This weeks preps check-in

[Danil54grl]

We haven't canned plain chicken in a long time. Danil54grl is the expert canner around here, maybe she can help.

We can chicken soup, and while it's not quite as good as fresh made, it isn't bad at all.

My wife bought a freeze dryer that should be here in a couple weeks. Curious to see how that works. I'd be happy (maybe) if I could get her to tell me how much it cost.....

You probably don't want to know the cost! Hunny saw one in the classified s recently almost brand new. Only wanted $2400 for it. Yes, note no decimal points in there. . .I have heard some really good reviews and some really bad. Most of the bad has been getting a lemon and the company not wanting to replace and if they do, they send a refurbished. So I am waiting to as if they can work out all the kinks first before I dish out that ki d of money. But I do want one someday! Badly!!

As for our preps, besides the normal canning a d dehydrating from the garden, hunny purchased a propane generator that will run the whole house when we loose power. It will automatically kick on. We are looking at getting a 500 gallon tank cause I am looking down the line here. When our all electric appliances go out, I would like to replace with gas. What I will really like with this generator will be the no more hauling water to the critters by buckets. We have the well water run out to critter pens already so just turn on like normal to fill. When lights go out, that means hand pump with bucket hauling.. .

As for canning chicken there is many ways to do it. Easiest and way we tend to like it most is cold pack whole prices. It makes its own juices, but does not completely cover in jar. It will turn a little grey after awhile, so if you don't like that you can always fill a little less half way with boiling water. We also boil up a bunch, debone and pack jars add in broth that its cooked in. Comes come tender but stringy, but just fine using in soups and casseroles.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

I'm saving my Cabela's credit card points so I can get a propane/gas generator. This is how I got my current generator (free).

I am getting rid of my gas stuff and going strictly propane. I have the adapter so I can refill 1lb tanks from the 20lb tanks. I bought the hose so I can run directly from a 20lb tank. I have been buying the old valve 20lb tanks for like $4.00 and exchanging them at Walmart for $14.00 for a filled new style valve.

To take them to the propane dealership it costs $18.00 just for a new valve installed. I'm going to sell my Coleman dual fuel stoves and lanterns if anyone is interested.

 

[Danil54grl]

I checked our store here which is almost exclusive to TX but they sell the rubbed sage in bulk for 56 cents an oz so yeah your find at Big Lots was a better deal.

 

[jimLE]

i got 8 places to go,today..in which that includes harbor fright,sams club,and wal mart....so i'll be keeping my open for good deals.and hopefully,i'll be watching my spending as well..

 

[WGregMiller]

You probably don't want to know the cost! Hunny saw one in the classified s recently almost brand new. Only wanted $2400 for it. Yes, note no decimal points in there. . .I have heard some really good reviews and some really bad. Most of the bad has been getting a lemon and the company not wanting to replace and if they do, they send a refurbished. So I am waiting to as if they can work out all the kinks first before I dish out that ki d of money. But I do want one someday! Badly!!
.

I finally got the answer -$2200 after a $700 discount. Ouch. My butt hurts.

We'll use it, I'm sure. This one is made in Utah, the only one made in the US (according to my wife). At least there is no shipping or tax.

Comes with 100 Mylar bags and a sealer as well. Last time we bought Mylar it was 500 bags, but whatever, lol.

This one had great reviews and they've got a good reputation for fixing what's not right. We'll see.

I'll keep y'all updated on when it shows up.

 

[Danil54grl]

Must be Harvest Right. . . that's the only company here that I have seen who makes them. Yes, please let us know how you like it. I know that I will still be canning after getting one, but that's just one more way to preserve.

 

[DrPrepper]

I got a fire extinguisher for my house. I added some more stuff to my BOB. Mostly small stuff like toothpaste, small sponge, dish soap, one load travel pack of Tide laundry detergent.

 

[Danil54grl]

The big generator for the house was supposed to have been delivered this morning. Hunny already told me to use his tractor to help with the off load cause he wasn't sure if the truck delivering had a lift ramp. Says its about 600 lbs. Well, got a call, can't make it down our narrow roads. Will try again when hunny is off work after 4. That way he can go meet him part way with the tractor and trailer. He has the big truck with him for work.

As for me, I'm canning zucchini & yellow squash first, then winter squash, then corn. Probably making cream cause I got plenty kernels already canned up. Tryi g to decide what I want to do with the cobs. . . may soak them in vinegar to help keep critters out of the garden or I may end up making some corn cob jelly with them. I got a little time to decide before I can tackle that project.

Got both dehydrators going with onions and cucumbers sliced real thin sprinkled with vinegar and a little salt. Makes for a good snack and less fattening than chips. After those are done, I'll need to reload with garlic and more cucumbers. Since I am not getting a whole lot of tomatoes at one time right now, those are getting sliced and dried too. People pay high dollar for sundries tomatoes at the store and so much cheaper doing it yourself when needed at home with added garlic and olive oil.

Still need to do more picking of beans and get those shelled to start drying. The ones I have spread out already are almost ready to be put in tin cans for storage but not quite there yet. Life is busy this time of year but good!

 

[Danil54grl]

I got a fire extinguisher for my house. I added some more stuff to my BOB. Mostly small stuff like toothpaste, small sponge, dish soap, one load travel pack of Tide laundry detergent.

You may want to check with individual companies to see if they are giving away free samples. Walmart used to have a section on there website where you could sign up for them too. Not sure if its still there or not. I remember its hard to find but still. . . its free product and the perfect size to throw in a BOB. I mainly signed up for laundry detergents,toothpaste, shampoos, things like that.

 

[jontte]

not much,but did order a water bladder and a some 8 feet of my army camo textile.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

I got a fire extinguisher for my house. I added some more stuff to my BOB. Mostly small stuff like toothpaste, small sponge, dish soap, one load travel pack of Tide laundry detergent.

What did you pay for all of this minus the extinguisher? Keep in mind dollar tree has all of this stuff and some of it is name brand.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[DrPrepper]

What did you pay for all of this minus the extinguisher? Keep in mind dollar tree has all of this stuff and some of it is name brand.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

.97 cents for each item at the Walmart sample bin.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

.97 cents for each item at the Walmart sample bin.

Cant argue with that.

 

[Danil54grl]

The lady truck driver had a dolly and lift ramp for the back of her truck so easy transfer of the generator to our truck. Only had to meet her a couple miles down the road. Once home off loaded with skid steer and now waiting for propane tank to get delivered and installed for connection. Getting so close now.

I ended up with 12 pints sliced zucchini, 2 pints yellow squash, & 2 pints patty squash all done in one canner load. 16 pints pumpkin cubes and 14 pints cream corn. The last batch of corn picked was a disappointment, seemed like most of them were on the smaller side. We had gone over to a friends house the 4th of July and she was having the same problem. The ones planted in March did much better than the ones planted in April. Timing is everything. . . but I did get enough corncob s to make jelly, soak a few in vinegar for the garden and still have some leftover for the pigs. Normally 100 corncobs will do around 12 quarts of kerneled corn, creamed you can almost double the amount of cobs, but when only 5 inches long. . . let's just say it was a lot of scrapping, but oh so worth it!! I saved my corncob jelly to make this morning. I was running out of steam yesterday.

Looks like the garden is about to be just beans & peppers & melons. Everything else is wanting to wilt in the heat we have been having. Heat index today will only be 102 instead of the 110 we've been having. Just glad I got every thing picked this morning already. When it cools back off this evening, I'll go back out and continue pulling squash plants & whatever else to throw to the goats and building my rows back up. I have also decided the next time I plant a new row of beans, they will need to go on a trellis, my back is getting to old to be hunching down beds to pick all morning. I guess I should have takin better care of it when I was younger. . . normally my attitude is suck it up and go on, now I am paying the price. I just don't get to plant as many beans on a trellis vs a bed, which is probably why I haven't done it yet. Who knows, I may change my mind. . . I am female after all .

Last night ended up having to fix a fence. My goat Penelope kept jumping it. She is one of my older goats that I've had for the last 9 years. She has never been a fence jumper, n fact none of them have been, but we had been having a lot of rain which made the ground wet and she discovered that she could stand on the wire fence to sink the t post to jump over. Now that the ground is dried out, new t post have been driven in to stand the fence up higher. She was the only one. . . I really think she wanted to get away from her twins for a little while. She stayed by the fencing munching away on the canal and when I walked out, she was would always jump back over. No harm done, but you just never know when the LNVA will get mowed by the county or another animal goes down it. I would hate for her to get scared off.

 

[jimLE]

i canned 5 pints of taco meat the other day..ow im trying my hand at bread n butter pickles..

 

[jimLE]

i just added the cucumbers and onion to the other ingredients,after bringing them to a boil.. arent the cucumber and onion suppose to be completely covered in the other ingredients?

 

[Arcticdude]

Just got confirmation from the manufacturer that my new generator will be assymbled next week. The solar electric gear is still a couple of weeks out. Just have a few finishing touches left on the chicken coop and I'll bring the chicks home on Sunday. A couple days ago I was putting on the last piece of window trim and drilled a hole through my thumb. Don't ask.
Brought home some weaner pigs yesterday.

 

[Danil54grl]

i just added the cucumbers and onion to the other ingredients,after bringing them to a boil.. arent the cucumber and onion suppose to be completely covered in the other ingredients?

When ladling into jars, yes leaving a 1/4 headspace. It really depends on the recipe you are using. . . some call for adding the cucumber onion mixture directly to the jar then adding in the liquid. Other recipes call for adding the cuke onion mixture into the liquid first. Most of these will also have an excess of liquid, which I normally save for the next batch or pickle eggs with it. I have yet to find a recipe that does not call for making an excess of liquid.

 

[WGregMiller]

We're prepping to can tomatoes. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 pounds. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day.

 

[Brent S]

We're prepping to can tomatoes. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 pounds. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day.

Wow, 80 lbs is great! I'm getting fresh ripe tomatoes to eat, but will be lucky to get more than a dozen or so pints for canning. I only planted 7 plants this year. Looks like I'll buy a couple trays of canned sauce and paste from the store this year.