The homestead journal - recipes, memoirs and lessons
Welcome to the space where i share my homestead discoveries and dreams! Farm life is a beautiful, wild-ride, utterly exhausting but full of wonder and reward at every turn. Step into the heart of farm to table living with me, where every meal tells a story of freshness and sustainability. Follow along for recipes from scratch, memos from the garden and lessons with the livestock.
10 Ways to use Lard
For those of you who have worked out that the ‘fall of lard’ was actually another media and advertising plot to redirect your spending, then read on, because I have been cataloging ALL the ways to use this unsung hero of the fat world, and if you are in the process of restoring this once loved resource back to your kitchen counter top, here are my top 10 ways to use it.
Pie crust with Lard
The secret to amazing pie crust is fat. The higher the fat content of the dough the flakier the pastry it makes. Grandma knew a thing or two about flaky pastry…it was the lard. Learn how to make pie crust with lard and you will never want pie made any other way!!
Homemade Mayonnaise with Lard!
The problem with most homemade mayonnaise recipes is that they produce a rather runny result. Since mayonnaise is basically a blend of oil and vinegar emulsified together then it is logical that your home made spread is going to take on the nature of the oil that is used to make it.
The truth about lard - what you were told was wrong
You probably by now figured out that what you were told about Lard was a doozy… but it wasn’t just a misunderstood science paper that went viral, no… it was nothing other than an intentional ploy to divert your dollars towards a product that was going to make the rich a lot richer…
Curing salt concerns and substitutes explained.
In this simple guide to curing salt & safety of nitrates in food, you will finally understand the different salts, alternatives and safety of cured meats.
Pasture raised pork is healthier
A big part of our animal husbandry is down to working “with” the natural nature of the animal rather than against it. Learn how the piggy nature of pigs steered our decisions in how we raise our bacon.
How to cure your own bacon at home
Usually for home curing you will want your pork belly in one big slab of meat but in the case that you have bought uncured fresh bacon from a local farm or your butcher made a mistake you’ll want to adjust your method slightly.
How to season fresh bacon ( so it tastes cured)
After a little bit of experimenting and some trial and error, i finally nailed it. I know i nailed it because when i asked my daughter what she thought of “mom’s new bacon” she said “its the best bacon i’ve ever had” - and she’s my picky eater too! …Here is what to do -