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MoonShadows
Almost Self-Reliant
My pleasureI'd love to come over to Ireland, SumiCould you come over here when you're done?
Nope
Dry Canning
- Thread starter MoonShadows
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My pleasure
Britesea
Sustainability Master
Great idea @GettysburgGarden although I read somewhere that freezing doesn't kill the eggs, but it does kill anything that has hatched. After all, that is how they survive winter to hatch in the spring! If you add some oxygen absorbers to the container of rice, however, the lack of oxygen will prevent the eggs from hatching.
DH mentions that you can also use that Vacuum Pump kit to make a small milker for goats....
DH mentions that you can also use that Vacuum Pump kit to make a small milker for goats....
GettysburgGarden
Power Conserver
By eating what we actually prep and buying in bulk and on sale, we also aggressively ad coupon match we have over the long run certainly paid for the prepping items we have and the costs of accumulating them. I see pallets of emergency food for sale at prepper sites and think: have you read the fine print and what is actually contained? Each year around mid January canned hams go on sale. Bulk is one approach and then coupons are another, it has to be "legitimately on sale" as an example a lead loss item, where the store is willing to loose on that item to draw you into the store. Bristol Ham when you see it on sale dollar general and with a discount coupon can be had for $2.50. Keep and eye out for canned pineapple for sale as well. So much of the prepper market and survival markets miss the point of "sufficiency" and "sustainability" as if we are nothing more than thoughtless consumers. Can you do a quick dinner of ham, instant mashed potatoes, pineapple, and a canned green bean? Yep.. We of course prefer to grow and freeze our beans.. but again if the store is genuinely putting the item on sale, then buy it. So many sales aren't really sales and are marketing instead. Plan ahead.. simple common sense. Finally know your pantry and rotate, if something is getting close to out-of-date then donate that item and itemize it along with expiration date to a charity, pick a reasonable price that passes the blush test, and if you genuinely bought on sale you do fine. Donate at Thanksgiving and the Holidays when the food bank is in need, and then replenish in Jan/Feb. But our whole purpose was the eat better, eat more nutritious, and as we have to eat, enjoy cooking, canning, and saving some money while at it. I picked up cans at $2.00 of ham last year, got ten of them for $20. It is as much as knowing the market timing and minimal effort as it is anything. Bristol canned ham dollar general.. watch for the sale in Jan/Feb like clockwork.
https://dg.coupons.com/coupons/foods-coupons/
http://www.shopjubileefoods.com/circular.aspx?p=6
Looking at the coupons, I'll take the "free item" and get the apple juice and clementines. Watch for "lead loss" and if they want to give it away for free? Well ok, I'll grab some other items while I'm there. See second link.
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GettysburgGarden
Power Conserver
Put an ad on craigslist asking for them, you will be amazed at people who have a box and no clue whatsoever.. make sure you pay well below new jar $ or barter something. Yard sales etc.. good luck.. they are out there and available
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
lcertuche
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I thought it was either oxygen absorbers or the vac-pac method, not both. With the jars I've heard that the vacuum package with the device is not dependable after a few months but the oxygen absorbers last until the jars are opened. Curious is anyone has any experience on this either way. I have seen a dry can using the oven on YouTube that seemed reasonably safe.
Britesea
Sustainability Master
Another problem with just using the vacuum sealer is that you have a higher percentage of jars that lose their seal over time. (ask me how I know this)
On the subject of mylar bags- they have the advantage of not being breakable (something to consider if you live in earthquake country), and the larger bags can be cut down into smaller sizes- just seal the cut edges with an iron. I do not know for sure whether they will keep rodent damage down; I know mice have an incredible sense of smell.
@lcertuche I would be careful doing the dry canning in the oven- you can end up losing a lot of glass jars because they have not been made to deal with dry heat. I do have to say, however, that my M-I-L oven canned a bunch of walnuts one year. I found some of the cans at the back of her cupboard 10 years later and opened one to try them. They were not rancid at all, had the taste and texture of toasted nuts. I've talked to other people that tried to oven can nuts that reported dismal failures however, so I don't know... no idea why hers turned out so well.
On the subject of mylar bags- they have the advantage of not being breakable (something to consider if you live in earthquake country), and the larger bags can be cut down into smaller sizes- just seal the cut edges with an iron. I do not know for sure whether they will keep rodent damage down; I know mice have an incredible sense of smell.
@lcertuche I would be careful doing the dry canning in the oven- you can end up losing a lot of glass jars because they have not been made to deal with dry heat. I do have to say, however, that my M-I-L oven canned a bunch of walnuts one year. I found some of the cans at the back of her cupboard 10 years later and opened one to try them. They were not rancid at all, had the taste and texture of toasted nuts. I've talked to other people that tried to oven can nuts that reported dismal failures however, so I don't know... no idea why hers turned out so well.
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MoonShadows
Almost Self-Reliant
@Britesea - most websites I've read recommend putting your Mylar bags into 5 gallon buckets after sealing, not only because Mylar bags can easily be damaged, but to critter proof them. In a study done with Mylar bags and mice, it took the mice about 15 seconds to sense the food was there, and get into the bag to start eating it.
@lcertuche - Oven canning is NEVER recommended for NON-dry canning, but I am sure you know that; however, I don't think I would use oven canning for my dry canning for a few reasons. 1. Dry canning in an oven involves a 200 degree temperature. If heat is 1 of the 4 enemies of food storage, I wouldn't want the life of my dry food that I am intending to have on a long-term basis start by sitting in an oven for and hour with 200 degree heat. 2. The oven canning process does not actually remove all of the oxygen from the jar. You'll have a seal, but it does not take the contents down to the recommended level for long term storage.
@lcertuche - Oven canning is NEVER recommended for NON-dry canning, but I am sure you know that; however, I don't think I would use oven canning for my dry canning for a few reasons. 1. Dry canning in an oven involves a 200 degree temperature. If heat is 1 of the 4 enemies of food storage, I wouldn't want the life of my dry food that I am intending to have on a long-term basis start by sitting in an oven for and hour with 200 degree heat. 2. The oven canning process does not actually remove all of the oxygen from the jar. You'll have a seal, but it does not take the contents down to the recommended level for long term storage.
lcertuche
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I never tried any form of dry canning or mylar bags. I am thinking about getting some oxygen absorbers to use in jars for my dried veggies. I have dried all kinds of vegetables and put either in ziplock bags or jars without any additional measures. Some have last 2 or 3 years and still are great when I tried them. I can't say anything about the nutritional quality or long term storage however. I do buy big bags of dried beans, rice, sugar and salt. I will pour them into plastic bottles like soda bottles but this is only for a few months, maybe up to a year but not long term. The oxygen absorbers costs do seem to be reasonable as do the mylar bags. I have been thinking of getting a metal trashcan to store dry goods and of course critter feed since we have many mice and packrats. I do freeze large bags of flour, beans, etc. to kill any bugs when I bring them home from the store.
