Wooden Spoon #4: Bottled meat, beans for butter

Bottling meat takes a little time but you more than make up for it in the time saved cooking meat every meal.

Bottle in the winter. My favorite time to bottle meat is after Thanksgiving and when I don't mind heating up my house with the warmth of the stove.

Buy meat any time on sale and freeze it until you can bottle it.

If my freezer goes out do I have enough bottles on hand to bottle the meat?

When power goes out your freezer will act like a cooler and will keep foods frozen for up to a week if the door is kept closed. You would be able to take batches of meat out of the freezer and bottle it.

Equipment: Pressure cooker, plain salt, (if power goes out, do you have propane burner to use and spare propane?)

Raw Pack: You fill your bottles with raw chunks of meat and add salt. No Water. Advantage: faster than par cooked.

Par-cooked: You precook your meat partially or fully. Fill the jars with meat chunks then fill the remaining area with water and salt. Advantage: you can fit more meat in every bottle and you have a nicer looking broth.

Both methods pressure cook for the same amount of time.

Go to http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

for the Complete guide to home canning. This is a great resource that you can print off of the Internet. There is a great section on canning meat.

What kinds of meat can I bottle?

Chicken, rabbit, turkey, ham, beef, ground meat, clams, fish, oysters, smoked fish, tuna.

How do I use it?

Use it the same way you would if you cooked the meat for any meal!

Sandwich meat, soup, enchiladas, tacos, casserole, omelets, etc.

Beans for Butter

Use cooked beans (either canned or dry beans that you've cooked). Puree them in a blender, or mash with a fork. Liquid may be added to adjust the consistency. Mash until the cooked beans reach the consistency of shortening. Use 1 cup mashed beans for 1 cup margarine, butter, or oil.

Using beans will make you cookies more cake-like. They won't be very moist right out of the oven, but will be soft – don't over bake! Bake until the outside edges have just turned brown the cookies will be moister as the days go by and seem to taste better the next day.

If you make a big batch freeze most of them or they will get too moist in the cookie jar. They also taste great right out of the freezer! The beans help them so they don't get too hard.

If you like crisp cookies- don't use beans in a recipe because they will always be soft!

1 cup dry beans = 2 ½ – 3 cups cooked

1 can beans = 1 2/3 cups

Beans can be frozen either cooked whole or pureed. Both ways work equally well. This is a great way to always have cooked beans on hand.

The other way is to bottle them. Soak overnight and fill quarts up to where the jar begins to narrow add 1 tsp plain salt and pressure cook 90 min. at 13-15 lbs pressure. My favorite way!

Wooden Spoon #5: Gardening

Timing

Timing is critical for growing good transplants. Check charts and “count back” to establish a seeding date. For example frost tolerant plants may be set into the garden in our area in the first part of April . Susceptible plants shouldn't be planted until June unless protection is provided.

Planting mix

The best soil for starting seeds is loose, well drained, fine-textured and low in nutrients. To prepare a soil having these properties blend equal parts, sand, vermiculite or perlite, and peat moss. For small gardens just buy a seed starting mix.

If you use soil from your garden to start seeds it must be sterilized to prevent fungal diseases. Place dirt in shallow pan and bake 175 degrees for 30-45 min. This makes your house stink so if you can – just buy soil parts!

Preparing to plant

Fill containers with moistened soil mix.

Container choices:

*Label your plants because you will forget!!!

If you recycle flats or pots or containers – clean them well. Soak pots

in water and scrub them well to remove dirt and fertilizer crust. Sterilize them by soaking in a solution of one part chlorine bleach and 10 parts water. Allow to dry thoroughly before filling them with soil.

After planting, cover with plastic wrap or plastic lid. Set them where they can be kept between 75 and 80 degreed unless otherwise specified. The containers need no further water until after the seeds have germinated. * Do not place them in sunlight you will bake your seedlings and kill them

Can use seedling mats placed on top of a water heater or use a space heater to warm one room in your house.

Once the seeds germinate and pop up you must remove the plastic.

Peat pots or Jiffy 7's are useful for cucumbers, and melons. Those plants transplant poorly if roots are damaged. Read instructions and plant 2 or 3 seeds to each pellet and cover with plastic as above.

Raising Seedlings

As soon as the seeds germinate, remove plastic sheeting and place seedlings in the light.

Placing containers in a window sill is usually unsatisfactory. The light only comes from one direction and if you have too many cloudy days your seedlings won't mature into strong plants.

For best results grow seedlings under closely controlled lighting conditions. Florescent light on a timer placed right above seedlings is adequate 2 inches above foliage. Turn lights off at night plants need to rest too. Do not buy expensive plant lights. A shop florescent light works just fine. Keep it close to foliage.

After initial germination expose seedlings to lower temperature 55 at night and 65-70 in the day for husky development. Spindly plants are caused by too little light, high temperatures, and lack of fertility.

Watering and fertilizing

After the plastic is removed, the new plants must be watered frequently and they must be fertilized. You can do both at once by using a solution made by mixing one tablespoon of soluble fertilizer in one gallon of water or use ½ strength. Water carefully and do not wash out seedlings. When they are small use a mister or spray bottle to apply solution in fine mist.

Make sure the soil can drain do not let seedling sit in water.

Transplanting

When seeds develop 2 true leaves thin into individual pots or cell flats.

Using a knife or spatula dig deeply under the seedlings in the container and lift out a group of plants all at once. Let the group of seedlings fall apart and pick out individual plants. Handle them only by the leaves do not pinch the stem, do not touch the root.

Poke a hole in your cell with a sharped pencil deep enough to allow the root to be vertical in the cell then press the soil around the baby roots. No air pockets as this will dry out the root and kill the seedling.

Continue watering and fertilizing until time for transplanting.

Hardening Off

About 10 days before transplanting in the garden, gradually expose plants to cooler temperatures and slightly less water. Protect plants from freezing and wind.

I like to start with a few hours a day outside and increase it. Then make a triangle frame using PVC and plastic to cover at night ( if there is wind tie down your frame.)

A stocky transplant with dark green color should be the final product. The day before transplanting: water with a full-strength water soluble fertilizer. When plants are set in the garden, water with the same fertilizer mix.

Damping off

If your seeds rot or seedlings collapse and die you probably have contracted a fungal disease known as damping off. To prevent damping off, use sterile soil and containers. You can also treat the seeds with a powdered fungicide. Coat seeds before planting and read instructions. If damping off appears in your seedlings despite precautions, throw away seedlings, soil and containers then start over.

Using the seed germination table

Light requirements for seeds vary. Some seeds require light to germinate while others require total darkness. Those seeds needing a light requirement to germinate can be sown directly on top of the soil and kept moist. Those that do not require light are covered with soil so that light does not penetrate. Temperatures also vary for good germination.

The following germination groups are based on the seeds' environmental requirement for maximum germination. This does not mean that seeds will not germinate under different conditions from those indicated but that germination is best under these conditions.

The number of days to germinate indicates the approximate number of days required for proper germination. Time may be lengthened or shortened depending on watering practices and soil/air temperatures.

Total crop time indicates the number of weeks needed to obtain a plant suitable for transplanting into the home grounds when grown at 60 degrees.

Comments

This lets you know how much light the seedlings need to thrive and other helpful info.

Seed Saving

Seeds are living hibernating embryos. They have a lifespan and survive longest if kept cool, dark and dry.

Self-pollinating flowers Some flowers on plants have both male and female parts. These types of plants often self-pollinate before the flower even opens (the flower getting bumped or blown in the wind and the pollen falling on the stigma.) Others open and need insects to help fully pollinate.

Monoecious other plants like squash and melons have separate male and female flowers and to ensure a true pollination it is recommended to hand pollinate these for purity. Otherwise our little bee friends will give you a surprise and you will have cross-pollinated offspring

Dioecious some plants only produce male flowers or female flowers (like spinach) and need the companion plant to pollinate properly

Root to seed some root veggies like carrots and beets are harvested or mulched then covered in the garden in the fall and replanted in the spring. The root will produce flowers and seeds in the second year.

Hybrid Seeds come from pollination between genetically distinct or different parents. Hybrid seeds can be very beneficial in a garden as they often are more disease resistant and more prolific. The disadvantage of hybrid seeds can be complete sterility so that they will not produce offspring.

In a survival situation, I would save my seeds from hybrids and plant them because if something does grow it will be edible.

Open-pollinated variety or Heirloom seeds

These are seeds that are not hybrid and result from pollination between the same or genetically similar parents. If you want to save your seeds you need to start with this type of seed. They are usually labeled heirloom seeds in the catalogs.

If you know you want to save certain seeds read the info before you plant because some plants need to be really far away from your other plant varieties to keep the seeds pure.

How do I identify male and female flowers?

Always gather seeds from the fruit that has the qualities you want. Remember you are playing genetic engineer and you can even develop strains of plants with the qualities you want them to have, Bigger fruit, shorter development season, fruit color, flavor. I have a great uncle who even creates his own flowers and names them after his sisters. When you get comfortable the ideas start flowing!

A great resource for short growing season plants or high-altitude gardening is www.seedstrust.org they are great to work with and you can download the complete book on seed saving off their web site. There is a vegetable section and a wild flower section. Ever wanted to have Indian paint brush in your flower garden? Well it's in there.

Wooden Spoon #6: cheese, kefir, evaporative cooler, egg storage, well bucket

There are many ways to make cheese. Here are two ways. If you enjoy it, look up homemade cheese on the Internet and there are hundreds of ways to make it.

Cheese can be made from raw milk or pasteurized milk from the store do not use ultra-pasteurized milk (this has been super-heated and will not make cheese.)

You can use skim to whole milk. More fat in the milk creates a creamier tasting cheese. You do not need the cream for the cheese to form.

TOOLS: Use only stainless steel pans and a good thermometer (digital)

Mozzarella

1 gallon milk

¾ cup cool water

1 ¼ tsp citric acid

(get this on line or Kathy's herb shop)

½ tablet rennet

(Junket available at Terrel’s in Mt. Pleasant above the pudding)

Salt about 1 tsp

In ¼ cup of the water dissolve rennet and set aside

In the remaining cup dissolve citric acid

Pour acid mixture into bottom of you pan then add the milk and stir vigorously. Heat the milk to 90 degrees. Take it off the burner and stir in rennet. Cover the pot and let it sit 1-2 hours until the whey looks clear and a clean break is achieved. Now that the curd has formed cut the curd into 1-2 inch pieces and put back on the stove and heat to 105 degrees while gently stirring with a spoon or your hands. When it reaches 105 take it off the stove and let it sit 2-5 min. The curds should sink. Pour off whey (you can save this for bread) and put the curds into a microwave safe bowl. Press a little of the whey out then microwave for 1 min. Drain more of the whey and fold the cheese a few times to mix it. Microwave for another 30 sec. or until the temp of the cheese is 135 - then stretch it and add salt. Keep kneading and stretching it until the cheese is shiny (a pair of gloves makes this easier because the cheese is hot). The more you work it the firmer it will be. Shape it into balls or any other desired shape.

Cheddar

2 gallons milk

cheddar culture (must buy online)

yellow cheese color (opt. must buy online)

1 tablet Junket rennet

1-2 Tbs salt

cheese cloth

cheese press

Put culture in milk the night before and let sit out all night. Dissolve rennet in ¼ cup cool water. Heat milk to 84 and add color (opt); stir in rennet mixture. Let it sit until clean break forms about 45 min to 3 hours. I like to let it set 3 hours then cut the curd into 1-2 inch squares; heat and mix gently with hands to between 95-96 degrees. This will make a soft moist cheese. Keep the curd at this temp and continue to mix until the curd stiffens to a soft scrambled egg texture. Take off heat and let it sit 5 min. curd will sink; pour off the whey. Add salt quickly and mix it into the curds then quickly put it in the cheese press and press for 4-6 hours. Then I take it out and rub the rind with salt and wrap it in a paper towel and put it in the fridge overnight. Then take off the damp paper towel and put it in a plastic bag.

Technically you are supposed to let cheddar age at least 1 month but mine never lasts more than about a week. The flavor does however mature and ripen the older it is I can tell a difference even after 1 week. If you plan to age it be very careful about not getting any bacteria in your cheese while you are making it. It will make it spoil. You can also wax it to store it at 55 degrees or cooler to age it. If you eat it fresh it doesn't have time to grow.

Cheese Press

Kefir

Kefir is a supercharged yogurt it has more kinds of probiotics for digestion and people have claimed all types of health benefits from drinking it. Look it up on line if you want to know.

It tastes like a strong plain yogurt. The cool thing about this is when you get a kefir grain or mother you have an endless supply of kefir.

Kefir eats milk, pasteurized or raw, any kind of milk, sheep, goat, horse, cow, yak. It will grow in milk so you can divide it and share.

Kefir will die if it comes in contact with metal and some sources say plastic is not good either.

Place washed kefir grains into glass or ceramic container then add milk cover with a cloth and let sit on your cupboard or in your oven that is turned off around 24 hours until the mixture looks bonded or like a thickened buttermilk. It will mature best in 70-80 degrees Then take out the kefir and put in a glass cup. Wash the kefir WITH NON-CLORINATED WATER and start over or place in fridge covered in water up to 2 weeks if you let it sit too long you may have a few batches not turn out until the kefir gets charged up again.

Kefir cheese. I love to hang my thickened kefir in a cheese cloth bag and let all the liquid drain off then add salt it taste just like sour cream or cream cheese. I like to add dill and garlic too for chip dip or sandwich spread YUM!!!

You can cook with it like yogurt too but it will make stuff rise more so add a little extra flour.

Evaporative Cooler

I have found two ways to do this. The concept is that when water evaporates it cools the water. This is how your swamp cooler works.

POT IN A POT

This simple cooler is being used in countries where electricity is not available and is currently improving the quality of food and life in these places.

Two earthenware unglazed pots or terracotta one able to fit inside of the other

Place the smaller one inside and fill the gap between with sand. Saturate the sand with water and cover the inside pot with a damp cloth and you are finished!!!!

You must keep the sand wet in order for the evaporative properties to continue to work.

The temperature drop will be from 25-35 degrees below the air temperature surrounding the pots. This is not enough for things like meat or mayonnaise but it will allow produce to last much longer.

The water contained in the sand between the two pots evaporates towards the outer surface of the larger pot where the drier outside air is circulating. By virtue of the laws of thermodynamics, the evaporation process automatically causes a drop in temperature of several degrees, cooling the inner container, destroying harmful microorganisms and preserving the perishable foods inside.

Abba’s first trials proved successful.

Eggplants, for example, stayed fresh for 27 days instead of three, and tomatoes and peppers lasted for three weeks or more. African spinach, which usually spoils after a day, remained edible after 12 days in the Pot-in-Pot storage.

ICE CHEST

The chest is filled with water and place outdoors where it will be completely shaded throughout the day. The chest is open to the night time sky (not under a tree or shade structure.) The lid of the chest is left open at night and closed during the day. Food to be kept cool is placed in jars with water tight lids and the jars are placed in the water filled ice chest.

Tip. Use rain water if you can for this one and you won't get water deposits in the cooler.

EGG STORAGE

I'll spare you the story and just tell you the findings. This is best way I have found to store the eggs.

Use fresh eggs - the fresher the better.

Do not wash them – therefore if the egg is too messy to store wash it and eat it fresh don't try to store it.

Only use eggs that don't have shell blemishes or lumps and bumps (bacteria enters in these spots.)

Coat the egg with Vaseline or shortening (optional)

Submerge eggs in a bucket or pot that has a solution of pickling lime (in the canning section of the market) salt and water. The liquid is 16 parts water, 2 parts lime, 1 part salt. Boil the water then add the lime and salt while hot. Let cool then add eggs.

1 gallon of solution is enough to cover 4 dozen eggs.

The eggs must remain submerged so you can get a plastic lid and weight it with a brick or other weight.

Keep the bucket in a cool place but don't allow to freeze. Basement or storage room is cool enough 60 degrees or below

Eggs stored this way will last 8-12 months… just right to get through the winter. The whites will become more runny as the egg gets older so you won't be able to make meringue. The wall of yolks will also soften but they are still good.

WELL BUCKET

In the event of a disaster the only source of clean water may be from that well that supplies your house. Remember in the event of a Nuclear attack the surface water is not safe to drink for quite a while.

SUPPLIES: 1 ¼' PVC pipe about 4-5 feet long.

Marble

spacer

reducer

long wire ore string or baling twine enough to lower the bucket to the water at the bottom of your well.

1 bolt to drill into the top to tie the string to.

In an emergency where the possibility of power returning may be weeks or months you may want to consider learning how to pull your pump then you can use a well bucket 4-6 inches in diameter to draw up a lot more water. For the bottom valve on these use a new toilet stopper between the spacer and reducer.

I talked to Ralph Brotherson about this and he said he thought it would work. Try it out!!

To see a video of this being demonstrated go to simplylivingsmart.com you must create a log in name and password but it is in the free section of the online videos under emergency then water.

Laundry soap recipe

1 bar Ivory soap

1 cup washing soda

½ cup borax

This amount will make 10 gallons of liquid laundry soap!!!

Directions: Shave soap and dissolve in 4 cups hot water. Then add soda and borax. Fill a 5 gal bucket ½ full of hot water and dissolve the mixture. Then add enough water to fill the bucket and let it sit overnight. Then if you want your laundry soap to smell good add 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil. Then mix the soap 1 to 1 with water when you are ready to use it.

Use 1 cup of fully mixed soap per load of laundry

*Cost: this costs $1.10 per 160 loads of laundry or about ¾ of 1 cent per load

Top Ten Signs you don't have enough food storage

10 - The beanbag chair in your living room holds every legume in your house.

9 - Your plan for survival is to move in with your parents.

8 - The only items you have purchased that would last your family a full year are garlic powder and toothpaste.

7 - You are hopeful that your children will learn to savor the taste of boiled wheat three times a day.

6 - Your entire reserve of drinking water is sloshing around in your waterbed.

5 - You asked for a case of soup for your birthday.

4 - After being discovered, your year's supply of granola bars was eaten in just two weeks.

3 - You are extremely proud of your year's supply of salt.

2 - Every time you need flour your borrow it from your neighbor.

and the number one sign you don't have enough food storage---You feel carefree after stashing away a year's supply of pizza coupons.

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Top Ten Signs you have enough food storage!

10 - The rent for your warehouse is higher than you house payment.

9 - Most of the food you eat is five years old or more.

8 - You have so many rooms filled with bottled fruit you have decided to never move into another house.

7 - When entering your pantry you have a legitimate fear of being crushed byan avalanche of cans.

6 - You are using your stash of pinto beans as collateral for a loan.

5 - Your storage room has a mandatory illuminated exit sign above each door.

4 - One side of your house is slowly sinking from all of the weight.

3 - You have a special provision in your will to divide all the jars and cans equally amongst your children.

2 - You recently asked a new-car salesman if he would take sacks of wheat as a trade-in.

and the number one sign you have enough food storage---Your forklift always needs repairs!