Learn the skills that helped our ancestors to thrive in harsh times…

When the panic buying, empty shelves, and restrictive rations hit in March 2020, it was not a problem for Kate Downham and her family, because she knew these skills, and knew how to feed her family without the supermarket system. With the help of this book, you can learn these skills too.

Learn traditional methods of preserving pork without electricity. Make your own cheese, butter, and other dairy essentials. Learn sourdough bread recipes that take only 5 minutes of hands-on time to make. Preserve fruit and vegetables in many ways - from failproof fermenting through to jams, chutneys, pickles, and water bath canning.

Learn one skill at a time while also finding recipe inspiration in seasonal local recipes that are designed to be cooked in everyday homestead life. These recipes have been tested in many different kitchens, and will work on wood stoves as well as conventional electric and gas cookers. Many variations and ingredient substitutions are included to help you make the recipes with whatever ingredients are on hand at the time, along with useful indexes to help make use of seasonal abundance.

I love the intuitive approach to real food and seasonal eating in Kate Downham’s A Year in an Off-Grid Kitchen. Recipes are thoughtful, nutrient-dense and, above all else, approachable.

Jenny McGruther, Nourished Kitchen

An excellent addition to every homestead library.

Leigh Tate, 5 Acres and a Dream

Full of homestead wisdom, healthy recipes, and helpful tips, Kate’s book is a great resource even if you aren’t off-grid or just one day aspire to be. The seasonal organization coupled with discussing skills and methods at just the right time makes this a great guide to learning to live more in tune with nature and with less reliance on modern conveniences and contraptions.

John Moody, author of The Frugal Homesteader