Balsam Ridge Traditions

What our Saturday has looked like.
Kids riding bikes while we wait for the rain, 11 1/2 quarts of grape juice finished, herbs harvested and football.
10/10

🎉Product Spotlight of the Week🎉

Meet Ginger & Clove Warming Balm 🌿

A rich, smoothly spreading balm for use during targeted or deep tissue massage; whether you’re working on shoulders, your back, legs, or feet.

Herb infused olive oil, castor oil, and beeswax give it a soft texture, with a softly spicy, herbal scent and a gentle cinnamon note.

Handcrafted in small batches here at Balsam Ridge Traditions. Take a peek at the process, from herbs to finished jars!

Available in 2-ounce jars.
Shop here: https://www.balsamridgetraditions.com/products/ginger-clove-warming-balm

Putting a little summer away for the colder days ahead. 🌿

This morning has been spent filling jars and keeping the canner busy. There’s something satisfying about working with my hands and putting food away for our family.

I saw a post about how quickly families can lose the knowledge of raising and preserving their own food. It made me grateful for what our parents and grandparents taught us, and determined to pass it along to our kids.

Anywho, grape juice is next on the list. We’ll see how far the day takes us! 😂

Do you put up food for winter? What’s your favorite thing to have waiting in the pantry?

Today’s cups are filled with Blue Ridge Breeze and milky oat tops.

Milky oats have traditionally been used as a nourishing herb during times of stress, and paired with the mintiness of Blue Ridge Breeze, this felt like exactly the cup we needed today. The herbs work together beautifully, it’s like a deep exhale in a mug.

This bottle has really been earning its keep lately. Between feeling bloated and getting carsick (which I do, a lot) it’s been my right hand man. I just add it straight to my glass of lemonade.

Our newest post is live on From the Ridge.

Decoration Day is more than cleaning graves and laying flowers. It is a homecoming. A chance to remember those who came before us, gather with those still here, and watch another generation discover the places that shaped our family.

Decoration Day: Remembering Where We Come From

Read it here: https://www.balsamridgetraditions.com/blogs/from-the-ridge/decoration-day-remembering-where-we-come-from

📣 PSA:

After doing some reflecting and having a few honest conversations, I have decided to pull Papaw’s dough bowls and spoons from the site.

Because of some changes in Papaw’s health, these pieces could very well be the last of his work. Our hope is that he’ll be back to making them and feeling like his old self again soon, but for now, their true value lies in our hearts. They’re a sentimental part of who we are and of the story behind Balsam Ridge Traditions.

We appreciate everyone who has ordered one in the past, and we hope you treasure your piece as much as we treasure ours. Thank you for understanding.

—The BRT Family

Sometimes it’s up before the sun, fixing breakfast while the house sleeps before a full day of appointments and errands. Other days it’s pancakes in a cast iron skillet, bread rising on the counter, and homemade bacon waiting to be sliced.

No two days look the same, but one thing is guaranteed; I’m probably behind schedule.

Today’s project: bacon. 🥓 It’s been cured and rinsed, and now it’s back in the fridge for 24 hours before heading to the oven and slicer.

This is part of the 600+ pound hog Papaw raised last year, and these seven pounds are only the beginning of the pork belly in our freezer!