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Hard apple cider is the perfect home brew project

Cider gets its start in America

The apple was one of the earliest crops imported by English and Western European colonists. The first documented colonial cultivated apple trees were planted in Boston as early as 1623 by William Blackstone; a minster to the settlers of Plymouth. 1

Apples made the perfect colonial homestead fruit. Each tree would produce bushels of fruit that could be used…

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#apple cider #brewing cider #hard cider

Plumbing Repairs Made Quick & Easy

Modern plumbing systems are usually trouble-free. But when a plumbing problem does occur, many plumbing repairs can be made quick & easy by the homeowner using a few common tools.

What to do during a plumbing emergency? 1. Locate the main shutoff valve

Most plumbing systems provide several shutoff valves within the home. Become familiar with the valve locations to be prepared in case of an…

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#dripping faucets #pipe leaks #plugged drains #plumbing repairs #toilet leaks

My First Cajun Deep Fried Turkey

My first deep-fried turkey experience was due to my best friend from high school. Tom Finney was a confirmed 100% Cajun, a wizard with backyard cooking and very proud of his heritage. My introduction to Cajun deep-fried turkey was an eye-opening event. “Byen mersi, Tom” (thank you very much, Tom).

Pioneer Dad had been raised with the Middle American notion that turkey was only baked in the oven…

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#backyard cooking #cajun deep fried turkey. deep fried turkey #turkey

Growing Tomatoes in Containers

1. Types of containers that work best

Nearly any pot will work for growing tomatoes in containers; as long as it has good drainage. Smaller containers tend to dry out very quickly in hot summer months. The smallest container for outdoor use is 8 to 12 inches in diameter. A 2-5 gallon container or 8-12” pots should be considered the minimum size needed for tomatoes.

In partial shade smaller…

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#containers foir tomatoes #growing tomatoes #how to grow tomatoes

7 Ways For More From Your Apple Harvest

Apple harvest time is always somewhat chaotic here at Pioneer Dad’s. When the apples are ripe, for us it’s during June and July with our Beverly Hills apples, we are canning, dehydrating and cooking with apples every weekend. The harvest nearly consumes our life for a month or so.

Having your own apple tree seems to be both a blessing and a curse. Over the years I’ve developed useful ways to get…

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#apple butter #apple cider #apple harvest #apple juice. applesauce #brew carbonated apple cider #brew hard cider #dried apple slices

Understanding Tomato Plant Tags

There are few garden joys greater than the taste of ripe tomatoes, fresh from the garden and at the peak of their flavor. Understanding tomato plant tags is the first step in that growing process to insure a great tomato harvest.

Understanding a plant tag can seem daunting at first. How do you decipher the gibberish on that plant tag? Is that tomato a good choice for your garden?

Some tomato tags…

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#nursery plant tags #tomato #tomato plant labels

Secrets for Growing Better Tomatoes in Urban Gardens

Tomatoes are fickle. After a year of great tomato yield followed by a frustrating year of just average yield, I’ve developed 10 techniques, which have improved the success rate in my garden.

Most of my tomatoes are heirlooms with the occasional hybrid. Here’s what I am growing this season in climate zone 9b: Ace, Cherry Red, Green Zebra, La Roma, Legend, Pineapple, Pink Berekley Tie Dye, San…

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Dried Apple Slices In The Oven

Dried apple slices in the oven or in a dehydrator, like all dried fruit, are sweeter and provide more concentrated flavor. They make a tasty snack. Pioneer Dad’s kids (and the neighbor kids) eat them by the tray full as quickly as they come out of the dehydrator.

Dried apple slices are easy to carry when hiking, cycling just about any outdoor activity. They are a perfect take along food.

The…

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Cooking & Preserving Homemade Applesauce

Making and preserving homemade applesauce is an easy process requiring only basic canning equipment, a large stockpot and a box of pint canning jars.

Kids and adults love homemade applesauce recipe. One taste and they will never go back to commercial applesauce. Homemade applesauce makes a delicious side dish for any meal. Mix sweet and tart apples for a more complex flavor.

Prep time: 20 min. Coo…

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#applesauce tips #homemade applesauce #how to preserve applesauce

10 Steps For A Home Vegetable Garden

Start a home vegetable garden and grow your own vegetables, herbs and fruits that will be fresher, more nutritious and tastier than produce available in retail stores. And, you can grow them for very little cost.

Consider going organic. A paradox of the home vegetable garden is that growing organic is no more expensive than growing conventionally the costs are usually the same. Compare that with…

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#best location #garden tools #home gardens #plant seeds or grow from seedlings #urban gardens

Drying Herbs In A Microwave

Drying herbs in a microwave offers a quick and easy way to extend your herb garden bounty. This technique is well suited to most herbs; thick flowers like lavender down to thin leafy herbs such as basil.

Preserving herb flavor and color is a challenge with any preservation method: air-drying, oven or dehydrator drying or sun drying.

Using a microwave for a drying method produces the most potent…

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#dry herbs in a microwave #dry lavender in a microwave #drying lavender #storing lavender

Red Onion and Rosemary Jam

A tasty spread for a bagel, or use red onion and rosemary jam as a sandwich spread. This rich and vibrant jam also makes an excellent marinade for chicken or beef.

I first discovered this jam while in Umbria, Italy painting at the medieval hill towns of Assisi and Orvieto. The Italians call this “confiturra”. It makes a tasty addition to breakfast, lunch or dinner or a wonderful compliment to…

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#jam #red onions #rosemary jam

What to plant for a summer garden

The weather is warming up and it’s time to start thinking about what to plant the summer vegetable garden. Pioneer Dad’s best site is the front patio where it gets 6-7 hours of direct sunlight. There is only a small vegetable planting space. With just over 60 sq. ft. available, it requires some careful planning to maximize the garden area. I use a modified French intensive planting technique…

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#grow vegetables #summer garden #transplanting vegetables

Mexican Lasagna

This Mexican lasagna recipe was born out of one of those evenings in the kitchen where disaster turned into a surprising new recipe.

Pioneer Dad had planned to make enchiladas for dinner, but the tortillas were not as fresh as needed for rolled enchiladas. So, after breaking several, the tortilllas got cut into strips and turned into a surprising Mexican version of lasagna.

This is a mild recipe…

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#lasagna #mexican lasagna #tortillas

Banana Nut Bread

No matter how many or how few bananas I buy, there always seem to be 3 or 4 leftovers too ripe to eat. Banana nut bread has become a Pioneer Dad favorite “go to” recipe for these overripe bananas. This has been a favorite for generations in my family.

Serve this as a hors-d’oeuvre at parties or a sweet desert after dinner. Neighbors and guests repeatedly give this recipe high praise. Banana nut…

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#banana nut bread recipe #pecans #ripe bananas

Installing Bathroom Drywall or Cement Board

Bathrooms require specific materials to withstand the high moisture environment of bathtubs, sinks and showers. Bathroom drywall or cement board which should be used? Ordinary wallboard or drywall becomes soft and spongy in damp settings. It should be avoided for bathroom walls.

Bathrooms require moisture-resistant wallboard, cement board or “Greenboard”. Moisture-resistant Greenboard gets its…

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#bathroom drywall #cut drywall #greenboard drywall #tape and mud #tools needed for drywall

How to Drywall a Ceiling

Learning how to drywall a ceiling is a project that can be done by homeowners with basic construction skills. It’s much easier if you have a friend or helper, as full sheets of drywall are heavy.

Drywall is manufactured in several thicknesses: 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 5/8”. The thinner 1/4” and 3/8” sheets are used for remodeling in two-layer installations, or for building curved walls or coved…

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