Before I retired, folks warned me that I would be bored. In the thirteen years since that time, I cannot recall a single boring day.
My time at present is devoted to food storage. Between the store shelves that are in my area becoming less stocked week after week and the Trucker Convoy in Canada that has an effect on the delivery of goods here in the US, I am taking no chances and am doing everything I can to continue stacking it to the rafters.
By the way – I am behind the Canadian Trucker Freedom Convoy 100%. There are rumors of a similar convoy here in the States and I truly hope it happens. All the mandates and lockdowns and regulations need to stop. We, too, need our freedoms back from those who wish to have complete control over our lives.
These convoys will have an effect on the condition of store shelves and not just groceries. Perhaps that is the price we will need to pay to get out from under the tyranny of those who forget who pays their salaries.
So being mindful of the possibility of even more bare shelves, my grocery order this week included pork shoulder roast on sale at 99 cents per pound, with a limit of two. I thought I would just freeze them for future meals. Turns out there were two roasts in each package and each package weighed about 15 lbs. So I canned them and got 13 quarts of pork roast.
I dehydrated 6 bags each of frozen green beans and frozen broccoli. I have 10 lbs. each of potatoes and onions to dry this week. And 8 lbs. of fresh carrots gave me 7 quarts canned.
I don't know what is going to happen in the future, but whatever it is, I do not want to be caught short.
Keep preparing. And most importantly, keep praying.
their salaries are of no concern to them chump change it is the corruption that they love
ReplyDeletesome will die soon so they need to enjoy the ill gotten gains fast
deb...I know their salaries are chump change compared to the money they make in under the table deals. But they really do need to be reminded that they work for us and not the other way around.
DeleteYou can't go wrong.
ReplyDeleteIt's all edible.
Ed...Yep. Anything edible that can be stashed now is good! When you have a large family and bad times seem inevitable, it is all good.
DeleteMy goals for the next couple of weeks include learning how to make soft cheeses, including, if possible, from powdered milk. We'll see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteJennifer...Please post your findings. Cheeses are one area where I am lacking. I have canned some processed cheese sauce but would prefer to make my own. Since I am pretty sure my landlord isn't going to allow a cow in my apartment, making things using powdered milk is a priority.
DeleteI dehydrated some cheese and it seemed to work, although I haven't used any of it yet.
Deletesbrgirl...Please let us know how the cheese is when you use it. Some say dehydrating cheese works well and others say cheese is too oily to dehydrate. I would love to know what you think.
DeleteI will most definitely post my results, Vicki. I'm pretty hopeful we can make some good stuff happen.
DeleteAppreciate it, Jennifer. Thanks.
DeleteHaving plenty of food on hand is a great idea for so many reasons...good or bad times. Now, rest up and be happy with your larder. š
ReplyDeleteCW...The deep pantry gives a person some peace of mind. It is good to know that family will still be able to eat no matter what happens.
DeleteHi Vicki...I may have said this before but feel it's worth saying again. If I had not found your blog several years ago, I would never have "prepped". When I first found your posts about prepping, I realized, suddenly, that you were able to see what might be coming...so I began stocking up. I just can't thank you enough for bringing that information to me on your blog. Now, with the Truckers Convoys, which I totally support and keep praying they will stand strong, now my pantry is well stocked, my freezer is full. I could easily live, eating well, for 6 months if that was needed. Thank you, Friend!!
ReplyDeletelynney62...Whatever the reason, I am so glad that you joined the prepper community. I don't know what the future holds. I suspect that it will not be good, but if we can take care of our own selves and our families, we are much further ahead than most. I appreciate your kind words, but you are the one who has done the work and you are to be commended for that. Those who are not willing to do the work are going to be in a world of hurt when the time comes that all they have is what they have put back. You and I will not be facing that particular horror, thank God.
DeleteGood evening Vicki. I may not be working in an office anymore, but I'm still working. Between drying veggies and growing food in my garden, plus playing with the kitties, I'm busy. I pray that the Truckers stay strong and the idgets in charge have some serious conversations with the Good Lord about not being A-HOLES. Red
ReplyDeleteRed...Those who think retirement is boring surely are not preppers! We work just as hard or maybe harder at what we do now than what we did at our jobs.
DeleteI pray not only that the Truckers stay strong, but that those here in the States join them. It is about time someone stood up for our rights and they seem to have a handle on that. As far as the A-HOLES go - too late. But they can be replaced!
Amen, Vicki. God bless.
ReplyDeleteHi LindaG...May God bless you and yours!
DeleteIf there has been any good to come from "the pandemic," it's that it's exposed our "public servants" for the villains they really are. Trump may not have been able to drain the swamp, but he was able to lower the water level so that we could see what lived in it. Now it's the truckers. They're asking for ONE THING, and aren't being given that. Instead, Canada's soy boy "leader" is bringing the full weight of the Canadian government down upon them! This is what happens when people put too much power in the hands of government!
ReplyDeleteI pray for those guys and gal up there, and also pray that our country will wake up before it's too late! In the meantime, ...I prep...
Pete...The swamp creatures have been exposed, but they just don't care. The corruption has been going on for so long that they are positive nothing can stop them. And unless our people put our differences aside and work together, the creatures may be right.
DeleteI, too, pray for the Canadian Truckers. Their government is treating them like second class citizens or worse. Would that our people show that kind of courage.
You know that nagging little voice or that gut feeling that says, 'You had better get busy - now?' Seems to be working overtime these days. Take care, my friend, and keep stacking it!
Whew, your dehydrator is getting a workout! I recently spent a week dehydrating eggs after finding packages of 5 dozen each on sale at Kroger. I also did some spinach that was getting past its prime. It's nice because dehydrated stuff (especially if you powder it) takes up so much less space in storage.
ReplyDeletechipmunk...Dehydrating eggs is something I have been wanting to try. Would you mind telling me the method of drying you used and how you use the dry eggs? The storage thing is the main reason I dehydrate so much. My little apartment can hold only so much canned food. And canning supplies are scarce around here.
DeleteI hope later this week to experiment with dehydrating mashed potatoes (to get away from using commercial instant potatoes) and with dehydrating cooked rice to make 'instant' rice. I will report on both, even if they don't work. :)
Vicki -- I haven't used them yet, but plan to use them in baking (bread, cookies, cakes) and for scrambled eggs.
ReplyDeleteTo dehydrate, I crack 5 eggs into a bowl, scramble them well, then pour them carefully onto a silicone mat with edges and dehydrate them at 115 for 10-12 hours. You can tell when they're ready because they crack into pieces on the mat. Then I process the pieces in a food processor. 1 egg = 1 Tbsp of the powder + 1.5 Tbsp. water. Haven't done it yet, but plan on vacuum sealing the jars they're in to keep longer in storage.
For what it's worth, the silicone fruit leather trays are a good investment. I originally tried to use the el cheapo trays that came with my Nesco dehydrator, but they were warped and started spilling the liquid eggs over the side. I think that, besides laying nice and flat, the silicone ones warm up better and get food dry faster.
Thank you, chipmunk...That is exactly what I needed to know. Eggs are still reasonably priced here, so I will order extra next time and give it a try. I have Nesco dehydrators, so I only have their plastic fruit rollup trays. But I think I can manage for a test run. I appreciate your sharing this information.
DeleteYou're quite welcome. I have learned so much from you, it's nice to have something to offer back!
DeleteHowdy!
ReplyDeleteCan you do a post on dehydrating potatoes? Do you need to blanch or cook them first? Do you need to treat them so they don't get brown? Sliced? Shredded? So many questions...Thanks!
Diane
Diane...This is how I have dehydrated potatoes in the past and it has worked well for me.
DeleteBecause I buy potatoes at the grocery store, I always peel them. I'm pretty sure they are treated to slow down sprouting and I want to get rid of any chemicals.
I use a mandoline slicer to cut them into maybe 1/8 inch slices or a little less. I toss the slices in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning until I am ready for the next step. I blanche about 4 cups at a time for 3 minutes, starting the timing when the water begins to boil. Then I dump the slices into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and lay the slices on the dehydrator trays in a single layer. Dry at 135 degrees F. The time will vary depending on where you live - dry or humid climate. The potatoes are done when brittle.
When slicing potatoes with a mandoline slicer, you are left with the end pieces. Those I dice into about 1/2 inch pieces and blanche and dry the same as the slices. These are good to add to soup or stew.
There are some who shred potatoes and dry them that way. I have found it easier to dehydrate frozen hash browns from the store. They are already blanched and just need to be spread out on trays, using mesh tray liners to keep the small pieces from falling through the trays.
Hopefully, I plan to try dehydrating mashed potatoes later this week, and I will do a post with the result of that experiment.
I know it sounds like a lot of messing about to dehydrate potatoes, but it really isn't all that bad. And the results are well worth it. Good luck and please let me know how it goes for you.