Removing Rust From Cast Iron Cookware

In our house, we love our cast iron pans! But what do you do if yours get rusty? Or you see a beautiful cast iron pan at a tag sale, but it's rusty? Fortunately the rust can be removed with a little bit of elbow grease! The only downside is you will have to completely reseason the pan.

Before & After

One of the most common ways cast iron gets rusty is when someone soaks the pan in water. Although that is commonly done with other types of cookware when they are not washed immediately, it is very bad for cast iron!

After washing all the dust off you can see all the rust.

We had an entire set of cast iron pans in the basement. They had been sitting there for who knows how long. I found them and I was so excited to have pans in every size! Even that small size perfect for an individual portion of eggs. 

To start with we washed the pans very well. Since ours were in storage they were covered with a thick layer of dust. We then placed a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar in the pan and let it soak for an hour. Although we also tried skipping this step and had good results as well. 

Salt Scrub

Lots of people recommended scrubbing with some coarse salt. We tried this and it definitely removed rust, but it was taking forever. So instead we switched to scrubbing with baking soda on a sponge. It worked so incredibly well! In the future, we will skip the salt & go straight for the baking soda!

Look at all the rust coming off!

We kept scrubbing and scrubbing, making sure to get all rusty surfaces. Don't forget to check the bottom, sides and handle!

Bottom of the pan.

Once it looks like you have removed all the rust, give your pan a wash to remove all the gunk. Dry it and check over all of the pans surfaces to see if there is any rust remaining. We did find some more rust, so we scrubbed again. Once we were done the pan was nice and clean again!

Still needs a little more scrubbing.

The next step is reseasoning. This can be achieved by applying a very, very thin coating of cooking oil or shortening and baking the cookware for one hour at 350-400 degrees. It's very important that you don't use too much oil, since it can cause the surface to become sticky. After an hour, simply shut the oven off and let the pans cool in the oven. 

The two in the front were previously covered in rust!

Making Your Own Peanut Butter

Most people seem really surprised when I tell them how easy it is to make your own peanut butter. But it really is so easy! It tastes better than store bought products which are full of additives and preservatives and it's also healthier! Many people don't read the labels on the food that they eat and don't realize that peanut butter can have other ingredients added.

To make the healthiest peanut butter, you need to choose good quality peanuts. That means peanuts without a ton of additives. Just check the ingredients on the side of the canister to make sure. I had to hunt around before I found peanuts with nothing added. I bought a large container of them for about $7. 

We chose unroasted peanuts and they worked well. Some people prefer the roasted taste so you can roast them yourself if you do. We simply added them to our food processor and let it run for about ten minutes. By this time the peanuts had released their oil and we had a very creamy peanut butter! The best thing to do at this point is taste it and decide if you'd like to add anything. We added a little salt and local honey. Then we processed it for a few more minutes. Spoon it into a jar and store in the fridge. If you have processed the peanuts enough it will remain smooth and spreadable! It should last a month or more in the fridge. But chances are you will eat it way before then!!

Getting Started With Chickens

Have you been considering keeping a few chickens? I'll be the first to tell you that it's a great idea! Chickens are very fulfilling animals to keep. They're fun, entertaining, lovable and they can provide food for you. But there are some things you should consider before embarking on your chicken keeping journey.

Firstly, are chickens legal in your area? Many areas have restrictions on keep poultry in residential areas. Some towns require permits, some of which are free, others are not. Some laws restrict the number of chickens you can have based on property size, some prohibit roosters, and some restrict raising poultry on smaller lots. I often feel that many of those laws are too strict, but unfortunately laws are laws. Some still choose to get chickens even though they know their area doesn't allow it. If this is the case, be prepared for heartbreak if a neighbor complains and have a plan for rehoming. People are often surprised by how attached they get to their chickens. In my area, the law states that poultry cannot be kept on land less than three acres. Thankfully we have more than that. And we were lucky enough to be granted a variance that forever exempts our property from restrictions on livestock. Most folks in our town aren't aware of the laws on keeping poultry and I know many families who have chickens with far less land than three acres. 

So how do you find out if chickens are legal in your area? The best way is to read the zoning laws yourself. In many towns this can be done online, which makes it very convenient! Although if your town is like mine, you need to make a visit to your town hall and look through them there. Some people attempt to get the zoning regulations by simply calling the town hall, but often times the person answering the phone has absolutely no idea and gives incorrect information. Some towns require a permit to keep poultry which may or may not require a fee. It's also easier to plan a coop location in your yard if you know your towns rules on the coop placement (for example, if it must be 20 ft from a property line). Overall it's best to research local regulations early on to avoid any trouble later.

So whats next?! You must consider how you will house your chickens. This includes choosing a spot in the yard and deciding what type of coop you will use. There are many pre-made coops available, but many of them are expensive and some are flimsy and will not protect your flock from predators.Although some of these coops can simply be modified for added protection. Building a coop yourself is a great option if you are handy! There are lots of coop ideas on BYC's chicken coop section. You can also check our pinterest board full of chicken coops. And also have a look at our coop page, where we included our tips and also some plans to build a similar coop. In order to choose a coop design, you must decide how many chickens you would like to have. And just a tip.. round that number up! A general rule is 5 sq ft inside the coop per bird, 10 sq ft per bird in the run, and a nest box for every 4 chickens. But more space and more nest boxes are always better. If you are not handy and the thought of building a coop makes you cringe, checking craigslist for a coop is another great option! Just make sure to fully clean and disinfect it before placing your flock inside it.

Once you are all set with your coop, it's time to start thinking about getting some chickens! Not sure what breed is right for you? Check out Henderson's Breed Chart. This chart has some really amazing information that can really help you narrow down the types of chickens you may want. Once you make up your mind, you must decide where to buy your chickens. Some people prefer to buy started pullets or chickens that are already laying, but I really think it's worth it to raise them from chicks. There are tons of hatcheries that you can order chicks from, but there often is a minimum number of chicks than can be mailed, usually 15-20 depending on the time of the year. Although there are a couple of places that are willing to ship just a few chicks (My Pet Chicken is one of these). You can find hatcheries just through a simple google search. Another great option is checking to see if there is a local hatchery nearby or if a feed store will be selling chicks in the spring. Most people are looking to buy sexed chicks, sometimes labeled as pullets. Don't buy straight run if you don't want to deal with the possibility of getting roosters.

Our Brooder Setup

Definitely buy your supplies for chicks ahead of time and decide where you will keep them. A brooder is a place to raise chicks until they are old enough to go into the coop. Many people use something as simple as a rubbermaid bin with a screen cover, with a heat lamp over it. Some people use a kiddie pool or build a brooder themselves. There are lots of brooder ideas on BYC's brooder page. You must also get feeders and waterers for the chicks, as well as chick feed for them. These items can be purchased at local feed stores or a Tractor Supply if you have one nearby.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to read, read, read! Learn lots about caring for chickens so you aren't overwhelmed once you have them. There is so much information online as well as many books. Some websites with great information are Fresh Eggs Daily and Backyard Chicken.

Raising your own chickens from chicks is very exciting! It may seem like a long wait until they start laying, but it is amazing to experience all the different stages as they grow up. And if you have children, this is an unforgettable experience for them. By raising them yourself, as opposed to buying started pullets or chickens already laying, is you can really socialize them! Our chickens love attention and are incredibly friendly. We have handled them daily ever since they were chicks, and you can tell that they enjoy human contact. 

Collecting eggs from your own chickens is incredibly rewarding! Eggs are one of the healthiest foods, and the taste of fresh eggs from your own chickens cannot be matched by old grocery store eggs. But just so you can't say I didn't warn you, there is a downside to raising chickens. It often times leads to an addiction... of wanting more & more chickens!

Helpful Websites:

• Fresh Eggs Daily
• Backyard Chicken
• Tilly's Nest

Further Reading:

• Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens
• Fresh Eggs Daily (book)
• The Joy of Keeping Chickens

Happy Valentines Day!

Buying a Beef Share

Any meat that we purchase, we like to buy from local farms. To people that always shop in the super market, it might seem odd to purchase your meat straight from the source. But we prefer grass fed beef for nutritional reasons and for the simple fact that it tastes much, much better! We love the idea of pasture raised meat, since that is the philosophy we believe in. We like to know that the animal got to experience sunshine, grazing, and the behaviors that come naturally to them. Our grocery store does not offer any pasture raised meat, so the decision to go elsewhere is pretty easy!

Photo Credit: Stone Garden Farms

Although raising our own beef is something we'd love to do, our current set up just doesn't allow for it right now, and won't for some time. We have decided to switch over to buying our meat in bulk, since it's much cheaper per pound. It's also more convenient for us to pick it up once, put it in the freezer and have it on hand. We used to drive to a local place and buy packages every couple weeks. This was not super convenient for us, since I feel like we are always so busy! Plus, the price per pound was a whole dollar more for ground beef, and much higher for steak or other cuts of beef. So we're actually saving a lot by buying it in a larger quantity!

This time we purchased only 1/6 of a cow, which isn't a huge amount. We chose this size just because of our current freezer situation. We need a freezer upgrade to a larger size since we store lots of frozen veggies and fish that we catch. So in the future we will get a 1/4 or a 1/2. We found Stone Garden Farms which is nearby. Definitely check them out if you are in Connecticut!

On average 1/6 of a cow will be somewhere around 100lbs. The hanging weight of ours was 82.5 lbs. Here is what we received in our order:

• 13 Ground Beef (1lb each)
• 4 Packages of Stewing Beef
• 2 Sirloin Tip
• 2 Soup Shanks
• 4 Rib Steaks
• 2 Minute Steaks
• 2 Porter House Steaks
• 4 Chuck Steaks
• 2 London Broil
• 3 T Bone Steaks
• 2 Sirloin Steaks
• 1 Package of Short Ribs
• 1 Roast
• 1 Liver
• 1 Neck Bone Package
• 1 Bag of Soup Bones

Tour Our Coop

We always get a lot of questions about our coop! So we decided to make this post to share it with everyone. Our coops are actually quite old.. built by my family in the late 1960's. They were all built using plans from a correspondence course on poultry through a university (which I still have!). We have three identical coops. The only differences between them is that only one currently has a run (we are adding those onto the others) and one has a different type of siding (rolled out shingles rather than cedar shakes).

Here are some photos through the years:

And some more recent ones:

Inside The Coop:

Here are some inside photos, which are oddly difficult to take! You can see that we have roosts along the back wall. When we have chicks, we do three levels of roosts to help them get to the top. A little while after they are fully feathered, we move the top two roosts so that they are parallel (photo below).

Their door is next to the nest boxes.

The door has been upgraded to a solar powered ,gravity lock automatic door. Here is a video of it:

And we use nest box curtains, which the ladies seem to love!

Bedding:

We use deep litter for our bedding inside our coop. Usually mixing straw and wood shavings together. We tend to use more straw during the winter months for better insulation, and more wood shavings during the warmer months.

Water & Feed:

When our chicks are growing, we like to provide them with food and water 24/7. But once they are fully grown and roosting through the night, we only offer food and water outside. We find that this helps with pest control and keeps the bedding cleaner. Any time we try to keep water inside the coop, it always ends up leaking at some point.

In the summer, we keep two large waterers in the run at all times, and one in the yard for free ranging. We've noticed they are more likely to drink during the day if they don't have to go back into the run to get it. In the winter, we only use one large water on top of a heated water bowl base. This is kept outside the coop and is only plugged in when needed to reduce the fire risk. 

We have two large feeders hung in the run at all times. We also have a container for grit & oyster shell in the run so they can eat it as needed.

Exterior photos/details:

The coop is raised about 1.5 feet off the ground, resting on cinder blocks. We re-leveled it this spring because a few of them had sunk a bit over the years. We did this by jacking the coop off the ground using a high lift jack, using a level to see when it was level & adjusting the cinder blocks accordingly. 

For siding, we have cedar shakes that have been painted. The shakes that were painted have held up amazingly well over the last 45 years. The back of the coop was never painted, and we had to replace those. So I would recommend that you paint your shakes if you want them to last a long time. There is plywood for the walls, then tar paper, then the shakes.

Here is an example of the replacement shakes we used on the rear of the coop. They were about $7 for a bundle at home depot.

If you don't want to go through the trouble of cedar shakes, you can also use the roll out roof shingles. Just line the back with tar paper, and cut them to size, and nail into place. You can paint them and they look great! We have this siding on another coop:

The windows are frames we have made ourselves (just square) with hardwire attached. 

Here is our door to the coop.

Some details on our run:

The run is fully enclosed on all sides using chicken wire. The wire also goes under the ground on all sides to prevent any predators who attempt to dig in. Half of the run is covered with a tarp covering to give them plenty of shade and keep their food dry.

We used wood posts with the post spikes on the bottom, similar to these at home depot. We already had the posts & spikes, which we took from the runs that used to be used for raising baby cows & goats. To run the chicken wire, it is much easier with two people. One to hold the wire & unroll it as you go, and one person to use the staple gun. First we attached all the wire using just a staple gun, then went back after & used poultry nails to make it stronger. 

Our tarp covering is slightly raised in the center (where the center board down the middle is) and the water actually runs off very nicely. We were actually planning a different cover for the run and put this up to be temporary, but it is working so well (and tarps are so cheap!) that we are thinking of just keeping it permanently. It's easy to adjust and move a tarp rather than a permanent structure.

There is an overhang on each side of the roof. The shingles on the roof are the roll out kind.. much easier in my opinion! The roof had it's original roof until about 5 years ago, and then it was replaced. Then we had a tree fall on the coop which damaged one spot, so that area has been patched (you can see the black vs grey shingles). 

Free Ranging:

We like to let our chickens free range as much as possible! They absolutely love it and it gives them so much amusement to be able to explore. 

Interested in Building a Similar Coop?

One of the great things about these coops is that they are square. So you can copy this coop in whatever dimensions you need. 6x6, 8x8. 10x10, etc, to fit your flock size. The roof is slanted for better drainage.

Extras:

We also added about 6 or so wood logs for them to stand on. It's been especially helpful when you get alot of rain or snow! It gives them something to stand on.

We added this thermometer that someone bought us as a gift. It transmits the temperature to the house. It's nice to know the temperature before you head outside! We have one in the coop and one in the run.

For my birthday my husband bought me a game cam! So we can keep an eye on anything sneaking around the coop at night

And of course we decorate for the seasons!!

Summary of my tips to anyone building a coop:

- Build it bigger than you think you need. If you think you'll only get 5 chickens, build it to fit 10.

- Think of how you will clean the coop or access nest boxes. Make enough room to move comfortably through the coop.

- If you know you have a predator problem in you area, plan that into your coop. It's devastating to loose chickens to predators. 

- Plan ahead where you will place waterers & feeders.. don't make them an after thought. 

- Make sure to have enough roost space per bird.

- Ventilation!

- Make sure your chickens have an area of shade.