Why I love canning!

‎1. I have a very limited budget, but I have jars and the produce, so its way cheaper
2. I believe in having at least a year supply but being newly married, this is one way I can do it with little cost
3. I don't like that the Govt gets to regulate whats in my food, that's my job
4. I always make sure to can extras to give as gifts, everyone here loves getting jam and pickles for Christmas
5. Any extras after that can be taken to the farmers market to sell, and make me money for more canning supplies.

I'm still working on this list.  What are your favorite reasons to can or store food?

Following Directions

"Follow the Prophet, Follow the Prophet, Follow the Prophet, don't go astray.  Follow the Prophet, Follow the Prophet, Follow the Prophet he knows the way."  The children at church sing this song and even as an adult I remember part of the words.  What does this have to do with canning?  Well those simple lines have taught me so much in life.  Mom made jam the other day, while I was gone.  The apricots were pre-cut, the sugar measured correctly, everything was in place.  The problem you ask?  She didn't add everything in the RIGHT order.  The sugar went in before the pectin, the pectin was almost forgotten.  Three days later and instead of jam we have apricot syrup.  I'm sure it will set up, just not anytime soon.  Like life some rules and be bent, and broken.  Ice Cream for breakfast sure!  Jam has some definite rules and ones that I break and bend all the time.
Rules never to break in Jams and Jellies
1) All ways add the right things at the right times.  Sugar goes in after the fruit comes to a rolling boil.
2) Never add more sugar then the recipe states. 
3)Never add less sugar then the recipe states.
4) If the recipe asks for 1/4 cup Lemon Juice add it.  Sometime I do skip the lemon juice if it only asks for 1 tablespoon and I don't have any around.
5) Put in the correct amount of fruit, the way it asks for it to be prepared.  I sometimes puree a little more then I need and add it, but never more then say 1/4 cup.

Rules to break to make Jams and Jellies fun!
1) Just because a recipe says 5 cups apricots doesn't mean you can't substitute some of the fruit.  Often times I make my own Jam recipe off of the instructions given with the pectin.  In fact I'll give you a recipe for Apricot Pineapple Jam in a minute.  Never replace more then 2/5ths of the recipe. 
2) Adding spices is fun.  Cinnamon, sure.  Nutmeg, why not.  Cheyenne Pepper, well I would be careful, but what the heck!  Spice up your Jam.  Jelly is supposed to be clear, if making it for just you why not?  If you happen to be making jelly for the fair, keep it clear.

I hope this helps you in your quest for delicious homemade goods.  As promised a recipe

Apricot Pineapple Jam~ Courtesy of Aunt Linda
4 cups mashed Apricots
1 cup Pineapple
1 Box of Pectin
Sugar, Butter, and Lemon Juice asked for in the Pectin instructions

Add fruit, pectin, butter, and lemon juice in to a stock pot.  Bring to a rolling boil and add sugar.
Bring back to a rolling boil and boil typically for 1 minute. Ladle into sterilized canning jars and process for 10 minutes, adding time for altitude.  I had to process mine for 25 (I'm at 6,100+ feet).  Fetch jars our of the water bath canner and let sit for 24 hours. 

Letting the jars sit for 24 hours has nothing to do with the jam its self, but the lids.  Go ahead go get a lid, I'll wait.  If you have the nice shinny side up flip it over.  There should be the white bottom and a rubber ring.  Letting the jars sit for 24 hours insures that the rubber ring, that was warm and sticky while your boiled it in the canner, sticks its self to the jar. 


Song taken form the LDS Children's Songbook.

Free Apricots!

Today Mom and I picked Apricots for an hour, and I liked it!  I felt at home in the trees picking fruit, like I had been doing it my whole life.  The best part is the apricots were free, the key to getting free fruit is networking in your community.  It is one of those instances of its not what you know, but who you know.  The best part was seeing the hubby climb the latter and stand of the roof to pick apricots.  There is nothing better then working on a project together to strengthen your bond.  OK back to apricots.  After we got home I had no clue what to do with these little balls.  Dad will eat them, but not 40+ pounds of them.  I had to call a friend and admit I'm a bad homesteader.  I will share what I learned: You don't need to peel apricots!  I was wondering how was I going to peel them all.  Glad I won't have to.  To dry them I simply washed them and cut them in half.  I will be making them into jam, and will share the recipe I find later this week.  I'm counting this as part of our food storage, looks like I have at least another day worth of food. 

Little Extras

Wow I can't believe that July is almost half over!  I have been so busy that I haven't had time to write a blog post.  I wanted to put my two cents in about giveaways.  I happen to be a giveaway nerd.  I'm try to enter one giveaway per day, more if I can find them.  I have won several giveaways, including hatching eggs, chicken feed, and gift cards.  I have set some rules for my self. 
1) I have to be able to use the item.  If I can't or won't use it I don't enter the giveaway.  I would like someone that will use it win it.
2) I try to enter giveaways for items that I can't or won't buy myself. 
3) I never cry over a lost giveaway.  I'm in it for the free stuff yes, but its also fun.  There is no reason to get upset over a lost giveaway, unless the rules are changed, or something unfair happens. 

Other then that have fun.  Facebook is a great place to find giveaways, as are blogs.  I would announce my first giveaway. but currently I don't have any sponsors.  I could giveaway a recipe!  If you are interested in my Strawberry Banana Jam recipe leave a comment.  If there is enough interest I'll host my first giveaway.



Solar Oven Giveaway!

American Preppers Network Giveaway

Food Storage

This morning while in the garden I picked lunch.  A handful of lettuce, some spinach, and the first peas.  I happened to turn my thought to canning and how much food I would be putting away for the winter.  The question is: How much is enough?  I happen to live on top of a mesa the only ways up and down are roads that could be closed in the winter.  How would I feed my family and my animals if I couldn't go to the store.  I went to Emergency Essentials and found a food storage calculator.  Here are the pros and cons of the calculator.
Pros:

1. I can add items in the pantry that I get from the store or can my self.  Such as applesauce.
2. As I was adding items I already had I could add items I needed.  My next order is stored on the website and I can order at any time. 
3. On the right hand side of the page was a wonderful tool.  I could find products biased on nutritional needs.  Need more fiber no sweat the tool will help you find products with fiber.
4. After I had all of my food on hand in the calculator I found out how many days of food I had on hand.  I currently have 30 days of food.  It even shows what nutritional value your food on hand has. 

Cons:

1. There is no place for to add animals.  My food storage is biased on 3 people not 3 people, 1 dog, and 40 chickens.  I know I don't have enough food for the animals.  I also know that I could feed the animals off of stored food such as wheat, dried fruits, and so much of what they sell.
2. I can't add animals for food storage.  In the summer my girls lay plenty of eggs.  The eggs and any extra roosters are part of my food storage and could be eaten.  There is just no place to put that in the calculator.
3. I was trying to figure out food storage for a few winter months, but if I was trying to figure out enough food storage for a year I would like to add my garden.  I have blueberries, blackberries, and cherry bushes.  No place to add that to a years supply, not to mention the garden which produces so much in late summer.

Over all I did like the food storage calculator from Emergency Essentials.  I was excited to know as of right now we can survive 30 days should I not be able to go to the store.  I hope that all of you will consider having some type of food storage.  Here is a direct link to the calculator. 


<a href="http://preparednesspantry.blogspot.com/2009/10/food-storage-analyzer-gift-card.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Gift Card Giveaway" src="http://beprepared.com/images/art/giftcardbanner40.png"/></a></center>

Chicken Sweater

Today was hot, yesterday was hot, tomorrow is supposed to be hot.  With all this heat and no end in sight, I've found that I need a nice cool afternoon project.  I've taken to crocheting.  Not the big winter blanket crocheting, but little 1 day projects.  Chicken sweaters have taken over my afternoons.  I will admit I love it.  I have been using up some random balls of yarn, and it has been fun using up the different colors.  Caution:  Do NOT use red chickens are attracted to the color red and will pick at it.  Here is the pattern I found: http://barnyardsandbackyards.org/2011/02/03/chicken-sweaters .

What a good sport Katniss was to pose in a sweater for us. 

Upcycled Chicken Coop

I'm very excited!  The Little Upcycled Coop was finished today.  The only thing we bought is 3 boxes of screws costing around $21.  Everything else was reused, and well FREE.  That in its self is exciting.  I will warn you now.  It will not win the cutest coop of the year award, but it might just win the cheapest coop of the year award.  Check out the other blog posts on our little coop if you would like to see the beginning steps involved in building this coop.


Today's first step was setting up the walls.

I was on babysitting duty since my husband needed help.  They used screws to tie the pallets together on the long sides.

Next they installed the window that will serve as my door.  Sorry I couldn't get a picture.  Then they ran 2x4x10's along the top, and screwed the tin roofing to the 2x4's.  Here is a picture of the finished coop.

One cute Little Upcycled Coop.  The chicks aren't living there yet, I still have to put fencing up.  I hope this project gave you some ideas on making you own upcycled coop.