Jori

22 pints of corn (plain not creamed, although DH asked me if we should do it again ) and 7 1/2 pints of blueberry rhubarb jam.

I found out that the new stove is not a great pressure canning stove. It was the first time I used it to pressure can and used the power burner. It kept climbing even on low at one point, I had it on the simmer to get it where it needed to be.

7 half pints of blueberry butter. Will add notes to the recipe that is posted in this section for it.

Start plotting a way to tend & harvest your neighbor's garden since they have stopped taking care of it. Can I help it if our sprinkler hits the back end of their garden?

You go pick up a new fridge when it's on sale not because yours is going out but because you need one in the garage for all of your fruits and veggies to say fresh while you are canning and freezing.

Your dehydrator sits next to your china hutch (that has china in it) in the dining room.

Going to pick up the fridge this afternoon when DH gets back from fishing with his dad and brothers (youngest brother is home on leave). Dehydrator was purchased last weeked as our 5 year anniversary present (so maybe we should be re-writing the traditional anniversary gifts!). I finally told him we might need to look at a slightly bigger house (and yard) with a basement for all of the preps.

So, I'm not feeling the love for any of you currently. The entire drive back from BIL/SIL's all I could think was hmmmm, homemade granola bars.

Plus, who can't fry bacon?

 

I can't. Not that I buy the pre-cooked stuff, mind you, that stuff just looks nasty. But I consider myself to be a good cook, and I am incapable of frying bacon. It either comes out limp and soggy or completely hard and overcooked. There is no happy medium in my world!

 

Right there with you furbabymom! I overcook it all of the time. When we make it, DH will step in and do it. I, too, am a good cook (99% of all baked goods are from scratch.) But I can't fry bacon to save my life.

I've made my list and as I can I will start buying items, I know its late, but at least maybe I'll have the basics if something happens.

 

 

Thanks again for such a comprehensive list.

Katz,

It's never to late to start and anything you do is better than the nothing that others are doing. You are an a minium one step ahead of lots of other people.

Well, we had a half gallon jar filled with dehydrated peaches but I think it's about halfway gone now So, when I hit the market tomorrow, I'll be picked up a bushel or 2 of peaches and putting more on the dehydrator.

4 trays of peaches. Can the base tray be used, also? Solid tray that is "beveled" so produce wouldn't be on bottom of tray.

Jori,

You put the oven on the lowest it can go. Open the oven door. Place a fan beside the door to blow out the moisture. Not very energy efficient, but this is how it is done. Hope that helps you.

Ok, I am drying zucchini candy. Yep, zucchini candy. It looks rather bad since I am using grape koolaid, but that is what I had. That or cherry. My husband likes grape things.

I can post the results later and the recipe. I just tasted a bite before it went in. Tastes good !! Simmer peeled zucchini in sugar, water, and dry unsweetened koolaid powder.

So, for 20 cents of koolaid and the sugar, it is cheap. Dry for about 14 hours, it says, then dip in sugar if you want more like gumdrops. Turn and dry a few more hours.

You can use fruit juice, too, if you want. Pineapple juice is one idea.

Thanks Violet! It helps, in that I know it's not workable with the 15 month old DS.

Thanks Darlene! That is on the list of things still to do!

Just a weird fact, the kids ped is from India, I believe. He said that when he did his rotations that the polio deaths where what they were updated on every morning during rounds. When I asked him about it 6 months or so ago (DD, who is 2 1/2, is just getting some of the vaccines. DS hasn't started them yet.), he said it wasn't a concern that meningitis, DTP, MMR, and Chicken Pox were. I told him I wasn't worried about chicken pox - I'm the last generation who didn't get the vaccine to prevent them (the days when your parents wanted you exposed to it).

My question is, if I asked him today, would he still not be concerned about polio? With all of the International traveling, it's something that would be easily transmitted (much like the gentleman they thought had TB a few years ago) and should be a concern.

I broke my dehydrator. Dropped it and it cracked the base all the way to the heating element. I am waiting for my MIL to drop off hers so I can do a few things but in the meantime I'm going to do some research and figure out how to use the oven to do it.

I just caught a glimpse of an article that DH pulled up yesterday that I'm going to have to go back and find now. But they were reporting on the rise of polio in Nigeria but it's mutated from the live virus in the vaccines.

As soon as I can locate the link, I'll post it here.

So I have a stupid question. How do you vaccum seal a jar?

Does anyone know how long it takes for sage to dry out? I put it on yesterday afternoon and it still isn't ready. I guess I should have thought about it before tackling it first. LOL!

What is patty pan squash?

Violet, could the bananas be mixed with starwberries for banana-strawberry jam?

 

I found this recipe:

 

Strawberry Banana Jam

 

Ingredients:

4-3/4 cups prepared fruit (about 2 quarts fully ripe strawberries and 3 fully ripe medium bananas)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6-3/4 cups sugar

1 box Sure-Jell fruit pectin

1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine

 

Cooking Instructions:

Boil jars on rack in large pot filled with water 10 minutes.

Place flat lids in saucepan with water.

Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to fill. Drain well before filling.

Stem and thoroughly crush strawberries, 1 layer at a time. Measure 3-1/4 cups into 6-or 8-quart saucepot.

Mash bananas thoroughly. Measure 1-1/2 cups into strawberries in saucepot.

Stir in lemon juice.

Measure sugar into separate bowl. (Scrape excess sugar from cup with spatula to level for exact measure.)

Stir fruit pectin into fruit in saucepot. Add butter.

Bring to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.

Quickly stir in all sugar.

Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly.

 

It doesn't have processing times (one recipe used paraffin), but I'm guessing 5 min if you sterilize the jars, 10 if you don't?

I've made 2 batches in 2 days - enough to send a pint for my 1 year old neice and to my parents. It's awesome! THANK YOU so much for sharing this recipe. Banana Jam is next and then Cherry Jam or Preserves (I don't know which one is better).

Cooked bacon is risky because of the oil. It will go rancid. Cook and freeze it (fast freeze individually first) which is what I do.

Explain how to fast freeze, please.

Thanks

Originally Posted By: Leah

 

*- You have a 'Volcano', you know you can cook anything, and you cast evil glances at your neighbor's annoying, yappy poodle, muttering "your day will come, hotdog" under your breath.

 

Hey, does anyone have one of these? I've been wondering if these are worth the money.

Stacy

LOL!!! Except we have 3 behind us and 2 to the east and sad to say those words have come out of my mouth. My 2 year will go to the window and tell them to be quiet because her baby brother is sleeping.

Brian & David