I had about 45 lbs. of beef that was cut into one inch cubes, packed raw into pint jars and processed in my pressure canner for 75 minutes. I got 37 pints of beef cubes.
There was a certain amount of waste in trimming fat and gristle from the beef. I suppose I could have been more precise in trimming, but I wasn't, with the result was that there is a considerable amount of red meat in with the scrap fat. Not wanting to waste anything, I bagged up the scraps and froze them. I'm thinking maybe I can boil them up later with some onion and carrots, skim the fat, strain out everything else and wind up with some decent beef broth. Worth a try.
I had two packages of brats that together held a total of 36 brats. Common sense flew out the window and rather than test just one jar, I ran 7 jars through, each containing 3 brats, only to find when I did a taste test that I didn't care for the results. The brats held together during canning but the texture changed, becoming more like the meat had been very finely ground. Somebody else might not mind this change, but I didn't like it. That being said, I'm sure I can find a use for the canned brats, perhaps cutting them into small pieces for use in casseroles. I froze the remaining brats.
And then I ran out of jars.
I messaged my kids on Friday saying, "I am in desperate need of canning jars. I am begging here. Any takers?"
Almost immediately daughter Jeri messaged me back saying she could do the deed but not until Monday. She asked if that would work. I said I would make it work
I browned the burger over the weekend and canned some Monday evening and the rest this morning. 40 lbs. of hamburger got me 54 pints.
The plan was to use part of the hamburger to make and can chili, but plans often change. It is hot and humid outside. Not a good time to be cooking pots of chili, so that will wait for cooler days. The chickens will also stay in the freezer for a while.
All in all, I am pleased with the amounts of canned meat that are headed for the shelves - and for Duane's apartment, because I am pretty much out of storage space. Having a kid living next door comes in handy now and then. Lucky for me, he is always willing to help when needed, as are the rest of my kids. I would have a tough time doing what I do without their help.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Going AWOL
Just a quick post to let you know I will be AWOL for a few days. Youngest son, David, did some shopping at Sam's Club for me today. He brought me 40 lbs. of hamburger, about 45 lbs. of beef, 18 whole chickens and 2 boxes (18 each box) of brats. We figured it out and he hauled nearly 200 lbs. of meat up the stairs to my apartment. He never complained even once. All he said was, "Do you suppose the next time we could spread this out over a couple of days.?" :)
The chickens are in the freezer. The hamburger and brats are in the fridge. I still have another 12 lbs. of beef to cut into one inch cubes to be canned tomorrow. Some of the hamburger will be used in chili to can and the rest will be browned and canned plain. I am going to run one jar of brats through with the hamburger just to see if I like them canned. If not, they will be repackaged and frozen.
I think I will be busy through the weekend and likely not at my computer. When I finish, I'll be back. Until then, the folks on my sidebar have some really good things to say.
Later...
The chickens are in the freezer. The hamburger and brats are in the fridge. I still have another 12 lbs. of beef to cut into one inch cubes to be canned tomorrow. Some of the hamburger will be used in chili to can and the rest will be browned and canned plain. I am going to run one jar of brats through with the hamburger just to see if I like them canned. If not, they will be repackaged and frozen.
I think I will be busy through the weekend and likely not at my computer. When I finish, I'll be back. Until then, the folks on my sidebar have some really good things to say.
Later...
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
A Wealth of Information
Yesterday someone named Jennifer left a comment on my Food Shortages post. Within the comment was the request to leave what she called a 'shameless plug' for her blog. Normally I ignore comments like this, but I took the time to check out her blog and wound up spending a considerable amount of time there.
Her blog is an absolute wealth of information. She had information about everything from preparedness to canning to medical. This blog is well written, well laid out so it is easy to navigate and is full of common sense.
So many blogs and videos I find about preparedness are the macho types who tell us we are all going to die unless we buy the right gear or know how to make a shelter from twigs and vines or brag about how they will just go 'live off the land up in the mountains' when the nearing crisis arrives.
Jennifer, on the other hand tells us how to use our food storage, how to use herbs and how to preserve food and much more.
Check out Prep School Daily. And take notes. You will be glad you did.
Her blog is an absolute wealth of information. She had information about everything from preparedness to canning to medical. This blog is well written, well laid out so it is easy to navigate and is full of common sense.
So many blogs and videos I find about preparedness are the macho types who tell us we are all going to die unless we buy the right gear or know how to make a shelter from twigs and vines or brag about how they will just go 'live off the land up in the mountains' when the nearing crisis arrives.
Jennifer, on the other hand tells us how to use our food storage, how to use herbs and how to preserve food and much more.
Check out Prep School Daily. And take notes. You will be glad you did.
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Food Shortages?
I have been hearing rumors of food shortages caused by the rains and floods this past spring. Several folks have told me about Walmart stores posting signs about shortages in their canned vegetable aisles. So I decided to do my own research.
I have seen several pictures posted of the Walmart signs. I have read many articles about the flood damage to farms, fields, livestock and grains that were stored in grain bins that are now ruined.
I have watched opinion videos and read blogs on the subject. Opinions range from "We're all gonna die!" to "Move along. Nothing to see here."
Me...I go by facts.
The fact is that millions of acres were flooded in the middle of planting season. Some farmers were able to finally get into their fields to plant and others could not. Whether we have a decent harvest is going to depend on the weather come fall.
The fact is that many, many cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry were killed by the flood waters and much of the reserved livestock feed was lost. Whether the livestock industry can recover remains to be seen. But I do expect meat prices to go up. It takes longer to build up a herd of cattle than it does to raise a field of corn. I would guess that eggs and dairy prices may also be affected.
As far as the shortages in the vegetable aisles of Walmart, it could be that the company is actually unable to keep their shelves full.
Or there could be a clever person in the corporate office marketing department who knew that if the stores posted signs alluding to shortages, people would rush to stock up 'while they still could.' I was reminded of the 'Great Toilet Paper Scare of 1973' when Johnny Carson, host of the then popular Tonight Show, made a joke about a toilet paper shortage. Within a week the store shelves were empty of TP.
So how will I handle these rumors? Well, I do not believe we are headed into famine territory. I do believe that we may see real shortages and more likely, corporations taking advantage of the rumors to raise prices. I will not dash out, hair on fire, to grab what I can from store shelves. I have, however, asked my youngest son to do some shopping at Sam's Club for me, picking up fairly large quantities of chicken, hamburger and beef roast to be canned in various ways. I may add to the list some link breakfast sausage and brats, as I want to can those as well. With what I already have on my shelves, that will give me plenty of meat to use in making all sorts of meals.
Many of you who visit here often know that due to physical limitations, I use a grocery delivery service every two weeks for my normal grocery shopping. My order that will be delivered this coming Thursday includes twelve 1 lb. bags of dry Great Northern beans, half of which will be used to make and can another batch of baked beans. The rest will be saved for ham and bean soup to can later. I also am ordering 6 bags each of frozen whole kernel corn and cut green beans, both to dehydrate. And 10 lbs. of potatoes to slice and dehydrate.
My crystal ball is broken, so I have no real way to know what the future holds. So on the chance that the predictions come true, it makes sense to me to go ahead and get food now while prices aren't through the roof. And if nothing happens, I am still ahead with more food added to my food storage.
For the life of me, I just can not understand why so few refuse to plan ahead when it comes to food. We saw pictures and video on the news showing the devastation the floods caused. Even the main stream media carried interviews with farmers who lost everything. And long before that, there were the pictures of people digging in dumpsters looking for food after a hurricane. When will it occur to some that after a disaster, someone from the government is not going to show up with a sandwich and a bottle of water. The government is in charge of politics. We are in charge of feeding our families.
Keep on prepping.
I have seen several pictures posted of the Walmart signs. I have read many articles about the flood damage to farms, fields, livestock and grains that were stored in grain bins that are now ruined.
I have watched opinion videos and read blogs on the subject. Opinions range from "We're all gonna die!" to "Move along. Nothing to see here."
Me...I go by facts.
The fact is that millions of acres were flooded in the middle of planting season. Some farmers were able to finally get into their fields to plant and others could not. Whether we have a decent harvest is going to depend on the weather come fall.
The fact is that many, many cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry were killed by the flood waters and much of the reserved livestock feed was lost. Whether the livestock industry can recover remains to be seen. But I do expect meat prices to go up. It takes longer to build up a herd of cattle than it does to raise a field of corn. I would guess that eggs and dairy prices may also be affected.
As far as the shortages in the vegetable aisles of Walmart, it could be that the company is actually unable to keep their shelves full.
Or there could be a clever person in the corporate office marketing department who knew that if the stores posted signs alluding to shortages, people would rush to stock up 'while they still could.' I was reminded of the 'Great Toilet Paper Scare of 1973' when Johnny Carson, host of the then popular Tonight Show, made a joke about a toilet paper shortage. Within a week the store shelves were empty of TP.
So how will I handle these rumors? Well, I do not believe we are headed into famine territory. I do believe that we may see real shortages and more likely, corporations taking advantage of the rumors to raise prices. I will not dash out, hair on fire, to grab what I can from store shelves. I have, however, asked my youngest son to do some shopping at Sam's Club for me, picking up fairly large quantities of chicken, hamburger and beef roast to be canned in various ways. I may add to the list some link breakfast sausage and brats, as I want to can those as well. With what I already have on my shelves, that will give me plenty of meat to use in making all sorts of meals.
Many of you who visit here often know that due to physical limitations, I use a grocery delivery service every two weeks for my normal grocery shopping. My order that will be delivered this coming Thursday includes twelve 1 lb. bags of dry Great Northern beans, half of which will be used to make and can another batch of baked beans. The rest will be saved for ham and bean soup to can later. I also am ordering 6 bags each of frozen whole kernel corn and cut green beans, both to dehydrate. And 10 lbs. of potatoes to slice and dehydrate.
My crystal ball is broken, so I have no real way to know what the future holds. So on the chance that the predictions come true, it makes sense to me to go ahead and get food now while prices aren't through the roof. And if nothing happens, I am still ahead with more food added to my food storage.
For the life of me, I just can not understand why so few refuse to plan ahead when it comes to food. We saw pictures and video on the news showing the devastation the floods caused. Even the main stream media carried interviews with farmers who lost everything. And long before that, there were the pictures of people digging in dumpsters looking for food after a hurricane. When will it occur to some that after a disaster, someone from the government is not going to show up with a sandwich and a bottle of water. The government is in charge of politics. We are in charge of feeding our families.
Keep on prepping.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Bits and Pieces
I moan and groan when it is hot and humid and I complain when it is too cold, so it is only right I mention the two perfectly fine days in a row here in the hinterlands of Minnesota. Sunshine for those who are out and about and for those of us indoors, windows open with a lovely summer breeze flowing through my apartment. Glorious!
As you know, my life is filled with drama and excitement. OK. I lied. There is very little going on here at present. I am deciding what I need to can or dehydrate next and think I really need to do another batch of baked beans. They are really good and the half pint jars are perfect for one person. Duane hinted that more beans might be a good idea. I sent a case of them home with him and I have a sneaking suspicion they won't last too long.
Has anyone noticed that grocery shelves, particularly the canned vegetable aisles, have been not nearly as full as they normally are? I have a high school friend who is a Vietnam vet and retired cop, and who keeps me informed about news that I might miss. I joke that he is plugged into the 'good old boy cop network,' but that may not be so much of a joke. He knew about the Somali riot at the local amusement park last summer before I did. He lives 100 miles away. I live just a couple miles from the park. Recently he emailed me about several people reporting signs hung on the canned veggie aisles of Walmart stores in various parts of the country, stating that due to the bad spring weather, Walmart was experiencing shortages of vegetables. I don't get out to check on that myself and I have not heard of that happening in my area, but it is curious. I know that some food shortages have been predicted due to the wet spring and the flooding that happened. I do know that most grocery stores would, in an emergency situation, have their shelves emptied within three days. I don't think I am willing to take a chance. Personally, I will continue to add as much as possible to my food storage - just in case.
After taking stock, I find I am all out of home canned chili, so that is definitely on the list. I think more half pint jars of meat for making sandwiches would be good as well. I think it might be a good idea to dehydrate more potato slices before the price of potatoes goes up.
This morning I heard an awful racket in the street outside my building. Turns out the city was removing half a dozen of the small trees that were planted along the boulevard. They had died over the winter and are now mulch. I hope the city replaces them. They attracted the small birds that I like to listen to in the spring and summer.
Later in the afternoon I heard a strange sound outside my living room windows. When I looked I saw a man at the window. This was something new. I live on the second floor of the building. Seeing someone at my window is not an every day occurrence. On closer inspection, I found he was on a ladder, painting the trim on the outside of my window. I haven't been anywhere to buy curtains, but decided then and there to just make some. I have several bed sheets of a cream color that I am sure contain enough fabric to cover all three windows. The frugal (read 'cheap') part of me likes the notion of curtains without spending any money. I come by the frugality honestly. My parents, children of the Great Depression era, were the king and queen of 'making do.'
That's enough blathering for now. Hope your day was as nice as mine was, in spite of the racket and pseudo 'peeping tom." :)
Keep on prepping!
As you know, my life is filled with drama and excitement. OK. I lied. There is very little going on here at present. I am deciding what I need to can or dehydrate next and think I really need to do another batch of baked beans. They are really good and the half pint jars are perfect for one person. Duane hinted that more beans might be a good idea. I sent a case of them home with him and I have a sneaking suspicion they won't last too long.
Has anyone noticed that grocery shelves, particularly the canned vegetable aisles, have been not nearly as full as they normally are? I have a high school friend who is a Vietnam vet and retired cop, and who keeps me informed about news that I might miss. I joke that he is plugged into the 'good old boy cop network,' but that may not be so much of a joke. He knew about the Somali riot at the local amusement park last summer before I did. He lives 100 miles away. I live just a couple miles from the park. Recently he emailed me about several people reporting signs hung on the canned veggie aisles of Walmart stores in various parts of the country, stating that due to the bad spring weather, Walmart was experiencing shortages of vegetables. I don't get out to check on that myself and I have not heard of that happening in my area, but it is curious. I know that some food shortages have been predicted due to the wet spring and the flooding that happened. I do know that most grocery stores would, in an emergency situation, have their shelves emptied within three days. I don't think I am willing to take a chance. Personally, I will continue to add as much as possible to my food storage - just in case.
After taking stock, I find I am all out of home canned chili, so that is definitely on the list. I think more half pint jars of meat for making sandwiches would be good as well. I think it might be a good idea to dehydrate more potato slices before the price of potatoes goes up.
This morning I heard an awful racket in the street outside my building. Turns out the city was removing half a dozen of the small trees that were planted along the boulevard. They had died over the winter and are now mulch. I hope the city replaces them. They attracted the small birds that I like to listen to in the spring and summer.
Later in the afternoon I heard a strange sound outside my living room windows. When I looked I saw a man at the window. This was something new. I live on the second floor of the building. Seeing someone at my window is not an every day occurrence. On closer inspection, I found he was on a ladder, painting the trim on the outside of my window. I haven't been anywhere to buy curtains, but decided then and there to just make some. I have several bed sheets of a cream color that I am sure contain enough fabric to cover all three windows. The frugal (read 'cheap') part of me likes the notion of curtains without spending any money. I come by the frugality honestly. My parents, children of the Great Depression era, were the king and queen of 'making do.'
That's enough blathering for now. Hope your day was as nice as mine was, in spite of the racket and pseudo 'peeping tom." :)
Keep on prepping!
Friday, July 19, 2019
Canning Beef Stew
Last week I made beef stew for supper one evening. I opened jars of potatoes, carrots, beef and tomatoes to make it. Duane came over to help me eat it, took some home with him and I ate off the leftovers for a couple of days. I had several canning jars that needed to be washed. If I had a dishwasher, I wouldn't mind so much, but my dishwasher consists of my two hands located at the ends of my arms. I am not fond of washing jars.
About that time I got to wondering if it would work to can all the stew ingredients together in one jar. I already can all sorts of soups, so why not stew. With that in mind I ordered 8 lbs. of chuck roast, 10 lbs. of potatoes, 4 lbs of carrots, 4 lbs of onions and 2 bunches of celery. So then I got to thinking that if I was going to can beef stew, why not can chicken stew, too. So I added 6 lbs. of frozen chicken breast and 2 lbs. of frozen corn to the order.
My groceries were delivered early afternoon Thursday. I peeled the potatoes and onions and washed the carrots and celery. Then I sat at my kitchen table and cut everything into bite sized pieces. The potatoes went into a bucket of water to keep them from turning black overnight and the rest went into the fridge in zip lock bags. The beef and chicken were cut into bite sized pieces and the meat went into the fridge in zip lock bags as well.
This morning I got my jars and pressure canner ready and proceeded to layer the ingredients into quart jars. Each jar got a cup each of potatoes and carrots, and half a cup each of celery and onions. I topped off each jar with beef cubes, adding 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and thyme and 3 tablespoons of crushed tomatoes along with two beef bouillon cubes per jar, then filled them with water.. I processed the quart jars of stew for 90 minutes. To use the stew it just needs to be heated and thickened. It might need a bit more liquid, depending on how you like it.
While the first seven jars were processing and when I had filled the next seven jars was when I realized I had screwed up. I had not ordered nearly enough carrots. Stew just doesn't taste right without carrots.
I thought about either freezing or dehydrating the rest of the vegetables, but both require blanching. Did I mention that today was the hottest day of the year so far with the temperature this afternoon at 96 degrees and a heat index of 110 degrees? There was no way I was going to heat water on the stove for blanching. The pressure canner was generating enough heat, but my apartment was staying tolerable. I wanted to keep it that way.
So I started filling jars. In addition to the 14 quarts of beef stew, I got 10 pints of cubed potatoes, 2 pints of carrots and 9 half pints each of celery and onions. Tomorrow promises to be cooler - back in the mid 70's - so I will fill half pint jars of the rest of the beef and the 6 lbs. of chicken. I have lots of beef and chicken canned in pint jars, so I thought perhaps the half pints would be nice to have on hand for sandwiches.
Things don't always go according to plan. In my case, they often go awry. Being flexible and refusing to panic are a big plus, no matter what the situation. None of the food was wasted and I will can more beef stew and chicken stew another (cooler) day, keeping better track of the amounts of ingredients I will need.
Keep on prepping, even if you have to change course in the middle. :)
About that time I got to wondering if it would work to can all the stew ingredients together in one jar. I already can all sorts of soups, so why not stew. With that in mind I ordered 8 lbs. of chuck roast, 10 lbs. of potatoes, 4 lbs of carrots, 4 lbs of onions and 2 bunches of celery. So then I got to thinking that if I was going to can beef stew, why not can chicken stew, too. So I added 6 lbs. of frozen chicken breast and 2 lbs. of frozen corn to the order.
My groceries were delivered early afternoon Thursday. I peeled the potatoes and onions and washed the carrots and celery. Then I sat at my kitchen table and cut everything into bite sized pieces. The potatoes went into a bucket of water to keep them from turning black overnight and the rest went into the fridge in zip lock bags. The beef and chicken were cut into bite sized pieces and the meat went into the fridge in zip lock bags as well.
This morning I got my jars and pressure canner ready and proceeded to layer the ingredients into quart jars. Each jar got a cup each of potatoes and carrots, and half a cup each of celery and onions. I topped off each jar with beef cubes, adding 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and thyme and 3 tablespoons of crushed tomatoes along with two beef bouillon cubes per jar, then filled them with water.. I processed the quart jars of stew for 90 minutes. To use the stew it just needs to be heated and thickened. It might need a bit more liquid, depending on how you like it.
While the first seven jars were processing and when I had filled the next seven jars was when I realized I had screwed up. I had not ordered nearly enough carrots. Stew just doesn't taste right without carrots.
I thought about either freezing or dehydrating the rest of the vegetables, but both require blanching. Did I mention that today was the hottest day of the year so far with the temperature this afternoon at 96 degrees and a heat index of 110 degrees? There was no way I was going to heat water on the stove for blanching. The pressure canner was generating enough heat, but my apartment was staying tolerable. I wanted to keep it that way.
So I started filling jars. In addition to the 14 quarts of beef stew, I got 10 pints of cubed potatoes, 2 pints of carrots and 9 half pints each of celery and onions. Tomorrow promises to be cooler - back in the mid 70's - so I will fill half pint jars of the rest of the beef and the 6 lbs. of chicken. I have lots of beef and chicken canned in pint jars, so I thought perhaps the half pints would be nice to have on hand for sandwiches.
Things don't always go according to plan. In my case, they often go awry. Being flexible and refusing to panic are a big plus, no matter what the situation. None of the food was wasted and I will can more beef stew and chicken stew another (cooler) day, keeping better track of the amounts of ingredients I will need.
Keep on prepping, even if you have to change course in the middle. :)
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
I Was Gonna Rant Today
I started writing several times. Lord knows, there is enough material out there to write about.
I could write about the lying, hateful stupidity of AOC and her squad.
I could write about the border crisis and why Congress doesn't fix it.
I could write about why illegal aliens who broke our laws when they set foot on our soil, should not be given free stuff.
I could write about the Rule of Law and why it applies only to you and me.
I could write about the growing violence and hatred across our country.
I could write about the Democratic presidential contenders ideas of free stuff for all, their willingness to grab our guns and their determination to turn my country into a Socialist state.
I could.
But I won't.
Because when it comes right down to it, what I really want is for them to take care of business and then go away and leave me alone to live my life in peace.
I don't think that is asking for too much.
I could write about the lying, hateful stupidity of AOC and her squad.
I could write about the border crisis and why Congress doesn't fix it.
I could write about why illegal aliens who broke our laws when they set foot on our soil, should not be given free stuff.
I could write about the Rule of Law and why it applies only to you and me.
I could write about the growing violence and hatred across our country.
I could write about the Democratic presidential contenders ideas of free stuff for all, their willingness to grab our guns and their determination to turn my country into a Socialist state.
I could.
But I won't.
Because when it comes right down to it, what I really want is for them to take care of business and then go away and leave me alone to live my life in peace.
I don't think that is asking for too much.
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