How do you tell if a mango is ready to be picked from a tree and when is it ripe enough to eat? Firstly, you can eat green mangoes by turning them into green mango pickles, chutneys, and in cooking. Thinly sliced green mangoes make a wonderful Asian salad and green mangoes go well with
Introduction (This article was reviewed for currency on 10 Apr 2015) Raising or keeping quail isn't the first thing that comes to mind when one ponders self sufficiency. Needless to say, poultry have always been a favourite for self sufficiency and backyard farming because they are relatively easy to keep compared to livestock, they grow
Introduction Jalapeno chillies are one of the most famous and well known chillies in the world and it's for good reason. Here are some reasons why we should grow jalapenos: They germinate easily from seed (where other chillies can be temperamental). The plant isn't large so pots and small spaces are fine. It fruits quickly
My Thai Red Chilli Paste can be used as a flavour base for laksas, soups, curries, noodles, and to add some extra bite to stir-fries. This summer I had a bumper crop of chillies and they are still going strong even as winter approaches. An abundance of chillies is a good thing because they are
Introduction Freshly harvested ginger from the garden is amazing! Even just removing the rhizome from the soil fills the nostrils with such beautiful fragrance it's almost impossible not to hold the ginger root close to the face for several seconds to appreciate this gift from nature. So often, it's the scent of food which subconsciously
Introduction Cauliflower belongs to the brassica (botanical) family, which happens to be the largest vegetable family in the world and includes other vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and even bok choy. I sometimes think about the origins of vegetables (I'm a Pisces) and wonder who was the first person to find and try this vegetable? I'm
Article updated on 24 May 2019 When I first saw rosella seedlings in the nursery I must admit to having little knowledge about the plant except for knowing great jam can be made from the “fruit.” And, I further have to admit purchasing these seedlings without the slightest research into how to actually grow
This article was revised on 14 December 16 (a video I created was added towards the end of the post below – this gives some extra information on growing cucumbers and also how to ferment/pickle them). Cucumbers, the phallic melon which takes pride of place displayed proudly in the fresh food section in supermarkets around
Humans… we're funny creatures. We love new stuff and then we also love what's old. One of my favourite songs (by a German band) has the chorus: Destroy, improve, and re-build. For some reason, I love the freedom in the intent of the song and the premise conserving holds back creation. But then, another part
Modern society has many ways to make us feel economically inadequate. There are pressures arising from numerous sectors demanding more and more slices of our income pie. Most people could be forgiven for thinking the days of fair wages and a reasonable cost of living are over – and they may well be correct (for
Sterilisation is the process whereby all nasty bacteria is killed on or in a container or utensil before usage. When preserving or storing food in jars or bottles at home it's important to use sterilised vessels and also utensils utilised in the process. Storing food for long periods in non-sterile vessels can make the food
Article updated on 04 June 2016 The question, will my olive trees flower and fruit in a warm climate with a mild winter? Is answered! I love eating olives and olive oil so when we finally moved to our acreage one of the first trees I planted was a Manzanillo olive tree. In fact, for our
When I think of beetroot I can’t go past a hamburger with the lot and for me the sweetly pickled taste of the sliced beetroot mixing with the pineapple, lettuce, cheese, fried onions, egg – soft yolk, and of course the burger meat with some BBQ sauce on a buttered bread roll, is what nails
This article was updated on 1st Oct 2015 I have found some reasonably priced preserving jars called frutta del prato (that's the name on the lid) which are not only fair quality but don’t look too bad either, therefore, as give-aways they make a great gift. I will tell more about these jars shortly after
There’s no better gift than one heartfelt and bequeathed with love and care. Self-sufficiency is the perfect platform for enabling the best of both worlds when it comes to gift giving at Christmas or any other festive occasion by producing something very special at a reasonable cost. Venture into Target or any other department store
I've been experimenting lately with lacto fermentation as a way to preserve and create good, healthy, and tasty food from our own surplus produce. The modern way to make pickles and preserve food is to use lots of vinegar or sugar and pasteurize or boil the heck out of it to sterilise the food by
When it comes to growing quail in the backyard environment one of the big advantages we have over a commercial operation is the lack of any market pressure to sustain a product all year round. Therefore, we don’t need to worry too much when our quail go off the lay for a few months and
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
