While I relish working outdoors on chilly days, there’s one exception: windy weather. The biting gusts can be downright unpleasant, making it difficult to muster the motivation to tackle indoor homesteading tasks. However, when the cold wind forces me inside, I seize the opportunity to tackle a lengthy list of essential and enjoyable homestead chores.
When winter weather makes outdoor work unbearable, I find myself being more productive than usual, tackling tasks that might otherwise be neglected.
Cooking
As the mercury drops and winter’s chill sets in, I find myself drawn to the warmth and comfort of cooking and crafting edible specialties. The sensory experience of preparing a meal or making something sweet and savory is almost meditative, allowing me to momentarily forget about the harsh weather conditions outside.
When I’m fully immersed in the process, the biting cold becomes mere background noise, replaced by the aroma of fresh herbs, the feel of dough beneath my fingertips, or the satisfying crunch of a perfectly baked cookie.
Cook Dinner Ahead
As an avid cook, I take pride in preparing multiple meals daily for my family. However, my busy schedule often gets the better of me, leading to forgotten slow cooker recipes or neglected roasts. To avoid resorting to hasty pasta dishes or relying on take-out, I rely on my trusty freezer. It’s where I store a stash of wholesome meals cooked ahead during cold winter days – hearty stews, slow-cooked lentils and peas, chili, curry, and soup.
This way, when the day arrives that I need a quick yet satisfying meal from scratch, I’m well-prepared.
Bake Bread and Breakfast Pastry
As winter approaches, the cold days become the perfect excuse to indulge in time-consuming baking activities, such as crafting croissants or sourdough breads for later consumption. Since you’ll need to crank up the heat anyway, why not utilize this opportunity to revive your sourdough starter by placing it near a warm air vent or wood stove? Similarly, proofing your dough can also benefit from these cozy conditions.
Moreover, when preheating the oven for baking or cooking flatbread on the stovetop, you’ll not only achieve the desired warmth but also add to the overall ambiance of your kitchen. When that freshly baked bread emerges from the oven, you can use it as a makeshift hot rock to warm up your hands.
Make Dessert
While I have a strict rule against indulging in store-bought desserts unless they’re made by friends or family, my sweet tooth still gets the better of me during the colder months. To satisfy my cravings and maintain a steady supply of treats, I turn to baking in bulk. I prepare multiple batches of cookies or brownies, portion them out into single-serving sizes, and freeze them for later enjoyment.
Make Tea, Herb, and Spice Blends
When inclement weather strikes, why not seize the opportunity to create something delicious and useful? Gather all those dried herbs and spices you’ve been collecting since summer, along with a few store-bought essentials, and blend them together into unique spice blends or tea concoctions. You can craft custom curry mixes, garam masala blends, five-spice seasoning, or even herbes de Provence for that perfect French flair. The possibilities are endless!
Not only will you have a year-round supply of flavorful combinations, but the process itself can be meditative and satisfying.
Ferment Things
Why not revisit those fruits and vegetables you preserved for the winter? You can take it to the next level by using them to create ferments that will elevate your meals. For instance, apples can be transformed into hard cider, while cabbage becomes the perfect base for homemade kimchi or sauerkraut. Carrots, beets, turnips, and more can be fermented to create crunchy side salads that pair perfectly with winter’s hearty dishes.
You’re not limited to just vegetables – you can also ferment spices to craft unique condiments like fermented mustard or gochujang. And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, why not try your hand at brewing sake or making your own kombucha? Not only will these ferments add excitement to your meals, but they’ll also save you a pretty penny in the long run.
Make Fancy Vinegar
Transforming ordinary vinegar into a flavorful and fragrant concoction is easier than you think. By infusing it with herbs and spices, you can create unique flavor profiles perfect for enlivening salads, marinades, or even using as a gift for friends and family. Take it to the next level by crafting your own ‘fire cider’ or four thieves’ tonic, a classic cold and flu prevention remedy.
This potent elixir is simply made by combining pungent antimicrobials like ginger, garlic, turmeric, and horseradish with raw vinegar, allowing their potent properties to shine through. The possibilities are endless, and the best part? You can customize it to your taste!
Make Cordials
Transforming inexpensive liqueurs into premium cordials is akin to elevating humble vinegar into sophisticated condiments. By infusing whiskey with rosemary, coriander, and honey, you can create a substitute for the luxurious Drambuie. Alternatively, use cheap vodka or rum to craft limoncello, a refreshing treat ideal for gifting and serving at festive gatherings.
Make Aged Cheese
While having a climate-controlled cheese cave or fridge is ideal for aging cheeses, it’s not necessary to achieve excellent results. You can utilize less-than-perfect conditions by leveraging various spaces within your home or on your property. For instance, your basement, a chilly spot in the house, or even an outbuilding with moderate insulation can serve as a suitable environment for affinage.
As long as the temperature remains above freezing and below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, you can successfully age a farmhouse cheddar for approximately 60 days without compromising its quality.
Homemaking
As the seasons transition from spring to summer and then back again to fall, my home transforms into a whirlwind of activity. With gardening, animal care, outdoor construction projects, and simply basking in nature’s splendor consuming most of my time, I rarely venture indoors.
However, when winter rolls around, I’m left craving order and beauty within my walls – not to mention the financial constraints that come with saving up for seeds, compost, and mulch purchases, which often coincides with holiday expenses. Amidst this chaos, one of my top indoor homesteading priorities becomes channeling my creativity within the confines of my home.
Create a Beautiful Homestead Office
As I transitioned from an office setting to homesteading, I initially thought I was leaving behind the need for an organized indoor space. However, I soon realized that even outdoor enthusiasts require a designated area for keeping track of gardening records, planning projects, and organizing books and other materials. Just because you choose to homestead doesn’t mean you can abandon the importance of having an organized office space for managing electronic paperwork.
Take some time to tidy up your existing workspace or create a dedicated office area if you don’t already have one. While size isn’t everything, functionality is key – it’s not about the square footage, but rather creating a space that suits your unique needs and preferences.
Try Easy Homestead Hacks
In many cases, it’s the smallest, most seemingly insignificant changes that can have the greatest impact on our daily lives. Transforming an old sweater into a garlic storage container, or using a puffy envelope to organize earrings, are just two examples of how simple and quick solutions can make all the difference. By embracing these minor adjustments, we can effortlessly simplify our routines and free up precious time for more important things.
So why not try a few clever homestead hacks that won’t require much more than a brief moment of your attention, yet may revolutionize your daily life? The results could be nothing short of astonishing.
Make Your Home Healthier
It’s a little-known fact that even minimal amounts of mold can pose significant health risks to individuals with compromised immune systems, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As we enter the winter season, it’s an ideal time to tackle mold remediation head-on and ensure your home remains a healthy haven.
Winterize Your Home
To maximize the benefits of winterizing your home, don’t just treat the symptoms – address the root causes. Conduct a thorough examination of your property to pinpoint areas where cold air is sneaking in or moisture is building up. By identifying and fixing these vulnerabilities, you’ll not only stave off mold growth but also reduce your utility bills and stay cozy throughout the chilly months.
Start by sealing gaps with weatherstripping, patching holes, or applying caulking – simple measures that can prevent minor issues from snowballing into major problems over time.
Reflect and Skill Up
Homesteading is a dynamic process that requires continuous refinement of skills and systems. The busy seasons of growth, livestock management, and processing often leave little room for improvement or innovation. However, the winter season’s natural slowdown offers a unique opportunity to step back, assess what’s working well, identify areas for improvement, set goals, and conduct research to elevate your homesteading practices.
As you reflect on the past year and plan ahead, consider the following ideas:
Take a Minimalist Approach
As a homesteader, embracing minimalism can be challenging, especially when you’re surrounded by the necessities of animal care and garden maintenance. However, taking time to reflect on your habits during cold weather days can lead to valuable insights and improvements. Here are 20 practices I’ve adopted to simplify my homesteading routine, allowing me to focus on what truly matters.
Right Size Your Homestead
Modern homesteading is an adaptable concept, encompassing a range of approaches and levels of commitment. It can be as simple as adopting a few budget-friendly habits or a more extensive endeavor where you strive to become self-sufficient. The key lies in finding the sweet spot that aligns with your unique circumstances, priorities, and time constraints. Take a moment to reflect on your motivations, available time, and resources.
By doing so, you can ensure that your homesteading endeavors are tailored to meet your needs and limitations, striking a balance between ambition and realism.
Plan New Activities
As you delve into homesteading, the initial excitement can quickly give way to familiarity. However, it’s essential to maintain a sense of novelty to keep your passion alive in the long term. One approach is to regularly reassess your daily routines and identify areas where you can streamline tasks or allocate more time for new pursuits. By doing so, you’ll be empowered to explore fresh interests and hobbies.
For instance, once staple food production and animal husbandry become second nature, you may find yourself with a surplus of time and energy. This is the perfect opportunity to diversify your endeavors, as I have done by cultivating exotic spices, delving deeper into heritage poultry, goat, and pig breeds, and establishing a cut flower garden.
Deepen Your Skill Set
In the colder months, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and let your skills gather dust. But there are plenty of cost-effective ways to keep your knowledge sharp from the comfort of your own home. Whether you’re looking to improve your cooking, gardening, or homesteading skills, there are numerous resources available online that won’t break the bank.
In fact, some of these options can be had for as little as free, while others may cost just a few hundred dollars – a small price to pay for the peace of mind and increased proficiency they’ll bring. If you’re looking to skill up without breaking the bank this winter, consider exploring online resources such as YouTube cooking channels, survival movies, or indoor homesteading tutorials.
With a little creativity and motivation, you can stay on top of your game even when the weather outside is frightful.
Conclusion
As the chill sets in, it’s essential to stay engaged and productive indoors. By having a plan in place for indoor homesteading activities, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the cold days ahead. With a range of engaging pursuits to explore, you’ll not only stay warm but also mentally stimulated until the weather warms up and invites you back outside once more.
