Tag Archives: food storage

Emergency Preparation: Be Prepared

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‘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

Emergency Preparation

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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

Food Storage Tips: Storing Honey

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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

Emergency Preparation: 72 Hour Kit

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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

Food Storage Recipe: Dr. Pepper Roast

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Ingredients:
Roast (approx. 1.5 lbs roast per quart sized jar)
1 can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
2 cans Campbell’s cream of potato soup
2 cups Dr. Pepper (we joke that the caffeine cooks out…but, you can opt to use caffeine free)
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1/2 – 1 tsp. Tony’s Creole Seasoning (depending on how spicy you want it)

If you were to cook this in your crock pot, you simply add all ingredients and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes.
However, because we eat it and LOVE it, I decided to can it.

Directions for canning:
Cut Roast into chunks (or buy stew meat, which is already cubed for you)
Put chunks of roast into clean pint or quart size jars (depending on the size of your family)
In pitcher, mix all remaining ingredients. (Multiply gravy mixture as needed for amount of roast you are canning. One batch of gravy mixture will fill approximately three quart sized jars.)
Pour gravy mixture over top of roast.
Use handle end of a plastic spatula and run it down the insides of the jar all the way around. This will allow the gravy to settle in around the roast .
Add more gravy until the jar is full, leaving approximately one inch headspace.
In small pan, boil flat lids for three minutes.
While lids are boiling, use damp cloth and wipe down rims of jars.
Place flat lids on jars, screw bands on.
Cook at 15 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes.
Store and enjoy!

Article from: youcancan.blogspot.com

Food Storage Tips: Types of Canned Milk

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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

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!

120 Servings Freeze Dried Vegetable & Sauces

Free Shipping!!!

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