For dinner tomorrow fix your dinner from your emergency preparedness stock. Then evaluate it!
I am thinking it would be good to have some of the bulk items, it would be less tempting for someone to take as they wouldn’t know what to do with it either. LOL
By all means, help her out and you will learn a lot.
I only want to insert one caution...
I know many older folks who still water-bath can things that should only be pressure cooked. I know, they have done it that same way for decades... BUT it is like playing Russian Roulette - botulism does not smell, it is anaerobic (grows in the absence of oxygen) and therefore will grow in a completely sealed jar or can. Don’t take the chance! I know, the Amish have done it for generations - but PLEASE don’t take that risk.
Unless you are doing high acid canning, it is absolutely a must to use a pressure canner. You can do pickled anything safely in a water bath canner (where you put it in a deep pot - cover it with water - put on a lid and bring to a boil for the required minutes) You can do jellies, most fruit and tomatoes that way, but you need to be aware that the acidity is the key. You should add lemon juice to the tomatoes for example. Follow recipes that are approved!
Please do some reading on this site before canning:
http://foodsafety.psu.edu/canningguide.html
I am probably the world’s worst when it comes to following a recipe - BUT I never fail to check and double check the canning guide before and during the preparation. The link above is the latest update - as they learn more and do more testing, they do update that manual. The 1994 edition is the latest one - don’t use a 1940’s Better Homes and Gardens recipe for canning!!!!!
If you do it properly, canned foods are absolutely safe and will last for years and years! Think about it - the food isn’t spoiling, and do you really care in an emergency if the protein from that canned meat is 38% instead of 42%? Best by dates are only to maintain over 90% of the packaged values of nutrients.
DO store whole grains in containers - BUT get some bulk and try using it... You may have to use a blender to grind your flour (I and others do it all the time) or you may have to get a couple of rocks and do the grinding (There are millions who do that every day - yes, today). But do it a few times to know how and to know what works best for you.
If you have a free day sometime (If you are that far behind in your reading, you may not have that. :-) ) go to:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/advice/askjackieonline.html
Jackie Clay has not just done it - she does it every day!
She is a treasure trove of knowledge for all things about survival and preparedness. There are a few things that people throw at her, and if she doesn’t know and hasn’t done it, she tells them straight out. She has had to start over more than once and has lost her husband, yet still managed to take care of her aged and ill parents and raised her son mostly on her own own knowledge of survival skills. Including living off grid!
Enjoy preserving food! It is most assuring to know that you have enough for a whole year and have the items necessary to produce more to replace it.
We eat 90% from our stockpile and keep replacing it - giving us a good rotation. We eat very varied meals. I would hate eating hamburgers everyday - Bologna for lunch everyday and cereal for breakfast everyday. We had Chow Mein last night, and are having venison shoulder roast with baked sweet potatoes, lima beans, corn, pickled beets and a salad for dinner tonight with cracked wheat rolls and an apple pie for dessert. All of it I have produced (except the sweet potatoes which I will be planting too this year_) and have preserved. It doesn’t have to be spam and stale saltines!