Winter’s chill brings a sense of coziness to our homestead, as the snow blankets the garden and the animals settle into their winter routines. While it’s true that many of us can’t devote unlimited hours to project work, even in the midst of winter, there are still plenty of opportunities to chip away at those weekend projects we’ve been putting off. A few well-placed days off from work or a burst of motivation on the weekends can be all you need to make significant progress.
Here’s what I recommend tackling:
Meal Prep
Meal prep is a polarizing activity that can be either a lifesaver or a chore, but one thing’s certain: having a few reliable staples in your arsenal can be a game-changer. Set aside a weekend to prepare a handful of meals that can be quickly reheated on those days when cooking just isn’t feasible.
Clean Out the Freezer
As the winter season approaches, take advantage of the opportunity to thoroughly cleanse and defrost your freezer. A cold snap is the perfect excuse to remove all contents from the appliance and transfer them to temporary storage containers placed on the porch or in a climate-controlled area such as a barn. The benefits of a clean and well-maintained freezer are twofold: not only will it operate more efficiently, but you’ll also enjoy reduced energy consumption.
A free-flowing, defrosted freezer requires less effort from your unit, ultimately yielding cost savings for you.
Sourdough Bread-Making
Winter weekends are the perfect excuse to indulge in a slow and deliberate process, like nurturing a batch of sourdough bread to rise. As the dough ferments, the warmth from your oven will add a cozy ambiance to your home. This rustic bread is a match made in heaven when paired with a hearty winter soup, such as borscht or chicken noodle.
For those looking to master the art of sourdough baking, consider consulting Peter Reinhart’s ‘The Bread Baker’s Apprentice’ or Jeffrey Hamelman’s ‘Bread’, both esteemed resources that offer valuable tips and techniques for success.
Coffee Roasting
With the basic process mastered, roasting your own coffee becomes an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The aroma of freshly roasted beans fills the air, transforming your home into a cozy cafe. Plus, you’ll always have access to the freshest, most superior brews in town.
As you explore the world of unroasted beans, discover unique flavor profiles from diverse regions. For me, Haitian coffee stands out for its velvety texture and depth of flavors.
Feel free to experiment and find your perfect cup!
Soap Making
If you’re like me and find yourself with a stash of frozen goat’s milk from the summer harvest, consider transforming it into a unique and nourishing soap. This DIY project requires minimal labor time, taking around an hour to complete. With the right materials, you can easily churn out several batches in a single weekend. Plus, homemade soap makes for a thoughtful and personalized gift for friends and family during the holiday season.
Cheesemaking
Spend a leisurely weekend delving into the world of cheesemaking, and you’ll be rewarded with an abundance of fresh, homemade cheese. Mozzarella, chevre, and cream cheeses are perfect entry points for beginners, as they require minimal equipment and effort to produce. By dedicating a full weekend to this process, you can generate a substantial supply of artisanal cheeses, ideal for sharing with friends or selling at local markets.
Smoking Meats
Home-smoked meats are truly a treat, and with the right setup, even beginners can give it a try. If you’re new to smoking meats, there’s no better time to start than on a cozy winter weekend at home. Plus, if you have an older woodstove, you might be surprised to find that it has a built-in smoker shelf, eliminating the need for separate equipment.
Just be sure not to attempt this project during exceptionally cold weekends unless you have multiple heat sources available, as smoking requires low and steady temperatures over extended periods.
Canning
While it’s ideal to get all your canning done during harvest season, life doesn’t always cooperate. For me, winter is the perfect time to focus on marmalades, specialty jellies, brandied pears, applesauce, and borscht. When summer and fall become overwhelming, however, I have a clever backup plan: freezing! I’ll prepare batches of relish, tomatoes, and soup during these busy periods, knowing that come winter, they’ll be ready to transform into delicious canned treats.
Icefishing
While some might view ice fishing as simply a means to escape the daily grind, we consider it a vital part of our homestead’s self-sufficiency. Freshly caught fish is a staple in our diet, and a weekend spent ice fishing can provide an abundance of delicious meals for us to enjoy. While fun is certainly had on these outings, we believe that indulging in activities like this is a well-deserved treat after a long week.
Making Herbal Wines
There’s something truly special about crafting herbal wines, which are essentially infused wines that can elevate a meal or serve as a soothing remedy. As the winter months approach, I find myself drawn to this project once again. One of my go-to blends involves combining cacao nibs and 1-2 chili peppers with a rich, dry red wine – specifically cabernet sauvignon.
To create this warming concoction, simply add all the ingredients to a large bottle on a Friday night and let it infuse until Sunday evening, when you can strain out the solids and enjoy your delicious, circulation-enhancing wine at home or share it with friends and family at holiday gatherings.
Hide Tanning
Discovering the art of hide tanning is an innovative approach to reducing waste, particularly when it comes to animal byproducts. From deer hides to rabbit pelts and even squirrel skins (yes, you can learn to tan that unfortunate critter you hit with your car!), this eco-friendly technique allows for a creative way to repurpose materials that would otherwise go to waste.
Why not spend the weekend honing your skills in tanning furs and hides using natural methods like egg-based treatments instead of relying on harsh chemicals found in commercial products? The possibilities are endless, and the benefits to our environment are undeniable.
Build a Rabbit Hutch
Raising rabbits or considering it? Either way, building a rabbit hutch is a low-cost and productive project for your homestead. The good news is that constructing one of these enclosures isn’t a daunting task; you can easily complete the project over a single winter weekend, even with limited DIY experience.
Plan Next Summer’s Garden
To set yourself up for a thriving gardening experience, begin by laying the groundwork in the winter months. This is the perfect time to design your garden’s layout, place orders for seeds, and give your tools a good cleaning. If you’re lucky enough to have late winter on your hands, take advantage of it to prepare your seed-starting area. By doing so, you’ll ensure that everything you need to nurture your garden’s growth is in order.
With a solid plan in place, you’ll be primed and ready to start planting the moment the time is right.
Build New Hives
Winter is an ideal season to construct a beehive, whether you’re already an experienced beekeeper or eagerly anticipating the arrival of your first hive in the spring. As the cold weather sets in, take advantage of the cozy atmosphere to build your hive indoors, surrounded by the warmth and comfort of your home. The scrap wood can even find its way into the fireplace, adding a satisfying crackle to your winter’s evening.
Paint a Room
Transforming an indoor space can have a profound impact on the overall ambiance of a home. During the winter months, there’s nothing quite like walking into a freshly renovated room that’s been revitalized with a new coat of paint. If you’ve been putting off patching drywall or updating your walls, now is the perfect opportunity to tackle those projects and give one of your rooms a much-needed facelift over the weekend.
Process Honey
As the winter season approaches, beekeepers can seize the opportunity to strain out their honey. The process may take some time, but the reward is well worth it – a stash of sparkling clean, fresh honey and a bounty of beeswax awaiting creative reuse. One innovative way to utilize this byproduct is by infusing raw honey with homegrown garlic for a deliciously potent immune-boosting treat.
Candlemaking
Transforming a stash of beeswax or repurposing old candles can be a fun and creative way to produce new, handmade candles. The process allows for versatility, with options ranging from dipping wicks into wax to using traditional candle molds or even unconventional materials like toilet paper rolls set in a tray of sand. This DIY approach not only yields unique, personalized candles but also provides an opportunity to add a personal touch by incorporating essential oils for a distinct scent.
Splitting Wood
Winter weekends on a homestead often revolve around a consistent task: processing wood for the cold months ahead. This might involve embarking on a mission to find and haul out an old tree, or simply tackling the stored wood from last fall, splitting it into manageable pieces and stacking it neatly away.
There’s no better time to tackle this task than when winter storms are looming on the horizon.
By splitting, stacking, and restocking your firebox, you’ll be thoroughly prepared to face whatever the storm may bring.
Make Herbal Remedies
As the cold winter weather sets in, it’s the perfect time to prepare herbal lung tonics, cough syrups, and soothing salves. Our outdoor herbs are carefully harvested in the fall, just before the first frost, and then dried to preserve their potency. On crisp winter weekends, I love to gather my dried herbs, along with any additional ingredients needed, and spend some quality time crafting my own natural remedies.
There’s something special about creating your own healthcare solutions when you know exactly what you might need to stay healthy throughout the season.
Candy Making
Winter weekends spent making candy with my kids are a sweet treat for everyone involved. As we work together to create a variety of tasty treats, the aroma of melting chocolate and caramel fills the air, making our home smell like a cozy candy shop. It’s a magical time of year when we can slow down, have fun, and make memories that will last long after the holiday season is over.
By spending quality time with my little ones as we pour chocolates, roll truffles, cook toffee, and shape caramels into festive shapes, I’m not only creating a bounty of delicious goodies but also filling our home with joy and warmth.
Fermentation
When preparing meals for freezing, consider simultaneously cultivating fermented foods that can thrive in cool storage and provide a nutrient boost during the winter months. Start by making simple, naturally fermented options like sauerkraut, pickles, kvas, or kimchi – each of these easy-to-prepare foods offers a wealth of benefits for your diet.
Practice Shooting
As winter approaches, wild animals can become increasingly bold. To ensure the safety of your livestock, it’s essential to prioritize gun safety and target practice during weekends. This not only prepares you for potential threats but also keeps your skills sharp. If you haven’t used your firearm in a while, the winter season is an ideal time to bring it back out. Take this opportunity to thoroughly clean and inspect your weapon, getting reacquainted with its mechanics and handling.
Don’t wait until an unexpected situation arises before reaching for your firearm – be proactive in maintaining your skills and preparedness.
Make Cleaning Supplies
Now is the perfect opportunity to take control of your cleaning supplies and create your own natural solutions. Simply combine vinegar, rubbing alcohol, lemon, or other household staples to craft effective cleaners that will leave your home shining like new. The benefits of making your own cleaning products are twofold – not only will you be reducing your reliance on harsh chemicals, but you’ll also be preparing yourself for a stress-free spring cleaning session.
So why not take the time this winter weekend to start experimenting with DIY cleaning solutions and reap the rewards come springtime?
Deep Clean
Winter is an excellent time to tackle that deep cleaning you’ve been putting off! While spring can be a busy season on the homestead with new growth and outdoor projects, winter offers a quiet calm that’s perfect for focusing on indoor tasks. Take advantage of the downtime to give your home a thorough makeover. Start by giving your rugs a good deep clean, followed by washing curtains and scrubbing walls until they’re sparkling.
Next, tackle decluttering by sorting through cluttered areas, removing items you no longer need or use, and donating or repurposing them as needed. Finally, don’t forget to pull out those drawers and give them a good scrub to get rid of any lingering dirt and grime. By the time spring rolls around, you’ll be feeling refreshed and rejuvenated in your newly cleaned home.
Forage
While the thought of winter may not immediately evoke images of foraging, it’s actually an ideal time to get out there and gather a variety of plants. The season offers a unique set of resources that can be used in a range of ways. Fungi, conifer needles, birch bark and branches, nuts and seeds, rose hips, and numerous other options become accessible during this time.
Make Yogurt
Indulge in the joy of creating your own scrumptious homemade yogurt! Consider dedicating a lazy winter weekend to mastering the art of yogurt-making, allowing you to stockpile a stash for future snacking pleasure. As an added bonus, any excess can be easily frozen, ensuring a sweet treat awaits when spring arrives.
Declutter
As the winter season sets in, many of us are drawn to the idea of simplifying our lives by embracing a minimalist approach. The popular Marie Kondo-inspired mantra of ‘don’t keep something that doesn’t spark joy’ has become a guiding principle for decluttering and letting go of items that no longer serve us. By donating or selling these unwanted possessions, we can create space in our homes and minds to focus on what truly adds value to our lives.
