Frugal Canning

Got this from The Frugal Fraulein

Hi,
How about adding a canning class to your list of 2010 accomplishments? I will be offering two marmalade canning classes in January. This year I will be offering canning classes based on local products and in the dead of the winter products grown and in season in America. This is the month for citrus.

Information about the classes can be found at my blog at http://frugalcanning.blogspot.com or call 360-705-9818 for more details.

This would be a great opportunity for local preppers and canners to get together and share ideas and information.

Come and do the Can Can with The Frugal Fraulein.

Motto: "if it isn't moving, can it"

Annual Food Preparedness Goal Review

Life's been, well interesting the past several months, precluding my desire and ability to post, but with a new year comes the desire to try start anew. Bill's most recent post ties into what I've been working on for the past 3 weeks, and here goes the start of trying to post at least once a month.



The upcoming year holds a positive major life event for me (I'm getting married), so the holidays started me planning what changes I need to make for my food storage and family preparedness. Roommates move out, a husband and 2 more cats move in, with all of their respective storage and dietary needs to consider and prepare for.

Fortunately for me, he appreciates and supports my desire to be more self-sufficient, enjoys gardening and has the enthusiastic support of my son. He also owns most of the tools that have been used around my home for the past 18 months doing repairs, adding in raised beds and creating useful bits of furniture like dog kennels and shelves.



Because of all the things I do, lists are the mainstay of trying to stay on top of everything and keep life in balance. The following is the master list of what I'd ideally like to accomplish for my storage preparedness this year, week-by-week. I've moved some things to weeks closer to when my area puts things on sale, or when my apples are ripe from the original inspiration and set the amounts for 3 people, 3 dogs and 3-4 cats. With all the wedding preparations, I know I won't be able to get all of the totals I wish for, but I can look at doing a small amount each week and being closer to the overall goal.




Weekly Food Storage Purchase or Setup Concept (for 3 People)
Week # Itemto Buy Amount
1 Water Supply 14 gal min/person 2 week min, don't forget pets!
2 Detergents, bleaches, cleansers Bleach: 4 gal/person Laundry soap 20#/person
3 Medicine Chest/First Aid Kit All medications & ointments
4 Pet Food/supplies Bags: 6 dog/3 cat; 3 litter 1/2 of est. food needs
Garden seeds
5 Canned Meats 12 cans ea/per person (36 total)
(poultry, tuna, dried beef)
6 First Aid Kit All bandage-related items
7 Peanut Butter 10#/person (30#) maybe more for cooking?
8 Vegetable & Olive Oils 12#/each
9 Juices 100% juice, check for pwd too
10 Personal Hygiene (and feminine products) Toothpaste, brush, comb, razors
11 Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
12 Spices & Herbs check for ones I use most
13 Rice: part of grain total 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
14 First Aid Kit: catch up miscellany
15 Pasta: part of grain total 50# Total required grains 900# min
16 Dry Milk 50# 100#/person (300# total)
17 Sewing Kit: notions needed Check for needs
18 Flour: part of grain total 50# Total required grains 900# min
19 Dry or canned soups
20 More Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
21 Pet Food/supplies Bags: 6 dog/3 cat; 3 litter 1/2 of est. food needs
22 More Rice: part of grain total 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
23 Cord, Twine, Light Rope; flashlight/batteries
24 Cheese & sour cream: 180# cheese/30# sour grate & freeze, or buy dried
25 Towels, foil, garbage/freezer bags, etc
26 Vinegar: White & Apple Cider 6 gallons each min, use more if dyeing/cleaning
27 Condiments: ketchup/ranch/italian, etc
mayo/salad dressing/worchestershire/mustard
28 Jams & Jellies pre-made, or pectin supplies
29 Canned Soups, Dried Soup Mixes buy what we eat
30 Dry & Canned Milk buy on holiday baking sales?
31 Popcorn 50# Total required grains 900# min
32 Baking needs: b. soda, pwdr, cornstarch 2# ea, 3# for bak soda
33 Tomatoes: Juice, sauce, salsa, paste, dried Part of 150#/veggies each
34 Canned Fruit/Veg: 150#/veg; 80 qts fruit/ea
35 More Fruits & Vegetables
36 Sugar: 100#/per person 50#/ea Count with honey/molasses
37 Vegetables
38 Dried beans, peas, lentils 50#/ea 100#/person (300# total)
39 Back to school/office supplies buy on school sales
40 Iodized Salt 12# each (36#) Canning salt is separate (50#)
41 Personal Products: TP, soap, shampoo 52 rolls TP/ea;
15 bars soap, 4 bottles shampoo/ea
42 Emergency fuel supplies propane/kerosene/charcoal/wood
43 Apple stuff: dried, fruit leather, sauce
Dried beans, peas, lentils 50#/ea 100#/person (300# total)
44 Hard Candy for Halloween use in 72 hour kits too
Vitamins 365/ea Extra Vitamin C and Calcium!
45 More Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
46 Sweeteners: sugars, honey, molasses
47 Rolled Oats, Corn Meal, Barley, Wheat 50#/ea Total required grains 900# min
48 Sugars: Brown, White, Powdered
49 Solid Vegetable Shortening 12#/person Check how lard stores too
50 Baking extras: Cocoa, chips, coconut, etc
51 Candles & matches
Emergency kit items refresh kits
52 Nuts 2#/person (6# total) on sale after Christmas
Emergency kit items refresh kits


I'll play fast and loose at times when a good sale comes up though, like with this month at Emergency Essentials, but with my shopping planner always in my purse, it helps me keep track of what I have, what I want, and what is a good price. I do a LOT of holiday baking for personal enjoyment and for work, so I end up doing major restocks at that time with the loss-leader sales. Bill's recommendation of the Kent LDS Cannery is a good one to look into, or alternatively if the dam does go, I could look at the Bremerton location-I have at least 3 planned trips to Kitsap County this year anyways.

So far I'm on track with the storage plans and purchases, keeping up with sewing and mending projects and doing a massive room-by-room declutter to simplify before July.

The hard part is looking at my gardening and other catalogs and remembering I'm not to order anything until AFTER my birthday, so that I don't end up with duplicates.

Food Storage availability

I have found that the least expensive place for me to buy wheat and rice and legumes is the Kent LDS Home Storage Center in Kent, Washington. In fact they come out on top even beating the store sales I have found, even if I pay the extra to have all of my stuff canned right there when I am there. Canning is fun!

They carry: black beans, pinto beans, white beans, nonfat dry milk, white rice, granulated sugar, hard red wheat, hard white wheat, apple slices, carrots, macaroni, quick oats, regular oats, dry onions, potato flakes, spaghetti noodles, refried beans, hot cocoa mix, white flour, fruit drink mix, pancake mix, potato pearls, #10 cans and lids, boxes, dry pack pouches, oxygen absorbers and free labels

They are located at 1412 W. Morton Street, Kent, WA 98035-0825 and their phone number to arrange a time to go do some canning or pick up already packed foods is 253-850-6392. They do not charge tax on food sold there. I think they still have some wet pack items as well as their dry pack items, but I believe they are switching to dry pack only for the near future.

An important note however: If the Howard Hanson dam fails or the powers that be have to release water to prevent further damage to the dam on the Green River, there is going to be massive flooding in the Kent Valley from Renton to Auburn and this will obviously disrupt services at the cannery and products may not be available.