A Late Winter Pantry Tour (Root Cellar, Pantry and Cheese Cave!)

Join me for a late winter pantry tour to see how our food stores are looking, plus take inventory of the items we didn't grow enough of last year!
Also, what went wrong, and what went right?
For links to any of the recipes or preservation methods mentioned in this video, visit the blog post here: homesteadingfamily.com/pantry...
Azure Standard - Thanks to Azure Standard for sponsoring this post. We love using Azure to fill up any gaps in our pantry that we can't grow ourselves here at Riverbend. If you're a first-time Azure customer, be sure to use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10" for 10% off your first order of $50 or more: homesteadingfamily.com/azure-...
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MORE ABOUT US!
WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo
Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at / homesteadingfamily
Instagram: / homesteadingfamily
Rumble: rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily
A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!
Healthy Healing at Home - Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt
Your Best Loaf - A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: homesteadingfamily.com/free-b...
Meals on Your Shelf - Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-f...
FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Homesteading Family's Favorite Holiday Recipes - Grab all of our family’s favorite holiday recipes. homesteadingfamily.com/free-h...
- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT
- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
homesteadingfamily.com/PFYH_YT
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles - These easy casseroles are a life-saver for busy weeks! homesteadingfamily.com/MABC_YT
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YT
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden - Get an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden. homesteadingfamily.com/5Steps...
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop. homesteadingfamily.com/STC_YT
- Fearless Fermenting- A simple guide on basic lacto-ferments. homesteadingfamily.com/FF_YT
- Fermenting Tomatoes - Easiest and fastest tomato preservation: homesteadingfamily.com/FT_YT
- Preserving Culinary Herbs - Downloadable, step-by-step directions to drying, freezing, and salting culinary herbs. homesteadingfamily.com/PCH_YT
- Render Your Own Lard - Grab these easy instructions on how to render your own lard. homesteadingfamily.com/RYL_YT
- Grandma Lynn's Blueberry Buckle - A delicious dessert anytime of year: homesteadingfamily.com/BB_YT
#pantrytour

[@5points7019]

The apple loss is one reason for the old saying... don't put your eggs all in one basket! Freeze dry, dehydrate, canning and fresh... 4 baskets

[@sdw6846]

Carolyn (and crew) I loved this video! The labeling of items as you panned by them was exciting. Also, the "flashbacks" to techniques are fantastic. The usage of your stairwell as cold storage is ingenious. Do you keep the root on the cabbage for longevity? Great video suggestions throughout and at the end. It's lovely to see you and your family enjoying the work and the harvest together. Seriously , WELL DONE everyone! Much love from the Midwest US 💖

[@helencowell700]

I see that you use painters tape to label your shelves with. Good idea it will pill off easy if you decide to put something else in that space. Great idea.

[@gailday7566]

Best pantry video I’ve seen. Enjoyed all the extra stuff you included. Very informative.

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@user-nw5cr1tl6j]

I love watching your videos. I always learn so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world. God bless

[@stephskipcain4599]

How long did it take before you became this organized? How longe before you started feeling comfortable with knowing how much to store? I've been making lists and was able to have food til late February with out many store trips. We are still in the suburbs. Looking for our forever property this year. (We are later in life homesteaders, it's our retirement plan) I retired early, my husband has 8 more years.

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

Similar place here. I hardly know where to start. . . or rather, I start to take on too much at once and end up letting things run amok. Then I take on too little and feel like I'm going to be the first person to starve when the disaster hits.

[@GardeningWarrior]

I am from FL but am stuck in eastern WA. When I moved here in 2017, it was a learning curve for gardening and preserving for me as I prefer to not purchase from the grocery store. Luckily I found out where the local CSA's are and also found out that 2-3 of our local grocery stores actually sell produce and meat that are from local sources. Your channel has been so incredibly helpful in this journey. It has been such a delight seeing your sweet family grow.

[@jsmarek9687]

I learned a lot about how to manage food in different ways . I never thought of before.

[@kendabrewster2154]

I am a full time RV'r and can't possibly do what you guys do but I have taken some of your tips and adapted to our lifestyle. I have delved into the sourdough world and no longer need to buy bread at the store.

[@lauram1145]

That’s awesome! I’m a suburbanite, and agree, we adapt to what we can do with our circumstances. We can all do something, and learn as we go.

[@mattspencer9538]

Love your channel! Thanks for always sharing great tips from your experience.

[@HalfLatinaJoy86]

I'd consider getting or creating like a barrier to put at the bottom of each row in case there's an earthquake so your jars don't slide out. Otherwise, I love your pantry!!

[@ttschrock7126]

Thank you Carolyn. I love videos like these that help me. It is like you are my sister and I get to be part of the planning for this year. I don't freeze dry, but I do everything else and have been dehydrating. I just don't anticipate using it as much as you do. There are only two of us. Be well and thanks again!! I love your pantry!!

[@ttschrock7126]

Your plowman's meal are my Sabbath Day meals.... cheese, veggies, crackers, etc. I love those meals!

[@cynthia5018]

Thank you Carolyn. Beautiful pantry. God Bless you all.

[@YourWellnessPath]

I am so grateful to have discovered your channel and your teaching platform. I am learning a lot and my family and I are starting to gradually apply it in our lives 💖

[@LA-mn7jr]

Pantry videos are my fav 😁

[@terrafirma75]

Please do a video on dandelion wine!

[@sura2047]

I’m from Australia, I cannot begin to fathom how cold it gets there 😲 your under the stairs root cellar is colder than the refrigerator in my home!

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

The upside is sledding, skiing, and being able to grow cold-weather thing like rhubarb, apples, and raspberries.

[@jillywells1232]

That's our Country, hot in Winter, Spring and Autumn and screaming hot in Summer!😅😅😅

[@sura2047]

@@jillywells1232 and I’m in Melbourne 😂

[@jctrumb]

So inspiring. Thank you for sharing and educating us all. I appreciate you.

[@FarmhouseTeas]

Bucket list goals ❤ Thanks for sharing you guys!

[@jenniferhoward2127]

So glad I came upon your channel! I hope to learn more and more.

[@cindymichaud7111]

Great video, thanks Carolyn. Have a blessed day ✝

[@amy-qq9og]

It was wonderful to see all of your food storage! And to see your family!

[@carrieosborn2185]

We discovered dehydrated italian prune plums last summer. I traded my prolific pear tree for some, and then for some more. Typucally i freeze plum cake and make a savoyry plum sauce for roasts, but this time we dehydrated and yes, they are fantastic and we too had to ration them out…so addicting. An amazing and lovely pantry -full of variety and it truly really shows how much your kitchen hums with work in thise few months. Whew!

[@bethlocke9866]

Very interesting especially how you manage the preserving throughout the seasons of the year!

[@ttschrock7126]

Can you show how you make elderberry vinegar? That would be fabulous!!

[@marcfruchtman9473]

Normally, I wouldn't even consider watching a video about an inventory of a pantry -- BUT, this was really interesting. So thank you for the tour. I probably should learn more about making cheese too!

[@bharatteotia4652]

It doesn't look like a cellar, more like a shop back in old days; without labels, so clean and organized. Great work!🤠

[@mama_bear_since_0989]

I'm always amazed at everything y'all have learned and become skilled in. I hope to be able to do half as much food making/preserving as you do one day, but with a bare bottom income and no one to teach me the old ways, it's information that's hard to come by.

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Enjoyed the pantry update. Sorry to hear about the apples. Glad you done well other wise 😊

[@missamy1]

You have such a beautiful family!

[@tinacarr9498]

Excellent to see freeze dried cabbage! I was wondering if that FD well.

[@kellywingard4548]

Love the new editing, upgrades the view experience!

[@vaniafarmar5281]

Lovely video!! Loved seeing the family in the kitchen.

[@lynnchastain8224]

Your such a good mom

[@rachelseibert7882]

I love your pantry! Great job!

[@roszcutler9724]

Thank you so much for this video and all the hard work you and your family do then share with us. God Bless you all.

[@TJ_in_GA]

I would love to see more videos like this!

[@tdewtx]

I really loved seeing people this year add water to the fat and boil it for several hours, then cool and refrigerate. Then pull off the fat cap and add in water again repeating the process. This removes some of the animal smell so it can be used without the beef /pig/animal smell for cooking and using it in soaps and creams. I was fascinated to learn you could even do that.

[@tamararobinson2069]

I Love & Learn so much from these videos Thank You Carolyn!!! 🤓❤

[@bobrice2441]

Absolutely love this video! We've been going through our pantry to see what we need to increase or decrease next season. Thank you! 🙏🏻❤️‍🔥

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mississippiapple1078]

One of the most beautiful videos and families ever

[@chelseabradish3764]

Your family is so beautiful and inspiring. I have 2 of my own and don't feel quite "done" yet. But I feel like if I have another one, it'll open some sort of floodgate and I'll have like 8 more 😅

[@ashleyporter9330]

Loved this video! My goal this year is to build up our long term storage!

[@terristewart6119]

Great video! Thank you for sharing all this information! Blessings!

[@claudettewilcher5282]

Love this video!

[@doreennapoli8953]

Where have you been all winter, I haven't been getting any of your videos for a long time, my subscription is still going, nice to see you back

[@helencowell700]

You are such an inspiration

[@cynthia5018]

Potato ONIONS are all we grow now here in our Michigan garden. Great multipliers. We harvest ONIONS and SETS. Best storage ONION ever. Great flavor.

[@purplechris9480]

I'm in Michigan. Never heard of potato onions.

[@cynthia5018]

We originally purchased them in 2017 from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. A mild sweetness, great flavor. We harvest plenty for storage and plenty of sets for next planting, which we plant the end of October at the same time we plant our garlic. These yellow potato onions store exceptionally well in our basement with temperatures ranging 50 to 65 degrees. We absolutely Love them.

[@GardeningWarrior]

About the Azure Standard, I love it and I found out about them from your channel. I must try this cinnamon cider. Is there a recipe you have somewhere?

[@tinaentz693]

I would love to see some freeze dried videos step-by-step

[@juliabrown5948]

I just found out about a KZbin collaboration called freeze dried February which has a ton of FD videos!

[@suezeeque1]

ROASTED BEETS!! yummm....can you share the recipe :D

[@NicoleHoltActress]

Lovely storage! It's just hubby and me at home, so we would be fine with just a quarter of your leftover pantry ;)

[@JanuaryLisa]

Can you make a video showing how you make the ciders and wines? ❤

[@kathygarner419]

Carolyn: In one of your more recent videos about stocking in supplies for your homestead for the 2024 year you mentioned the cost of toilet paper. I am sure with your crew you use a lot. Back during the pandemic my husband and I put in our first bidet as an add on to an existing toilet. The installation required no special tools and was simple. We now have them on both our toilets and have come to enjoy them. The cost of a retrofit/ add-on bidet can be as little as $50. If you forego the heated seat, blower and water heater versions. While it is true that they do use a small amount of water, our toilet paper usage has gone down significantly. Our bidet's have paid for themselves and them some. We have a clear rear and it is my favorite bidet of the two. It might be something you want to look into with the cost of toilet paper being over $20+ per bundle these days.

[@timprice1742]

You never use the specific term The Hunger Gap (or Hungry Gap), but what a great video about how to survive that in a modern homesteading sort of way.

[@sheliaheverin8822]

I wish I could get ahold of some huckleberries. Haven't had them since I was a kid.

[@hihi-nv4kf]

Much 💘 and respect ur videos

[@ashleelund2901]

I'm eating freeze dried Pico di Gallo right now! So fresh and summery!

[@lauraIngleswilder74]

I also live in north Idaho also

[@kathleenlee1939]

have you ever thought about doing a pit greenhouse for your fresh produce?

[@cecilecottier5171]

Thanks for this good video, it really is informative. I'm interested in knowing what are all the food you still dehydrate. Since you have a freeze dryer, the things you still continue to dehydrate must be really good. I'm in Europe and freeze dryers are not available, and I'd like to enjoy more dehydrated food. Thanks!

[@tinacarr9498]

Cant wait to retire so my shelves can be that full!!

[@peggyraiees-dana1155]

So much to know...

[@labellavita2248]

Thank you, Carolyn, very helpful. Could you please share where you purchased your wood crates? I've seen them at various places, but I'm wondering if they are food safe. Thank you.

[@juliabrown5948]

Carolyn, do you happen to have a video that shows your growing onions from seed?

[@mariadefatimacardoso6492]

I love. Kisses from Azeitão Lisbon Portugal 😃❤️❤️❤️🇵🇹🇵🇹

[@1MzSyd1]

Huckleberry!!!! Last year I grew it from seed and loved them canned into perseves!!! However the ones u grow from seed are ANNUALS. I am trying to find a reliable source for perrenial and hoping they taste the same! They are probably native for you!!! ❤

[@JEHomestead]

Great pantry tour video!! Do you have a link for your Cheese Cave ?

[@yukey2587]

I really recommend a good pantry and gardening skills. With the price of food nowadays.....

[@marilyn4274]

You should make plum wine

[@jenniferschmitt7938]

Have you tried putting coffee grounds around your garden to keep the cats away? I did that on another property and it seemed to work very well. I actually didn't have enough coffee grounds so I went to a coffee shop and they gave me all of their used grounds I had a large black trash bag full of coffee grounds for free

[@juliabrown5948]

They are great for compost too

[@pantryraidz7609]

Oh my...

[@laraehafen3081]

Do you have a video on your plum syrup? I have a plum tree and have never used them like I would like to. They are always very small and hard to cut up.

[@catracampolieto8989]

❤

[@reneedickerson4489]

❤❤❤

[@marcusburns4377]

Sounds like you need an onion gaurd dog.

[@jasofalltrades6052]

Can you make a video on dandelion wine??? ❤❤❤

[@yulanblumhagen3955]

What kind of shavings you use for your beets, carrots and potatoes???

[@kathleenlee1939]

how did you get the beets not to bleed out in the oven? thank you

[@donnabauerofbrilliancebyde1178]

How do you keep the mice from eating and or nesting in your pantries? How do ya store food when space is limited? I

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

I just tried to make a brie. I got horrible levels of brevibacterium linens. Have y'all had problems with this and what was your solution?

[@user-qq2xu6gt9j]

Please do a video on blueberries. I know that you can freeze them. But I would like to know how I could can them.

[@JanuaryLisa]

Dehydrating is awesome, too! 🫐

[@pbkup]

Do you layer paper in between each layer of apples?

[@kathleen4023]

You don't have to blanch you vegetales before freeze drying?

[@catherinemcgrath5549]

Hello I would like to know more about your cheese cave thank you

[@shannonjensen9915]

Have you ever made deer lard? I don’t know if there is enough fat on them but I never thought of bear lard before and we have friends who hunt them every year!

[@adelechlebeck1587]

We make deer tallow. You render it just like beef tallow. I think it is probably harder than beef tallow, but I don't really know because I have never handled beef tallow.

[@annlyle8348]

❤🎉

[@debarnold5019]

I'm confused...if I run my tomatoes through a food processor, how do I rehydrate them into diced tomatoes?

[@ritalowman5863]

Do you put moisture absorbing packs in your jars with freeze dried foods?

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Yes.

[@hoosierpioneer]

Is there an equivalent to Azure Standard East of the Mississippi? There are no drop points anywhere near me. Of course I want to buy the heavy stuff😅

[@tamaramcgrath3327]

Give Azure a call. I know Jackson Mississippi had a drop

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

Isn't it red currant sryup, not current syrup?

[@kaylahigginbotham943]

Have you found a way to keep cats out of the garden? I have had the same issue with my cats

[@HomesteadingFamily]

More on that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/omnOn2pmqbdrrM0

[@Warpreacher]

How early did you plant your onions?

[@HomesteadingFamily]

More on it here: homesteadingfamily.com/growing-onions-from-seed/

[@roundmott]

What are you using as your Cheese Cave?

[@fionmor4893]

I love Azure but they do not deliver .... so I can't use them.... sadly

[@juliabrown5948]

You can pay for shipping and they will!!

[@macnlace]

Is your cow dry? Is that why you are running low on cheese? I am dreading the day we have to dry our cow off!

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Yes. Hopefully we will be back in milk soon.

[@bubbaredneck75]

is there anyway you guys could do a comparison video on a freeze dryer and a food dehydrator? i live in arizona and can build a solar degydrator for cheap compared to upwards of a 1000 dollars for the freeze dryer machine. like pros and cons of each and differances in the food when done each way. lover you guys videos

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4falI2Inbd9opI

[@marylindsay6241]

I am not a Trump supporter or a Biden supporter. I want another choice

[@joecannon5593]

What does your political statement have to do with Carolyn's presentation?

[@jeanmarriott6313]

❤