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Preparing & Storing Food
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14 guidesWine
Planting and caring for wine plants, also known as grapevines, in arid Southern Africa can be a rewarding endeavor. While grapevines are relatively drought-tolerant once established, they do need some attention and care, especially during their early years. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to plant and care for wine plants in a homestead setting: […]
Fermenting
Fermenting is a cool and natural process that transforms food by using helpful microorganisms like bacteria and yeast. These tiny living beings break down sugars in food and turn them into beneficial substances like acids and gases. It might sound a bit strange, but it’s actually a fantastic way to preserve and enhance the taste […]
Preserving food in a sustainable way
Preserving food in a sustainable way is not only good for the environment but also helps reduce single-use plastic waste. Here are some alternative methods to vacuum packing or using single-use plastic for food preservation: By adopting these sustainable food preservation methods, you can reduce plastic waste, minimize your environmental impact, and enjoy fresh, preserved […]
Growing tomatoes in Namibia: planting to harvest and storage
Grow tomatoes at a scale you can water, support and harvest consistently. This guide follows the crop from variety choice and planting through pruning, pest checks, ripening and storage, with options for a small courtyard as well as a larger garden.
Rodents around gardens and food stores: reduce access and losses
Rodent problems often connect several places: a feed store, rubbish area, chicken enclosure and vegetable bed.
Solar cooking: match the cooker to the meal and the weather
Solar cooking uses sunlight as a heat source.
Rocket stoves: choose a practical cooker and measure the fuel saved
A well-designed rocket stove directs heat from a small wood fire toward a cooking pot. It can make everyday cooking more economical, but performance depends on the stove, fuel, pot and way it is used. Start with the meals your household actually cooks.
Outdoor pizza and bread ovens: plan a useful shared cooking space
An outdoor oven can turn garden produce into shared meals and support a small baking activity. The useful question is not only how to build a dome, but whether the oven will be used often enough to justify its fuel, materials and space.
Solar food drying: preserve a harvest with a controlled process
A solar dryer uses the sun and moving air to remove moisture from food. It can help preserve seasonal surplus, but a warm box is not automatically a safe drying process. The food, weather, airflow and final dryness all matter.
Small grain mills: choose equipment for the grain and the job
A small mill can save time and turn local grain into useful food. The right choice depends on the grain, desired flour, daily quantity, power supply and ability to maintain the equipment—not simply how fast a motor spins.
Milk hygiene and pasteurisation: understand what a test can tell you
Clean milking and careful handling matter, but they do not make raw milk reliably safe to drink. Pasteurisation is a separate protective step, and milk still needs appropriate handling and temperature control afterward.
Buying honey: traceability matters more than kitchen purity tests
Colour, thickness and crystallisation vary between honeys. None is a dependable home test for adulteration. If you want confidence in a product, start with the producer, batch history and appropriate testing rather than a glass-of-water demonstration.