Every now and then, we stumble across something in the gardening world that makes us wonder why we've never heard more about it. That's pretty much how we feel about Winged Beans. First off, these things look downright strange... Imagine a green bean that decided it needed four frilly edges running down its entire length. That's a winged bean. But the more we learned about them, the more interested we became. Not because they're unusual looking, although that's certainly part of the fun, but because of just how useful this plant can be on a Homestead. And here in Florida, where summer gardening sometimes feels like trying to grow vegetables on the surface of the sun, we're always interested in plants that actually enjoy the heat. So... what exactly is a Winged Bean? Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is a tropical climbing plant that's been grown in parts of Asia and the Pacific for generations. It's a legume, just like regular beans and peas, but it has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it a little different from what most of us are used to growing. For starters, almost the entire plant is edible and we really do mean almost everything! The young pods can be cooked like green beans, the leaves can be used as cooking greens, the flowers are edible, the seeds can be harvested and some varieties even produce edible tuberous roots! Think about that for a minute... one plant can potentially give you several different kinds of food, all while growing vertically instead of taking up a huge section of your garden. That's the kind of thing that gets our attention around here. Almost mature Winged Beans You can eat more than just the Beans Most of us plant Green Beans because, well, we want Green Beans but with Winged Beans, you've got options. The young pods are probably the most familiar part. They're tender when picked early and have a mild, slightly nutty flavor and you can toss them into a stir-fry, saute them with garlic, steam them, or use them in soups. The leaves can be cooked much like spinach or other leafy greens, and the flowers are edible too. If you let the pods mature, you can harvest the dried seeds and cook them like other dry beans. Then there are the roots. Under the right conditions, some winged bean plants develop enlarged roots that can be harvested and cooked as food. Now, that doesn't mean every Winged Bean plant is going to produce a big crop of everything. Variety and growing conditions make a difference, but we love the idea of growing something that gives us more than one harvest option. One important thing to mention: mature seeds and edible roots need proper cooking. Like many legumes, Winged Beans contain naturally occurring compounds that make eating them raw a bad idea. Winged Bean Blossom Don't wait too long to pick them Here's something worth knowing before you plant these. If you want tender pods, pick them young because as Winged Bean pods mature, they get tougher and more fibrous. Eventually, they're better suited for producing seed than for eating as a vegetable and in warm weather, things can move pretty quickly. You know how Zucchini can go from a perfectly reasonable vegetable to something the size of a small canoe when you turn your back? Same general idea LOL Check your vines regularly and pick the pods while they're still young and tender. If you miss a few, no big deal. Let those mature and save the seeds. They're pretty impressive nutritionally too Now, here's something that really caught our attention. Winged Beans aren't just another unusual vegetable to grow for the fun of it. They're actually quite nutritious, and depending on which part of the plant you're eating, they offer some different benefits. The young green pods are low in calories and provide Fiber, Vitamin C, Folate and Minerals like Calcium and Iron. They're a great way to add some variety to your vegetables without adding a lot of calories. The mature beans are where things get really interesting. Dried Winged Bean seeds can contain around 30–40% protein by weight, putting them in the same general league as Soybeans and that's considerably more protein than you'll find in most common vegetables. They also contain roughly 15–20% fat, much of it unsaturated, along with Fiber, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Iron and other Minerals. Unlike many vegetables, Winged Beans provide meaningful amounts of all nine essential Amino Acids. That doesn't make their protein identical in quality to animal protein, but it does make them an interesting plant-based protein source. The leaves bring something different to the table. Like many dark leafy greens, they provide Vitamins, Minerals and beneficial plant compounds, including Carotenoids and even the tuberous roots can contribute carbohydrates and some protein, although their nutritional composition varies considerably depending on the variety. What's especially interesting to us is that we're talking about several different kinds of food coming from one plant: Fresh vegetables, cooking Greens, protein-rich dried Beans, and potentially edible roots and for anyone trying to grow more of their own food, that's a pretty appealing combination. Of course, there's one important detail. Mature winged beans need to be thoroughly cooked before eating. Like Soybeans and many other legumes, they contain naturally occurring antinutritional compounds, including trypsin inhibitors, that can interfere with digestion and nutrient absorption when improperly prepared. So while they're nutritious, proper preparation matters! And that's really what makes Winged Beans so interesting from a Homesteading perspective. We feel, they can be reasonable described as Superfood since they are an incredibly versatile crop that can provide several different nutritional benefits from the same growing space. Nutritional Panel Here's where Florida Gardeners need to pay attention Winged Beans love warm weather, which sounds like a perfect match for Florida. But there's one little catch that can drive Gardeners absolutely crazy... Some winged bean varieties won't flower until the days get shorter! So you can spend the entire summer watching this beautiful, healthy vine climb all over your trellis, putting out leaves like there's no tomorrow and producing absolutely nothing you can pick. Meanwhile, you're standing there wondering what on earth you're doing wrong. Turns out, it might not be anything you're doing! Some traditional Winged Bean varieties are sensitive to day length, meaning they wait for shorter days before they start flowering. That's not exactly ideal if your growing season ends before the plant gets around to making Beans LOL but fortunately, there are varieties that are less sensitive to day length. If you're planning to grow Winged Beans, especially here in North Florida, look for seeds described as day-neutral or early flowering. That little detail could make a big difference in whether you end up with an actual harvest or just a really impressive wall of greenery. Give them room to climb Winged Beans aren't little bush plants that politely stay where you put them. They're vines, and they can get pretty enthusiastic about climbing and a sturdy trellis, cattle panel, fence, or arbor is a good idea. We put ours on a Cattle Panel Trellis. They prefer full sun, warm temperatures, decent drainage, and consistent moisture. They're also legumes, which means they can work with certain soil bacteria to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Winged Beans on a Vine That doesn't mean they'll magically fertilize everything around them, but it's another interesting characteristic of the plant. We like crops that do more than one job, whether that's feeding us, attracting beneficial insects, providing shade, or contributing to a healthier growing system. And Winged Beans have the potential to fit into several of those roles. Why do we grow them? We're always looking for plants that make sense for our climate instead of constantly fighting against it. Don't get us wrong... we love our traditional garden vegetables, but Florida has a way of reminding you that not everything appreciates months of heat, humidity and afternoon thunderstorms. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is stop trying to force a plant to tolerate your growing conditions and start growing something that actually likes them which is certainly one reason we're so interested in tropical and subtropical food crops and Winged Beans check quite a few boxes. They're unusual, they're useful, they're nutritious, and they don't need a huge amount of ground space if you've got something for them to climb plus, we'd be lying if we said we didn't enjoy growing things that make visitors stop and ask, "What in the world is THAT?" Those are usually some of our favorite plants. Harvested Winged Beans A little more than just another Bean The longer we Homestead, the more we realize there's an incredible amount of food out there that most of us simply weren't raised eating or growing. Most of us tend to stick with what's familiar. Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Squash, Green Beans and there's nothing wrong with any of those. But there's a whole world of edible plants beyond the usual seed rack at the garden center. Some won't work for our climate. Some aren't worth the effort. And some turn out to be absolute gems. We made it a habit of introducing 2-3 plants every year into our Garden that we have never grown before. If we like them, they go into our Crop rotation, if we don't... we just don't plant them again and Winged Beans are one of those plants we think deserve a closer look. Will they replace our regular green beans? Maybe, maybe not. But could they earn a permanent spot in our garden? Quite possibly. And that's part of what we enjoy about Homesteading. We're constantly learning, experimenting, figuring out what works, and occasionally wondering why nobody told us about something sooner! Have you ever grown Winged Beans? We'd love to hear how they did for you, especially if you're growing them here in Florida!

If you’ve followed us for a while, you probably know that we’re always growing something, making something, or experimenting with something around here. Sometimes those experiments work beautifully. Sometimes...not so much. But every once in a while, we end up with something we love enough that we want to share it with everyone else. That’s exactly how our four newest products came to be. We’ve officially added three loose-leaf herbal teas and one DIY elderberry syrup kit to On Our Own Homestead, and we’re pretty excited about these. Meet Second Spring, Moringa Sunshine, Hearth & Harvest, and Elderberry Hearth. One of our favorite things about this collection is that many of the ingredients are grown right here on our homestead. We’re able to take things we’ve planted, cared for, harvested, and dried ourselves and turn them into something that eventually ends up in someone else’s cup. That’s pretty darn cool! Second Spring A cozy herbal tea created with the menopausal season of life in mind. Second Spring is probably one of the most personal blends in this collection. We wanted to create a tea specifically for this stage of a woman’s life, but there was one very important requirement: it had to actually taste good. There are plenty of herbs with long histories of traditional use by women, but throwing a bunch of herbs into a bag doesn’t necessarily make a tea you want to drink every day. So we played with the recipe until we found a combination we really enjoyed. Second Spring brings together Rooibos, Red Clover Blossoms, Honeybush, Hibiscus, Lemon Balm, Spearmint, Ceylon Cinnamon and other botanicals to create a caffeine-free tea that’s smooth, slightly fruity, gently floral, and cozy. It was crafted with the menopausal season of life in mind without trying to turn a simple cup of tea into something it isn’t. Sometimes there’s something really nice about making yourself a cup of tea, sitting down for a few minutes, and just enjoying it. That’s what we wanted Second Spring to be. Moringa Sunshine Bright, citrusy, refreshing, and very much inspired by what we grow here. Moringa Sunshine came together because we wanted to do something delicious with our Moringa. If you’ve ever tasted Moringa by itself, you know it has a pretty earthy, green flavor. We wanted to keep the character of the moringa while making it into a tea that was bright and easy to drink and NOT taste like grass. So we paired it with rooibos, lemongrass, orange, and ginger. And it worked. The Rooibos gives the tea a smooth base, while the Orange and Lemongrass brighten everything up. Ginger adds just a little warmth at the end. The result is a caffeine-free tea that tastes great hot but would also make a fantastic iced tea on one of our ridiculously hot Florida afternoons. This one is especially close to home because most of the ingredients are grown right here on our homestead. It really is a little bit of our garden in your cup. Hearth & Harvest Herbal Tea Dark berries, orange, and warm fall spices. Yes, we live in Florida but we still get excited about fall. I do anyways... Chris? Not so much! We just have to drink our fall tea while the air conditioner is running LOL Hearth & Harvest was our answer to wanting a warm, cozy autumn tea that didn’t taste like every other apple cinnamon tea out there. Instead, we started with smooth Honeybush and Rooibos and added Freeze dried Mulberries and Elderberries for a rich berry flavor. Then came the good stuff. Orange peel, dried Orange pieces, Ceylon Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom and Cloves. The Berries and Orange keep the tea fruity, while the spices give it that warm Fall flavor we were looking for without completely taking over the cup. Add a little honey, curl up somewhere comfortable, and pretend it isn’t 87 degrees outside. Florida fall. We make do. Elderberry Hearth DIY Elderberry Syrup Kit Everything you need to make a small batch of elderberry syrup at home, except the water and honey. Elderberry Hearth is a little different from the other three because this one isn’t tea. It’s a DIY elderberry syrup kit. We wanted to make homemade elderberry syrup easier for people who like the idea of making their own but don’t necessarily want to buy five different bags of ingredients just to make one batch. So we did the measuring for you. Each kit contains dried Elderberries, Hibiscus flowers, Orange slices, Ginger Root, and Ceylon Cinnamon. You simmer everything with water, strain it, let it cool, and then add your own Honey and that’s it. The Elderberries give the syrup its deep berry flavor, Hibiscus adds some tartness, Orange brightens it up, and Ginger and Ceylon Cinnamon add a warm spice in the background. Each kit makes about 20 ounces of finished Elderberry syrup, depending on how much liquid cooks down and how thoroughly you strain it. We purposely don’t include Honey because everyone seems to have a favorite, and this way you can choose exactly what you want to use. Why We Started Making Herbal Teas Honestly, this feels like a pretty natural next step for On Our Own Homestead. We already grow a lot of herbs, fruits, and other plants here and then we harvest them and then we dry them and eventually one of us looks at everything we’ve grown and says, “Okay, what can we make with this?” That question has led to a lot of projects on our Homestead. These teas are just the latest ones. We love the idea of growing an ingredient ourselves and eventually seeing it become part of a finished product. We can’t grow absolutely everything that goes into these blends, but we grow what we reasonably can here in Florida and bring in the other ingredients needed to make each recipe complete. Everything is then blended and packaged by us in small batches. There’s something very different about opening a bag of herbs you harvested yourself and knowing that a few weeks/months earlier they were growing right outside your door. That’s the part of this we really love. And we have a feeling this is only the beginning. As we continue to grow, harvest, and experiment with new ingredients, we hope to keep creating products that reflect what On Our Own Homestead is all about. Growing what we can, making things with intention and sharing a little piece of our homestead with you. We hope you’ll take a look at our newest creations, find one that sounds just right for you, and enjoy a little taste of the homestead from wherever you call home. :)

There are useful plants, there are beautiful plants, and then there are those plants that make you stop in the garden and think, "How in the world did I not know about this sooner?" Shampoo ginger is definitely one of those. For most of the growing season, it looks like a pretty tropical ginger with tall, lush foliage. Then these strange little pinecone-shaped flowers begin popping up close to the ground. Eventually those cones turn red, fill with a wonderfully fragrant, slippery liquid and suddenly you have something growing in the garden that you can actually use on your hair. Meet shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet), also known as awapuhi, pinecone ginger or bitter ginger. And yes, the "shampoo" part of the name is there for a reason. So let's talk about what shampoo ginger actually is, how we grow and harvest it, how to collect that wonderful liquid without destroying the plant, what you can make with it and, probably most importantly, how to safely store everything once you've harvested it. What is shampoo ginger? Shampoo ginger is a tropical perennial in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Its scientific name is Zingiber zerumbet. It grows from underground rhizomes and sends up tall leafy stems during the warm growing season. The really interesting part comes later. Separate stalks emerge closer to the ground and produce compact, pinecone-shaped flower heads. Young cones are generally green, but as they mature they gradually turn pink and eventually a beautiful deeper red. Inside those overlapping bracts is the part we're after: a clear to slightly cloudy, fragrant and somewhat slippery liquid. The plant is commonly known as awapuhi in Hawaii, where it has a long history of traditional use, including for washing and conditioning hair. One important distinction before we go any further: Shampoo ginger is not the same thing as culinary ginger. The ginger we commonly use in the kitchen is Zingiber officinale. They're relatives, but they're different plants, so don't assume that something should be eaten simply because "ginger" is part of its common name. Growing shampoo ginger in Florida If you live in Florida, this is one of those times when our ridiculous heat and humidity actually work in our favor. Shampoo ginger loves warm, humid, tropical and subtropical conditions. While half the garden may look like it has filed a formal complaint against August, the ginger family is out there living its best life. Shampoo ginger grows well in rich, well-draining soil with consistent moisture. It can grow in partial shade or filtered sunlight, making it especially useful in those areas of the homestead where full-sun vegetables might struggle. The plants spread through underground rhizomes and can gradually form substantial clumps when they're happy. During the cooler part of the year, the above-ground foliage may die back and the plant can enter dormancy. Don't automatically assume you've killed it. The rhizomes remain underground and can send up new growth when warm weather returns. When does shampoo ginger produce its cones? Once the plants are actively growing, you'll eventually notice separate stalks emerging from around the base of the plant. These are the flowering stalks. At first, the cones are green and fairly firm. As they mature, they become plumper and begin changing color. Green gradually gives way to pink and then red. That's when things get interesting. A mature cone begins accumulating the fragrant liquid between its overlapping bracts. You don't necessarily have to guess whether it's ready. Give it a gentle squeeze. If liquid appears between the bracts, you've got a cone that's ready to harvest. How to harvest shampoo ginger liquid This may be the coolest part of growing shampoo ginger: You don't necessarily have to cut the cone off the plant. You can essentially "milk" it. Start with very clean hands and a clean bowl, measuring cup or jar. Hold a mature cone over your container. Starting toward the bottom, gently squeeze upward. Don't crush or completely flatten the cone. You're simply applying enough pressure to release the liquid trapped between the bracts. The liquid will run down into your container. Then leave the cone attached to the plant. A productive cone may accumulate additional liquid, which means you can potentially come back and harvest it again later. Eventually the cone will naturally deteriorate and stop producing. This lets us collect what we want without immediately sacrificing the entire flower. Strain your harvest Once you've collected the liquid, strain it before doing anything else with it. Those cones are growing outdoors at ground level. That means there can be tiny pieces of plant material, dirt and the occasional extremely offended little bug mixed in with your harvest. For immediate use, a fine mesh strainer may be sufficient. If you're making one of the stored products below, I like to strain it particularly well through a very fine clean filter or cloth. And remember: Fresh from the plant does not mean sterile. That's especially important once we start talking about storage. Can you use shampoo ginger straight from the plant? One of the simplest ways to use shampoo ginger is also the traditional reason it became famous. Use the fresh liquid on your hair. You can work a small amount through wet hair and massage it gently into your scalp and hair. You can then rinse it out, or experiment with a very small amount as a light leave-in treatment depending on your hair. If you've never used it before, start small and see how your hair and scalp respond. As with any botanical product, discontinue use if you develop irritation. Recipe 1: Simple fresh shampoo ginger hair rinse This is the easiest recipe and a great place to start if you've never used shampoo ginger before. Ingredients 1/4 cup freshly harvested and strained shampoo ginger liquid 3/4 cup distilled water Directions Strain your freshly harvested shampoo ginger liquid very well. Combine 1/4 cup shampoo ginger liquid with 3/4 cup distilled water in a clean bottle and shake gently. After washing your hair, slowly pour or work the rinse through your hair and scalp. Massage it in for a minute or two, then rinse with cool or lukewarm water and that's it. No twenty-ingredient recipe. No chemistry degree required. There is, however, one big catch. How long does the fresh rinse last? Not long unfortunately since this recipe contains fresh plant liquid and water with no broad-spectrum cosmetic preservative. Treat it as a fresh, perishable preparation. Make only what you expect to use quickly, keep the remainder refrigerated and discard it at the first sign of a change in smell, color, texture or appearance. If you want to preserve a larger harvest, freezing is a much better choice. Recipe 2: Frozen shampoo ginger cubes This is probably our favorite way to deal with a good shampoo ginger harvest. Instead of trying to preserve a giant bottle of fresh botanical liquid, freeze it in individual portions. You'll need Fresh shampoo ginger liquid A clean silicone ice cube tray, preferably one that makes small cubes A freezer-safe container or freezer bag Directions Harvest and thoroughly strain your shampoo ginger liquid and pour the liquid into the ice cube tray. Freeze until completely solid, once frozen, pop the cubes out and transfer them into a labeled freezer-safe container or bag. Label it with both the plant and the harvest date: Shampoo Ginger – Zingiber zerumbet – August 2026 (or whatever month you're doing this) Now you've got individual portions ready whenever you need them. Remove one cube, place it in a clean container and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. Use the thawed liquid promptly. Don't repeatedly thaw and refreeze it. You can use the thawed liquid by itself or dilute it with distilled water to make a quick hair rinse. For the average homesteader, freezing is the simplest way to preserve a larger harvest without getting into cosmetic formulation and preservatives. Recipe 3: Shampoo ginger hydrating hair & scalp mist Ready to get a little more adventurous? We can also turn our shampoo ginger harvest into a lightweight leave-in hair and scalp mist. This is a more advanced recipe because we're no longer making something that we're going to use immediately. We're deliberately creating a water-based cosmetic product that we want to keep around. And water plus fresh botanical ingredients creates an excellent environment for bacteria, yeast and mold. So this recipe includes a proper broad-spectrum cosmetic preservative. The 100-gram formula This makes approximately 100 grams, or about 3.4 ounces. 80% filtered shampoo ginger liquid 13% distilled water 3% cosmetic-grade aloe vera juice 2% vegetable glycerin 1% panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus Diluted citric acid solution, as needed for pH adjustment Because the amount of citric acid solution required will vary according to the actual pH of your ingredients, you can slightly reduce the distilled water as necessary so your finished batch totals 100 grams. If you're comfortable with cosmetic formulation terminology, you may see this written as water q.s. to 100%, meaning enough water is used to bring the final formulation to 100%. What do all those ingredients actually do? Let's break them down because cosmetic ingredient lists can sound considerably more intimidating than they really are. Shampoo ginger liquid – 80% This is the star of the show. It's the fragrant liquid we've harvested from our mature shampoo ginger cones. Because we're making a product that will be stored, strain the liquid extremely well before using it. Distilled water – approximately 13% Distilled water helps dilute the shampoo ginger liquid and creates a lightweight sprayable consistency. Use distilled water rather than tap or well water. We're trying to reduce the number of unnecessary minerals and potential contaminants introduced into our formulation. Aloe vera juice – 3% Aloe vera juice adds additional hydration and contributes to the feel of the finished product on the hair and scalp. For this recipe, we're using cosmetic-grade aloe vera juice, not scooping fresh gel directly out of an aloe plant. Fresh aloe would introduce another unstandardized botanical ingredient and additional microbial load into something we're trying to preserve. Vegetable glycerin – 2% Vegetable glycerin is a humectant. In simple terms, humectants attract and help retain water. Glycerin is found in an enormous number of commercial skin and hair products for exactly this reason. We're only using 2% because too much glycerin can make a hair product feel sticky or tacky. Panthenol – 1% Panthenol is also known as pro-vitamin B5. It's commonly used in shampoos, conditioners and leave-in hair products for its humectant and conditioning properties. It can contribute to a softer, smoother feel without turning our simple mist into a heavy conditioner. Liquid Germall Plus – 0.5% This is our broad-spectrum cosmetic preservative. It's here for safety, not because we're trying to make our lovely natural botanical spray sound like a chemistry experiment. Shampoo ginger liquid, distilled water and aloe juice make this an extremely water-rich product. Microorganisms also happen to really appreciate water. A proper broad-spectrum preservative helps protect a cosmetic against bacteria, yeast and mold during storage and normal use. And here's something important: Vitamin E is NOT a preservative. Vitamin E is primarily used as an antioxidant. It can help slow oxidation of oils, but it does not replace a broad-spectrum antimicrobial preservative in a water-based cosmetic. Essential oils aren't a reliable substitute either. If you don't want to use a cosmetic preservative, that's perfectly fine. Freeze your shampoo ginger liquid instead. That's exactly why we included the frozen cube method. Citric acid – as needed Citric acid is included so we can adjust the pH of our finished mist. We're not adding a predetermined spoonful. We're adding a diluted citric acid solution a tiny amount at a time, testing between additions, until the finished product reaches the pH we're looking for. For this leave-on hair and scalp mist, we're aiming for a mildly acidic finished pH of approximately 4.5–5.5. How to make the shampoo ginger hair & scalp mist For this recipe, you will need a digital scale capable of accurately measuring small quantities. We're weighing everything rather than using teaspoons and tablespoons. That's especially important with the preservative. Do not eyeball 0.5 grams of preservative. Start with clean and sanitized equipment, utensils and your final spray bottle. Combine your thoroughly strained shampoo ginger liquid, distilled water and cosmetic-grade aloe vera juice. Add the vegetable glycerin and panthenol. Mix thoroughly until everything is incorporated. Add the Liquid Germall Plus according to the manufacturer's current usage and temperature instructions. Liquid Germall Plus is typically added during the cool-down phase rather than being subjected to high processing temperatures. Mix thoroughly. Now measure the pH. (A properly calibrated digital pH meter is preferable, particularly if you plan to make cosmetic formulations regularly.) If the pH is too high, add a very small amount of your diluted citric acid solution. Mix. Test again. Repeat until you reach approximately pH 4.5–5.5. Don't dump powdered citric acid straight into your finished spray and hope for the best. Once everything is incorporated and the pH is where you want it, transfer the finished mist into your clean spray bottle. Label it with the product name and date. How to use the shampoo ginger mist Shake the bottle gently before use amd mist lightly onto damp or dry hair. You can concentrate it on the lengths of your hair or lightly mist your scalp and massage it in with your fingertips. It's intended to be a lightweight leave-in product, so you don't need to completely saturate your hair. More isn't necessarily better. How long will homemade shampoo ginger hair mist last? This is where we need to distinguish between preserved and proven shelf stable. They aren't automatically the same thing. We've included Liquid Germall Plus specifically to protect our water-based formulation against microbial contamination. But adding a preservative does not magically allow us to stamp: "GOOD FOR 12 MONTHS!" on the bottle. Commercial cosmetic manufacturers establish shelf life through testing. Depending on the product, that can include stability testing and microbial testing, including preservative efficacy or challenge testing. We aren't doing that in the homestead kitchen. Our formula also contains a very high percentage of freshly harvested botanical liquid, which introduces more variability than a formulation made entirely from standardized cosmetic ingredients. For personal home use, we would make this in small batches and plan to use it within approximately 1–3 months. That's a conservative household guideline, not a laboratory-validated expiration date. If you're making products to sell, that's a different situation. A preservative alone isn't sufficient evidence to assign an arbitrary commercial shelf life to a product. The final formulation should undergo appropriate testing. How to store the finished shampoo ginger mist Store your finished mist in a clean, tightly closed spray bottle. Keep it somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight and excessive heat. An opaque or amber bottle is particularly useful because it reduces the amount of light reaching the product. And because we're in Florida, please don't make this beautiful botanical mist and then leave it cooking in a 140-degree car in August. Even preservatives have limits. Refrigeration isn't necessarily required simply because a properly formulated product contains botanical ingredients, but keeping it cool can be beneficial. What refrigeration doesn't do is magically turn an unpreserved water-based cosmetic into a shelf-stable one. Always label your bottle with the date you made it. And use your senses. If you notice an unusual odor, dramatic color change, separation that wasn't there previously, unexpected gas or pressure, visible growth or anything else that makes you question the product: Throw it away. When in doubt, toss it out and make another little batch. That's one of the benefits of having the plant growing right outside. How to store your shampoo ginger harvest So what should you do when the plants really start producing? It depends on how you intend to use your harvest. Fresh shampoo ginger liquid Strain the liquid, transfer it into a clean covered container and refrigerate it immediately. Think of this as a fresh botanical ingredient rather than something that's automatically shelf stable and use it promptly. Frozen shampoo ginger liquid For longer-term home storage, this is our preferred method. Strain it, portion it into small cubes and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the cubes into a sealed freezer-safe container, label them and remove only what you need. This also gives us conveniently measured portions when we want to make another batch of hair rinse or mist. Whole shampoo ginger cones If you cut an entire mature cone, refrigerate it and use it promptly. But if your goal is simply to harvest the liquid, try leaving productive cones attached to the plant and gently squeezing them instead. You may get another harvest from the same cone. Shampoo ginger rhizomes Eventually, a happy shampoo ginger patch can become pretty crowded. That's when you get another useful harvest: Plants! Once the foliage begins dying back and the plants enter dormancy, established clumps can be carefully dug and divided. Dig around the clump rather than chopping straight through the middle of it. Lift the rhizomes and separate healthy sections, making sure your divisions have viable growing points or buds. Replant them in another suitable location or pot them up or give them to another gardener. This is how it begins..."I brought you a little piece of shampoo ginger." and three years later, they have a tropical jungle and they're bringing pieces of it to somebody else. Homestead plant math works suspiciously like chicken math LOL! A few things we've learned about harvesting shampoo ginger Wait for the cones to mature rather than squeezing every little green cone you find. If a gentle squeeze produces nothing, give it more time. Use clean hands, containers and equipment when you're collecting liquid that you intend to put on your body or store. Strain the liquid well. Don't assume something is sterile simply because it came straight out of a plant. Don't leave fresh shampoo ginger liquid sitting indefinitely on the bathroom counter. And don't feel obligated to harvest every cone, leave some alone and enjoy them because they're gorgeous plants in their own right. Fresh, frozen or preserved: which method should you choose? If you're going to use your shampoo ginger immediately, fresh is wonderfully simple. If you've got more than you can use and want the easiest preservation method, freeze it. If you enjoy making your own hair and body products and you're comfortable weighing ingredients, measuring pH and using a proper cosmetic preservative, make the hydrating hair and scalp mist. There's no prize for making this complicated. The whole point is finding a way to actually use what we're growing. Why shampoo ginger deserves a place on the homestead I have a soft spot for plants that earn their keep. Pretty is wonderful but pretty and useful? Now we're talking. Shampoo ginger gives us lush tropical foliage, some of the strangest and most beautiful flowers in the garden, rhizomes we can divide and propagate and a fragrant botanical liquid we can actually harvest and use. Better yet, it happens to enjoy the kind of hot, humid weather that makes half the rest of the garden look like it's reconsidering its life choices. By late summer, when stepping outside in Florida feels roughly equivalent to opening the dishwasher halfway through the drying cycle, shampoo ginger is finally saying: "My time has come" and so we'll let it have its moment. We'll squeeze those weird little red pinecones, freeze what we can't immediately use, make ourselves a bottle of shampoo ginger mist and appreciate yet another plant that gives us a little more than we expected. That's exactly the kind of plant we like growing around here. Mel & Chris

Unlock the treasure trove of rewards and bask in the glory of your achievements! It's like winning the lottery, but with fewer awkward family reunions. Dive into a world where every milestone comes with its own fanfare and confetti (metaphorical, of course). Go ahead, treat yourself – you've earned it! And who knows, maybe one day you'll be so rewarded, you'll forget all about that embarrassing thing you did at the office holiday party... well, almost. Earn points and turn them into rewards Become a Member 01 Sign Up Sign up as a member to start enjoying the loyalty program 02 Earn Points Earn points by signing up to the site and by placing orders. 03 Redeem Rewards Redeem points for various discounts. Program tiers Reach new tiers as you earn more points. Basic 0 total earned points required Earn 1 points per every $1 spent Earn Points Purchase a product Get 1 point for every $1 spent Sign up to the site Get 25 points Celebrate a birthday Get 100 points Follow on social media Get 50 points Redeem Rewards Free Shipping 300 Points = Free Shipping for all items Your Perks 20 Points = $1 discount Silver 750 total earned points required Earn 2 points per every $1 spent Earn Points Purchase a product Get 2 points for every $1 spent Sign up to the site Get 35 points Celebrate a birthday Get 200 points Follow on social media Get 50 points Gold 1,200 total earned points required Earn 3 points per every $1 spent Earn Points Purchase a product Get 3 points for every $1 spent Sign up to the site Get 50 points Celebrate a birthday Get 300 points Follow on social media Get 50 points

Our Animals Meet the Homestead Family Polaris Forget North Stars! Polaris is the true guiding force of the barnyard, ruling over 10 hens with the perfect balance of swagger and strategic diplomacy. His presence is a masterpiece of barnyard politics: a single, well-timed crow, and the flock moves like a well-choreographed army. A slight tilt of his royal comb, and breakfast disputes are settled without a single feather ruffled. His daily routine? Strutting with cosmic confidence, ensuring every hen stays in line. The OG's Welcome to the hen house, where feathered drama unfolds daily, rivaling the plot twists of a soap opera. These ladies aren’t just chickens, they’re barnyard royalty, ruling the land with sass, strategy, and a complete disregard for personal boundaries. Together, these fabulous feathered lunatics dominate the barnyard with zero concern for logic and an unshakeable belief in their own importance. Rorschach Meet Rorschach, the turkey with main-character energy and an unapologetic sense of drama! Is he a farmyard philosopher? A feathered chaos agent? Or just a turkey with a vendetta against garden hoses? The jury’s still out. What we do know is that Rorschach struts through life like he owns the place, making bold choices and demanding full attention. He’s not afraid to challenge the chickens, judge your outfit, or declare war on inanimate objects with zero warning. Oh, and if you think you’re observing him, think again! He’s studying you, assessing your worthiness, and deciding whether you deserve the privilege of his presence. Buckle up, because life with Rorschach is never dull. Pippin & Frodo Every homestead needs security. Ours comes in two very different sizes. Frodo, our male Chihuahua, firmly believes he is in charge of the entire property. All deliveries, suspicious leaves, passing birds, and imaginary threats are handled personally. His confidence far outweighs his body weight, and he takes his job extremely seriously. Pippin, our female Australian Shepherd, is the real operations manager. She supervises chores, keeps track of everyone’s location, and quietly fixes problems Frodo loudly announces. If something needs herding, guarding, or gently judging, she is already on it. Together, they run the homestead with unmatched dedication. Frodo provides the alarm system. Pippin provides the brains. We provide the snacks. It is a well balanced system. Gandalf In a world where six hens desperately need order, wisdom, and the occasional dramatic entrance, Gandalf reigns supreme. Part rooster, part mythical overlord, he strides through his domain with the authority of a medieval king... every feather perfectly positioned, his stance exuding the weight of destiny itself. His booming crow? Less of a morning wake-up call, more of a proclamation that the sun may rise only because he allows it. He doesn’t just peck at the ground, he contemplates the mysteries of the universe with every measured step. The hens may flutter and bicker, but Gandalf ensures order is maintained, disputes are settled swiftly, and all shall pass … unless they forget their place. The Bielefelder Girls Meet the Bielefelder hens, an elite squad of precision, sass, and mildly concerning levels of intelligence. If chickens had corporate rankings, these ladies would be the board of directors, running the barnyard like a well-oiled machine... except when they don’t, because sometimes chaos is necessary. Together, these Bielefelder masterminds balance order and absolute madness, proving that German heritage doesn’t mean they play by the rules but only on their terms, and only if they feel like it.

Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions section, where we answer the questions you never knew you had, but now can't stop wondering about! Dive into this treasure trove of queries and quips, where we unravel the mysteries of our universe or just our products. We promise to give it our best shot, even if it's about the secret lives of garden gnomes or the existential crisis of socks lost in the laundry abyss. Let's embark on this journey together, one quirky question at a time! Frequently Asked Questions FE Homesteading General What USDA Zone are we in? Hastings is classified as USDA Zone 9b, following the recent rezoning based on temperature patterns. This zone is ideal for a variety of plants that thrive in warmer climates. You can find the USDA Hardiness Zone Map [here](https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/). Does Taro (Colocasia esculenta) grow well here? Yes, Taro (Colocasia esculenta) grows well here. It's a wetland herbaceous perennial with large, heart-shaped leaves. Taro thrives in tropical or subtropical climates with temperatures between 77° to 95°F (25-35°C) and consistent moisture. It grows best in USDA zones 9-11. Plant Taro tubers 6 inches deep after the last frost or wait until the tuber gets shoots and plant with shoots exposed above the ground. Tubers take 12-18 months to mature, but you can harvest leaves 2-3 times a year. Note: Proper preparation and cooking are essential to avoid itchiness caused by acridity. What can I plant here and when do I plant it? For planting recommendations, check out Seed the Stars, a small Florida business selling Florida-adapted seeds. Additionally, the University of Florida's "Florida Fresh" tool allows you to enter your zipcode to see what to plant each month. Click on any vegetable picture for detailed information on the best varieties for your area, planting instructions, harvest times, and more. What is the Plant Stand and where is it located? The Plant Stand is a Community project. It is FREE and works on a "Take a Plant - Leave a Plant" principle. The Plant Stand can not function without you. While we don't expect you to take one and leave one all on the same day, after you remove something, it would be lovely if you could add something back to it in the near future. You can leave plants, seeds, etc. We just ask you not to leave whole fruits as it would attract Critters that would destroy them anyway. The Plant Stand is located at the front short end of Flagler Estates at 9620 Huskens Avenue. Please do not litter - we live here :) How do I grow sweet potatoes? Growing sweet potatoes is a rewarding experience. Here's a brief guide: 1. Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil. 2. Plant sweet potato slips (young plants) after the last frost. 3. Space the slips 12-18 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. 4. Water regularly and keep the soil moist. 5. Harvest in 90-120 days when the leaves start to yellow. For more detailed information, check out our blog post on growing sweet potatoes. If you have further questions, feel free to message us in the Homesteading Group. How to grow Cassava (Manihot esculenta) in our Zone. Last year, we grew Cassava, aka Yuca (not the same thing as Yucca), for the first time! We got a really good amount of harvest from the 10 we planted and when we were done, we gave away a ton of cuttings to our Homesteading neighbors. We had a TON left and I now had to figure out how to store it best so that it would survive until spring. We wrote a Blog Post about this, including how to plant it, how to take care of it, and how to harvest it. If you have any lingering questions after reading this, please let me know and I'll be happy to answer them. How to grow Cranberry Hibiscus Hibiscus comes in a multitude of varieties and grows very well in Florida. Here, we'll talk about the two most common in our Gardens. Hibiscus sabdariffa - Produces a Calyx that is edible and has a cranberry like tartness to it. Comes mostly with red "fruit" but there is also a White variety. Hibiscus acetosella (cranberry Hibiscus) - Does not produce an edible Calyx, but does produce edible flowers and leaves that prolifically produce starting around November. They are essentially grown the same way and I've detailed this here How do I evacuate my horses during a hurricane? To evacuate your horses during a hurricane, join the EAST COAST EQUINE EMERGENCY and DISASTER RESPONSE / Fleet of Angels group on Facebook. This group connects equine owners with transporters, foster facilities, and other volunteers during natural disasters. Register for help at http://bit.ly/EquineHayAndSupplyRequest-FOA. Emergency transporters should register at https://www.NationalEquineEmergencyDirectory.com. For year-round assistance, use www.FleetOfAngels.org. Stay civil and professional in all communications. No fundraising without permission from Elaine Nash, Executive Director of Fleet of Angels. Insect repelling Shrubs and Plants please? Sure thing. Here are just a few that worked for various folks: For Mosquitos and other flying pests: Lavender Marigolds Lemongrass Citronella Catnip Rosemary Peppermint for Spider and Mice repellent. How do I properly save Tomato seeds? How do I properly prune a fig tree for better harvests? Pruning a fig tree is essential for better harvests. Follow these steps: 1. Prune in late winter when the tree is dormant. 2. Remove any dead, diseased, or crossing branches. 3. Thin out the center to allow light and air to penetrate. 4. Cut back the main branches by about one-third to encourage new growth. 5. Maintain an open structure to support fruit production. Regular pruning helps improve the tree's health and increases fruit yield. How do I grow Ginger? How to build a Dragon Fruit Trellis Easy DIY Rain Water Catchment System Creating a DIY rainwater catchment system is a great way to conserve water. Here's a simple method to get you started: 1. Choose a location for your rain barrel, ideally under a downspout. 2. Install a diverter to channel rainwater from the downspout into the barrel. 3. Use a fine mesh screen to cover the barrel opening to keep out debris and insects. 4. Attach a spigot near the bottom of the barrel for easy access to the collected water. 5. Elevate the barrel on cinder blocks to improve water flow. Remember, this is just one method, and there are many variations you can explore. They Tested 14 Different Potting Soils...Here's What They Learned