I was thinking this week as I washed the duck eggs that, over the years, my husband and I have become pretty good at growing, raising, and putting by food. I am so thankful for everything from the fresh greens in the summer to the canned pears that last through the winter, but there is a reality that I don’t see a lot of homesteaders talk about on social media–preserving and processing large amounts of food every year requires a lot of tools and a lot of time in the kitchen.
Unfortunately, we have a tiny kitchen.
This means we have limited counter and storage space, which is problematic when you are grinding wheat, baking bread, canning sauce, chopping vegetables, freezing fruit, and more. My husband and I have become quite efficient and processing the food we grow, but it has taken some time to get our small kitchen shaped into a space that functions fairly well for such a large operation.
Here are some tips I can offer if you are like us and homesteading in a tiny kitchen.
Steal space from other rooms.
Processing a lot of food requires quite a few tools. We have giant pots for shrink-wrapping processed chickens and making pasta sauce, a pressure canner, cutting boards, tons of canning jars, a wheat grinder, poultry bags for the chickens, canning tools, a stockpile of pectin, bread pans, muffin pans, a dehydrator, and several cutting boards. This is on top of the usual kitchen tools that we use like a toaster and a blender, which we also use as a food processor because, well, there is no room for two things that serve a similar function. My list of tools is long, so there is no way we could fit that in our tiny kitchen that doesn’t even have enough cabinet space for our bowls (plates and cups, yes, but bowls had to find a different home).
So I steal.
We have a coat closet in our living room that has been converted to kitchen storage. The coats just have to live in various closets at our house. The kitchen has spilled over into the living room, but these tools are necessary for us to process our own food. So steal space where you can.
Keep the counters clear. Use the walls.
It’s a challenge to keep your counter tops clear in a small kitchen, but you are going to need workspace for rolling, cutting, chopping, canning, prepping, and all the things. One of the first things I did was get spice racks for the walls. This gave me room in the cupboards.
The next best thing I did was get magnetic knife strips to hold the knives. I used to have one of those wooden knife holders, but it was taking up much needed real estate on the counter. The knife strips can be attached to your wall or your refrigerator. I have two and store all the knives on the side of the refrigerator. It has been a huge help.
My husband build small shelves that he attached the walls in the dining room. There, I store cookbooks, mixing bowls, the toaster, and our cereal bowls. I have fiber baskets I bought on Etsy hanging from the bottom of those shelves where I keep garlic, onions, and one just holds small random tools like clips and bread ties.
I used the walls as much as I can to keep my workspace clear and to store as many things as I can because I required a lot of tools. My next plan is to build a wall mount for pans because have a hallway going to our kitchen with a whole wall, just asking to be used.
Choose your tools wisely.
I do not have an air fryer. I do not have an instant pot. I have thought about it. I have many friends who love these tools, but after asking a lot of questions, I just don’t think they will add enough to my cooking processes to justify the space.
And that’s how you have to live when you are homesteading in a small kitchen. Every tool that comes into that kitchen has to really serve a purpose, often many purposes, or it’s just not worth it. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the tools you need. It makes sense to take your time and research before you bring in a new tool.
I have to admit that, right now, I am strongly considering a bread machine. My husband is against them on principal, but between work and parenting and turkeys, chickens, and ducks, as well as the fact that I am just getting older and starting to slow down a bit, it’s not always easy to get the bread made. My husband makes the breads for sandwiches and toasts, but I make a lot of other breads. I am trying to decide if I can make the space for a bread machine. I am doing a lot of research and thinking right now. I have to make a wise decisions for sure.
And this brings me to my last point.
Be ruthless about the clutter. You need good a good workspace.
I struggle with this. I like to collect things, but I have made great strides. I love coffee mugs and wooden spoons and pretty bowls, but I have had to learn to be ruthless with myself on this. When I see a coffee mug that I love with all of my heart, I have to ask myself the hard question of where in the world that coffee mug is going to go. If everyone else is talking about some new cool gadget for the kitchen, I have to avoid jumping on the bandwagon.
I have much work to do in very little space. I have learned I have to be a little ruthless about keeping that space clean, clear, and organized. I find, when I do, I am not only more efficient in the kitchen, but I am also happier in the space.
photo credit: Luise Brimble, Unsplash