Homesteading can start with small kitchen changes, like making everyday foods from scratch instead of reaching for a packaged version at the grocery store. Doing this can save money, cut down on packaging, and give you more control over the ingredients in your meals.
Many common grocery items need just a handful of ingredients and basic kitchen tools. Here are 12 foods worth trying at home, even if you’ve never made them from scratch before.
Peanut Butter
All you need is roasted peanuts and a little salt to make peanut butter at home. Blend the peanuts until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed, and add salt to taste.
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Powdered Sugar
You can make powdered sugar by blending regular granulated sugar until it becomes a fine powder. Add a little cornstarch if you need help keeping it from clumping during storage.
Jam and Fruit Preserves
Homemade jam is a handy way to use up extra berries, peaches, and other ripe fruit before they go to waste. Cook the fruit with sugar until it reaches your preferred consistency, then refrigerate it or use a tested canning method for longer storage.
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Yogurt
Making yogurt at home takes milk and a small amount of plain yogurt with live cultures to use as a starter. Warm the milk, mix in the starter, and keep the mixture at a steady warm temperature until it sets.
Dried Herbs
You can dry fresh herbs by hanging them in a well-ventilated spot, using a dehydrator, or placing them in a low oven. Once they’re completely dry, store them in airtight containers and use them to season meals throughout the year.
Bread
Homemade bread can be made with flour, water, yeast, and salt, with a little time set aside for mixing and rising. After a few tries, baking a loaf can become a regular kitchen habit, and you get to choose the ingredients.
Crackers
Flour, oil, water, and your favorite seasonings are all you need to make a basic batch of homemade crackers. Roll the dough thin, cut it into pieces, and bake until crisp, then store the cooled crackers in an airtight container.
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Tomato Sauce
A homemade tomato sauce starts with tomatoes simmered with garlic, onion, and herbs until the flavors come together. Make a larger batch when tomatoes are plentiful, then refrigerate or freeze what you’ll use later.
Vanilla Extract
Homemade vanilla extract uses vanilla beans and alcohol, such as vodka, to give the beans time to release their flavor. Place the split beans in a clean jar, cover them with alcohol, and let the mixture sit for several weeks or longer before using it in baking.
Homemade Butter
You can make butter by whipping heavy cream until the fat separates from the liquid buttermilk. Drain the liquid, rinse and work the butter with cold water, then add salt if you like, and refrigerate.
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Vegetable Stock
Save clean vegetable scraps such as carrot ends, celery tops, onion pieces, and herb stems in the freezer until you have enough for a batch of stock. Simmer them in water, strain out the solids, and refrigerate or freeze the stock for soups, stews, and sauces.
Ketchup
Homemade ketchup starts with tomatoes or tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings cooked together until thick. Taste as it cooks and adjust the sweetness, tang, and spices to suit your family, then refrigerate the finished sauce.
