Permaculture Velocity | Homesteading Skills You Can Use

Freezing is quick and easy—I understand why folks are fans. Chop green peppers, put in plastic bags, and toss in the freezer. Blanch and peel tomatoes, pack in freezer-safe containers, and stash in freezer. No doubt that freezing has a place in a preservation kitchen. I prefer to use a freezer as one of several preservation methods and not rely on it heavily. A freezer failing would make me sad and freezers fail from time to time. Instagram: Soirée-Leone Website: soireeleone.com Producer: Marina Darling Recorded in beautiful Hampshire, Tennessee Try a Podcasting 2.0 Certified app: Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain In my freezer I stash, chopped bell peppers, tempe, bacon, some meats, blueberries, and pesto in small jars. Sometimes I freeze broth if I only have a few quarts and not enough to fire up the pressure canner. I rarely freeze leftovers as they take up valuable freezer space that I’d rather fill with bacon or pesto. I prefer to pressure can rather than freeze. Meat, chic

Perpetual ferments like nuka pickling beds and pao cai are wonderful because they allow one to add and remove vegetables (and fruits) as needed to ferment then enjoy—fermented turmeric paste is another perpetual ferment. I love having the turmeric paste around as we are a household of two and having one jar of paste around is perfect for adding a handful of vegetables to then enjoy. It’s perfect when you have a radish or an apple or a couple cucumbers. The first step to all this convenient fermentation is to ferment the paste. Following Adam James’s lead in Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys, combine 400 grams turmeric root, 400 grams turnips, 300 grams peeled garlic, and add 4% salt in a blender until it’s paste. I found that using my food processor didn’t yield a paste. I then fermented the paste in a 3 liter jar for nearly six weeks because I forgot—it was during winter so it would’ve taken a bit longer to be happy. I didn’t stir as the recipe indicated due to the same forgetfulness—there was some darken

Jamming loads of potato peels into the garbage disposal is a holiday season rite of passage. Garbage disposals are a nice way to grind up food debris so that it flows down the drain lines to the septic tank or waste water lines. However, garbage disposals do not handle loads and loads of potato peels or other waste effectively—because they are not compost bins or rubbish bins. One time I unclogged a neighbor’s sink—pineapple skins were the culprit. My view is that we shouldn’t treat our drains whether in the bathroom or kitchen as rubbish bins. Save time and hassle by discarding organic debris in another way—compost bin outside or worm bin under the sink or if your area has a composting program. Garbage disposals are unnecessary and they encourage us to use our plumbing as part of a solid waste disposal system which it isn’t designed or intended to be. #allcitiesshouldhaveacompostingprogram Recommended reading: Lloyd Kahn’s The Septic Tank Owner’s Manual. Shelter Publications, 2017. Or start with the tons o

In 2008 there was flurry of folks starting gardens and again in 2020—both coupled with a run on canning jars. A gardener needs jars to put up the harvest—so do plan for a garden doing well—if not this year then next year. Buy canning jars and other preservation equipment and ingredients well ahead of canning season. Instagram: Soirée-Leone  Website: soireeleone.com So, folks considered the economy and such and urban gardens popped up in backyards, side yards, and on occasion front yards. DIY or prefab raised beds, bags and bags of “garden soil,” pony packs of vegetable plants, drip lines and timer, and so forth. Often within weeks the garden became a barren, neglected patch. On my walks with the dog to Sunset Cliffs I would watch the excitement and progress with happy (albeit hopped up on nitro garden plants) getting tucked into new homes and slowly (and almost surely) be loved less and less. What the happened? I would stop and talk to the garden. I wanted to leave garden love notes for the owners who were pr

I love cheesemaking. When I first learned to make cheese in 1991, I didn’t think or know that I should be scared or concerned about doing it wrong. I was raised with a can do attitude, just do it, learn, learn more, then down the road master it or at least be better at it. There are risks but cheeses often tell us we screwed up. Bloated, bouncy cheeses are obvious for example. Off colors and undesirable textures and smells are also obvious. Quite unlike Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, hanging out with nary a sign of its paralyzing presence looming in a jars of home canned food, improperly cured meats, and so forth. Absolutely employ good milking practices from a healthy herd, milk from a trusted source, attentiveness to cleanliness of the cheesemaking equipment, etc but beyond that I just jumped in and still jump in—I didn’t have anyone or the internet to warn me otherwise. With one thin cheesemaking book that I picked up used, I dove in. Some of my first cheeses were from allowing milk to natur

Food is expensive and stocking the homestead pantry with bulk food, buying food on sale, and other strategies is a good thing—but pantry pest infestations can be devastating and expensive. In this episode I share my considerations for storing food and stocking up. My favorite storage containers other than glass mason jars with metal lid and ring or fancy plastic lids like Mason Tops lids are Vittles Vaults. Vittles Vaults are made by Gamma 2 in San Diego. They are large food grade plastic containers (BPA-free) that are suitable for storing large quantities (50 pounds or more) of flours, grains, beans, etc.  Gamma Seals are made by the same company convert plastic pails and buckets into secure food storage containers. Vittles Vaults and Gamma Seals are widely available in the U.S. including farm supply stores, pet supply stores, home improvement stores, and internet retailers. The silicone gasket, lid, and ring can be replaced if required. Good storage containers that are air and water tight not only protect f

After a multiyear hiatus, Soirée is back and switched things up. Permaculture Velocity is now Soirée with The Sauce. In this episode I share why we moved to rural Tennessee from San Diego and some of the big considerations if you are thinking about ditching the urban grind and moving to the country. Try a Podcasting 2.0 Certified app: Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Thank you Mara Jane King for suggesting “the sauce” as that spurred the podcast name change that was long overdue. xoxo The sauce isn’t really a saucy sauce but a tasty, umani punch of flavor, dry seasoning blend of dehydrated natto, sesame seeds, chili pepper, salt, and sichuan peppercorns inspired by douchi from Mara's travels with Sandor in China. Watch the eight films from their trip People's Republic of Fermentation with filming by Mattia Sacco Botto. Later back in Tennessee, after their most excellent trip, (seriously watch the films!) I watched as Mara lovingly pulverized the ingredients in a mortar and pes

Of all the chicken breeds, which are good choices for a backyard flock? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

So many seeds, so many misunderstandings! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Some products require special equipment, fancy ingredients, and so forth. These simple products are easy and economical. Each can easily be made as fancy as you like! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Getting ready to preserve the summer's bountiful harvest means having the equipment on hand. What's the best pressure canner to get the job done? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Unlike a food processor or a blender, a grain mill is essential if you are going to grind grains. But, with so many choices, how to select the right one for the homestead? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

What's not to love? Perennial. Easy. Relatively low cost. Beautiful. Fresh fruit. Adding fruit trees to the backyard garden can quickly had a bounty of terrific food. Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com  

New Years greetings come and go, resolutions are made, but another year seems to slip by! It's so easy to be distracted from our path. One day slips by, then another, then another.  How can you alter this course? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Right up there with "so what do you do when the chickens stop laying?" is "what to do when a chicken dies?" No one is really signing up to get the gory details yet at some level we all know that chickens die...even our most favorite pet chicken. But what can we learn? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com  

Toxins suck! They make us, the soil, the air, the water, and the animals sick. So many of them are simply not needed for the job we are buying them for, yet, there they are! How can we step-by-step make our homesteads less toxic and maybe the world too? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Show notes at PermacultureVelocity.com

What is the gift economy and how can it impact the homestead? Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com

Don't freak out! Here are some tips for stress-free holiday meals! Show Notes: PermacultureVelocity.com