Bent Tree Farms

08/05/2026

Homemade Spam

Homemade Spam is one of my favorite convenience foods! It’s tender, full of flavor, and so much better than the store-bought canned version. I recently made a big batch and ended up with about 50 slices. The top portions were vacuum-sealed and frozen for later, while the bottom went straight into my husband’s lunches for the week. (And yes — there’s even a little heart-shaped slice for extra love!)

Ingredients (Makes 1 large loaf ≈ 2.5–3 lbs)
* 2¼ lbs ground pork (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
* ¾ lb ground ham (or finely chopped ham)
* ⅓ cup potato starch (or cornstarch)
* ⅔ cup ice water
* 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
* ¾ teaspoon pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1) — optional but recommended for color and longer keeping****
* 2½ tablespoons sugar
* 1½ tablespoons garlic powder
* 1¼ teaspoons onion powder
* ¾ teaspoon white pepper
* ¾ teaspoon paprika

Instructions
1. Grind the pork and ham together until very fine (almost paste-like) using a food processor or meat grinder.
2. Mix the potato starch with the ice water to make a slurry. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry seasonings.
3. In a stand mixer or large bowl, add the ground meat, slurry, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly for 3–4 minutes until the mixture becomes very sticky and well emulsified.
4. Press the mixture firmly into a greased loaf pan (or several smaller pans). Smooth the top and cover tightly with foil.
5. Bake in a water bath at 325°F (165°C) for about 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).
6. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best) so it firms up for clean slicing.
7. Remove from the pan and slice thinly (about ⅛-inch thick for classic Spam-style slices).

Storage
* Refrigerator: Up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
* Freezer: Vacuum-seal the slices or portions and freeze for up to 6 months.

To Serve
Fry the slices until crispy and golden. Enjoy in sandwiches, fried rice, breakfast with eggs, musubi, casseroles, or right from the pan!

This homemade version is more affordable, fresher, and incredibly versatile. Perfect for meal prep and stocking the freezer!

— The Tan Recipes

***Pink curing salt contains nitrates which are not good for you, we will not use it when making this recipe***
**** In researching, Safe substitutes include celery juice powder (a natural nitrite), specialized commercial natural blends like EcoCure, or treating the recipe as a fresh, non-cured food.****

08/01/2026

Reminder: The 2026 Kentucky State University Two-Day Pawpaw Workshop will be held September 16–17, 2026, at the KSU Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm.

The workshop will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16, with hands-on field demonstrations covering: 1) Bench grafting and bark inlay grafting, 2) Pawpaw propagation and orchard establishment, and 3) Pawpaw fruit processing and value-added products.

The demonstrations will be followed by a mixer and dinner beginning at 5:00 p.m. The meal will feature several pawpaw-inspired items. Pawpaw vendors will also be available during the event. The registration fee for the Wednesday evening mixer and dinner is $30. Registration ends on August 21, 2026.

On Thursday, September 17, KSU will host a special Pawpaw Third Thursday Workshop featuring presentations by pawpaw experts on propagation, orchard production, and marketing. The program will also include a pawpaw fruit tasting.

To register for the workshop, go to this link:
https://www.kysu.edu/academics/college-ahnr/school-of-anr/pawpaw/2026-KSU-two-day-pawpaw-workshop.php

08/01/2026

I used to make compost tea the old way. You probably know it well: dumping a shovel of compost in a bucket of water and letting it sit for weeks until it smelled bad enough to clear the neighborhood. I thought the stink meant it was working. Turns out, I was just drowning all the good stuff. A while back, I tried adding one wildly common, incredibly cheap piece of equipment to the bucket. It flipped the whole process on its head. Suddenly, just two cups of my regular compost was yielding five gallons of the most potent, sweet-smelling liquid feed I’ve ever put on my garden. It brews in completely odor-free in 24 hours, costs almost nothing, and the plants absolutely leap out of the ground for it. You don't need to buy those expensive liquid fertilizers, and you definitely don't need a fancy brewing kit. Just a bucket and this one simple trick. I wrote down the exact setup for you. Look for it in the comments below if you want to try brewing a batch this weekend.

07/31/2026

Sweet Pickle Relish

Ingredients

* 3-4 lbs Cucumbers, less if using pickling cucumbers, more if using slicers
* 1 large onion, ~1 cup chopped
* 1/4 cup pickling salt
* 1-2 cups sugar- depending on how sweet you want the final relish to be
* 3 cups white vinegar
* 4 cloves garlic- minced
* 2 tsp Celery Seed
* 2 tsp Mustard Seed
* Dash turmeric

Instructions
Trim ends of the cucumbers and cut lengthwise. Remove any seeds and cut into chunks.
Dice the cucumber into small pieces. I use my food processor for this step. Just be sure not to over process of you will end up with mush.
* Dice the onion
* In a large bowl or pot, combine the cucumber, onion, and salt. Cover and set aside for 2-3 hours.
* In a mesh sieve or cheese cloth lined colander, drain the cucumbers and onions. You want to remove as much moisture as possible. If you are making a large batch then you might need to work in batches here. Press to remove any hidden moisture.
* To make the brine combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumbers and onion. Return the brine to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
* Fill pint sized jars with pickle relish, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and place on lids.
* Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
* Remove the relish from the canner and let sit, undisturbed, until cool. Check for a good seal and using permanent marker write date on lids before storing.

07/19/2026

07/15/2026

Some people feel most at home in busy cities, full calendars, and bright rooms full of noise.

And then there are the people who step into the trees and feel something ancient in their chest finally relax. The people who understand why a cabin porch, a campfire, and the smell of pine can feel more like home than any perfect house ever could.

Those are my kind of people. The ones who don’t need much to feel rich. The ones who know that silence can be comforting, dirt roads can feel like freedom, and standing among tall trees can make you feel less alone.

07/08/2026

Absolutely how I feel.. desire comfort not museum. Good Morning folks from the farm.

06/17/2026

☀️Sloppy Joes☀️

-Recipe-
•6 pounds ground beef
•2 cups onion, chopped
•1 cup bell pepper, chopped
•6 garlic cloves, minced
•3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
•4 cups tomato sauce
•1 tbs mustard
•1/4 cup brown sugar
•1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
•2 cups beef broth
•salt
•pepper

-Instructions-
•in a large saucepan, cook the ground beef, drain fat, then return to saucepan
•add Worcestershire sauce, bell pepper, garlic and onion, cook for 5 minutes
•add mustard, tomato sauce, beef broth, vinegar and sugar, simmer for 10 minutes
•ladle into hot jars leaving 1 in headspace
•process in pressure canner at 10 lbs pressure for 90 minutes
*yields 5 quarts