I often get asked, "what are you going to do with all that produce?" Sometimes people enquire because their first thought when seeing a glut of homegrown food is waste but here's how I see an oversupply of produce: Success – Whenever we get a great harvest I see the achievement. Backyard farming isn't always,
This is my first article on Self Sufficient Me (SSM) so let me begin by extending a warm welcome and sincere thanks to you for visiting SSM and I hope this will be the start of many returns by you as we explore the realms of self sufficiency. I have been interested in self sufficiency
Introduction I know this save money by growing your own food subject has been covered ad nauseam over the past two decades; however, I have never written about the subject and mixed it with politics and today with the squeeze on peoples incomes all around the world becoming alarming I think both subjects could mix
Turn 1kg of potatoes into 20kgs without divine intervention! Growing potatoes isn't difficult no matter where you live. It's just a matter of timing, a little digging, some potato food, and then a few short months of growing for you to produce the best tasting taters you'll ever eat. Just a few articles back I
The act of preservation through drying is one of the most popular methods of keeping food for extended storage. Dehydration naturally (by sun or air) or artificially ( by a drying device) allows us to grow or acquire a surplus product in season and then have the opportunity to consume that product at a much
This is just a short article on how to quickly preserve excess jalapenos (and other chillies) through pickling. So if chillies through winter are difficult to grow where you are, then pickling them to save for the cooler times of the year is the way to go. Pickled Jalapeno Chillies in Jars Step 1
This article was revised on 05 Feb 2017. Biltong is a South African type of dried/dehydrated meat introduced/founded by the early Dutch settlers. The name is derived from two words “bil” – meaning buttock (the buttock, rear, or rump of the beast) and “tong” – meaning strip (the cut of meat in strips). The purpose
*This article was revised in Dec 2012, and contains sponsored links. Lettuce is one of those common salad vegetables, which most of us take for granted as one of those regular foods in our diet we just always have and don't need to think about much. But, we should think about lettuce more because what
These days with more diets and eating trends than search results when the words “shape shake” are entered into Google, eating correctly and understanding what's ok or not ok to eat is becoming more and more confusing. Try to say “shape shake” quickly 10 times in a row… Lately, I've been seeing and hearing a
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
Introducing Jane Wilks – Guest Article Writer Self sufficiency is made up of many disciplines and almost every day I see another great example of clever and inventive ways how people can make better use of the natural resources around them. That's what makes self sufficiency special and there's no better example of responsible use
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
Introduction (this article was revised Feb 2013) Tamarillos are currently in-season in my part of the world (as at the writing of this article) and I've been experimenting with different ways to eat them. If you are not sure what a tamarillo actually is then you can read more about the plant and its fruit
Introduction Honestly, I'd be lost without my Excalibur dehydrator because we use it all the time in our household. The money our dehydrator has saved us alone has well and truly paid for the initial purchase of the appliance and I could have used “money” as one of the 10 reasons below on its own;
Introduction “As easy as shelling peas,” as the saying goes, but is actually growing peas really that easy? The short answer is no, and the reason I think this, is because to grow peas successfully some prior preparation, mid-growth maintenance, and good timing is required. To grow the best peas and plenty of them there
September means spring in my part of the world and at spring time no matter where in the world you are one of the best plants to grow is the strawberry. As we all know, strawberries are a divine and decadent fruit but they can be pricey to buy from the markets so I grow
Introduction When running we should always have a plan in mind of how to escape an unexpected, potentially life threatening situation and evasive action means taking an immediate measure (like diving to avoid a collision with another vehicle or person) to evade the possible consequences of an incident. This article explains how to turn
More cynical is one way to describe how view the world these days. For me, it’s a trait which has developed from life experience and knowledge gained along the way because I believe most people become a little more cynical as they get older. When I first joined the Army at just 18, I was
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
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.
