From Garden to Pantry – Preserving Your Harvest Without Losing Flavor

Every gardener and homesteader knows the feeling: one day you’re carefully coaxing seedlings from the soil, and the next you’re swimming in more tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, or zucchini than you could ever eat in a week. Harvest season is a joyful whirlwind, but it also comes with a big question—how do you keep all this bounty from going to waste?

At Andersen Acres, we’ve faced that very dilemma. Some days the baskets of produce feel never-ending, and the pantry shelves start to look both exciting and overwhelming. Over the years, we’ve learned that preserving food isn’t just about storage—it’s about holding onto flavor, nutrition, and the memory of summer sunshine in every bite.

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The Art of Preservation

There’s no single right way to preserve food. In fact, the best method depends on the fruit or vegetable in your basket, the time you have available, and your family’s taste preferences. Below are some of the most reliable techniques we use on the farm.

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Canning – Sealing Summer in a Jar

Canning has been the backbone of preservation for generations. Whether it’s crisp dill pickles, rich tomato sauce, or sweet jams, canning locks in flavor and gives you shelf-stable food that can last for years.

• Best for: Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, jams, jellies, salsas, sauces
• Pros: Long shelf life, no freezer space required
• Cons: Time-intensive, requires jars, lids, and know-how to avoid spoilage
• Flavor tip: Use fresh-picked produce—flavor degrades fast once harvested. Add fresh herbs at the very end of cooking so they keep their punch.

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Freezing – Quick and Convenient

When life gets busy, freezing is the homesteader’s best friend. It’s fast, easy, and perfect for busy days when you just can’t imagine running the canner.

• Best for: Berries, corn, peas, broccoli, peppers, zucchini
• Pros: Simple, minimal equipment needed, preserves nutrients well
• Cons: Requires freezer space, power-dependent
• Flavor tip: Blanch veggies before freezing to stop enzymes that cause flavor loss. Pack in airtight containers to avoid freezer burn.

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Dehydrating – Turning Fresh Into Shelf-Stable

Dehydration is one of the oldest methods of food preservation, and modern dehydrators make it easier than ever. It concentrates flavors and creates lightweight, long-lasting snacks.

• Best for: Apples, plums, tomatoes, herbs, peppers
• Pros: Lightweight storage, no freezer needed, tasty snacks
• Cons: Can take hours, texture changes
• Flavor tip: Sprinkle fruit slices with a touch of cinnamon or lemon juice before drying to keep flavors bright.

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Fermenting – Old Tradition, New Trend

Fermentation isn’t just a trend; it’s a centuries-old method that adds flavor complexity and gut-friendly probiotics.

• Best for: Cabbage (sauerkraut), cucumbers (fermented pickles), carrots, garlic, beets
• Pros: Boosts flavor and nutrition, doesn’t require special equipment
• Cons: Shorter shelf life unless refrigerated, strong flavors
• Flavor tip: Use non-chlorinated water and good salt (like sea salt) for the best ferment.

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Root Cellaring – Nature’s Refrigerator

Not every crop needs fancy processing. Some vegetables keep best just as they are, stored in a cool, dark, slightly humid space.

• Best for: Potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, squash
• Pros: No processing needed, natural storage
• Cons: Not every home has the right conditions, spoilage risk if checked infrequently
• Flavor tip: Cure crops like squash and potatoes before storing—this toughens the skin and helps them last longer.

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Blending Methods for Best Results

One of the best lessons we’ve learned on the farm is that you don’t have to pick just one method. A bumper crop of tomatoes, for example, can be:

• Sauced and canned,
• Sliced and dehydrated,
• Frozen whole for soups,
• Or turned into salsa for fermenting.

This variety not only keeps your pantry interesting but also makes sure you aren’t stuck with 40 jars of the same thing.

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Making It Fun

Preservation doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Put on some music, gather the family, and make it a seasonal tradition. Kids love snapping beans, stirring jam, or packing jars. Around Andersen Acres, even the animals seem to get curious when the kitchen fills with the smell of ripe produce. (Though the goats would happily “help” by taste-testing everything!)

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Closing Thoughts

From canning jars to freezer bags, dehydrators to fermenting crocks, there’s a preservation method for every harvest. You don’t need to master them all at once—start small, try one or two, and expand from there. Over time, you’ll find your rhythm and build up a pantry that carries you through the cold months with jars, bags, and bins full of flavor-packed reminders of summer.

Preserving food isn’t just about saving money or reducing waste—it’s about building a connection to your land, your food, and your future meals. When you pop open that jar of homemade plum jam in January or simmer a frozen bag of sweet corn in February, you’ll be reminded of just how worthwhile this effort is.

The Science of Fresh Eggs – What Really Makes Them Taste Better

If you’ve ever cracked open a freshly laid egg from your own chickens and compared it to a store-bought egg, you’ve probably noticed the difference right away. The yolk might be a deeper orange, the whites firmer, and the flavor richer. But what exactly causes those differences? Let’s break down the science behind fresh eggs and why they so often win the taste test.

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Freshness Matters More Than You Think

Eggs start changing the moment they’re laid. Inside that shell, a slow chemical process begins:

• Moisture loss – Over time, eggs lose water through the shell’s microscopic pores. This causes the whites to thin and the air cell inside to grow larger.
• pH shift – A fresh egg has a pH of about 7.6, but as carbon dioxide escapes, the pH rises. Higher pH means looser whites and a less springy texture.
• Nutrient stability – Some nutrients, like certain antioxidants, slowly degrade over weeks in storage.

When you gather eggs from your coop, you’re eating them at their peak — often within hours of being laid — before these changes have time to happen.

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Diet Directly Affects Flavor and Color

What your chickens eat is one of the biggest factors in how their eggs taste and look.

• Pasture-raised advantage – Chickens that forage for bugs, grasses, and weeds take in a variety of nutrients and pigments that enrich yolk color and flavor.
• Omega-3 boost – If your flock has access to flaxseed, chia seeds, or leafy greens, their eggs can have significantly higher omega-3 fatty acids.
• Natural pigments – Carotenoids from plants (especially dark leafy greens and marigolds) deepen yolk color into those coveted golden and orange shades.

Commercial hens, on the other hand, are usually fed a uniform diet designed for production, not flavor. That makes backyard eggs stand out even more.

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The Role of Hen Breed and Age

Breed plays a role in shell color, but also subtly affects egg size, nutrient profile, and sometimes flavor.

• Heritage breeds often lay eggs with thicker shells and richer yolks due to their slower laying cycle.
• Younger hens (pullets) tend to produce eggs with firmer whites and smaller but intense-flavored yolks.
• Older hens lay larger eggs with slightly thinner shells and looser whites, though still excellent in taste.

This diversity in backyard flocks means no two eggs are exactly alike — something you rarely see in grocery store cartons.

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Storage Conditions Change Everything

Even the best egg can lose quality if stored poorly.

• Temperature – Refrigeration slows down aging, but a stable, cool environment matters more than extreme cold.
• Humidity – Too little humidity speeds moisture loss, too much encourages mold on the shell.
• Washing – Eggs have a natural protective layer called the bloom. Washing removes it, making the egg more porous and shortening shelf life. Unwashed eggs, stored at room temperature in mild climates, can last for weeks.

This is why many backyard farmers only wash eggs right before use or sale.

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Nutritional Differences Backed by Research

Studies comparing pasture-raised eggs to conventional eggs have found:

• Higher vitamin A and E levels
• More beta-carotene (linked to richer yolk color)
• Lower cholesterol in some cases
• Better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio

While the differences aren’t always dramatic, they’re enough to make fresh eggs a meaningful nutritional upgrade.

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Texture and Cooking Performance

Fresh eggs aren’t just better raw — they behave differently in recipes.

• Baking – Firmer whites create more structure, making them perfect for meringues.
• Frying & poaching – Fresh whites stay compact, giving you neat, rounded eggs.
• Boiling – Slightly older eggs peel easier, so if you’re hard-boiling, save the freshest for other uses.

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Taste Is More Than Chemistry

While science explains much of the difference, there’s also the psychological side. When you collect eggs from your own hens, you’ve likely seen where they roam, what they eat, and how they live. That connection — knowing your food’s source — makes eating them more satisfying.

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The Bottom Line

Fresh eggs taste better for a combination of reasons:

• They haven’t had time to lose moisture or nutrients.
• They often come from hens with varied, nutrient-rich diets.
• They reflect the breed, age, and lifestyle of the hen.
• They avoid the weeks-long storage and transport cycle of commercial eggs.

The next time you crack one open, notice the bright yolk, the firm white, and the rich aroma. That’s the science of freshness — and the reward for raising your own flock.

Top 10 Lessons We’ve Learned on the Farm

Real Talk from Andersen Acres – The Wins, the Fails, and Everything in Between

When we first started out on this wild journey called hobby farming, we were full of enthusiasm, plans, and Pinterest boards. And while some of those dreams did come true, many of them… well, let’s just say they didn’t quite go as expected. Andersen Acres has been a labor of love, a test of patience, and one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done.

After years of raising goats, ducks, chickens, rabbits, barn cats, turkeys, quail, miniature horses, and livestock guardian dogs, we’ve learned a thing or two. Some lessons came gently. Others were delivered with mud-covered boots and a face full of feathers.

Here are the top ten lessons we’ve learned the hard (and occasionally hilarious) way on Andersen Acres.

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1. Animals Will Always Keep You Humble

You can read every book and follow every expert online, but at the end of the day, animals don’t read the manuals. Your goats will escape, your ducks will lay eggs in the most inconvenient places, and someone will find a way to injure themselves the moment you look away.

The lesson? Stay flexible. Farming isn’t about perfection—it’s about adaptation. Learn your animals. Watch them. They’ll teach you just as much as any blog post ever could.

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2. Fencing Is Everything—No, Seriously, EVERYTHING

We thought we had good fences once. We were wrong. Goats laugh in the face of fencing. Ducks wiggle under gaps you didn’t know existed. Mini horses? Surprisingly crafty.

Investing in quality fencing and checking it regularly has saved us countless hours of chasing escapees down the driveway. One of the earliest things we learned was this: build it stronger than you think you need, and always have extra zip ties and wire on hand.

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3. You Can’t Do It All—And That’s Okay

When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to try everything. Bees, pigs, vegetable gardens, a milk cow, incubating your own chicks, making soap, canning tomatoes—all in the first year.

Spoiler: burnout is real. We had to learn to prioritize. Just because something looks fun or useful doesn’t mean we have to add it right now. Saying “not yet” doesn’t mean never—it just means keeping your sanity.

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4. The Farm Will Change You—In the Best Ways

We’ve gotten tougher. More resilient. More patient. You learn to laugh at things that used to make you cry. You learn to work in weather that would send most folks running indoors. You also learn how to slow down, appreciate the rhythms of the natural world, and celebrate the small wins.

Nothing compares to that first egg, that first baby goat, or that moment a shy animal finally trusts you.

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5. Community Is Invaluable

We wouldn’t have made it through some of the rough patches without fellow farmers and hobbyists who lent advice, encouragement, or a much-needed reality check.

Whether it’s local farm groups, Facebook communities, or that one neighbor who’s been raising chickens for 40 years—find your people. You’re not in this alone.

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6. Death Is Part of the Process—But It Still Hurts

No one tells you just how much loss comes with raising animals. It’s one of the hardest parts. Whether it’s a chick that doesn’t make it, a rabbit that passed overnight, or an old favorite goat you had to say goodbye to, death is never easy.

But it does teach you deep compassion. And it reminds you to celebrate life while it’s here—something our animals are very, very good at doing.

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7. Routine Matters (But Be Ready to Break It)

Animals thrive on routine, and so do we. Having a predictable schedule helps keep everything running smoothly. Feeding times, chores, clean-ups—they all follow a flow.

But… the unexpected always happens. A goat goes into labor early. A duck disappears and reappears with babies. A storm rolls in and floods the pens. You learn to adjust. Consistency is the goal—but flexibility is the survival skill.

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8. You Will Never Stop Learning

Every year brings new challenges. New animals. New questions. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you’ll meet a chicken breed that behaves differently or a goat with an issue you’ve never seen before.

The best farmers we’ve met aren’t the ones who know everything—they’re the ones who stay curious and keep asking questions. We’ve learned to lean into that mindset and stay open to growth.

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9. It’s Not Just About the Animals—It’s About the Lifestyle

Sure, we talk a lot about our animals. But hobby farming is also about family. About teaching our kids where food comes from. About slowing down and spending time outdoors. About connecting to something real and grounded.

Some of the best memories aren’t dramatic at all—they’re quiet. Sitting in the barn during a snowstorm. Watching ducklings follow their mom. Hearing the rooster greet the sun.

This life changes your pace. And once you adjust, you realize how much you needed it.

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10. You’ll Fall in Love—Over and Over Again

With each new birth. With every weird animal quirk. With the way the animals all recognize your voice. With muddy hooves, feathered cuddles, and nuzzling noses.

You’ll cry. You’ll swear. You’ll wonder what on earth you’ve gotten yourself into. But then something small and magical will happen, and you’ll remember exactly why you chose this life.

It’s not easy. It’s not clean. It’s not perfect.

But it’s yours.

And we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

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If you’re just starting out on your own hobby farm journey, take this as a warm hug from Andersen Acres. The road is bumpy, and sometimes it smells a bit funky—but it’s filled with joy, laughter, and more love than we ever imagined.

Whether you're raising ducks in the backyard or managing a full farm, know this: you’re doing great. Learn as you go. Make space for mistakes. And above all, enjoy the ride.

The Truth About Deworming – What Every Goat Owner Should Know

If you’ve spent any time around goats, you’ve probably heard someone say, “Goats are always wormy.” And, well… there’s a little truth to that. Parasites are a constant concern in goat keeping, and managing them properly is one of the most important things you can do to keep your herd healthy and thriving. But the truth about deworming isn’t as simple as just grabbing a tube of something and hoping for the best.

Today, we’re digging into the nitty gritty of goat deworming—why fecal testing matters, where natural methods help, and why it’s crucial to bring out the big guns when a real outbreak hits.

Understanding Parasites in Goats

Internal parasites, especially barber pole worms (Haemonchus contortus), are a common threat to goats. These little guys latch onto the lining of the goat’s stomach and suck blood—causing anemia, weight loss, bottle jaw, and even death if left untreated.

Other parasites like coccidia (especially in kids), tapeworms, and lungworms can also cause issues, though barber pole worms tend to be the most dangerous in adult goats.

Why “Routine Deworming” Doesn’t Work Anymore

It used to be common practice to deworm all your animals every few months, just in case. But here’s the problem: that strategy led to dewormer resistance—where parasites evolve to survive the very medications meant to kill them. Once that happens, even the strongest chemical dewormers can fail.

So the new standard in goat care is targeted deworming—only treating animals that actually need it. And the only way to know for sure? Fecal testing.

Fecal Testing – Your Secret Weapon

Fecal testing (or a fecal egg count) is the process of examining a sample of your goat’s poop under a microscope to see what kind of parasite eggs are present and how many.

You’ve got two main options here:

• Have your vet run a fecal – This is the most reliable option and will give you a clear egg count per gram (EPG).
• Do your own fecals at home – With a simple microscope kit, you can learn to do this yourself. It’s not as scary as it sounds and can save a lot of money if you have a larger herd.

This is how we monitor parasite levels on our farm. We don’t treat blindly—we test, assess, and then treat only the animals who truly need it. It’s better for the goats, the dewormers, and your wallet.

When Natural Dewormers Work… and When They Don’t

There’s a lot of talk out there about natural dewormers—things like garlic, pumpkin seeds, herbal blends, and diatomaceous earth. And look, we’re not here to bash them. We actually do use some of these on our own farm as preventive support.

For example:

• We add garlic powder to feed periodically.
• Our goats have access to browse that includes natural worm-repelling plants.
• We keep their environment clean and dry to reduce reinfection.

All of this helps reduce parasite load, which is wonderful for long-term management.

But here’s the truth:
If your goat is already suffering from a heavy parasite load, natural methods are not enough. You need a pharmaceutical dewormer. This is not the time to experiment with pumpkin seeds and prayers.

Treating an Active Infestation

Once you’ve confirmed a high egg count or signs of anemia (like pale eyelids or bottle jaw), it’s time to act fast. And this is where your veterinarian’s guidance is invaluable.

Here’s why:

• Different parasites require different medications.
• Dosage is critical—goats metabolize drugs differently than other livestock.
• Underdosing contributes to resistance and doesn’t kill the worms.

Your vet may recommend products like:

• Valbazen (broad-spectrum, not safe for pregnant does)
• Cydectin (stronger, often used against resistant worms)
• Ivermectin (less effective in some areas due to resistance)
• Toltrazuril or Baycox for coccidia, especially in kids

Don't forget to repeat fecals 10–14 days after treatment to make sure it worked. Sometimes, a second dose is necessary.

Prevention Is Always Better Than Cure

The best way to fight parasites is to keep their numbers low from the start. Here are some practical ways we do this on our farm:

• Rotational grazing – Moving goats to clean pasture frequently gives worm eggs time to die off before goats return.
• Avoid overstocking – Crowded pastures mean more poop, more worm eggs, and more reinfection.
• Elevate hay feeders and water buckets – Keeps poop out and reduces exposure.
• Monitor body condition and eyelid color (FAMACHA scores) – This quick visual check can tell you if anemia is creeping in.
• Do regular fecal checks – Yes, we’re saying it again. It really is that important.

Our Real-Life Deworming Routine

We don’t deworm every goat on a schedule. We:

• Fecal test new arrivals and quarantine them.
• Fecal test our does a few weeks before kidding.
• Check FAMACHA scores monthly (more often in summer).
• Treat only when it’s truly needed—and follow up with a recheck.

It’s a little more work, but it helps protect our herd and our medications from resistance.

Final Thoughts

Goat parasites aren’t something to be feared—but they do demand respect. Good management, regular monitoring, and informed decision-making go a long way toward keeping your herd healthy and your peace of mind intact.

Natural remedies have their place in prevention, and we’re all for using herbs and holistic support. But when you’re facing an active parasite outbreak, don’t gamble with your goat’s life. Listen to your vet, treat effectively, and follow through.

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Got a Deworming Story?

Have you ever dealt with a stubborn parasite problem in your goats? Found a natural routine that works for prevention? Drop your tips or questions in the comments—we love hearing how other goat keepers manage the worm wars!