Early March 2024 | Practical Self Reliance
Goose Eggs, Maple Syrup & Mud Season
Early March is when everything kicks off all at once. We are suddenly buried in eggs and welcoming the first of warm weather. And by that, I mean Vermont “T-Shirt Weather,” which is when the temps hit 40 F for the first time in months, and I break out my strappy sandals and sun dresses.
Not the most practical in the chicken coop and mud-covered paths, but practicality takes the back seat to enjoy mud season in its full glory.
Those same temperatures cause a shiver through three sweaters in October, but suddenly, somehow, they’re a cause for skipping and bare skin in March.
Our days are filled with hauling sap buckets and boiling syrup, and our first early peas are planted. (Tomatoes can’t be planted until June, but peas and other cold weather frost-tolerant crops allow us to get a jumpstart on the season.)
Leaving the house is a recipe for getting stuck axle-deep in the mud somewhere, and so we’re here, smelling sweet sap and munching on microgreens and pickled eggs.
The geese are laying strong, and I have about a dozen of these rich, creamy beauties on my counter (and more coming every day, plus chicken eggs…). Goose eggs are the size of 2-3 large chicken eggs, and have a much larger yolk.
While goose eggs can be used like chicken eggs in any recipe, they really shine in places where you want extra yolk and richness. Custard, waffles, hollandaise, carbonara, lemon curd…you know, all those decadent eggy spring delights.
They also make a darn good Dutch baby.
News & Announcements
Fun new books and events that y’all might love! If I missed your new book or event, please do leave a note in the comments to tell us all about it.
Wholistic Orchard Weekend (& Apprenticeship) ~ I’m a huge fan of the books of the late Michael Phillips, and his works on holistic orchard management are a must for anyone who hopes to grow apples on their homestead. Nancy Phillips, his wife and the Author of The Herbalists Way (also an excellent read), contacted me to let me know that they’re hosting workshops this year at their teaching orchard in NH, where they conserve hundreds of heirloom apple varieties. They have an intensive weekend on June 8th and 9th, as well as a one-weekend-a-month apprenticeship for the growing season. If you’re serious about apples, it’s well worth a look!
The Homegrown Herbal Apothecary ~ Devon Young of Nitty Gritty Life, has written a number of excellent herbal guides, and her newest just came out this week. The link above takes you to where you can order an autographed copy, direct from Devon’s hands to yours.
Things You Might Need This Week
Mud season is still a long way from actual “spring” here in the north, and our Morels and dandelions are still months away, but I know most of you live where March actually does mean real spring…so here’s some spring inspiration to get you started:
Dandelion Mead (Honey Wine with Flowers)
Seasonal Preserving
Recipes to keep your larder full all year round…in season now:
How to Make Maple Sugar (from maple syrup)
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Things I’m Loving
Harvest Right Freeze Dryers ~ We have so much hiking planned this summer, and our freeze dryer is busy preserving homemade lightweight camping meals. They’ll be convenient just add water meals like Mountain House, but with our own homemade recipes (so my kids are sure to love them), and they’re a lot less expensive than the store-bought camping meals on the shelves these days.
Fatworks ~ Healthy, grass-fed, organic animal-based fats are the foundation of our cooking, and in the past, we raised all of our own meat and rendered our own cooking fats by the pint, quart, and even gallon jar for our pantry. Tallow, schmaltz, goose fat, duck fat, leaf lard…they’re all healthy, delicious magic. We’re taking a break from meat production to focus on family this year, but that doesn’t mean our diet has changed. If you’ve never had duck-fat fried potatoes, you haven’t lived. Simple as that.
Wild Grain is keeping our freezer full of ready-to-bake Sourdough goodies as we tackle the busy early spring season. I’m still not spending enough time inside tending my wee sourdough beasties, but while my starter languishes in favor of other chores, we still have delicious, fresh baked sourdough bread to eat.
What are you harvesting, preserving, building, or exploring on your homestead this week? I’d love to hear about it!
Leave me a note in the comments…
(Comments only, please. Emails tend to get lost in my inbox, and as much as I’d love to get back to each and every one, my screen time is very limited…and things fall through the cracks, and emails get buried in my inbox. If you comment here, they’re all in one place, and it’s much easier to get back to every single one.)
Until Next Time,
Ashley at Practical Self Reliance
My Harvest Right is going non-stop. Taking care of the fall veggies before they start regrowing although I did miss a basket of potatoes, but the chicks/turkeys enjoyed them. Too small to use to regrow.
Finishing up all the winter projects and cleaning. Repairing clothing that has been sitting in my basket for months.
Learning about self-defense and weapons safety.
Walking the property. Making plans. Dreaming of projects.
Wishing I was younger. But forging ahead regardless. Trying to keep the madness of the world from destroying my soul. But still trying to be a force of good in my community.
Pam from Vermont
years ago i developed a different way of planting which doubles your garden yield and also keeps weeds from growing as badly if you are interested let me know and i will share thanks for your site i do enjoy it