The comment: “cooking from scratch needs a healthy dose of honest with yourself”. I feel like this is a huge missing piece from the homesteading community sometimes. It’s hard to watch people on large farms make everything from scratch. As a parent, you want to do your best. Hearing from a large farm farmer that you buy applesauce sometimes, and that’s ok makes this small just starting our farm feel like this is a capable lifestyle.
Was going to comment the same thing! We try our best to follow the 80/20 rule for everything, for growing, making, and sourcing our food. Sometimes we do conveniences, but the majority we do our best to do it all ourselves (or source sustainably). It can be really defeating to watch other homemakers/homesteaders do it all, but we never see the full picture and I’m glad Jess is the same as us haha! I want to do all the things, but get “project overwhelm” and maybe get like 2 done and the rest suffers.
LOL, I would never buy applesauce, I just buy baking apples, make it and freeze in pucks. I am a widow living alone, so I only get a few apples to make it with. I do the same with stuffing for roast checken... Oh and mashed potato is a large pan full and frozen in portions, you don't have to have a large family to be savvy. I cook for a family, but it's only for me ;)
Everything takes time! Time cannot be rushed. I taught myself to cook, am almost 60 now and have failed innumerable ways in the kitchen and in things concerning it. However, I raised 2 fine sons, both good cooks, and now we're attempting to pay for our kitchen "sins" by doing a better job regarding food with the grandchildren. You can only do what you can do. Be thankful for and proud of what you do for your family! If they're fed, it's a win. Nobody's perfect in this life!
Whenever I hear Jess say "5 kids" my mind boggles at the planning, organization, space needed, awareness of hygiene (eg the 1 pound cheese makes more sense for a block for hygienic purposes due to lots of grubby little fingers), and then the actual time to make and store everything, not to mention time, patience, and generosity (not just to family but to self). I love this video and Jess's generosity to herself and her children in modeling that 'honesty'. Thanks for the video!
I would love to see a step by step video on how you store your bulk items for long term storage. Definitely I would love to see ALL your canning projects from start to finish. I need a teacher on these things in my waiting room.
Watching a few homesteaders is how I learned in 2020. I'm now 70, so if I can learn to pressure can and water bath can, you can do it. Also, get a Ball canning book and the USDA complete guide to home canning. Now I'm going to try steam canning to conserve water because wb canning uses so much, and it makes the pot too heavy for old bones.
@@sharonparker2262I agree. There are so any resources out there for people to gain these skills, at any age. We need to remember that we learn by doing. People can start with one thing at a time. Once we get a skill down we can move on to a new skill.
Okay. So we are now empty nesters with part time grands. Small home ...1000 square foot home tiny yard , but got a really good harvest of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lettuce,herbs, etc....All of this when a family member was terminally ill, so I was trying to dehydrate and freeze to save our veggies. Now we’re going into the holidays while settling a complicated estate. I have a bunch of frozen tomatoes. I really want to pressure can sauce. Can you do a video ( simplified) on jarring sauce with frozen ‘mares. Thank for considering 😊.
@@petecilione4166 If Jess doesn't get around to it before you want to take care of it you can .. Place the tomatoes in a big pot or use a roaster. A roaster can be easier as you don't have to tend to it as much stirring. If you want to time crunch and double purpose them you can scoop out the watery juice as you go. Do not toss it. You can also can that juice and use it to cook rice & other things. You can get it out by pushing a strainer down and scooping up the juice without any seeds. Once all of that juice is out and the tomatoes have cooked you can use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce out. I would follow the canning recipe/canner instructions as to adding other ingredients & canning time. I hope this helps!
I think one thing that might be important to share about buying in bulk is the storage details required, including shelf space, freezer space and maybe even the climate controls required to keep fresh foods (like potatoes, onions, or even apples or nuts) over the winter or otherwise for long periods. But, for example, how much freezer space does it take for storing a 'whole cow' or a 'whole hog'? How much space does it take to store that 50lb bag of sugar? And how do you keep it from caking?
Storage is a challenge for me, not for dry/canned goods or frozen stuff, but for root crops and other longer-storing produce. Our home is pretty new so we don’t really have a chilly basement or drafty attic- it’s just insulated too dang well! Weird thing to complain about but lol it’s true! We get negative temps in winter and above 100 in the summer so I think ultimately we need to build a temperature controlled cellar somewhere in our home or shop. Hopefully someday! 🤞🏼
Ok gonna make a recommendation.. from an experienced icing maker.. I always used powdered sugar for my cream cheese icing.. about 2 years ago now 🤔 I was warch8ng a cooking video and they used maple syrup as the sweetener.. no recipe of coarse 😅 but I figured it out.. 1/4 cup maple syrup, 8 oz cream cheese, 2 T butter and a teaspoon or so of vanilla. Makes an amazing glaze for cinnamon rolls ♥️ it’s definitely less sweet, so adding a powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time will help sweeten to your liking. I personally don’t add it anymore.
Watching this reminds me of my nan and grandad. I'd always get taken around the whole sale shops with them when I was little (like 4/5 years old). They'd buy big catering blocks of cheese too, as well as other things. They bought a lot of things in bulk and always went to two or three different places to get the best deals, and I'd always get a huge box of those little fried egg sweeties from the sweetie aisle (like the big big boxes that sweet shops have on their shelves for pick & mix 😂). Then we'd go home and my grandad would cut the cheese up into smaller blocks to fit in the fridge and we'd taste it. He loved really strong grainy cheese but I wasn't such a fan, the stuff he liked had an odd after taste. I can literally remember it like it was yesterday, sat at their table in the kitchen slicing cheese, my grandad sat opposite me. My nan usually started on dinner when we got home and would be trying to shoo us both out of the kitchen while we were eating cheese and sweeties and getting under her feet 😂 such a sweet memory ❤
I don’t usually care for haul videos but you shared so much good information. Please share as much as humanly possible about how you run your kitchen and use the things you grow
I watch R&R religiously and it fuels my dreams, but this is exactly what I need for where I’m at. These videos speak to me in my current stage. You tell so many stories of your early classroom stages and we get to see your now…but I always wanted to see your middle stage…that’s where I’m at. I feel like this channel bridges the gap and I thank you so much for that. I just want to see more of you using the knowledge and tools you’ve acquired to handle all that you have now so I can expand my food horizons. I’m from the Deep South of Louisiana so my experience with food is very Cajun centric. I can grow the cabbage and make the sauerkraut, but I don’t have the first idea of what to do with sauerkraut. I can even buy the apples and make the apple butter but I wouldn’t know how to eat apple butter. It’s hard being in this spot of knowing I have the skills to grow anything and cook/preserve anything, but not really have the experience to know what to use my space to grow and what to turn those ingredients into. I can read the cookbooks and search the Google for ideas, but they often don’t describe the flavors to expect or why it may not be a good fit for me or what to pair it with. Everyone is making kimchi and WHAT ARE THEY EVEN DOING WITH IT?! 🫠
Sauerkraut and kimchi: Snip a tablespoon full into a salad, put it on cheese and bacon toastie, have with rich foods like sausages or pork belly, bcs the tart sour umami flavour complements the creamy richness of fatty foods. And U could even try eating it fresher vs older, quite different flavours 😄 hope U enjoy the food adventures you're embarking on! 😍
I was "honest with myself" on tomatoes and apples this year... I grew more tomato plants this year (almost 200) than I have ever grown in my life and I learned a lot. One thing I learned was that I'm not wasting bushels of my delicious tomatoes on cooked down sauces which are much better used in bruschetta and pico de gallo or a lovely mayo sandwich if it can make it past being fried up in it's green stage. I have a giant roaster, I think its 28 quarts, and I cooked and milled and cooked some more and I got 7 quarts of sauce and I'll never do it again. While I can buy #10 cans of Organic San Marzano tomatoes.. I'll use those for spaghetti sauce. I've learned exactly how far a bushel of apples will get you this year: 48lbs = 16 - 3lb bags; 21lbs (7 bags)= 7quarts of applesauce; 13lbs or 4 1/3 bags = 14 quarts pie filling; 8lbs (2+2/3 bags)= 7 pints of apple butter; 6lbs (2 bags)= 4 cups dehydrated for oatmeal; scraps from peels = 1 1/2 gallons of apple juice; mash from peels = 6cups =6 apple loafs or 3 dozen muffins; 160 cores w/seed plugs removed is 2 gallons of apple vinegar and 800 potential trees. And 10 cups of apple juice makes 18 cups of apple jelly (which I don't like, learned that too). But I had to go through it to figure out what items were worth the effort and the cost... what worked for our family and what didn't. I did not think the applesauce was worth the time and energy. My husband, turns out, LOVES the homemade applesauce; my son can't eat the apple butter fast enough. So we found the quickest easiest way to process applesauce so my husband could have that. Maybe next year when the apples are in season I make less pie filling and focus on more apple butter? More than likely we will be bringing in more bushels of apples (waiting on our new tree's to produce).
Wow. I am absolutely amazed at all your math. Thank you so much. I love to see math results when someone else is doing all the number work. I’m good at cooking and quilting but when I need the math I truly struggle. So again thank you for posting all those numbers.
Apples..... so yummy.. so much work. I went from 80lbs for apple sauce to doing small batches(for my husband) and apple butter I started using 32oz jars of organic applesauce instead of working all those apples. As great as the intention is, there are other less time consuming ways to get the same results.
Every year, our 2 apple trees make so many apples, and it's impossible to process it all. I still have applesauce left from last year. I made one canner load this year and made the decision to gift/give away the rest. I have probably given 10 5 gal buckets to our local food bank, and there may be 2 still on the tree.
I LOVE that you started another channel! I came on TH-cam this morning, and i was pleasantly surprised to see your friendly face :) I said "oh! Hi Jess!" It made me so happy! ❤
I love your original channel, but I REALLY LOVE this new one. You are so easy to relate to, you are honest, sincere and humorous to be with. Thank you so much!
I'm in S. Central PA..home of the PA Dutch. We call chicken and dumplings "pot pie"..it is common to see pot pie dinners at local fire halls and churches. It's made and rolled out more like a noodle. Around here,Dumplings are the dough balls cooked on top of the broth...we eat dumplings alongside things like pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes... Because mashed potatoes don't provide enough carbs😂.. Sidenote..PA Dutch will also put rivvels (tiny bits of dough) in soups. Love your videos !
I’m just building my pantry after 8 years on the mini farm. I’m loving the channel. Thanks Jess for your sweet compassion for those of us on fixed incomes. Our garden is what gets us through the tough times. Much love & blessings, debby
I love azure standard but haven’t used it for a while and need to get back in the swing. Another good bulk buying option is restaurant supply stores. Lots of people who have never been in the restaurant industry don’t even know about them or assume it’s all commercial equipment. It can be a really great way to dip your toes into bulk buying because it doesn’t require a membership like the club stores. I live near a medium sized city and I bet we have five or six restaurant supply stores. They have dry goods, dairy, produce, meat, and then a lot of helpful supplies like large scale food storage containers and more durable/larger kitchen tools and equipment. The prices are usually great, especially when compared to conventional stores.
I think beyond the initial sticker shock when buying in bulk, the other largest hurdle is where and how to store your bulk purchases. Obviously, this may be different for everyone, but seeing what might need to be decanted into a different container or what can be frozen for later, etc may help some folks. I was into shopping at bulk stores locally before, but relied on my freezer for the majority of what I bought at that time. When the freezer "konked out" unexpectedly, we did not have a backup plan and it was too late anyway because the storage in the freezer went unnoticed for long enough that everything had thawed and thown out. It put me off from buying in bulk for a long while, but it also put a huge burden to replace certain things quickly from the store, as I had relied on that freezer to replenish things we had in the refrigerator and small freezer attached to the fridge. I personally would suggest (for people without a large budget to begin bulk buying) to perhaps split the cost of items with a family member or friend who live fairly close, and divide items bought accordingly. For example: If your family eats rice, but do not have a great way to store it, splitting it with another family can help defray the cost and give you a perhaps easier amount to store and work through.
I’m so excited for this channel Jess, two suggestions/ requests - 1) I have a gluten intolerance/ immune response because of health issues and I rarely see scratch/ whole food content creators work with GF recipes. Knowing that you are also GF, I’d love if you could highlight some from time to time. Including what GF flours do you use? What are some cost savings tips you have for pricier GF cooking? Do you use additives like xantham gum, agar agar and psyllium husk for binders or have you found recipes that you can skip adding those? I’m always hesitant to add more processed gums to my homemade goods! Second, I’ve had devastating pantry moths that took a ride in bulk goods once and smaller organic grains a second time. While the two events were separated by a decade of time the hundreds of dollars of food losses were very hard to recover from each time. Could you cover how you deter pantry pests? I know the advice is to just freeze all dry goods that come in the house, but most of the time I don’t have that much freezer space. Thanks!
I’ll second both your questions/requests. I have also issues with gluten (and milk protein on top) and finding out what works or not is hard sometimes. Also having had my pantry ruined by bugs at one time, and are now very concerned that it will happen again in my new house. Finding good food safe and practical storage containers are difficult sometimes.
For grating block cheese: I recently invested in a hand crank rotary grater. It has changed my life! Of course it can also grate other foods like apples, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, etc. but it does great with cheese. The bearings on mine run super smooth so it takes minimal effort and it suctions right to the counter so it doesn’t move. It also leaves far less wastage when it comes to grated cheese than either a box grater or a grating attachment on a food processor in my opinion. There isn’t even a tiny nub left. It all gets shredded. And mine comes completely apart for easy cleaning. Also, buying block cheese and shredding yourself is better anyway because they add stabilizers to store bought shredded cheese (it’s basically powdered wood pulp).
Hi! You don't needed corn syrup to make pecan pie. Substitute an equal amount of honey for corn syrup. It's delicious and I've been making it that way for years😊
Maple syrup (and thicken with a bit of flour and butter) is a huge flavor improvement in my opinion. It tends to burn a little quicker so you have to watch it, but slightly burned maple syrup is also tasty!
I find myself at 56 years old working very hard to get back to the basics of my life growing up with my Momma in kitchen making everything from scratch she not only shared all of her knowledge with me but taught me along the way minus canning I’ve learned most of that from Jess and a couple other channels I cooked from scratch the first 10 years or so building our family however when I went to work working 40+ hours a week 45 minutes from home raising teenagers who were very active in sports I worked convenience foods and drive thru became a huge part of our lifestyle until 2020happened and I realized how important my garden and my raising was I decided to make some drastic changes then I lost my Momma in July of 2020 and find myself very overwhelmed trying to completely change our lifestyle and remember everything I was taught it is refreshing to know in those times short cuts are ok and I don’t have to feel bad about it I have a long way to go but I will get there thank you Jess for this channel while we are in our waiting room and are able to turn it into a classroom from a different angle you truly have a gift and I love that You and Jeramiah not only follow the path God is laying in front of you but you are taking us on the journey with you and teaching us as well sorry for the lengthy post thank you will never be enough💜🙏🏼 God Bless from California
Longtime Roots and Refuge fan/follower/subscriber. I’m only a few minutes into this video, and found myself giggling when you mentioned your drive times to a real grocery store for bulk food store. We live in the tip of Michigan’s mitten, and though there’s a small town “grocery store” in the closest (very small) town, the prices are crazy high, the freshness is lacking, and variety very low. The nearest decent grocery is 55 mins away - in good weather. Northern Michigan typically gets significant snowfall. Oh, the nearest Costco is over 2 1/2 hrs. Ironically, I just checked where the nearest Azure drop point is and it’s at a repair shop I’ve never been by literally halfway distance-wise to our big grocery store. Though considering the location in the middle of no where (barely paved roads, no alternate routes) it may take us the same 55 mins to get there. LOL We recently lost our 2 chest freezers to an electrical problem. Unfortunately because we had them in an outbuilding we didn’t realize was underinsured we haven’t been able to replace them yet. Hopefully we’ll be able to replace them next spring, at which point we’ll be doing some bulk purchasing. Thanks for the kick to look up Azure Standard. I’ve seen it on your other channel I believe, but didn’t check it out at the time. There’s just my husband and I, so buying in bulk is not typical for us, but I look forward to checking it out next spring.
I'm adjusting to not buying in bulk. At home to myself and was buying bulk not realizing yet it's just me. To open up the pantry realize,how am I going to make this into diverse enough meals that I don't get into an I don't even care if I eat mode. The transition to not buying bulk can be just as intimidating as transitioning to buying in bulk. The 25 lb bags of flour ,corn meal and rice. The 10 lb bags of more than a dozen types of dried beans and peas. The quart size herbs and spices that some are more than five years old. Even regular can goods from the store. Open a can of green beans and it's practically a meal by itself. If your ever stressed about cooking for so many mouths ,remember you are blessed. You have more opportunity to be creative and almost guaranteed less waste than I have. When you make a vegetable soup the only way you know how and into the third week of eating out of the same pot you pray for more mouths to feed. I just thawed a small pack of pork chops almost dreading knowing I will be eating pork chops for a week. Enjoy bulking ,knowing you are the sustainer of the lives around you. You bring joy , creativity, and love into their lives. If they understand that or not ,you do.
@The Farmer's Table Have you ever heard/tried Lyles Golden syrup for Pecan pies? It's incredible! If I don't want to use corn syrup for my sweet treats I always fall back on golden syrup and I actually prefer it. I think it has the most incredible nutty,caramel taste for pecan pies and makes them soo much better. It is also corn and nut free for any allergies! You can order it online. Every time I make a pecan pie with golden syrup everyone goes crazy over it and wonders what I did to make it taste so amazing and I get many questions asking for my recipe. It is also good for any baking recipes, putting in coffee, oatmeal-anything you would use sugar or maple syrup in!
I’ve been buying from Azure Standard for over a year now. I love it has organic frozen produce. What I have been doing is freeze drying the frozen things so I have shelf-stable chopped onions, celery, carrots, peppers so I have my Mirepoix whenever needed. I also have a grain mill and buy 50lb bags of wheat and other grains.
I live in a suburb of Sacramento California and I buy from Azure. I’m dairy free and gluten free so being able to buy a case of organic soy milk at a savings makes Azure a blessing. It’s taken several years to get better at buying in bulk but it’s absolutely worth it.
As a single person, I really want a well stocked pantry. I'm also slowly moving toward eliminating many processed foods, moving toward organic and, of course my own gardening. I'd love storage tips, some conversation on what's reasonable for a single person and a well sticked pantry, freezer, etc. 😊Thanks for all you do, Jess! Juanita
I really appreciate you being so transparent with the REAL timelines of starting to buy in bulk. You can't just switch over fully while on a budget, and you set the proper expectations for that, so thank you! 😊
❤❤ Hey Beautiful Lady! Been a viewer of yours for many years. Love this new channel idea. Love Azure, found them from you and Andrea years ago and appreciate it. Looking forward to watching your creativity in the kitchen. Blessings to you❤🙏
My body says no to dairy and gluten too. Not sure if you saw, but Azure has bulk non-dairy chocolate chips. I have now swapped them out in all my baking and my kids love them. ♥️
I just made a pot of apple sauce and have a long slow batch of apple butter going as I sit here watching your show Jess..I will freeze the apple sauce and can the apple butter , I love that stuff..lol When you have a big family , getting food is a big job in it self , I commend you on getting the job done along with all else you must do to keep the family going. God bless and keep you .. Amen
Love these videos because one can get lost on Azure's site on what they have, at least to me since it's new for me. It's nice to get a sense of what they have and get inspirations on how to use them, like gift making projects and such. Thanks for sharing and looking forward for more hauls.
I just found your channel, just by looking for a good mayo recipe..I love your channel and am looking forward to watching...My husband and I have a small farm in Idaho and love Azure Standard. God bless you and your family....Sherri-Idaho
My mouth flew open when I heard you mention Gilbert! That is my meeting point when I pick up my grandson who lives in Atlanta and I live in Fayetteville,NC! Exit 52. It is extremely rural 😊
May seem like a silly question, but how do you store your brown sugar when you make it? I know both sugar and molasses are shelf stable, but is that true once mixed also? I always make mine as needed, but would love to have some already prepared for recipes. Thanks;)
@@tammygroves5739 not silly at all! I have a gallon sized jar that I store it in. And it hasn’t “gone bad” and I use it up within a few months I havnt had it get hard or anything strange so far.
May I suggest you try black rice? It tastes absolutely amazing and I highly recommend it 🤤. Also, as a gluten free family of 4 for 4 years who have all recently put freshly milled gluten flour into our diets, I can honestly say that fresh milled wheat berries show no side effects for any of us (but we aren’t coeliac). Maybe it’s worth looking into? Wheat berries are certainly much cheaper than gluten free flours and such. 😊
My small town just recently got an Azure Standard drop, so I started ordering... well, we'll keep it if we can get enough customers. I am in the same boat, 45 min to organic grocery (outside of Walmart), and 2 hrs to Costco. Everything I've ordered has been great quality and/or tastes good. AS has great sales each month and I fully take advantage of those!
Jess, you are on the right track. I once saw a family of three in the grocery store with two full carts of food. It was an older man, his wife, and a 20 something child. They looked very gray, tired, and worn. Every food item on the conveyor belt was in a box ... almost all frozen dinners. They also had bottles and bottles of soda pop. There were no fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, etcetera. Not even a banana or an orange. No canned fruit or vegetables either. I wanted to go up to them and speak with them about my observations. I wanted to offer cooking and shopping lessons. I desperately wanted to help them. I wasn't the only person. Other people in the grocery line were talking about their choices. No one dared to have the conversation. I don't know if their choices were based on convenience or not knowing what and how to cook.
Good thing you let them be...☺My parents don't cook anymore. I can't imagine strangers coming up to them to try and tell them to go back to cooking, something they were phenomenal at, but just do not want to do, nor have to do anymore.
I am a cashier at the Walmart Market. We serve all types of people. Many people live on frozen meals and Little Debbie snacks. I have several customers that are vegetarian. Each person's diet is personal to them. I understand wanting to be able to help, but they have to decide for themselves. One of my customers is a beautiful, sweet lady, who is in a wheelchair. She has wounds that won't heal and probably weighs 400lbs. Here is the thing, she knows eating the Hostess Snack Cakes and ice cream are contributing factors to her well-being. It pains me to know what she is eating but it isn't my business. I am there to serve her and everyone else. Jess has had some revelations around food lately. When your pain points get loud enough, you will find a way to fix it if you can. All we can do is love people and say a little prayer for them.
We have, on three occasions, bought bins or apples and pears from local orchards. The bins were 200-1000 lbs. we freeze dried, made butters, pie fillings and applesauce. And we shared lots with neighbors.
We are also trying to limit our grocery store runs. In the winter in SW Montana, we do have to go to the store for dairy and fresh veggies. I bulk purchase or can everything else. I don't have the time or bandwidth for a dairy cow or goat. I don't have a greenhouse yet. We do have chickens.
Apples... oh my goodness... we put chickens under our apple tree last year and this year we harvested 600# off the tree. YIKES! We've dehydrated till the cows came home (We can only wish we had cows, haha). Next is apple butter as well. Thanks for doing an azure haul... I am the drop coordinator in our town and like to see what is good (since they basically have 47 million products!!!)
I'd love to see a video where you do several preserving methods on one type of thing. Maybe onions or peppers where you show dehydrating, freeze drying, freezing, then how best to use each preservation type. You always explain things very well and it would give people a good rounded idea on what might work best for them in their situation. Just thinking out loud. 😊
Save the peels & cores Keep in freezer Throw a handful in a knotted piece of cheesecloth bag in the pot of when making jelly or jam in the place of packaged pectin when canning, same result, but cheaper.
I wonder if, when processing your spring and summer grass fed cow milk into butter, you could make bulk amounts of ghee. It stores for a really, really long time; so it makes a great storage pantry addition. You could have that springtime "butter" all year.
I love buying from Azure Standard! You made me realize that I could buy peanut butter chips. I bought all my different chocolate chips last month after your video last year. We love buying bulk nuts from them and vacuum sealing them into mason jars.
Hi Jess, Seeing all those apples made me wonder if you make your own ACV? I always use the peels and cores for this. It isn't any extra work. Also, for the potatoes, Carter on Grow and Preserve did a video on dry canning hash browns and (what I call) cottage fries. I love them. Cook them up in the air fryer. I know it is rebel canning but it works great. Thank you for showing your haul. I like to get new ideas of what to order from Azure. I didn't know they had Tahini. Yay... going on my next order. You are a treasure! Love from the Mississippi coast. My favorite saying is: if you can read, you can cook and can!
Hey Jess! We love azure too! We get tons of cheese also. We do the 5lb blocks and what I personally do, is when we get them I'll cut them into 3 chunks and then vacuum seal them. The price in the big blocks is so much better, that maybe this can help someone save a little extra. I don't have any problems doing it this way and them molding faster.
I did not know that your family was from south Arkansas! We have watched Roots and Refuge from the beginning. Sitting here watching you from south Arkansas-❤
I would LOVE to see a fire cider video! RSV and other crud is really ramping here in the Midwest and I really want to get back on that. I bought some from a shop around where I live a few years ago but I haven’t seen it. Time to make it myself!
I know I will definitely also enjoy this new channel of yours, Jess. I like your honesty and style of using our waiting room as a classroom to learn as much as we can. Thank goodness you have such a generous, kind heart in wanting to teach as much as you do. We are never too old to learn more.
Thank YOU for this channel!! Thank you for all of the information and knowledge. You seem to have such a gift/heart for teaching others. I also appreciate the encouragement and insight you share - I’ve heard it on repeat as I’m watching your videos - we need to be realistic in our expectations of ourselves, we need to show ourselves some grace. I too get overwhelmed by the one thing I can’t do - so what I end up getting checked off of the ol’ TO DO list of 10 things is, yeah, maybe 2 things, LOL/ugh. Again, I am so grateful for you, for your channel!!
We live off grid and I shop every 6 weeks, it was definitely a challenge initially to stretch the budget and the food for those six week trips, but now at a point of doing it solidly for a couple of years I find that I contemplate taking it out a bit longer again, then I don't have to leave the property as often :D.
I am seriously so stoked! I follow so many people and whenever they talk about stuff like this it never pertains to us out here in Hawaii!! I am so excited to try this out. Slowly but surely I would love to build a whole food pantry. Cheese is so pricey here I have to get what I can afford. So this would be awesome!! Mahalo!!
Did you know there is a new variety of apples called “Ever Crisp”? It is a cross between the Honey Crisp and Fiji Apple. So, it is crispy and sweet along with the longer storage time of a Fuji. They are so good! We got some in early September and they are still crispy crunchy and good!
I use Azure as well and it's good! I buy meat from the butcher, can what I grow and bake. My grocery bill is lower. HOWEVER, if something is on sale I buy it in mass!! King Arthur is one!! I got a 3.5# of raw cheddar cheese and shredded it into 4oz bags!! Then I freeze it. We won't need cheese for 6mths. The molasses is amazing!! My husband likes it on cornbread!! Farm kid. I grow potatoes and got 50+#s. For 2 of us that's a lot. I canned them as well!!
I’ve been gardening for around 5 years now. We don’t have enough space for large amounts of preserving. I resonate so much with your quote “using my waiting room as my classroom” because my husband and I are buying a homestead from his parents in a few months and my first line of action is to start a garden large enough to sustain our family and also create a pantry in the cellar. What would you say are the first things to focus on aside from getting shelving?
I appreciate this content it really helps seeing you do what you do even if you're further along the path than most of us. I'm on a tight budget and also live in a 950 sqft house so even if I had the money to buy big bill items I wouldn't be able to store them. (So I feel you on not having the space to make hard cheese) It's good for me to start learning now though, so what works for me is buying small amounts of the non perishable items that don't take up my precious fridge or freezer space. Like oils, sugar and flours now that I'm getting into bread making. And then taking that extra money that I save every month and putting it towards discounted meats to stock in the freezer. Sometimes it's only 20 bucks but that's a few packages of mangers special chicken breasts and pork cuts I wouldn't have had anyway. And I'm getting better at stretching my 200 food budget Everytime I go shopping. To anyone reading this comment this far I believe that you can get started or keep going down this path too. Every lesson you learn counts whether it's a failed bread loaf or a pantry that gets drained every two weeks, your learning what you need to do for your specific family/ group network. Everyone has different diets or goals and it's tough and you might feel like you haven't gone anywhere but you're making progress bit by bit.
Love the new idea of a cooking channel👍🏼 I’m so the same way! I grow a garden, can it and use it during the winter months! To me, they just go hand in hand. Being raised by grandparents born in 1891 & 1912 who went through the Great Depression and had 8 kids during their marriage and helped to raise over 40 grandchildren, being very frugal was just a way of life! How many different ways can you cook turnips🤣 Mom said she never wanted to see one again! Basic ingredients to feed a large family😉 Homemade breads, short breads, anything you can think of I learned from her❤! I look forward to your new channel cause like you, when winter comes- I Cook!😊
It’s funny over and over I’m like “oh that’s what I used!” with nearly everything you pull out lol. I used Azure to supply my bakery when it was still open. I love that company
Arrowroot is fabulous for thickening fruit compot and things like that, it doesn't alter the colour or make it cloudy like cornflower does. I use cornflower for other dishes where it doesn't matter so much.
Great information! I have not done any big shopping, only milk and a very few items for Nov Dec and Jan without really planning to do it purposefully. It has been surprisingly easy for me. I am working through my stores and getting things used before they lose their nutritional value. That is going to end with my big Azure Standard order next week.😊
I didn't bake anything for holiday gifts this year. I was honest with myself that I just don't have the mental or physical capacity for one more thing. I've baked for the last 10 or 15 years for gifts and decided it's okay to just not do it for one year. I love the idea of giving yourself some grace and being honest about what you can and can't do.
What?! Took me a second seeing Jess’s face in a channel name I didn’t recognize. I will say I’m looking forward to this new channel of yours as what your describing is how I started handling our food about a year and a half ago. I hate the corporate food world and began slowly weaning my pantry off the grocery stores and filling it with more bulk and/or local options as well as my garden. It’s cut my grocery bill and I rarely ever buy any processed type foods any longer and I shop once a month. Win win.
ooOOO Jess, lets try canning the herbed potatoes! I've never tried them (and I don't have an extra 100 lbs of potatoes ;) People were talking about that in a FB group I belong to and I'd love to watch you do them.
Azure apples have never disappointed in our home. We bought 20# of the Ginger Gold variety this past month, intending on canning pie filling, and our crew polished off every last one before I had a chance to process them, lol.
I do buy the 5 pound blocks of cheese and then shred it all and freeze it all since I mostly use it in cooking. It thaws out perfectly and lasts for as long as you need it to! Highly recommend that for anyone cooking with the cheeses primarily. Soooo much cheaper (and healthier) than getting shredded cheese from the store.
Thanks for sharing this Azure Standard order. It helped me prepare my own order for my pantry needs. Your tips and reasoning out your meal planning is so helpful. 😊
Oh I so want to try Azure Standard...I have always wanted to and never have. Looks like good quality stuff. Hopefully one day soon I will be able to give it a try. 😊
I would can them, dehydrate or freeze dry them. Also you could give them as Christmas gifts... I don't think that Azure potatoes store long term very well.
Thank you so much for starting this channel, in my family my mom did not pass down all the wisdom she had gathered from her granny’s 😢, so thank you for explaining and showing things done in real time. I’m 51 and am eating all your content up daily 😊, thank you I also experience Chronic pain and with relief comes through your stomach. So again, thank you 🙏 I deeply appreciate your kindness.😊
How to store bulk items like flour and oats is main main deterrent from buying in bulk. If you could share how you store the bigger items that would be great!
We've gotten away from almost everything processed. We do use Azure Standard because of the availability of a good organic selection. But our main concern is preservatives. People need to slow down and read the labels, even on their animal feeds. Enjoyed your video.
The comment: “cooking from scratch needs a healthy dose of honest with yourself”. I feel like this is a huge missing piece from the homesteading community sometimes. It’s hard to watch people on large farms make everything from scratch. As a parent, you want to do your best. Hearing from a large farm farmer that you buy applesauce sometimes, and that’s ok makes this small just starting our farm feel like this is a capable lifestyle.
Was going to comment the same thing! We try our best to follow the 80/20 rule for everything, for growing, making, and sourcing our food. Sometimes we do conveniences, but the majority we do our best to do it all ourselves (or source sustainably). It can be really defeating to watch other homemakers/homesteaders do it all, but we never see the full picture and I’m glad Jess is the same as us haha! I want to do all the things, but get “project overwhelm” and maybe get like 2 done and the rest suffers.
LOL, I would never buy applesauce, I just buy baking apples, make it and freeze in pucks. I am a widow living alone, so I only get a few apples to make it with. I do the same with stuffing for roast checken... Oh and mashed potato is a large pan full and frozen in portions, you don't have to have a large family to be savvy. I cook for a family, but it's only for me ;)
Everything takes time! Time cannot be rushed. I taught myself to cook, am almost 60 now and have failed innumerable ways in the kitchen and in things concerning it. However, I raised 2 fine sons, both good cooks, and now we're attempting to pay for our kitchen "sins" by doing a better job regarding food with the grandchildren. You can only do what you can do. Be thankful for and proud of what you do for your family! If they're fed, it's a win. Nobody's perfect in this life!
Thats my dream for oneday
Whenever I hear Jess say "5 kids" my mind boggles at the planning, organization, space needed, awareness of hygiene (eg the 1 pound cheese makes more sense for a block for hygienic purposes due to lots of grubby little fingers), and then the actual time to make and store everything, not to mention time, patience, and generosity (not just to family but to self). I love this video and Jess's generosity to herself and her children in modeling that 'honesty'. Thanks for the video!
I would love to see a step by step video on how you store your bulk items for long term storage. Definitely I would love to see ALL your canning projects from start to finish. I need a teacher on these things in my waiting room.
Watching a few homesteaders is how I learned in 2020. I'm now 70, so if I can learn to pressure can and water bath can, you can do it. Also, get a Ball canning book and the USDA complete guide to home canning. Now I'm going to try steam canning to conserve water because wb canning uses so much, and it makes the pot too heavy for old bones.
@@sharonparker2262I agree. There are so any resources out there for people to gain these skills, at any age. We need to remember that we learn by doing. People can start with one thing at a time. Once we get a skill down we can move on to a new skill.
Yessss , more canning please ~ Tammy 😊
Okay. So we are now empty nesters with part time grands. Small home ...1000 square foot home tiny yard , but got a really good harvest of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lettuce,herbs, etc....All of this when a family member was terminally ill, so I was trying to dehydrate and freeze to save our veggies. Now we’re going into the holidays while settling a complicated estate. I have a bunch of frozen tomatoes. I really want to pressure can sauce. Can you do a video ( simplified) on jarring sauce with frozen ‘mares. Thank for considering 😊.
@@petecilione4166 If Jess doesn't get around to it before you want to take care of it you can ..
Place the tomatoes in a big pot or use a roaster. A roaster can be easier as you don't have to tend to it as much stirring. If you want to time crunch and double purpose them you can scoop out the watery juice as you go. Do not toss it. You can also can that juice and use it to cook rice & other things. You can get it out by pushing a strainer down and scooping up the juice without any seeds. Once all of that juice is out and the tomatoes have cooked you can use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce out. I would follow the canning recipe/canner instructions as to adding other ingredients & canning time.
I hope this helps!
I think one thing that might be important to share about buying in bulk is the storage details required, including shelf space, freezer space and maybe even the climate controls required to keep fresh foods (like potatoes, onions, or even apples or nuts) over the winter or otherwise for long periods. But, for example, how much freezer space does it take for storing a 'whole cow' or a 'whole hog'? How much space does it take to store that 50lb bag of sugar? And how do you keep it from caking?
This would be nice to know. It is nice to buy in bulk.
Storage is a challenge for me, not for dry/canned goods or frozen stuff, but for root crops and other longer-storing produce. Our home is pretty new so we don’t really have a chilly basement or drafty attic- it’s just insulated too dang well! Weird thing to complain about but lol it’s true! We get negative temps in winter and above 100 in the summer so I think ultimately we need to build a temperature controlled cellar somewhere in our home or shop. Hopefully someday! 🤞🏼
Came to the comments to say this!!
I just bought a 50 lb bag of organic cane sugar. It fit 1 5lb bucket with a gamma seal kit and 1 1/2 gallons left that I put in 1/2 gallon jars.
Yes! The logistics of storing what I want to buy in bulk is a huge stumbling block for me
Ok gonna make a recommendation.. from an experienced icing maker.. I always used powdered sugar for my cream cheese icing.. about 2 years ago now 🤔 I was warch8ng a cooking video and they used maple syrup as the sweetener.. no recipe of coarse 😅 but I figured it out.. 1/4 cup maple syrup, 8 oz cream cheese, 2 T butter and a teaspoon or so of vanilla. Makes an amazing glaze for cinnamon rolls ♥️ it’s definitely less sweet, so adding a powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time will help sweeten to your liking. I personally don’t add it anymore.
That sounds wonderful!
@@The_Farmers_Table it’s seriously gamechanger!
This sounds amazing
I’ve started making my own vanilla extract! It is SO easy - I can’t wait to start making peppermint and others as well!
@@christig9390 I haven’t made my own yet.. on my list.. I’ll get to it one day. I recently got vanilla paste and wow.. amazing vanilla flavor!
Watching this reminds me of my nan and grandad. I'd always get taken around the whole sale shops with them when I was little (like 4/5 years old). They'd buy big catering blocks of cheese too, as well as other things. They bought a lot of things in bulk and always went to two or three different places to get the best deals, and I'd always get a huge box of those little fried egg sweeties from the sweetie aisle (like the big big boxes that sweet shops have on their shelves for pick & mix 😂). Then we'd go home and my grandad would cut the cheese up into smaller blocks to fit in the fridge and we'd taste it. He loved really strong grainy cheese but I wasn't such a fan, the stuff he liked had an odd after taste. I can literally remember it like it was yesterday, sat at their table in the kitchen slicing cheese, my grandad sat opposite me. My nan usually started on dinner when we got home and would be trying to shoo us both out of the kitchen while we were eating cheese and sweeties and getting under her feet 😂 such a sweet memory ❤
I don’t usually care for haul videos but you shared so much good information. Please share as much as humanly possible about how you run your kitchen and use the things you grow
I watch R&R religiously and it fuels my dreams, but this is exactly what I need for where I’m at. These videos speak to me in my current stage. You tell so many stories of your early classroom stages and we get to see your now…but I always wanted to see your middle stage…that’s where I’m at. I feel like this channel bridges the gap and I thank you so much for that. I just want to see more of you using the knowledge and tools you’ve acquired to handle all that you have now so I can expand my food horizons. I’m from the Deep South of Louisiana so my experience with food is very Cajun centric. I can grow the cabbage and make the sauerkraut, but I don’t have the first idea of what to do with sauerkraut. I can even buy the apples and make the apple butter but I wouldn’t know how to eat apple butter. It’s hard being in this spot of knowing I have the skills to grow anything and cook/preserve anything, but not really have the experience to know what to use my space to grow and what to turn those ingredients into. I can read the cookbooks and search the Google for ideas, but they often don’t describe the flavors to expect or why it may not be a good fit for me or what to pair it with. Everyone is making kimchi and WHAT ARE THEY EVEN DOING WITH IT?! 🫠
Sauerkraut and kimchi: Snip a tablespoon full into a salad, put it on cheese and bacon toastie, have with rich foods like sausages or pork belly, bcs the tart sour umami flavour complements the creamy richness of fatty foods. And U could even try eating it fresher vs older, quite different flavours 😄 hope U enjoy the food adventures you're embarking on! 😍
I was "honest with myself" on tomatoes and apples this year... I grew more tomato plants this year (almost 200) than I have ever grown in my life and I learned a lot. One thing I learned was that I'm not wasting bushels of my delicious tomatoes on cooked down sauces which are much better used in bruschetta and pico de gallo or a lovely mayo sandwich if it can make it past being fried up in it's green stage. I have a giant roaster, I think its 28 quarts, and I cooked and milled and cooked some more and I got 7 quarts of sauce and I'll never do it again. While I can buy #10 cans of Organic San Marzano tomatoes.. I'll use those for spaghetti sauce. I've learned exactly how far a bushel of apples will get you this year: 48lbs = 16 - 3lb bags; 21lbs (7 bags)= 7quarts of applesauce; 13lbs or 4 1/3 bags = 14 quarts pie filling; 8lbs (2+2/3 bags)= 7 pints of apple butter; 6lbs (2 bags)= 4 cups dehydrated for oatmeal; scraps from peels = 1 1/2 gallons of apple juice; mash from peels = 6cups =6 apple loafs or 3 dozen muffins; 160 cores w/seed plugs removed is 2 gallons of apple vinegar and 800 potential trees. And 10 cups of apple juice makes 18 cups of apple jelly (which I don't like, learned that too). But I had to go through it to figure out what items were worth the effort and the cost... what worked for our family and what didn't. I did not think the applesauce was worth the time and energy. My husband, turns out, LOVES the homemade applesauce; my son can't eat the apple butter fast enough. So we found the quickest easiest way to process applesauce so my husband could have that. Maybe next year when the apples are in season I make less pie filling and focus on more apple butter? More than likely we will be bringing in more bushels of apples (waiting on our new tree's to produce).
Wow. I am absolutely amazed at all your math. Thank you so much. I love to see math results when someone else is doing all the number work. I’m good at cooking and quilting but when I need the math I truly struggle. So again thank you for posting all those numbers.
😊😊😊😊😊😊@@Barbara-jd2sk
Apples..... so yummy.. so much work. I went from 80lbs for apple sauce to doing small batches(for my husband) and apple butter I started using 32oz jars of organic applesauce instead of working all those apples. As great as the intention is, there are other less time consuming ways to get the same results.
@@Barbara-jd2sk you are so welcome!
Every year, our 2 apple trees make so many apples, and it's impossible to process it all. I still have applesauce left from last year. I made one canner load this year and made the decision to gift/give away the rest. I have probably given 10 5 gal buckets to our local food bank, and there may be 2 still on the tree.
I LOVE that you started another channel! I came on TH-cam this morning, and i was pleasantly surprised to see your friendly face :) I said "oh! Hi Jess!" It made me so happy! ❤
Me, too! Hey, that's Jess! 😍
I love your original channel, but I REALLY LOVE this new one. You are so easy to relate to, you are honest, sincere and humorous to be with. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!!
I'm in S. Central PA..home of the PA Dutch. We call chicken and dumplings "pot pie"..it is common to see pot pie dinners at local fire halls and churches. It's made and rolled out more like a noodle. Around here,Dumplings are the dough balls cooked on top of the broth...we eat dumplings alongside things like pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes... Because mashed potatoes don't provide enough carbs😂.. Sidenote..PA Dutch will also put rivvels (tiny bits of dough) in soups. Love your videos !
I’m just building my pantry after 8 years on the mini farm. I’m loving the channel. Thanks Jess for your sweet compassion for those of us on fixed incomes. Our garden is what gets us through the tough times.
Much love & blessings, debby
I love azure standard but haven’t used it for a while and need to get back in the swing. Another good bulk buying option is restaurant supply stores. Lots of people who have never been in the restaurant industry don’t even know about them or assume it’s all commercial equipment. It can be a really great way to dip your toes into bulk buying because it doesn’t require a membership like the club stores. I live near a medium sized city and I bet we have five or six restaurant supply stores. They have dry goods, dairy, produce, meat, and then a lot of helpful supplies like large scale food storage containers and more durable/larger kitchen tools and equipment. The prices are usually great, especially when compared to conventional stores.
I guessing very little organic or non -GMO foods though.
I think beyond the initial sticker shock when buying in bulk, the other largest hurdle is where and how to store your bulk purchases. Obviously, this may be different for everyone, but seeing what might need to be decanted into a different container or what can be frozen for later, etc may help some folks. I was into shopping at bulk stores locally before, but relied on my freezer for the majority of what I bought at that time. When the freezer "konked out" unexpectedly, we did not have a backup plan and it was too late anyway because the storage in the freezer went unnoticed for long enough that everything had thawed and thown out. It put me off from buying in bulk for a long while, but it also put a huge burden to replace certain things quickly from the store, as I had relied on that freezer to replenish things we had in the refrigerator and small freezer attached to the fridge. I personally would suggest (for people without a large budget to begin bulk buying) to perhaps split the cost of items with a family member or friend who live fairly close, and divide items bought accordingly. For example: If your family eats rice, but do not have a great way to store it, splitting it with another family can help defray the cost and give you a perhaps easier amount to store and work through.
I’m so excited for this channel Jess, two suggestions/ requests - 1) I have a gluten intolerance/ immune response because of health issues and I rarely see scratch/ whole food content creators work with GF recipes. Knowing that you are also GF, I’d love if you could highlight some from time to time. Including what GF flours do you use? What are some cost savings tips you have for pricier GF cooking? Do you use additives like xantham gum, agar agar and psyllium husk for binders or have you found recipes that you can skip adding those? I’m always hesitant to add more processed gums to my homemade goods!
Second, I’ve had devastating pantry moths that took a ride in bulk goods once and smaller organic grains a second time. While the two events were separated by a decade of time the hundreds of dollars of food losses were very hard to recover from each time. Could you cover how you deter pantry pests? I know the advice is to just freeze all dry goods that come in the house, but most of the time I don’t have that much freezer space. Thanks!
I’ll second both your questions/requests. I have also issues with gluten (and milk protein on top) and finding out what works or not is hard sometimes.
Also having had my pantry ruined by bugs at one time, and are now very concerned that it will happen again in my new house. Finding good food safe and practical storage containers are difficult sometimes.
Bay leaves? That's how we did it at the bulk health food store I worked at.
For grating block cheese: I recently invested in a hand crank rotary grater. It has changed my life! Of course it can also grate other foods like apples, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, etc. but it does great with cheese. The bearings on mine run super smooth so it takes minimal effort and it suctions right to the counter so it doesn’t move. It also leaves far less wastage when it comes to grated cheese than either a box grater or a grating attachment on a food processor in my opinion. There isn’t even a tiny nub left. It all gets shredded. And mine comes completely apart for easy cleaning. Also, buying block cheese and shredding yourself is better anyway because they add stabilizers to store bought shredded cheese (it’s basically powdered wood pulp).
What grater do you use?
Same - please come back and share what grater you bought! ❤
This video sums up why grocery shopping is a big deal. It takes a lot of planning. I really enjoyed it
As a Celiac and only gluten free person in our large family, I super appreciate seeing how you bulk order. Thank you for this!!!
I have 2 celiacs in my family. On holidays we attempt to make everything we can gluten free.
Hi! You don't needed corn syrup to make pecan pie. Substitute an equal amount of honey for corn syrup. It's delicious and I've been making it that way for years😊
In Australia we would use brown sugar and golden Syrup. Corn Syrup isn't something we really use.
Maple syrup makes divine pecan pie!
You can also just make a brown sugar pecan pie. It is what I make every year and my family likes it even better than a traditional pecan pie.
Maple syrup (and thicken with a bit of flour and butter) is a huge flavor improvement in my opinion. It tends to burn a little quicker so you have to watch it, but slightly burned maple syrup is also tasty!
I find myself at 56 years old working very hard to get back to the basics of my life growing up with my Momma in kitchen making everything from scratch she not only shared all of her knowledge with me but taught me along the way minus canning I’ve learned most of that from Jess and a couple other channels I cooked from scratch the first 10 years or so building our family however when I went to work working 40+ hours a week 45 minutes from home raising teenagers who were very active in sports I worked convenience foods and drive thru became a huge part of our lifestyle until 2020happened and I realized how important my garden and my raising was I decided to make some drastic changes then I lost my Momma in July of 2020 and find myself very overwhelmed trying to completely change our lifestyle and remember everything I was taught it is refreshing to know in those times short cuts are ok and I don’t have to feel bad about it I have a long way to go but I will get there thank you Jess for this channel while we are in our waiting room and are able to turn it into a classroom from a different angle you truly have a gift and I love that You and Jeramiah not only follow the path God is laying in front of you but you are taking us on the journey with you and teaching us as well sorry for the lengthy post thank you will never be enough💜🙏🏼
God Bless from California
Longtime Roots and Refuge fan/follower/subscriber. I’m only a few minutes into this video, and found myself giggling when you mentioned your drive times to a real grocery store for bulk food store. We live in the tip of Michigan’s mitten, and though there’s a small town “grocery store” in the closest (very small) town, the prices are crazy high, the freshness is lacking, and variety very low. The nearest decent grocery is 55 mins away - in good weather. Northern Michigan typically gets significant snowfall. Oh, the nearest Costco is over 2 1/2 hrs.
Ironically, I just checked where the nearest Azure drop point is and it’s at a repair shop I’ve never been by literally halfway distance-wise to our big grocery store. Though considering the location in the middle of no where (barely paved roads, no alternate routes) it may take us the same 55 mins to get there. LOL
We recently lost our 2 chest freezers to an electrical problem. Unfortunately because we had them in an outbuilding we didn’t realize was underinsured we haven’t been able to replace them yet. Hopefully we’ll be able to replace them next spring, at which point we’ll be doing some bulk purchasing.
Thanks for the kick to look up Azure Standard. I’ve seen it on your other channel I believe, but didn’t check it out at the time. There’s just my husband and I, so buying in bulk is not typical for us, but I look forward to checking it out next spring.
I'm adjusting to not buying in bulk. At home to myself and was buying bulk not realizing yet it's just me. To open up the pantry realize,how am I going to make this into diverse enough meals that I don't get into an I don't even care if I eat mode. The transition to not buying bulk can be just as intimidating as transitioning to buying in bulk. The 25 lb bags of flour ,corn meal and rice. The 10 lb bags of more than a dozen types of dried beans and peas. The quart size herbs and spices that some are more than five years old. Even regular can goods from the store. Open a can of green beans and it's practically a meal by itself. If your ever stressed about cooking for so many mouths ,remember you are blessed. You have more opportunity to be creative and almost guaranteed less waste than I have. When you make a vegetable soup the only way you know how and into the third week of eating out of the same pot you pray for more mouths to feed. I just thawed a small pack of pork chops almost dreading knowing I will be eating pork chops for a week. Enjoy bulking ,knowing you are the sustainer of the lives around you. You bring joy , creativity, and love into their lives. If they understand that or not ,you do.
Love that you started a food channel!
@The Farmer's Table
Have you ever heard/tried Lyles Golden syrup for Pecan pies? It's incredible! If I don't want to use corn syrup for my sweet treats I always fall back on golden syrup and I actually prefer it. I think it has the most incredible nutty,caramel taste for pecan pies and makes them soo much better. It is also corn and nut free for any allergies! You can order it online. Every time I make a pecan pie with golden syrup everyone goes crazy over it and wonders what I did to make it taste so amazing and I get many questions asking for my recipe. It is also good for any baking recipes, putting in coffee, oatmeal-anything you would use sugar or maple syrup in!
I’ve been buying from Azure Standard for over a year now. I love it has organic frozen produce. What I have been doing is freeze drying the frozen things so I have shelf-stable chopped onions, celery, carrots, peppers so I have my Mirepoix whenever needed. I also have a grain mill and buy 50lb bags of wheat and other grains.
I live in a suburb of Sacramento California and I buy from Azure. I’m dairy free and gluten free so being able to buy a case of organic soy milk at a savings makes Azure a blessing. It’s taken several years to get better at buying in bulk but it’s absolutely worth it.
As a single person, I really want a well stocked pantry. I'm also slowly moving toward eliminating many processed foods, moving toward organic and, of course my own gardening. I'd love storage tips, some conversation on what's reasonable for a single person and a well sticked pantry, freezer, etc. 😊Thanks for all you do, Jess!
Juanita
I agree. It is tough to cook, for a single person, after cooking for kids and family all these years.
I really appreciate you being so transparent with the REAL timelines of starting to buy in bulk. You can't just switch over fully while on a budget, and you set the proper expectations for that, so thank you! 😊
❤❤ Hey Beautiful Lady! Been a viewer of yours for many years. Love this new channel idea.
Love Azure, found them from you and Andrea years ago and appreciate it. Looking forward to watching your creativity in the kitchen.
Blessings to you❤🙏
My body says no to dairy and gluten too. Not sure if you saw, but Azure has bulk non-dairy chocolate chips. I have now swapped them out in all my baking and my kids love them. ♥️
I just made a pot of apple sauce and have a long slow batch of apple butter going as I sit here watching your show Jess..I will freeze the apple sauce and can the apple butter , I love that stuff..lol When you have a big family , getting food is a big job in it self , I commend you on getting the job done along with all else you must do to keep the family going. God bless and keep you .. Amen
Love these videos because one can get lost on Azure's site on what they have, at least to me since it's new for me. It's nice to get a sense of what they have and get inspirations on how to use them, like gift making projects and such. Thanks for sharing and looking forward for more hauls.
I just found your channel, just by looking for a good mayo recipe..I love your channel and am looking forward to watching...My husband and I have a small farm in Idaho and love Azure Standard. God bless you and your family....Sherri-Idaho
My mouth flew open when I heard you mention Gilbert! That is my meeting point when I pick up my grandson who lives in Atlanta and I live in Fayetteville,NC! Exit 52. It is extremely rural 😊
Making brown sugar was one of my gateways to really get into cooking from scratch. And making my own syrup
May seem like a silly question, but how do you store your brown sugar when you make it? I know both sugar and molasses are shelf stable, but is that true once mixed also? I always make mine as needed, but would love to have some already prepared for recipes. Thanks;)
@@tammygroves5739 not silly at all!
I have a gallon sized jar that I store it in. And it hasn’t “gone bad” and I use it up within a few months I havnt had it get hard or anything strange so far.
May I suggest you try black rice? It tastes absolutely amazing and I highly recommend it 🤤. Also, as a gluten free family of 4 for 4 years who have all recently put freshly milled gluten flour into our diets, I can honestly say that fresh milled wheat berries show no side effects for any of us (but we aren’t coeliac). Maybe it’s worth looking into? Wheat berries are certainly much cheaper than gluten free flours and such. 😊
Came over from Roots & Refuge!!!! Been with you for 5 years and wanted to share my "gold badge" lol!
My small town just recently got an Azure Standard drop, so I started ordering... well, we'll keep it if we can get enough customers. I am in the same boat, 45 min to organic grocery (outside of Walmart), and 2 hrs to Costco. Everything I've ordered has been great quality and/or tastes good. AS has great sales each month and I fully take advantage of those!
Jess, you are on the right track. I once saw a family of three in the grocery store with two full carts of food. It was an older man, his wife, and a 20 something child. They looked very gray, tired, and worn. Every food item on the conveyor belt was in a box ... almost all frozen dinners. They also had bottles and bottles of soda pop. There were no fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, etcetera. Not even a banana or an orange. No canned fruit or vegetables either. I wanted to go up to them and speak with them about my observations. I wanted to offer cooking and shopping lessons. I desperately wanted to help them. I wasn't the only person. Other people in the grocery line were talking about their choices. No one dared to have the conversation. I don't know if their choices were based on convenience or not knowing what and how to cook.
Good thing you let them be...☺My parents don't cook anymore. I can't imagine strangers coming up to them to try and tell them to go back to cooking, something they were phenomenal at, but just do not want to do, nor have to do anymore.
I am a cashier at the Walmart Market. We serve all types of people. Many people live on frozen meals and Little Debbie snacks. I have several customers that are vegetarian. Each person's diet is personal to them. I understand wanting to be able to help, but they have to decide for themselves. One of my customers is a beautiful, sweet lady, who is in a wheelchair. She has wounds that won't heal and probably weighs 400lbs. Here is the thing, she knows eating the Hostess Snack Cakes and ice cream are contributing factors to her well-being. It pains me to know what she is eating but it isn't my business. I am there to serve her and everyone else. Jess has had some revelations around food lately. When your pain points get loud enough, you will find a way to fix it if you can. All we can do is love people and say a little prayer for them.
We have, on three occasions, bought bins or apples and pears from local orchards. The bins were 200-1000 lbs. we freeze dried, made butters, pie fillings and applesauce. And we shared lots with neighbors.
To say, I’m excited for this channel is a complete understatement!!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
We are also trying to limit our grocery store runs. In the winter in SW Montana, we do have to go to the store for dairy and fresh veggies. I bulk purchase or can everything else. I don't have the time or bandwidth for a dairy cow or goat. I don't have a greenhouse yet. We do have chickens.
Apples... oh my goodness... we put chickens under our apple tree last year and this year we harvested 600# off the tree. YIKES! We've dehydrated till the cows came home (We can only wish we had cows, haha). Next is apple butter as well. Thanks for doing an azure haul... I am the drop coordinator in our town and like to see what is good (since they basically have 47 million products!!!)
3 hours to Costco, 1 hour to Grocery Outlet.
Oregon 28 miles south of of Columbia River.
However, Azure Standard is only 10 miles away.
I'd love to see a video where you do several preserving methods on one type of thing. Maybe onions or peppers where you show dehydrating, freeze drying, freezing, then how best to use each preservation type. You always explain things very well and it would give people a good rounded idea on what might work best for them in their situation. Just thinking out loud. 😊
Save the peels & cores
Keep in freezer
Throw a handful in a knotted piece of cheesecloth bag in the pot of when making jelly or jam in the place of packaged pectin when canning, same result, but cheaper.
I shred the big blocks and freeze it in pints using food processor. Keeps really well.
Hey Jess I would like to see you menu plan a week from your pantry/freezer’s and farm. Thanks.
I think I missed you announcing this channel! I was so confused when this was on my fyp and not my subscription page but I’m so glad I found it 🎉🎉
I haven’t announced it on YT yet!!
@@The_Farmers_Table That makes sense! I’m absolutely loving this channel though 🙂
I wonder if, when processing your spring and summer grass fed cow milk into butter, you could make bulk amounts of ghee.
It stores for a really, really long time; so it makes a great storage pantry addition.
You could have that springtime "butter" all year.
“Healthy dose of honest with yourself”! Yep, i am learning that one! I work outside my home 32 hrs a week so scaling back on some things.
I love buying from Azure Standard! You made me realize that I could buy peanut butter chips. I bought all my different chocolate chips last month after your video last year. We love buying bulk nuts from them and vacuum sealing them into mason jars.
Azure carries a A2 cheese now--you should try it. Many who have dairy sensitivities can eat the A2 cheese.
Hi Jess, Seeing all those apples made me wonder if you make your own ACV? I always use the peels and cores for this. It isn't any extra work. Also, for the potatoes, Carter on Grow and Preserve did a video on dry canning hash browns and (what I call) cottage fries. I love them. Cook them up in the air fryer. I know it is rebel canning but it works great. Thank you for showing your haul. I like to get new ideas of what to order from Azure. I didn't know they had Tahini. Yay... going on my next order. You are a treasure! Love from the Mississippi coast. My favorite saying is: if you can read, you can cook and can!
Hey Jess! We love azure too! We get tons of cheese also. We do the 5lb blocks and what I personally do, is when we get them I'll cut them into 3 chunks and then vacuum seal them. The price in the big blocks is so much better, that maybe this can help someone save a little extra. I don't have any problems doing it this way and them molding faster.
I did not know that your family was from south Arkansas! We have watched Roots and Refuge from the beginning. Sitting here watching you from south Arkansas-❤
Yep, born in El Dorado!
I would LOVE to see a fire cider video! RSV and other crud is really ramping here in the Midwest and I really want to get back on that. I bought some from a shop around where I live a few years ago but I haven’t seen it. Time to make it myself!
I would love a what you pack your kids for lunch video. Packing lunch is where I super struggle with from scratch food.
I know I will definitely also enjoy this new channel of yours, Jess. I like your honesty and style of using our waiting room as a classroom to learn as much as we can. Thank goodness you have such a generous, kind heart in wanting to teach as much as you do. We are never too old to learn more.
Thank YOU for this channel!! Thank you for all of the information and knowledge. You seem to have such a gift/heart for teaching others. I also appreciate the encouragement and insight you share - I’ve heard it on repeat as I’m watching your videos - we need to be realistic in our expectations of ourselves, we need to show ourselves some grace. I too get overwhelmed by the one thing I can’t do - so what I end up getting checked off of the ol’ TO DO list of 10 things is, yeah, maybe 2 things, LOL/ugh. Again, I am so grateful for you, for your channel!!
We live off grid and I shop every 6 weeks, it was definitely a challenge initially to stretch the budget and the food for those six week trips, but now at a point of doing it solidly for a couple of years I find that I contemplate taking it out a bit longer again, then I don't have to leave the property as often :D.
I am seriously so stoked! I follow so many people and whenever they talk about stuff like this it never pertains to us out here in Hawaii!! I am so excited to try this out. Slowly but surely I would love to build a whole food pantry. Cheese is so pricey here I have to get what I can afford. So this would be awesome!! Mahalo!!
Did you know there is a new variety of apples called “Ever Crisp”? It is a cross between the Honey Crisp and Fiji Apple. So, it is crispy and sweet along with the longer storage time of a Fuji. They are so good! We got some in early September and they are still crispy crunchy and good!
I use Azure as well and it's good! I buy meat from the butcher, can what I grow and bake. My grocery bill is lower. HOWEVER, if something is on sale I buy it in mass!! King Arthur is one!!
I got a 3.5# of raw cheddar cheese and shredded it into 4oz bags!! Then I freeze it. We won't need cheese for 6mths. The molasses is amazing!! My husband likes it on cornbread!! Farm kid. I grow potatoes and got 50+#s. For 2 of us that's a lot. I canned them as well!!
I’ve been gardening for around 5 years now. We don’t have enough space for large amounts of preserving. I resonate so much with your quote “using my waiting room as my classroom” because my husband and I are buying a homestead from his parents in a few months and my first line of action is to start a garden large enough to sustain our family and also create a pantry in the cellar. What would you say are the first things to focus on aside from getting shelving?
Hi There, Miss Jess!! Thank you for the heads up on the new channel. Love you to bits, will follow you anywhere!!
I appreciate this content it really helps seeing you do what you do even if you're further along the path than most of us. I'm on a tight budget and also live in a 950 sqft house so even if I had the money to buy big bill items I wouldn't be able to store them.
(So I feel you on not having the space to make hard cheese)
It's good for me to start learning now though, so what works for me is buying small amounts of the non perishable items that don't take up my precious fridge or freezer space. Like oils, sugar and flours now that I'm getting into bread making. And then taking that extra money that I save every month and putting it towards discounted meats to stock in the freezer. Sometimes it's only 20 bucks but that's a few packages of mangers special chicken breasts and pork cuts I wouldn't have had anyway. And I'm getting better at stretching my 200 food budget Everytime I go shopping.
To anyone reading this comment this far I believe that you can get started or keep going down this path too. Every lesson you learn counts whether it's a failed bread loaf or a pantry that gets drained every two weeks, your learning what you need to do for your specific family/ group network. Everyone has different diets or goals and it's tough and you might feel like you haven't gone anywhere but you're making progress bit by bit.
I love your new channel! Apple cider vinegar is so simple to make, far cheaper than buying it, and the "mother" in it has so many health benefits.
I also have a corn allergy and find that potato starch works better for me as a thickener 😊
I wonder since she's carnivore, she won't use potatoe starch?
I LOVE the new channel!! I really learned something new about Azure. I pray for continued success.👏🎊
I'm a new'ish Azure shopper, ive not dove in deep until recently and am working on storage solutions - i'd love to see your storage ideas!
Love the new idea of a cooking channel👍🏼
I’m so the same way!
I grow a garden, can it and use it during the winter months! To me, they just go hand in hand. Being raised by grandparents born in 1891 & 1912 who went through the Great Depression and had 8 kids during their marriage and helped to raise over 40 grandchildren, being very frugal was just a way of life! How many different ways can you cook turnips🤣 Mom said she never wanted to see one again! Basic ingredients to feed a large family😉
Homemade breads, short breads, anything you can think of I learned from her❤!
I look forward to your new channel cause like you, when winter comes-
I Cook!😊
It’s funny over and over I’m like “oh that’s what I used!” with nearly everything you pull out lol. I used Azure to supply my bakery when it was still open. I love that company
Arrowroot is fabulous for thickening fruit compot and things like that, it doesn't alter the colour or make it cloudy like cornflower does. I use cornflower for other dishes where it doesn't matter so much.
Great information! I have not done any big shopping, only milk and a very few items for Nov Dec and Jan without really planning to do it purposefully. It has been surprisingly easy for me. I am working through my stores and getting things used before they lose their nutritional value. That is going to end with my big Azure Standard order next week.😊
I didn't bake anything for holiday gifts this year. I was honest with myself that I just don't have the mental or physical capacity for one more thing. I've baked for the last 10 or 15 years for gifts and decided it's okay to just not do it for one year. I love the idea of giving yourself some grace and being honest about what you can and can't do.
Peanut butter chips? Wow! I don't see those on their site. I'd love those for holiday baking!
What?! Took me a second seeing Jess’s face in a channel name I didn’t recognize. I will say I’m looking forward to this new channel of yours as what your describing is how I started handling our food about a year and a half ago. I hate the corporate food world and began slowly weaning my pantry off the grocery stores and filling it with more bulk and/or local options as well as my garden. It’s cut my grocery bill and I rarely ever buy any processed type foods any longer and I shop once a month. Win win.
ooOOO Jess, lets try canning the herbed potatoes! I've never tried them (and I don't have an extra 100 lbs of potatoes ;) People were talking about that in a FB group I belong to and I'd love to watch you do them.
Azure apples have never disappointed in our home. We bought 20# of the Ginger Gold variety this past month, intending on canning pie filling, and our crew polished off every last one before I had a chance to process them, lol.
I do buy the 5 pound blocks of cheese and then shred it all and freeze it all since I mostly use it in cooking. It thaws out perfectly and lasts for as long as you need it to! Highly recommend that for anyone cooking with the cheeses primarily. Soooo much cheaper (and healthier) than getting shredded cheese from the store.
I’m from the Petaluma area and that butter is amazing. Strause butter is from the same area, sold on azure, and also really good!!!
I LOVE this......I watch your other channel and I am so excited to watch what you post here as well. So much great information. Blessings to you
Love the new channel. I'm binge watching the episodes. It looks like you're off to a great start. :)
Thanks for sharing this Azure Standard order. It helped me prepare my own order for my pantry needs. Your tips and reasoning out your meal planning is so helpful. 😊
I love taking apple cider vinegar baths for skin flare ups from inflammation. Coconut aminos are so good
Save your apple peels and cores to make ACV! It's so easy. I know you can't use it in canning, but it can be used in everything else!
Oh I so want to try Azure Standard...I have always wanted to and never have. Looks like good quality stuff. Hopefully one day soon I will be able to give it a try. 😊
20:08 I love pecan pie too and always use agave nectar in place of the corn syrup. It works well!
So glad you have branched out here too 👍❤️
Yes! This video was very insightful. If you could do a video about how to find websites or sources to book buy from, that would be amazing!
Would love to see a video on your pantry and setup. I'm running out of room and trying to figure out what the best way to change mine.
I would can them, dehydrate or freeze dry them. Also you could give them as Christmas gifts... I don't think that Azure potatoes store long term very well.
Thank you so much for starting this channel, in my family my mom did not pass down all the wisdom she had gathered from her granny’s 😢, so thank you for explaining and showing things done in real time. I’m 51 and am eating all your content up daily 😊, thank you I also experience Chronic pain and with relief comes through your stomach. So again, thank you 🙏 I deeply appreciate your kindness.😊
See if the Glucose Revolution (Jessie Inchauspé) of 4 very simple hacks to minimise glucose spikes from carbs (sugars + starches) can help you xx
How to store bulk items like flour and oats is main main deterrent from buying in bulk. If you could share how you store the bigger items that would be great!
We've gotten away from almost everything processed. We do use Azure Standard because of the availability of a good organic selection. But our main concern is preservatives. People need to slow down and read the labels, even on their animal feeds. Enjoyed your video.
Always love your videos. I just picked up my first Azure order on Monday. Thanks!
So excited for this channel. ❤ This is the area I need to work on most.
Yay so glad to found you on here, another addiction coming up lol thank you for expanding roots and refuge!