The overall goal I have with my life on the homestead is to become more self sufficient. Basic skills for the simplest of foods have been lost for many of us as we increase our dependence on grocery markets and packaged foods. A most basic item, pasta, is surprisingly easy to make. Making egg noodles is surprisingly easy. Why buy your noodles at the store when you can use your own fresh harvested eggs to make high quality noodles?
Mrs. Volfie of Our Half-Acre Homestead is one of my favorite YouTube homesteaders. Mrs. Volfie is a wealth of information and today I found this short video where she demonstrates the process of making homemade egg noodles.
The pasta machine, like Mrs. Volfie stated, is under $30. I poked around on Amazon to pick one out. I narrowed my selection down to two (based on price and reviews). Below are my two choices. I have settled on ordering the read one.
 |
| Stainless Steel Pasta Machine w/Clamp |
Stainless Steel Pasta Machine in Red: Get ready for the exciting complements for your fresh homemade pasta with this durable stainless steel pasta maker. It's very easy to use; just clamp your pasta machine, choose your settings and you are ready to start. Also included an instructional booklet to help guide you on your pasta preparation. You can make all kinds of pasta such as fettuccine, spaghetti, linguine, and tagliolini with this machine.
 |
| Metro Italian Style Pasta Maker in Chrome |
Metro Italian Style Pasta Maker in Chrome: Make delicious homemade pasta anytime with this stainless steel pasta maker from Metro. Just clamp this pasta machine to your counter or table edge, choose a setting, and you're ready to turn out fresh homemade pasta. You crank the Metro pasta maker by hand as you feed in your dough.
Made of stainless steel, the machine's adjustable rollers press your dough into long, four-inch wide sheets in a choice of seven thicknesses. You can then cut the sheets into squares for making ravioli, or longer sections for lasagna. By sliding on the stainless-steel cutting attachment, you can extrude thin spaghetti or medium-width fettuccine noodle.
After use, wipe the machine clean or run a damp paper towel or piece of felt through it. Remove the handle and clamp for compact storage. You'll never want to resort to buying dried, store-bought pasta again. A recipe booklet is included to get you started.
I will also need a drying rack. I picked this one:
 |
| Norpro Pasta Drying Rack |
Norpro Pasta Drying Rack: Even the longest fresh fettuccine or linguine won't touch the counter when draped on the arms of this sturdy pasta drying rack. The rack stands 16-1/2 inches high, including a heavy, stable, 7/8-inch-thick base. Assembly (and disassembly for storage) is simple. The 3/4-inch center post screws into the base. Four 18-inch dowels then slide through holes in the post, providing eight arms--cunningly angled so they don't interfere with one another--on which to hang fresh pasta to dry before going into the pot, refrigerator, or freezer. As is traditional, the rack is made of unfinished wood so pasta strands don't slide off. --Fred Brack
The best part of being a homesteader is there is always something to learn. I can't wait to make a fresh pot of chicken noodle soup with my own fresh egg noodles. Yum!
