32 Canning and Preserving Tips from Experienced Home Canners
Beginners and pros alike will find something new and exciting in this round-up of tried-and-true canning and preserving techniques.
Features
A Renewable Home Energy Retrofit: How We Did It
Who says the retired life isn’t energizing? By incorporating a variety of renewable energy systems into their Maine home, a couple now produces nearly all of their power without fossil fuels.
Avoid Common Gardening Mistakes
Gardeners just getting their trowels dirty may stumble into some classic food-growing faux pas. With these pointers from a veteran organic gardener, we’ll help you sidestep six common setbacks and navigate your way to success.
DIY Outdoor Cookers
Weekend Project: DIY Fire Pit with Grill
You can build a backyard fire pit or assemble a clay-pot smoker in just one weekend. These two DIY projects will take your outdoor cooking options to a new level.
Most Useful Tools for a Half-Acre Homestead
DIY veteran and natural building guru Lloyd Kahn recommends the tools, tactics and basic infrastructure that have kept his small-scale homestead humming for 40 years.
Departments
News from MOTHER
Active Ingredient in Roundup Herbicide Is Probably Carcinogenic
Dear MOTHER: June/July 2015
Reader letters about grass-fed vs. factory-farmed meat, going solar, underground root cellars, urban homesteading, finding recycled goods and more.
Green Gazette
Average Money Spent on Food Is Lower in U.S. Than in Any Other Country
Drought and Climate Change: New Report Predicts What’s Ahead
Try a New, Improved Swamp Cooler
The Importance of Pastured Meat: 6 Recommended Books
Try the Quick-Cut Greens Harvester
Watch ‘Pump,’ a Documentary on Alternative Fuels and More
Sustainable Farming Resources Now Available in Spanish
The Gardener’s Table
Beautiful Bulbs: Growing and Cooking Fennel and Scallions
Caramelized Fennel Antipasto Recipe
Fennel Salad with Oranges Recipe
Braised Fennel with Scallions Recipe
Homestead Know-How
How to Start Beekeeping: What’s All the Buzz About?
The Pitchfork Pulpit
How to Lobby for Saner Food Policies
Country Lore
Use Bat Houses for Mosquito Control
Keep Your Onion Sets Behind Bars
Homemade Cucumber Trellis from Garage Door Tracks
Reusing Cat and Dog Food Bags
Upcycled Oil Funnel
Easy Source for Fresh Drawer Scent
‘Steel’ This Idea: Recycling Scrap Metal
Hanging Laundry to Dry in Overhead Space
DIY Porch Light for Poultry
Bouncing Around Ideas for Homemade Dryer Sheets
Using Scrap Wood in the Garden
Free Wood Mulch! Some for Me, Some for You
How to Use Baking Soda for Hair
Vertical Storage for Canning Jar Rings
Ask Our Experts
Which Homemade Insecticides Work Best?
Should I Prune My Tomato Plants?
How to Change Chicken Ordinances
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