Week 30 Canned Goods

Week 30: Canned Goods

I like to buy my canned goods from any place I see that they are on sell!  I like to buy in bulk too!  Be sure and rotate everything and watch those expiration dates!

Commercially canned foods—the familiar items that we find on our grocery store shelves—usually come in either glass jars or tin cans. In my opinion canned foods, whether commercially prepared or canned at home, should make up the bulk of your food storage program. They are by far the least expensive option when it comes to food storage. They do not have to be refrigerated and they require minimal preparation before serving. Most can be eaten right from the can. Canned foods also contain a fair amount of water, which can come in handy in meeting your daily water needs. Due to their water content canned foods are heavy when compared to dehydrated foods, but you probably won't be hauling your home stash around anyway. Canned foods come in convenient sizes, so an opened can will probably be consumed without leaving leftovers which would require refrigeration. They also stack well making it easy for you to rotate your stores. You can gradually and economically build your home food storage stash by purchasing a few extra canned goods each time you buy your groceries or buy in bulk.







I hope you enjoy your food storage and putting it together as much as I do!  Sorry about missing last week it was a very busy week.  With Megan Johnson having the baby and Dan was to have surgery on Thursday but because of his blood pressure they canceled the surgery.  Once we get his blood pressure under control we will go in for surgery.  Plus our Jennifer is in the hospital as I am typing this - our little granddaughter wants to come early but we will keep her with Jen for as long as we can! Whoa what a week!  

Week 28 -Canned Milk - Dry Milk

Week 28 - Canned Milk -Dry Milk

How to store -

Dry milk may be stored up to one year at a temperature of seventy degrees Fahrenheit, or for two years at forty degrees. Storage areas for most foods should be cool, dark, dry, and ventilated. Noninstant milk retains its flavor and stores better than instant milk. If you purchase dry milk in fifty-pound bags, repackage it in smaller, moisture-proof containers of metal or glass that will hold one- to four-weeks’ supply. Five-gallon cans also make good storage containers if the lids fit tightly, keeping out insects and moisture. Milk will not keep as long at higher temperatures, so do not store it by the furnace or in a warm room. Dry milk in glass bottles should not be exposed to fluorescent lights, as they hasten rancidity.

At forty degrees Fahrenheit and lower, canned evaporated milk will keep up to one year. Turn the cans (or the whole case) over each month. If the milk in a can appears lumpy and watery due to separation of solids, do not throw it away. Shake the can vigorously and it may become smooth again. (Canned milk gets a strong flavor and dark color during long periods of storage. Don’t use it if it has been stored much longer than a year and shows considerable quality loss.) (taken from the 1979 Ensign)

Powdered milk, both instant and non instant, has a very long shelf life, 20 years, making it easy to store for longer term store, longer than the three month supply of the food in our General Store. Most of us recognize the need to have more than a three month supply as we may be supporting others with our storage or our disaster may last longer than three months as with an EMP attach or solar flare that takes out the electrical grid. Powdered milk can however, change flavor after a shorter period of time, about three years. This happens most often when it is stored at high temperatures or in a metal can. The taste change can be delayed by storing in the freezer. There is usually not a problem when stored in metal can until the can is opened and the milk is exposed to the air. I recommend once you open a can you store the milk in a plastic container. Milk is still safe to drink even if it tastes a little like the can. As with all food storage it is essential that you do rotate your milk and that you store it in a cool, dry area, just like all the foods in your General Store.

There are two types of powdered milk.

Non-Instant: This type of milk is harder to find in the grocery store because it is more difficult to reconstitute and consequently sells at a slower rate, thus it is not stocked. Non instant powdered milk can be found on internet sites and at the canneries sponsored by the LDS church.

Non-instant nonfat powdered milk is made of fresh, pasteurized milk with the water and fat removed. Nutritionally, it includes all the same protein, calcium, and B vitamins found in fresh milk. It is less expensive than fresh milk and instant powdered milk. Non-instant powdered milk is more dense and powdery, and thus it requires less product to create the same amount of milk as the instant variety.

Because the milk is processed less it does require more work to get it to reconstitute properly. It is best to reconstitute in warm water and to use a whisk to remove lumps. It is wonderful to use in baking but requires more whipping to get it to taste like "real" milk for drinking. Instant powdered milk does taste better for drinking but most of the reason is because it is more processed and thus contains more air, so whisk away!

Instant: Instant powdered milk is also made from pasteurized milk with the water and fats removed. Both are made using a spray-drying process, but the instant variety has been further processing to aid in reconstituting with less effort.

Instant powdered milk is available in nearly all grocery stores. The two disadvantages of instant are the higher initial cost and the added cost because more powder needs to be used in order to make the finished product.

Again, it is better to store this powdered milk in a non metal container once it is opened. It purchasing in a box the milk should be removed and placed in a well sealed glass or plastic storage container. It can easily be reconstituted using cold water. Both instant and non instant varieties can be reconstituted and substituted for milk in any recipe

Sixteen pounds of powdered milk per family member per year is equivalent to approximately one glass of milk a day. For children and pregnant or nursing mothers more should be allotted. If you are following Our General Store you will have the three month equivalent by the end of the year.

For Non-Instant Powdered milk:

Amount of Milk	Water	Powder
1/4 cup	1/4 cup	2 teaspoons
1/2 cup	1/2 cup	4 teaspoons
1 cup	7/8 cup	3 tablespoons
2 cups	2 cups	1/3 cup
3 cups	3 cups	1/2 cup
1 quart (4 cups)	3-1/2 cups	2/3 cup
2 quarts	8 cups	1-1/3 cups
1 gallon	3-3/4 quarts	2-2/3 cups

Instant Powdered Milk

Amount of Milk	Water	Powder
1/4 cup	1/4 cup	2 teaspoons
1/2 cup	1/2 cup	4 teaspoons
1 cup	1 cup	1/3 cup
1 quart (4 cups)	3-3/4 cups	1 1/3 cups
2 quarts	7 2/3 cups	2 2/3 cups
1 gallon	15 1/2 cups	5 1/3 cups

 (taken from Food Storage 101)

Week 28 WATER!!!!

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

Store a 2 week’s supply of water (1 gallon per person per day). Buy 55 gallon barrels, get several 5-6 gallon jugs, or fill up empty soda/juice bottles. Make sure it is food grade plastic, but not milk jugs as they deteriorate too quickly!

Key Points

• Most sources recommend 1 gallon of water per person, PER day, for 3-14 days. Make sure to consider storing enough for pets as well.
• Store water in “FOOD GRADE” or PETE plastic containers (stay away from milk jugs, but soda bottles are suitable).
• Water storage boxes are another good option. Water is placed into mylar bags and then inserted into stackable cardboard boxes.
• Store water away from too much light or heat.
• Clean, sanitize, and rinse all containers prior to use.
• Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.
• Store water in multiple sizes of containers to suit different emergency needs
• Do not store water containers directly on concrete. Place on cardboard, wood pallets, or other materials.
• Non-chlorinated water (most municipal water is chlorinated) should be treated with unscented liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite). See the chart below for appropriate amount to add to water.
• Boiling is the safest way to clean water, however you can also use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms.
• Rotate your water storage at least once every year

Diagrams/Charts

Week 27 Jams and Jellies

Week 27 Jams and Jellies!  Sure-jell, Certo, Parafin, etc. or buy the jams and jellies.  Be sure you have a supply of canning jars.  Not the large mouth, and check to be sure check to make sure you have all the lids and seals.  Not sure how to tell you how much you will need per person with this week jams and jellies post.  It's pretty much up to you and your family.  So enjoy!

This is what I have found out:

The consensus is that an unopened jar of jelly, jam, or preserves has a shelf life of at least a year if kept in a cool,  dry place.  How long will it remain safe and appealing once it’s opened?  Answers vary from  1 to 12 months.  Why so much variation?  The  shelf life of the product is affected by many factors including these: the type of fruit, the amount of sugar and preservatives, whether it is a homemade or a store product.

Jelly, Jam, and Preserves Shelf Life 

	Pantry	Refrigerator

Jellies, opened		6-8 months
Jellies, unopened	1 year
Jams, opened		6-8 months
Jams, unopened	1 year

Handling Tips: 

Cover tightly.

Refrigerate after opening.

Examine an opened product frequently for signs of mold, yeast growth, off-odors, or off-colors. 

An open jar of homemade jelly, jam, or preserves may last only about a month.

Properly sealed homemade jams and jellies will last indefinitely, but the color of red fruits may darken and the flavor fade over time if no "artificial" flavors and colors are added. 

 

Since strawberries are in season at this time I thought I would give you a good strawberry jam easy to make recipe.

Gather everything you need to get started, including some helpers. Chop off the tops of the berries and any gross parts (2 quarts = 1 batch).  

 

Chop up the berries. 

Pour the beautiful chopped berries into a large pot and start cooking (if you like chunkier jam you can mash the berries with a potato masher first).

Pour in 1/4 c. lemon juice (some recipes don’t call for this).

Add the pectin. 

Add 1/2 tsp. of butter to reduce the foaming.

If you like smooth jam, puree it 

While you wait for the strawberries to come to a boil, measure out 7 cups of sugar into a bowl. (Yes SEVEN!)

Dump the whole bowl of sugar in at once. Bring back to a boil and stir for 1 minute while it boils.

Meanwhile, sterilize your jar lids on the stove.

Remove the pot from the stove and pour the delicious jam into sterilized jars. One batch makes about 4 small jars.

Add the lids and rings and wait for them to pop to know they are sealed.

While I didn’t include this part, you should make sure to water bath can your finished jars according to the directions on your pectin package or in your canning guide. This will make sure your jam is properly preserved for long term storage.  

 

We have peaches coming in at our house!  Yum!  I can't wait for them to be ripe enough to eat and make jam out of.  So I thought I would share a peach jam recipe.

 

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Peach Preserves

 12 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped

 4 1/2 cups white sugar

1 (2 ounce) package dry pectin

Directions

1. Crush 1 cup chopped peaches in the bottom of a large saucepan. Add remaining peaches, and set pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a low boil, and cook for about 20 minutes or until peaches become liquid (my family likes a few bits of peach left) .
2. Pour peaches into a bowl, and then measure 6 cups back into the pan. Add sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Gradually stir in dry pectin, and boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat after 1 minute, and transfer to sterilized jars. Process in hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Let cool, and place on shelf.

I like this recipe so much more - not so much sugar!  Plus it helps that I really enjoy peaches!!!