Living Homegrown Podcast with Theresa Loe

Learn the secrets to creating a delicious orange marmalade without the prep time overwhelm.  And learn how to get the perfect texture and gel every, single time. In this week's episode, host Theresa Loe tells you: How to make marmalade in stages, The reason you must use organic fruit, A trick for getting the peel to be the perfect texture, Which ingredient prevents further cooking of the peel, Top equipment recommendations to make the process easier, A tip for getting the proper suspension in the jar and more. As always, you can get the complete recipe as a PDF download at www.LivingHomegrown.com/36  as well as the full transcript and more information on living farm fresh without the farm™.

Direct download: 36_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:43am PDT

Need some last minute homemade gifts that are inexpensive and still awesome? Host Theresa Loe has you covered. In this episode you learn about two quick and easy gifts that you can make up to have on hand for emergency giving. And if you don't end up giving them away, they are GREAT for yourself all year long. She covers the complete how-to on creating a DIY home fragrance kit and bath salts. Aside from learning how to make these two gifts, you also learn: The differences between fragrance oils/craft oils and essential oils, How she uses marbles as a fragrance safety feature, And why you should save the pine needles off your Christmas tree. As always, the full transcript and links for more information is available at www.LivingHomegrown.com as well as two printable PDFs with instructions.

Direct download: 35_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:12pm PDT

Discover the secrets to getting more flavor from your garden. In this week's podcast, host Theresa Loe interviews author Willi Galloway (Cook, Grow Eat) on some of the more unusual ways we can get top-notch flavor from homegrown food. You will learn: Two unusual ways to use fresh (green) coriander seeds (one may surprise you), Which vegetable is more like a teenager than a delicate green, The best sources for buying seeds, Why locally-sourced seeds will give you more bank for your buck and top tips for some of the more unusual vegetables to grow. As always, you can get the full transcript and links at www.LivingHomegrown.com/34 including a special FREE PDF listing all the plants and seed sources mentioned in the episode.

Direct download: 34_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:04pm PDT

Learn to make homemade liqueur in half the time with twice the flavor. In as little as 7-10 days you can have delicious fruit liqueur that is perfect for gift giving. In this episode, host Theresa Loe shares: The 3 secrets behind an accelerated method, The best spirits to use as your base, Which fruit works for making fast liqueur, The step-by-step method for quick liqueurs, Packaging tips for your homemade gifts, How long liqueurs last on the pantry shelf. As always, you can get a full transcript of this episode at www.LivingHomegrown.com/33 as well as two PDF handouts: One for the liqueur recipe and one for making a liqueur martini. Or visit www.LivingHomegrown.com for more information on Living Farm Fresh Without The Farm™.

Direct download: 33_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:42am PDT

Learn the secrets to having both a productive garden AND a flock of chickens at the same time. In this episode, host Theresa Loe interviews author and award-winning landscape designer Jessi Bloom about her popular book: Free Range Chicken Gardens - How to create a beautiful, chicken-friendly yard. You learn: Some of the surprising benefits of having chickens (and we don't mean the eggs), How many chickens is "just right" for you, How to design your garden so everyone is happy, What you should know about chicken manure before you use it and MUCH more. As always, you can get more information at www.LivingHomegrown.com/32 where you will also find a full PDF transcript of the podcast and the PBS episode featuring Jessi on Growing A Greener World TV.

Direct download: 32_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:05pm PDT

Learn the important things to check every time you pull a home-canned jar off the pantry shelf. It is a very important habit to have. In this episode you learn: The difference between spoilage and botulism, What you should never do with a suspicious jar, Seven signs that your canned goods have spoiled, What we now know about mold that our grandparents didn't know, Best practices when storing your canned goods. As aways, you can visit www.LivingHomegrown.com/31 for a PDF of the transcript, show notes and links for more information on canning and canning safety.

Direct download: 31_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:09pm PDT

Learn some important canning lessons and tricks with this simple (yet delicious) cranberry sauce recipe. It is perfect for Thanksgiving Day (for yourself or as a hostess gift) and even BETTER as a spread on turkey sandwiches the day after. It is a small-batch recipe so there is not a lot of mess or fuss. It's the perfect beginner canning recipe. But you can always skip the canning part and just store it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. In this episode, host Theresa Loe shares: Her favorite ingredients for bumping up the cranberry flavor to a gourmet level, Three strategies for handling a foamy jam or cranberry sauce, Why you never need pectin to get the gel, The exact step-by-step instructions for this small-batch recipe. As always, you can visit www.LivingHomegrown.com/30 for the full transcript, a printable PDF of the recipe and more tips and information on canning.

Direct download: 30_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:48am PDT

Nothing beats the flavor of homemade applesauce on a cold winter day. NOW is the time to create and preserve that flavor for later. In this episode, host Theresa Loe shows you the EASY way to make homemade applesauce when she answers a listener question on preserving large batches of apples. But the beauty is that you can make and can up any amount of apples you have using a slow cooker (crockpot). In this episode you learn: Two ways to preserve/process large amounts of apples, How to make applesauce the easy way (overnight), The role of sugar in canning applesauce, Two ways to preserve applesauce for later, Color changes and spice recommendations. As always, you can go to the show notes at: www.livinghomegrown.com/29 for the links mentioned, a PDF of the recipe and the downloadable transcript of the episode.

Direct download: 29_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:12am PDT

Learn to create a wild fermentation starter called a "Ginger Bug" and start brewing your own homemade Ginger Ale. Home brewed sodas are super easy and allow you to control exactly what is in them. In this episode you will learn: The benefits of homemade soda, How to make a ginger bug with only 3 simple ingredients, Which organic sugar is best for this project, The exact steps for brewing your own ginger ale (also known as ginger beer), How to create a fermentation rhythm, AND some bonus tips for fermentation success. You can go to www.LivingHomegrown.com/28 for a PDF of the transcript, a full printable recipe and resources for more soda making info. 

Direct download: 28_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:41pm PDT

Every canner has to make their own decision about what they feel comfortable doing when it comes to safety. But in the case of pumpkin butter or pumpkin puree, many feel it is odd that it's considered unsafe to put it up in a jar. In this podcast episode, host Theresa Loe explains not only the data that is used to determine the USDA guidelines, but she also explains why pumpkin is handled a little different than you would expect. Surprisingly, you have to look at it from a gardener's perspective. You will learn: The backstory on why the recommendations changed many years back, The 3 characteristics that are causing the safety issue, How commercial companies get around it, The fastest and easiest way to preserve pumpkin at home. As always, you can visit www.LivingHomegrown.com/27 to get all the links mentioned as well as a full PDF transcript of this episode. 

Direct download: 27_LivingHomegrown_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:43pm PDT