Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
http://preparednessmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Wheat%20Recipes
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Wheat
WHEAT
CRACKED WHEAT
Cracked wheat may be made in a blender by using the “chop” selection on the machine. Depending upon the coarseness desired, adjust the length of processing time. Cracked wheat may also be made by using various food processors or a nut chopper.
3 1/4 C whole wheat flour
1 1/4 T instant yeast
2 1/2 C steaming hot tap water (120 - 130 deg. F)
1 T salt
1/3 C honey or 1/2 C sugar
1 1/4 T bottled lemon juice
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
To Make 4 (8x4-inch loaves)
7 C while wheat flour
2 1/2 T instant yeast
5 C Steaming hot tap water (120 - 130 deg. F)
2 T salt
2/3 C Honey or 1 C sugar
2 1/2 T bottled lemon juice
5 C whole wheat flour
Mix together first three ingredients in mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute, cover and let rest for 10 min. Add salt, oil, honey, or sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 min. Add last of flour, 1 C at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6 - 10 minutes until dough pulls away from the bowl. This makes a very soft dough.Preheat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves, place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 min. until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven. Turn oven to 350 deg. F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.
If you do not have a mixer with a dough hook and are kneading this by hand, gradually add last cup of flour to keep dough from sticking to counter. You will add more flour when kneading by hand than when using a mixer simply to be able to handle this moist dough. With wheat bread, always add the least amount of flour possible to keep bread moist. Knead 10 minutes before shaping dough into loaves.
Mix yeast and warm water and set aside. Pour hot water over shortening, sugar and salt. Mix dry milk with 1 C while wheat flour, add hot water mixture and 1 C cold water, then add yeast mixture. Add 6 - 7 more cups of whole wheat flour. Knead until smooth and elastic and let rise almost double. Time as follows: Let rise 40 minutes, punch down; 20 minutes, punch down; 20 minutes, punch down. Shape into 3 loaves and place in 3 small greased bread pans. Allow to rise until double in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
BREAD ROLLS (to make with Favorite Roll Mix)
1 3/4 C Steaming Hot tap water
1/2 C oil
2 T whole egg
1 T instant yeast
4 - 5 /12 C Favorite Roll Mix.
Pour hot tap water into large bowl. Whisk in oil and egg. Stir in 2 C Favorite roll mix. Stir in 1 more cup of Favorite Roll Mix and yeast. Add remaining mix as needed to make a soft dough. Knead dough 5 minutes by hand until smooth. Place smooth side down in lightly oiled bowl; turn dough smooth side up. (This oils the top of the dough.) Cover with damp towel; let rise in a warm place about 40 min., until doubled. Punch dough down. Divide in 16 24 rolls. Form rolls and place on greased pans. Cover; let rise in warm place until about doubled. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Bake 20 - 25 min.
Cooked wheat, cracked our whole can be friend with hamburger and used in sloppy Joes, spaghetti, pizza, etc.
Gas Range Method
1 C Whole Wheat
1/2 tsp salt
2 C Boiling water
Place ingredients in a pan over the pilot light all night.
Crock Pot Method
1 C Whole wheat
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C Water
Cook 6-8 hours or overnight on low.
Make a white sauce using the liquid form canned meat (chicken or turkey chunks). Whisk the soup until there are no lumps and bring to a boil. Stir in meat; heat thoroughly. Fill crepe with mixture.
For a sweet crepe, omit salt and add 2 T sugar to crepes. Fill with pudding and fruit, pie filling or jam. Serve hot or cold. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
BANANA BREAD
2 C Whole wheat flour
1/2 C Butter
2 Eggs
3 ripe bananas
3/4 C Honey
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp oil
Mix well and fill greased loaf pan 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Cooking with Basic Food Storage: More wheat recipes
JANE’S WHOLE WHEAT GRAINY BREAD
5 c. hot tap water
2/3 c. canola oil
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. molasses
2 T. salt
3 T. SAF instant yeast (instant, NOT rapid rise)
12-14 c. freshly ground whole wheat
3 T. dough enhancer (My mom said to use 1/3 cup - about 5 T. - since her wheat is old)
3 T. wheat gluten
THESE INGREDIENTS ARE WHAT MAKES THE BREAD GREAT, BUT THEY ARE OPTIONAL:
1/2 c. cracked wheat
1/4 c. oat bran
1/4 c. wheat bran
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. ground flax (I used whole flax seeds)
1/4 c. millet
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. sunflower seeds
2 T. buttermilk powder
1/4 t. vitamin C crystals (I didn’t use)
1 T. lecithin (I didn’t use)
(There are about 4 cups here worth of “optional” ingredients. You can of course play around with this greatly and add some of the stuff, all of it, none of it, different grains, etc.)
Step 1: Grind 9 c. of whole wheat.
Step 2: Combine hot tap water, oil, honey, molasses, 9 or so cups flour, and dough enhancer and gluten. Mix together. Then add the yeast (the oil and salt will kill the yeast if not mixed in first). Add optional ingredients now.
Step 3: Mix on low speed and at the same time add flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl (flour amount will vary due to humidity and the protein and moisture content of the wheat). A stickier dough will make a more moist bread - so sticky is good.
Step 4: Knead for 5 min. on low speed.
Step 5: Oil hands and counter. Remove dough and mold into loaves. Recipe will make 12 mini, 5 medium, or 4 large loaves. Place in pans greased with oil (we used Pam). Cover loaves with a clean cloth and let rise for 30 minutes or until almost doubled (It took about an hour at my parents’ house). Brush with egg white whisked with a fork, then sprinkle with rolled oats. If you don’t do this, you can brush with melted butter.
Step 6: Bake at 350 for 30 min. Immediately remove from pans and place on rack to cool. Slice and enjoy! The bread will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer.
Makes one 14” crust.
Dissolve together:
1 c warm water
1 T sugar
2 1/4 t yeast
Mix in:
1 t salt
3 T olive oil
1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c white flour
Dough will be soft (but not sticky) and forming a nice ball. Allow to rest in bowl ten minutes. Dust cooking stone with cornmeal and press dough out with oiled fingers. Top with sauce and desired toppings. Bake at 425 degrees F for 14 minutes.
Source: The Foodees Blog
Posted by Kerri at 8:50 PM 1 comments
Labels: Cooking with Basic Food Storage, Wheat Recipes
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Lee Mowat’s Wheat Recipes
Mix sugar, butter, eggs, add chocolate; add flour and salt alternately with milk, stir in nuts and flavoring. Pour into 9 x 13 greased pan, bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter with sucanot until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in rest of ingredients (except chips and nuts), mix well. Add chips and nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Add enough milk to make batter about as thick as heavy cream. Use 1/4 measuring cup to dip batter. Cook on medium hot griddle or pan.
Using an 8 quart heavy pan on medium heat, cook :
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Large onion
1 Carrot, grated
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium green pepper, chopped
Cook covered for 10 minutes.
Add:
1/2 C Dried lentils
2 tsp chili powder (or more)
1 Bay leaf
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 or 2 large cans tomatoes with juice
1/2 C cooked and drained chick peas
1/2 C cooked and drained black peas
1/2 c cooked and drained pinto beans
Cover and simmer 30 minutes—until lentils are done.
14 GRAIN BREAD
6 C Warm Water
2 T Salt
2/3 C Oil
2/3 C Honey
3 T Dough Enhancer
3 C High Gluten Bread Flour
3 T SAF Yeast or Other instant yeast
6-8 C Freshly Ground Flour (10-11 C Unground Grain)
1 pkg of 9 grain cracked wheat cereal
1 C Sunflower Seeds
1/3 C Millet
1/3 C Flax Seed
1/3 C Sesame Seed
1/3 C Amaranth
Put all ingredients together and add additional flour 1 C at a time until dough starts to pull away from sides, continue kneading for an additional 10 minutes. (Lori’s Note: I used the same recipe, only proofed the yeast by putting in 2/3 C of tepid water with 1 T of sugar, set aside and let get bubbly. I also added 6 T of lecithin. I omitted the dough enhancer and high gluten bread flour and used 100% whole wheat flour)
Melt Butter and add milk. Add 4 C of flour. Add beaten eggs, sugar, salt and add additional flour until dough barely starts to pull away from sides. Take out. Let rise 10 minutes, shape and let rise until double in bulk. Bake in 350 degree oven until done 12-15 minutes. (Lori’s Note: I made 100% whole wheat dinner rolls by proofing the yeast in 1/2 c tepid water, 2 t. of sugar and the Yeast. If you desire to freeze, let rise 10 minutes, shape and place on well-greased cookie sheet. Cover. Take out 3 hours before you desire to serve them and let rise on greased cookie sheet until you bake them.)
In Bosch or other mixer, Add:
8 C Tepid Water
1 C Honey
4 T Salt
1/4 C Molasses
1/2 C Lecithin
Add 10 C Whole Wheat Flour, mix until smooth. Add 1 C Oil, 1 more cup of flour and continue mixing until smooth. Add yeast, then gradually add additional flour until dough starts to pull away form sides. Continue to knead for 10 minutes. Take out of bowl and place in greased bowl and let rise 10 minutes. Form loaves by dividing dough into equal parts and put in greased bread pans. Poke with fork. Let rise until 2 fingers above the pan. Place in preheated oven at 350 degrees. Leave oven door open for first three minutes and then close for remaining 27 minutes. Bake, take out of pan and put on cooling racks or paper towels. After cooled, you can slice bread and put into bags. Freezes very well.
Posted by Kerri at 11:10 AM 0 comments
Labels: Cooking with Basic Food Storage, Wheat Recipes
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Desserts and Goodies
WHOLE WHEAT BROWNIES
1 C Melted Shortening
2 C Whole Wheat Flour
4 Eggs, Beaten
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1 C Sugar
Beat together, spread in greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c melted butter
2 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
Mix above ingredients with a few drops of milk to spreading consistency.
WHEAT AND RAISIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Yield 6 dozen cookies
1 1/2 C Butter
1 1/2 C Brown Sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 C Chopped Nuts (optional)
1 package chocolate chips
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C Flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Hot Water
1 C Raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter in large bowl until soft. Gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Blend both kinds of flour and salt in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until well mixed.
Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to sugar-flour mixture. Stir in nuts, raisins and chocolate chips. Using 1 generous Tbsp of dough for each cookie, place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool.
HONEY GRAHAM CRACKERS
2 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 C Butter
1 1/2 Tbsp Honey
Blend flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter and honey. Roll out on greased and floured cookie sheet to 1/8 inch. Prick with fork. Bake 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Cut right away.
OATMEAL COOKIES WITH WHEAT FLOUR
3 C Oil
6 C Brown Sugar or Honey
4 Eggs
1 C water
4 tsp vanilla
4 C Whole Wheat Flour
4 tsp Salt
2 tsp soda
12 C Rolled Oats
1 C Flour
6 tsp cinnamon
2 C Raisins
Blend oil, sugar or honey, eggs, water, vanilla, whole wheat flour, salt, soda, oats, flour, cinnamon and raisins. Place spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
OH HENRY BARS
1/2 C Melted Butter
1 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1 (6 oz) pkg. Chocolate Chips
1/2 C Karo Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla
4 C Oats
Mix together first five ingredients. Heat until dissolved. Stir in oats and chips. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Do not over bake. Cut into bars.
COWBOY COOKIES: Yield 5 dozen
1/2 C Butter
3/4 C Honey or 1 C Sugar
1 C Light Brown Sugar
2 1/4 C Whole Wheat Four
1 C Chocolate Chips
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 C Chopped Walnuts
1 tsp baking soda
2 C Rolled Oats
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Cream butter, sugar and honey. Add beaten eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and soda. Add dry ingredients to butter -sugar mixture. Add oats and mix. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Note: If cookies are too flat on your first batch in the oven, add more whole wheat flour (1/4 c)
1 C Cooked Soft Pinto Beans (drained and mashed)
1/4 C Milk
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 Tbsp Butter or margarine
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla
Nuts (optional)
In large bowl, stir bean and milk together, adding enough milk to resemble mashed potatoes; stir in vanilla. Melt chocolate and butter and stir into bean mixture. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Knead with hands until well blended. Spread into lightly greased 9 inch baking dish or form into two 1 1/2 inch rolls. Chill 1 - 2 hours.
2 1/ c soft bread crumbs or 1 1/2 c cooked rice
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp butter
1/2 c dry milk
13 c dried whole egg
1/8 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c raisins
2 1/2 c water
Mix bread crumbs or rice and butter together. Reconstitute milk with 2 1/2 C hot water or use hot milk. Mix with crumbs. Sift together egg, sugar and salt. Slowly stir the milk mixture into dry ingredients; blend until smooth. Add vanilla and raisins. Pour into a greased, shallow baking dish. Set pan of hot water on bottom shelf of oven. Place pudding in oven and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.
1/2 c Shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 c Sugar
1/3 C dried whole egg
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c Dried Milk
1 C Water
2 C Flour
1/4 tsp salt
Cream the shortening, vanilla and sugar until well blended. Add water. Mix dried milk, egg, salt, baking powder and flour. Gradually add to cream mixture. Blend well. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 deg. for 30 minutes.
1 1/2 c flour
1 c brown sugar
1 c water
2 tsp powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c oil
1/3 c cocoa
In a bowl, combine cocoa, flour, brown sugar, water, oil, vanilla and baking soda with a fork or whisk until blended. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch square pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 9.
1 c powdered sugar
2 c instant (1 c non-instant) dry milk
1 c peanut butter
1 c corn syrup or honey
Mix powdered sugar and powdered milk thoroughly. Add peanut butter and syrup mixture. You may need to knead it with your hands. Press into a cake pan or roll into walnut size balls.
Variations: Add nuts or Rice Krispies. Dip in chocolate.
1 c warm honey
4 drops oil of peppermint
2 3/4 c powdered milk (non-instant)
green food coloring
Mix ingredients and knead until all milk is absorbed.
1 c honey
1 c non-instant powdered milk
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
Cook honey to 255 degrees (hard ball). Do not overcook. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Mix cocoa and powdered milk well and stir into honey. Pull like taffy until gloss is gone and roll into rolls.
Apricots or strawberries or other berries
Wash and blend the fruit to a liquid. Pour the fruit onto a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in a parked car. Check in 3 hours. Be sure it’s a summer a day.
4 fresh, diced apples
2 eggs
2 C sugar
2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1 C chopped nuts (optional)
2 tsp baking soda
1 C raisins (optional)
1 tsp salt
Place diced apples in bowl. Add sugar, oil vanilla, soda salt and eggs and mix thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together, then add to wet mixture. Pour into greased 9x13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until cake shrinks from sides of pan.
1/4 C Butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C Sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 C molasses
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp Vinegar
Melt butter with sugar and molasses in small sauce pan over low heat, then cool. Combine salt, baking soda, spices, with whole wheat flour in mixing bowl. Stir in butter and molasses mixture. Add vingar and stir. Drop by teaspoon onto grease cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes or until cookies are set.
Posted by Kerri at 4:23 PM 0 comments
Labels: Cooking with Basic Food Storage, Oats, Rice, Wheat Recipes
Thursday, September 20, 2007
PITA BREAD (Using Whole Wheat Flour)
PITA BREAD
2 ½ C Bread Flour
1 ¼ C Warm (105 degree) water
½ C Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
1 7 gram packet of instant yeast
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Salt
1. With your stand type mixer, combine about 2/3’s of the white flour, the yeast, and the warm water. Mix with a dough hook for about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the flour, the whole wheat flour, and then the olive oil and salt. Knead with the dough hook for about 4 minutes on medium speed. Add more flour or water if needed. The dough should be a little wetter than bread dough.
2. Remove the dough to a greased bowl and let sit for about an hour or until doubled and puffy.
3. Place a rack on the lowest shelf in the oven and remove the second rack so that you can reach into the oven with the formed pitas. Place a heavy cooking sheet or stone on the rack. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
4. Form the dough into 2-inch balls. With a rolling pin, roll flat to a thickness of about 3/8 inch. Let these discs sit on the counter, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Spray the discs with water, so the tops are damp. Fold the dough over to trap the moisture and roll out to 3/8 inch thick again. If they are out of round, it’s okay. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
6. Place 2 or 3 of the discs on the hot baking sheet or stone in the oven. Bake 3 ½ to 4 minutes. The pitas should be puffy but not browned. Remove the pitas from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. Let oven heat recover for 5 mins. and then continue to bake pitas 2 or 3 at a time.
7. If pitas do not puff, there is not enough moisture trapped in the dough. They will still be good and you can split them with the end of a knife but they won’t have that puffy, hollow inside.
Open Pita halves and spread cream cheese inside pockets. Put half the chopped pecans in and move around so that they will stick to the cream cheese. Stuff strawberries and optional raisins into the pockets. Sprinkle with more pecans. (You may want to sprinkle the strawberries with a little sugar.)
Posted by Kerri at 3:03 PM 0 comments
Labels: Cooking with Basic Food Storage, Wheat, Wheat Recipes
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
French Baguette Mix (Using Whole Wheat Flour)
FRENCH BAGUETTE MIX
4 C Bread Flour
1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
3 Packages Dry Active Yeast (3 Tbsp)
Pinch of Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Mix in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container.
FRENCH BAGUETTES
1 package mix
1 1/2 c water
Place mix in large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the water. Stir until all flour is incorporated. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 to 8 minutes. Let dough rise for 1 1/2 hours. Cut dough into equal parts and form into to long, narrow loaves. Place in baguette pans or on cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil. Make several slashes lengthwise along bread. allow the bread to rise another hour. Bake at 350 degrees in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
from:
http://preparednessmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Wheat%20Recipes
http://preparednessmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Wilderness%20Survival
Showing posts with label Wilderness Survival. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Ordinary Items for Extraordinary Survival
A member of my ward sent this article to me. I thought you might find it useful. It was written by Carolyn Nicolaysen and published in Meridian Magazine on 1/23/08
A few years ago, my niece and her husband went for a mountain drive on a winter’s day. Their car broke down on a remote snow-covered road, and it was two days until they were found. Under this scenario, the ordinary things they found in their car became things of extraordinary value.
Sometimes it’s the everyday things that save lives or help us avoid tragedy during a crisis. Whether stranded in the snow, by a heat wave, power outage, hurricane, or by the simple cancellation of our return flight from abroad — we need to take a new look at the items we commonly have in our possession for their possible value in our emergency.
As an example, let’s talk about some items we could use if we were stuck like my niece on a cold winter’s day. The first thing to do is to assess the items you have in your possession that will help in your battle to survive. Search the trunk, your purse, luggage, pockets, under the hood, storage compartments and even the parts of the car itself, for things that will help.
Let’s begin by emptying pockets, purses, backpacks, briefcases. Have we got a cell phone that works? Do we know our true location? Have we got a map? Can we see a populated area from where we are? Is there any traffic in the area that can be seen or heard? If we can answer “Yes” to any of these questions, help may be not far away. If “No” to all these questions, then you may need to prepare for a long wait.
Lipstick
Great for writing a message on the window of a car if you are leaving the car. However, leaving the car is not a good idea unless you know exactly where you are going and are sure of the walking distance, or the car is in danger because of a gas leak. Because of the wax and oils in lipstick, it is also good to help start a fire. Just rub some on a flammable material, and light.
Petroleum Jelly
Often used as a lip balm, and can be used to start a fire. Rub on another flammable material and light it with a match or the car’s cigarette lighter. It can also be rubbed on the door gaskets to help stop drafts.
Mirror
A great signaling device. Not only your makeup mirror but also the rear-view or side mirrors on your car. Rip one off and use it to signal when you hear aircraft (obviously, you need direct sunlight in this situation). If you are leaving your car, take a mirror with you.
Hard Candy, Gum and Mints
These should be grouped together and used sparingly, especially if you have no other food. All of these will help to keep you feeling hydrated as they encourage production of saliva. I read a few years ago about an elderly woman whose car went off an embankment and was unnoticed for several days. She stayed hydrated by sucking on a button. Gum can also be chewed and use to attach a Mylar blanket to the top of the car as a signal, or to the inside of a door to cut down drafts.
Keys
Keys can be used to pry bark from a tree to start a fire, cut the upholstery on your car seats if you don’t have a knife (see below), and to carve a mark on a tree to mark your path as a guide to return to your car. Everyone in our family carries a small Swiss knife on our key chains. Just remember to remove the knife before you fly, or TSA will confiscate it.
Checks
Checks, store receipts, gas station receipts and all the other miscellaneous papers we carry around are great to crumple up to start a fire. Make sure you apply the lipstick or petroleum jelly to crumpled paper and it will burn longer, giving you time to add other kindling to get a real fire going. See the Boy Scout Handbook for more fire starting ideas.
Feminine Products
These are a great item to add to that small fire you have started. Remember adding the lipstick and petroleum jelly will increase the time they will burn. Feminine pads can be burned, but are also valuable first aid compresses for an injury.
Other Fire Starters
If you happen to have these items, they are also great to help start a fire: cotton balls, cotton swabs, paper towels, newspapers, cardboard.
Pencils, Rulers, Wooden Toys, and Everything Wooden
These make great kindling once you have a small fire started. Search outside the vehicle too for dry wood scraps and any flammable material that can be used to build a fire.
Hair Spray and Perfume
Both of these products contain alcohol and will aid in fueling a small fire.
Prescription Glasses
Do you remember as a kid starting a leaf on fire with a magnifying glass? Prescription eye glasses will accomplish the same thing.
Credit Cards
These make great ice scrapers. Be sure to wear gloves or a plastic bag on your hands to minimize getting wet.
Purse
If you are caught without a hat, find something else to wear on your head. Even your purse — really. Forty to fifty percent of your body heat is lost through your uncovered head. Keep it covered in cold weather survival situations. If you are in your car and your feet are cold, slip them into your purse or tote bag. It will help to contain and maintain the temperature, and after a few minutes the temperature inside the bag will increase. You may feel silly but you will stay warmer.
This can be a great “game” if you have kids with you — who can look the silliest. If you have a very brightly colored purse and no other materials to do the job, hang your purse on the radio antenna or door handle or place in the rear window. Bright colors can be seen for long distances by rescuers. Backpacks also work great!
Now for the car ...
Floor Mats
Floor mats are great insulators. You can wear a floor mat under your clothing for added warmth. Prop it against the bottom of a door to help eliminate drafts. Put it under you if you need to change a tire. Remember, we want to avoid getting wet at all costs to survive a winter emergency. You can also use a floor mat under your tires to create traction, if being stuck is the cause of your problem.
Wheel Covers
A “hub cap,” or wheel cover as they are called now, can be an important tool. Use it as a shovel to make a path for a car that is stuck, clear the snow from behind the exhaust pipe, or to build a snow cave. Use it as a fire ring to hold a small fire. Wash it out well with some snow and use it to melt snow to drink. If your engine runs, you will want to run your car for ten minutes every hour to warm up the car. Fill a hub cap with snow and place on the engine as you run your car. It will melt and heat the snow. Be careful when removing it as it will be hot. Remember you have four of these!
Sun Visors
These are great for use as a signaling device but also as a scraper to remove the snow from your car. Removing the snow from your car will make it more visible to rescuers, even if you have a white car. Remove the snow regularly, because the car will reflect search lights and snow on the car may look like just more snow.
CDs and DVDs
Take them out of the players and use them to signal, like a mirror. They also make great reflectors if you are pulled to the side of the road and want to be seen by oncoming traffic.
Seats
Upholstery foam can be used as an insulator. Use your knife or key to cut a hole in the seat and remove what is needed.
Oil, Antifreeze and Gasoline
If you have engine oil in the trunk, be prepared to help search aircraft find you. Place some oil in one of your hub caps. Use a small amount of gasoline and ignite. The smoke will be seen for miles.
To remove gasoline from your tank, tie a rag to a coat hanger or dip stick and carefully lower into the gas tank. Even the small amount of gasoline on the sides of the pipe will be enough to ignite and help start a fire. Naturally, you will want to use all these materials away from your car.
The coolant in your radiator cannot, repeat, CANNOT, be used for drinking. Antifreeze will kill you! Antifreeze is ethylene glycol. If you have a jug of 100% antifreeze, it can be a fuel for a signal fire; it has a much higher flash point than gasoline, and a much lower flash point (minimum ignition temperature) than engine oil.
The Horn
Don’t forget your best signaling device. The universal signal for help is a long blast either from a whistle, horn or as a last resort, your voice. Sound it long, follow by a short pause and then another long blast, and then a third.
Newspapers and Magazines
These are not only great for fuel, but also for insulation. When my children were young I was asked to train as a counselor for girls’ camp. At the time this involved a two-day hike and night in the great outdoors. Boy, did we pick the wrong week. As we got our little two-man tents up, down came the rain and up came the wind — and then there was lightning and thunder. It was a really frightening night.
As we lay awake in our tent watching it sway, we got little sleep. When we ventured out in the morning, we discovered some of the women had taken refuge in a car. They froze — while we were nice and warm. The difference? We were on the ground, and they were in a car with the cold winds blowing not only around them but also under them.
I learned the lesson. When you are in a car, you need to keep in as much heat as possible and prevent cold air from coming in. That means insulating the floor. Newspapers and magazines are a great insulator. Layer them on the floor and then cover with any extra clothing, rags or blankets. Search out all the empty backpacks, clothing, or paper grocery bags you may have in the car.
Umbrellas
Most of us have an umbrella in the trunk. If not, get one. If you are stranded in your car, it is important to keep a window open slightly, especially when the engine is running. This window should always be one that is downwind. This may not always be possible because during a storm the winds may be blowing. If this is the case, open the window slightly, slip the handle of the umbrella out the window, and open the umbrella. Pull the umbrella tightly against the car and close the window. The small space that remains will support the umbrella and will also provide air circulation. The umbrella will prevent cold gusts and snow from being blown into the car while allowing air to circulate, thus preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. Try to choose a window that is upwind from the path of the exhaust when the engine is running.
Umbrellas can also be used to shield a fire from wind gusts until it can become established.
When building a snow cave or other shelter, an umbrella can be used to “seal” the doorway. In the case of a leaky roof in your snow cave, an umbrella opened inside may protect you from getting wet. Again, don’t leave the shelter of your car if it is possible to stay safely there. If you do leave, leave a message on the car with your location or direction of travel. But generally, do as Scouts do. They are taught to hug a tree if they become lost. The same wisdom applies here — stay in your car or you may not be found by your rescuers.
Luggage
What’s in the luggage? If you have been headed out on vacation, you will have luggage in the trunk. Carefully plan what you will need to retrieve from that luggage so you only have to leave the vehicle once to fetch it.
Hard-sided luggage can be used to provide shelter or a windbreak. Soft-sided luggage can be placed on the floor to provide insulation.
Food and Drink
Food and drinks should all be brought into the passenger space because they will be valuable and needed. In the trunk, drinks may freeze.
Clothing
Clothing should be a top priority, but only the right clothing. Any sweater, long-sleeve shirt, long pants, coats, scarves and mittens are absolute necessities. Remember you will remain warmer in loose fitting layers because the air trapped between layers will warm up and thus keep you warmer.
In addition to these items, be sure to get all the socks. If your socks become wet, they should be changed immediately. Socks should also be layered for warmth and they make great mittens. You may feel you won’t need all that clothing and couldn’t possibly wear it all, but it can be used as a blanket, pillow, or to place on the floor over the newspaper you have put down to provide more insulation from drafts. Try rolling some clothing and placing it at the base of the windshield and rear window to cut down drafts.
Summary
My niece and her husband were found safe and in time. It was a humbling experience for the whole family, but a close call.
The first step if stranded in snow on a lonely road is to assess what things are available, then to plan for ways to protect ourselves and family from the elements, provide something to drink and eat if possible, clothe ourselves to stay dry and warm, maintain clean air to breathe, find a way to signal our location to searchers, and never to go anywhere without leaving a message for rescuers with details of our plan. Better yet, stay put until help arrives.
Hopefully, we are working to be prepared for emergencies. Prepared in our homes, prepared in our cars, prepared at work, and while traveling by air. But there are lots of exceptions when all our best plans and intentions are out of reach, or when we may have trusted our safety to others. In such situations, we have to look around us at what is available, and apply those things to solving our situation.
Remember the adventure series “MacGyver”? There was no situation he could not resolve with the ordinary stuff at hand.
For more ideas on this topic, see our Meridian article “Surviving the Hazards of Winter Travel” and “Survival in your Pocket” at blog.totallyready.com. It’s time to get ready for whatever comes!
Posted by Kerri
http://preparednessmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Wilderness%20Survival
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Wilderness Survival and Emergency Shelters
The most critical item for any emergency is a POSITIVE ATTITUDE—self-confidence, knowing you can and will survive—no matter how tough it gets. This will get you through the emergency.
Ten Outdoor Essentials for any trip:
1. Pocketknife
2. First-Aid Kit
3. Extra Clothing
4. Rain Gear
5. Water Bottle
6. Flashlight
7. Trail Food
8. Matches and Fire Starters
9. Sunscreen
10. Map & Compass
Additional items to make a survival situation more bearable:
* Duct tape: repairs, patching, bandage tape, etc.
* Signal: Metal mirror, bright clothing, something to attract attention
* 2 - 3 bouillon cubes
* 2 - 3 flavored drink mix packets
* Money—coins for a call
* 50 feet of fishing line with hooks
* 24 feet of thin (18 gauge) wire
* Cell phone with phone numbers of area emergency responders
* Prescription medications
Two Basic Survival Items that should be carried on your person:
1. A large heavy-duty plastic bag (30-39 gallon size and bright color): This can be an instant shelter—cutting a small hole for your face/breathing
2. A whistle: 3 short blasts help signal your emergency
Managing a Survival or Emergency Situation
Phase I - Immediate Actions to Take
1. Keep a positive attitude
2. Stay put if your are lost
3. Protect and maintain life (immediate actions to stay alive and well, immediate shelter for protection against the elements and other threats)
4. Administer first aid.
5. Inventory the equipment and resources available and improvise as needed.
6. Signal to others that you need help.
7. Conserve internal body resources (body temperature, water, energy, etc.)
Phase II - Manage Risk and Maintain Life
1. Determine and fulfill the body’s physiological needs.
2. Maintain a positive attitude.
3. Apply survival skills as needed:
* Building a fire
* Improving your shelter
* Finding and treating water
* Improving signaling methods
* Looking for food
4. Reassess the environment for existing and potential threats and take protective measures.
Phase III - Rescue
1. Continue to improve signaling methods and introduce new ones.
2. Devise a plan
* How to maintain life.
* How to assist the search and rescue effort.
Source: Curtis Vielstich
Posted by Kerri
A get prepared website, worth reading:
http://www.allaboutpreparedness.com/bioterrorismpreparedness.php
Been On The Mind Since 911
***Reference: I have been educated on Biological threats mainly from the FEMA website. This information is from that website. Click here to see more information on chemical attacks directly from FEMA.
Some Education...
First... Biological agents are organisms or toxins that can kill or incapacitate people, livestock and crops. Most of the time the three agents most likely to be used by terrorist would be bacteria, viruses and toxins. Most are difficult to grow and break down quickly, so many of them terrorists aren’t interested in. However, others like ‘anthrax spores’ are very long lived. These are the type to be most informed about. Here are a few facts:
* Biological agents can be dispersed by spraying them into the air, infecting animals that carry disease to humans and contaminating food and water.
o Aerosols - biological agents are dispersed into the air, forming a fine mist that may drift for miles. Inhaling the agent may cause disease in people or animals.
o Animals - some diseases are spread by insects and animals, such as fleas, mice, flies, mosquitoes, and livestock.
o Food and water contamination - some pathogenic organisms and toxins may persist in food and water supplies. Most microbes can be killed, and toxins deactivated, by cooking food and boiling water. Most microbes are killed by boiling water for one minute, but some require longer. Follow official instructions.
o Person-to-person - spread of a few infectious agents is also possible. Humans have been the source of infection for smallpox, plague, and the Lassa viruses.
Specific information on biological agents is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s web site.
Preparing for a Chemical, Biological Attack
You need a disaster supply kit that includes:
* Radio – hand crank or battery
* Bottled Water
* Non perishable food
* Duct tape
* Scissors
* Plastic for doors, windows, light switches, plug in’s and vents
* First Aid Kit
* Sanitation supplies – bleach, water, soap, something that can be used as a potty.
You need to decide what room you could use to shelter in. It needs to be the most internal room in your home. To save time during an emergency, pre cut plastic sheeting for all openings in the room.
Responding to a Chemical/Biological Attack
Listen to your radio for instructions from authorities to find out if you should stay indoors or evacuate
* If you stay inside, turn off all ventilation in your home, including furnaces, air conditioners, fans and vents.
* Go to your chosen room and duct tape plastic sheeting to any windows, doors, light switches, etc. Anything that allows any type of air to flow into the room. Each person needs 10 square feet to provide enough air for 5 hours.
* Toilet facilities can be set up in a closet in the room you are in. (You can use a bucket with black plastic bags lining it for a toilet).
* Remain until you are given the all clear signal.
If you are caught in an unprotected area – get up wind from the contamination and seek shelter as soon as possible.
What To Do After A Chemical Attack
* Remove all clothing and other items in contact with the body. Cut off tops if they are not button up to avoid contact with nose, mouth and eyes. Put in plastic bag.
* Wash hands with soap to decontaminate
* Soak jewelry, glasses, etc in bleach to decontaminate
* Flush eyes with water.
* Gently wash face and hair with soap and water. Rinse well.
* Gently wash other body parts exposed. Rinse Well
* Change into decontaminated clothes – clothes in drawers should be ok.
* If possible get checked medically.
What To Do After A Biological Attack
* Often in a biological attack you don’ t know it until you start showing symptoms – if you do seek medical help.
* Follow official instructions if an attack occurs and you are aware of it.
This is the files for an old forum, has every kind of post, for crafts and foods, too tired to start on it:
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=Cooking+%26+Crafts
http://www.bellybytes.com/recipes/crackers.shtml
Thin Out Trans Fats: Bake Your Own Crackers
Until amounts of trans fat are clearly listd on packages, the only way to be sure how much and what type of fat is in your diet is to control it yourself. This being the case, why not return to cooking from scratch? Most food can be more healthful if you make it yourself and that is particularly true of crackers and chips, some of the worst trans fat offenders. From a reasonable substitute for Wheat Thins to baked tortilla chips, anyone can create snack foods that will placate the munchies without sending cholesterol levels out of control. It is not that hard, and the results are truly satisfying.
Trans fat is the result of a process that converts vegetable oil to a semi-solid state, such as shortening. It also occurs naturally in dairy products and beef, but it is not clear whether it is as dangerous as the manufactured variety. Any food that has hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils listed among its ingredients is bound to contain trans fat. If you make that same item at home with vegetable oil, it would have only trace amounts of trans fat and very little saturated fat.
Ready to give a try?
Recipes:
Faux Wheat Thins
1-3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1-1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 /4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup plus 1-tablespoon water
Kosher or sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 425-degrees.
In food processor, blend flours, sugar, salt and spices. Whisk oil and water together in separate bowl until emulsified. With processor running, slowly add oil and water to flour mixture until it comes together in smooth ball.
Divide dough in half and roll each piece out on lightly floured surface into rectangle about 12 inches by 14 inches or the size of your largest cookie sheet and about 1/16 inch thick, the thinner the better. Transfer dough to cookie sheet by draping it over your rolling pin. Do not worry if it gets distorted. Using long, sharp knife, trim dough into neat rectangle and score into 1-1/2 inch squares, being careful not to cut all the way through. Prick each square three times with a fork and sprinkle with kosher or freshly ground sea salt to taste.
Place a cookie sheet in center of preheated oven and bake about eight minutes or until edges have started to brown and blisters are forming on top surface. Remove from oven and loosen crackers with large spatula before flipping whole sheet of crackers over in one piece. It is helpful to use another cookie sheet to do this, placing it over the baking sheet and then turning both over before sliding crackers back onto the original baking sheet.
Return crackers to oven and bake six to seven minutes more, until edges are well browned. If outer edges brown first, snap them off and return rest of crackers to oven. Although you do not want to burn the crackers, they need to be nicely browned all over to be crisp. Slide sheet of crackers onto rack to cool. When cool, break apart at scored lines. Store in airtight container - a tin works best.
Recipe makes about 200 crackers.
Per 16-cracker serving: 5.9g Total Fat (0.36 saturated).
Print this recipe
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Herbed Crackers
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
About 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Place flour, salt, butter, herbs and pepper in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse until combined. With motor running, pour 1 /4-cup water slowly into feed tube. Add a bit more if necessary until mixture begins to hold together but is not sticky. Process until dough forms ball.
Roll dough out on lightly floured surface until very thin, less than 1 /8 inch if possible. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet, and prick all over with fork. Score lightly with sharp knife if you wish to break into rectangles later on. Or leave in free form shape that you can break into shards.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on rack and store in airtight container. Recipe makes about 20 (1-1/2-by-2-inch) crackers.
Variations:
Work small amounts of seeds, herbs or garlic into dough before rolling it out. For garlic crackers, add 1 /8 teaspoon granulated garlic. Or create your own mixture.
Per cracker: 1.2g Total fat (0.65 saturated)
Print this recipe
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Lavash
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3-1/4 cup unbleached flour
1-3/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
Directions:
In small bowl, stir together yeast, water and sugar. Let sit about ten minutes to proof. Add oil.
Combine flour and salt in food processor. With motor running, add yeast mixture through feed tube and process for 20 seconds. Stop to scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then continue processing to form stiff ball. Turn dough out onto work surface and knead for a few minutes until dough is smooth.
Place dough in oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in draft-free place until doubled in volume, one to one and one-half hours.
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Combine sesame and poppy seeds in small bowl. Turn dough out onto work surface, flatten into rectangle and divide into 16 roughly equal pieces. Cover pieces you are not working with plastic wrap.
On floured surface, roll each piece as thin as possible. Lift it up. Flip it over. And roll again until paper-thin. You should have rectangle about 8-by-3-inches. Peel dough off work-top and place on ungreased baking sheet. Prick holes in dough with fork. Brush lightly with water and sprinkle with about 1-tablespoon seeds. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough and fit as many pieces as possible on baking sheet without touching. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes and cool completely on wire racks. Repeat until all dough is baked. Recipe makes 16 large rectangles.
Per cracker: 2.2g Total fat (0.31 saturated)
http://www.bellybytes.com/foodfacts/nutrient_depleted_soil.html
Nutrient Depleted Soil
Nutrient Depleted Soil
Soil Problems:
Fertilizers: Farmers normally only replace the minerals that are crucial to crop growth, such as phosphorus, potassium and nitrates.
Trace Minerals: The selenium content in soils may vary by a factor of 200 in the United States. A kilogram of wheat may contain from 50mcg to 800mcg of selenium depending on where it is grown.
Chromium and zinc are also critically deficient in the soil. This problem has been under extensive study by the UDSA.
Note: Studies performed at Rutgers University by Dr. Firman E. Bear show that some carrots tested for nutrient potency were almost completely without nutrients. This reduction in nutrient potency occurred in carrots from different farms all over the United States.
Dr. William Albrecht at the University of Missouri has shown that over a 10 year period the protein content of grains in the Midwest has declined by 11 percent.
The use of nitrogenous fertilizers is causing copper deficiencies and the overuse of potash fertilizers is creating magnesium deficiencies.
http://www.bellybytes.com/foodfacts/vitamin_robbers.html
Vitamin Robbers
Vitamin A: Mineral oil, air pollution, antacids, barbiturates, cholesterol lowering drugs. Read more about Vitamin A.
Vitamin D: Anti-convulsive drugs, mineral oil, antacids, sedatives, barbiturates, cortisone. Read more about Vitamin D
Thiamin B1: Antibiotics, excess heat/cooking, sugar consumption, alcohol, stress, antacids, coffee, raw shellfish. Read more about Vitamin B1
Riboflavin B2: Antibiotics, exposure to light, excess heat, alcohol, oral contraceptives, antacids, diuretics. Read more about Vitamin Roboflavin/B2
Niacin: Antibiotics, sugar consumption, excess heat, alcohol, reduced during illness, diuretics, penicillin. Read more about Niacin
Pantothenic Acid B5: Aspirin, methyl bromide. Read more about Vitamin B5
Pyridoxine: Aging (after 50), steroid hormones, B6 high blood pressure drugs, excess heat, food processing, antacids, aspirin, cortisone, diuretics, penicillin. Read more about Vitamin B6
Folic Acid: Oral contraceptives, stress, anti-convulsants, vitamin C deficiency, barbiturates, diuretics, antibiotics, antacids. Read more about Folic Acid
Vitamin B12: Stress, oral contraceptives, menstruation, colchicine. Read more about Vitamin B12
Biotin: Excess heat, antibiotics, sulfa drugs, avidin (in raw egg whites). Read more about Biotin
Choline: Sugar consumption, alcohol. Read more about Choline
Vitamin C: Smoking, stress, aspirin, carbon monoxide, alcohol, corticosteroids, diuretics, antihistamines. Read more about Vitamin C
Inositol: Antibiotics. Read more about Inositol
Vitamin E: Oral contraceptives, food processing, rancid fats and oils, chlorine. Read more about Vitamin E
Vitamin K: Antibiotics, mineral oil, radiation, anticoagulants, alcohol, phenobarb, sulfonamides, tetracyclines. Read more about Vitamin K
http://www.bellybytes.com/recipes/premade.shtml
Pre-Made Payoffs
Frozen Mango Chunks
Ready in two to three minutes
Peeling and chopping a fresh mango takes what, five minutes tops? Of course, that is if you have a ripe mango on hand, but frozen mango chunks, available in many supermarkets in 16-ounce bags, are always ready. They thaw in the microwave in two to three minutes.
Luscious dessert: Top fat free vanilla ice cream with one-half cup of frozen mango chunks and one-half cup of frozen raspberries (thawed in the microwave). This mango-raspberry combo is spectacular!
Your Payoff: Cancer Insurance. People who eat the most fruits and vegetables have about half the risk of cancer, says the National Cancer Institute.
Fresh Matchstick Carrots
Ready in four minutes.
After you peel and slice them, carrots can take ten minutes to cook, even in the microwave. But one cup of slender matchstick carrots will microwave to tender in about four minutes. Add 2-teaspoons of apricot jam to make them divine for about 90 calories total and five grams of fiber.
Your payoff: Breast cancer protection (men need it, too!). People whose diets highest in beta-carotene have less breast cancer, and carrots are the richest source of beta-carotene.
Salmon in a Pouch
Ready instantly
Poached salmon for salads takes ten minutes to cook and then you need to chill it. Chicken of the Sea skinless, boneless salmon in a pouch - fresher tasting than canned - is ready as is. For a healthy switch, use salmon to replace the tuna in tuna salad: Mix one pouch of salmon (7.1 ounces) with one-quarter cup of reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1-cup of chopped cucumber, one-quarter cup of chopped onion and one-quarter teaspoon of dried dillweed. Makes two scant cups. Per one-half cup serving: 105 calories, 4 grams fat, 485 mg sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Your Payoff: Less risk of stroke and fatal heart attack. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fat, a good fat that helps keep heartbeats from developing fatal arrhythmias.
Canned Chile Beans
Ready in four minutes
No need to measure seasonings or sauce; they are already in the can with the beans. For “Cannot wait chile”, mix a 15-ounce can of chile beans, a 14-1/2 ounce can of no-salt added diced tomatoes and 1-cup of precooked chicken (such as Perdue Short Cuts). Microwave for about four minutes until hot. Makes three servings. Per serving: 229 calories, 4 grams fat, 882mg sodium and 8 grams fiber.
Your payoff: Alzheimer’s protection. Beans are dense with the B vitamin folate, which tamps down blood levels of a substance called homocysteine. New research suggests that people with higher homocysteine levels are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Folate fights colon cancer, heart attack, stroke and birth defects.
Canned Sliced Pears
Ready instantly
These are so useful when there are no ripe pears in the house. For a delicious dessert, try Chocolate Pears: Place one-half cup of drained canned pear sections (in light syrup) in a dish. Top with 1-tablespoon of Hershey’s Syrup. Per serving: 130 calories, 0 grams fat, 23mg sodium and 2 grams fiber.
Your Payoff: A big bite of fiber. Each one-half cup serving delivers 2 grams of fiber toward your 25-g daily minimum. Studies repeatedly show that people who eat more fiber have fewer strokes and heart attacks.
Cold-Brewed Iced Tea Bags
Ready in three minutes
A 16-ounce bottle of sweetened iced tea has 200 calories. To get no-calorie non-sweetened iced tea, until now you have had to brew hot tea, and chill, or steep in the refrigerator overnight. Enter Lipton Cold Brew tea bags, regular or decaf. Put one bag in a tall glass with 2-cups of cold water. Three minutes later, you have fresh, no-calorie-iced tea. A packet of zero-calorie Splenda mellows the flavor. (See Healthy Tea Recipes).
Your payoff: A flavonoid infusion. In a Dutch study, people who drank about 1-1/2 cup of tea a day had half as many heart attacks as non-tea drinkers. Flavonoids in tea help stop blood clots, which trigger heart attacks.
Fully Pre-Cooked Bacon
Ready in ten seconds
Forget artificial bacon bits. Crumbled bacon adds incredible flavor to vegetables. With fully pre-cooked bacon, you can take just one slice, zap it for ten seconds in the microwave and boom - you have crispy bacon to sprinkle on Brussels sprouts, broccoli or cauliflower.
Your payoff: You will eat more vegetables. Big vegetable eaters have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. One slice of Ready Crisp Fully-Cooked Bacon adds only 23 calories, 2 grams of fat and 90mg of sodium.
Canned Sliced Beets
Ready instantly
Peeling and roasting beets takes more than an hour. Instead, open canned beets and make Instant Borscht: In a food processor, puree a 14-1/2 ounce can of sliced beets (drained), one-half cup of low-sodium chicken broth, 1-teaspoon of sugar and one-quarter teaspoon of pepper. Serve at room temperature. Makes two three-quarter cup servings. Optional: Dollop with sour cream and chopped chives. Per serving: 71 calories, 0 fat, 620mg sodium and 3 grams fiber.
Your payoff: Antioxidants galore. Among vegetables, beets are topped only by cooked spinach and kale in antioxidants per serving. Antioxidants help protect you against heart disease and cancer.
Cook-in-the-Bag Fresh Spinach
Ready in three minutes
Ready Pac Spinach is cooked in the microwave right in the bag - no pan! Slit the top, microwave for three minutes and get 1-1/2 cup of perfectly cooked, emerald-green baby spinach leaves. Try one-half cup of cooked spinach plus 1-tablespoon of Parmesan. Only 43 calories.
Your payoff: Eyesight that lasts. Spinach is the richest source of lutein, a natural compound that appears to protect your eyes from cataracts and retinal degeneration.
Pre-Cooked Pot Roast
Ready in six minutes
Low fat cuts of beef such as pot roast need slow cooking (think hours) to make them tender. But the pre-cooked Thomas E. Wilson one-pound beef pot roast (complete with juice) heats in its own container in the microwave in six minutes. Each three-ounce serving (size of a deck of cards) has only three grams of fat and one gram of saturated fat.
Your payoff: Tougher immunity. Each serving has four milligrams of hard-to-get zinc, nearly one-third of your Daily Value. Zinc is vital to the production of infection-fighting white blood cells.
See also: Belly Bytes
http://bohemianrevolution.com/easy-paella/
Sunday Dinner: Easy Paella
by Jen (May 25, 2008)
Paella is a Spanish dish which traditionally involves rice, saffron and olive oil with various meats or veggies. It’s great as a single-dish meal because it contains all the food groups you need. There are a few tricks to keeping it simple and inexpensive:
* You don’t need a paella pan. A large, flat skillet will do.
* Saffron is expensive. Some people insist it’s necessary, but many say that tumeric and paprika will do just as well.
* Or you may be able to find prepackaged saffron rice that’s not terribly expensive.
* You can buy several of the ingredients precooked to save time without sacrificing flavor.
There are tons of paella recipes online. You can take this dish in so many directions, depending what you like. You can make it vegetarian by using this recipe and substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth. You can make it with chicken, shrimp, scallops, mussels, sausage or any combination thereof. You can get the meats pre-cooked by using deli roasted chicken or frozen seafood. You can use frozen veggies. That’s what this recipe does. If you want to cook any of the ingredients separately, just factor in the extra time you’ll need for that.
Here’s one of many recipes you can try. You’ll need:
* 3 pounds of the meat of your choice (1 pound each of skinless chicken, shrimp and scallops works well)
* 1 chopped red pepper
* 1 chopped green pepper
* 1 chopped onion
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 16 ounces stewed tomatoes
* 1 14 oz can chicken broth
* 1 cup water
* 2 cups parboiled rice (like Uncle Ben’s)
* 1 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
Instructions
1. In a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat, bring your chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat, and let it stand another ten minutes.
2. Sauté your peppers, onions and tomatoes in a tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat until the vegetables get tender. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Now stir in the rice for one minute. Stir in the chicken broth, then add pepper, tumeric and paprika. Cover the skillet, reduce heat, and simmer for fifteen minutes.
3. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in your meat. At this point, it’s traditional to sprinkle peas over the top, but if you’re not wild about peas, forget about it.
4. Cook everything together, covered, over medium-low heat for twenty minutes or until all the liquid gets absorbed.
You can serve it with lemon or lime wedges if you like.
http://bohemianrevolution.com/flourless-gluten-free-chocolate-cake-recipe/
Flourless, gluten free chocolate cake recipe
by Jen (April 15, 2008)
Spotlight post: Amaranth, Quinoa and Dark Chocolate Cake — Gâteau à l’amaranth, quinoa et chocolat noir
For this recipe, I was quite curious to experiment with two flours I have grown quite fond of for taste and nutritional values: quinoa and amaranth. Adding them both to chocolate worked perfectly: they left the cake light, adding a grainier texture too. While amaranth flour adds protein and fiber — amaranth has three times more fiber than wheat, five times more iron, it contains calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C — quinoa flour gives a moist nutty texture to the cake, perfect combined with chopped pecans tossed in the batter.
This recipe yields a gluten free chocolate, flourless cake with a brownie-like texture. Yum!
For more recipes to satisfy your chocolate tooth:
* No-bake vanilla chocolate mint cheesecake - an easy recipe for a delicious cheesecake.
* Silky Chocolate Pudding - surprisingly simple instructions for making a really light-but-rich homemade chocolate pudding.
urls on site:
http://bohemianrevolution.com/42-compound-butter-recipes/
31, 2008
42 compound butter recipes
by Jen (July 31, 2008)
Compound butter is simply butter with an added flavor or two mixed in. It’s not just like buttering an item and then adding a sprinkle of the flavor - compound butter becomes a unique flavor unto itself. One of the simplest examples will be familiar to most of my readers in the Southeastern US: honey butter, a simple blend of honey with butter, whipped together and served immediately. These butters are a very easy way to look like you went to a lot of trouble.
Some people like to roll them up and refrigerate them so they become solid rolls you can put on the table, but with any of these recipes, you can just whip the ingredients together in a bowl and serve.
1. Four fascinating recipes from 101 Cookbooks: Dry Desert Lime, Dehydrated Strawberry, Raw Serrano, and Smoked Paprika.
2. Chow’s Chile Lime Tequila butter
3. Food Network’s Herbed Compound Butter
4. The Nibble’s six delicious sweet butters: Bittersweet Chocolate Orange, Bourbon Cherry Butter With Orange, Cranberry Sage Brown Butter, Honey Sesame, Pomegranate Clementine, and Pumpkin Five-Spice.
5. McCormick’s orange cranberry butter
6. Twenty-three recipes from The Worldwide Gourmet, featuring flavors like Terragon, Spiced Rum, Lemon and Mustard.
7. Nugget Market’s Blue Cheese & Smoked Bacon, Caper-Tarragon, Prosciutto, Parmesan & Toasted Pinenut and Ancho-Chili Compound Butter.
8. Serious Eats’ Ramp Compound Butter and Mario Batali Rum Butter recipe.
http://thelongthread.com/?p=1244
Triple Apple Muffins
September 25, 2008 in recipes | 3 comments
Fall food is the best. Here’s a recipe full of fall flavor that I’ve been tweaking for a few weeks. Makes 24 regular-sized muffins. I think golden raisins and walnuts would be a great addition. I think I might try this in a loaf pan too.
Preheat oven to 375. Mix in a large bowl and then set aside:
* 2 small apples, diced
* 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
* 1/4 cup apple juice
* 1 cup oat bran
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup molasses
In a separate bowl, mix:
* 1 cup wheat flour
* 1 cup unbleached white flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon allspice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
Blend wet and dry ingredients together. Scoop into greased or lined muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/winter/holidaycranberries.html
New Cranberry Recipes Add Spice to your Holiday Table
April Reese Sorrow and Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D.
National Center for Home Food Preservation
March 2004
Don’t pass on cranberries this holiday; use fresh cranberries and some new innovative recipes to spice up your holiday table. New recipes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia take ‘pass the cranberries’ to a whole new level.
Elizabeth Andress, Director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation which is hosted by the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia, said “We’ve created two new cranberry recipes that raise the bar on traditional cranberry-orange sauce.” “Both of these can be made during cranberry season and used as delightful homemade gifts.”
Cranberry Orange Chutney
Use the chutney as a side dish or spooned over turkey, chicken or pork. It also can be basted onto a ham during cooking for added flavor.
To make a canner load, you will need:
* 24 ounces fresh whole cranberries
* 2 cups chopped white onion
* 2 cups golden raisins
* 1½ cups white sugar
* 1½ cups packed brown sugar
* 2 cups white distilled vinegar (5 percent)
* 1 cup orange juice
* 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
* 4 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger
* 3 sticks cinnamon
This recipe yields about eight half-pint jars of jellied chutney.
Start by washing half-pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.
Rinse cranberries well. Combine all ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until cranberries are tender. Stir often to prevent scorching. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.
Fill the hot chutney into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims with a damp paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes if 1,000-6,000 ft altitude; 20 minutes if over 6,000 ft). Let cool, undisturbed, 12 to 24 hours and check seals.
You can eat the chutney fresh, too. Just refrigerate after making, putting into clean storage containers with lids. It will continue to set up over the next 24 hours but is ready to eat once it is cooled down.
Spicy Cranberry Salsa
Interested in a different cranberry taste sensation? Try a spicy cranberry salsa at your next fiesta. The Spicy Cranberry Salsa can be used directly as a dip, stirred into cream cheese just before use to make a very different spread, or used as a side item to accompany any meat.
You’ll need:
* 6 cups chopped red onion
* 4 finely chopped large Serrano peppers
* 1½ cups water
* 1½ cups cider vinegar (five percent)
* 1 tablespoon canning salt
* 1 1/3 cups sugar
* 6 tablespoons clover honey
* 12 cups (2¾ pounds) rinsed, fresh whole cranberries
This recipe yields six pint jars. Gloves should be worn when handling and cutting hot peppers or wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.
Begin by washing canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.
Next, combine all ingredients, except cranberries, in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat slightly and boil gently for five minutes.
Now, add cranberries, reduce heat slightly and simmer mixture for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
Fill the hot mixture into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Leave saucepan over low heat while filling jars. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with damp paper towel and apply two-piece metal canning lids.
Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes if 1,000-6,000 ft altitude; 20 minutes if over 6,000 ft). Let cool, undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours and check seals.
For more information on these recipes or for more information on any home food preservation technique and recipe visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s Web site at: http://www.homefoodpreservation.com.
April Reese Sorrow is a writer with the National Center for Home Food Preservation in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, The University of Georgia, Athens.
Elizabeth L. Andress is an Extension Food Safety Specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, The University of Georgia, Athens.
Reviewed and slightly revised October 2008.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/summer/jellied_fruit_products.html
How do I? ...Make Jam & Jelly
Resources for Making Jellied Fruit Products
Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D.
National Center for Home Food Preservation
July 2002
Introduction
Each summer a bountiful crop of fruits arrive and the annual dilemma of what to do with them occurs. Jelly, jam, preserves, conserves, marmalades and fruit butters are an excellent way to preserve these fruits. All are made from fruit, preserved by fruit acid and sugar and thickened or gelled to some extent. A brief description of making jellied products was created by the University of Missouri Cooperative Extension System. Read or Listen to the article (approximately 2 min. Real Player™ Required).
Jelly Picture
Photo source: University of Missouri Cooperative Extension System. http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/hesguide/foodnut/gh1461.htm
Safety of Jellied Products
Preservation of jellied products is primarily due to acidity and secondarily to sugar. Most fruits have sufficient acidity to make jellies safe. When using regular pectin or natural fruit pectin the acidity necessary to form a proper gel is well above the acid safety margin. Some modified pectins do not rely on acidity to help form a gel. For these products follow recipes from reliable science-based sources. Non-cooked jellied products, low acidity, or questionable acidity jellied products must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
The addition of sugar further inhibits dangerous microorganism growth. However, growth of some yeasts and molds can still occur. The USDA and the Cooperative Extension Service endorse a boiling water canning process for jams and jellies that will make the potential for mold spoilage as small as possible.
Processing Jams and Jellies
The process of making jams and jellies is a simple one as outlined from a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension publication (http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-37-1.html). Further information and recipes from the USDA Complete Guide to Canning are located on the NCHFP website (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can7_jam_jelly.html). An extension publication that includes basics of the different pectins has been published by the University of Nebraska (http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/foods/EC448.pdf).
Making reduced sugar fruit spreads
A variety of fruit spreads may be made that are tasteful, yet lower in sugars and calories than regular jams and jellies. The following Cooperative Extension System bulletins from the University of Minnesota (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/DJ3469.html) and the University of Georgia (http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/PDF/FDNS-E-43-12.pdf) have recipes and information for reduced-sugar fruit spreads.
Making jellied products from wild fruits
Many wild fruits make wonderful jellied products. An excellent source for Blackberries, Chokecherries, Crabapples, Currants, Gooseberries, Highbush cranberries, Pincherries, Rose hips, Sandcherries, and Wild grape recipes is found at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/DJ1089.html from the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension System. Oregon State University has another publication on wild fruits at http://www.orst.edu/dept/ehe/preserve/fruits/50-536.pdf. Since most wild fruits are regional check with your state’s Cooperative Extension office for specific wild fruit information indigenous to your area.
Problems and troubleshooting jellied products
* What do I do if there’s mold on my jellied fruit product? NCHFP
* Why did my jellied fruit product ferment, and what do I do? NCHFP
* What happens if my jam or jelly doesn’t gel? NCHFP
* Ingredient Problems in Jelly and Jam N. Dakota State Univ.
* Common Problems in Jam and Jelly Making N. Dakota State Univ.
Miscellaneous resources
* Making Jam and Jelly From Frozen Fruit. N. Dakota State Univ.
* Using Honey and Corn Syrup in Jelly. N. Dakota State Univ.
* An excellent horticultural overview of wild berries can be found at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-324.html.
* Kraft Sure-Jell® website has links to all Kraft recipes including Certo® and MCP® pectins.
* Ball (Alltrista): Fruit-Jell® Pectin, No Sugar Needed Fruit Jell® Pectin, Liquid Pectin.
* Pomona’s Universal Pectin Telephone and Hotline: 413-772-6816
* Mrs. Wages Pectins Home-Jell® Fruit Pectin and Lite Home-Jell® Fruit Pectin. A link to recipes can be found here as well.
Brian A. Nummer is Project Coordinator with the National Center for Home Food Preservation, Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, The University of Georgia, Athens.
This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 00-51110-9762.
Document Use:
Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided the authors and the University of Georgia receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:
Reprinted with permission of the University of Georgia. B. Nummer. 2002. Resources for Making Jellied Fruit Problems. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension Service.
References to commercials products, services, and information is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the University of Georgia, U.S. Department of Agriculture and supporting organizations is implied. This information is provided for the educational information and convenience of the reader.
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability. An Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force.
Contact:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
208 Hoke Smith Annex
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-4356
Tel: (706) 542-3773
Fax: (706) 542-1979
Web: http://www.homefoodpreservation.com
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/summer/jellied_fruit_products.html
How do I? ...Make Jam & Jelly
Resources for Making Jellied Fruit Products
Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D.
National Center for Home Food Preservation
July 2002
Introduction
Each summer a bountiful crop of fruits arrive and the annual dilemma of what to do with them occurs. Jelly, jam, preserves, conserves, marmalades and fruit butters are an excellent way to preserve these fruits. All are made from fruit, preserved by fruit acid and sugar and thickened or gelled to some extent. A brief description of making jellied products was created by the University of Missouri Cooperative Extension System. Read or Listen to the article (approximately 2 min. Real Player™ Required).
Jelly Picture
Photo source: University of Missouri Cooperative Extension System. http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/hesguide/foodnut/gh1461.htm
Safety of Jellied Products
Preservation of jellied products is primarily due to acidity and secondarily to sugar. Most fruits have sufficient acidity to make jellies safe. When using regular pectin or natural fruit pectin the acidity necessary to form a proper gel is well above the acid safety margin. Some modified pectins do not rely on acidity to help form a gel. For these products follow recipes from reliable science-based sources. Non-cooked jellied products, low acidity, or questionable acidity jellied products must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
The addition of sugar further inhibits dangerous microorganism growth. However, growth of some yeasts and molds can still occur. The USDA and the Cooperative Extension Service endorse a boiling water canning process for jams and jellies that will make the potential for mold spoilage as small as possible.
Processing Jams and Jellies
The process of making jams and jellies is a simple one as outlined from a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension publication (http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-37-1.html). Further information and recipes from the USDA Complete Guide to Canning are located on the NCHFP website (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can7_jam_jelly.html). An extension publication that includes basics of the different pectins has been published by the University of Nebraska (http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/foods/EC448.pdf).
Making reduced sugar fruit spreads
A variety of fruit spreads may be made that are tasteful, yet lower in sugars and calories than regular jams and jellies. The following Cooperative Extension System bulletins from the University of Minnesota (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/DJ3469.html) and the University of Georgia (http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/PDF/FDNS-E-43-12.pdf) have recipes and information for reduced-sugar fruit spreads.
Making jellied products from wild fruits
Many wild fruits make wonderful jellied products. An excellent source for Blackberries, Chokecherries, Crabapples, Currants, Gooseberries, Highbush cranberries, Pincherries, Rose hips, Sandcherries, and Wild grape recipes is found at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/DJ1089.html from the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension System. Oregon State University has another publication on wild fruits at http://www.orst.edu/dept/ehe/preserve/fruits/50-536.pdf. Since most wild fruits are regional check with your state’s Cooperative Extension office for specific wild fruit information indigenous to your area.
Problems and troubleshooting jellied products
* What do I do if there’s mold on my jellied fruit product? NCHFP
* Why did my jellied fruit product ferment, and what do I do? NCHFP
* What happens if my jam or jelly doesn’t gel? NCHFP
* Ingredient Problems in Jelly and Jam N. Dakota State Univ.
* Common Problems in Jam and Jelly Making N. Dakota State Univ.
Miscellaneous resources
* Making Jam and Jelly From Frozen Fruit. N. Dakota State Univ.
* Using Honey and Corn Syrup in Jelly. N. Dakota State Univ.
* An excellent horticultural overview of wild berries can be found at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-324.html.
* Kraft Sure-Jell® website has links to all Kraft recipes including Certo® and MCP® pectins.
* Ball (Alltrista): Fruit-Jell® Pectin, No Sugar Needed Fruit Jell® Pectin, Liquid Pectin.
* Pomona’s Universal Pectin Telephone and Hotline: 413-772-6816
* Mrs. Wages Pectins Home-Jell® Fruit Pectin and Lite Home-Jell® Fruit Pectin. A link to recipes can be found here as well.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/summer/home_food_freezing.html
Resources for Home Food Freezing
Brian A. Nummer, Ph.D.
National Center for Home Food Preservation
June 2004
Freezing is the easiest, most convenient, and least time-consuming method of preserving foods. The holiday seasons have a way of filling the freezer with leftovers. Adding these to the frozen bounty of the past fall’s harvest makes for tightly packed freezers. You can freeze almost any foods and a list of foods and freezing instructions can be found here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze.html. For a table of foods that don’t freeze well see: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/dont_freeze_foods.html.
Freezing to fend off food spoilage
Food spoilage is caused by microorganisms, chemicals, and enzymes. Freezing foods to 0 degrees F. is recommended for best quality.
* Freezing stops the growth of microorganisms; however, it does not sterilize foods or destroy the organisms that cause spoilage. A few organisms may die, but once thawed to warmer temperatures, these organisms can quickly multiply.
* Chemical changes affect quality or cause spoilage in frozen foods. One major chemical reaction is oxidation. If air is left in contact with the frozen food oxidation will occur even in the freezer. An example is the oxidation of fats, also called rancidity.
* Enzymes are naturally present in foods and their activity can lead to the deterioration of food quality. Enzymes present in animal foods, vegetables and fruit promote chemical reactions, such as ripening. Freezing only slows the enzyme activity that takes place in foods. It does not halt these reactions which continue after harvesting. Enzyme activity does not harm frozen meats or fish, but browning can occur in fruits while they are being frozen or thawed.
Blanching
Blanching vegetables before freezing inactivates the enzymes. During blanching, the vegetable is exposed to boiling water or steam for a brief period. The vegetable is then rapidly cooled in ice water to prevent cooking. Following the recommended times for blanching each vegetable is important. Over-blanching results in a cooked product and loss of flavor, color, and nutrients. Under-blanching stimulates enzyme activity and is worse than no blanching at all. See: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/blanching.html and http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/PDF/FDNS-E-43-5.pdf for blanching specifics.
Chemical Treatment of Fruits
Fruits may also be steamed or cooked before freezing, but are more commonly treated with ascorbic acid to inactivate enzymes responsible for browning. See freezing recommendations for individual foods for specific recommended ascorbic acid usage: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze.html and http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/PDF/FDNS-E-43-4.pdf for more information.
Packing and Packaging
Packing methods include dry packs, syrup packs, sugar packs, or possibly crushed or cooked packs. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Pectin or artificial sweeteners are offered as options for specific fruits. See freezing recommendations for individual foods for specific recommended packs: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze.html or http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_freeze_fruit.pdf or http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_freeze_veg.pdf for more information.
Good packaging will help prevent air from entering the container and moisture loss. Severe moisture loss, or ice crystals evaporating from the surface of a product, produces freezer burn — a grainy, brownish or white surface where the tissues have become dry and tough. Freezer-burned food is likely to develop off flavors, but it will not cause illness. Packaging in air-tight rigid containers or heavyweight, moisture-resistant wrap will prevent freezer burn. See: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/containers.html for more specifics. Follow directions on appropriate headspace, packaging and labeling.
Textural changes during freezing
Freezing actually consists of freezing the water contained in the food. When the water freezes, it expands and the ice crystals formed can cause the cell walls of the food to rupture. Consequently the texture of the product will be much softer when the product thaws. Getting a food to a frozen state quickly helps keep the size of the ice crystals small. Less damage to cell walls of foods will occur and the final texture will be better. Keeping food frozen at 0 degrees F or lower will also minimize ice crystal growth that results when food temperatures fluctuate (i.e., warm up and re-freeze) too much while in the freezer.
Safe Defrosting
Never defrost foods on the kitchen counter, in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or outdoors. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, in the microwave immediately before cooking, or in running cold water for very short periods of time. Foods thawed in the microwave or by the running cold water method should be cooked thoroughly immediately after thawing occurs. See: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/thawing.html for specific instructions.
Refreezing
* If food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there will usually be a noticeable loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting.
* After cooking raw foods that were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods if safe cooking procedures were followed.
* If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Again, there will be some quality loss from the additional freezing and thawing.
* If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled and transported properly, observing time limits for the Temperature Danger Zone. (Do not keep perishable foods between 40 and 140 degrees F for more than 2 hours; limit time to 1 hour in very warm temperatures. Any times in the TDZ are combined to determine this limit.)
* Foods thawed in the microwave or by the running cold water method should be cooked before refreezing.
Using and Cooking Frozen Foods
Frozen fruits are often eaten without cooking. Many are best if eaten while they still contain a few ice crystals. Vegetables may be cooked after thawing or while still frozen. Raw or cooked meat, poultry or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the frozen state. However, it will take approximately one and a half times the usual cooking time for food that has been thawed. Always cook foods to the recommended internal temperature using a food thermometer.
More tips and specifics on freezing foods can be found here:
* Freezing Pointers University of Georgia
* Care of the Freezer University of Georgia
* Freezer Management University of Georgia
* Focus on: Freezing USDA-FSIS
* Making Jam and Jelly From Frozen Fruit North Dakota State University
* Refrigerator/Freezer Approximate storage times Kansas State University
* Freezing Animal Products University of Georgia
* Freezing Prepared Foods University of Georgia
* What to do if the freezer stops? University of Georgia
Spanish language resources:
* Freezing Fruits and Vegetables (Spanish) Texas A&M University
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