Monthly Archives: June 2012

Emergency Preparation: Emergency Evacuation

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Have you ever wondered what you would do if you had only a few minutes to leave your home knowing that you may not come back?

What wold you do?

(1) Have a family evacuation plan.

(2) Have an emergency kit close to an exit. Be sure that this kit haswater in it.

(3) Preserve and protect any valuables and documents. These valuables could be anything from heirlooms to special family pictures. Decide now what is most valuable to you and take measures to protect it.

Please take a minute to consider these recommendations in order to prepare yourself and your loved ones in case of an evacuation or other emergency.

Article from: preparednesspantry.blogspot.com

Canning: DO’s and Don’ts

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    • Do not use overripe fruit. Canning doesn’t improve the quality of food, so if you start out with low quality, it will only get worse in storage.  Plus
    • Do not add more low-acid ingredients (onions, celery, peppers, garlic) than specified in the recipe. This may result in an unsafe product.
    • Don’t add substantially more seasonings or spices, these items are often high in bacteria and excess spices can make a canned item unsafe. I doubt whether increasing a spice from 1 teaspoon to 2 in a batch of 7 quarts will have any adverse effect, but use some common sense and don’t go overboard.
    • Do not add butter or fat to home-canned products unless stated in a tested recipe. Butters and fats do not store well and may increase the rate of spoilage. Adding
      butter or fat may also slow the rate of heat transfer, and result in an unsafe product.
    • Thickeners - With the exception of “Clear-Jel” which has been tested in USDA and university food labs, do not thicken with starches, flour, or add rice, barley or pasta to canned products – this applies to both savory products (such soups and stews), sauces and pickled items. Items that thicken products will absorb liquid during processing and slow the way in which the food heats. Under-processing and unsafe food could result.
      ClearJel Starch, 1 lb. has been tested in pie filling recipes.
  • DO add acid (lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid) to tomato products when directed in the recipe. In 1994, food scientists proved the risk of botulism poisoning from canned tomato products, and acid is now added to canned tomatoes, even to those canned commercially. Lemon juice is widely available, but will add a sharp note to canned tomatoes; citric acid will change the flavor less noticeably, and vinegar is part of many recipes anyway. If necessary, you can balance the tart taste by adding sugar.
  • Heat process (water bath canning or pressure canning, as called for in the recipe) all canned items that will be stored on the shelf. Some recipes, especially those
    for jams and jellies, instruct you to simply seal hot-filled jars, or to invert the jars as the final step. I know of no reputable source (university food science departments, the USDA, FDA, National Home Canning Center, etc.) that recommend either “open-kettle canning” or inverting jars as the final step, as unsafe final products may result.
  • Never process the jars in any oven (electric, gas or microwave). Steam canning is also, pretty broadly NOT recommended.  There ARE a couple of manufacturers selling steam canners, but you’ll find virtually no credible authorities recommending them, for a variety of reasons, starting with basic heat transfers properties of steam vs. water.
  • Increase water-bath processing times at altitudes of 1,000 feet or more to compensate for the lower temperature of boiling water at high altitude. I’ve tried to be sure to include the conversion charts in all recipes for this.
  • To prevent darkening: Some peeled or cut fruits (such as peaches, apples, nectarines) will darken when exposed to the air. Any of these simple treatments will help prevent darkening:
    • Use a commercial ascorbic acid mixture like “Fruit-Fresh”, which is available at the grocery and drug stores. Sprinkle it over the cut fruit and mix well. OR
    • Put the cut fruit in a solution of 1 teaspoon ascorbic acid (vitamin C, available in a powdered form from the drug store) and 1 gallon water. Drain before canning.
    • Put the cut fruit into a lemon juice solution (3/4 cup lemon juice to 1 gallon water). Drain fruit before canning.
  • Canning jars. Use standard mason / Ball / Kerr (etc.) jars for home canning. Commercial food jars that are not heat-tempered, such as mayonnaise jars, often break easily  Sealing also can be a problem if sealing surfaces do not exactly fit canning lids. Be sure all jars and closures are perfect. Discard any with cracks, chips, dents or rust. Defects prevent airtight seals.
  • Do not use jars larger than specified in the recipe, as an unsafe product may result. It’s almost always ok to go smaller.  Generally speaking, quart jars are the largest size you should use.
  • To remove scale or hard water films on jars, soak several hours in a solution of 1 cup vinegar (5 percent) per gallon water. Keep the jars warm until ready to fill (to reduce breakage from thermal shock).
  • Prepare the two-piece metal canning lids by washing them in water and following the manufacturer’s instructions for heating the lids (some need to be covered with hot water  for a minute or more – in steaming, but not boiling water)
  • The flat lids can be used only once, but the screw bands can be reused as long as they are in good condition. Read Do not reuse lids from commercially canned foods.
  • Check jars for seals within 24 hours of canning. Treat jars that fail to seal properly as if they are fresh (refrigerate and eat soon).

 

Article from: pickyourown.org

Food Storage Tips: Clever Ways to Rotate your Food Storage

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With the unemployment rate up again and home sales still awful it really doesn’t look as though we are going to get out of this inflationary period any time soon. I continue to believe food storage really is the wise way to invest our money right now. I love the fact that I only have to purchase foods that are on sale because my General Store is well stocked and thus I just shop in my closet and replenish only at sale time. I love that feeling and if you have not experienced it yet let me help you to conquer your fears and become self reliant!

Today we will talk about a few tips for rotating and add a couple of recipes.

First: Canned fruits are great in smoothies and you probably already know that. Drain your fruit and place it on a cookie sheet in the freezer. For even more added flavor freeze juice in ice cube trays and add to smoothies or use to cook your oatmeal, no other sweeteners needed! When the fruit is frozen place in freezer bags and you are ready to go any time you need a treat. These fruits are also perfect to use in ice cream both homemade and store bought. Before placing your fruit on a cookie sheet cut it into small pieces and you are now ready to add to a freezer of homemade ice cream or to add to a box of store bought. Simply let the ice cream soften a little and fold in the desired amount of fruit. Place ice cream back in the freezer to refreeze. Now you can have peach ice cream year round not just during the summer months. Try this with diced pineapple and add a little coconut extract to the softened ice cream, then fold in the pineapple…pina colada ice cream! yummy

Next use your canned milk in homemade ice cream, hot cocoa, or add to your powdered milk. Evaporated milk makes everything taste creamy and rich. Not storing evaporated milk? See Food Storage Lesson Four next Monday to discover why you should be. Evaporated milk is also perfect to make your own creamed soups for eating or use as an ingredient.

Canned chicken makes great chicken salad. Don’t be afraid to use your canned meats cold. They are completely cooked and safe to be eaten right out of the can. Canned beef makes great hash. Recipe below. Canned meats are also perfect in soups and casseroles. Don’t forget to include them in your meals. When you head to the freezer ask yourself, would my canned meats work in place of the frozen? At least once a week use a canned variety and you will rotate through with no problem.

I love canned potatoes. I use them many ways but my favorite is for home fries. Recipe follows. It’s just really nice to have more variety in your storage and a fun break from instant potatoes, speaking of which…instant potatoes make a great potato soup and they are perfect to reconstitute and use in a potato bread recipe. Potato breads and rolls are so soft and so yummy!

Home Fries

1 can potatoes

1 onion diced

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 Tbsp. Oil

Paprika

1. Drain and slice potatoes.

2.Saute onion in butter and oil until lightly browned.

3. Sprinkle with a little paprika for an added dimension of flavor and also to add in browning.

4. Salt and pepper to taste. Personally I don’t add either.

Beef Hash

1 can beef chucks

1 medium onion

1 can potatoes

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. oil

1. Dice onion and saute in oil and butter until lightly browned. Cook slowly and do no over cook.

2. Drain and dice beef chunks

3. Drain and dice potatoes.

4. Add beef and potatoes to onions and cook without stirring until lightly crusted.

5. Flip and continue cooking until second side is lightly crusted.

6. Salt and pepper to taste.

I love to serve these with poached eggs on top.

 

Article from: blog.totallyready.com/

Food Storage Recipe: Sicilian Chicken Soup

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Okay, so I love Carrabbas. I have some favorites that I order every time I go. I am sure there are so many other fabulous dishes at Carrabbas, but I always order Sicilian Chicken Soup and Chicken Marsala. Whenever I hear of someone going to Carrabba’s, I tell them, “When they ask if you want soup or salad, you say-Soup! Get their Sicilian Chicken soup. It is delicious!” Well, recently I found a recipe for this soup online. I was skeptical about how similar it would be. Amazingly, this recipe tastes almost just like the original. I have adapted it slightly and changed the directions a bit to facilitate the canning process. This recipe will fill 14 quart sized jars.

Ingredients:
5 celery ribs
4 medium carrots, peeled (or 25-30 baby carrots)
1 large yellow onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled
1 large green bell pepper
1(14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (or dried)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large Costco-sized rotissere chicken (or two small chickens), cooked, deboned and cut into chunks
chicken broth
Small tube pasta (we use Barilla Ditalini) -add when ready to serve

Using a food processer, shred/blend all vegetables. (Be careful when chopping potatoes in processor not to blend too much–the starch in the potatoes can turn it into potato paste.) Add seasonings. Stir until evenly combined. Spoon mixture into jars. Next, evenly add chicken peices to each jar. Finally, add chicken broth to jars until full, leaving 1 inch headspace at top. Process at 15 pounds pressure for 75 minutes. When you are ready to serve the soup, pour the contents of jar into pot and bring to a boil. Add approximately one cup of pasta for each quart of soup. Boil according to directions on pasta packaging. Grate fresh parmigian cheese over the top and enjoy.

 

Article from: youcancan.blogspot.com

Food Storage Tips: Freezer Corn

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Do you have corn in your Food Storage? How do you freeze corn – do you make a special concoction for creamed frozen corn, or just blanch it and freeze it?

Here is my basic corn freezing recipe:

Remove husks and silks from corn – though, don’t be too particular about getting all the silks.
Blanch corn for 4 minutes. (meaning cook in boiling water)
Remove from hot water and place in (a sink of ) cold water. Cool briefly.
Use your favorite knife to cut the corn from the cob. Scoop into a freezer safe bag. Fill bag, leaving some room for expansion in the freezer. Squish the air out of the bag. Place in freezer.

Thaw and cook. Add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

I hope that all made sense to you. Enjoy!

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Article From: histakes-food-storage.blogspot.com

Emergency Preparedness: Fuel

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One of the ten areas of emergency preparedness is fuel.  Fuel brings us the much needed light that we will require not only to see, but also to feel good.  It includes any fuel we’ll need for cooking, and the fuel we’ll need for keeping warm.

Before you elect to get a years supply of fuel for these purposes, consider the most basic rules of thumb.

1)     Think safety first

2)     Conserve energy—including yours

3)     Conserve body heat

4)     Confine the heat appropriately

When considering what fuel to store, the safety of it should be your primary concern.  Why store gasoline when you can safely store Isopropyl Alcohol 99% — 16 Oz outside in 55 gallon drums for a lot less money and little risk of combustibility?  (You can usually get free delivery of this alcohol too.)  A few cans of propane is much safer than gasoline, and so is kerosene if stored in a cool, dry place. Check with your local fire department for maximum storage abilities of these fuels.

55 Gallon Drums (Click on the image to BUY NOW)

Keep in mind that if you store kerosene, Home Depot has a program in which they will buy back your old kerosene after you’ve stored it several years.  They turn around and sell it to the farmers whose diesel engines will still run on it.  To dramatically extend the life of the fuel can, be sure to add a fuel preservative to your gasoline and your kerosene.

If you’re planning on surviving off of firewood, be sure that it’s already cut up—for two reasons.  One reason is to conserve your physical energy.  The last thing you need is to be expending your own energy in the midst of an emergency.  Two, be sure that you don’t have to needlessly use dangerous tools when you’re not fully functional, especially those who may not be familiar with the use of such a tool.  That’s how tragic accidents occur.  What if you are the only one who can chop the wood and you get sick?  What will your family do for fuel?  Try a task that they aren’t as experienced at as you when they’ve had just as much stress and as little nutrition as you?  Definitely not a good idea.

Whatever alternatives of fuel you elect to use, be sure you share the wealth of knowledge on how to use those tools.  One of the most foolish things I see households do is place the majority of the lifesaving information in the hands of one individual.  This is a dangerous supposition that that person will always be around.  Every responsible person in the family should know how to use the propane heater, the pressure cooker, and the alcohol lights, etc.

When you are considering what tools you’ll use to cook, light, and heat with, consider the cost and accessibility of the fuel the tools will use.  Recently my husband and I purchased a small, collapsible Volcano Stove.  We have lots of means to cook with if necessary, but the price was only $99 and it was a multi-fueled tool.  It will cook off of charcoal, wood, and propane (which also means tightly rolled newspapers, too).  That made it very attractive so that we don’t have to rely on just one fuel for our cooking.  Another cooking tool we have is a kerosene heater that has a grid on the top so while we’re heating our surroundings (with ventilation, of course), we can also be boiling water, or cooking on the same component.  We also have some Joy Cook stoves that are commonly used in Korea.  With only one can of butane and my pressure cooker, I have been able to

This leads me to my final reminder in this area of preparedness.  USE that which you are planning on using to survive a crisis.  Use it now when it’s convenient.  Don’t buy it and then stash it away until a crisis hits.  What if it’s not in working order?  What if it’s missing a part?  Also, waiting to use something until the crisis hits will only use up more of your vital physical fuel as you expend a lot of it through stress.  Remember, prepare in comfort of panic in chaos.  For example, if you have a Dutch oven that you’re planning on using in a crisis, great.  But be sure you’ve used it enough before a crisis so that you’re comfortable with it.  Besides, Dutch oven cooking is yummy.  So if you enjoy it now, when it comes time to having to use it, it will feel more like a comfort to your family rather than a science-fiction survival mode.  The more you use these items, the more you can truly be prepared because you will notice parts and components that will make your job easier that you may not have thought of previously.  For example, I use my pressure cooker all the time.  As such, I notice that the rubber seal that goes in the lid of the pan eventually gets old and thus doesn’t seal as well.  So, in the interest of truly being prepared, I’ve stocked up on a surplus of those rubber seals so that when my life is reliant on the proper function of my pressure cookers, I’m not left starving.

Fuel doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.  Ways to keep your family warm and cook for them are usually one-time purchases that will ensure you’ve got a full life beyond, even in the midst of an emergency.

cook three meals a day on my Joy Cook stove for an entire three weeks.

Also, consider conserving your fuel as much as possible, especially when you’re cooking.  Once you bring a pressure cooker up to high, you can remove it from the heat, turn off your heat source, and wrap the pressure cooker in towels—it will continue to cook for up to an hour.  That’s a whole lot of fuel-free cooking.  The solar oven is even more fuel-friendly in that regard.  If you have sunshine, you have an oven that will cook anything that you can cook in your regular oven, with the exception of frying.  Better yet, nothing will scorch or burn in your solar oven and the clean up is also a breeze, thus conserving your own physical energy.  This way I’m conserving the majority of my fuel for light and heat instead of just cooking.  I use my pressure cooker and my solar oven on a very regular basis so that I’m familiar with it even in the midst of a crisis, and so that it brings comfort to my family and friends.

Emergency Survival Kits

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Article by Kellene Bishop from preparednesspro.com

Food storage for those who hate to cook

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A Food Storage turn-off for some is the assumed need to possess extensive cooking skills.  Although there is some truth to needing to know how to prepare beans and other dry goods from scratch and learning simple recipes to incorporate food storage items into your menus, there are other super simple options for those who feel like fish out of water in the kitchen.  I was recently introduced to  ready-made meals.  These are individually packaged meals that only require water.   The representatives who showed me the product,  left me a sample of Chicken Teriyakki with Rice.  It was of course very easy to prepare, and was surprisingly good.  All of my kids gobbled up their samples and wanted to know when I would be ordering more.  The company touts these packaged meals as “efficient, compact and easy to store, ready in 10 minutes, and great tasting.”  The representatives also told me that their products have a 25 year shelf life.  So, for a person who doesn’t want to store a bunch of #10 cans of products they don’t know how to use, this may be an ideal option for long-term food storage.

We enjoy cooking and we cycle all of our food storage items, so stocking a large amount of these ready-made meals as our main source of food storage isn’t the best option for my family.  (Plus, I know my kids will want to eat them for lunch all summer.)  However, they are so handy and tasty that I think they will be a great addition to our 72-hour kits.  They are very light weight and would be perfect for backpackers as well.  And, we thought they would be handy for camping. You can click on the following links to order a sample of the ready made meals I was talking about.

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Article From: allaboutfoodstorage.com

Food Storage Tip: 10 Essential Food Storage Shopping Tips

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Food Storage Shopping Tips

1.      Think in terms of calories per person per day. High stress situations require more calories. Under normal circumstances, adults need 2000-2600 calories per day, more if very active. Children need 1500-1600 calories per day or more to maintain growth and energy1. Be sure you can determine how many calories per person per day you are purchasing. If you are unable to determine the quantities in a kit, combo, or year supply, you may find yourself not having as much nourishment as you thought. For example, 2,000 calories per day for a month for one person is about 60,000 total calories; for a year, 730,000.
2.       Look for nutritious calories, not empty calories. Try to get calories from as wide a variety of sources as possible. A lot of calories from sugar drinks or candy are far less healthy than from balanced meals.
3.       Be informed about nutritional values. For example, how much daily nutritional value, on average, will you get in carbohydrates, protein, iron, or vitamins A or C? During times of stress or disease, nutritional values take on additional importance.
4.      Do not rely entirely on number of servings. Not all servings are created equal. Servings per person can be misleading if it’s not clear what the serving size is or what is included. For example, a cup of orange drink, a cup of beef stroganoff, a tablespoon of butter, or a quarter teaspoon of salt all technically count as a “serving.” Make sure you are comfortable with what your supplier means by “servings per person.” Three servings per day could mean only 600 calories per day. Also, serving sizes for similar products are not necessarily consistent from one supplier to the next.
5.      Be concerned about menu fatigue. Buying only a few menu options may be challenging to endure should you ever need to use your food over an extended period of time. The more variety you have, the more enjoyable your eating experiences will be and less shock it will cause to your body. Think through in your mind what it would be like to eat entirely from your food storage for a week, a month, six months, or longer and compare that to the variety you’ve enjoyed over the past week. Having a variety of grains, legumes, dairy, meats, fruits and vegetables plus a variety of seasonings on hand will go a long way toward expanding your meal options. Clearly, you should not sacrifice calories and nutrition for the sake of variety and yummy meals–after all, your first priority is to save lives—but for almost no additional cost, and with some forethought, you can have a dramatically more enjoyable and healthy food supply.
6.      Be aware of weights and volumes. Gross or shipping weight includes the weight of the packaging materials. “Net weight” is only the weight of the food and the best measure of how much food the package contains. Knowing the net weight or volume of what you are buying makes it easier to comparison shop. For example, focus on dollars per ounce (weight) or dollars per gallon of like items when comparison shopping, just as you do when shopping at the grocery store. Remember that the equivalent quantity of food occupies more space if it’s freeze-dried than if it were dehydrated.
7.      Know what kind of cook you are. Better yet, anticipate which kind of cooking you most want to do during an extended period of difficulty. If you like to cook or bake from scratch, you can save money by emphasizing basics like wheat, rice, legumes, milk, eggs, and individual types of dehydrated vegetables, fruits, and seasonings. This gives you the greatest flexibility for menu choices and is the best way to avoid menu fatigue. If you prefer just-add-water options, you can save time and heat resources using dehydrated or freeze-dried meals or entrées. If you want to heat and eat without adding water, MREs (Meals-Ready-to-Eat)—like what the military uses—may be the ticket. Most people settle on a combination of all of the above, due to the variety they allow, to save both money and time.
8.      Scrutinize shipping and handling charges. Food storage orders can be quite heavy and shipping can be a major cost if you’re not careful. Some suppliers charge a flat fee, others charge according to the weight of the order. Take into account the entire cost, including shipping, when price comparing. A reasonable flat shipping charge presents an opportunity to add additional items to the order without incurring additional shipping costs.
9.      Don’t just look at the price. Not all food storage companies are the same nor do they package and price their products the same. Products perpetually on sale may actually not be the best available price. Beware when price per net weight, calories per day, cans per case, number of complete meals, etc. are not determinable. This might be a situation where you are not getting the best value for your dollar.
10. Understand the pros and cons of the different kinds of packaging. The enemies of food that has been prepared and packaged for long term storage are heat, moisture, oxygen, and light. Protecting against heat depends 100% on where the product is stored, but the other three—moisture, light, and oxygen—are mostly controlled by the packaging. Make sure oxygen is removed from the container by either use of an oxygen absorber or by nitrogen flushing. For pails, which are not 100% air tight, make sure the product is sealed inside a metallized bag (a common brand is Mylar®), otherwise oxygen will leak back in. Certain freeze-dried foods kept in oxygen-free cans that are stored in a cool, dry environment can retain nutritive value for 25 years or more (see tip regarding shelf life).

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Article From: preparednesspantry.blogspot.com