April 2015 Newsletter

Pressure Canning Dried Beans

You can buy your dried beans in bulk and then pressure can them.  It is easy and will save you money. It costs about half as much as the case lot sales.

·         If you know the basics of canning and own a pressure canner you can easily can your own dried beans.  The cost not counting the jars, will be about 25 cents per pint.

·         Buy your choice of bulk dried beans in a 20-25 lb. bag.

·         You MUST pressure can them.  If you use a water bath canner, the enzymes will not be killed and they will get botulism.  Botulism can kill you!

·         Put your beans in a large bowl or pot.  Keep in mind that they will double to triple in size.  Cover with water and a lid.  Soak the beans for 12-24 hrs.

·         Drain the beans, rinse and cover with fresh water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.

·         Ladle the beans and the cooking water into clean, hot jars.  Add 1 tsp of salt if desired to each pint.  Leave 1/2 inch headspace.  Wipe the rims of jars and place a new lid and a ring.

·         Process in a PRESSURE canner for 1 hr and 15 minutes at 15 lbs pressure for UTAH.

·         Beans will be soft and ready to serve right out of the jar.

·         www.simplycanning.com/canning-dried-beans.html

·         I recently tried this myself and it was very easy and I would say it was a success!  I probably won’t buy store bought, canned beans again.

·         I paid $17 for a 20 lb bag of black beans.  And I have only canned ½ of the bag and already got 38 pints.  10 lbs=38 pints!

Notes from our Feb. 7^th CPR Class: We learned some valuable information during our class from Dave Bresnahan who has visited Emergency Shelters during an emergency.  Here is what he had to say.

·         

A 72 hr kit is only a START. It really should be good for AT LEAST 5 days to start.  If you need to evacuate take the kit with you. That is what it is for.

·         Use the Emergency Shelter as your last resort!   If you can stay in your home, that should be your first choice.  If you have a camper or tent, you can live in that in your yard and also keep an eye on your property.  Another option would be to stay with family or friends.  The shelters will only provide you with 4 walls and a cot if you are lucky.  They will be ill-equipped and over-whelmed.

·         Take all the toilet paper you can if you go to a shelter.  It will be like GOLD!  They never have enough.

·         Also include in your kit activities for you and your kids to do to pass the time.  They will not have games etc to occupy you.  Can you imagine a bunch of bored kids in this situation?

·         Other notes from this class pertaining to medical issues.

·        

Blood is dangerous for 72 hrs wet or dry.  Always use gloves and clean up properly.  It is actually a Hazmat issue.

·         Always have a CPR mouth shield on hand or several if you can manage it.  Also have gloves and handkerchiefs and bandanas in your medical kit.

·         Syrup of Epicac is not the best.  Go to a pharmacy and buy ACTIVATED CHARCOAL in liquid form.  You will need 1 whole bottle for a child and 2 bottles for an adult.  Make the person drink the whole bottle and then Call 911 anyway!  The patient has to drink it while still conscious.  This will work only for medicines like an over dose, not for caustic chemicals.  Poison control is 800-222-1222 and is at the U of U Hospital.

·         For Anaphylaxis- use 1 Epi-pen injector, then 20 mins later use the 2^nd one.  (You should always have 2 on hand).  Then get emergency help.

·         Snake bites:  For a rattlesnake bite, you need to get anti-venom within 2 hours.  You will not die, but you will lose a limb or fingers.  Snake bite kits don’t work and neither does sucking on the bite.