We could sit inside by the fire, which was very inviting this morning...
but there are those herbs I dried that need to be crushed and jarred...
and then there is the deer meat that was cut up yesterday...
and stored in the freezer in freezer bags.
We could can some of it...
and grind some of it into hamburger...
So that's what we did. One deer equaled 7 quarts of canned meat and 1 quart of burger. We still have one more to process, and it will all be ground into burger.
Then there were some pears that still needed to be worked up. What should I make with them? See tomorrow's post to find out.
Larry had some lights to put up in the cellar top. A local grocery store went out of business and is being remodeled. He got 4-foot fluorescent lights, with covers for $5 a fixture. Our outbuildings will be well-lit when he's finished installing the new lights.
After all that work, the fire seemed like a good friend for our tired feet. And that is where I'll spend the rest of the evening.
If you are interested in canning meat, it's very easy. The meat is fully cooked by the end of the process and that makes it very convenient to use, especially those times when unexpected guests show up.
Here is one place with instructions for processing venison by freezing, drying canning, mincemeat, etc. I trust this website's authority, which is important when it comes to processing meat.
And now to rest!
I know you don't talk a whole lot about self-sufficiency and living off the land here in this neat place ... but you're a master. I always marvel at home much you're able to put away and how naturally you come by it. Bravo~!
ReplyDeleteI guess I don't talk about it because it's a way of life for us, Mouse. I should do a blog sometime explaining how I got to this place. We've been raising most of our own food for years, heat with wood, have our own well, and forage what we can. When the power goes off it's no issue since we lived without it for years and have many old-time tools that were designed for no electricity.
ReplyDeleteGranny Sue--we were given some venison last year and I know to soak in vinegar water to reduce the gameyness but what we dealt with was some of the TOUGHEST meat I've ever eaten! I cooked it in the crockpot like I usually do, for hours on low, and it was always so tough you couldn't chew it! I thought maybe it was just an old deer, or something. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteMarie