Around the Homestead | Northwoods Homesteader

Rendering Lard

MerrieOctober 17, 2015Leave a comment

Ok, before I get started I just wanted to show you a couple pictures of the sunrises her in Maine the past few days. I have been very blessed to see them.

Fall has arrived here in Maine which for the homestead means that the pigs that we have been raising for the past several months will soon be converted into pork chops etc. Since this will take up a good amount of space in our freezers it is time to get them cleaned and organized so everything will fit.

Part of this is to get all the fatback that been waiting to be turned into lard processed. Yes, there are two years worth that I need to take care of. Every year I say that I'm going to do it as soon as we are using the woodstove so that I can just put it in the pan on top of the stove and let it do it's thing. You know how that goes though. So this year I'm trying a new method and it seems to be working great.

I take the fatback out of the freezer and partially thaw it. It is so much easier to work with if it is still partially frozen.

Slice the partially frozen fatback with a very sharp knife

I then grind the fatback with my wonderful grinder we purchased after I wore out two grinding attachments for my KitchenAid mixer. I use a very large hole grinding plate so that you have pieces and not just mush. This grinder has come in handy for so many things including making ground turkey after we butcher the turkeys in November.

Using my turkey roaster the ground fatback is put in a 250 degree oven to melt slowly. I stir it occasionally and it really doesn't take that long until you can jar the first rendering. I use quart wide mouth mason jars for this.

This is the set up I use when I fill the jars. I have my funnel with a fine mesh strainer on top. I ladle the fat out of the roasting pan through the strainer and then what ends up in the jar is really clean and smooth. I tipped the roasting pan so that the melted fat would flow to the corner for easier ladling. Just push the unmelted fat out of the way. You need to have the canning jar lids in hot water and ready before you start to jar your lard. As soon as you have your jar full leaving a 1 inch head space clean the rim really, really well. Any little amount of fat will prevent the jar from sealing. Put on your lid and secure with a ring. Set the jars aside in a draft free location on a towel and let them be.

After you have gotten all the liquid off of the fat return the roaster to the 250 degree oven and let it render for awhile longer. You will be able to get a second amount of fat to jar but this will not be the pure white of the first jars. It will have a more yellow color and it will have a little bit of a "pork" taste to it. The pure white batch is great for baking biscuits and pie crusts and all those things you want to be flakey but don't want any imparted flavors. The second rendering is good for using with anything savory. I use mine just like I would use bacon fat. Cooking eggs, veggies etc.

After the jars have cooled completely check to make sure they have sealed. The 250 degree hot lard should be enough as it cools to make the jars seal. If you find any that have not sealed you can reheat the lard and try again or just put the jars in the freezer. Those that have sealed are shelf stable.

I have also made my own salt pork in the past maybe I'll try it again with the fat from this years pigs.

The Greenhouse is Built 1

MerrieOctober 10, 2015October 6, 20151 Comment

Well, it really wasn't too difficult in the end. As I said last time it took most of one day to just get the foundation level for the framework. It took another day to put the framework up. Finally it took me another day to get the door and windows put together and installed then the plastic walls and roof panels into place. Now just so you don't think that this is too much work I want you to know that each of the three days that it took me was only about 4 hours each day and I had to spread out the days due to my work schedule. If you had help you would be able to put this greenhouse kit together in one day. Actually the instructions do say you need a helper for a couple of the installation areas but I used a ladder to hold these parts on one end while I worked the other end and it worked very well for me.

The clear panels are held in with metal clips which do hold it really firmly. The location of my greenhouse is fairly closely to the house so if is partially blocked from winds by our house. Still I was anxious to see how it would stand up to wind. Right on que we had a pretty good storm here with winds. I'm happy to say that the greenhouse is still standing.

Now I just have to get the rocky soil dug out from the interior so I can get good soil and compost put in for growing.

Super Blood Moon

MerrieOctober 3, 2015October 6, 2015Leave a comment

Many of you know because you watch the news that on the night of Sept 27, 2015 there was a total lunar eclipse that could be seen very well here in the northeast. It was absolutely beautiful to watch as the moon moved into the earths path blocking the sun. What made this extra special is that it occurred while the moon was in one of its closest positions to the earth which is what they call a super moon because the moon appears 14% larger than normal. Because it is a total lunar eclipse and not partial when the eclipse happens it gives the moon the red color thus becoming a Blood Moon. What you are actually seeing is every sunset and every sunrise on the earth all at once in the red of the moon. This was the final total lunar eclipse in what is called a Tretrad which is 4 consecutive total lunar eclipses which occurred all within one 24 month period. The first was April 15, 2014, followed by Oct 8, 2014, April 4, 2015 and this final one on Sept 28, 2015. It is not unusual to have lunar eclipses but it is very rare for 4 total lunar eclipses to appear in a row.

One other interesting thing with these dates is that each of the last 4 blood moon dates have occurred on the date of one of the Jewish Feast Days. I encourage you to do more research on this I think you will find it fascinating. There have been several times throughout the centuries where a Tetrad has occurred and the Jewish nation has had significant events in their history happen.

Almost Total (not really in focus still learning to use my camera)

The Greenhouse

MerrieSeptember 26, 2015Leave a comment

The greenhouse has been started in the front yard. It is only 6 X 8 but I think it will be perfect for where it is located. I have a larger hoop house that is down by the garden area. It took about half the day just to get the landscape timbers that I'm using for the foundation level and plumb. That was all I had the gumption for since it was in the 80s and the greenhouse is on the south side of the house in the sun. I put up the frame the next day when it was perfectly beautiful and only in the 70s. Since I'm putting the structure on a slope it took a little digging to get things level. You can see where I dug the upper slope into the ground. On the lower slope I actually stacked the timbers two deep to get things level. The ends currently are only one timber each which leaves a gap on the down side. My plan is to fill in those gaps with the fill that will be dug out of the inside space in order to put some good growing soil and compost in. The outside will be backfilled also so that all the gaps and open areas will be closed it. I did chose to use pressure treated landscape timbers. I know there is controversy over whether to use these when you are going to grow food inside. I feel the risk is minimal since arsenic is no longer used as part of the treatment and where this directly on the ground I really need the benefits of the pressure treatment.

After reading the instructions, yes I did it first, I knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge to get the roof structure up since it said you needed the assistance of two other people and my sweet husband was at work. Well I can be fairly creative when needed so the ladder that you see in the picture became my helper. I was able to lay the ridge piece across the top of the tall ladder while I used a step stool to reach the joints to get them bolted together. It actually worked really well.

The next step it to put together the door and the vent windows that are part of the roof. I am hopeful that I can get the entire thing completed in the next week or so then I can get some fall greens planted. I need to go through my seeds and see what I have on hand that might do well in the cool of the fall in Maine.

Happy Fall Everyone

I cut notches in the corners of the timbers so they would fit well together and overlap then I screwed them together.

Double stacked on the down side of the slope. The frame of the greenhouse is screwed into the timbers with 3 inch screws.

Foggy Morning on the Homestead

MerrieSeptember 19, 2015Leave a comment

While we have been blessed with summer sticking around well into September that has meant that we have some fog every morning. This has created some absolutely amazing sunrises. I see them really well along the ridge that I drive as I head to work. Today the fog was extra thick but the sunrise was still wonderful.

Fall is just a few days away and it is finally beginning to feel that way. Some of the trees are just beginning to tinge with color but I don't expect that full on color will be here until October.

Today I am beginning my greenhouse project. I got a really good deal on a small 8 X 6 greenhouse kit earlier in the summer but just have not had any time to get it put together. It will take a bit of doing because where I want to put it is on a slope. I have landscape timbers to build a level base for it to sit on but getting the slope dug out is going to be a job. I won't be able to use the tractor because it is inside the fence surrounding the front yard so hand tools it is. I'll try to take pictures along the way so you can see how things went. My hope is to get some greens planted so we can enjoy them well into the fall/early winter. I want to try spinach, chard and kale which should do well in the cooler temperatures.

Enjoy these other pictures of this foggy morning.