Heaven On Earth Homestead ENC

Heaven On Earth Homestead ENC Small homestead near Macclesfield NC.

Forgot to grab a video of making pineapple juice y'all. Once we've canned those chunks we chopped, now we put all these ...
05/30/2026

Forgot to grab a video of making pineapple juice y'all. Once we've canned those chunks we chopped, now we put all these scraps to use. First I make another batch of light syrup and throw all the scraps into the giant pot. Then bring it to a boil and simmer for a few hours. Strain the juice and bottle it. Then for good measure, I throw the spent scraps into the masticating juicer and squeeze every last drop out. Of course the chickens get all the left over scrappy bits. We started with 7 pineapples; and finished with 8 quart jars of canned pineapples and 10 quart jars of pineapple juice that we'll use for drinks (pineapple lemonade 😘), kombucha and baking! And the chickens got a fantastic snack and that'll boost egg production! Not a bad return on investment when we only paid $10.50 for the pineapples!

05/29/2026

Pineapples are naturally sweet, so we prefer an ultra light syrup...minimal sugar and great taste out of the canning jars. Once you've chopped your pineapples, you place the chunks in syrup heated to medium/medium-high heat to warm the chunks thoroughly before canning. This ensures the safest preservation with the least room for error. Once they're heated through, about 5 mins, scoop fruit into jars until filled to 1" headspace. Then ladle syrup over top to cover fruit. We can these according to the ball complete book of preservation for our elevation! They're shelf stable for years. Be sure to leave one pineapple uncut for the kids to eat fresh (saves the labor and expense of canning 😂ðŸĪĢ, ask me how I know)

05/28/2026

When pineapples are on super sale, you buy a bunch and can them so you've got em all year! When I process large batches, I set up a good station and workflow so the process goes smoothly and efficiently! Pineapples are easy. One large bowl for the tops, which go to the chickens. One large bowl for the skins and cores to make pineapple juice and a large pot of ultra light syrup to can the pineapple chunks into. Then the chopping begins! This didn't take terribly long and I enjoy these mindless processes, so it was a nice morning in the kitchen during the rain this day!

We're wrapping up basil with some good old Thai Basil! This green and purple basil is not only beautiful. It has a flavo...
05/25/2026

We're wrapping up basil with some good old Thai Basil! This green and purple basil is not only beautiful. It has a flavor profile that's a bit spicy, but adds a broader Southeast Asian flair. Like a hint of licorice or cloves. Used often for soups and curries, it's great in stir fries because its leaves don't wilt as bad as other basils in heat, so they maintain some structure when cooking with it! I usually just plant one of these each year. This plant keeps its good flavor just until the flowers open so it's a bit more forgiving to the gardener who isn't out there everyday!

Holy basil aka Tulsi. This beautiful cultivar has a peppery, spicy flavor profile and is used in Eastern dishes like pad...
05/24/2026

Holy basil aka Tulsi. This beautiful cultivar has a peppery, spicy flavor profile and is used in Eastern dishes like pad kra pao. It also makes a delicious tea, and smells wonderful when you pass by it in the garden.
This plant in the basil family was utilized in Ayurvedic medicine as a revered herbal remedy. This plant is a bit more temperamental to grow and is best started from seed inside and transplanted. It's adaptogenic and anti-inflammatory properties were used to help with stress management and with both chronic pain and inflammation issues. (ALL herbal remedies have drawbacks just like Rx's from the pharmacy. PLEASE don't dabble in herbal remedies when pregnant and if you haven't done TONs of research and made informed decisions for yourself.)
Any extras go for dehydration or chicken treats! But we generally don't grow too many of these plants. I just like a hint of this taste in my basil blend!

Purple basil! Adds some fun color to the garden. Purple basil is purple because of anthocyanins, a common occurrence in ...
05/23/2026

Purple basil! Adds some fun color to the garden. Purple basil is purple because of anthocyanins, a common occurrence in plant cultivars. Essentially plant sunscreen, anthocyanins protect plants from excessive sunlight and allow them to thrive in sunnier locations.
Anthocyanins have some health benefits for humans as well. They are a natural and potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. So in theory (bc I'm not a licensed nutritionist or doctor) increased consumption of these plants would help with chronic inflammation, metabolic issues and even maybe cognitive function. Obviously, don't eat buckets of purple basil, that's just begging for an upset tummy. But perhaps adding some fun plants to your garden and into your dinners might give you a few benefits other than enjoying gardening!
We started growing more colored and crazy plants initially to keep us and the kids interested in the "different" plants in the garden and on our plates. But quickly learned about how cool these purple, blue and deep dark red plants were for us to eat!

Lettuce leaf basil! This plant stays a bit shorter, but the leaves on this basil grow very large. The taste is a bit mor...
05/22/2026

Lettuce leaf basil! This plant stays a bit shorter, but the leaves on this basil grow very large. The taste is a bit more mild than regular basil, and I love using them for making lettuce (in this case basil) wraps! A couple leaves and you've got as much surface area as a flour tortilla or a pita pocket! Works the same way, just load it up and wrap!
All basil plants are annuals. They die at the end of the year and require being planted from seed or seedlings each year to grow again. This might sound terrible. But it's actually great for a gardener with limited space.
Some herbs, like herbs in the mint family, are perennials (they don't die each year)and are aggressive conquerors so they'll strangle out everything you try to plant to take over a space. That sounds great when you're worried about killing plants, but becomes a bother after a few years unless planted in containers with boundaries.
Any leaves we can't eat get sent to the dehydrator or drying racks like the rest of the basil! And the chickens love a basil snack too!

Italian basil, not to be confused with Genovese! Grows a bit larger, more aggressive. Taste profiles are similar. This o...
05/21/2026

Italian basil, not to be confused with Genovese! Grows a bit larger, more aggressive. Taste profiles are similar. This one is good if you've got a burning desire to dehydrate tons of basil for later use! Great for teas and cooking. Basil is a frost tender plant..meaning it dies as soon as the frost hits. This happens because the cell walls don't sequester sugars to keep from freezing. So as soon as the cells freeze, the ice crystals cut through the cell walls... effectively killing your plants! 😭😭😭
It's important with frost tender plants to keep an eye out for those nighttime temps at the end of the season...to be sure to get that last harvest before they're gone. Nothing frustrates a gardener more than a frost ruining a ton of good food before it was able to be harvested! Ask me how I know! 😂😉

Let's learn about herbs friends! Basil. Is one of my all time favorite herbs to grow. I love the way it looks in the gar...
05/21/2026

Let's learn about herbs friends! Basil. Is one of my all time favorite herbs to grow. I love the way it looks in the garden. I use it as one of my top cooking herbs in The kitchen. I love basil leaf tea. And I love each of the flavor profiles of the different cultivars or basil! This is Genovese basil. It's regular, unsuspecting basil! Great for all basil applications really. It's ðŸŠī NG in my greenstalks and thriving this year!
Basil is a vigorous plant, requiring lots of pruning to avoid flowering. Most herbs don't taste as good once the plant "goes to seed" aka sending up its flowering bodies. Too much of the plant's energy is spent growing the flowers and maturing the seeds to continue leaf growth as it was, usually making the plant bitter. We'll talk about pruning this week too! Stay tuned! 😊

Roosters have a spur on the back of their feet. It's their primary defense against predators and they use it like a weap...
05/09/2026

Roosters have a spur on the back of their feet. It's their primary defense against predators and they use it like a weapon to protect their flock. It's made of bone and grows on the outside of a vascular protrusion on their heel essentially. Every once in a while, when they get long, they may break off in battle or when struck against an object. It's NEVER a good idea to try to trim this or do anything to it without a vet. Col. Mustard decided to mess around this week and found out how bad it stinks to walk around with one spur! I thought y'all might find this tid bit fun and educational! Ask me any chicken or rooster related questions; and I'll do my best to answer! Luckily for us Col. Mustard is a sweetie and had never attacked us, but that would hurt!

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Macclesfield, NC
27852

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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