Store It Foods

Nesco has traditionally produced round food dehydrators.  One of their most recent dehydrators, however, is now more square in design.  This change, it is said, has added “200 more inches” or “over 40% more drying space than comparable round dehydrators.”

That sounds pretty good, and it is a plus, but when you consider that many round dehydrators can easily add shelf space without any loss in efficiency, then it may not be as big a plus as you might think.

As long as your food dehydrator is doing the job that you want, and doing it well, then you have a good food dehydrator.  Think carefully before you replace it solely because it is round and not square.  Make sure that will make a significant difference in your use of this particular kitchen appliance.

Probably the single most important (and costly) item that you will buy for home canning is a pressure canner. A good pressure canner will probably cost more than all other canning supplies combined. The good thing about a quality pressure canner is that you only have to buy it once. With proper care they can last for a very long time. I own an aluminum canner that belonged to my Great-Grandmother, and is probably 80+ years old. I still use it every year, with great success.

Choosing the right size pressure canner can be a balancing act. You don’t want to get one too small or you will be canning small batches one after another. At the same time, you don’t necessarily want to get one too big, or you will have empty space inside the canner.

Personally, I suggest you consider getting one larger than you think you will need. Once you get started, you will want to can more and more. For example, my new canner holds 18 wide mouth pints at a time (or 20 regular), because I can stack them two levels high. My old canner will only hold 8 wide mouth pints at a time. That makes a huge difference in the amount of time with canning supplies.

In some kitchens the dehydrator is given its own place on kitchen countertop where it is always ready for use.  In other homes that food dehydrator is kept in a cupboard and brought out just when needed.  In either case, it is wise to give it a little breathing room.

Your dehydrator is going to draw in air to be heated and circulated.  Let it do so efficiently.  A constricted space will not allow it to work properly.

Even if out in the open, pay attention to what is sitting close to it.  Because you are working with lower heat settings, you are not likely to set nearby items aflame, but a nearby margarine container could, for instance, be found to contain liquid margarine if it is benefiting from the full effects of the heat exhaust from your dehydrator.  In short, if you have something that you do not want heated, do not subject it to heating.

Expert dehydrator users are likely to already know this, but if you’re just starting out, there’s a little tip for you that will allow you to avoid these minor problems later on.

Believe it or not, you have quite a tool in your food dehydrator. 

If you’ve got one, you have probably used it for making a little bit of jerky, or perhaps for dehydrating fruit or fruit pastes for snacks.  You may have even put together the ingredients for soups or trail mixes.  If you do have a dehydrator and haven’t tried some of these things, perhaps you should.  After all, you’ve invested in the machine so why not see what you  can glean from that investment.

Your dehydrator likely came with a manual containing several recipes.  Why not try some of them?  You just might like them.  Sound out your friends who are also dehydrating at home.  They may have some great ideas for you.  Internet searches can also be worthwhile.

Here, for example, is a recipe that comes from an on-line blog named Food Under Foot.

Dandelion Flower Cookies

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup soaked cashews
• 1/4 cup agave nectar or raw honey
• 1 cup dandelion petals — Pluck the yellow petals off the green collar and stem
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1 Tbsp lemon rind
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• smallest pinch of sea salt

Blend everything except dandelion petals in food processor until smooth.

Mix in dandelion by hand, mix well.

Form into cookies on dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate at 105 for about 6 hours, flip and dehydrate another 2. Cookies will still be a bit moist.

There’s nothing too complex about that, and it may have introduced you to a couple of new concepts in food dehydrator use — you can use them to make cookies, and you can make use of some the wild foods that you have simply taken for granted, not even realizing that they could be used for foods.

Of course the idea of dandelion flower cookies may not appeal to you, but if you do a little looking around, the possibilities are good that you will find something else that you will find both interesting and appealing.  Just try it and see.  It could be worth you while.

Food storage does not necessarily entail an initial outlay of thousands of dollars. 

You certainly can do it that way.  If you are thinking long term and would like to have enough food supplies on hand to support yourself and your family for an extended period of time, buying in bulk and buying it at once can be a very economical way of achiving that goal.  There are, in fact, many companies that specialize in providing you with a “year’s supply of food” for individuals or families, and they do so at discounted rates.

Unfortunately, discounted or not, not everyone can follow that “all in one shot” route to food storage.  For many, that kind of money is just not there.

Rather than give up in dismay, however, you can take the “one step at a time” route.  You begin by determining what you want and need by way of food storage then bit by bit you go about building up your stores.  If you like canned peas, and canned peas come on sale, why not buy an extra can or two to set aside for future consumtion?   If you’ve done that, you’ve begun your long term food storage.

The same would hold true for canned tuna, packaged pasta, or your favorite brand of rice.  Investments in canning equipment would allow you to can your own peas.  A dehydrator would allow you to prepare your own jerky or trail mixes.  Frozen peas taste good too, so wise use of your freezer and vacuum packaging could also help.

It would be nice to do it all at once, but you don’t have to do it that way.  A little planning, a little investing here and there, and a “do it one can at a time attitude” can truly work wonders.

Emergency preparedness is receiving a lot of attention these days, and with good reason.  Government officials and other experts are certainly stressing the need to prepare for emergencies.  It is no wonder so many people are wisely and actively engaged in food storage programs, making sure every family member has access to a 72 hour kit, preparing for power outages, and doing their best to get ready to cope with storms, floods and all sorts of other natural disasters.

An important question needs to be posed, however.  Are you ready to act upon those preparations?

For instance, consider that brand new chain saw you’ve placed in the garage in case you need it for clean-up purposes after some sort of a severe storm.  You may know how to gas it up and turn it on, but do you know how to safely remove a tree that may end up leaning upon your house? How about felling a tree?  Do you know how to make certain that it falls exactly where you want it to fall?

Perhaps you’ve purchased a gas generator to help in the event of power failures.  Where is a safe place to store the gas for it?  How much gas should be stored?  Is the generator itself securely locked down?  Unfortunately, a generator can provide a tempting target for thieves during an emergency.

Speaking of emergencies, how about those emergency survival kits, the 72 hour kits.  Have you personalized them?  Have you made important medications a part of them?  Have you checked with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure you know how long those medications can safely be stored?

Do you know how to use some of those other components?  How do you put together that emergency shovel?  Do you know how to pitch the tent that’s in the backpack?  If you’ve got a fire starter, how does it work?

You may have stored some important documents on a flash drive.  That’s a great idea.  Have you made certain, though, that it is password protected?  Does it need to be password protected?  Do you need to worry about identity theft should that flash drive somehow fall into the wrong hands?  Do you know how to implement password protection?

If you have started a food storage program, are you actually storing foods that you are actually going to eat? In other words, do you like the food you are storing?  Have you avoided foods to which family members are allergic?  Do you know how to cook using all of those delicacies that you have so carefully dehydrated?  If you are planning on grinding wheat to produce flour, do you have the wheat?  Do you have the grinder?  If you have a grinder, do you know how to use it?  You’re expecting to bake your own bread, but have you actually baked bread before?

We could go on and on.  The point being made, of course, is that it is wise to be prepared, but it is even wiser to be prepared to know how to use what you have prepared.  During the emergency itself is really not the best time to start the learning process.

So how do you start the learning?  Well, there are probably all sorts of sources available to you.  You may know a fellow at church who is well versed in emergency preparations.  Someone you work with may be a true outdoorsman who is handy with chain saws and many similar tools.  A neighbour down the street may be a good friend who has been canning for years, or may bake bread on a regular basis.  They’ll probably be quite willing to share some of their expertise with you.

You may also want to consult with somebody from your community’s emergency measures organization.  As well, there are lots of guides and guidance on-line.  There are also likely to be lots of tips and “how to’s” in the manuals that came with your grain mill, chain saw or gasoline generator.  What’s at the local library?  What can you find at the book store?

You’ll need to analyze your own situation.  You are aware of how much you already know.  You likely have some idea as to who the local experts might be.

Just take the time to do it.  Be prepared to be prepared.

There’s nothing more important than keeping your family safe and secure in any given situation. It’s why we lock the doors when we leave the house. It’s why we agonize over choosing the right baby sitter. The bottom line is that responsible parents take every step to be prepared and responsible in issues that concern the safety of their children. That’s why every parent should designate a time to discuss your family’s plan should any kind of disaster strike.

During this time, let everyone in the family know where the flashlights, first aid kit, and other emergency gear are located. It’s a simple fact that emergency preparedness is the best way to keep harm from befalling your family if the unexpected happens. That’s also why every fridge should have a reserve of frozen water, and every pantry should have plenty of canned food and dehydrated snacks. In a major disaster, this supply of food can truly be a life saver.

The story is told of a young buisiness woman who moved to a small community, and having just moved was unfamiliar with many of the services available there.  Anticipating a major social event, for which she would like to rent a limo, she did some checking and was dismayed to find that there wasn’t very much available.

It then dawned on her that funeral homes often had limousines, and she wondered if there were any rental possibilities there.  The first home she phoned told her that, yes, they had a limo, and, yes, they would be willing to make it available if there was no business need for the vehicle.

Much relieved, she then asked if she could rent it for the day of June 15th, a date two or three months in the future.  During the awkward pause that followed, she suddenly realized what she had just asked.

Just as the funeral home could not know whether or not there would be a need for funeral services and the consequent requirement of a limousine for the bereaved family, we cannot be sure just when (if ever) that emergency might arise for which we are preparing. 

Nevertheless, it is wise to be prepared, and if, for instance, we have established a food storage program there is no rule that says we cannot take food from that program and use it in day-to-day situations.   In fact, that is exactly what should be done.  It is wise to “rotate” that food.

Here’s a quick hint for you.

Once you’ve opened that package of instant rice, pasta, or hot cereal you may want to store the remainder in a secure plastic food storage container of some kind.  In fact, a lot of people buy the larger, economy size packages with the intent of storing it in such containers at home.  The large package has saved money, and the air tight food storage provides a safer way of keeping it.  It’s a win win situation.

Well, it’s not quite so “win win” if weeks or months down the line you go to use that hot cereal and have to say to yourself, “now just how much water do I use, and how long do I cook it?”  Admittedly, you might know, but what about other family members who want to do that food preparation in your absence?

Fortunately, there is an easy solution.  Merely take that now empty box of whatever it is, and, with that handy, dandy pair of scissors that you are sitting there somewhere, you can clip the cooking instructions from the side of the box.  It’s only a small, flat piece of thin cardboard that can simply be laid on top of the food in that new container.

Consequently, when you or someone else is ready to make use of that food, knowing how to do it will no longer be a problem.

A well balanced, well made, finely honed chef’s knife is not inexpensive.  Yet, if you want a good, reliable cutting and slicing tool on hand for when needed, then spending a little more is probably well worth it in the long run.  If, however, you want it to remain a good, reliable cutting and slicing tool, then you need to take care of it.

Part of that care includes proper storage.  A knife block is a good idea, but if you don’t have a knife block you do not want to simply throw it into a cutlery drawer where that finely honed blade can be nicked or marked by the spoons, forks, other knives, or whatever else it hits and rubs up against while in that drawer.

Should that be the scenario you are facing, then a simple solution is at hand.

Take an empty milk or juice carton.  Measure the blade size of you knife.  Then cut from the carton a strip of cardboard at least twice as wide as that blade at its widest, and just a little bit longer. Fold the cardboard lengthwise.  Tape it closed at the bottom, and along the one open side.  Voila!  You now have a knife sleeve. 

It may not look all that attractive, but it will do the job for you.  That job, of course, is protecting the knife blade.  It will still require sharpening from time to time, but now that will only be due to the normal wear and tear of kitchen use.  It will no longer be because you’ve inadvertantly damaged it in storage.