What's your June prep goal?...

[Noahs ARK]

This month I'll be purchasing toilet paper & paper towels - hopefully I can get a 1-year supply.

Thanks to Amazon.com last month, I'm kinda broke. :001_huh:

[Lucy]

Our garden looks great! I'm so amazed every year at what a great green thumb my husband has! Now, I'm planning on putting together a couple of books that I've put off, one if my mother-in-law's recipe book. And, format a family book of our children that a daughter put together years ago with stories my husband and I each wrote. Now it needs to be in book form. (I know that these don't seem like preparedness but it fits under family history that I find very pressing and for some reason strongly tied to preparedness)

[Noahs ARK]

(I know that these don't seem like preparedness but it fits under family history that I find very pressing and for some reason strongly tied to preparedness)

Of course it is! One month I bought a fireproof safe & made sure all our documents were up-to-date & inside waterproof plastic, so I could just grab 'em if I needed to. I considered that part of being prepared.

[jackmormon]

I finally put the 55 gal barrel in the shed, so now my june goal is to fill it with water. I'll probably have it done tomorrow. Any idea how much bleach I should mix in with it?

[phylm]

I finally put the 55 gal barrel in the shed, so now my june goal is to fill it with water. I'll probably have it done tomorrow. Any idea how much bleach I should mix in with it?

One-fourth teaspoon of swimming pool shock powder will purify 55 gallons of water. Put it in, close cover, wait 24 hours. Remove cover and smell the water. If there is a scent of chlorine, it is purified. If not, add another 1/4 teaspoon, and repeat. When you can smell the chlorine, it's good to go.

Recommendations for liquid chlorine bleach (straight bleach, not the perfumed kind) range from 4 drops to the gallon to 6 to 8.

[jackmormon]

So what is the preferred water purification, the simming pool shock powder or the chlorine bleach?

[JuneGem]

This is the recommendation I had found:

AMOUNTS OF BLEACH FOR ORDINARY CONTAINERS <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

1 quart bottle 4 drops of bleach <o:p></o:p>
2 liter soda bottle 10 drops of bleach <o:p></o:p>
1 gallon jug 16 drops of bleach (1/8 tsp) <o:p></o:p>
2 gallon cooler 32 drops of bleach (1/4 tsp) <o:p></o:p>
5 gallon bottle 1 teaspoon of bleach <o:p></o:p>

[arbilad]

I just ordered a case of dehydrated milk from these guys:

http://www.homefoodstoragesupplies.com/index.php

I don't have enough milk yet, and even this order won't put me over the top. It's expensive stuff, but at least I found a cheap place to get it.
Over the next few months I will be getting more milk and sugar. Those are two areas where I am weak.

[Gingersnap]

Picked up pool chlorine from Wal-Mart. Sounds like I now have a 70 year supply. Thank you so much for letting us know that 1/4 ts. is all that is required for 55 gallons. The jug of dry chlorine was only about $15.00. Also, found housebrand canning jars there (Wal-Mart) in full cardboard boxes, about 6.50 for 12 pint jars and 7.75 for 12 quart jars - with lids and rings! great deal.

Got a 30 quart gasketless pressure canner last month, going to try canning meat. There is an excellent broadcast on the BYU channel that you can stream on your computer - Living Essentials. Canning meat is demonstrated, couldn't be easier, will report on how it goes. Planning on trying it out with a few friends towards the end of June. The 30 quart canner will process 14 quarts or 28 pints in one batch. 1 pint of meat is approximately 1 pound fresh. Meat lasts about 3 years. The demonstrator suggested having 300 pints, and rotating 2 pints per week. You put the meat in raw (except burger) and add 1/2 ts. salt. Other spices will deteriorate. How simple is that?

Also, have found some wool blankets on ebay. President Hinckley gave a talk where he suggested we have warm clothing as well as our year supply (1995?). Working on warm stuff too.

It is energizing to read about what ya'll are working on, gets me revved up and ticking off items on my list!:auto:

[4evermama]

Gingersnap,
When canning meat, you have to make sure that the tops of the jars are completely clean before you put the lid on. The fat from the meat will cause faillure to seal.
Cooked ground beef works out to be about 3/4 pound per finished pint.

There are several videos on youtube. Wendy DeWitt has a series that includes one segment on canning meat.

Good luck with your endeavor, but keep in mind....
once you engage, there is no going back.

NOTHING is as awesome as having home cooked meat and broth in your stores.

Soooooome posters on this thread might argue that chocolate is better.
But that is a discussion better relegated to Personal, Family and Home Defense.

[Gingersnap]

4everMama - thank you so much for the good help. I will check out the Wendy DeWitt information. You have probably just saved me quite a lot of meat. Learning by doing is great, but learning from someone who has already worked hard for the knowledge is the Best!

Two of my kids will be at college this year and thought it would be great to send some meat to them - so fast for dinners, and I know it will be healthy (have an organic/free-range beef source) - tastes so delicious. Glad to hear that it is delicious, because I think this has been an answer to prayer about protein sources.

[4evermama]

A lot of us on the board do some serious canning.
There are tons of tips that can save you the heartache of a faulty batch.

Let people know what you are canning a few days ahead of time so that you can get responses back BEFORE you start.
Lots of advice warrants great success. People that have been doing this for years know the do's and don'ts.

With the meat, remember that you can buy less expensive cuts of pork/beef without having to worry about it being tough. The canning process turns it all into elbow-licking yuminess.

Drink lots of water and have a dinner or two prepped in the freezer so that you will have something tasty to turn to when you are exhauseted.

Have fun. Few things in this world offer greater comfort than stocked shelves of glistening bottles-all filled with nutrition and love. When my kids get sick, the only thing they will eat is my canned fruit. Each of them has their favorite.
You'll soon find out that your biggest challenge will be to keep the shelves full. I can't tell you how many times I find empty quarts in the sink because of the men in my family. 2 pounds of meat in a quart.....gone in a blink. Carnivores, I tell you, carnivores.

[Gingersnap]

I really appreciate your advice, I was a "Food Safety Advisor" for the county extension office regarding canning. I have canned mostly acidic foods and haven't really done much of the pressure canning. I had to quit because people would only call me 3 days to 2 weeks after doing a huge batch of something that would be well outside safe guidelines. We have botulism in our soil here and it was a constant source of heartache to tell them that all that work was in vain. AARRGGHH. I remember one sweet lady who gardened all summer long with her children, they made all kinds of soups and stews and pressure canned the meat and veggies for only about 20 min. Two weeks later she called me to see if it the times had been adequate. I felt like a murderer. I just couldn't keep doing that year after year.

Great advice to ask before you try something, even if I have done it before, because there is quite an astonishing amount of wisdom here on this forum, and I want to know BEFORE the project and not after. Your hints are extremely helpful. Thank you and truly, the best advice is to ask before, not after. Keep the good info coming!

[phylm]

So what is the preferred water purification, the simming pool shock powder or the chlorine bleach?

Chlorine bleach has a relatively short shelf life. A stored gallon of it can be just a jug of water in a year or so. I have used it, but have the pool shock on hand because it won't deteriorate if kept dry.

[Cletc]

1 pint of meat is approximately 1 pound fresh.
Meat lasts about 3 years.
You put the meat in raw (except burger) and add 1/2 ts. salt.


I was reading that meat should be cooked first.
So raw meat in the pint jars really works well?
For ground beef do you pack it pretty tightly in there?
Thanks! :laugh:

[Gingersnap]

The instructions were raw pack with no fluids added except 1/2 ts. salt per pint for all meat. Fish doesn't last as long as other meats (beef, pork, chicken - about 3 years). The one thing you would cook before is burger because it will otherwise be a solid block, like a meatloaf, so it is better to crumble and cook first, then can. The raw packed meat makes it's own broth.

In other words:
-clean pint jar
-add raw meat, I saw a whole chicken breast, tightly packed into the bottom of the jar
-add 1/2 ts. salt to top
-add lid and ring
-process according to your altitude and contents

Open for dinner. Voila!

[Noahs ARK]

I cracked. :001_07:

I was only supposed to buy toilet paper and paper towels this month, but Prepared Pantry had too many good "specials" this week.

[phylm]

I cracked. :001_07:

I was only supposed to buy toilet paper and paper towels this month, but Prepared Pantry had too many good "specials" this week.

Know what you mean! Our oldest daughter was up from Tampa today, and she insisted on ordering my Food Saver with both bottle attachments. (Delayed Mother's Day gift.) I have quite a bit of cream of tartar and good cinnamon packed in baggies in pint jars, and I've been hoping to get them vacuum packed. Now I can put the vegetables we're dehydrating this month into jars and know that they'll have a long shelf life. This year the weather is cooperating on solar dehydrating...humidity is very low. Took 24 hours for the last batch of green beans to dry thoroughly. :cool (3):

[prairiemom]

I cracked. :001_07:

I was only supposed to buy toilet paper and paper towels this month, but Prepared Pantry had too many good "specials" this week.

It's an illness, you know. :d0 (21):


I was reading that meat should be cooked first.
So raw meat in the pint jars really works well?

When I can pork and hamburger, I definitely cook them before canning. That way I can get rid of a lot of the fat before canning. Turkey and chicken I cook because I can get more meat off the bone (I don't like canning the meat with the bone.) I guess the only thing I do raw pack is venison and beef (roast or stew meat.)


This year the weather is cooperating on solar dehydrating...humidity is very low.

That sounds great--I'm constantly battling humidity here. I have about 1 hr to get the food from the dryer into vacuum sealed jars.


I really appreciate your advice, I was a "Food Safety Advisor" for the county extension office regarding canning. I have canned mostly acidic foods and haven't really done much of the pressure canning. I had to quit because people would only call me 3 days to 2 weeks after doing a huge batch of something that would be well outside safe guidelines. We have botulism in our soil here and it was a constant source of heartache to tell them that all that work was in vain. AARRGGHH. I remember one sweet lady who gardened all summer long with her children, they made all kinds of soups and stews and pressure canned the meat and veggies for only about 20 min. Two weeks later she called me to see if it the times had been adequate. I felt like a murderer. I just couldn't keep doing that year after year.

Oh, I feel for you. I cannot tell you how many times people have asked my advice on canning butter and water-bathing carrots. No matter how many times I tell them there is no proven safe way to do that, they still do it. I pray and keep my fingers crossed that their luck holds out.

[Earthling]

Problem is all those folks who tell them they can do it. I got info from Wendy DeWitt that you could can butter and how to do it so I did. Then found out 6 months later it wasn't safe. I am using it with no problem - and trying to use it first so it isn't sitting for very long but I won't can butter again. There are also people telling you how to bottle quick breads - holding classes at Macey's, etc. and it isn't safe either.

[Earthling]

Noah's Ark - I just made Prepared Pantry's rocky road scones - yum - they are good. Is there anything else you really like of theirs? They have the best mixes I have ever had- way better than other brands.

[Noahs ARK]

Noah's Ark - I just made Prepared Pantry's rocky road scones - yum - they are good. Is there anything else you really like of theirs? They have the best mixes I have ever had- way better than other brands.

OMGosh - aren't those scones good?

I make either French Bread, Sally Lunn Bread or Sour Cream White Bread at least 2x week for hubby. He only eats white bread. *sigh*

I make their Pumpernickle & Rye breads for me. In fact, just ordered their Heidelberg Rye - can't wait to try it.

We love just about everything. I think the cookies & donuts are WAY too expensive unless you get them on super-duper-special.

Buttermilk biscuits are excellent. Tortillas are, too!

This is what I just ordered....(Had to buy $120 for FREE shipping)

12 - M52-1 Sour Cream Potato Roll Mix $2.99
12 - M95-1 French Bread Machine Mix - (Makes one large loaf) $2.99
3 - M99-1 Heidelberg German Rye Bread Machine Mix $3.99
3 - M103-1 New! Southwest Potato Bread Machine Mix $2.99
12 - M104-1 New! Italian Country Bread Machine Mix $2.99
1 UTACSet Get a FREE Set of 6 Electric Food Colors with your $40 order! $0.00


I didn't care for their blueberry pancakes or their pumpkin praline muffins. But other than that, I'm hooked.


I love their packaging - I know it will last for at least 2+ years, so that's 2 years worth of baking supplies I don't need to worry about rotating.

Don't even get me started on their Monkey Bread and/or Cinnamon Rolls. YUM

[Noahs ARK]

Well....I wish I could say I'd accomplished my goal for this month, but I haven't. I decided I wasn't going to crate cases of toilet paper & toilet paper - too heavy this soon after surgery.

So I hit Amazon instead.

Ordered 2 5-gallon buckets of instant rice. I only have regular rice and wanted something that wouldn't require as much cooking time. (I saw some "instant pinto beans", too. They're pre-cooked and require only about 15 minutes after being added to boiling water - wonder if they'd be any good?)

Also ordered some games and puzzle books. The games are "brain teaser" type solitary games. The puzzle books have crossword puzzles, word search, etc.