Welcome to 'Hinterland Homesteading' column
Hinterland Homesteading will cover various topics drawing on Racheal's personal experiences.
Racheal Pascoe with some home made rosella jam.
Your local guide to self-sufficiency
Hinterland Homesteading with Racheal Pascoe
Welcome to our very first Hinterland Homesteading column!
Homesteading itself isn’t a new idea, but there is a groundswell of interest in people wanting to learn more about growing their own foods and living a healthier life. As the cost of living increases, we can all be doing a little bit more to help manage our household resources better and minimise our impact on the environment.
Join me as we cover many different topics – from making sauerkraut and keeping chickens, to growing veggies and sharing recipes. The more we can grow and do for ourselves, the less transport kilometres we are contributing, and you know harmful sprays haven’t been used on your food. It is very rewarding to eat your own fresh food and even more fun to swap surplus with friends and family.
This week we are talking about Rosellas. The strangely shaped bright red fruit is made into a deliciously tangy jam. As a bonus, rosella jam always fetches a healthy price.
Rosellas are easy to grow and they are a hardy plant.
Grow your own rosellas and create delicious jam
Let’s make rosella jam together!
Firstly, we need to grow the fruit. This is the perfect time of year to get your rosella seed- lings in the ground, so let’s get planting.
Rosellas are easy to grow and they are a hardy plant. Pests don’t usually seem to bother with them and they aren’t too fussy about the soil either. They do like to be well watered and mulched though. Rosellas are a cousin of the hibiscus. They will need a sunny spot and the bush itself gets quite large and round, so it will need space to grow. Each bush will yield many kilos of fruit. Many of the nurseries will sell rosella seedlings now. After your rosella seedlings are in the ground, start collecting jars for your jam. You will also need sugar, so when you are at the shops, occasionally buy a 2kg sugar. This way you will have all you need in a few months when we start picking fruit and making the jam. Look after your seedlings, keep them damp and watch them grow. After Christmas they will start to get tiny fruit on them and I will share with you my jam recipe so you can enjoy your own yummy jam.
If planting rosellas this week is your first gardening experience or maybe you have been growing them for years already, I am sure we can all learn from each other. The beauty about life is to share what you know, pass on tips and tricks, how to save etc. That way we all get the best outcome.