Monday, November 29, 2010

Helpful items for your food storage

I wasn't sure what I wanted to post this week.  So I went searching on the church web site and came up with odds and ends to share with you!  I hope you enjoy and learn from them as much as I have!

Shelf Life of Long-Term Storage Items

Research shows that these common longer-term food storage items, if they are properly packaged and stored at or below room temperature (75 degrees F; 24 degrees C), remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought. Even after long-term storage, these foods can help sustain life in an emergency.

Food
 
Shelf-Life Estimate in Years
 
Wheat
 
30+
 
White Rice
 
30+
 
Corn
 
30+
 
Pinto Beans
 
30
 
Dried Apple Slices
 
30
 
Macaroni
 
30
 
Rolled Oats
 
30
 
Potato Flakes
 
30
 
Powdered Milk
 
20
 

Food Storage your family will need:  Here is a sort of check list to help you to make sure you have everything you need during theses very busy times!  Remember to not go in debt for your food storage, take one item at a time!




Grains
Wheat
 lbs
Flour
 lbs
Corn Meal
 lbs
Oats
 lbs
Rice
 lbs
Pasta
 lbs
Total Grains
 lbs

Fats and Oils
Shortening
 lbs
Vegetable Oil
 gal
Mayonnaise
 qts
Salad Dressing
 qts
Peanut Butter
 lbs
Total Fats
 lbs

Legumes
Beans, dry
 lbs
Lima Beans
 lbs
Soy Beans
 lbs
Split Peas
 lbs
Lentils
 lbs
Dry Soup Mix
 lbs
Total Legumes
 lbs
 
Sugars
Honey
 lbs
Sugar
 lbs
Brown Sugar
 lbs
Molasses
 lbs
Corn Syrup
 lbs
Jams
 lbs
Fruit drink powdered
 lbs
Flavored Gelatin
 lbs
Total Sugars
 lbs

Milk
Dry Milk
 lbs
Evaporated Milk
 can
Other
 lbs
Total Dairy
 lbs

Cooking Essentials
Baking Powder
 lbs
Baking Soda
 lbs
Yeast
 lbs
Salt
 lbs
Vinegar
 gal

Water
Water
 gal
Bleach
 gal

Monday, November 22, 2010

Storing Drinking Water


Let's talk about water!  Water is my most favorite drink!  Our bodies are made up of some much water it is so important to keep hydrated.

Store drinking water for circumstances in which the water supply may be polluted or disrupted.
If water comes directly from a good, pretreated source, then no additional purification is needed; otherwise, pretreat water before use. Store water in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers. Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soft drinks.
Keep water containers away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

Water Purification GuidelinesIf your water supply is not known to be safe or has become polluted, it should be purified before use. Water purification is generally a two-step process.

Step 1: Clarify


Cloudy or dirty water must first be made clear. It may be passed through filter paper, fine cloth, or other filter. It may be allowed to settle and the clear water on top carefully drawn. Filtered or clear settled water should always be disinfected before use.

Step 2: Disinfect


Boiling Method
Bringing water to a rolling boil for 3 to 5 minutes will kill most water-borne microorganisms. However, prolonged boiling of small quantities of water may concentrate toxic contaminants if present.
Bleach Method
Adding 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of fresh liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to every gallon (4 liters) of water will kill most microorganisms. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used. The use of bleach does not address toxic contamination.


Water Storage Guidelines
Commercially bottled water in PETE (or PET) plastic containers may be purchased. Follow the container’s “best if used by” dates as a rotation guideline. Avoid plastic containers that are not PETE plastic.
If you choose to package water yourself, consider the following guidelines:
Containers
  • Use only food-grade containers. Smaller containers made of PETE plastic or heavier plastic buckets or drums work well.
  • Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared by adding 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to one quart (1 liter) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
  • Do not use plastic milk jugs, because they do not seal well and tend to become brittle over time.
  • Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.
Water Pretreatment
  • Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
  • Non-chlorinated water should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
Storage
  • Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly.
  • Store water only where potential leakage would not damage your home or apartment.
  • Protect stored water from light and heat. Some containers may also require protection from freezing.
  • The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before use

Fresh Snow Cream

Hello out there - with the weather being so cold and the chance of snow this week.  I thought I would share a Fresh Snow Cream recipe with everyone.

Enjoy!

 
Snow Cream Recipe
Fresh Snow

1/2 Can of Evaporated Cream

3 cups of Milk

1 full tsp of Vanilla

Sugar (I use 1 cup)

Food Coloring

First you want to bundle up and head outside with a large bowl and something to scoop the snow. Now you want to scoop up fresh snow. Gather more, and then you can decide how much you need. After you come back in, make sure everything is lined on the counter, ready to go. This will help, as snow will melt.

Add Evaporated Milk, milk, vanilla, sugar, and food coloring to bowl. Mix well. Now start adding in your snow. Taste as you go, to make sure you have the right, sweet taste

How about some snow ice cream - it's yummie!

The first step is to put out a large bowl or pan to collect the snow as it falls. Or if there is already a nice thick layer of snow on the ground, then the top of the snow can be scrapped off and the snow collected from the clean middle section. We use a large metal bowl to make our snow ice cream but any large bowl or pan can be used. Approximately, one gallon of clean , fresh snow is needed to prepare this recipe.

Once one gallon of snow is collected, add the following ingredients to the bowl:

approximately 1 cup of milk, either whole or canned

3/4 to 1 cup of white granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, more or less according to taste

a pinch of salt

a drop of pink food coloring

Stir all together. Dish up immediately into individual servings and enjoy. 


Monday, November 15, 2010

This week quick tips!

Happy November 15th!  This week I thought I would give you all some tips on foods that you use everyday and store in your food storage. 

 How to Store Brown Sugar 
Brown sugar
Matteo Pescarin
Even if brown sugar turns hard, there are easy ways to soften it up.

Q. How can I keep my brown sugar from hardening after the bag or box is opened?

A. To avoid dried-out and hardened brown sugar, store it in a cool area in a covered and airtight container once the box or bag has been opened.
One way to soften hard sugar is to place a fresh apple slice, the peel of half a lemon, or a slice of bread in the sugar overnight. The sugar will absorb the moisture from the apple, lemon, or bread and rehydrate, making it soft again.

For an even quicker fix, remove the hardened brown sugar from the package and place it on a baking pan. Place it in a 225°F oven until soft, about 10 minutes. (Use caution, because the sugar will become very hot.)

How to Store Berries

Q. I love to buy fresh berries in the summer. How can I make them last?
A. Berries are more perishable than many other kinds of fruit, so take extra care when handling them. Choose berries that are plump and richly colored (they won't ripen further after they've been picked); avoid packages with crushed or moldy berries
food storage for berries

Store berries uncovered in the refrigerator, and don't rinse them until just before you're ready to use them -- they spoil quickly when damp.

To enjoy the flavors of summer all year long, freeze fresh berries immediately after purchasing. Wash and dry the berries, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet (if using strawberries, hull them first). Freeze the berries until frozen solid and transfer them to plastic freezer bags for storage.

Food Storage and Expiration Dates

Q. How can I be sure that I'm using fresh ingredients? How long will meat, milk, and cheese last?
A. Fresh ingredients and how long they last depend on the type of food you're dealing with.
  • Fruit and Vegetables: To ensure that your ingredients are fresh, it's a good idea when possible to buy fruits and vegetables when they're in season. They will have the best flavor that way. Fruits like apricots, peaches, plums, pears, and cantaloupes will ripen as they sit, but be sure to buy grapes, berries, cherries, and watermelons at their peak as they won't ripen no matter how long they sit on your kitchen table.


Carton of eggs
Photodisc
Store eggs inside the refrigerator, and use them within three weeks of purchasing.


  • Chicken: Check chicken to see that the skin does not have an "off" color and is not slimy or oily. These are characteristics that indicate the chicken is past its prime.
  • Beef and Lamb: When buying beef and lamb, check to see that the beef has a bright cherry red color and the lamb is slightly paler. A brownish color is a good indication that the meat may have been around longer than it should. Use or freeze ground beef within a day of purchase; whole muscle meats like chicken, steak and chops can keep in the refrigerator about 3 days.
  • Milk: Be sure to buy milk with a sell by date at least four days away. Once you get the milk home, it should last up to a week in the refrigerator.
  • Eggs: Keep eggs longer by storing them in their carton in the refrigerator and not in the door. For the freshest eggs, use them within 3 weeks of purchase.
  • Cheese: Hard cheeses like Cheddar and Swiss can keep up to two months in the refrigerator; soft cheeses like Brie and Muenster should be used within five to seven days of purchase.
Don't let the date on the package be your only guide. If something doesn't look fresh or smells sour, trust your instincts and don't use it.

How to Store Vinegar

Q. Does vinegar go bad? If so, how can you tell? Isn't vinegar just wine that's gone bad?

A. Vinegar is indeed a product of wine that has gone bad. In fact the word "vinegar" is from the French words vin aigre which translates to "sour wine."
Just as yeast consuming the sugars in grape juice creates alcohol as a by-product, bacteria known as "acetobacteria" consume the alcohol in wine and create acid. This acetic acid is what gives vinegar its characteristic sharp, bright flavors.


Bottles of balsamic vinegar
Abigael Tay
Vinegar should be stored in a cool, dark place.


Since the acetobacteria live off the alcohol they consume, any number of different alcoholic products can be turned into vinegar. And the type of alcoholic liquid used as the initial ingredient of an alcohol has a pronounced effect on the flavor of the vinegar. That's why red wine vinegar tastes different from champagne vinegar.
Vinegars are often further flavored with additional ingredients such as herbs, or -- like balsamic vinegar -- through aging in wooden barrels.

When purchasing vinegar, keep in mind that you often get what you pay for. Some "cider flavored" vinegars are really just cheap distilled white vinegar to which coloring and additional flavors have been added.
Much of what is sold as balsamic vinegar here is simply red wine vinegar with caramel or caramel coloring added to make it syrupy and sweet like true balsamic.

The surprising news is that vinegar does indeed go bad. Since it is created from alcohol, many of the essential elements that give vinegar its flavor are prone to evaporation.
A significant amount of these components typically are gone by about six months after a bottle of vinegar is opened, and most vinegars are tasteless after a year of sitting opened. Vinegar's flavor can be preserved if it is stored in a cool dark place or in a refrigerator.

Some vinegars, if stored improperly or too long, will develop a cloudy look. This cloudy substance (called "mother of vinegar" since it can be used to make more vinegar) can be filtered out with a paper coffee filter in order to salvage the vinegar. However, if either the mother or the vinegar smells bad or rotten, discard both immediately

Monday, November 8, 2010

10 Steps to get help get you started!

10 Steps to help you get started!

Shelves - Decided how you would like to store your food storage! Be sure to keep it simple. You can purchase your shelves or make them your self!  Remember to mark your shelves with your product.  InterMetro® Kitchen Shelves
Water - Be sure to store a two weeks supply of water.  (One gallon per person per day). In the past I have used plastic soda bottles, you can use what ever works best for you just be sure and mark the date on the bottle and make sure it is food grade plastic.

Purchase a two week supply of the foods you normally eat.  What I like to do is watch for the sales and then I will buy 2 or 3 extra of everything I normally buy.  (Depending on the time of month it is!) Be sure to have a prepared menu before you buy.  Thanksgiving Forum

Long Term Education - Educate yourself on long term storage.  Determine the types of food you will eat and be sure and include the menus for these foods.  You could even make a spreadsheet to help you determine how much you will need to have on hand for your family. 
Amazon.com Textbooks
Grains - Purchase your grains and know how to use them! Rice, pasta's, corn, wheat.

Legumes - Decide which legumes you will use - purchase them and be sure you know how to use them.  Dried beans, soy beans, lentils, bean soup mixes.

Baking Ingredients - be sure you have plenty on hand.  Flour, sugar, baking soda, powder milk, etc.

Fruits and vegetables - purchase and preserve them. These will  help to supplement your core foods.



Comfort foods - purchase any comfort foods that are pleasant, that you would enjoy to have if you were forced to live off your storage for a long time. ( Chocolates!! Pickles, spices)



Non Food Items - these are so important for many different reasons.  Paper plates, plastic utensils these are so helpful with saving water.  Don't forget that all important - toilet paper!!  Wet ones and diapers too!


Hope you have enjoyed this post as much as I have!!  More soon!