Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Well friends, today is one of those days where we are bouncing between a few things around the homestead. First up is the kitchen because Granny ran out of ketchup. That cannot happen. So we are using some tomato sauce from the pantry along with a Mrs. Wages packet to whip up a batch of homemade ketchup and get it canned up.
Steam Canner with Temperature Indicator: amzn.to/4rwz4I8
Mrs. Wages Ketchup Mix: amzn.to/4upAkiW
While that is simmering we head outside to take care of the blueberry patch. Early March is the perfect time to fertilize and add some pelletized sulfur to keep the soil nice and acidic. We walk through what we use, why sandy soil works so well for blueberries here in southeast Michigan, and a mistake we made with landscape fabric that almost cooked some of our younger plants.
Back inside we finish up the canning using our steam canner and end up with seven beautiful jars of ketchup. Everything sealed up great.
We wrap up the day with a simple dinner on the grill and share a little update about life lately. Retirement officially started a week ago, so we talk about adjusting to new routines, catching up on projects, and figuring out what this next season of life looks like. Thanks for hanging out with us today.
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👕 Shop Our Merch: bonfire.com/store/1870smerch
🌱 MIGardener: migardener.com/1870
🌺 GREENSTALK Vertical Gardens: greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=SHOP1870 (Promo Code SHOP1870 for $10 off!)
🥫 FORJARS Canning Lids: forjars.co/?sca_ref=1911228.45BY9FFxdg (Promo Code SHOP1870 to get 10% off)
🍃 HARVEST Right Freeze Dryers: affiliates.harvestright.com/1182.html
🔦 OLIGHT Flashlights: bit.ly/3z6daku (Promo Code SHOP1870 for 10% off!)
🛒 Our Favorite AMAZON Products: amzn.to/3ihSgZP
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Our Mailing Address:
That 1870's Homestead
P.O. Box 179
Newport, MI 48166
---------------
✅ Connect with Us 🐐
YouTube: youtube.com/@1870s
Facebook: facebook.com/1870sHomestead
Instagram: instagram.com/that_1870s_homestead
EMAIL: that1870shomestead@gmail.com
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Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links - at no additional cost to you. We will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase, after clicking through the links. ♥ Todd & Rachel
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0:00 Welcome Back to the Kitchen
0:18 Making Homemade Ketchup
1:27 Mixing the Ketchup Ingredients
1:52 March Blueberry Care Tips
2:37 Why Blueberries Love Sandy Soil
3:09 Expanding Our Blueberry Rows
4:25 Fertilizing Blueberry Plants
5:29 When to Fertilize for Best Fruit
7:21 Buying Pelletized Sulfur Cheap
7:53 Lesson Learned with Landscape Fabric
9:27 Back Inside to Start Canning
10:22 Filling the Jars
11:54 Using a Steam Canner
12:23 Processing the Ketchup
15:04 Easy Dinner on the Grill
16:02 One Week Into Retirement
17:34 Adjusting to a New Routine
20:04 The Joy of a Flexible Schedule
21:06 Planning the Year Ahead
22:20 Making a List of Fun Things
23:00 Update on Fake AI Ads
24:20 Wrapping Up the Day
Well friends, today is one of those days where we are bouncing between a few things around the homestead. First up is the kitchen because Granny ran out of ketchup. That cannot happen. So we are using some tomato sauce from the pantry along with a Mrs. Wages packet to whip up a batch of homemade ketchup and get it canned up.
Steam Canner with Temperature Indicator: amzn.to/4rwz4I8
Mrs. Wages Ketchup Mix: amzn.to/4upAkiW
While that is simmering we head outside to take care of the blueberry patch. Early March is the perfect time to fertilize and add some pelletized sulfur to keep the soil nice and acidic. We walk through what we use, why sandy soil works so well for blueberries here in southeast Michigan, and a mistake we made with landscape fabric that almost cooked some of our younger plants.
Back inside we finish up the canning using our steam canner and end up with seven beautiful jars of ketchup. Everything sealed up great.
We wrap up the day with a simple dinner on the grill and share a little update about life lately. Retirement officially started a week ago, so we talk about adjusting to new routines, catching up on projects, and figuring out what this next season of life looks like. Thanks for hanging out with us today.
---------------
👕 Shop Our Merch: bonfire.com/store/1870smerch
🌱 MIGardener: migardener.com/1870
🌺 GREENSTALK Vertical Gardens: greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=SHOP1870 (Promo Code SHOP1870 for $10 off!)
🥫 FORJARS Canning Lids: forjars.co/?sca_ref=1911228.45BY9FFxdg (Promo Code SHOP1870 to get 10% off)
🍃 HARVEST Right Freeze Dryers: affiliates.harvestright.com/1182.html
🔦 OLIGHT Flashlights: bit.ly/3z6daku (Promo Code SHOP1870 for 10% off!)
🛒 Our Favorite AMAZON Products: amzn.to/3ihSgZP
---------------
Our Mailing Address:
That 1870's Homestead
P.O. Box 179
Newport, MI 48166
---------------
✅ Connect with Us 🐐
YouTube: youtube.com/@1870s
Facebook: facebook.com/1870sHomestead
Instagram: instagram.com/that_1870s_homestead
EMAIL: that1870shomestead@gmail.com
---------------
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links - at no additional cost to you. We will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase, after clicking through the links. ♥ Todd & Rachel
---------------
0:00 Welcome Back to the Kitchen
0:18 Making Homemade Ketchup
1:27 Mixing the Ketchup Ingredients
1:52 March Blueberry Care Tips
2:37 Why Blueberries Love Sandy Soil
3:09 Expanding Our Blueberry Rows
4:25 Fertilizing Blueberry Plants
5:29 When to Fertilize for Best Fruit
7:21 Buying Pelletized Sulfur Cheap
7:53 Lesson Learned with Landscape Fabric
9:27 Back Inside to Start Canning
10:22 Filling the Jars
11:54 Using a Steam Canner
12:23 Processing the Ketchup
15:04 Easy Dinner on the Grill
16:02 One Week Into Retirement
17:34 Adjusting to a New Routine
20:04 The Joy of a Flexible Schedule
21:06 Planning the Year Ahead
22:20 Making a List of Fun Things
23:00 Update on Fake AI Ads
24:20 Wrapping Up the Day
