What to Do With Too Many Tomatoes: A Homestead Glut Plan (2026)
The vines won again? A quick triage plan for what to do with too many tomatoes: freeze, can, dry, cook, or share the glut without burning out.
Gardening
-
-
Dehydrating Tomatoes: Dryer, Oven and Sun-Dried at Home (2026)
Shrink a whole basket of tomatoes into a jar: how to make dehydrated tomatoes in a dryer or oven, store them safely, and use them all winter.
-
How to Freeze Tomatoes (No Blanching Needed) 2026
The fastest way to preserve a tomato harvest: freeze them whole with no blanching, then peel after thawing for soups, sauces and stews all winter.
-
How to Preserve Tomatoes: 5 Proven Methods for a Full Pantry (2026)
Five reliable ways to preserve a tomato harvest — canning, freezing, drying, sauce and salsa — plus the one safety step every canned method shares.
-
How to Drought-Proof Your Homestead Garden in 2026: The Mid-May Window That Decides Your Harvest
NOAA’s Summer 2026 drought outlook is locked. Here’s the mid-May action plan to drought-proof your homestead garden — drip, mulch, mix, and store.
-
Garden Varmint Control on the Homestead: When a Suppressed .223 Earns Its Keep
Rabbits, groundhogs, coyotes — they cost a homestead more than a fence does. Why a suppressed .223 is the quietest legal answer in 42 states.
-
May 2026 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone: What to Sow This Week
What to plant this May by USDA zone — peppers, beans, squash, melons. A working-homestead planting calendar for zones 3 through 9.
-
Small-Batch Rhubarb-Ginger Freezer Jam: Capturing Spring in 35 Minutes
A small-batch rhubarb-ginger freezer jam that captures the bright spring flavor water-bath canning cooks away. 35 minutes active, yields 4 half-pints, keeps 12 months frozen.
-
Hardening Off Seedlings: The 10-Day Schedule That Actually Works
Stop losing seedlings on transplant day. A day-by-day, 10-day hardening-off schedule for tomatoes, peppers, brassicas, and more — plus the three mistakes that kill more transplants than frost.
-
Designing a Reliable Seed-Starting System: Setup, Timing, Soil, Light, and Success Benchmarks
A stability-first seed starting system: setup, timing, light, moisture, sanitation, decision tree, troubleshooting, FAQs, and next steps for strong seedlings.
-
10 Day Homestead Challenge: Build Self-Sufficiency
Embark on the 10 day homestead challenge if you’re affected by the government shutdown — or simply realize how fragile our systems can be — now’s the time to take charge of your own stability. Building a homesteading foundation doesn’t have to take months or thousands of dollars. In just 10 days, you can start…
-
Surviving Government Shutdown 2025: Homestead Resilience Tips
Surviving government shutdown 2025 is a growing concern for homesteaders as the U.S. federal shutdown stretches into its fourth week since October 1, delaying benefits and straining supply chains. We’re no strangers to self-reliance—whether it’s a late frost in the garden or a spike in feed prices—but this fiscal gridlock could ripple into our daily…
