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Post by sparkle on Nov 16, 2020 11:16:42 GMT -6
This morning, as I was preparing some produce for the dehydrator, I was thinking of the story of the Little Red Hen, which was one of my favorite stories as a child, because it taught me a lot about self-reliance and hard work. Some months ago, in a political forum that I use, the Little Red Hen story came up in conversation and I was amazed at how many people were angered merely by the idea that there are those of us who are out here being Little Red Hens, working hard to take care of ourselves and provide for our well being in the future. They talked about how stupid the story was! This is when I realized that the story was about guarding against the evils of socialism! www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/fairytale/littleredhen/story/
Anyway, how about a thread about what we're doing to preserve food or whatever other activity we're indulging in to assure our future needs are met? Maybe recipes utilizing home-canned, dehydrated and freeze dried food?
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Post by Alpo on Nov 16, 2020 19:55:19 GMT -6
I can meat. Chicken pork beef, and when I can get it, deer. A few years ago a guy I went to school with gave me the hindquarters of a deer he'd shot. Our deer ain't real big down here, and both hindquarters butchered out about 10 lb of meat, total, which equated to 10 pints. I then introduced my grandchildren to a little dish I called Bambi Stroganoff. They liked it. A bunch. So much that they keep requesting it, but I'd done run out of deer.
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Post by sparkle on Nov 17, 2020 5:48:10 GMT -6
I can meat. Chicken pork beef, and when I can get it, deer. A few years ago a guy I went to school with gave me the hindquarters of a deer he'd shot. Our deer ain't real big down here, and both hindquarters butchered out about 10 lb of meat, total, which equated to 10 pints. I then introduced my grandchildren to a little dish I called Bambi Stroganoff. They liked it. A bunch. So much that they keep requesting it, but I'd done run out of deer. Sounds delicious! My brother was famous for his canned elk. Hubby and I always got a half of a beef every year and last year there were some big roasts left in the freezer at slaughter time so I canned about 36 pints. Still haven't taken it out and cooked with it. How long is it good for?
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Post by Alpo on Nov 17, 2020 6:41:28 GMT -6
The canning websites say that it's good for a year. But that is lawyer liability nonsense.
As long as your jar is not compromised, it's good forever.
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Post by sparkle on Nov 17, 2020 7:15:05 GMT -6
The canning websites say that it's good for a year. But that is lawyer liability nonsense. As long as your jar is not compromised, it's good forever. Thanks.
My grandma's kitchen on a canning day is one of my favorite memories from childhood and her pantry shelves, loaded with jars of good stuff, was a deep mystery to me. It saddens me to live in a world where so many young people haven't a clue where food comes from or the processes that bring it to our plates.
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Post by Alpo on Nov 17, 2020 10:08:13 GMT -6
I buy boneless chuck roast, and cut it into one inch or maybe inch and a half cubes. Stuff just as many as I can into that jar. Cram them in there. When the jar is full, hit the full jar on the heel of my left hand. it works just like pounding the hammer handle down on the workbench when you've got a loose head. When the handle stops, the head continues on down a little bit. So when the jar hits my hand and stops, the meat packs down a little tighter, so I can get more meat in the jar.
I used to trim the fat off. But I had started canning when I was in my survivalist stage. Preparing long-term storage foods. You need fat in your diet. It made no sense to throw the fat away, and then have to buy cooking oil to replace it. So now I leave the fat on when I put it in the jar. As the meat cooks in the canner, the fat melts and floats to the top of the jar. Then when I'm ready to make gravy, I've got all that nice beef tallow sitting there to brown my flour in. Win win.
Something that drastically changed after I started canning cow. I use it to make my chili now. Don't use brown hamburger anymore. Those hunks are cow come out of that jar tasting like the most tender and juicy roast beef you can imagine. Chili is much better using that .
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Post by sparkle on Nov 17, 2020 10:33:18 GMT -6
I buy boneless chuck roast, and cut it into one inch or maybe inch and a half cubes. Stuff just as many as I can into that jar. Cram them in there. When the jar is full, hit the full jar on the heel of my left hand. it works just like pounding the hammer handle down on the workbench when you've got a loose head. When the handle stops, the head continues on down a little bit. So when the jar hits my hand and stops, the meat packs down a little tighter, so I can get more meat in the jar. I used to trim the fat off. But I had started canning when I was in my survivalist stage. Preparing long-term storage foods. You need fat in your diet. It made no sense to throw the fat away, and then have to buy cooking oil to replace it. So now I leave the fat on when I put it in the jar. As the meat cooks in the canner, the fat melts and floats to the top of the jar. Then when I'm ready to make gravy, I've got all that nice beef tallow sitting there to brown my flour in. Win win. Something that drastically changed after I started canning cow. I use it to make my chili now. Don't use brown hamburger anymore. Those hunks are cow come out of that jar tasting like the most tender and juicy roast beef you can imagine. Chili is much better using that . Sound like a great way to make chili!
Yes, I leave a little fat in too. I like eating animal fat and my body likes it too. And yes, the 90 minutes in the prssure canner makes it the tenderest cow that ever sat on your fork! My brother's famous canned elk was so tender it made me cry!
Thanks for the tip for hammering the meat into the jar. Do you then add broth? When I get a new half of beef, I take all the bones I can get and make the best broth ever!
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Post by Alpo on Nov 17, 2020 11:07:02 GMT -6
90 minutes? Are you doing quarts, or are you high up? Pints here at sea level are 75 minutes. I cold pack. Nothing goes in my jars except raw meat. When they cook they make broth.
Have you ever tried canned unicorn?
Several of the canning sites say to add salt, but I don't.
I have browned hamburger, and canned that. That needs to have liquid added to it. I think I put in tomato juice, but it's been a while since I've done hamburger, and I don't remember.
Canning bacon is fun. It requires parchment paper. You cut your bacon strip into thirds, and a long strip of parchment paper that is as wide as your three pieces of bacon. I believe I got 18 slices (54 pieces) into a jar. Once you have your bacon cut into pieces, you lay it on your parchment paper and roll it up, like you're making a cake roll. Then you stick the roll in the jar. You need wide mouth jars to do bacon. It still needs cooked to have the "crisp bacony" flavor, but very little bacon grease cooks out.
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Post by sparkle on Nov 17, 2020 11:41:25 GMT -6
I'm not too high up. 300 feet or so. I'm going from memory about the time. I do know that I have always done pints of broth for 90 minutes. Last time I canned meat, I added a little bit of salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of dried herbs. I'll try your cold pack with no added liquid next time. One less pot on the stove.
Hmmmmmmmmmm..... I wonder if my dog would like some of that unicorn! LOL!
Wow! Canning bacon sounds like fun but I don't est much of it so I'll probably not run into the need to know how to can it. I might be interested in doing chicken breast. My dog eats a ton of it. She's on a super low fat diet because of intermittent bad bouts of pancreatitis. She eats a ton of chicken and sweet potatoes and does well on it, but it gets to be a pain to cook it every other day so I know it's fresh.
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