SEASONAL & SUSTAINABLE LIVING - JUNE: HOMESTEADING IDEAS & TIPS

02 June 2020 - Posted by The Sisterhood of Sustainability

Now is the time to enjoy cool, crisp mornings and make the most of the shorter days by utilising practical and sustainable homesteading tips and ideas. There's nothing quite like slowing down and being able to give life to the things you already own whilst simplifying your lifestyle in a meaningful and beautiful way...

FRUITS & VEGETABLES IN SEASON IN JUNE

A modern day homesteader is someone who seeks a lifestyle of self-sufficiency and sustainability

SEASONAL VEGETABLES

Asian Greens - Bok Choy – Choy Sum – Gai Laan – Wonga Bok - Fuerte Avocados – Sharwill Avocados - Beetroot - Broccoli - Brussels sprouts - Cabbage - Carrots - Cauliflower - Celeriac - Celery - Fennel - Garlic - Ginger - Horseradish - Jerusalem Artichokes - Kale - Kohlrabi - Leeks - Okra - Olives - Onions - Parsnip - Peas - Potato - Pumpkin - Shallot - Silverbeet - Spinach - Swede - Sweet Potato - Turnip

SEASONAL FRUITS

Bonza Apples – Braeburn Apples – Fuji Apples – Gala Apples – Golden Delicious Apples – Granny Smith Apples – Jonathan Apples– Lady Williams Apples – Pink Lady Apples – Custard Apple - Grapefruit - Kiwifruit - Lemons - Limes - Mandarin – Melons - Champagne Mandarins - Chestnuts –Hazelnuts – Walnuts - Navel Oranges - Josephine Pears – Packham Pears - Persimmon - Pomelo - Rhubarb

WHAT IS HOMESTEADING?

Homesteading is all about self-sufficiency and living as sustainably as you can with what you have and within the bounds of your own home and property. There are so many practical and simple homesteading ideas that you can implement at home which will leave you feeling accomplished and rewarded.

Composting, preserving fruits and vegetables, seed saving, raising chickens, practicing organic gardening, collecting rainwater, dehydrating fresh produce, using bulk supplies, creating a sharing community, growing and harvesting your own food and participating in beekeeping can all be part of a homesteading lifestyle.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT HOMESTEADING IDEAS IN YOUR OWN HOME

COMPOSTING
Starting your own compost pile or bin is easy, no matter how much space you have to spare. Compost bins can be used both indoors and outdoors and piles work wonderfully for larger properties. The microbes responsible for breaking down your compost pile need a balanced diet of nitrogen and carbon. Nitrogen comes from green materials such as food scraps, manure and grass clippings. Carbon comes from brown materials such as dead leaves, hay, wood chips and shredded newspaper. A ratio that contains equal portions by weight (not volume) of both works best. Once the ingredients have broken down into rich, nutrient dense soil, it can be distributed throughout your garden.

SEED SAVING
Practicing seed saving at home is a great way to prepare for upcoming seasons and save money in the process. Seed saving techniques can be used across a variety of fruits and vegetables but the general idea is to harvest the seeds, allow them to dry for about a week, remove any husks or pods and then store in an air tight glass jar until you're reading to sow the seeds in the garden and create a new crop.

PRESERVING
There are seven great ways that you can preserve fruits and vegetables, all of which are effective and can be accomplished easily at home. These methods include freezing, drying, canning, pickling, fermenting, oil packing and salting. We're going to be sharing more information on these preserving techniques soon in one of our upcoming sustainable living ebooks.

GARDENING
Growing your own produce is the biggest aspect of homesteading as it is a vital part of allowing you and your home to become self sufficient. Growing fruits, herbs and vegetables is possible whether you live in an apartment building or on acreage, if the space is utilised properly. The best tips for getting started is to begin with just a few plants that are versatile and that you know you'll be able to use - such as tomatoes, parsley, shallots or lettuce. These small plants don't require much attention besides being watered every few days and can be planed directly into a garden bed or pot.

BENEFITS OF HOMESTEADING

There are so many beautiful and rewarding benefits of implementing homesteading techniques in your home. You'll gain a deeper appreciation for food that has been lovingly tended, organically nourished and hand pick and will enjoy a wholesome and sustainable way of living whilst giving back to the land. On top of this, homesteading can lead to the creation of a 'sharing community' where neighbours trade crops in return for home baked goods. You might've grown a bumper crop of lemons and your neighbour may have created jars of fresh, home made jam and without spending a cent, you're able to trade, gain something you need and create a stronger community in the process. On top of these meaningful and rewarding benefits are also being able to save money, lead a healthier lifestyle and contribute to a cleaner and greener future - all thanks to homesteading...

We'd love to hear all about your own homesteading tips and ideas and which everyday practices you've introduced to reduce your environmental impact at home...

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR ORANGES

The main varieties of orange in Australia are navel oranges and Valencia oranges. Navels are available in the winter months, from June to October, and are a perfect vitamin C-rich snack. They are usually seedless, with thick, pebbly skins, very sweet juicy flesh, and a small protrusion at one end (this is where the name ‘navel’ comes from.) Valencias are sweet and juicy, and are often used for juicing as well as eating. They have a thin and slightly pebbly rind and bright orange flesh. You’ll have to wait until summer to taste this variety, in season from November to February.

BUYING
Select fruit that has unblemished skim, is firm and feels heavy for its size.

STORING
Oranges can be stored for up to two weeks at room temperature, and even longer when refrigerated.

Add a dash of orange to your favourite fish dish. Bake or pan fry your favourite white fish fillets with orange zest and juice, crushed ginger, freshly ground black pepper and a spray of olive oil. Serve with steamed Asian greens and brown rice.

Make a fruity frappe: Combine about 5 strawberries, 1/2 banana and two ripe, peeled, chopped peaches or nectarines. Place into a food processor and blend until pureed. Blend in 1 cup (250ml) freshly-squeezed orange juice and a few ice cubes. Enjoy for breakfast or as a healthy snack.

Try this citrus couscous - combine 4 tablespoons orange juice and 2 tablespoons lime juice with 1 cup cooked couscous. Add chopped, roasted pumpkin pieces, a little crumbled feta and some sun-dried tomatoes. Add a small handful of chopped walnuts and a little balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine.

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR PARSNIPS

Parsnips are generally not sold by variety. Small, young parsnips have a sweet taste, since they are high in natural sugars, while larger parsnips have a slightly nutty, ‘woody’ taste.

BUYING
Select parsnips that are small to medium-sized with creamy-white skin and a smooth, firm surface.
Avoid big parsnips or ones with straggler roots or blemishes.

STORING
Stored in the crisper, parsnips will last for up to two weeks.

Make parsnip and walnut fritters to serve as a side or as a light meal on its own. Steam 500g parsnips until tender. Puree and mix with 1 egg, 1/2 tablespoon flour, 50g melted butter and 1 tablespoon milk. Stir through 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Pan-fry large spoonfuls of batter until golden. Serve with tomato chutney.

Make ‘fancy’ mash: Steam 500g trimmed parsnips until tender. Drain and set aside. In a seperate saucepan, melt together 2 tablespoons butter and sugar. Add 1/2 diced onion and cook until caramelised. Add onion to parsnips with 1/2 cup sour cream. Mash parsnip mixture, then stir through a handful of chopped parsley.

This soup is perfect on a cold day. In a large saucepan, sauté 1 chopped onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves until soft. Add 3 finely chopped parsnips, 2 diced potatoes and 4 cups stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Cool slightly, puree until smooth and stir through 1/2 cup cream. Garnish with chopped chives.

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR GRAPEFRUIT

There are three main varieties of this juicy, slightly sour citrus fruit. Marsh seedless is a yellow-skinned variety with pale yellow flesh and no seeds. Ruby (also known as red blush and ruby-red) has juicy pink-red flesh and orange-red skin. Thompson (or pink march) has a yellow skin, no seeds and light pink flesh.

BUYING
Select grapefruits with glossy skin that feel heavy for their size.

STORING
Grapefruits are harvested when they are ripe and ready to eat.
Store in the fridge or at room temperature for up to seven days.

Make a deliciously tangy salad dressing. Combine 1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon honey and a little grapefruit zest.

For a twist on your favourite sweet treats, try replacing the lemon or orange zest, juice or flesh from a grapefruit. This works well in recipes such as muffins, cakes, tarts or pikelets. Delicious!

Create a tasty, fresh salad: Combine 400g cooked chicken breast with 6 cups rocket leaves, 2 chopped pink grapefruits, 250g halved cherry tomatoes, 1 chopped avocado, 1/2 sliced red onion and chopped pistachios.

We've nearly reached the halfway point of 2020 and have absolutely loved sharing these seasonal and sustainable living articles with you. Keep your eye out for the upcoming articles in this series

We've teamed up with Hannah Thompson @bramblyorchard and Camilla Jorvad @sigridsminde for this blog series and will be sharing their photos and little snippets of inspiration from them throughout each post.

The majority of photos displayed in this blog post have been styled, created and supplied by Hannah Thompson from @bramblyorchard. Hannah is based in the Tilba Tibla countryside, is passionate about seasonal living and has a wild flock of ducks and chickens free ranging among the bramble...