How to Inflation Proof Your Meat Prices | Buying a Whole Hog

[@AcreHomestead]

Butcher Box - If you shop through my Butcher Box link you will get FREE bacon for life and $20 dollars off your first five boxes!! -- bchrbox.co/scratchpantry

[@21BCAR]

My daughter and I love watching you together! She wants a garden now because of watching you! She's 4

[@stevienicks1269]

So what are you going to grow?

[@christinesellers188]

she is going to grow fairies and dreams...x

[@Mafia_Dawn]

Same! My daughter is 8 and has Acre Homested on auto play.

[@21BCAR]

@@stevienicks1269 she said she wants cucumbers for sure

[@21BCAR]

@@christinesellers188 we've got a few fairy gardens already! She said she's big enough to do veggies now

[@neme7725]

I'm actually vegetarian but I absolutely love these videos you make ( actually all the videos haha). It makes me appreciate farmers even more and when I watch you make your meals, there's real profound joy in knowing whats in the mea is real. I try to buy most of my dairy from our local farmers, and not only does it taste so much better , it helps support local business.

[@AcreHomestead]

Wow thank you so much! being a meat eater I want to respect that and try to buy the best quality I can for the farmer, earth, animal

[@bigtoeproductions9195]

I am also a vegetarian but out of all my subscription videos, your whole hog video is the one I picked to watch first! I must just enjoy watching your videos!!

[@Mindy56743]

As someone who doesn’t eat pork it is definitely not my type of meat. I purchase most of my meat from my cousin that raise beef and I am able to know the quality of getting it from a farmer.

[@yolivarela4258]

@@AcreHomestead I'm vegetarian too. And i love your videos too.

[@natashaching7370]

I can confirm that canned pork butt is INCREDIBLE! We pop open a can, toss with taco seasoning, and make tacos. So good.

[@quallssr]

If you ever wanted to do a "what I eat for dinner" post, I'd love it. I love seeing how you use up all your veggies and such.

[@AcreHomestead]

I need to do that!! Thank you!!

[@rosaking8488]

We recently bought a raffle ticket for a quarter of a steer that one of our dear friends’ daughter raised. There was 100 squares. So four people had a chance to win. The proceeds went to Rylee for her college tuition. Well… WE won a quarter of that steer and will be getting a little over 200#’s of roast, hamburger, steaks, ribs and maybe a brisket! We had to go buy a freezer for all of that beef! We were so surprised and so thankful to God for this Blessing! My husband loves to grill so this should keep him busy for awhile and I plan on making some freezer meals for the two of us so I don’t have to spend the evenings after work preparing dinner. 😄

[@gaylecollins7367]

I raise and sale pork and beef. Thank you for supporting us local farmers!

[@LindySellsHomes]

You do more than just show, you TEACH. This and your fun energy makes your channel unique. Thank you for the time you spend helping us learn.

[@Loriann4444]

I buy everything in bulk have chickens and ducks. I can knit crochet and garden and I just love yoir videos. 40 yrs of this life and I can still learn something new. Thank you Becky

[@angellinafosse1936]

what do you knit or crochet? i'm working on a blanket while watching this.

[@karenforman8562]

Oh…I want to learn how to knit.

[@joannathesinger770]

As an older single, I think a whole hog is too much for just me, but I do like the concept. It would feed me MUCH longer than a year. I do have some food security in that I bought a couple of small chest freezers last summer in the early months of the pandemic and stocked them when prices were really good. I got some amazing deals on berries, in particular, and will be making jam some time this winter. I also am going to give a go to making my own bacon over the holiday break. I did get some pork belly to do just that.

[@jacquelineiversen5661]

May I recommend Mississippi pot roast for pressure canning the pork butt. It's a game changer!!! Leave out the thickening agent until it's served up for dinner. Many KZbins showing this recipe Meat on the shelf is the best. No worries with a power outage either. Love ALL your videos! I've been catching up since Jess from roots and refuge mentioned your freezer meals. All your content is fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing, you do an AWESOME JOB.

[@lotus....]

Good information on buying the whole hog. We raise Kunekune pigs. They are friendly, love being scratched & petted, don't root much, don't try to get out of their pastures, good mothers, Red lovely meat. They graze on grass and weeds. We feed a little bit of grain as well. They really don't cost that much to raise. They say Kunekunes practically get fat on air lol. This spring we are getting a few angus feeder calves.

[@texasproud8822]

My husband and I are also on camera comfortably. It shows how much he believes in you to back you on full time KZbin.

[@estellaeggleston1643]

We are actually heading right now to our Amish friend of 11 years to butcher three hogs! Two for our family and one for my brother. He raises them for me and we go and butcher them and make every cut we want. It is a fun day with friends and a very cheap way to feed my family. We pay 175.00 per pig

[@lindayounce4494]

I have been canning chicken, pork turkey, venison and beef for several years. It is more versatile and convenient than frozen. You must pressure can it. I cut it into chunks, pack it raw in canning jars to 1 inch from the top. I don't add anything (the meat juices create the liquid). Pressure can at 20 pounds of pressure for 75 minutes. It has always come out perfectly every time. Pull it off the shelf and have your pulled pork sandwich in 15 to 20 minutes.

[@sandylee8184]

You seem so much more relaxed now that you have made the decision to make this your passion. Love to watch you, very informative video, we've bought a half beef but never a whole hog. Thank You for the info and have a wonderful day.

[@AcreHomestead]

Wow thank you so very much! I am so glad you are here, Sandy!

[@sandylee8184]

@@AcreHomestead I'm glad to have watched you grow. The first time I watched one of your videos I thought you are really going somewhere, I think everyone knew it before you.

[@babar86]

I have a freezer full of organic local meat, thanks to this and other channels on youtube! Prices on meats are slowly creeping up now, so I am so grateful for being prepared. With the prices for electricity more than doubled since last year it’s going to be a tough winter here in Norway for many people.

[@katiebwheeler]

I grab pork roast all the time when it's on sale, toss it in my crockpot with some water and at the end of the day jar it up in pint jars and pressure can it. It turns out really well. Ive got about 20 jars in my pantry right now...

[@calistarlim3242]

We always cook our sausages/hotdogs/wursts/longanisa, etc in about 2mm of water to make sure it gets cooked all through, then whack in some butter and cook till nice and a little charred. Always done this as it seems to bring out the best flavours, also ensures it’s cooked through.

[@GerberDaisy72]

We just got a whole hog a couple of weeks ago. 202 lbs. By the end of December we will have a half beef as well, at 420 lbs for our half. We’ve done beef for several years but this was our first hog. Every butcher does things a bit different, and we may find a different butcher next time for our hog. I wasn’t very happy with their sausage. But it feels so good having some food security.

[@AcreHomestead]

That is amazing!!

[@fredzi1225]

I'm glad that you have been able to make youtube fulltime, I bet Josh is REALLY glad - that food looked amazing

[@terrivandeberg6040]

Hi Becky. I grew up eating Wisconsin brats cooked in beer and then grilled. Reminiscing makes my mouth water. Enjoy!!!

[@AcreHomestead]

Oh yum!!

[@MySemiCountryLife]

Thank you for explaining all of that. As a house wife who grew up in Manhattan and now lives in Appalachia I'm sometimes lost on these things. Your videos help explain in a way that I can understand the first time around so thank you. Thinking about doing this for my family as well now that I know how it all works out.

[@kaylaklover]

Can you please do a video making treats? Also cooking up a brisket if you ever get a chance :).

[@divas2557]

Even though we live in different region (I live in the Caribbean - Trinidad and Tobago) I look forward to your video. You are very thorough, enthusiastic and charismatic. As well, you are very real nit trying to seem that the things you are doing are always perfect. I truly enjoy your videos Have you figured out your schedule for releasing videos as yet

[@j.i.m.b9282]

actually two words all i oli, garlic and oil that came together in one ... greetings from the mediterranean area in spain. Merry Christmas to you and your family

[@momlife2745]

We vacuum seal left over pulled pork and then use the souse vide method to reheat it. It’s almost better after being reheated. It’s like all the flavors marinade longer and it becomes so tender. It does dry out a tad faster after being reheated. So, if there’s any left after the second heating it would be great in Brunswick stew or something like that. So happy to have found your channel BTW, keep up the great work ☺️

[@lydiah7184]

We bought 1/2 a cow in Jan this year and it was awesome! There was a LOT of ground beef but overall a good experience, nice to always have meat in my freezer.

[@coverscornersurburbanhomes6235]

We have been buying bulk pork and beef for many years. Much better flavor and texture. Thanks for sharing! ~ Stephanie

[@shellp888]

We have been buying from a local farmer for 24 years. Started with pork and ended up moving to beef. It is a lot of money up front but we’ll worth the investment. And you can’t beat the quality. I do wish he did chicken and then I would be all set 😊

[@Worldbuilder]

I bought a piece of pork from free-ranging pigs and cooked it. It was really nice, but also kinda expensive, compared to the conventionally raised pork. But it took me 7 days to eat that piece. Next week I came across the same piece, just from a cenventionally raised pig; it was a little bit bigger, and a bit cheaper - but once I cooked it, it had shrunk to the point I ate it in just three days. I’m *definitely* going to buy more organic free-range pork (helps that the pigs are raised in my neighborhood, and it’s a pleasure to drive past the pastures and see all the happy-as-clams sows and piglets.)

[@shawncooper9999]

My parents would pay two whole beef cow and two pigs and get about 20 whole chickens to put in our 4 freezers that was only use for meet then they would have 2 freezers that thy had for fruits and vegetables that we put from our grand ever year and they would can homemade soups and more.

[@janicewoodard-heath7933]

I buy my hog off off the local 4-H kids. My favorite thing is just getting plain ground pork. This gives you the option to season it the way you want....my favorite is chorizo! Love the channel!

[@zozo411]

We raise our own pork. We just got back our first beef cow too! So amazing! Glad to see you’re taking advantage of bulk pricing.

[@Sydneythecheese]

I would also LOVE to see a video of how you organize your freezers when you buy whole or half animals. My husband and I won’t have the freezer space until we can buy our first home but I love seeing the potential for what we could have if we plan correctly.

[@patriciamiller-schwartz6767]

This year we bought a 1/4 cow from a local farmer. Grass fed and no chemicals. The meat taste so good and I don't have use steak sauce. We recently got offered from the same people some pork and chicken package deal. The chicken breast are so big that my husband and I share one and the bacon is out of this world. As long as I can afford it We will always buy our meat from the farmer.

[@winterbells1]

It also depends on the farmer. My local farmer we buy our meat from actually grows his own feed so his meat prices aren't going to rise (at least not yet)

[@AcreHomestead]

Wow amazing!!

[@texasproud8822]

I buy precut parchment sheets from King Arthur Flour as they are thicker.

[@angelas_pantry_obsession]

We bought a whole hog this year. Cost wise it's much cheaper to buy sales at the store- if cost an issue for someone, BUT the quality supercedes that of a grocery store. We entertained every style cut since it was out 1st time. I wrote a list of every cut and I'll be writing notes as we eat through it all. This will also help me to see how fast we go through it.

[@LurkerSmurf]

A whole hog is a bit huge, but my brother once bought a lamb. That was about 35 lbs of various cuts and ground. With the crazy prices of imported lamb lately, it might be worth looking into.

[@maplenook]

I’m spending $7/LB to have my own lambs processed.

[@annettecarolherbst]

I’m a fan of the parchment too. It stinks washing the cookie sheets so I always use parchment. I keep frozen peppers and when I notice my onions getting soft I freeze those too. I like having stuff I can throw in a pan and go. Great video as always

[@pearlkurian9508]

Hi Becky from south Africa My family and I love watching you.

[@joycemariepopp1311]

Becky, You and Josh are working so hard. I am so impressed. It was very nice of your SIL to help you today. That was a lot of work. Many Blessings!

[@lee-annegrandsire165]

Thank you so much for this one! My in-laws are beef breeder so we have alway got a side of beef each year but just put our name on the list for a pig with a cousin for next fall and really was sure what to expect. This helped a great deal.

[@bacongreasegoddesstv]

So informative! I have purchased a whole lamb and half of a cow but I haven’t tried a whole hog. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@TheSnugglyDragon]

I just want to say thanks again for all the wonderful, helpful, and inspiring content! I’m putting in a sort of late garden (we just moved to a new place) but we’ve already put a fence up for the new garden (30’x48’ or so) and am all set to get it tilled and make low raised beds like yours here in the next few days! My husband and I are aiming to grow enough beans, lentils, chickpeas, and maybe even onions to get us through 6-12 months, since they are growing so beautifully in central VA where we live, and then whatever else we can grow, we grow!!! I’ve probably started about 400+ seedlings so far for this year (let’s not mention the ones that have died 😂) and I am just dying to get them in the ground! 🤩🤩🤩 I’ve learned so much from watching your channel (especially those freezer meals!!!) and you have helped me SO much! Thank you!!!! Keep up the good work 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@jessicafreitas1319]

When stuffing the lion roast my husband usually does the rice with cream cheese and spinach. So delicious!!

[@jamieflanagan7357]

Becky you explained the cost breakdown so we'll. We raise hogs for friends and family and it's difficult for some people to understand paying us and the butcher. Also if you are willing to give up a shoulder roast our butcher offers shoulder bacon. It's pretty close to bacon and we love having it in our freezer.

[@aprilninthr2886]

Hi Becky! I don’t need to order in bulk the way you do, however, I appreciate knowing how it is done. And, I love watching you do your “thing”! Have a great day!

[@AcreHomestead]

Aw thank you, April!!

[@jackielowe2895]

We have our own beef raised here on the farm. Buy market hog from our county fair. Have garden and can, freeze, dehydrate and store food. Love to can some of my meat.

[@veronicasakik1285]

I just had the same sweet potato today for dinner with home made burgers with squash and spinach and cheese with our secret sauce.it was the best my daughter made it for my birthday dinner and she used sourdough as the buns it was great .thank you Anna mommy love you .I really in joy your channel .

[@athia37]

Awesome ! I never was a soup in the can person,but see how easy it is to make this and certainly will give it a try..Always had homemade soups stews and casseroles and my Mom taught us all how to do these.As a working Mom it seemed I always had 2 crockpots going for half the week..Now I graduated to the wonderful electric pressure cooker !..I love it..even got an air fryer for wings,but do so much more with it..

[@Hope-ol1dw]

I love you and your Videos so much. Greetings from Germany

[@thomaskennedy1968]

Just reading some of the other replies Becky. What an inspiration you have become. especially to the young. Have a happy Christmas and every blessing to both you and Josh for the future.

[@marycaulfield7517]

Hi from Australia, thanks for the great videos. Love your recipes..👍

[@manondeusjen8433]

Maybe a kitchen hack for you. First make a ball ("crumble" don't know the exact words for it in Enlish, so i hope you understand) of your parchment paper. Then unfold it a paper again. The creases in the paper will make it stay better on the baking sheet!

[@reno5964]

We bought a whole cow from my husband's coworker who also raised a few cows. Then I bought turkey, chickens and pork from a local farmer. We have 3 boys and try to keep a stocked home. ;)

[@lauriedrake]

We haven't purchased a hog yet, but we have a rancher friend a mile down the road that raises grass fed/finished beef. We usually split a steer with his family. I'm not particular about cuts as I like to experiment with my food, but his family orders cuts that work well for us. I get all the soup bones and dog bones for no cost. Our beef this year was extremely reasonable, ending up at about $4/lb including butcher fees. I realize this is far below regular price as we are friends, and I'm very grateful to have it!!!! Thanks for the video and promoting buying local, it's so much better!

[@scatter-the-stars]

If you make frozen fries again, spray them with oil before putting them in the oven. They come out crispier.

[@hannahwhitehome]

I live in England in a little Victorian terraced house (very traditional small but cute cottage) and I have a small kitchen and two small gardens. One in the front (for roses!😍) and one in the back where I will be able to grow my own herbs, some vegetables and have an entertaining area. You have inspired me to make the absolute most of the space I have and I am getting another freezer so I can have more food security. I have also applied for an allotment which is my village takes two years to get but you only pay £20 for the year and get land that you essentially rent to grow food on. They make it big enough that you can support a small family for a year. Is it typical for villages and towns in the US to have allotments? P.s watch every video so glad you can do this full time now ❤️❤️❤️

[@patti6194]

We don't have allotments here, but we do have community gardens, which I think work the same way. I have my own garden, so I'm not sure how much it costs to have a space in a community garden.

[@bugsy220791]

Becky pigs are super easy to raise and they also eat kitchen scraps so you can fatten them up really easily and cost effectively.

[@vergieclark131]

I make my pork loin by butterflying it and stuffing it with sausage and apricot preserves with spices of your choice I use cloves and sage etc. then I make a glaze with apricot preserves and a little water and baste it as it bakes !

[@dee_sky2744]

Hi Becky...could you do a video on the stuffed roast...that sounds delicious...I love all your cooking videos...Happy Holidays!

[@tracystuder5910]

Something I just thought of and wanted to share. I love the way you start your videos. Saying the same thing every time, but not doing a special "intro" type thing that is stuck into the beginning of the videos, like a TV show. (And some KZbinrs.) I much prefer the way you do it.

[@angelamarden9684]

Hi Becky. ❤ you and your channel. Your knowledge and work ethic are amazing and so inspiring.

[@Butter2000Fly]

My husband likes to cut the pig himself after it’s butchered. I wouldn’t even know where to start. I like the way you did it because you can just put it in the freezer right after you pick up the meat.

[@tawanajackson5545]

I Love watching your videos. I'm 52 and am learning stuff from you . ♥️♥️

[@allisonhartley6712]

I cook a pork butt in the crockpot in apple cider vinegar and then shred it for BBQ meat. It freezes very well once shredded.

[@ritahunter3177]

Canning the pork is simple. Can season different ways. I do mild and hot. Also can my own bbq sauce and quick easy dinner just waiting. I also do the same with chicken and beef for bbq.

[@AcreHomestead]

I need to try that!!

[@lisawallace3124]

Just for comparison's sake, here in E Tennessee, I can (today) get a whole hog, butchered, etc for $772.50. If I want the hams smoked, I think that's an extra $10 each, however I don't get the offal (heart, liver, etc) As I do not (yet!) have a freeze dryer, I don't have much use for those at this time.

[@jilliandrake3629]

We always freeze and use leftover pulled pork for pizzas ( yummy with pineapple and peppers) and Pulled Pork Nachos also so good! Also, for the SP fries, try Curry powder, mayo and a little sugar for an amazing curry dip :)

[@ashdukesbear9700]

I just found your channel and I’m so happy i did! You are a wonderful teacher!

[@DixieGirl9876]

You will LOVE canned pork butt for pulled pork. My family likes it better than any out there and we live in the South lots of BBQ to try. I just cube it, sear it, pack in jars, add salt and cover with boiling water, can for 75 mins for pints and 1 hour and 30 mins. for quarts. (from Ball bluebook canning book) To serve I drain most of the liquid add favorite BBQ sauce and a splash of liquid smoke heat and serve.

[@jessicagossett-hale4779]

We always smoke a few pork butts at one time and then shred and freeze in 1/2 pound and 1 pound portions. Then we use it for tacos, nachos, pizza and sandwiches.

[@mdevery8894]

P.s. this time Iasked for any bones, internal organs, and fat. I processed fat into lard, I made bone broth from the bones and plan to make food for my dogs with the heart and liver.

[@karibear6504]

Try stuffing your pork loin with those apples you put up and some sliced onion. Mmm. Pork and apples/onions are such a great tasty combo.

[@lysmalls658]

Becky you always Shine.

[@AcreHomestead]

Wow you are so sweet!

[@annettemcintyre9308]

I so love watching you Becky, and I've learnt so much of what I can do current do, I thought I knew a lot having done most of MyLife, which I learnt from my dad but I'm learning so much more in the times of what they are, I'm in New Zealand and we've just come out of a lockdown ❤️❤️

[@quil10it]

Thanks Becky for the links! I was happy to go to the Verboot, OR sausage festival this year and bought bracts for the freezer. I highly recommend checking that out. It’s only one day a year but it is a huge success. (And they do have drive through pick up or sit down dining all you can eat that’s pretty quaint.)

[@robynmize4713]

Recently, i have purchased a couple of small freezers (3cf upright and 5 cf. chest) ... so i had the space to buy and store great deals, especially on meats. I find cutting up and packaging in smaller portions allows my family (of 2) to just thaw out (quick) a dinner with 2nd night of left overs. Food Saver Vacuum bags are a game changer, seriously. Just to pull out 2 steaks, chops or chicken breast and thaw the bag in a bowl of water for a bit allows me to not have to plan ahead too much. I already kind of did... lol. But recently, i am thinking about side dishes, portion those in 2 people portions and freeze those too, like you did with the sweet potatoes fries. I cant tell you how many times i have had a few drop in friends stay for dinner and its so easy to pull out "how many portions per persons " of something in a jiffy. Thank you for inspiring me to make some freezer meals. We have your stuffed shells in the freezer... ready to rock Christmas. Sorry for this being so long, but could you maybe do some side dishes that freeze well, like rices and potatoes? Thanks Becky and Josh, Merry Christmas.

[@clp304]

I'm pretty new here but noticing your channel growing by leaps and bounds. Happy for you. I love the variety.

[@ShanYalesTale]

I have 2 silicone baking matts. I love them!! Keeps things from sticking I am throwing out less to the landfills. I love watching your videos. Looking up those peppers. I can't eat spicy peppers, and those look so good.

[@montanaliving4769]

We do the same with our beef. They do most of the big work. We then butcher it from the quarters. Pork we buy pre butchered.

[@flandrum29]

How did you store the onions to make them last so long

[@kristingodfrey8338]

I love how you explain everything your doing and why. Thanks for the video

[@jenniferhenrich2852]

Very good thinking buying in bulk. Hope you have a generator backup for your freezer. Love to watch your videos. Bon appetit

[@lunayahwitch]

I absolutely LOVE canning meats! I care for my parents and they are both on the Keto diet and I have countless jars of instantly ready and tender meats I can quickly grab and add to fresh veg and all the effort was just one day❤️🙏🏼🇺🇸

[@judith-1191]

Awesome lesson, thanks for the great detail and useful information. I love that you did not leave me wondering about the topics you brought up. You resolved all my questions about get a whole animal step by step.

[@lindah5910]

If pressure canning pork butt or pork shoulder that process approximates the confit step of making carnitas. All you need to do with pressure canned pork shoulder is to pour the jar contents into a skillet and crisp it to your desired level. I have never seen this anywhere else but am sure I am not the only one to stumble upon this. Anyway, voila, homemade carnitas. I usually strain the contents of the jars reserving the jus and adding the meat and fat to the skillet. I then add back a bit of the jus to the finished carnitas for flavoring and moisture. The rest of the jus makes for a collagen rich bowl of broth. One could make a noodle or rice soup with a collection of the pork shoulder jus from multiple jars of pork shoulder.

[@tonyagasper4315]

After you brown those Brats pour in a beer ... plumps them up & adds more flavor. Yummy!!

[@Angela-ow2hd]

You should try adding marinara to the peppers and toppings with fresh mozzarella at the end!

[@lisamorin6537]

Pork butt cans really well. I severely jars of pulled pork which is great to have on hand! Go for it!

[@jenkreitz1459]

you can boil your brats in beer and then sauté them or grill them to get a Smokey flavor.

[@OooshNBC]

Have you done a video on how you found your home, when you were looking to purchase one? Less about location but more about land size, size of home, "watch out for"s, considering you wanted to do a lot of gardening?

[@BrendaJBarNett]

We've raised and butchered our own beef, chicken and chevron, but never raised pigs. But we have bought from local farmers. We didn't get brats or anything fancy....just roars, loins, chops, bacon and sausage.

[@AcreHomestead]

Wow that is amazing!!

[@taneriapollins9225]

Can we have a freezer tour video?

[@AcreHomestead]

It's the next one coming out!!

[@Basswife26]

This is such a good idea Becky!! As a disabled person - this would be SUCH a big help - You’ve given me a lot to think about!! 💖💖💖 Edit: spelling

[@AcreHomestead]

Wow thank you!!

[@barbaramiller3205]

Good info, my husband and I have talked about buying a whole hog but have never done it yet. We are in the process of buying a half beef and I’m super excited about that.

[@janjones4550]

Thanks for the info, Becky! Good stuff to know. Appreciate you sharing how to connect with providers of good food.

[@ashleenicole71]

Considering finding quality pork in stores is difficult and far more expensive..you definitely are saving money. I won't even bother with whole foods pork because from what I read the quality isn't much better with pork. And the price is insane! We rarely eat pork..bacon and sausage is what we eat generally. Once we have a home and space for a deep freezer I'll be trying to buy local...however mainly beef and chicken if possible. I'm considering butcher box though!!

[@AcreHomestead]

I am supper happy with butcher box so far! Once you start buying local tho you will LOVE it!!