September 2013 Newsletter

Good items to dry-pack in #10 cans:  wheat, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, pastas of all kinds, white rice, (no brown rice), all dry beans, pancake mix, powdered milk, cocoa, and puddings.

Nearly all of the Home Storage Centers in the church are now offering all of the dry goods already in the #10 cans.  You do not need to do the work yourself.  You can buy your foods in bulk, by the can or by the case.  The Sandy Home Storage Center now takes ALL forms of payment.  You can find an order form online at www.providentliving.org to search for it if needed, look under “self-reliance”, then “food storage”, and then “Home Storage Center Order Form”. 

Product Highlight of the month:   Ball Blue Book and Bottled Lemon Juice

                           

If you plan on doing any canning, freezing or dehydrating this fall you will want to have both of these products.  “The Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving” not only shows you everything you need to know about canning, it also covers freezing and dehydrating.  It also has hundreds of recipes and great color photos.  This book is usually in stock anywhere canning supplies are sold.  The lemon juice is a great and cheaper alternative to Fruit Fresh.  Use it in cold water to preserve the color of fruits such as peaches, pears and apples before placing in your canning/freezing containers.  You can also add 2 T. to each quart of tomatoes to increase the acidity.  Most stores carry a generic version of this name brand product.

The "must-have-book" for canning

bottled lemon juice can be used in place of Fruit Fresh

What to do with all of those tomatoes:  Tomatoes are one of the most versatile fruits/veggies to grow.  Bottle them whole, make your own bottled tomato juice, make salsa, or make meat-less spaghetti sauce and bottle.

Wendy’s no-measure canned Spaghetti sauce 

Lots of ripe tomatoes, scalded and peeled

Chopped onions and garlic cloves (can use dehydrated onions)

Fresh or dehydrated bell peppers, chopped

Italian seasoning or 1 bay leaf and basil, oregano, salt and pepper

Do not add any meat or cheese products to this at this time!

(Sorry this does not have measurements.  Sometimes I just cook like Grandma did, to taste.)  Simmer for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  Mash tomatoes with a potato masher too.  Once it reaches the consistency you desire, pour into prepared quart canning jars.  Wipe rims clean and place prepared lids and rings on.  Process in a waterbath or steam canner for 40 mins.  When ready to use, just open jar and add to cooked ground beef if desired. Add in the parmesan cheese before serving. (If you were to put cooked ground beef in it before processing, it would HAVE TO BE PRESSURE CANNED.)