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+--- Thread: Food preservation & preperation (/Thread-Food-preservation-preperation)
Food preservation & preperation - ColdBlueSteel - 06-22-2011
OK team members. Here's the start of a thread to share knowledge about preserving food and prepping foodstuffs to pack into your bug out bag or to stock up your bol.
I'll start it off with an old fruit snack known to us old farts as fruit leather. You younger members would probably recognize the brand name "fruit roll ups". Same thing.
Easiest one to do is apple. Either pick some ripe apples and make applesauce or buy a jar of apple sauce at the store. Pour it out onto a solid dehydrator tray and start the unit up. When it's dry, peal it off the tray and dust lightly with cornstarch. Just enough to cut the tack off the surface. Place it on a piece of wax paper or "saran wrap". Roll snugly and cut it into pieces. I cut mine from 1 to 2" wide. Store in a cool dark place. Preferrably in a jar or other airtight container. Vac packed product will keep longer and is easier/lighter to pack into your bob.
Variations on a theme include dusting with cinnamon before it's dried. Stir some rasins into the sauce before you put it on the tray. Whatever strikes your fancy. I've had excellent results adding a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract to the applesauce. Sounds funky but everyone who's tried one really like them.
I just got done making strawberry leather. 2 parts of strawberries to one part applesauce. Pitch it all into a blender together and grind em up. Pour onto dehydrator trays and finish them up just like the apple ones.
Blueberries are the next ones I'll make. 2 parts blueberries to one part applesauce also.
These "treats" are an excellent way to pack a lot of calories into a small space.
RE: Food preservation & preperation - opie - 06-22-2011
That is awsome! I guess its time to invest in a new dehydrator and vaccume sealer.
RE: Food preservation & preperation - Chicago Ted - 06-23-2011
Thanks for the tip. Will try this out today.
RE: Food preservation & preperation - NoMoreOp4 - 06-23-2011
shelf life?
RE: Food preservation & preperation - ColdBlueSteel - 06-23-2011
Shelf life is determined by many factors. Moisture content, storage temperature, exposure to light, humidity etc.. I vac pack mine and keep surplus in jars in the basement. I've had some for years (5-6) and it's still good. For you guys without a dehydrator, you could try a cookie sheet for a tray and place in an oven with the door propped open a bit. Similar/same as making jerky. One of the big names in bag storage makes special bags and a hand operated vac pump. May be worth a try. I don't have any experience with it myself but I know a long haul trucker who uses one to pack lunchmeat & leftovers to take along in the mini fridge he has in his truck.
RE: Food preservation & preperation - ColdBlueSteel - 06-23-2011
Chicken anyone?
The subject that got this thread started. We can chicken. Lots of chicken. One of the local stores runs some very good specials with a 10 lbs minimum. A case is 40 lbs which makes a decent amount to do in an evening. I prefer to use thighs but any cut will work, including breasts. We skin and debone the chicken but neither is necessary. We remove the skins to reduce the fat content and the bones so that there is more meat in the jar. A 40 lb case of thighs yields about 26 pints.Pack the meat into the jars ( we do pints ) leaving an inch of air space at the top of the jar. A funnel is sold for this purpose. They are cheap and really help to keep the jar rim clean, which is very important. Some people add salt before canning. We don't use any. Prep your lids (wash in hot water with a touch of detergent) Wipe down the rim of the jar with a cloth or paper towel with some vinegar on it. This cuts any grease you may have gotten on the rim. A greasy rim on the jar may prevent a seal. Place your lids on the jars, screw on the bands just snug. Too tight and the jar will break in the canner. Place your jars in a PRESSURE canner and process for 75 minutes at 15 psi. When time is up, remove from the canner and wait for them to seal. It usually only takes a couple of minutes but may take over an hour. When they are sealed and cool enough to handle wipe them down well with a cloth or paper towel with vinegar on it to remove any grease from the exterior of the jar. label and date each jar and test each seal my picking each jar up by the lid, not the band which you should have already removed from the jar. Store in a cool dry place, preferably in a dark area. Shelf life in actuality is several years. Flavor will decline with age, but 1 year old stuff tastes as good as just canned to me. When you use your canned chicken you need to test the seal again before you use it, just to be safe. Pick the jar up by the edges of the lid again. Heat it up before adding any other ingredients or adding to anything you are cooking up. If for some reason it has spoiled in the jar you will know by the smell when it gets hot. Sort of a barnyard smell to it if it's bad.
Don't toss those bones out! Put them in a pot, add some water and steam the meat scraps off the bones. Put the meat and broth in jars and can that too. Great stock for making chicken corn soup. Squirrel and rabbit can be canned this way also, but it's a real pain to do boneless so we can them with the bones in and take them out when we use it.
A short disclaimer here... The FDA specifies a PRESSURE CANNER as the only safe way to can meat products, even though I personnaly know a whole lot of old timers who canned a whole lot of meat without a pressure canner and don't know of one person who contracted botulism.
Next issue.........................BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RE: Food preservation & preperation - Chicago Ted - 06-23-2011
Great info!!!!!!!!, this is something I've been trying to glean more info on but am having difficulty with all the contradictory information out there. My only qualm is:
(06-23-2011, 06:45 PM)ColdBlueSteel Wrote: We remove the skins to reduce the fat content and the bones so that there is more meat in the jar.In a bare bones, survival of the fattest situation, which we clearly are not in, wouldn't it be ideal to keep the skin on? I'm no nutrionist but I've heard stories of mountain men dying with full bellies of rabbit. Eating meat that is too lean will rob your body of necessary fats that your body uses to metabolize certain vitamins like K and a few other important ones.
Also, with your family as the example about how long does that chicken last you? How long could it last you?
Again great info....
Now to find a girl who isn't afraid to get chicken juice on her hands.... The search continues.
RE: Food preservation & preperation - YukonDon - 06-24-2011
This info is just awesome. Thanks CBS for sharing! Now, to go buy a pressure canner.
RE: Food preservation & preperation - NoMoreOp4 - 06-24-2011
Yet another thing to add to the list of purchases for the BOL haha.
What is the longest shelf life of any food that can be stored (that is worth storing)? I feel like until I have a legitimate set up, only storing the items that will last the longest would be an efficient use of my time and money. Food stores are my weakest link in preps right now (I know its bad), unfortunately I just don't have the income right now to spend on food preps, my shooting and other outdoor activities, and normal expenses.
RE: Food preservation & preperation - ColdBlueSteel - 06-24-2011
(06-23-2011, 09:29 PM)Chicago Ted Wrote: Great info!!!!!!!!, this is something I've been trying to glean more info on but am having difficulty with all the contradictory information out there. My only qualm is:In a bare bones, survival of the fattest situation, which we clearly are not in, wouldn't it be ideal to keep the skin on? I'm no nutrionist but I've heard stories of mountain men dying with full bellies of rabbit. Eating meat that is too lean will rob your body of necessary fats that your body uses to metabolize certain vitamins like K and a few other important ones.
[quote='ColdBlueSteel' pid='29106' dateline='1308872739']
We remove the skins to reduce the fat content and the bones so that there is more meat in the jar.
There's a big difference between chicken and wild rabbit. Even skinned & deboned the canned thighs have a layer of grease on the top after canning. The rabbit and squirrel may have a couple of drops, maybe. Keep in mind you cannot live on meat alone. Eat nothing but meat, especially extremely lean meats like rabbit and you will die, just like if you ate nothing but rice. The plains indians made it through the winters by making and storing pemmican. Ground up jerky with berrys, grains, whatever carb source they could mix in.
Bottom line is we have bread into our livestock an unhealthy amout of intramuscular fat. Most game animals and birds don't have it. They carry their fat in the abdominal cavity first and then build the extramuscular layer that we see when we skin them.
Also, with your family as the example about how long does that chicken last you? How long could it last you?
Again great info....
26 pints will last my wife and I about 18 months. I try to keep 2 batches on hand. Usage is in stir fry, soup etc. so there is a good bit of "extender" added when it gets used.
To find a woman who doesn't mind the chicken juice on her hands, try cruising Amish country
(06-24-2011, 08:45 AM)NoMoreOp4 Wrote: Yet another thing to add to the list of purchases for the BOL haha.
What is the longest shelf life of any food that can be stored (that is worth storing)? I feel like until I have a legitimate set up, only storing the items that will last the longest would be an efficient use of my time and money. Food stores are my weakest link in preps right now (I know its bad), unfortunately I just don't have the income right now to spend on food preps, my shooting and other outdoor activities, and normal expenses.
Longest shelf life is with dried grain/beans stored in a vacuum. From info I have read on the web, 30 years is easily doable. White rice sucks from a nutrition standpoint. Beans provide fiber, vitamins and protein.
As far as canned product goes, I really don't know. I wouldn't throw anything away unless the jar lost it's seal. If I can remember the next time I'm in the store I'll check to see if any of the cans of meat products are stamped with an expiration date. Meat should last just as long in a jar as it does in a metal can. The only diff would be the glass lets light in which would accellerate the degredation.
To hold down cost....yard sales! Jars are quite often found there and you may come across a canner. Even a standard canner can be used for acidic foods safely. Some foods only need the addition of some lemon juice to get the ph down. For those willing to ignore the offical government guidelines, a standard canner can be used. I know a LOT of people who are afraid of pressure canners. They are afraid they will blow up. I have a relative who's wife cans a lot of deer meat every year (for about the last 40 years) and hasn't had a problem. I'm not advocating anyone do this. If you do, it's on you.
With that said, a standard canner is just a large pot with a lid and a rack so the jars don't sit directly on the bottom.
And don't forget estate sales. Maybe not so much in the cities but for those who are in or near rural areas there are auctions at farms all the time. Canners and jars usually go dirt cheap unless the amish are there. Just know the value of what you are buying. I've seen people get bidding fever and pay more at an auction than they could have for new.
Bacon.........
Food of the gods, staff of life and all that stuff. What's life without bacon?
U will need quart jars for this one along with parchment paper. Thick sliced bacon works best. The thin sliced stuff crumbles up to easily when browned.
Lay parchment paper out on a flat surface. Place individual strips of bacon on the paper. Try not to overlap but it won't hurt if you do, it will just stick together. Roll the paper/bacon into a tube. Not too tightly. Fold over and stuff into a quart jar. Put your cleaned lid on, screw on the band snug, not tight and put in your canner. Process for 90 mins @ 15 psi.
A quart jar should hold about a pound of bacon. There will be a considerable amount of air space left in the jar. No worries here, it won't hurt.
When you want to consume, just dump it out and unroll. Can be browned in a pan or in the microwave. Keep in mind this stuff is already cooked. It will brown quickly. The microwave works best for us. The tenderizing effect of the pressure canner makes this stuff difficult to turn over in the frying pan and keep it in one piece.
While we are on the breakfast foods, sausage works well also. We can both loose and link sausage. Both need browned a little before canning to improve flavor and to keep the loose stuff from sticking together in a nasy clump.
For the loose stuff fry it all a bit until it's lost the "pink" on the outside. Remove half from the pan and continue to brown the rest until it's to your preference. Mix with the undercooked stuff and pack into jars. Leave 1 inch headspace at the top. Process 90 mins at 15 psi. For the links, use a lot of heat and brown it. Doesn't need to be cooked through. Just brown the "skin" so it reduces the tendency to stick together in the jar. Pack and leave 1" headspace. Don't use sausage that has sage in it unless you like bitter sausage!!!!!!!!! "country" sausage works fine. You can even make a "smoked" version by adding some liquid smoke to the jar before you process it. It can be found at "Giant" grocery stores in the aisle with the spices, at least at our local Giant it's there and even comes in a mesquite variety.
Ground beef or hamburger can be done the same as the loose sausage. We pack the loose sausage or burger into pint jars. For some variety, and a quick meal, Try mixing taco seasoning into the the burger. A pint jar holds about a pound, which is what most of the recipes on the seasoning packets call for. We can have the meat ready for taco's qucker than we can cut up the lettuce, tomato etc..