Week 52 Last week of the year!

FOOD STORAGE BUYING GUIDE PER WEEK (52 Week Plan) - 



Week 1: NUTS Drug stores have Christmas sales. 2 lbs per person. Dry roasted ones store the best. Freeze bagged ones.


Week 2: CLEANING SUPPLIES Detergent 156 loads per person, Bleach 1gallon per person, Cleanser.


Week 3: MEDICINE CHEST Feminine Products, Pepto Bismal, Vicks, Cough Drops, Cough Syrup, Tylenol, Calamine Lotion, Kaopectate, Ipecac, Sunscreen Dispose of all outdated medications.


Week 4: FIRST AID SUPPLIES Band-Aids, Antibiotic Ointment, Ace Bandages, Steri-strips, etc.


Week 5: PERSONAL PRODUCTS Soap, Deodorant, toilet paper at least one roll per week. Shampoo, lotion, hand soap, 15 per person etc.


Week 6: PEANUT BUTTER 10 lbs per person (stores for a year or more)


Week 7: SOLID SHORTENING less expensive than oil. 12 lbs per person. Be sure and rotate. Will last several years.


Week 8: JUICES Avoid watered products. Get 100% juice. (lemon, orange, pineapple etc.)


Week 9: PERSONAL GROOMING Toothpaste, floss (important) razors, shaving cream. Consider your family needs. (you can always brush with baking soda)


Week 10: MIXES Cakes, pancakes, muffins, Bisquick etc. Bisquick stores best in the freezer or it gets bugs. You need an annual total of 300 lbs of grain products per person


Week 11: SPICES AND HERBS Think of what you use most often. Salt (NOT Plain you need the iodized kind) pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves. Look for bargains.


Week 12: RICE Secure 10, 15, 20 lbs. White stores best but is not as nutritious. I find brown gets bugs. Counts towards grain total.


Week 13: FIRST AID Gauze patches, swabs, cotton balls, first aid tape etc. Old fashioned Kotex is good for wounds. Sanitary napkins with adhesive do not store well.


Week 14: PASTA 5 lbs. Get other kinds besides spaghetti. I have found that spaghetti does not store well. Counts towards grain total.


Week 15: DRY MILK 40 oz. will make 5 gallons . Get what you family needs. 100 lbs per person per year. Stores well.


Week 16: SEWING KIT Thread, pins, needles, buttons (cut off of old clothes) snaps, zippers, tape measure, scissors. Consider your family's needs.


Week 17: READY DINNERS Ravioli, Pasta, Oriental, Boxed, Canned, Frozen. Buy what your family will eat.


Week 18: FLOUR 50 lbs per person (put in freezer or it will get bugs) Be sure and rotate. Counts towards grain requirement.


Week 19: SOUP Dry or canned soup, don't forget crackers.


Week 20: JELLO Jello gelatin and Pudding Mixes


Week 21: GARDEN SEEDS Radishes are great in an emergency. They grow fast, full of vitamins and minerals, and full of water. Buy locally if you haven't ordered yet. Here is an address of seed company that will send you there catalog free if you send a self addressed envelope with a couple of stamps. Territorial Seeds P.O. Box 157 Cottage Grove Ore. 97424 They have the kind of seed you can store. Or check out http://www.johnnyseeds.com.


Week 22: SAFETY WEEK A length of cord or twine. Light rope. Flashlight and batteries, (dated)


Week 23: CHEESE Whole 5 lbs, or grate and freeze for casseroles or soup.


Week 24: PAPER PRODUCTS Paper towels, Aluminum foil, garbage bags, freezer bags, etc.


Week 25: CONDIMENTS Mustard, catsup, mayo, relish, Worcestershire.


Week 26: BEDDING Watch for White Sales. Buy a new thermo blanket.


Week 27: JAMS AND JELLIES Sure-Jell, Certo, Parafin, etc. Or buy the jams and jellies. Be sure you have supply of canning jars. Not large mouth, and lids and seals.


Week 28: WATER Fill those water jugs. Use plain Clorox not fresh scent.


Week 29: CANNED MILK Look in Dec. 1989 Ensign for ideas for use. 100 lbs per person.


Week 30: CANNED GOODS Be sure and rotate. We like sardines (small ones). They are rich in protein and cheap.


Week 31: SCHOOL SUPPLIES Back to School Sales. Paper , pencils, journals, envelopes, postage stamps, etc. (Great Stocking Stuffers)


Week 32: STAPLES Baking powder, soda, corn starch, Baking Soda, 2 lbs per person of each item except soda. Buy 3 lbs per person.


Week 33: TOMATOES Juice, whole, sauce, paste, Salsa. Buy or make it. Counts as part of vegetables.


Week 34: CANNED FRUIT 80 quarts per person. Buy or can it yourself.


Week 35: SUGAR 100 lbs per person. Buy an extra 25 lbs.


Week 36: VEGETABLES 150 lbs per person per year. Can or freeze from garden or purchased fresh, or buy canned.


Week 37: BEANS Dry bean, peas, legumes, 100 lbs per person.


Week 38: SWEETNERS Honey, Karo, Molasses, etc. Counts towards sugars.


Week 39: CANNED MEATS Tuna (be sure and rotate) Spam, dried beef, go for 10 cans.


Week 40: IODIZED SALT 10 or more canisters. It seasons & preserves. In a pinch it can be used as a toothpaste or de-icer. Get canning salt for canning.


Week 41: VINEGAR l (or more) gallons. It is a great cleaner too. For cleaning you need white.


Week 42: CANNED SOUP Buy soup when it is on sale. Soup counts towards vegetables.


Week 43: APPLES Do something with all those apples. Pie, applesauce, juice, canned apples with sugar are good. 


Week 44: HARD CANDY On sale after Halloween. Leftovers will make a good addition to your 72 hour emergency kits.


Week 45: VITAMINS 365 vitamins per person. Get extra C and calcium with Vitamin D.


Week 46: TREATS FOR BAKING Cocoa, coconut (gets old) nuts ( store in fridge gets rancid) chocolate chips.


Week 47: GRAINS Rolled Oats, Corn Meal (In fridge) Cream of wheat. (Rotate this, does not store). Counts as a grain. There is an oats you can buy at health food store that does store. I think it is scotch oats. Check and see.


Week 48: SUGARS Brown and white, powdered. 100 lbs per person total.

Week 49: OILS Vegetable and olive oils. Get a good quality. 12 lbs per person.


Week 50: CANDLES AND MATCHES Put in a sturdy box (preferably fireproof) and in a cool place you can locate in dark.


Week 51: POPCORN Go for big twelve pound bags. Counts toward grains.


Week 52: Merry Christmas You have given yourself a great gift of security

Week 50 & 51 Candles Matches and Popcorn

Week 50: CANDLES AND MATCHES Put in a sturdy box (preferably fireproof) and in a cool place you can locate in dark.

We have our matches and candles stored in a #10 can.  We did this years ago so that they would be stored in a water proof place. We have some lighters stored in a dark spot in the garage so that if by chance they should leak they won't help anything or anyone.  Watch for the sales after the first of the year so that you can get a good deal on the 60 hour candle.  Be sure and keep those stored in a dark dry area.  

Week 51: POPCORN Go for big twelve pound bags. Counts toward grains.


We also have several #10 cans of popcorn stored.  My husband can never understand why I wanted popcorn in our food storage.  Now after my research I can tell him one of the important reasons to have popcorn stored.  - it's counted as one of our grains!  It's a sweet grain!  There are so many ways to incorporate popcorn into your meal it's great!  One way is to grind the popcorn into small small partials and add it to your corn meal.  Makes it sooo yummy!  


Thought I would share this yummy popcorn treat with you all!

Sweet Chex Mix (or a.k.a. Popcorn and Whatever You Want Mix)

6 cups Chex cereal
6 cups popped popcorn
2 cups pretzels
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon vanilla

Cook together ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup corn syrup, ¼ cup butter.  Cook over medium heat just until it boils – add vanilla.  Pour over Chex mix and mix everything together and make sure that everything is well coated.  Spread out on a cookie sheet and put in oven for 10-15 minutes on 350 degrees.

I like it best if you have salted and buttered the popped popcorn first.  If I decide to leave the Chex and pretzels out and just use the popcorn, I then substitute more popcorn with the same measured amounts (cup for cup) as the deleted items.  Adding the mixed nuts and the Peanut M&M’s were a really big hit.

When it comes to popcorn don’t limit yourself to the good old popped 

Have a wonderful holiday!  I have missed being at church the last several weeks.  Between being out of town and being sick I haven't been able to enjoy the Christmas music.  I have missed it and seeing all of you!  

Week 48 and Week 49

Week 48: SUGARS Brown and white, powdered. 100 lbs per person total.


This is a great time of year for buying sugar, with all the sales on baking goods stock up and store those sugars.

Sugars and Long Term Food Storage

There are several types of sugar that are suitable for long term storage.  Sugar is particularly sensitive to moisture so it is critical to keep it dry.  Aside from that it’s important to store it with the usual guidelines:  Cool, Dark, and Dry.  Sugar has an indefinite shelf life, though some folks say to use it within two years.  Microbes can’t grow in it and it doesn’t mold or anything.  Good stuff!

Granulated Sugar

This is what you see all over the place at the store and is the cornerstone of your storage plan.  It won’t spoil and if you store it dry and cool it will store forever and a day.  If you happen to get it wet it will cake up and get all hard and crusty.  Never fear!  Just smash it up again and voila, you’re in good shape!

Powdered Sugar

This is good stuff and a cornerstone for icing, frosting, and the like.  It’s actually the exact same stuff as granulated sugar which has been ground even finer.  Sometimes the refinery adds corn starch to prevent caking.  The biggest problem with powdered sugar is that it absorbs water.  If you let moisture in, it will cake up and you won’t be able to get it back to then fine powdery condition you’re used to.  Life goes on.  Since you now know it’s the same stuff as granulated sugar, just use it for that instead!

Brown Sugar

It’s basically granulated sugar with molasses and a bit of caramel coloring.  It comes in Dark and Light variants.  Dark has more molasses and thus a darker color and a stronger flavor.  Brown sugar is different from other sugars in that it is supposed to be moist.    That means you can’t dry it out.  Best bet is to store it the same as other sugar.

Week 49: OILS Vegetable and olive oils. Get a good quality. 12 lbs per person.

Fats and Oils

• Salad Dressings can be store bought and stored, or you can make your own oil and vinegar-based, or mayonnaise-based dressings with items you have on hand in your food storage. Be aware of expiration dates on store bought salad dressings.
• Cooking Oil such as canola, or vegetable oil can be used in most bread recipes. Unless they have been specially treated, *unopened* cooking oils have a shelf life of about a year.
• Shortening has a longer shelf life than oils, it is reasonable to expect an unopened metal can of shortening to have a shelf life of eight to ten years if kept reasonably cool, particularly if it has preservatives in it.
• Mayonnaise can be used in baked dishes, pasta salads, salad dressings, and much more. Although it isn’t necessary to sustain life, it sure makes things taste better. Mayonnaise has a shelf life of 2-3 months.
• Peanut Butter provides protein and monounsaturated fats (the good fat). Peanut butter has a shelf life of 6-9 months.  (taken from foodstoragemadeeasy.com)

Have a great rest of the week!  I am off to Disneyland on Friday with my cheerleaders!

Week 46 & Week 47

Week 46: TREATS FOR BAKING Cocoa, coconut (gets old) nuts ( store in fridge gets rancid) chocolate chips.

Storage Of Nuts And Seeds

If you buy the best and freshest nuts available, in season, you can store them until the next year's harvest. Unshelled nuts may be held at room temperature for a few months, sometimes as long as six months, except in very warm weather.

Formerly, I stored my reserve supply of nuts in the freezer, where they remained stable and fresh-tasting. We never observed any loss of flavor or texture. Of course, nuts do not freeze, even in the freezer, because their water content is very low.

When a food is frozen, its water content expands, causing bursting of the cell walls, and spilling of the contents, thus destroying the cell. When the food is thawed, a loss of texture is observed. A loss of nutrients also occurs, due to oxidation. Decomposition speedily follows thawing if thawed food is not used immediately. There is also some deterioration which occurs while the food is frozen.

Nuts do not contain enough water to expand and burst the cell walls. Nuts which have not yet been harvested seem to suffer no damage from being stored at freezing temperatures and remain fertile after having been exposed to below freezing temperatures. The question is, does the situation change after harvesting, and can the freezing temperatures then have adverse effects?

Calvin Arnold, director of Agricultural Research in Monticello, Florida, says that freezer storage is the best way to maintain the quality of pecans, in or out of the shell. He says that if they are frozen soon after harvesting, they can last several years. He warns that you should not ever try to refreeze them after thawing. This would seem to indicate that changes do occur as a result of freezing.

In March 1977, I read a report in Consumers Digest which led me to change my practice of storing nuts. This report pointed out that nutrient loss is caused by very high and very low temperatures, and that freezing temperatures particularly destroy Vitamin E. Since Vitamin E is a significant factor in nuts and seeds, I decided to discontinue the storage of nuts in the freezer. Results: excellent!

As of this writing, November 1981, I have just finished last year's supply of shelled pecans, which had been stored in moisture-proof pliofilm bags in my refrigerator, and started on my fresh supply. Amazingly, they both tasted about the same: fresh, tasty, crisp and flavorful. There was no sign of rancidity and no loss of flavor or texture from the year's refrigerator storage at about 42 degrees.

We buy our seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin) as needed, usually five or ten pounds at a time, from Jaffe or the health food store, and store them in the refrigerator of course. We use more than sixty pounds of sunflower seeds in a year (two people), so we don't attempt to buy the whole year's supply at one time. We use sesame and pumpkin seeds in quite small quantities.

If you are still "sold" on storing your nuts in the freezer, you might compromise by storing a several months' supply in the refrigerator and the balance in the freezer.

Chestnuts are quite perishable. They lose moisture and spoil. If fresh, they will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to a week.

Fresh coconuts, in the shell, will keep at room temperature for a month or more. They will keep longer, in moisture-proof pliofilm bags in the refrigerator, depending on how fresh they are. After a coconut is opened, the coconut meat will stay fresh a few days in a jar, submerged in the liquid from the coconut, or submerged in water. For longer storage, fresh grated coconut can be submerged in the coconut liquid and frozen in containers.

Dried coconut may be stored in the refrigerator, in a moisture-proof bag, for a month or longer; in the freezer, almost indefinitely. It is never a good idea to store food in the freezer more than six months to a year.

Peanuts, shelled or unshelled, will keep in moisture-proof containers in the refrigerator for at least several months. Peanut butter is a different story, of course. If you use peanut butter, it is best to make it or get it fresh in very small quantities, as peanut butter, or any nut butter, is subject to rancidity. If necessary, nut butters may be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

(Taken from rawfoodexplained.com)  


Cocoa powder - if you store the cocoa powder in air tight containers.  The shelf life is 15 years!  Cocoa powder prices seem to keep going up so if you have a chance buy some while it's on sale.  Now is a great time, lots of stores have all the their baking items on sale right now.  


Chocolate Chips -  Here is what Hershey’s has to say about how to store chocolate.

Q. How should I store chocolate?

A. Solid chocolate products will maintain their quality if well wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place (55-60°F). While refrigerated chocolate is certainly safe to use, we don’t recommend it. Chocolate kept in the refrigerator may “sweat” when brought to room temperature and may not melt properly. Cocoa is considered a non-perishable item which should maintain quality if stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed container.  Even if the taste or texture changes some, it could be used for baking.

I have only mentioned a few things that would be good to store to make your food storage goodies taste a little bit better.  One of my favorites is raisins.  We love raisins at our house.  We for sure have them in our food storage!  Have fun exploring the different treats to store.  There really are so many and it's really the best to store what your family loves.  


Week 47: GRAINS Rolled Oats, Corn Meal (In fridge) Cream of wheat. (Rotate this, does not store). Counts as a grain. 

Listed below in order of desirability for storage are the forms of oats most often found in this country. Rolled and cut oats retain both their bran and their germ.

Oat Groats

These are whole oats with the hulls removed. They are not often found in this form, but can sometimes be had from natural food stores and some storage food dealers. Oats are not the easiest thing to get a consistent grind from so producing your own oat flour takes a bit of experience.

Steel Cut Oats

Also known as Irish or pinhead or porridge (but so are rolled) oats. These are oat groats which have been cut into chunks with steel blades. They're not rolled and look like coarse bits of grain. This form can be found in both natural food stores (sometimes much cheaper) and many supermarkets.

Rolled Oats

These are also commonly called "old fashioned", "thick cut" or "porridge" oats. To produce them, oat groats are steamed and then rolled to flatten. They can generally be found wherever oats are sold. They take longer to cook than do the quick cooking oats, but they retain more flavor and nutrition. This is what most people will call to mind when they think of oatmeal.

Quick Cooking Rolled Oats

These are just steamed oat groats rolled thinner than the old fashioned kind above so that they will cook faster. They can usually be found right next to the thicker rolled oats.

Instant Rolled Oats

These are the "just add hot water" or microwave type of oat cereals and are not at all suited for a long term food storage program. They do, however, have uses in "bug out" and 72 hour food kits for short term crises.

Whole Oats

This is with the hulls still on. They are sold in seed stores and sometimes straight from the farmer who grew them. Unless you have some means of getting the hulls off, I don't recommend buying oats in this form. If you do buy from a seed supplier, make certain that they have not been treated with any chemicals that are toxic to humans.

Quinoa

Quinoa is yet another of the grains that is not a true cereal. It's botanical name is Chenopodium quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"), and is a relative of the common weed Lambsquarter. The individual kernels are about 1.5-2 mm in size and are shaped rather like small flattened spheres, yellow in color. When quinoa is cooked, the germ of the grain coils into a small "tail" that lends a pleasant crunch. This exotic grain should be thoroughly washed before cooking in order to prevent the cooked product from tasting bitter. There are several varieties of quinoa that have color ranging from near white to a dark brown. The larger white varieties are considered superior and are the most common found.

Corn/Cornmeal Shelf Life:

Cornmeal: Between 6 and 18 months. Store in a cool dry place to help prolong this.
Corn: 8 years or more if stored in a sealed airtight container with an oxygen absorber.

Corn/Cornmeal Uses:

Dried corn can be used as a vegetable in stews, popped into popcorn, or ground into flour or cornmeal. Corn flour is most commonly used to make corn masa which is a dough used to make tortillas. Cornmeal (fresh ground or store bought) can be used to make delicious cornbread or corn cakes. It can also be made into hominy or grits. 

(taken from foodstoragemadeasy.com)


I raised my family on steamed white rice with a little sugar, butter and a tiny bit of milk.  My children still come home and ask for my rice.  I have several cans of white rice in my food storage.  Plus a few cream of wheat cans. My family also likes to have breakfast for dinner.  So we enjoy our white rice and cream of white!!  


I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.  

Week 45 Vitamins

Week 45: VITAMINS 365 vitamins per person. Get extra C and calcium with Vitamin D.

In all food storage programs a multivitamin makes good sense to supplement any possible deficiencies that may come about from eating differently in a survival situation, and possibly having not stored enough variety in food selections to balance out nutrition needs. A multivitamin is a very practical addition to every food storage program, and many multivitamins require only a single daily dosage, making it quite simple to buy enough bottles for a whole year that won’t take up much space.

A common multivitamin contains a combination of vitamins and minerals. Common vitamins and minerals present are Vitamin A, the B Vitamins (B-complex), Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Zinc, calcium, magnesium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, beta carotene, and iron. Superior multivitamins normally contain 100% or more of many of the individual vitamins. There are also multivitamins on the market that go far beyond the basic multivitamins, and delve into proprietary herbal blends that create a certain synergy with the vitamins and minerals. One such example is the Nature’s Way Multi-Vitamin, Alive! , which contains herbs, enzymes, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and a plethora of whole foods. Individuals wishing to concentrate their efforts by focusing upon vitamins singly are encouraged to do so on an as-needed basis, particular to their unique needs.

A basic explanation of some of the single vitamins and their functions may help one in deciding whether his or her body and diet need the extra help with a specific micronutrient, and which vitamins to include in their food storage.

Vitamin C is required for many essential metabolic reactions in all plants and animals. Vitamin C is an antioxidant (prevents oxidations of the cells caused by free radicals). It is a primary ingredient in the building of collagen (binds cells together to form tissues), and it is one of the best immune system enhancers. Vitamin C helps the nervous system by converting some of the amino acids into neurotransmitters. A deficiency of Vitamin C causes scurvy.

Vitamin D has sometimes been referred to as “sunshine in a bottle.” Vitamin D assists calcium absorption, enabling normal mineralization of bone. Vitamin D can help in insulin secretion in times of increased stress. It also benefits the heart, and may decrease the risk of hypertension. A deficiency of Vitamin D can cause Rickets in children and Osteomalacia in adults.

Vitamin B6 is needed for the breakdown of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and in the metabolism of amino acids. B12 is also necessary for the processing of carbs, fats, and proteins as well as for the production of red blood cells.

B vitamins are important for the proper formation of every cell in the body, especially nerve cells. The B vitamins break down carbs into glucose, which provides the energy for the body. B-complex vitamins are actually a group of eight vitamins, and are often included as a smorgasbord in multivitamins. The B vitamins are known for their ability to help with stress and anxiety (especially B6 and B12) because of the part they play in producing neurotransmitters and in their interaction with the nervous system. Having these two vitamins is a great asset for emergency and survival situations.

Beyond vitamins, there are two more suggestions that I would like to make for food storage programs. Probiotics aid in digestion by helping your body absorb the nutrients in your food. Food storage foods might possibly be somewhat of a shock to the system, and any help you can give to the digestive process will be appreciated by your body. Shelf life for probiotics is about two years when kept refrigerated. Enzymes are another critical addition to a food storage program. Enzymes help to break down complex proteins, carbohydrates, and fats into smaller, more usable forms.

(taken from Emergency Food Storage.com)

Week 44 - Hard Candy

Week 44: HARD CANDY On sale after Halloween. Leftovers will make a good addition to your 72 hour emergency kits.

The holiday season is fast approaching. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Believe it or not, the holiday season is the perfect time to think about your food storage preps. After all, one thing is clear—at least here in the U.S. Holidays mean family gatherings with lots of home-cooked dinners and home-baked goodies.

It’s at this time of the year that we do the majority of our baking. Corporate America knows this, and that’s why you can expect to see baking products at rock-bottom prices this time of year. If you keep a keen eye on prices, you can pick up a lot of products at well below half price.

The holiday season also brings cooler temperatures. Things like canned soups, hot chocolate, oatmeal, and other hot cereals go on sale at the grocery stores. Keep a keen eye on weekly flyers and sales information websites. You can often get these products BOGO (buy one get one free).

You can hit the after-Halloween candy sales to pick up candy at rock bottom prices. Chocolate will keep in the freezer for six months. If properly stored (oxygen absorbers in mylar bag), hard candy will last much longer. If you have children, candy will go a long ways in alleviating food fatigue.

I have tried to storage the candies!!  But my wonderful husband likes to get in to them and share them with our grands!  LOL  Stay warm!

Week 43 Apples, apples and more apples!

Week 43: APPLES Do something with all those apples. Pie, applesauce, juice, canned apples with sugar are good. 

Homemade Applesauce Recipe and Canning Instructions

Step 1: Get your pot ready

Use your  biggest pot and put a little water in the bottom to keep the apples from sticking. As you peel the apples  just started throwing them in to start cooking.

Step 2: Peel a TON of apples

Just as a reference,  used about 14 pounds of apples (before coring/peeling) and it netted 5 quarts of applesauce.

Step 3: Cook up those apples

By the time you are done peeling all the apples the first ones were really well cooked. Just let the whole thing cook for about 10 more minutes to make sure they were all soft.

Step 4: Prepare your canner and jars

While the apples are cooking  run your bottles in the dishwasher to sterilize them. Fill up your canner and started to boil the water. Lastly, Start some small pots of water boiling to sterilize the lids and rings. If you are new to canning, I would HIGHLY recommend getting a Home-Canning Kit to get all the tools you need to do proper canning. If you don’t have a canner or jars yet you can buy anall-in-one kit which will include EVERYTHING you need to get started!

Step 5: Make the applesauce!

Once the apples were all soft, use a mixer to puree them. You could also use a food processor or even a blender to do the pureeing. At this point you can add any seasonings you want. I added 2 cups of sugar but could have gotten away with just one. Ours turned out really sweet and delicious. Some people like to add cinnamon or other things but I prefer to just add those when we eat it.

Step 6: Pour the applesauce into jars and seal ‘em up

Use a funnel as this can get really messy.  Ladled the applesauce in leaving about 1/2 an inch of space at the top of the jars. Then used tongs to pull out a lid and ring for each jar. Try not to touch these things with bare hands as you don’t want them to get unsterilized. Screw the ring on tight once the lid is on.

Step 7: Put your jars into your canner and boil (make sure the water goes ABOVE the jars.

As you fill each jar you would put it into the canner. As you put more jars in the water level rises, so you don’t need to start with the canner all the way full. Once all 5 jars in  fill up the canner to cover the jars with hot water. Wait until the water is boiling before you start timing. Let it boil for 20 minutes and then remove the jars. Way easy huh?

Apples are best stored at 30°- 32°F, with a relative 
humidity of 90 percent and some air circulation. These 
conditions provide the greatest delay in the normal ripening and aging process of the fruit.  
Such conditions are necessary because an apple is not 
dead at the time of harvest. It remains a living, respiring organism and continues to take in oxygen and give 
off carbon dioxide and another gas, ethylene. Since the 
apple is no longer receiving nutrients from the tree but is 
still respiring, it must use up the food it has stored over 
the growing season. As this food is gradually used up 
during storage, the sugar, starch, and acid content of 
the apple changes. Eventually the tissues break down 
(a process enhanced by ethylene gas), water is lost, and 
the apple withers and decays. The low temperature, high 
humidity, and exchange of gases through air circulation serve to slow those natural events as much as possible.

Containers for Apple Storage

Small quantities of apples are best stored in plastic bags. 

The bags should have some holes or perforations for air 

circulation to avoid excess moisture build-up and allow 

gas exchange. 

Large quantities of apples can be stored in crates or 

other containers if the overall storage environment is 

maintained at 90 percent relative humidity. The containers should be clean and have smooth inner surfaces. 

Protrusions such as staples or nails can cut or bruise fruit 

and cause early breakdown. Stackability is important for 

large quantity storage. Containers should stack so that air 

can circulate freely and so that the weight is borne by the 

container and not the fruit inside.