oregon Grape Jam

By Joyce Lindsey O’Keefe Website Exclusive • August, 2008 Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) bushes are native to the West Coast from northern California to British Columbia. They are the state flower of Oregon. The bushes come...

Build a deluxe barrel stove

By David Lee Issue #108 • November/December, 2007 Winter is coming again, pretty much on schedule in spite of global warming, and it will be cold, just like always. Having a reliable heating system makes winter...

10 day survival pack for your vehicle for just $25

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #104 • March/April, 2007 It seems like every winter there are news stories of people getting stranded for weeks in bad weather while driving through the many remote areas of...

Canning Steelhead and Tuna

By Lisa Nourse Issue #177 • July/August/September, 2019 Any medical professional will tell you that adding fish oil to your diet has incredible benefits. Oily fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which provide many health...

Gather rose hips for health

By Gail Butler Issue #95 • September/October, 2005 Vitamin C-rich rose hips can be found in dried form in most health food stores, but why not gather your own? You'll save money and you'll know where...

Black Bean and Avocado Dip

Recipe of the Week Black Bean and Avocado Dip Courtesy of Lilly Brunner Ingredients 2 cups cooked Black Beans (or use canned) 1 medium ripe Avocado 1 small Chile Pepper, minced fine 1 small clove Garlic, minced fine 2 Tbsp. Tomato juice 2 Tbsp....

Introducing the international tax cartel

By Dave Duffy February 13, 2001 Democrats on Capitol Hill aren't the only ones who don't like President Bush's $1.6 trillion tax cut plan. A group of Western European nations think they should have global veto...

Battery powered weekend retreat

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #83 • September/October, 2003 Blake McKinney owned several acres of beautiful deep forest wilderness along a fast-moving year-round fishing stream that was perfect for a planned weekend retreat. Mr. McKinney,...

Tale of a country family

By Rachel Baxter Issue #66 • November/December, 2000 Dave and Dianna Saleh (pronounced "Sally") always knew they wanted to live a rural lifestyle. They both came from big cities before they met and fell in love,...

Mairead’s Fabulous Flan

Recipe of the Week Mairead's Fabulous Flan Courtesy of Mairead Duffy While attending the Solar 2001 Conference in Washington, D.C., I'm staying at the home of my brother, Bill, and his wife, Mairead, and I'm eating especially well....