June 2013 Newsletter

The Gardening Corner:  Now is the time to finish planting all of your warm season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squashes etc.  If you have Wall-o-Waters around your tomatoes you can remove those now.  Install a trellis next to your climbing crops before they get very tall.  You may have to help each plant start to climb at first.  Keep everything weeded and watered and in about 2 months you will start to harvest.  Plan what you will do with all of your produce.  Start to buy your canners, jars, sugar, vinegar etc for food preservation.  Buy a little at a time.  Once the food is ready to harvest, it does not keep.

Highlight of the Month:  Rain Perfect Solar Powered Rain Barrel Pump System

This pump is made to use solar energy (free), to quickly and easily use the collected rain water in your barrel(s).  Install the pump in about 30 seconds and let the battery charge in the sun.  When you want to use the water you can attach a hose and water your garden with as much pressure as if you were using water from the faucet.  One full charge will pump up to 100 gallons of water.  The pump is a little pricey, but you can move it from barrel to barrel.  To learn more about it you can go to www.rainperfectpump.com  We recently bought one and we are very happy with it.  We have even attached a soaker hose to it and used that to water some shrubs.  I think this will help us to use our stored water more often and not forget about it.  Some people have a row of rain barrels “daisy chained’ together and one pump could be used for all of those also, no need to move it around.

Utah Yellow Dot Program 

www.publicsafety.utah.gov/highwaysafety/yellowdot

    This program is designed to help first responders in the event of a car accident.  The Yellow Dot in the driver’s side rear window alerts first responders that you have a small packet of information for them in your glove box.  The packet helps them to know who you are, and any vital medical information that they or hospital personnel would need.  You can pick up your free packet of Yellow Dot papers and the sticker at any Salt Lake County Library and other locations.  You should fill out an information card for each person in your family who regularly uses that vehicle.  Other states in the country are also using this program.  For those of you who live out of state, google the Yellow Dot program for your state.  Even if your state does not participate, it is still a great idea to have info cards like these in your glove box in case you are not able to communicate after an accident. 

July 2013 Newsletter

Thinning the fruit on your fruit trees:  If you have not thinned the fruit on your fruit trees yet this year, you need to do it right away.  Fruit trees only have so much energy stored for fruit production.  If your tree has produced too many baby fruits and you do not thin them, you will end up with hundreds of fruits that are too small and not ripe in time. You will have nothing to harvest except for a tiny lump of skin and pit.  My apple tree had about 20 baby apples per less than one linear foot of branch.  From one small apple tree I removed about ½ of a 5 gallon bucket of tiny apples!    From each cluster leave the largest or best looking fruit and remove all others.  After thinning you should have only 1 apple or peach for about every 6-8 inches of tree branch.  This will allow the energy to go into the fruits that are left and they will be larger, juicier and worth picking.  There is a nice photo tutorial on the Conservation Garden Park’s Face book page from June 30^th.  In this heat wave be sure that your fruit trees are getting enough water.  Also keep up on spraying your trees for pests on a regular basis.

Topic of the Month:  Powerless Cooking

Did you know that Utah has one of the nation’s worst power grids?  We could lose our power due to a snowstorm that downs power lines, an earthquake and hurricane force winds that take down power lines too.  It could be days or weeks before the power comes back on.  Before this happens to your family there are several steps to take to prepare.

1)      Decide how you will cook your food and choose a variety: gas and propane grills, Coleman camp stoves, Dutch ovens, wood burning stoves, solar oven, fire pit etc.  Learn which of these methods can safely be used indoors and which cannot.

2)      Have proper tools and equipment. These include the pots, gloves, tongs, lid lifter, etc.

3)      Decide which kinds of fuel you will need and how to properly store it.  Have a place to store your fuel safely outdoors.  

4)      Purchase a fire extinguisher if you don’t have one and know how to use it.  (PASS-Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep).  Keep your extinguishers updated.

5)      Make sure you have enough matches (1,000-2,000 is not too many).

6)      Practice cooking using your various powerless methods.

7)      Practice safety around flames.

8)      Store some foods that are easy to cook or can just be warmed up.  Even make a list of good powerless meals to keep on hand so you can find those foods quickly in an emergency.  You can eat those foods while you are gathering your supplies and getting things organized once the emergency has set in.

August 2013 Newsletter

The Gardening Corner:  Fruit Trees

Fall is the perfect time to plant new fruit trees.  Many local nurseries will have their trees on sale or you can order them from gardening catalogs.  Most young fruit trees will cost you around $30 each.  There are some things to keep in mind when deciding what tree to buy.

1)      Order a tree with the fruit that your family likes.

2)      Be sure to plant it in a spot where it will have room to grow to full mature size without going completely into the neighbor’s yard.

3)      How much fruit do you want to harvest? And how much room do you have?

4)      Will you need another variety of the same fruit for pollination?

Standard Size trees can reach up to 25 ft tall and wide at maturity.  They will produce a lot of food, but even with a ladder it will become too tall to harvest, prune and spray most of the tree.  For a city/suburban yard they will take up a lot of space. Unless you have a lot of acreage this size may be too big.

Semi-dwarf trees can reach up to 12-15 ft tall and wide at maturity.  They produce a lot of fruit for their size.  With a ladder you can still reach the top or close to it, to harvest, spray and prune.  Nice size for a suburban yard.

Dwarf size is very small and will only get up to 8 ft all at the most.  A dwarf will only produce a bushel or less of fruit.  Good size if you do not eat a lot of fruit or you do not plan on canning the fruit.

Pollination:  Most fruit trees will need a pollinator so your trees(s) will produce fruit.  Each tag on the tree will tell you if it needs a pollinator or it if is self-pollinating.  If it needs a pollinator you will need to get a 2^nd tree of the same kind of fruit but a different variety.  This means you may need a Jonathan apple tree and a Delicious apple tree.  Many tree catalogs and nurseries will tell you which varieties to choose from. They will have lists of which trees can cross-pollinate.

If you buy a self-pollinator or you have neighbors just over the fence with a pollinator on their property, you will not need to worry about this.  

Goal of a 3 month supply:  The LDS church in the last few years has changed how it is encouraging members to build up their food storage.  It has become apparent that most members do not have a 1 year supply of food and too many members feel overwhelmed with the thought of working toward that goal and give up.  So, with that in mind, the church is now telling us to have a goal of a 1 month supply of food.  (basic, everyday foods you commonly eat.)  Then build up to a 3 month supply of these same foods.  After you have those foods, keep building up your storage until you have at least a 1 year supply of your foods, cleaners and toiletries.  Could your family make do without needing to go to a grocery store for a year? The ultimate goal your family should be working on is a 1 yr supply, not just 1-3 months.  The average time for a full-time worker to find a new job making a decent wage is still 8-9 months.

Storing sugars and Sweeteners:

White sugar:  If stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place it can be stored indefinitely.

Brown Sugar:  It stores well in the original bags if you keep it in a cool, dry place.  It also has an indefinite shelf life.  Put purchase date on each bag.  Personally, I try to keep as many of my foods as possible in something that will keep weevils out.  You could get a 5 gal. bucket or smaller one and keep many bags of brown sugar in there.  Over time brown sugar gets hard.  If using hard sugar you can put some in a smaller container and add ½ slice of bread for a day to soften it. You can also soften it just before using by warming it up in the microwave.

Powdered Sugar:  It can be stored in the original bags in a cool, dark place.

Honey:  Honey can be stored nearly forever!  It does darken with age and will have a stronger flavor but it is still very usable.  Pure Honey will eventually crystallize.  If crystallized, just melt it at a low temperature to use.  If you buy honey in a very large quantity you can transfer it right away to canning jars.  Put the date on a new lid and screw the canning lid band on tightly.

Maple Syrup:  It stores well for at least a year if kept in a cool, dark place.

Jams and Jellies: If kept in a cool, dark place they can be stored for quite a few years. (The only ingredients are berries/fruit, sugar and pectin).  As with any foods, if the lid is not sealed anymore and there is ANY sign of spoilage, you should throw it away.

Agave: Pasteurized Agave produced by C&H has a shelf life of 2 years.

  The Above information was gleaned from an article written by Leslie Probert in the Deseret News.  She is the co-author of “Food Storage in a Nutshell” 3^rd Edition.

Canning Bulk Foods in #10 Cans

Canning Bulk Foods

How many # 10 Cans will I need?

I have estimated these numbers using the most common bulk weights available.  Very often there will be some left-over after canning.  Take the left-overs home and use or store right away.  Please print out and keep with other food storage papers. NOTE: all products need oxygen absorber packets except for sugar.

 

20 lbs      Rice                                 3 cans

25 lbs      Rice                                 4 cans

25 lbs     Oats                                  9 cans

15 lbs     Dried Apple Slices         15 cans

35 lbs     Dried onions, chopped  14 cans

25 lbs     Sugar                                  4 cans

25 lbs     Flour/pancake mix          5 cans

25 lbs    Wheat                                4 cans

50 lbs   Wheat                                  9 cans

35 lbs    Hash browns                   11 cans

25lbs     Beans, various                 5 cans

10lbs pancake mix                        2.5 cans

 

 

 

These items will fit in 1 can:

10 packets of Knorr Rice Mixes such as Spanish Rice.  Open each packet and pour in can.  1 packet is 1 ¼ C.  Write cooking instructions on lid of can.

2 lbs of Rotini pasta

2 lbs of large sea shell pasta

2 lbs of bow tie pasta

2 lbs of egg noodles

3 1/3 lbs of macaroni

3-4 lbs of spaghetti if broken and carefully placed upright in can.

3 lbs of powdered sugar

5 lbs of salt

 

Bagged potato Pearls      (2 bags will fill a can).  1 Full case is 12 bags.  Weavils can eat thru these bags.  It is recommended to put them in cans and seal or put into a 5 gallon bucket.  Potato Pearls have a shorter shelf-life.  Eat within 2-3 years!

 

    

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.) 

October 2013 Newsletter

Things to do this month: 

Stock-up on facial tissues and medicines. Update your immunizations.

Replace batteries in smoke detectors and test them.

Finish harvesting and clean out garden beds.  Empty composter into garden beds and mix in.

Drain hoses and store for the winter.  Turn off and drain all sprinklers.

Clean out gutters.  Check for any water damage. Make repairs as needed.

What to do with Green Tomatoes when frost is in the forecast:

The first option is to cover the tomato plants in the evening and uncover in the morning.  Watch the weather forecast daily, it can change quickly.

If you get tired of covering and uncovering your tomatoes or it is late enough in the season that it will stay too cold for them to ripen, you can pick them while still green.

Pick green tomatoes and place in boxes with alternating layers of newspaper.  Tomatoes, newspaper, tomatoes, newspaper…  Store boxes in the basement.  Check the tomatoes about every-other day.  As they are almost ripe, remove and place in the kitchen to finish ripening.  Then use in sauces or can or freeze. There are several recipes in the Ball Blue Book that use green tomatoes.  They will have a slightly different texture ripening this way but they will ripen.  This is a slow method, yes, but at least they will not go to waste.  I have a couple family members who grew up in Idaho and they did this and I finally had to start doing this.  It really works.  If you have lots of tomato plants you could be canning well into November. 

Product Highlight of the month:   Fruit Picking Basket/Harvester

If you have fruit trees, this little tool will be very handy.  Use it to reach fruit that is out of reach, even with a ladder.  No more leaving tons of fruit at the top of the tree for the birds.  Attach the basket to a pole or broom stick.  The “fingers” at the top are bent and will grab limbs with fruit.  Give the basket a tug and the fruit will fall into the basket.  It will hold several apples at a time.  It comes with a foam cushion in the bottom. These are sold on-line through several different retailers.

November 2013 Newsletter

We are just starting on our food storage, what should we store first?

I get asked this question a lot.  Here is my advice:

1)      Store a little bit of water, even if you do not have much room such as living in an apartment.  You can buy nice, sturdy containers that are stackable.  There are many styles, sizes and prices.  Do what you can afford to do.  You can also start with re-using empty juice or soda bottles. Rinse, fill with clean tap water and store in a dark place.  It is not a good idea to re-use milk bottles.  You do not need to pre-treat the water with Clorox if you are using a reliable source such as treated city water.

2)      Think of your family’s favorite meals.  What do you eat the most often?  Start with storing those foods.  If your family eats lots of rice, store lots of rice.  If you do not like rice, but eat lots of pasta, store pasta. Do not spend time or money on storing things your family does not like! The kids eat a lot of peanut butter?  Buy a lot of that!

3)      Try to have a variety of foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains and meats.  Also have some oils and basic spices on hand so you can prepare as many different meals as possible.  After you have a little bit of lots of things, keep adding to your stockpile.  

4)      In case of a power outage or some other disaster I think it is a good idea to have a few quick and easy to prepare foods on hand that you can eat while you are getting other things settled.  Some things that could fit in this category would be canned stew, soups or chili or MRE’s that you do not even have to heat up to eat.  Have at least one non-electric can opener on hand for all of your canned foods.

How do I work on my food storage on a budget?

We have always had a tight budget and have never been able to spend a tax return on a bunch of food storage.  What we do have has been built up over many years and by employing several methods. I will list them below.

1)       Study the grocery store ads and buy the things you use when they are on sale.  When an item in on sale buy more than 1 of that item.  Take advantage of 2 for 1 sales.

2)       Use coupons and shop case lot sales.

3)      Go to the Home Storage Center (HSC) several times a year and buy a little bit of dry packed foods each time.

4)      If you have a yard, plant a garden.  If you live in an apartment ask a friend or family member is you can share garden space in their yard.

5)      If you have a yard, plant at least 1 fruit tree.  Learn how to can, freeze or dry the fruit.

6)      Watch for sales on non-foods too.  I have noticed that at least 1 time a month such things as tooth paste and deodorants are on sale for $1 each.  If you use coupons you can get them for free or only 50 cents each.  Even if you only buy 2 extra each month for that price, soon you will have a bunch and get to where you are never paying full price anymore.

7)      I only buy the meats that are on sale for my budget.  When there is a spectacular deal on meat I stock up on a bunch of it and freeze it.  You can also pressure can meats in quart jars if you have the equipment.

8)      The less you eat out the cheaper your food budget will be.  Take the money you would have spent on a couple restaurant dinners and put that toward longer term foods.  This is a big deal.  I know lots of families that spend as much on restaurant meals each month as our family’s monthly food budget.