‘Tis the season to make resolutions; recent polls show that Americans are making a surprising resolution – they are vowing to save more money and be more prepared. It seems we’ve learned the hard way that it’s worth the effort.

FEMA is also encouraging Americans to make individual disaster preparedness plans part of their New Year resolutions. To help, they’ve launched a comprehensive website, Are You Ready?, that provides guidance for making an emergency plan and putting together an emergency kit. The site also offers a free in-depth guide for being prepared for a myriad of emergencies. After reading through the guide, take the online test and if you score 75% or higher, FEMA will send you a certificate of completion.

The 200-page Are You Ready? booklet includes important guidelines for staying safe during a variety of extreme events, including:

• Floods
• Tornadoes
• Hurricanes
• Lighting strikes
• Storms
• Extreme heat
• Earthquakes
• Volcanoes
• Mudslides
• Tsunamis
• Fires
• Wildfires
• Hazardous material spills
• Nuclear accidents and explosions
• Biological emergencies

When it comes to emergency food, FEMA recommends keeping at least a three-day supply of emergency food for your family, pets and service animals in a cool, dry place. Of course, those of us at Wise Food Storage, as well as many of our customers and industry experts, believe it is prudent to have an emergency food supply as food insurance, which can last far longer.

Keep in mind, if you volunteer to work with relief efforts, plan on taking your own food and water.

We at Wise Foods wish you a safe, peaceful 2012 and look forward to helping you keep your new resolution to be prepared.

Article from: wisefoodstorageblog.com

If you are putting together an emergency-preparedness kit, it is important to remember that you need to have more than just freeze-dried foodand other food items packed away in storage. After all, the food won’t do you much good if you have no way to prepare it and you won’t survive for long if you do not have water available.

Therefore, it is essential to include water as well as some sort of heating source in your kit. Still, even with the proper equipment available, you will need to keep a few emergency cooking tips in mind in order to make your food, equipment, water and other supplies last as long as possible.

What else should you consider?

When it comes to emergency food preparation, some things you need to know include:

• Most freeze-dried foods are ready to eat just 10 to 12 minutes after adding hot water.
• Freeze-dried foods can be prepared with cold water, but are generally more flavorful when prepared with hot water.
• Just bringing water to a boil will destroy all harmful pathogens, so don’t waste fuel and water (through evaporation) by boiling it longer.
• Have plenty of food items in storage that do not require cooking.
• Include a reliable heating source, such as Stove In A Can, in your emergency kit.
• Include ingredient items such as salt and sugar in your emergency kit to help add flavor to your meals and to use with making fresh food items, such as bread.
• Remember that flour does not store well over the long-term, so include grain and a mill in your kit so you can make your own flour.

If you do not regularly prepare meals from freeze-dried items or from scratch, you might also want to practice making a few meals. This way, you can become comfortable with the process.  You might also want to include a book containing a few recipes and tips within your kit. This way, you will be more comfortable with making the meals when the time comes.

Article from: wisefoodstorage.com

Honey is much easier to store than to select and buy. Pure honey won’t mold, but may crystallize over time. Exposure to air and moisture can cause color to darken and flavor to intensify and may speed crystallization as well. Comb honey doesn’t store as well liquid honey so you should not expect it to last as long.

Storage temperature is not as important for honey, but it should be kept from freezing and not exposed to high temperatures if possible. Either extreme can cause crystallization and heat may cause flavor to strengthen undesirably.

Filtered liquid honey will last the longest in storage. Storage containers should be opaque, airtight, moisture- and odor-proof. Like any other stored food, honey should be rotated through the storage cycle and replaced with fresh product.

If crystallization does occur, honey can be reliquified by placing the container in a larger container of hot water until it has melted.

Avoid storing honey near heat sources and if using plastic pails don’t keep it near petroleum products (including gasoline engines), chemicals or any other odor-producing products.

Article from:www.survival-center.com

If you haven’t started your 72 hr. kits yet, here are some great items to start with. If you have started, GOOD FOR YOU! But, you might see some items here that you don’t have yet.

The one item that is a must have is the “Filtering Water Bottle”. This water bottle can filter up to 100 gallons of water, which is a very important item to have.

The “Fresh and Go toothbrushes” are really cool items to have. They already have the toothpaste in them! There are up to 30 uses in each toothbrush.

Then there is the Premier Bottled Emergency Kit. This kit already has a lot of these items.
It comes with:
2- Purifying water tablets
1- Water bottle
1- Hand and body warmer
1- Emergency poncho
1- Emergency blanket
1- Strike-anywhere matches
1- 9-bulb LED flashlight
3- “AAA” batteries
1- 5-in-1 whistle
1- basic first-aid kit
1- Zip-top bag
1-Multifunction tool
1- Carabiner

Article from: rugettingprepared.blogspot.com

Liquid Milk

Preserved liquid milk comes in a number of forms, none of which are very similar to each other. The most common forms of these packaged milk are as follows:

Canned Milks

These are commonly called UHT milks (Ultra High Temperature) for the packaging technique used to put them up. They come in the same varieties as fresh liquid milks: whole, 2%, 1% and skim. Just recently I’ve even found whipping cream in UHT packaging (Grand Chef – Parmalat), though this may be offered only in the commercial/restaurant market. In the U.S. they have vitamin D added. The lesser fat content milks do not keep as long as whole milk and their “use by” dates are correspondingly shorter term. This milk is packaged in aseptic containers, either cans or laminated paper cartons. It has the same composition as fresh milk of the same type, and can be stored at room temperature because of the special pasteurizing process used. The milk has a boiled flavor, but much less than evaporated milk. I buy the whole milk and the dates are usually for as much six months. The milk is still usable past their dates, but the flavor soon begins to go stale and the cream separates. I am told by a friend who lived in Germany not long after this kind of canned milk began to come on the market there that they were dated for a year.With only a six month shelf life this type of canned milk naturally requires a much faster rotation cycle than other types. The only brand name for this milk I’ve seen is Parmalat. It’s a lot of bother, but to me it’s worth it to have whole, fluid milk. Recently, I have discovered that it makes excellent yogurt, with the boiled tasted disappearing. We have begun using this method for using up our Parmalat as its dates come up and it is rotated out of storage.

Evaporated

This is made from fresh, unpasteurized whole milk. The process removes 60% of the water; the concentrate is heated, homogenized, and in the States vitamin D is added. It is then canned and heated again to sterilize the contents. It may also have other nutrients and chemical stabilizers added. A mixture of one part water and one part evaporated milk will have about the same nutritional value of an equal amount of fresh milk. There is generally no date or “use by” code on evaporated milk.Health and nutrition food stores often carry canned, evaporated goat’s milk, in a similar concentration.

Sweetened Condensed

This milk goes through much less processing than evaporated milk. It starts with pasteurized milk combined with a sugar solution. The water is then extracted until the mixture is less than half its original weight. It is not heated because the high sugar content prevents spoilage. It’s very high in calories, too: 8 oz has 980 calories.Although it is often hard to find, the label has a stamped date code which indicates the date by which it should be consumed. Sweetened, condensed milk may thicken and darken as it ages, but it is still edible.

Shelf Life of Canned Milks

Unopened cans of evaporated milk can be stored on a cool, dry shelf for up to six months. Canned milk (UHT) should be stored till the stamped date code on the package (3 – 6 months). Check the date on sweetened, condensed milk for maximum storage.

Article from: www.survival-center.com

1. 72 hours in not long enough. We have learned in every disaster since Katrina that these kits should be 120 hours, at least.

2. Your kit should be kept in a location near an exit door but away from water heaters and furnaces. Also keep a pair of comfortable walking/work shoes with your pack.

3. The best container for you pack is one that allows your hands to remain free. You are then more able to carry children, pets or additional supplies.

4. Each family member should have their own pack. This provides added safety and a sense of empowerment for children. Heavy items should be taken out of young children’s packs and carried by the older children or adults. Light weight items can be redistributed to a child’s pack from the adult packs such as extra shirts and toilet paper, leaving room for heavier items.

5.Your extra keys and a light source should be kept in an outside pocket or at the top of your pack for easy access in an emergency.

6. Use your kits before an emergency occurs. Take them “camping” in the back yard. This will help your children feel more secure when the emergency arises and you have to use your kits. It will also help you determine any other items you may wish to add to your kits.

7. Rotate the food and water in your kits. Never add food to your kit that will increase your thirst such a jerky. If you are in doubt eat the item and see if you get thirsty shortly thereafter.

8. A Grab and Go Kit should be added to your emergency supplies. These should include shelter, sanitation, and cooking supplies. These should be kept in a waterproof container such as a 5 gallons plastic bucket.

9. Check your kit yearly for expired batteries, prescriptions and other medications. Also check clothing items to make sure they still fit.

10. Never store batteries in your flashlights or radios batteries can leak and ruin your them.

Article from:blog.totallyready.com

First, you should have a good car kit in every vehicle you own. Take it out and place it in the back seat of the car, especially if you are taking a trip where you may encounter snow. If the road is closed ahead of you and you have to sit and wait for traffic to get moving again you will want your supplies at hand.  This is also important if you have to stop to change a tire, it will be important to put on your emergency vest before you leave the car so you can be more easily seen.

Second, take extra food and water inside the car. Again, if you do need to spend time in your vehicle you will have everything that you would need in there. It is very important to eat when you are trying to keep your body temperature up. So, take food. A thermos of hot cocoa is really a great addition!

Third, have layers available in the car. How often I have placed my coat in the trunk because it takes up so much room. That is great if you can keep the engine running but if you can’t you will want that coat. Take a sweater, gloves and a warm hat inside the vehicle also.

Fourth, make sure the cell phone is charged before you leave home.

Fifth, let your family know which route you will be taking to get to their home. If you should be caught in a storm they will then know where to begin looking for you.

Sixth, throw in a blanket. You should have a wool blanket in your car kit. If you do bring it inside the car. If you don’t be sure to take a blanket or two with you, again,  inside the car. On a trip from Utah to California one winter our heater stopped working in our car. I was already sick and we had to stop to purchase a sleeping bag for me to crawl into so I could get warm. It was a really miserable trip. All three of us had on a sweater, coat, gloves and a hat and I had my sleeping bag and our son had a blanket. My poor husband had to drive. Awful!

Seventh, NEVER go to sleep in a car with the car running.  You could be at risk of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning.  If you have family traveling to see you remind them of this.

Finally, take along a good book or some magazines and a few great CD’s just in case you have to wait out a storm, accident or road closure. Be patient, it’s more important to arrive safely than to arrive “on time”.

Article from: blog.totallyready.com

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

• 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