Week 20 & 21

Week 20: JELLO - Jello gelatin
Gelatin for food storage? You have got to be kidding me. Why would I need Jello in my food storage? I never eat that stuff on a regular basis anyways, definitely something I can live without in a disaster situation, right? I figure we’ll research it out just to be sure, so I’m not missing something. [off to do some internet researching...]

Nutritional Value: (found on eHow.com)
Calories
1. Most varieties of regular JELL-O gelatin contain 80 calories per serving, but most flavors of sugar-free JELL-O gelatin contain 10 calories per serving.
Fat
2. Both regular and sugar-free varieties of JELL-O gelatin are fat-free. Do not confuse JELL-O gelatin with JELL-O pudding, which does contain fat.
Carbohydrates/Sugars
3. Most varieties of regular JELL-O gelatin contain 19 grams of carbohydrates, all of which come from sugar. Sugar-free JELL-O gelatin, on the other hand, does not contain any carbs.
Sodium
4. Most varieties of regular JELL-O gelatin contain about 80 milligrams of sodium. Most types of sugar-free JELL-O gelatin contain between 45 and 55 milligrams of sodium.
Protein
5. Most varieties of regular JELL-O gelatin contain 2 grams of protein, while most varieties of sugar-free JELL-O gelatin contain only 1 gram of protein.
Other Nutrients
6. JELL-O gelatin does not contain a significant amount of any other nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, or iron, when prepared as directed on the package.
So it turns out that gelatin IS something you need in your short/long term food storage. You can make a lot of things with flavored gelatin besides standard Jell O. (who knew?)
You can make:  jams and jellies,all kinds of salads, popsicles, candy and cookies!

Storage:
Unprepared gelatin has an indefinite shelf-life as long as it is wrapped airtight and stored in a cool, dry place. #10 cans of gelatin work perfectly for this. To make it easier to rotate through your opened #10 cans, because no one makes that much Jello at one time, just use clear jars with labels.

Tips: (found on About.com)

• To avoid clumping, dry unflavored gelatin should be mixed with a little cold water first for 3 to 5 minutes to moisten and separate before adding hot water.
• To suspend fruits, meats, or vegetables in gelatin, chill until it is the consistency of cold egg whites. Then mix in the additions and chill until completely set.
• Two hours of chilling should be enough for standard clear molds, while it may take up to 4 hours for those with additions. Layered gelatins will take longer, since each layer must be individually chilled and firmed before adding the next layer.
• Do not bring gelatin mixtures to a full boil or you risk losing its thickening properties.

Week 21: GARDEN SEEDS Radishes are great in an emergency. They grow fast, full of vitamins and minerals, and full of water.

Here is an address of seed company that will send you their 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/.

How to store the seeds!

Try to keep the seeds dry and cool; humidity and warmth will shorten their viability. The refrigerator is a very good place to keep seed--but away from the freezer section. Place the seed or seed packets in a plastic food storage bag or plastic film canister or a Mason jar with tight fitting lid. You can wrap the seed in facial tissue and put a couple of teaspoons of powdered milk in the storage container and that will keep the seed dry for 6 months (or a packet of slica gel). When you are ready to plant, let the seeds warm in their packets to room temperature so that moisture in the air does not condense on the seeds (which would cause them to stick togehter). Most--but not all--vegetable seed is viable for three years.

Here are some examples of what seeds to store in your food storage and why they will be good for you! (Taken from Emergency Garden Foods)


Berries
Berries are a great source of potassium that can assist you in blood pressure control. They are a perfect weight-loss food. Berries have natural fructose sugar that satisfies your longing for sweets and enough fiber so you absorb fewer calories than you eat.
Blackberries have 74 calories per cup, blueberries 81, raspberries 60, and strawberries 45. So use your imagination and enjoy the berry of your choice.

Broccoli
Broccoli is America’s favorite vegetable, according to a recent poll. No wonder. A cup of cooked broccoli has a mere 44 calories. It delivers a staggering nutritional payload and is considered the number one cancer-fighting vegetable. It has no fat, loads of fiber, cancer fighting chemicals called indoles, carotene, 21 times the RDA of vitamin C and calcium.


Cabbage
This staple is a true wonder food. It retains all its nutritional goodness no matter how long you cook it. There are only 33 calories in a cup of cooked shredded cabbage, and eating cabbage raw, cooked, as sauerkraut, or coleslaw only once a week is enough to protect against colon cancer. And it may be a longevity-enhancing food. Surveys show that people who eat a lot of it have the least colon cancer and the lowest death rates overall.


Carrots
What emergency garden food list of health-promoting, fat-fighting foods would be complete without this orange favorite? A medium-sized carrot carries about 55 calories and is a nutritional powerhouse. The orange color comes from beta carotene, a powerful cancer-preventing nutrient (pro-vitamin A).

Greens
We’re talking collard, chicory, beet, kale, mustard, swiss chard and turnip greens. They all belong to the same family as spinach, and that’s one of the super-stars. No matter how hard you try, you can’t load a cup of plain cooked greens with any more than 50 calories.

They’re full of fiber, loaded with vitamins A and C, and free of fat. You can use them in salads, soups, casseroles or any dish where you would normally use spinach.

Lettuce
People think lettuce is nutritionally worthless, but nothing could be farther from the truth. It provides a lot of filling bulk for so few calories, 10 calories per cup of raw romaine.. And it’s full of vitamin C, too.
In planting your emergency garden foods, go beyond iceberg lettuce try: Boston, bibb and cos varieties or watercress, arugula, radicchio, dandelion greens, purslane and even parsley for extra nutrition and to liven up your salads.

Melons
Here’s great taste and great nutrition in a low-calorie package! They have some of the highest fiber content of any food and are delicious. Throw in handsome quantities of vitamins A and C plus a whopping 547 mgs of potassium in that cup of cantaloupe, and you have a fat-burning health food beyond compare. The calories in one cup of melon balls is: cantaloupe 62 calories, casaba 44 calories, honeydew 62 calories, and watermelon 49 calories.

Peppers
All varieties of peppers are astonishingly rich in vitamins A and C, abundant in calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium, high in fiber, free of fat, low in sodium and have just 24 calories per cup. Most salsa recipes call for four to eight chilies – that’s not a lot.

All varieties; bell peppers, sweet peppers, and hot peppers store very well when dried in a food dehydrator. They can be added to your favorite recipes or ground-up for your own supply of flavorful seasonings.

Potatoes
An excellent staple food to add to your emergency garden foods list. A great source of fiber and potassium, they lower cholesterol and protect against strokes and heart disease. Did you know: preparation and toppings methods are the only thing "fattening" about a potato? Potatoes have 0.6 calories per gram or about 85 calories per potato.

Spinach
Popeye really knew what he was talking about, spinach has the ability to lower cholesterol, rev up the metabolism and burn away fat. Rich in iron, beta carotene and vitamins C and E, it supplies most of the nutrients you need.


Squash
Zucchini, Butternut, Winter squash - All are very low in saturated fat, good source of vitamins A, C, E, B6, Thiamine, Niacin, Calcium and Magnesium. Acorn, butternut and other varieties of winter squash are loaded with health-promoting beta-carotene, potassium and vitamin C. Most squash varieties supply only 42 calories per cup. Roasted squash and pumpkin seeds are a very delicious and healthy snack.


Sweet Potatoes
Their creamy orange flesh is one of the best sources of vitamin A you can consume. You can make a meal out of them and not worry about gaining a pound, each sweet potato has about 103 calories.

Tomatoes
Last on our emergency garden foods list, but certainly not least! These garden delights are low in fat and sodium, high in potassium and rich in fiber. A medium tomato (2.5” diameter) has only about 25 calories.