Tomatoes are an amazing fruit and the tomato plant is a wonderful act of nature. I’ve previously stated how easy it is to grow tomatoes; however, awhile back, a cousin of mine had a “bone to pick with me” when she read an article of mine referring to growing tomatoes as “easy.” She said that
When the end of orange season comes, more often than not we are left with a surplus of this wonderful fruit, which is a really good position for me to be in because it forces me to do something with the extra bounty before they go bad. Orange marmalade is great, fresh orange juice is
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
The famous pickle Cucumbers are the most famous of all pickles, so famous that if I asked, “would you like a pickle?” You would probably assume I was offering a pickled cucumber when in fact a pickle can mean many different foods – which have been pickled (like peppers). As I explained in our
Often people who grow their own produce, whether plants or animals, are considered to be doing so to save money, eat chemical free food, grow what they can’t buy, or as a hobby to help stay fit and healthy. However, few consider home grown food production (like a backyard vegetable garden) as a way to
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
Traditional food is the new buzz word and healthy eating craze sweeping the world – well, the Western world anyway. Some people and certain entrepreneurs are pushing eating traditional like it’s some revelation when in fact it’s simply the food our grandparents mostly grew up eating. Coeliac disease, irritable bowel, allergies, obesity, diabetes, heart
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
Preserving mangoes through dehydration (drying) is one the best and easiest ways to store them because dried mango tastes nice, is a very healthy snack, it’s not messy to eat, and it lasts a long time in the pantry. To buy this organic gourmet snack from a health food store or supermarket usually costs over
How to grow eggplant (or often called aubergine by the British) is exactly what this article is about and whilst you can read the instructions from a packet of seeds or the glossed over generic points in a gardening mag or book nothing beats a raving online post like this from someone like me who’s
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
Tim’s the boy from the bush and he not back in town because he hates it… Well, maybe not town but he definitely hates the city and every one of those Claytons greenie, soft skinned, whinging, people who live in it (especially the politicians). Nup, Tim has time on his hands but none for those
Unfortunately it has taken frozen berries contaminated with human faeces containing hepatitis A and a national public food health disaster in Australia to shine the spotlight on dodgy food safety practices! This disgraceful act of poor product hygiene and quality control by authorities should alarm and be a warning to all countries around the world.
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.
