Preparations Update

[Meerkat]

Your beans MUST be rehydrated before canning. Soak overnight and cook 30 minutes at least before pressure canning. If they are not rehydrated, they rehydrate in the jars and the time is off. The 75 min for pints and 90 min for quarts is for REHYDRATED beans.

We have never pre cooked our beans at all.Just poured hot water over them and canned them. Been doing that for years and it works for us.Beans are nice and firm no t mushy from over cooking.

 

[Weedygarden]

We have never pre cooked our beans at all.Just poured hot water over them and canned them. Been doing that for years and it works for us.Beans are nice and firm no t mushy from over cooking.

I once read where someone pre-cooked their beans, then pressure canned them. Said they were not good, just mushy. I have read many times, to soak them so they have expanded, then can them.

 

[Meerkat]

I once read where someone pre-cooked their beans, then pressure canned them. Said they were not good, just mushy. I have read many times, to soak them so they have expanded, then can them.

Weedy we only soak over night ,rinse a couple times then pour boiling hot water over them in jars and can.

 

[spector]

Added a few more supplies (some storage and trash bags and some canned foods) and a few of the food plants I ordered showed up, so I will have fun raising them over the winter and hopefully having a bit of yield next year. Also, one of the mulberry branches I potted took root, so new mulberry tree for free!

 

[Sam]

Continuing to lay in wood for winter. Some of the wood will have to be split before I can use it, not much of it to do. Laying in canned meats and something new for us...water.
Sam

 

[SheepDog]

Water is easy. No cooking or vacuum needed. Just fill the container leaving about a half inch below the lid add 2 drops of bleach and put the lid on. It will keep for over two years in cool dark storage. I use the basement.

 

[Tank-Girl]

I go the heads up that the chest freezer I ordered is due to arrive on Monday next week.

THis is chest freezer mark II because the one that I was suppose to get did a suicidal swan dive off the back of the delivery truck and popped it's lid hinges.
It didn't even make it into the house.
It went back to the supplier and they promised me a new one plus a air fryer for my trouble but I was going to have to wait because the chest freezer I brought was now on back order.
This is arriving in the nick of time.
The seafood and meat wholesaler I buy from has a sale on 3kg boxes of frozen wild caught king prawns for $40 each and I want to stock up before all the suppliers slap a summer/ Christmas premium on all seafood. I also need more steak.....because STEAK. I love steak.

 

[LadyLocust]

Explain how you can already dried beans? Can you do rice the same way?
Sorry still tired from having grand daughter.

I will look at my instructions when I get home and post them - easy peasy though. I just don't want to tell you wrong amounts or times.

 

[LadyLocust]

Your beans MUST be rehydrated before canning. Soak overnight and cook 30 minutes at least before pressure canning. If they are not rehydrated, they rehydrate in the jars and the time is off. The 75 min for pints and 90 min for quarts is for REHYDRATED beans.

I've never re-hydrated them prior to canning and have never had any problems. I know my method isn't the "recommended" way, but I have been doing it for years and learned it years ago from someone else who had been doing it for years. Like Jim's wife who hot water baths green beans which is a "never do," I know there is a reason for recommendations (& am aware of the reason) but also know the probabilities. I usually try to inform folks if I know my ways doesn't jive with modern ways.

 

[WVDragonlady]

I also need more steak.....because STEAK. I love steak.

I feel the same way about bacon!

 

[Tank-Girl]

I feel the same way about bacon!

They're food groups in their own right along with tomatoes.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

T

I will look at my instructions when I get home and post them - easy peasy though. I just don't want to tell you wrong amounts or times.

Thank you.

 

[LadyLocust]

T

Thank you.

As stated above Mobook- this isn’t the recommendation, but it’s what I do.
For pint jars, add 1/2 cup dried kidney beans and 1/2 tsp salt then fill with water to 1” below rim. Pressure can according to your elevation 40 min.
For quarts: 1 C beans, 1 tsp salt and 50 min.
I have never done quarts for myself- too much for us.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

As stated above Mobook- this isn’t the recommendation, but it’s what I do.
For pint jars, add 1/2 cup dried kidney beans and 1/2 tsp salt then fill with water to 1” below rim. Pressure can according to your elevation 40 min.
For quarts: 1 C beans, 1 tsp salt and 50 min.
I have never done quarts for myself- too much for us.

Thank you for the information.
Will have to ponder on this for a while.
Might ought to be on the look out for new pressure canner.
My last one didn't end well.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Who knew that chest freezers could swan dive all by themselves @Tank-Girl .

Hope Mark II arrives as planned and you can get the meat and seafood that you want.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Topped up on chicken and chocolate on specials today whilst in town. Since Covid we are just topping up as we are in town on errand just in case there is another lockdown which is on the cards.

Did notice that toilet paper is again in short supplies in the cheaper brands and or out of stock too.

 

[Amish Heart]

Yep! Everyone should be super sizing their storage. We are going to Sams tomorrow, taking my favorite cousins daughter and her husband. She'll stock for her mom, too. We make a day out of it, stop for lunch. Load the truck with ice chests to bring it all back.

 

[Peanut]

My herb & pantry room… I got my new shelving unit assembled and set up, pic 1. I badly needed more shelf space. I’ve learned the hard way if there are too many can goods on a shelf it’s easy for cans in the back to be forgotten. Either to be used before expiration or when shopping to restock. I’ve got baked beans and corn coming out my ears (pun intended).

My herbs needed another shelf or two. I despise the big black (cheap piece of crap) shelf I use for herbs. I had to reinforce a couple shelves so they could carry more weight and the shelves are to far apart. I wish it was like the unit I just bought that’s rated for 350lbs, but… it’ll have to do for now.

The blue thing in the right corner of the first photo is and old cedar chest filled with blankets, but… it’s the perfect size for stacking cases of mason jars on top. This will free up about 6ft of a shelf I use for my dehydrators and vacuum sealer, also in this room.

I have 2 dehydrators.. A round Nesco 9 tray unit and a black Excalibur in the corner of the last pic. Both are excellent and each serves a unique purpose.

I was almost at this point last fall when this room flooded. Right afterwards my parents ended up in the hospital, a long story I’ve posted elsewhere. So, after a long delay I can finally finish this room and set up a small work table in the center. I still have a ways to go, like figuring out where to put the 50lbs of salt, 50lbs of sugar, 100lbs of diatomaceous earth and 100lbs of lump charcoal.

But when I finish everything will be off the floor in case there is another minor flood and most importantly it’ll be a functioning room with everything easily accessible.

 

[Bacpacker]

Congrats Peanut. Can't ever have to much storage space. Vertical is very good use of it.

 

[Meerkat]

I agree with BacP .Wish we had that much to prep. We are behind and no garden these days. Once you get off the program its hard to start over.

 

[Tank-Girl]

Well, today I finally putting the finishing touches on my grain storage.
A couple of moths ago I brought over a metric ton of prime wheat, and 100 kgs of corn and 100kgs of hulled oats.
I've had to pour money into other half finished projects and I've had other things come up that simply couldn't wait - like a big tree branch falling on my chicken coop fence, but finally I can get my grain stored correctly instead of having a pile of 20kg bags sitting on a pallet in my lounge room ( no I'm not kidding).
I brought 6 100ltr wheelie bins, a carton of 120 ltr food safe drum liners and a 20kg pail of food grade diatomacious earth.
I'll have my grain stored by Wednesday next week when the wheelie bins get delivered.

I pulled the trigger on buying a roof rack for the car. Yeah, I brought a set a fortnight ago on-line but the seller tried to rip me off and it was extremely hard to pin them down to demand a refund.
I got my refund and I left them with very little doubt about how disgusted I was with them and their business ethics.
The new set should be arriving by the end of September. Come hell or high water the car is going to be fitted with racks so I can cart my kayaks.

 

[lilmissy]

I have read the only reason for soaking beans Is to get the phytic acid out. Not everyone can tolerate it.
was changing our prep areas around and had stuffed stacked in totes on wheels due to flooding a few years back. Underneath was a tote with different flours in. No bugs in them, but how old is to old on flour? most said to use by 2016. Not much but some, if I have to toss, a lesson learned. Figured I can use the whole wheat on my cabbage plants.

 

[Amish Heart]

I'd try using that flour. If it's gone bad or buggy, make something for chickens to eat if you have any

 

[lilmissy]

No bugs. I remember well, I made an apple pie and it just didnt taste right. Ate the piece anyways, lol. Well middle of the night I felt like I was in the movie Dumb n Dumber when he was given exlax. Here my organic shortening expired 2 months ago. Just dont want to relive that night.
i do have chickens. Never feed them items made with flour. Will have to look that up.

 

[Meerkat]

I have read the only reason for soaking beans Is to get the phytic acid out. Not everyone can tolerate it.
was changing our prep areas around and had stuffed stacked in totes on wheels due to flooding a few years back. Underneath was a tote with different flours in. No bugs in them, but how old is to old on flour? most said to use by 2016. Not much but some, if I have to toss, a lesson learned. Figured I can use the whole wheat on my cabbage plants.

Lilmissy, it also hydrates the beans ,we put a half pot in water in at night bring out a full pot in morning. Beans absorb and swell with liquid.
So far our beans are nice and firm after canning, perfect.

 

[CalicoKatie]

I've been focusing on meat so I bought a freezer. I wanted a smallish upright because trying to reach down into a chest is more than I want to attempt these days. The only upright I could find in stock that wasn't on backorder was a small 3 cu. ft. and it's working fine for me. I've been stocking up on meat when I see a good sale and that little freezer is just about stuffed. This week the 10 pound box of Covered Wagon bacon was on sale for $13.99. This morning I cut all the strips in half and filled quart size freezer bags. Each bag holds about 1 1/2 pounds of bacon and I got 6 1/2 bags - six are in the freezer and the half bag is in the frig to make BLTs tonight. I splurged and bought myself a bread machine and it has a jam cycle so I can do some small batch jam making. The local family owned shop where I buy most of my meat actually has yeast so I've stocked up on that as well. I've always kept a good sized pantry so I haven't had to worry about having food in an emergency but in case the socialists lock us down again and do even more damage, I'm now set for quite a while longer.

 

[Meerkat]

As stated above Mobook- this isn’t the recommendation, but it’s what I do.
For pint jars, add 1/2 cup dried kidney beans and 1/2 tsp salt then fill with water to 1” below rim. Pressure can according to your elevation 40 min.
For quarts: 1 C beans, 1 tsp salt and 50 min.
I have never done quarts for myself- too much for us.

LadyL whatever saves extra work is good for us, may try the no saok next time,I think we have done that before and no problem.

 

[Meerkat]

I've been focusing on meat so I bought a freezer. I wanted a smallish upright because trying to reach down into a chest is more than I want to attempt these days. The only upright I could find in stock that wasn't on backorder was a small 3 cu. ft. and it's working fine for me. I've been stocking up on meat when I see a good sale and that little freezer is just about stuffed. This week the 10 pound box of Covered Wagon bacon was on sale for $13.99. This morning I cut all the strips in half and filled quart size freezer bags. Each bag holds about 1 1/2 pounds of bacon and I got 6 1/2 bags - six are in the freezer and the half bag is in the frig to make BLTs tonight. I splurged and bought myself a bread machine and it has a jam cycle so I can do some small batch jam making. The local family owned shop where I buy most of my meat actually has yeast so I've stocked up on that as well. I've always kept a good sized pantry so I haven't had to worry about having food in an emergency but in case the socialists lock us down again and do even more damage, I'm now set for quite a while longer.

We went with chest freezer in case we had to go solar,so went for less amps.

 

[Grimm]

Started shredding paper (junk mail, the boxes of random kids drawings and sales flyers) for paper bricks. I will let it all soak for a few days before pressing it all for bricks. Next year I hope to start sooner. I was having trouble getting everything done for homeschool and the paper bricks.

Also collected fallen branches from our trees and added them to the seasoning pile next to the firewood rack. Since most of it is thin we should be able to use it this winter as kindling. I just have to remind K not to toss them in the green waste can again!

 

[lilmissy]

Started shredding paper (junk mail, the boxes of random kids drawings and sales flyers) for paper bricks. I will let it all soak for a few days before pressing it all for bricks. Next year I hope to start sooner. I was having trouble getting everything done for homeschool and the paper bricks.

Also collected fallen branches from our trees and added them to the seasoning pile next to the firewood rack. Since most of it is thin we should be able to use it this winter as kindling. I just have to remind K not to toss them in the green waste can again!

How do you do the paper bricks?