Expanded Food Storage: Ketchup

I looked at several recipes for making ketchup that were not canning recipes.  I tried a few of those when I had a massive garden and bushels and bushels of tomatoes.  They were total flops.

But ketchup is kinda important, especially for hamburgers and French fries and going with the current 1950's diner food theme.  The recipes I came across were pretty much the same as far as sugar, vinegar, and most common seasoning ratios.  Some added allspice, cinnamon, and/or cloves. Some started with tomato sauce and cooked it down.  I wasn't fond of that idea.  Grid-down, I don't want to use any more fuel than I have to.  Some started with tomato paste and then added water, which is a bit better.  However, there's still the problem that canned tomato products don't have a long shelf life.  I've had cans bulge in as little as two years past the use-by date.   So I went with a recipe that used tomato powder as the base.

Because all the recipes made a large quantity of ketchup, and again, that is something I don't want when the grid goes down since there may not be adequate refrigeration, I scaled the recipe down.

Here's what I used:

Ketchup

1/4 cup tomato powder
1 tablespoon sugar (or honey, molasses, or maple syrup)
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 - 1 cup water (start with 3/4 cup and add until you get the desired consistency)

Combine the dry ingredients first.  (If using honey, molasses, or maple syrup, combine that with water.)  If you don't the spices may clump up and be difficult to mix in.  Whisk in the vinegar and water until you achieve the desired consistency.

Makes about 10 ounces.

I made the above recipe using commercial tomato powder as well as powder from home grown and dehydrated and powdered tomatoes.  I had five taste testers, including The King and The Queen of the Picky Eaters.   All agreed that the ketchup made with the store-bought tomato powder was good and they would be happy to eat it.  But all also agreed that it was a bit tomato-ey and needed a little more sweetener or spice.  However, since everybody's ideas on what ketchup should taste like differ, I'm not going to worry about that.  I'll leave it up to the readers to do their own tweaking.  For my family, I'm going with maple syrup next time.

I also want to add that the tomato powders I used were old.  The commercial stuff was purchased in 2008, and the home stuff was dehydrated in 2009.  The commercial powder is still a very bright red and the ketchup is also nice and bright.  The homemade powder is the dark reddish orangish brown that is typical for home dehydrated tomato powder and it does not have the smooth consistency of the commercial powder.  While some might be a little disturbed at the idea of using food so old, I think it is a huge advantage.  There is no way canned tomato products would have that kind of shelf life. I have a few bottles of Trader Joe's ketchup here; the older bottles are substantially darker than the newer ones.  While the ketchup might still be safe to eat a few years out of date, it definitely isn't going to be as appealing if it is dark.

All in all, I really liked making my own ketchup.  All the ingredients are items I keep on hand in abundance, so while I will probably continue buying ketchup for the convenience, I also don't have to worry about storing enough to last through the interesting times ahead.  We can quite easily make our own.

 

Ice Cream of the US Navy

“Can you imagine a greater tonic to body and spirit than real ice cream served in steaming jungles or on hard-won beachheads?” 

My last year and a half of high school I lived in one of the little tourist towns surrounding Lake Tahoe, and I did what most of the high schoolers did—worked to serve the tourists.  With only three morning classes, I had the afternoons free for work.  I considered myself fortunate to land a job at Swensen’s Ice Cream where the manager made all the ice cream on site using high fat cream.  It was premium ice cream, and as an employee (the only employee during the weekdays until summer vacation began) I made myself a milkshake for lunch every day before opening the store for business.  (I chose a milkshake because we were permitted one item from the menu, and a milkshake had the most ice cream.) 

I became an ice cream snob.

If I couldn’t have the good stuff, I didn’t buy ice cream.  My family and I were thrilled when a Cold Stone franchise opened near our home in Reno, and we would often take the short walk for a treat on family night in the summer.  When we moved to Missouri and then back to the outskirts of Reno and the closest Cold Stone was over half an hour away, I resorted to buying Breyer’s, sometimes Talenti.  And then I discovered Tillamook ice cream sandwiches.  All good stuff.  I’m still an ice cream snob.

And the idea of not having any ice cream when our society collapses makes me sad.  I can only stockpile so much whipping cream.  The shelf-stable cream doesn’t have a long shelf-life and neither does Media Crema.  Sigh.

So when my son Jared sent me a link to Max Miller’s Tasting History edition where he makes ice cream out of powdered milk and powdered eggs, like the sucker I am, I got all twitter-pated.  Let’s face facts:  I will never learn.

Anyway, Max’s video of the history of ice cream with the troops in World War II is extremely interesting for all from the standpoint of food storage and maintaining morale in difficult circumstances.  (Did you know that the Navy had ice cream barges?  They were towed by tugboats.  Can you imagine them playing the cute ice cream jingles as they docked?  And for you engineering types, the soldiers somehow made ice cream on planes.  Check it out.)

And yes, during WWII the US Navy made ice cream using powdered milk and powdered eggs.  I watched this video right after my son sent it to me Tuesday morning and spent the next three days craving the banana-nut ice cream that Max made for the show. (It does look really good.)  I finally had time to make some for my family on Friday. 

Vanilla Ice Cream

¾ cup powdered milk

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons powdered eggs

4 teaspoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

2 ¾ cups cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Flavor variations, if desired, below

Combine cornstarch, sugar, salt, powdered eggs, and dry milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Whisk in the water until the mixture is smooth and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.  When the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula, remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in whatever extra ingredients you are using for your chosen flavor.  Cool the mixture quickly in an ice bath (a bowl of ice cubes and water).  Keep stirring, occasionally, until the mixture reaches room temperature.  And then refrigerate for an hour or two before putting it in the ice cream freezer to churn. 

(Note.  I made a few changes from Max’s recipe.  In addition to just combining all the dry ingredients and then adding the water, I also skipped pressing the mixture through the strainer on my second batch.  If you have a smooth mixture, there aren’t any little lumps to strain out.  And I’m not entirely sure that the post-ice bath refrigeration is necessary.  We couldn’t detect any difference between the two batches.)

Churn following the directions for your ice cream maker.  If you want soft serve ice cream, eat immediately.  If you want it firmer, pop it in the freezer for an hour or two.

The Navy cookbook had lots of flavor variations, which, naturally, I’m not privy to because they weren’t included in the video.  In addition to the flavors below, you can see the ingredients for making peach, apricot, and grape ice cream if you are interested.  I wasn’t. 

Banana-Nut

1 large banana

5 drops of yellow food coloring

⅛ cup chopped walnuts

As Max notes in the video, don’t mash the banana until you are ready to add it to the ice cream, or it will turn brown, and you’d have brown bananas in your ice cream.  And what would the neighbors say?

Stir in the bananas and walnuts.  I added one drop of liquid paste food coloring, and that was more than enough.  I suspect food coloring today may be a little more concentrated, and I think many of us prefer color that is a little more natural in our foods today, so we can get away with less or even not using any.

Pineapple

Add ½ cup crushed pineapple

 

Strawberry

Add 1 cup crushed strawberries

 

Chocolate

2 tablespoons chocolate milk mix per ½ cup of ice cream

 

Reviews:  Remember, I am an ice cream snob.  The rest of the family has fairly high standards as well. 

We all (Aaron, Becky, Lydia, Jared, Belle, and I) thought all flavors would satisfy children.

We were too anxious to try it and did not wait for it to harden in the freezer.  Without any cream, this ice cream just doesn’t have the mouth-feel or texture of ice cream.  We miss it.  Becky thought it was more like a sorbet than an ice cream.  Everybody liked strawberry better than banana nut.  None of us could detect any off taste of powdered eggs; I thought I could detect a little powdered milk flavor, but I was really looking for it.  (FYI, the eggs were Augason Farms manufactured in 2018, and the milk was from the Home Storage Center, packed in 2010.)

Because chocolate and bananas are a common flavor combination, I decided to try adding some DIY Nesquik mix (it was dark chocolate, actually) to some of the banana nut ice cream.  That was a game-changer.  We all liked this chocolate-banana ice cream much, much better.  (Actually, we couldn't taste the banana any more.)  Chocolate does indeed hide a multitude of sins.  I wouldn’t hesitate to make this for guests or for a church dinner.  People will notice the lack of ice cream creaminess, but it’s still really good.

Interesting quote from the video:

 “Distribution of ice cream to ships and bases must be increased.  Of all specific actions listed herein, this should have the highest priority.  Ice cream in my opinion has been the most neglected of all the important morale factors.”  Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal

Links to related posts:

DIY Nesquik  

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Qiyo8D0nH70

Listeria and Listeriosis

The information on Listeria monocytogenes and listeriosis comes from the US FDA.  This form of food poisoning is not addressed in any off-grid medicine books, likely for a few reasons:

• Most healthy people will recover without incident
• It will be difficult to identify without a laboratory
• There are only 1500 cases per year in the US

However, the outcome is serious for some groups of people, and knowing what foods to avoid and where Listeria thrives is essential to reducing your risk.

Unlike most bacteria that cause food poisoning, Listeria bacteria thrive at refrigerator temperatures.  Dairy products--milk, cheese, ice cream--these bacteria love it all.  They especially thrive in raw, unpasteurized dairy products.  Hot dogs and deli meats have also caused serious outbreaks.  Avoiding these foods is the best choice for preventing a Listeria infection, but it is absolutely critical for pregnant women.

For most people, Listeria causes only mild flu-like symptoms.  But for the immunocompromised and pregnant, it can cause miscarriages, meningitis, and sepsis, and as such may be fatal.  The more serious symptoms of listeriosis include:

• flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, and achy muscles
• stiff neck
• joint pain
• dizziness
• loss of balance
• confusion
• convulsions

Fortunately, there are only about 1500 cases of listeriosis documented in the US each year.  However, of these cases, 260 will be fatal.  Without a functioning laboratory and because symptoms are very similar to many other illnesses, listeria will be difficult to identify.  Another factor complicating diagnosis is the fact that the illness can begin the same day the offending food was eaten, or up to seventy days later.  Gastroenteritis due to Listeria usually begins within a few hours to 2-3 days.  The severe, invasive form of the disease incubates anywhere from three days to three months.

The statistics for mortality from Listeria are as follows:

• Severe infections have an overall 15-30% mortality rate.
• Severe infections involving septicemia have a 50% mortality rate.
• Severe infections with meningitis have a 70% mortality rate.  This is the most common route in the elderly and immunocompromised.
• Severe infections in newborns have an 80% mortality rate.  
• One-third of maternal cases result in miscarriage and stillbirth. 

Risk factors for listeriosis include:

• being pregnant.  Pregnant women are ten times more likely to contract Listeria than the general population.
• being Hispanic and pregnant.  This group is twenty-four times more likely to contract Listeria.
• being the infant of someone who had listeriosis while pregnant.
• being over the age of 65.  This group of people is four times more likely to develop a listeria infection than the general population.  It is due to decreased stomach acid production (stomach acid kills listeria), a weaker immune system, and or being on medications that weaken the immune system.  
• being on stomach acid-reducing medications.
• being immunocompromised.  

Physicians administer intravenous penicillin G and gentamicin for three weeks.  Intravenous TMP/SMZ 3-5 mg/kg for three weeks is another option.  
Listeria is a Gram-positive bacteria.  Listeria infections may be treated with juniper, honey, usnea, colloidal silver, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and/or garlic.

Links to related posts:
Juniper
Honey
Usnea
Colloidal Silver
Oregano 

For further reading:
https://www.fda.gov/media/83271/download

 4.29.20

Colloidal Silver--What's It All About?

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

Colloidal silver is interesting stuff, to be sure. The very mention of it piques the interest of preppers and survivalists who believe that it works, and invokes scoff and scorn from those who don't.

There are two brief mentions in off-grid medicine books: Dr. Koelker, author of Armageddon Medicine, recommends readers educate themselves about colloidal silver preparations at http://www.silver-colloids.com/index.html. Dr. Joseph Alton, author of The Survival Medicine Handbook, discusses colloidal silver in just over one page of his book and seems a bit undecided on the subject. He does note that the FDA has banned colloidal silver sellers from making any claims as to treatment or preventative use of colloidal silver. As such, it can only be sold as a dietary supplement.

Silver has been used as an anti-microbial for thousands of years. It was common folk practice to put a silver coin in the milk jug to keep milk fresher for longer periods before modern refrigeration. It is believed that one reason nobility and royalty were a bit healthier than the general population was due to the fact that they used silverware, instead of flatware that the commoners used. Persian kings drank from silver cups because silver kept the water fresh. Silver was actually regularly used in medicine prior to the advent of modern pharmaceutical antibiotics, pasteurization, and refrigeration.(1, 2)

However, on the other hand, we have the much-respected Food and Drug Administration telling us that there is a lack of data to support its use in the treatment of any disease.(3)  And yet silver sulfadiazine is commonly used to treat burns and chronic wounds, and used to be mandated by US law (and other countries) to be put in every newborn baby's eyes.(4)  So what's a body to do? What's the truth? How can we determine if colloidal silver is a tool we want in our medicine chest?

First off, we have a study conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University in 1999.(5) The results were disseminated and an article on the study appeared in the Deseret News in May 2000.(6) For some inexplicable reason, BYU sometime later decided the results shouldn't be publicized, and so many sites that had the results have removed them, including a website that had the results when I first posted this blog article in January 2020.  (Fortunately, I cut and pasted the letters and results at the end of the post.) But the formatting is really horrendous and thus difficult to read. And, I would note, Dr. Leavitt really exists/existed. I took a genetics class from him in 1985 or 1986. Anyway, it kinda looks like someone somewhere doesn't want too much information getting out on colloidal silver.

The article that appeared in the Deseret News spread pretty far and has been copied by numerous websites.(7, 8, 9, 10)

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (a division of the National Institutes of Health, which operates under the US Department of Health of Human Services) informs us that "evidence supporting health-related claims is lacking" and "colloidal silver can be dangerous to your health."(11)  Oh, and they cite the 1999 statement by the FDA as one of their sources.  I think they need to get out more.

A Korean study in 2014 showed that silver nanoparticles inactivated some viruses.(12)

An Australian study in 2014 found that colloidal silver attenuated Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in vitro.(13)

A University of Michigan study in 2016 showed that daily usage of colloidal silver for four weeks had no toxic effects in rats, in contrast to broad-spectrum antibiotics which do have adverse effects in some.(14)

A 2013 study conducted at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine demonstrated that ionic colloidal silver significantly inhibited aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, did not work against the viruses they tested (sorry, I couldn't find out which), and was effective against some fungal strains.(15)

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology found that silver nanoparticles killed the HIV-1 virus.(16)

A study conducted in 2018 found that twice-daily usage of nasal spray to treat sinusitis was a little less effective than oral antibiotics.(17)

In conclusion, treating burns and chronic wounds remains the most accepted and common use of colloidal silver.  It is most effective against bacteria, somewhat effective against fungi, and less effective against viruses.   Anecdotal reports of healing due to the use of colloidal silver abound online.  While there are many scientific studies on the use of colloidal and nanoparticle silver, much more could be done.  However, the financial support for such research is lacking because drug companies can't patent and profit from colloidal silver.


For those who want to read more on colloidal silver, without getting a migraine, I believe Dr. Axe's article is a good, balanced introduction.  The remaining articles, except for the historical surveys, are a bit more complex. 

For further reading: 
https://draxe.com/nutrition/colloidal-silver-benefits/
1.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4955599/
2.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19566416
3.  https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=310.548
4.  http://www.rbs2.com/SilvNitr.pdf
5.  http://www.remedies4health.com/new_silver.pdf (results from the BYU study begin on page 4)
6.  https://www.deseret.com/2000/5/16/19506929/is-silver-an-antibiotic-alternative-br-byu-study-shows-colloidal-silver-is-as-good-as-penicillin
7.  https://www.csilverhl.com/14201.html
8.  http://www.silvermedicine.org/byustudy.html
9.  http://www.nutritionpets.com/byu-report/
10.  https://undergroundhealthreporter.com/colloidal-silver/
11.  https://nccih.nih.gov/health/colloidalsilver#safety
12.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3993170/
13.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24431107
14.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26525505
15.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23017226
16.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2818642/
17.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5905234/


Research will be submitted to a major medical journal in the near future according to Dr. Ron Leavitt, PhD (BYU). American Silver, LLC, provided some of the results of the BYU research (which was verified to me by Dr. Leavitt) as recorded in the following letter.Microbiology Department Brigham Young University 775 WIDBP.O. Box 25253 Provo , Utah 84602-5253 May 13, 1999 American Silver’s Antibacterial Product (The NEW Silver Solution)Testing Results Summary The following results suggest that The NEW Silver Solution is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent – it is able to effectively stop the growth of, and in fact kill, a variety of bacteria. The NEW Silver Solution has been tested against the following organisms. Tuberculosis type B (tuberculosis is the number one human-killing bacteria world wide)

Staphylococcus aureus (Pneumonia, eye infections, skin infections (boils, impetigo, cellulitis, and post-operative wound infections), toxic shock syndrome, meningitis, food poisoning, osteomyelitis, and many others) inhibited @ 2.5 ppm[c][12] and killed @ 5 ppm. 1/22/99 BYU Report. Shigella boydii (Bacillary dysentery–characterized by severe cramping abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea) inhibited @ 1.25 ppm and killed @ 2.5 ppm. 1/22/99 BYU Report. Salmonella arizona (Food poisoning, etc.) inhibited @ 2.5 ppm and killed @ 5 ppm. 1/28/99 BYU Report. Salmonella typhimurium (Food poisoning and enteric fever) inhibited and killed at a concentration of 2.5 ppm. 6/7/99 BYU Report. E. coli (Food poisoning, urinary tract infections, traveler’s diarrhea, diarrhea in infants, respiratory tract infections, and wound infections) inhibited and killed @ 2.5 ppm. 1/22/99 BYU Report. Haemophilus influenzae (Otitis media (ear infection), pneumonia, meningitis, throat and sinus infections (including epiglottitis in children and sinusitis), and suppurative arthritis in children) inhibited and killed @ 1.25 ppm. 1/22/99 BYU Report. Enterobacter aerogenes ( wound infections, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and meningitis) inhibited and killed at a concentration of 2.5 ppm. 6/7/99 BYU Report. Enterobacter cloacae ( causes ilnesses similar to the E. aerogenes) inhibited and killed at a concentration of 5 ppm. 6/7/99 BYU Report. Klebsiella pneumoniae (lower respiratory tract infections, nosocomial infections (infections spread in hospitals), urinary tract and wound infections, and bacteremia) inhibited and killed @ 2.5 ppm. 1/28/99 BYU Report. Klebsiella oxytoca, (Similar to those infections caused by K. pneumoniae) inhibited and killed at a concentration of 2.5 ppm. 6/7/99 BYU Report. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (severe burn and wound infections, keratitis, pneumonia, meningitis, nosocomial infections, urinary tract infections, etc.) inhibited @ 2.5 ppm and killed @ 5 ppm. 1/22/99 BYU Report. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumonia, meningitis, sinusitis, otitis media (ear infection) inhibited @ 2.5 ppm and killed @ 5 ppm. 4/21/99 BYU Report. Streptococcus pyogenes (skin infections, upper respiratory infections (i.e. strep throat) impetigo, hospital-acquired infections, scarlet fever, etc.) inhibited and killed @ 1.25 ppm. 1/22/99 BYU Report. Streptococcus faecalis (Urinary tract infections, endocarditis, wound infections, etc.) inhibited @ 2.5 ppm and killed @ 5 ppm. 1/22/99 BYU Report. Streptococcus mutans (A major cause dental plaque and tooth decay etc.) inhibited and killed @ 5 ppm. 2/3/99 BYU Report. Streptococcus gordonii (Tooth decay, also implicated in infective endocarditis-an infection of the heart valves) inhibited and killed @ 5 ppm. BYU Report 2/12/99 . David A. Revelli Microbiologist Brigham Young University Dr. Ron W. Leavitt , Ph.D.Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Biology Brigham Young University Additional testing information from the manufacturer:“Thousands of tests have been completed measuring The NEW Silver Solution’s® ability to kill problematic bacteria at less than 10 ppm. The independent tests have proven The NEW Silver Solution® very effective at killing bacteria and yeasts, including the following: 60 different strains of Staphylococcus aureus (Pneumonia, eye infections, skin infections boils, impetigo, cellulitis, and post-operative wound infections, toxic shock syndrome, meningitis, food poisoning, osteomyelitis, and many others); E. coli B. (food poisoning); Shigella boydii (violent food poisoning); Salmonella arizona (food poisoning); Salmonella typhimurium (food poisoning, enteric fever); 60 different strains of Salmonella choleraesuis (food posioning); Haemophiles influenzas (flu, ear infections); Klebsiella pneumoniae (pneumonia, meningitis, nosocomial infections--infections spread in hospitals); Klebsiella Oxytoca; 60 different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (diphtheria-like illnesses, burn and cut infections, meningitis, pneumonia, etc.); Streptococcus pneumonia (pneumonia, meningitis, sinusitis, otitis media-ear infections); Streptococcus pyogenes (strep throat infections, skin infections, etc.); Streptococcus faecalis (urinary tract infections and endocarditis); Streptococcus mutans (a major cause of tooth decay); Streptococcus gordonii (tooth decay, also implicated in infective endocarditis-an infection of the heart valves); Enterobacter aerogenes (wound infections, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and meningitis); Enterobacter cloacae (wound infections, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and meningitis); Tuberculosis type B (tuberculosis is the number one human-killing bacteria world wide); S. cerevisiae var Yeast; Montrachet Yeast. The NEW Silver Solution® has been able to kill every harmful bacteria that it has been tested against so far, at concentrations of 10 ppm or less. Jason Henrie, a masters student at UC Davis, after testing The NEW Silver Solution® against a number of yeasts, concluded, “It is evident that a single 10 ppm application could prevent the further growth of a small population of yeast for 24 hours, allowing one’s immune system time to respond. Even more, multiple 10 ppm applications could conceivably prevent the growth of yeast indefinitely.”THE NEW SILVER SOLUTION vs. E COLIBACTERIA TESTINGMicrobiology Department Brigham Young University 775 WIDB P.O. Box 25253 Provo, Utah 84602-5253 October 4, 1999To: American Silver, LLC From: David Revelli Brigham Young UniversityMinimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests were performed with E.coli serotype 0157:H7 (more popularly known as the Jack-in-the-box bacteria), which has been associated with hemorrhagic colitis due to ingestion of contaminated food. Preliminary results showed that American Silver’s ASAP solution inhibited growth at a concentration of 2.5 ppm and killed the bacteria at a concentration of 5.0 ppm. David A. RevelliMicrobiologistBrigham Young UniversityTHE NEW SILVER SOLUTION vs. OTHER COLLOIDAL SILVERSMicrobiology Department Brigham Young University June 18, 1999From: David Revelli Brigham Young University We have tested and compared the activity of The Silver Solution against three commerical colloidal silver solutions using the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration test (MIC) and the Minimum Bacteriocidal Concentration (MBC) test. The data obtained suggests that The Silver Solution is at least two to three times more effective depending on the bacteria tested than the commerical colloidal silver products tested. David A. Revelli Microbiologist Brigham Young University THE NEW SILVER SOLUTION vs. ANTIBIOTICSThe following information shows that The NEW Silver Solution® effectively killed each of the bacteria it was tested against at low concentration levels ... something that the antibiotics generally could not claim. Testing has shown that The NEW Silver Solution® is likely to work well at low concentrations against a broad range of bacteria that would normally be considered drug resistant. Microbiology DepartmentBrigham Young University 775 WIDBP.O. Box 25253 Provo , Utah 84602-5253 October 15, 1999 To: American Silver, LLCFrom: David RevelliBrigham Young University The following page contains data from seven strains of potentially pathogenic bacteria. They are the same strains that have been tested in Minimum Inhibitory Concentration tests (MIC) against The NEW Silver Solution. This data contains, along with the data on The NEW Silver Solution, MIC's performed on each bacteria versus representative of five different classes of antibiotics. These tests were performed to ascertain the relative antimicrobial activity of The NEW Silver Solution when compared to other antibiotics. As the data suggests, The NEW Silver Solution has a greater ability on average to kill the bacteria tested than four of the five antibiotics to which it was compared. Each antibiotic has its own niche to fill, but not one of the antibiotics tested work equally well on every bacterial strain that it was tested against, The NEW Silver Solution had similar results for each bacteria - it was able to kill each bacteria tested. Furthermore, there are antibiotic-resistant strains that may or may not succumb to a given antibiotic. This is where The NEW Silver Solution data comes in - although The NEW Silver Solution may not have inhibited a strain of bacteria at a lower concentration than a given antibiotic, it inhibited every strain of bacteria tested, which is more than can be suggested for some of the other antibiotics, given the data. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Antibiotics from Five Different Classes versus The NEW Solution performed by D. Revelli, Brigham Young UniversityBacteria Testedtetracyclineofloxacinpenicillin GcefaperazoneerythromycinNEWSilver E.coli B 1.67+-0.59/>5/3 0.104+-0.037/0.130+-0.037/3 No Inh /3 .625/.625/3 5/>5/3 2.5/2.5/3 E. aerogenes 2.5/>5/3 0.078/0.104+-0.037/3 No Inh /3 2.92+-1.56/>5/3 No inh /3 2.5/2.5/3 E. cloacae 1.67+-0.59/>5/3 .156-.156/3 No Inh /3 No Inh /3 No inh /3 2.5/5/3 E. typhimurium1.25/>5/3 0.078/>5/3 No Inh /3 1.25/>5/3 5/>5/3 2.5/5/3 P. aeruginosa0.078/>5/3 0.156/0.313/3 0.130+-0.037/>5/3 2.5/>5/3 2.5/>5/3 1.7+-0.7/5/3 S. gordonii0.156/>5/3 2.5/5/3 0.012+-0.005/0.026+-0.009/3 1.25/>2.5/3 .005/0.012+-0.005/3 2.5/10/3 S. aureus0.313/>5/3 0.313+-0.18/0.625/3/td> 2.5/>5/3 5/>5/3 0.039/>5/3 5/10/3The average was taken from all data points to obtain the average minimum inhibitory concentration for an antibiotic. Then a standard deviation was determined to give an error. All concentrations were calculated in parts per million (ug/ml). The abbreviation "no inh," stands for "No inhibition of growth." And ">" means that the measurement of the bacteriocidal concentration was beyond the limits of the test. Information is listed as "MIC (level at which bacteria was inhibited)/MBC (level at which bacteria were killed)/number of tests performed." David A. Revelli Microbiologist Brigham Young University Dr. Ron W. Leavitt , Ph.D.Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Biology Brigham Young University ” INDEPENDENT SAFTEY DATAIn order to insure not only the best product, but also a safe product, an international and independent laboratory was hired to do a toxicology study on The Silver Solution. The test, called an LD-50 test, was performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) Regulations, 16 CFR 1500. WATER TREATMENT TESTSFROM: Bill DoddsTO: Gerard Yates RE: NEW Silver Solution water testsProcedure: 

20 january 2020

How Antibiotics Work, And How Bacteria Respond

How antibiotics work and how bacteria respond is a complex topic.  Countless researchers devote their careers to studying just one aspect of bacteria or plants or compounds.  That's far beyond the scope of this blog, and yet acquiring a very basic understanding of how they work, what they can and cannot do, may help us use our limited supply of industrially manufactured antibiotics and natural herbal antibiotics as best as possible for our families.  What follows is a gross simplification of how bacteria and antibiotics work.

Imagine a bacterium as a house.  There are different ways to get into the house and destroy the inhabitants.  Direct access (doors--front, back, garage, balcony, doggie), ventilation (windows, heating, air conditioning, dryer vent, chimney, cracks), water (plumbing, leaking, flooding).  The agents of death can be bullets, falling trees, hurricanes and tornadoes, air-, insect-, or human-borne disease, carbon monoxide, radiation, fire.  There are all kinds of options here.  

Just as there are different ways to enter a house and kill the residents, there are different ways that substances enter bacteria and kill them.  Bacteria differ in what they are susceptible to.  That's why antibiotics, natural or synthetic, have to be selected for the specific condition they are treating.

When bacteria encounter an antibiotic, they begin to respond.  Most die pretty quickly, but due to genetic diversity, some hang on a bit longer.  They learn what the threat is.  They generate possible responses.  Those bacteria in the meantime make more bacteria, with their specific genetic advantages, and some of their descendants are even better adapted to the antibiotic, and the cycle continues.  Because they are reproducing quickly, as fast as twenty minutes per generation, they can adapt.  Individual bacteria may die, but if the chosen antibiotic doesn't wipe out all the bacteria quickly, the species as a whole survives.  They become resistant.  Those resistant bacteria rebound with a vengeance and seek to share the knowledge they acquired in the recent battle with other bacteria far and wide.

Some of the earliest antibiotics worked by disrupting the cell wall, either by breaking down the wall or by preventing the bacteria from repairing the wall.  They specifically work on the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall and are thus effective on Gram-positive bacteria.  Penicillin family (penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin) and cephalosporin (cephalexin) antibiotics act in this manner.

Another way antibiotics operate is by disrupting the cytoplasmic membrane (which is distinct from the cell wall mentioned above).  Polypeptides like polymyxin B and bacitracin work this way.  These antibiotics work like a harsh detergent roughing up the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.  The membrane isn't destroyed, but is so shaken by the experience that it lets the antibiotics through to do their work.  Eventually, the bacteria respond by altering the amount of antibiotic that penetrates through the membrane, so that little to nothing gets through.  The bacteria do this by changing the locks, so to say.  They modify the size of the door or increase security.

Other antibiotics interfere with the bacterial DNA replication process or inhibit DNA enzymes.  Bacteria don't actually live all that long.  If they can't make babies, the little community they have sought to colonize in or on you dies out.  Quinolone family antibiotics (-ofloxacins like ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin) work this way.


Some antibiotics slow or prevent bacterial RNA protein synthesis.  This includes several classes of antibiotics--lincosamides (clindamycin), macrolides (azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin), and tetracyclines (doxycycline, minocycline, tetracycline).   The antibiotics bind to the RNA.  No protein can be made.  No growth.  No offspring.  To combat this threat, the bacteria make internal adjustments such that the target of the antibiotics, the RNA, isn't affected.  They drank the Kool-Aid, but it didn't matter because Poison Control was already on the scene.

Carbapenem antibiotics (end in -penem) greatly inhibit some bacterial enzymes to prevent cell wall synthesis. They're often used when all else fails.  Kind of like Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark using his whip to escape his foes in the marketplace.  He fights on and the bad guys keep coming.  He finally whips out his pistol and dispatches the last assassin without a second thought.  The bacteria are learning to make their own compounds to disable these broad-spectrum antibiotics of last resort.  Which means the antibiotics of last resort are losing this battle.

Inhibiting folate synthesis, a process essential to nucleic acid synthesis, is another way antibiotics work.  These antibiotics don't kill the bacteria; they just don't let the bacteria reproduce.  This includes the sulfonamides like silver sulfadiazine and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

By producing toxic free radicals, metronidazole is in a class by itself.   It works against anaerobic bacteria. 


Over the millennia, bacteria have evolved different mechanisms to protect themselves.  One of these mechanisms involves efflux pumps.  They're basically sump pumps, varying in sophistication from the entry-level ones that act on only a single substance to the highly complex that remove all kinds of foreign matter.

Sometimes bacteria take a "if you can't beat them, join them" approach, like when they decide to live in cleaning solutions.  They can even adapt themselves to digest antibiotics as if they were food.  This extreme adaptability and all the other adaptations bacteria make don't bode well for us.  Unfortunately for us, the bacteria don't stop there.


Once they learn how to adapt, they have massive bacteria networking parties and share all they know with each other so that they can kill us more efficiently.

It's a wonder any of us are still alive.

As you ponder about how antibiotics and bacteria work, think of industrial antibiotics as snipers.  If the conditions are perfect, the sniper hits the mark, and the mark dies.  But if any one thing goes wrong, the sniper misses.  Now think of herbal antibiotics as paper inflicting cuts everywhere.  Death by a thousand paper cuts.  But it's really not just paper cuts.  Herbs work everywhere, each making their own little contributions.  Herbs have numerous natural chemical compounds.  Industrial pharmaceuticals have concentrated one of those compounds to act like a sniper with a massive, long-range bullet.  Herbs keep all their active constituents, acting more like a shotgun to inflict death.  And when herbs are combined, there are even more shotgun pellets, so to say, to do the job.  The sniper's bullet kills immediately if it hits the target, while death by a thousand paper cuts takes longer.  But fortunately, the target can't evade or defeat the paper cuts.

That's how herbs work.  It's not an exciting topic, I know, but it's important to have at least a rudimentary understanding. 


Links to related posts:
How Herbal Antibiotics Work
Acquiring Antibiotics


For further reading:
Armageddon Medicine, p 208.
Herbal Antibiotics, pp 14-17.
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_antibiotics

 03.16.2020

More Ways to Use Cornmeal

Until we got those six-gallon buckets of cornmeal, it honestly never occurred to me that people would buy--and use--that much cornmeal.  And now, I guess there are people who would.  Part of the reason I write the food part of this blog is not so much to share my recipes,  but rather to show the thinking process.  What people can do when presented with a challenge in challenging circumstances.  It's not to say so-and-so has this recipe and it works.  It's to help a person look at what I did with my recipes to adapt them to using food storage and being workable in a grid-down situation so that you can do the same with your family's recipes.  You already have your own recipes to work with.  You probably don't need too many more.

That being said, did you know cornmeal mush is supposed to be real food?  I didn't.  I thought it was something from Looney Tunes.  And it kind of scared me.  How good could it possibly taste?

Cornmeal Mush
Serves 6
3 1/2 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cornmeal

Combine 2 1/2 cups water and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Whisk cornmeal with remaining water in a small bowl.  Slowly pour cornmeal mixture into boiling water and whisk in thoroughly.   Reduce heat to low and stir constantly for five minutes or until the mixture is thickened.

So basically, this is like Cream of Wheat or Malt-o-Meal, but with corn.  It cooks up pretty quickly.  It's a bit blah, but way better with milk and brown sugar or maple syrup.  I'm definitely not a fan of hot cereals, so I'm a bit biased in that manner.  But this was fine.  The kids split 50-50 on this.  Surprisingly, as a breakfast cereal, I found just a little bit was really filling. 

Now, the following sound a little more inviting, judging by all the rave reviews I read.  But I'm still a little nervous to try them out.

Cornmeal Pancakes  
Serves 4
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup dry milk powder
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup oil

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour batter onto a lightly greased hot griddle.  Flip when the bubbles form on top.  Cook until the second side is golden brown.

My husband grew to love hush puppies when he served as a missionary in North Carolina for two years.  He's made them a few times for our family in the past thirty years.  I never had until now.  (It's been my policy never to make anything my husband could make.  If I did, he might want me to keep making it.)  But I had to give these a try. Besides, I have this sneaking suspicion that they might taste a lot better than the store-bought mix.

Hush Puppies
Serves 6-8
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4-1/2 cup finely chopped green onion (including the green)
3/4-1 cup buttermilk
oil for frying, 2-3" in pan

Combine all dry ingredients.  Add egg, buttermilk, and onions.  Mix well.  Carefully drop in hot oil by spoonfuls and brown on all sides.

Polenta
1 quart chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup any type of shredded or crumbled cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a two-quart casserole dish.  Combine broth, salt, cornmeal, and butter in the casserole dish and stir well.  Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and add cheese.  Stir well.  Bake five more minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes before serving.

Family reviews:  Again, we split about 50-50 on this.  One daughter was wondering what was with the "retirement home food."  And this made me think it might work for the elderly or babies.  Another daughter wanted to know what was wrong with just using all 120 pounds of cornmeal for cornbread.  

Refrigerated leftovers will become firm and may be fried as mush for breakfast the next morning.

If you decide to double this recipe, you may need to double the baking time as well.


Hopefully, these recipes have given you some ideas as to how versatile cornmeal is. 

Links to related posts:
What Do I Do With All This Cornmeal?
Corn for Long-Term Storage  

4.10.20

A Few Thoughts on Pressure Canners

This post is for those who are planning to acquire a pressure canner to expand their food preservation options.  Some of these points I was aware of before making my purchase, but others I've only learned through experience.  They're thoughts I think would be helpful to others as they weigh the various options in canners.

1.  Canner v. cooker.  A pressure cooker is not a pressure canner.  A pressure cooker may not reach the desired temperature to properly preserve food.  However, you can use a pressure canner as a pressure cooker to prepare a meal.

2.  Stove.  Many of the most modern stoves are not built to handle the weight of the pressure canner; indeed, the manufacturers will void the warranty if you've used a canner--pressure or water bath, on them.  Fortunately, I did not have to learn this one by experience.

3.  Size.  You have several sizes to choose from.  The smallest I've seen holds four quart jars or seven pint jars; the largest will hold fourteen quart jars or nineteen pint jars.  I drooled over the larger ones, but ultimately purchased a smaller one (the All-American 15.5 quart, holds seven quart jars or ten pint jars) because of the cost.  I am so glad, because the larger pressure canners would have been too heavy for me to handle.  Now if I could be assured that my husband or sons would always be around to move the canner for me, that would have been an entirely different matter.  But because I have to be the one moving it, I'm glad to have gotten a smaller one.

4.  Gasket or no gasket.  The All-American brand pressure canner is far heavier than canners from other manufacturers.  You know it's going to last forever.  However, the greatest advantage to these canners is the seal.  The All-Americans feature a metal-to-metal seal.  There is no gasket to crack, burn, melt, or lose.  Best of all, there is no annual testing that needs to be done at the cooperative extension office.  The manufacturers of other pressure canners that have the rubber gasket recommend annual testing to make sure you're achieving the correct pressure.  I think that would kill me right there.  

5.  Substitute autoclave.  A pressure canner may also be used as an autoclave for sterilizing medical instruments.  As such, you may want additional racks or space to accommodate larger items.

 7 february 2019

Pulse Oximeter--Should You Have One in Your Kit?

A pulse oximeter is a simple, non-invasive tool that provides some quick intel on what's going on with a patient by showing the pulse rate and measuring the amount of oxygen in the blood.  It simply clips onto a finger, toe, or ear.  After a few seconds, it yields a reading.  The amount of oxygen in the blood in a healthy person is in the 95-100% range.  A level of less than 94% suggests the need for supplemental oxygen.  Anything less than 90% indicates respiratory disease and is cause for grave concern.

Pulse oximeters for personal use can be purchased in drugstores or on Amazon.  I'd recommend looking there first to get reviews.   The first article in the addresses below is for a review of several pulse oximeters currently on the market.  Those designed for home use are relatively inexpensive, running around $20. 

Now, the real question is, do you really want one?  If someone in your family suffers from heart failure, chronic bronchitis, sleep apnea, or COPD, well, they've probably already got one.  The guy planning to be the group medic would want one for measuring oxygen levels in cases of allergic reactions or patients with mild asthma.  People with moderate to severe asthma should definitely have their own.  But in the case of pneumonia, or potential pneumonia, every family should really consider having their own.  Without a laboratory, determining the oxygen levels in a patient is going to be very difficult.  Being able to tell a doctor what the level is will help him decide what actions to take.

There are some factors that interfere with accurate reading:

• bright light (shield device from bright light when taking a reading)
• shivering
• low blood pressure
• vasoconstriction (if the patient is cold the blood may be restricted to fingers and toes)
• carbon monoxide poisoning (may give a false high reading in smoke inhalation patients)
• nail polish (the light can't get through)

Pulse oximeters aren't used all that often, so they might not be at the top of the list for equipment to acquire.  Honestly, SAM splints, otoscopes, and tweezers are going to be used a whole lot more.  But they can be really helpful devices to get at some point in time.  

For further reading:  
https://www.respiratorytherapyzone.com/best-pulse-oximeters/  (reviews)
https://www.who.int/patientsafety/safesurgery/pulse_oximetry/who_ps_pulse_oxymetry_training_manual_en.pdf 
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318489.php#Who-can-benefit-from-pulse-oximetry
https://www.medicinenet.com/oximetry/article.htm#what_is_oximetry
https://geekymedics.com/pulse-oximetry/

 12.10.19

Tuberculosis in a TEOTWAWKI Society

Several months ago, I read an interesting article at Beans, Bullets, Bandages, & You about deer transmitting tuberculosis to people in Michigan.   While it is not the same strain that people normally get, it is nonetheless tuberculosis.  It is a strain carried by deer, elk, bison, and cattle.  Indeed, about ten percent of human cases come from cattle.

There are approximately one billion people in the world with tuberculosis, about one-seventh of the planet's population.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, just over 9,000 people were diagnosed with active tuberculosis in 2018 in the US.  It is estimated that 13,000,000 people in the US have latent tuberculosis.  The states with the highest incidence of the disease are Alaska, Hawaii, Califonia, New York, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, and Maryland.  In the US, tuberculosis is more common among black, Hispanic, Asian, homeless, and incarcerated populations.  It is most common in people between the ages of 15 and 35 years. 

Latent tuberculosis causes no symptoms.  Most of the estimated 13,000,000 people in the US who have the latent form are completely unaware.  In a long-term collapse, many of these will convert to the active form, when they actually start exhibiting the common early symptoms:

• chronic coughing that lasts for more than three weeks, and which is often worse just after waking up;
• low fever in the afternoon;
• night sweats;
• chest pain;
• chronic weight loss and fatigue.

As the disease progresses, the following symptoms appear:

• blood in the sputum;
• pale, waxy skin;
• hoarseness.

The course of the disease progresses differently in younger children.  Signs in them include:

• weight loss;
• frequent fever;
• pale skin.

Clinical diagnosis with laboratory tests probably won't be an option in a collapsed society.  Before the advent of antibiotics, patients were sent to tuberculosis sanatoriums for treatment and hopeful recovery.  They were fed good food rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein.  And they spent a lot of time resting and sleeping, all of which is critical to recovery.

Because tuberculosis is very contagious, especially among family members, extra precautions need to be taken.  The patient with tuberculosis should sleep in a separate room and wear a face mask. 
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease; however, it is most frequently transmitted to people in close contact with the patient.

Conventional treatment involves the use of at least two different antibiotics that can take over a year to cure.  Unfortunately, most families will not have stocked enough antibiotics to treat a case of tuberculosis.  And using up the antibiotics to only possibly cure one person will mean that others will die of simple infections that could have been easily treated.  Hard decisions will have to be made.  That's the reality of it.

Herbal treatments may be more realistic in a long-term situation.  While some of the herbs recommended for use singly and in formulas are found in the wild, others with a track record in tuberculosis treatment do not grow naturally in this country.  Seeds need to be procured in advance and practice gained in growing the plants.

Stephen Buhner recommends the following three formulas to be used concurrently for treating tuberculosis in his book Herbal Antibiotics:

• 1.  Cryptolepis and sida tincture, in equal proportions: 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon three to six times per day, depending on the severity of the disease.
• 2.  Piperine:  20 mg, 2 times per day, first dose in morning 1/2 hour before taking other formulas.  Second dose at 4PM.
• 3.  Lomatium, licorice, and Rhodiola tincture, equal parts, 1 teaspoon 3 times per day.  

Other herbs that have been used historically by cultures around the world to treat tuberculosis include:

• Artemisia annua,
• Oregon grape and Japanese barberry,
• Japanese honeysuckle,
• juniper,
• peppermint,
• echinacea (some sources recommend echinacea for TB, and some advise against it), and
• Usnea.

The links provided below for these herbs provide some information on usage, but nowhere near as much as you or I would like.  There's nothing anywhere on how long to continue treatment.  One of the problems in treating tuberculosis today is that the antibiotic regimen needs to be strictly observed for about a year.  That's really hard to do when life is good and normal.  A year is a long time to be taking pills.  And it's difficult to remember when a patient no longer feels sick.  One Chinese study showed that Usnea resolved symptoms in most patients in two months.  That's all I could find regarding the duration of treatment.  Using the herbs for at least four months would probably be a good idea. 

To be sure, tuberculosis is going to be tough to defeat.  It's often a death sentence.  It will likely kill many in our future in the US.  These herbal treatments may make a difference, especially when combined with good food and rest.

Links to related posts:
Japanese Barberry
Japanese Honeysuckle
Juniper
Peppermint
Echinacea
Usnea 

For further reading:
https://beansbulletsbandagesandyou.com/bullets/2019/09/28/deer-tuberculosis-transmit-humans/
https://www.cdc.gov/tb/statistics/default.htm
Dr. Joseph Alton, Alton's Antibiotics, pp 83-84.
Stephen Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics.  
David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, pp 179-180.  

18 march 2020