Preparations Update

[CountryGuy]

Do you have a garage you could put a chest freezer in? Maybe you could find friends and coworkers that might want to buy some of the meats you have, be it some of the chicken or beef or pork. free up some room, make some extra cash and maybe pay for a new freezer. Depending on the size and age of your current freezer maybe you can replace one with a larger and more efficient unit that might help cut your electricity costs.

Also consider adding insulation board around the outside and top of your freezers (for places where cosmetics don't matter) to help super insulate them and help further cut down energy usage. If you do it just don't cover up the "hot" side where the hot air blows out.

If the freezers aren't completely full add old milk, juice jugs of 2L soda bottles cleaned out and filled with water. When they are frozen they will help add to the thermal battery. If the power ever goes out this extra ice will help keep things colder longer and when melted can be used for drinking water .

 

[Meerkat]

Noticed that $Tree alcohol is only 50%. Make sure you use 70% for the sanitizer. Got some at Big Lots for $2 a bottle. Probably have the 70% at most other stores. Was thinking about thickening it a little with some glycerin. That's easy and cheap to find, too. It works for homemade bubbles as a thickener, so why not? Son came home very sick from work half day. Called me and confined himself to the trailer. I brought over masks, sanitizer, and a thermometer to the trailer steps. If he needs to come in to shower later, he will wear a mask. Is stuffy, achy, and fever of 101. Brought him a soup and bread dinner tray and knocked. Also left a couple of jugs of juice. Hope he sleeps it off.

Hope he recovers really soon Amish.

 

[Amish Heart]

It took three days, but he's better now. Thanks, Meer.

 

[Meerkat]

Good night all.

 

[Weedygarden]

@Sentry18 , when I was a kid, grandparents would get a half a hog and a quarter of beef. If the freezer was too full, they would rent a locker at a local meat market until they could get it all in the freezer at home. I have no idea if anyone has lockers to rent at a local butcher or meat market.

 

[Amish Heart]

They still have that service in Yoder, at Yoder Meats. We have a large outbuilding at our farm that has electricity, and two Amish families have freezers in there, and a key to the building. We are closer to them than Yoder Meats. One is the next door farm, and the other is a few miles down the road, their parents. We take payment in pork. They also keep an eye on our place when we're not there. And call and talk about the weather.

 

[hiwall]

Personally I think Sentry has plenty of freezer space now.
Unless he gets the beef and jerks all the meat

 

[CountryGuy]

Another option with his beef rather than just canning or making jerky is to make billtong. I'm planning in the next few weeks to try my first batch.

 

[LadyLocust]

Another option with his beef rather than just canning or making jerky is to make billtong. I'm planning in the next few weeks to try my first batch.

I had to look that up - thought you were cursing for a minute A cured meat - all good. Let us know how it turns out. If you do quite a bit, I'm guessing you could vacuum seal it and keep it on the shelf rather than freezer???

 

[Caribou]

I had to look that up - thought you were cursing for a minute A cured meat - all good. Let us know how it turns out. If you do quite a bit, I'm guessing you could vacuum seal it and keep it on the shelf rather than freezer???

I'd be careful about putting biltong, or any dried meat, into plastic. These products were originally designed as ways to preserve without refrigeration. By taking the air away this changes the environment significantly and botulism can form in some products.

 

[LadyLocust]

I'd be careful about putting biltong, or any dried meat, into plastic. These products were originally designed as ways to preserve without refrigeration. By taking the air away this changes the environment significantly and botulism can form in some products.

I was thinking in canning jars but good to know!!!!! I'm not up for a round of botulism! Thank you.

 

[Caribou]

I was thinking in canning jars but good to know!!!!! I'm not up for a round of botulism! Thank you.

It is not the plastic it is the lack of oxygen. If you pressure can your meat then the problem goes away. If you're going to pressure can your meat there is little reason to go through the biltong process. I pressure canned smoked salmon and the pressure canning enhanced the smoke. A fully smoked salmon smelled like a freshly burned house and tasted like sawdust. A very light smoke worked well when pressure canned.

 

[Weedygarden]

It is not the plastic it is the lack of oxygen. If you pressure can your meat then the problem goes away. If you're going to pressure can your meat there is little reason to go through the biltong process. I pressure canned smoked salmon and the pressure canning enhanced the smoke. A fully smoked salmon smelled like a freshly burned house and tasted like sawdust. A very light smoke worked well when pressure canned.

Did you can in glass jars? I have often wondered about what it would take for any of us to can with metal cans. I never could get on the list at the LDS cannery when they had that option. Their list of what they canned was great with many good products including chicken, beef, beans, fruits, soups. I wanted to participate for the product as well as the experience. The lists for sign up were always full.

 

[LadyLocust]

It is not the plastic it is the lack of oxygen. If you pressure can your meat then the problem goes away. If you're going to pressure can your meat there is little reason to go through the biltong process. I pressure canned smoked salmon and the pressure canning enhanced the smoke. A fully smoked salmon smelled like a freshly burned house and tasted like sawdust. A very light smoke worked well when pressure canned.

I put a laughing face because there isn't a yuk face. We have canned lots of salmon, but not smoked. Will keep that in mind. I don't care for smoked things but hubby does.

 

[WVDragonlady]

I stocked up on gardening supplies this morning
Hubby is heading across state lines to stock up on more gas since the price has dropped. We have a gas tax here so he goes to Va to stock up. They're much cheaper

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Picked up some seeds yesterday at Wal*Mart.
Got $2.00 worth, they were 20 cents each.
Still too cold to do much here yet.
But my wash tub herb garden is beginning to green back up.
Chives, German Thyme are coming along nicely.
Thinking about trying my hand at potatoes in 5 gallon bucket, but using a gallon container too.
Haven't tried to grow potatoes before.
Waiting on my order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed to come in hopefully sooner than later.
Got my whiskey barrel cleaned out and will be planting carrots, radishes, lettuces, cherry tomatoes in this one.
Got Aspargus, okra planted into another whiskey barrel, will throw some flower seeds in there too for color.

 

[hiwall]

I got 500+ pounds of batteries delivered today for my little solar system.

 

[LadyLocust]

Realized today what’s lacking in my preps as i pulled out the last vacuum bag

 

[Caribou]

Realized today what’s lacking in my preps as i pulled out the last vacuum bag

When it is full, open one end, empty, fold a time or two, staple shut. I didn't always have the cash to buy everything I wanted and had to make do.

 

[Sentry18]

I ordered and received two cases (110 count each) of Mayday 400 calorie ration bars. These are not necessarily for me and my family, but for people close to us that I would be willing to share with in times of need. I also ordered another case and had it sent to my parents. That one is specifically for them and would constitute approx. 25 days of rationed food. I also sent them about 45 days worth of freeze dried meals from my stockpile. Most of which have only 7-8 years left of their reported 20-25 year shelf life. I both wanted to make sure they had extra supplies on hand and to free up some space for newer stock items I have purchased in recent weeks.

 

[LadyLocust]

When it is full, open one end, empty, fold a time or two, staple shut. I didn't always have the cash to buy everything I wanted and had to make do.

Yep, I was thinking duct tape but same idea

 

[Tank-Girl]

So, today I got the $750 Australian Gov's helicopter money payment which is over and above my usual pension.
The neighborhood is going to be a war zone for the next week while the crackheads and drunks buy up big and party hard.
I doubt that they'll do anything constructive with it like buying grain, garden supplies etc.

Meanwhile I'm waiting for a price list from a bulk grain and seed company several hours away along with freight quotes.
There's no flour on the shelves atm of any description.
Buying bulk amounts of wheat and corn has always been part of my plan.
The hatchery I wanted to buy ducklings from won't have any available until spring which is a bit of a bad surprise. I just pray that when they have some available that I'll have the funds and they'll be able to ship them.
Chickens aren't great in my climate. It's too hot for them and they go off the lay. Ducks don't care.

 

[Tank-Girl]

So, I just put in my grain order (these are in kilos and I have no idea what that is in pounds)

21 20kg bags of prime wheat.
6 20kg bags of whole corn.
6 20kg bags of oats.

The freight for this ended up being $80.30 which I think is extremely reasonable.

All up it's costing me $737.30 for food security for a number of years.

 

[Bacpacker]

Roughly 2.2 kilos per pound.

Nice score on the grains.

 

[hiwall]

Got the final items for my solar system today. Now I just have to put everything together and hook it all up. It is a 3000 watt system to run the refrigerator and a small chest freezer. Maybe a couple other low power items.

 

[Tank-Girl]

Roughly 2.2 kilos per pound.

Nice score on the grains.

Would you believe that I just asked Mr.Google Pants and he says that there is 2.205 pounds to a kilo.

A pound is a smaller weight than a kilo.

 

[Bacpacker]

My bad. I constantly mix the names of stuff. I did say roughly after all! dancing chicken

 

[Tank-Girl]

My bad. I constantly mix the names of stuff. I did say roughly after all! dancing chicken

Don't sweat it!
I'm not fluent in American at all so I guess that makes us even.

 

[Tank-Girl]

Well all the bags are going to arrive on Friday BUT they are going to be delivered to the freight companies depot and not my home because they don't have a crane on their truck and I don't own a forklift and all those bags will be on a pallet.
That leaves me to hump all those bags home in the back of a 2 door Asian sub-compact.
Multiple trips.
I'm going to have to eat my Wheeties for breakfast Friday morning and I fully expect to be a physical wreck for a long time afterwards.

 

[Bacpacker]

Do you have any 5 gallon buckets or something you could transfer the material into? 50 lb bags will be hard to deal with in a car. Buckets will divide it up a little bit.