Food Storage Made Fabulous, the 2nd volume of articles from the Prep School Daily blog, is now available on Amazon. With over 100 family-friendly recipes using basic long-term food storage staples, your family will have no idea there's a crisis.
It has always bothered me to have empty canning jars at the end of garden season. It makes me feel like I failed in the garden or failed to buy enough fruit. And I’ve always told myself it’s a sin to have empty jars. Because of the move, which occurred just as the tomatoes were starting to ripen, I’m giving myself a pass this year on the guilt trip, but I still want to get those jars filled. They are taking up space anyway, and if they’re going to occupy valuable real estate, they ought to be full. If society is going all out crazy, I better get them filled pronto.
Of course, it’s important to have empty jars when canning season kicks in. But that won’t be until late May at the earliest, another six months from now. It’s also a good idea to have jars available in case a freezer full of meat dies. Those jars are considered “on deck”, at the ready so to speak, for emergencies.
But what about the rest of those jars? This year I’ve got easily twelve cases that I’d like to have filled in the next 2-3 weeks.
If you need some ideas on what to fill your empty jars with, read on.
Turkey broth. As soon as the good meat has been removed from the turkey carcass, the bones and skin and all the veggies cooked with it will go into the stock pot and simmered all day Friday. Then it will be canned in pint jars for some very nice, all natural broth.
Cat food. The bones will be crammed into jars as best as possible, water added, and pressure canned as well. When pressured canned, the bones retain their shape, but interestingly, they are quite easy to mash with a fork. These make excellent food for our cats and contain the natural taurine that is essential in their diet.
Water. While I don’t normally can water, having a few jars of good, clean water for making baby formula in an emergency should be on every family’s list. Our grandbaby won’t arrive until April/May, but since I’ve got the time and the jars now, I might as well do it. I trust our well water more than I trust municipal sources.
Dry beans are an excellent option for filling jars. Even the hardest beans get cooked to perfect creaminess, they taste great, and they save time and energy.
French fries. Fall is the ideal time for canning French fries. Large potatoes are easy to find in grocery stores and usually on sale during the holidays. And believe me, these home-canned fries are way better than McDonald’s ever dreamed of tasting.
Hamburger. I canned ten pounds of it last week. It sure doesn’t look pretty in the jar, but it’s great to have on hand when dinner needs to be on the table in a hurry. I just dump it in the skillet and can have Hamburger Helper ready to serve in 20 minutes.
Refrigerator pickles. I recently discovered how easy it is to make refrigerator pickles using fresh cucumbers. Every once in a while I get lucky and find bags of cucumbers in the discounted produce cart at my local grocery store.
Discounted produce. The small grocery store in our rural Missouri town used to sell overripe bananas for 10 cents per pound. After slicing them very thin and dehydrating them, they got vacuum sealed in canning jars. That was several years ago, and we’re still eating them.
Dried tortellini and ravioli are found in the dry pasta aisle of grocery stores. Vacuum-sealed in a canning jar, they’ve got a shelf life of at least a couple of years.
Frozen vegetables are so quick and easy to dehydrate. Just dump them on the dehydrating trays—no pretreatment required. And they take far less space when dehydrated.
Candy. Cheap Candy Day is something the kids all celebrate. It’s the day after Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas, when the stores discount the holiday packaged treats. We buy it cheap, vac-seal, and stack it deep.
Breakfast cereal. I’ve said before that I wish my children hadn’t grown up with it, but my husband loves it, and so do they. We’ve been canning all kinds of it for years. There’s a link below for which cereals hold up best.
Other snack foods. Pretzels, fishy crackers, Oreos, and nuts will all provide welcome relief. Of course, they must be vacuum-sealed also.
This year, because I have so many empty jars, I’ll be giving everyone a case of food storage for Christmas. The kids all love it because it’s all theirs. They don’t have to share, and they don’t have to ask permission. Some things they eat right away, but most of the time they ration them out over the next several months. I’ll customize as best I can for each person, but even if I mess up, they’ll work out trades with each other. The most important thing is keeping those jars full of comfort foods our family wants to have.
Links to related posts:
11.30.20
I've conquered water bath canning, but I can't afford a pressure canner. Do you know of a good place to buy used equipment. Thank you in advance, pete.
ReplyDeleteSorry not to have replied sooner, Pete. My husband and I are currently out of state celebrating our 35th anniversary. (Great timing, I know. I'm quite anxious to return home.) Michael gave you some great suggestions below. I've gotten two All-American pressure canners--one at a thrift store for $3 and another at a garage sale for $5. (I also paid regular retail for my first one.) Anyway, the one at the thrift store was barely used; the one at the garage sale needed a very inexpensive part. I would not have been comfortable buying either if I hadn't already been using my first All-American for several years and thus very familiar with what I was looking at.
DeleteIf you have state and local USDA Extension offices nearby, they can help you find sources for gently used pressure canners AND check them out for safety before you use them. Classes also available.
ReplyDeleteYard sales, estate sales and thrift stores are useful IF you know what you're looking at. Expect to need replacement gaskets and pressure gauges checked for accuracy and safety.
Thank you both for the great suggestions. pete.
DeleteI have not been able to find the 2nd volume of Food Storage Made Fabulous on Amazon. Do i just need to be patient? Love your blog and your books.
ReplyDeleteIf only I could just spend my days researching and writing.... The pace should pick up with gardening coming to an end.
DeleteThere are currently three books based on the blog that have been published, the ones you see pictured at the right. I'm working on the herbal book right now, and then Good Eats Vol 2 (grains) will follow in the spring. Good Eats Vol 3 (surprise!) perhaps by next fall. You know, assuming everything holds together enough for publishing.
I misunderstood your post. I read it as you had put out a second NEW volume on food storage in addition to the one already published. I already own all three of your books and find them extremely helpful. Thanks for all you do.
ReplyDeleteI will be vacuum sealing jars of baking staples, small amounts of different grains for soups & as much wild rice as I can find or afford. Also got mylar bags & oxygen absorbers for some other food items.
ReplyDeleteI read your article on storing cereals... my husband loves Frosted Flakes, so we have vacuum sealed several of the big bags already. Grateful to learn they really do have a long shelf life!
Just recently found Azure Standard & have ordered mainly 1/2 gallon canning jars, canning supplies, livestock minerals & bulk grains at reasonable prices & very good shipping costs. Next month I hope to get some garden minerals to help build up the fertility in my recycled leaky stock tanks, feeders & kiddie wading pools.
Enjoy your Anniversary celebration! Blessings from NW Florida!
Yes, Frosted Flakes seem to last forever. However, something has possessed my children and they've all decided to start eating healthier. And I still have a few jars of Frosted Flakes. I think my husband will still eat them though.
Delete