preparedness nuggets part 11

8/14/2019 Preparedness Nuggets Part 11

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Preparedness Nuggets Part 11Preparedness Nuggets ..Better Times Cookbook V |Justpeace | Better Times | BobWaldrop.net | Access to Energy Conservation | OnPilgrimage in Oklahoma City | Bookstore | Better Times II | Bulgar Bugle |Mutual Aid (Grassroots home and community scale disaster preparations)

Preparedness Nuggets 11

A Cyberbook of Practical Wisdom for Daily Livinggathered from internet discussion groups and edited for web publication by Mrs.Julianne Wiley .Part the Eleventh

+++Great zucchini salsa for canningGrow potatoes verticallyMore preparedness booksNutrition dataOdd grains/make noodles

Bay leaves for storing riceRootbeer recipeSalsa canning recipeScrounge the used book storesSimplest solar cookerThermos cookingUnusual recipes in old canning booksUsing dried veggiesWater storage informationWell drilling

USING DRIED VEGGIES TOPI'd recommend the book "Stocking up III". It's an all around goodreference...everything from drying foods, canning, making cheese, etc.Zucchini and Summer squash....we have found that we like grating the zucchinibefore drying. I then can rehydrate it quickly for pizza's, soups and breads.The yellow summer squash is our favorite for breads so I do dehydrate some of itgrated but the rest we slice very thin with ourfood processor and dehydrate. It's is a bit tougher when you rehydate it but ifyou steam it while you fry it or steam it while cooking in butter andgarlic...it's just fine.Peppers....I usually just chop those and dry them. Add them to soups and chiliesand such. I've been told you can do strips and they rehydrate OK but have never

tried it myself.----------------------------------------------------------------GREAT ZUCCHINI SALSA FOR CANNING TOPMaria's Zucchini Salsa10 - 15 cups grated unpeeled zucchini ( about 3 - 5 medium zucchinis )8 oz. jalapenos ( the first time I used canned jalapenos and it was mild, then Iused about 3 jalapenos and it was a little spicier -- you can add up to 16 oz.but that's too spicy for me )3 - 5 cups chopped onion ( about 4 medium onions )


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Mix and refrigerate overnight. Use plastic gloves when handling jalapenos. (Ididn't and suffered -- real hot, red hands all night long ) Rinse and drain thenext day.5 - 10 cups chopped tomatoes5 cloves garlic2 cups vinegar1 1/2 cups brown sugar1 gallon tomato sauce

1 tsp. cumin1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes1 tsp. black pepper1 tsp. dry mustard1 TBSP chili powder1 TBSP corn starch2 TBSP cilantro ( coriander )

Simmer above ingredients together with the refrigerated mixture for about 1/2hour. Process pints for 20 minutes or quarts for 45 minutes ( water bath).Pressure canning, process pints at 10 lbs. for 15 minutes. Makes about 17pints.

----------------------------------------------------------WATER STORAGE INFORMATION TOPJust discovered this new site--run by the watertanks.com people-- a place whereyou can post questions specifically about water storage and get answers from thewatertanks folks (and it looks like you can start discussion threads, too,although' the site is too new for that to have happened so far)http://www.paradise-web.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=emessage--------------------------------------------------------WELL DRILLING TOPHere's the info. I'd gotten from well-digger Ken Casey (753-3691) here in UpperEast Tennessee. Things may or may not be different in your part of the countrybecause of geological and/or state regulatory differences.1. Water tables: in East Tennessee, stable: no problems with water table

dropping because of drought.2. Contamination: most well water is contaminated to *some* extent due toleaking city sewer pipes, leaking gas-station underground storage tanks, and/orleaking rural septic systems, farm feedlot (animal manure) and agriculturalnitrate contamination, etc. Advise having it tested and, if necessary, runningit through a purifier that uses UV light.3. Price: Drilling - $10/ft. Casing: $5/ft. The purpose of the casing is to keepthe sides of the well rigid. They use casing in most soils but do not use itonce they hit rock, because then the rocky sides do not need reinforcement. Solet's say you had a 250 ft. well, and the drillers hit rock at 60 feet. The costwould be:(250 x $10) + (60 x $5) = $2500 + $300 = $2800BUT you don't know til you're finished, how deep that well is going to have to

be. It could be 100 feet, or 250 feet, or 500 feet. And so it could end upcosting you, say, $1500 or $5000 or $8000, and WHATEVER it was, you'd have topay for it. Hm.4. Hand-pumping: you can hand-pump maybe 100 feet. For hand-pumping andwindmill-powered pumping, check out the Lehman's catalog online:http://www.GetLehmans.com5. This is an intriguing possibility: you could buy your own drill, and drillyour own water well. You can get a "kit" complete with instructions and a video,from:DeepRock2200 Anderson Road


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P.O. Box 1Opelika, AL 36803-0001They claim that it USUALLY comes out cheaper to dig your own, and then you canuse the rig to dig other people's wells, and make a profit.--------------------------------------------------------------------THERMOS COOKING TOPDid you know you can save lots of energy by cooking many things in a thermos. Ihave cooked beans, wheat and rice in a thermos very successfully. Some beans

require 2 heatings but most things only need the initial heating and more timethan usual.For more information and good instructions go tohttp://kurtsaxon.com/foods06.html--------------------------------SAVING MONEY WITH A THERMOS BOTTLEWheat and rice are the staple foods of billions and, if prepared my way, willfill you up, give you boundless energy; and cost next to nothing.60 pounds of hard red winter wheat, the highest in protein, minerals andvitamins, averages $8.00 (240 breakfasts at 4 cents each). Brown rice, alsohigher in nutrition than white, costs $14.00 for 25 pounds. Also 200 servingssince rice swells twice as large as wheat. These are bought in bulk at any feedand seed store.

I do not mean that wheat and rice, plain, is what I am asking you to live on.When is the last time you have eaten a potato plain? I am simply suggesting youprocess all your food in inexpensive, energy-saving ways and eat better than youever have for less than $10.00 per week.First the thermos. There are three kinds but only one is practical. Forget thecheap, plastic ones lined with Styrofoam. These might cook oatmeal and whiterice but do not have the heat holding power you need. Silvered glass thermosesare fine, but a bump will break them. Also, since you are going to do actualcooking and will use a fork to remove the contents, they will not hold up.The only practical cooking thermos is the Aladdin Stanley. It is lined withstainless steel, is well insulated and will keep steaming hot for up to 24 hoursand holds a quart. It is also unbreakable, with a lifetime warranty. It costs$22.00 at Wal-Mart or can be ordered through any sporting goods store. It would

save you its price in a few days. If you have a family, get two or three.Most foods cook at 180 degrees or more. We are used to boiling, which is 212degrees, and foods do cook faster, the higher the temperature. But if time isnot important, cooking at a lower temperature is even better as most vitaminsare not broken down. Thus, if you cook at a minimum heat, you save nutrition.A great factor in thermos cooking is the saving in the cost of energy. Whereasit would take about two hours to cook whole-grain wheat or nearly an hour tocook brown rice. Thermos cookery takes only five minutes of actual fuel-burningto cook. So youll save as much in energy as you spend on the food.imagine the convenience of thermos cookery in camping, which would save on wood,weight of food carried, and no food odors to alert bears or raccoons.Thermos cookery is also an advantage to anyone living where he is not allowed tocook. There are no cooking odors to tip off the landlord.

First, you need the thermos. Then you need a heat source. If you are in anon-cooking room, buy a cheap, one burner hot plate from your local Wal-Mart,Target, Sears etc. You will need a one quart saucepan. You will also need aspecial funnel to quickly pour the pan's contents into the thermos, plus a spoonor fork to help the last of the food into the funnel.To make the funnel, cut off the bottom four inches from a gallon plastic milkcontainer. If you do not buy milk or cannot find an empty container, go to yournearest Laundromat. You will find in the trash receptacle, an empty gallonbleach bottle. Use that the same as the milk container but wash it until thereis no more bleach odor.The first step in thermos cookery is to fill the thermos with water up to the


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point reached by the stopper. Empty the water into the saucepan and make ascratch or other indelible mark at the water's surface inside the saucepan. Thiswill allow you to put just enough water in the saucepan, as too much will leavefood out and too little will give you less cooking water.Just to test how the cooker works, start with four ounces of wheat. You do notneed to buy 60 pounds. You can buy two pounds from your health food store forabout $.80 This would give you eight meals at 10 cents each. In the evening, putfour ounces in your saucepan, plus a half-teaspoon of salt to prevent flatness,

even if you intend to sweeten it. Fill to the mark with water. (If you have hotwater, let the tap run until it is hottest. Tests have shown that less energy isused in using hot tap water than in boiling from cold.) Bring the contents to arolling boil, stirring all the while. This will take from three to five minutes.Then quickly, but carefully, swirl and pour the contents into the funnel andhelp any lagging matter from the pan to the funnel and into the thermos. Capfirmly but not tightly, shake and lay the thermos on its side, to keep thecontents even.Next morning open the thermos and pour its contents into the saucepan. With fourounces of dry wheat, you will now have at least 3/4 pound of cooked wheat andabout a pint of vitamin and mineral enriched water. It has a pleasant taste.Drink it.You can now put milk and sweetener on it or margarine, salt and pepper, etc. If

you can eat the whole 3/4 of a pound, you will be surprised at how energetic youfeel for the next several hours. An added bonus is its high fiber content.Having tried the four ounce portion, you might next use eight ounces. This willabsorb most of the water. It is unlikely that you could eat a pound and a halfof cooked whole grain wheat. You can either divide it and eat the other half forsupper or if you are a family man, make it the family breakfast food to replacethe expensive brand. If you have children, get them into the act by fantasizingthey are Rangers on a jungle patrol. For lunch, prepare a few ounces ofhamburger or other meat chopped finely, plus chopped potatoes and othervegetables the night before. After breakfast, put these and the right amount ofwater in the saucepan and prepare as usual. At lunchtime you will have a quartof really delicious stew. Since nothing leaves the thermos in cooking, ascontrasted to the flavor leaving stew cooking on the stove, you can understand

the better tasting, higher vitamin content of thermos stew.Lunch and possibly supper should not cost you more than 25 cents if you studythe article on the dehydrator. Jerky and dried vegetable stew is good and costslittle.The brown rice dishes could also be either a main course or desert. Brown ricehas a much greater swelling factor than wheat so four ounces of rice will prettymuch fill the thermos. You can put vegetables and meat in it to cook or try afavorite of mine. It is four ounces of brown rice, 9 cents; one ounce ofpowdered milk, 10 cents in a large box; two ounces of raisins, 22 cents; oneteaspoon of salt; some cinnamon and four saccharine tablets. Cook overnight.This is 46 cents for 1 1/2 pounds of desert.With some experimenting, you can become an expert in thermos cookery. If you aresingle and live alone, you could, conceivably, eat nothing except what you

cooked in a thermos. But if you are married, and especially if you havechildren, don't push it. Even with the economy of this system, it's not worthalienating your family. If your wife doesn't like it, challenge her to make thefood tastier and think up some thermos recipes. You might also tell her theadvantages of thermos cookery.For one thing, she would spend much less time in the kitchen. What with theexpected brownouts, she could do all the cooking in five, ten, fifteen minutes,depending on how many thermos bottles she used. Another important factor isthat, especially during the heat waves, the home would not suffer the added heatfrom the kitchen.I noticed in I believe the Seventh Generation catalog something similar: it's


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actually a slow cooker that works on the same principle. You boil the food....then put it into the cooker. The cooker is non-electric and will keep the foodhot up to 14 hours. I may get one to save on my use of propane for those longstewing things. I've also come to appreciate my 6 qt stainless steel pressurecooker for fast cooking....especially beans.-------------------------------------------------------------SALSA CANNING RECIPE TOPThis is good, but a little tart due to the vinegar in it. My County Extension

home economist says do not alter the recipe, since the time and pressure ofprocessing is dependent on the acidity of the recipe. All in all, I think salsais better fresh or frozen. Has anybody tried dehydrating all the ingredients,and then preparing a "mix" that can be reconstituted with water? Anyway, here yago:5 lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped2 lb. green chili, peeled and chopped1 lb. onion, chopped3 t. salt1/2 t. pepper1 c. vinegarCombine all ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to a boil and simmer 10minutes. Fill jars, leaving 1/2 in. headspace. Adjust lids and process in a

boiling-water canner - pints 20 minutes, 25 minutes if you live above 6000 ft.altitude.-----------------------------------------------------------GROW POTATOES VERTICALLY!! TOPIn North Carolina, potatoes can be planted in the Fall with this method: loosenthe soil; .....lay a car tire on top of it.... put a layer of leaf mulch down onthe ground inside the tire, then lay your potato 'seed' on top. Then applyanother layer of leaf or straw mulch, and then a layer of soil.Roots will begin to grow before it gets too cold because the mulch breakingdown, producing heat, plus the black rubber of the tire absorbs the sun's heatand protects the 'seed.' .Come spring your above ground growing takes place and you have an early,well-established plant. THEN: you keep adding soil and mulch around the bottom

of the plant as it gets taller, covering the bottom inches of the plant butalways leaving 7 - 8 inches of green potato leaves growing up top; and you keepstacking more tires on top. Eventually you have a modest "tower of tires" withthe green part of the plant still growing out the top one.To harvest: just knock over the tire tower. You'll find many dozens of beautifulbig potatoes.--------------------------------------------------------------SCROUNGE THE USED BOOKSTORES TOPGreat day at the used bookstore! I found a pamphlet from our local propanedealer in 1945 on dehydrating food. The directions stated that you stretchcheese cloth over wood frames (attach it with staples or thumb tacks) putvegetables thinly sliced one layer thick on the cheese cloth and in their oven)the pilot light alone would provide enough heat to dehydrate many of the veggies

in about 12 - 48 hours some more dense vegetables might require the warmingsetting.And in the antique book section:1935 Blue canning book. How to can frog legs and meat and make jelly withoutstore bought additional pectin.1916 Poultry book (I raise ducks and a few bantam chickens) It had pictures ofrecommended chicken coups, how to grow oats inside, and incubators with kerosenelamps attached to the side with detailed details.1945 Mirro Pressure cooker book that had wonderful tips on using their newpressure cooker and included scads of recipes. We have a wood/propane stove andI will want to minimize especially in the summer extra cooking time and the


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pressure cooker will help do that and in the winter it will reduce the amount ofpropane needed to cook some things.I also got how to used dried fruit and vegetables pamphlet - all the cook bookscame to less than $6.00 please start scrounging for materials written to helpthe housewives of America from both wars. The writing is endearing and was anobvious way to try to support women who were left on the home front. I wastouched by the care and love that was written in a handout book or pamphlet andwondered if on the other side of this y2k mountain we will all be writing for

new brides and other survivors the same way with as much care. I hope so.-----------------------------------------------------MORE PREPAREDNESS BOOKS FROM TOPhttp://www.shilhavy.com/y2k/bookstore-------------------------------------UNUSUAL RECIPES IN OLD CANNING BOOKS- TOPMy sister loved a book she had: "Better Homes and Garden....Home Canning andfreezing". . Much to her dismay...the book is not being produced anymore....then this weekend while looking at an antique store I found the book for$1.50. My printing has a date of 1986. ISBN: 0696-010607Here's a list of the type of unusual canning recipes included.Old Fashioned Beef StewAll the soup stock recipes

Garden Pea SoupPepperpot SoupChicken Noodle SoupHam-Bean SoupFish StewBasic MeatballsChili Con CarneBasic Ground BeefItalian Meat SauceFish CreoleSwiss SteakChicken ALA KingBeef Stroganoff

Curried LambBarbecue meat for SandwichesIn addition....I seem to have the bumper crop of Eggplant coming on this year. Iwas wondering how on earth I was going to preserve it in a way that we'd eat it.We don't like it fried and mostly put it into Ratatouille. Then I found out Ican can Ratatouille for an instant meal... just cook up some rice...heat the mixfrom the jar for 20 minutes....and dinner is served....almost as fast asmicrowave cooking!.NOTE FROM JUSTPEACE WEBSERVANT: When using old canning recipes, disregard theinstructions for processing times and use the modern times specified by the USDAand found in places like the Ball canning book and etc. The science of homepreservation has done considerable research since older books were published,and thus you need to use the modern version for all home canning purposes.

-----------------------------------------------------NUTRITION DATA TOPThe USDA knows! And you can know as well, by checking their searchable databaseon the Internet, at no charge, paid for by your taxes.To check on foods in general go to: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/ and search thedatabase. E.g., under "squash," one cup of boiled zucchini is completelyevaluated at:http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/list_nut.pl----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ODD GRAINS/ MAKE NOODLES TOP


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Here is my recipe for Noodles...4 med eggs 4 half eggshells water2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. saltflour (can be white, wheat, amaranth, spelt, triticale, rice, bean,etc.)

Mix eggs, water, baking powder and salt thoroughly. Add enough flour to form

stiff dough. (I'm not saying how much flour, because different flours havedifferent absorbency and will require different amounts. Just add til it "feels"like a stiff dough.) Roll out thin and cut into strips. Let dry. Drop intoboiling chicken, ham, or beef broth. Stir lightly. Then cover and boil, withoutstirring, until tender (approx.. 10 minutes).--------------------------------------------------------ROOTBEER RECIPE TOPHere's the recipe:4 gal. water4 lbs. sugar1/2 tsp.. yeast1 PKT OLD HICKORY BRAND ROOTBEER EXTRACTMix water and sugar together til dissolved. Put yeast in 1 pint of warm water to

dissolve. Pour in with water and sugar. Add contents of one bottle of Rootbeerextract. Mix well and bottle immediately. Keep out of sun and let sit 2-3 days.Here are the amendments we make: NO YEAST - we like it better without it. Wedon't bottle it, we just let it sit in a cool place overnight in a stonewarecrock.-----------------------------------------------------SIMPLEST SOLAR COOKER TOPCheck the following web site for solar cooking:http://www.accessone.com/~sbcn/minimum.htmit is called the minimum solar box cooker Lots of do-it-yourself information.-------------------------------------------------------------PUT BAY LEAVES ON YOUR STORED RICE TOPThe only advice I can offer regarding that fact that I've kept my brown rice for

a couple of years is (1) freeze the grain for 24 hours (in 5-lb batches, if youdon't have room in your freezer to do it all at once)--- this kills any livebugs or bug eggs that may already be there; and (2) put bay leaves on top ofevery grain container that you store. This will deter any NEW bugs from gettingin. I buy the big container of bay leaves at Sams and I put the leavesall over the top. Works with any dried grain, seed or bean you're trying tostore: bay leaves repel insects.

Better Times Cookbook V | Justpeace | Better Times | BobWaldrop.net | Access toEnergy Conservation | On Pilgrimage in Oklahoma City | Bookstore | Better TimesII | Bulgar Bugle | Mutual Aid (Grassroots home and community scale disaster

preparations)

preparedness nuggets part 11

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