A Storm Approaches - Be Prepared!

Back in August 2014, I wrote a post "Always Be Prepared" after my hometown and surrounding areas were flooded out to the point that major highways were impassible, and hospitals were even closed. What we saw back in the fall in Missouri, and again tonight in Maryland is enough reason for any family, especially living in an urban/suburban area, to consider creating an emergency and evacuation plan...

A storm approaches... Summer 2014

I've said it before, shows like "Doomsday Preppers", in my opinion, has cast a negative light on emergency preparedness within the general population. After all, most people today are accustomed to walking or driving a short distance to the nearest convenience or grocery store for bread, milk, snacks and toiletry items on demand. They can't imagine a time when they won't be able to do so. While being preoccupied with laughing at Joe Smith hoarding gas masks and building a fall out shelter under his garage, or Pete Jones building an arsenal fit for any 3rd World Army, they are forgetting about possible every day negative occurrences like natural disasters and localized pockets of civil unrest, or even a personal period of illness or unemployment when funds to purchase food may be scarce!

An obvious consideration many disregard is possible disruption in flow of overland transportation. If trucks cannot pick up in and pass through major cities, it may affect you indirectly when supermarkets, who themselves usually only stock 3 days worth of goods, stop receiving shipments. When Toledo's water was disrupted, less than 12 hours later overnight, stores all the way out here (35 miles from the city) were already sold out of bottled water! There were reports of scalpers selling $5 cases of bottled water for as much as $25 each! We've seen in the past how quickly civility erodes when water, food and other necessities are depleted...

As I stated previously, a good place to start preparing in case of emergency is the American Red Cross. They provide lists of supplies to have on hand, and tips for specific types of emergencies. While they concentrate on natural disasters, your basic human needs are the same regardless of the situation. Agencies across the board recommend AT LEAST a 72 hour stash of supplies, preferably mobile in case of evacuation. 72 hours is a great place to start, and from there, in my opinion, keep going until you reach at least 30 days.

Pinterest offers a plethora of links to sources with thorough supply lists and tips for specific scenarios, too. Here's a link to our Emergency Preparedness Board. As you can discern from the pins, our biggest threats out here are tornadoes (all these open fields!), and most especially impassible roads and power outage due to blizzard conditions. Winter 2013, there were 3 separate times we were snowed in for more than 24 hours. It was a blessing knowing we had plenty of food and water, and warm clothes, blankets and an alternate cooking method if the power went out, too!

There are many companies out there offering pre-packed mobile 72 hour bucket and backpack kits. A quick Amazon search will yield hundreds of results. Though convenient, these pre-packed kits can be rather pricey. If you have a dehydrator and the time to do so, you can easily make your own dry mix meals and package them in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers for long term storage, and invest in some water treatment tablets or a LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for your mobile kits.

Besides the obvious Amazon, a great place to find non-food supplies, like alternate cooking sources and solar crank radios at affordable prices is Sportsman's Guide. While, as their name suggests, they sell hunting and fishing gear, they also have an excellent selection of military issue surplus and camping goods that could be helpful in an emergency situation.

I could go on about this topic for pages, however, my intention here is to simply encourage you all to start concocting a contingency plan for yourselves and your families, and guide you to some resources, if God forbid, things ever go south for you, regardless of the actual situation that may cause the emergency.

RECIPE: Home Canned Bone Broth (AKA Stock)

Coincidentally, I started on this large batch of broth on the eve of Earth Day, a time when there is quite a lot of discussion about food waste and sustainable agriculture. Here's a great way to cut down on waste, and get delicious soup stock in the process!

Let me start by saying there are exact recipes to follow out there on the internet for bone broth. This is not one of those! Over the winter, I collected up scraps from roasted birds and chopped veggies in gallon freezer bags and threw them in the chest freezer until I got enough to fill a 23 qt pot...

There is quite a bit of information out there online concerning the health benefits of bone broth. It makes an excellent medicinal base for soups during cold and flu season, and it's delicious! Making your own is definitely worth the effort!

Ingredients

3 gallon freezer bags of misc. poultry or beef bones
1 gallon freezer bag carrot, celery and onion scraps *

8 cloves Garlic

1 tsp. Thyme

1 tsp. Rosemary

1 tsp. Basil

1/8 tsp. Cayenne

Salt and Pepper to taste

* I used carrot peelings and tops, celery leaves and root ends, onion tops and bottoms. Onion portion should be equal to no more than one medium onion.

Put bones, veggies and garlic in a large stock pot. Pour enough water into the stock pot to just cover the bones and vegetable scraps. Bring bones to a boil. Turn heat down til the pot is just at a simmer, and continue to simmer for 12 hours. Add herbs and spices and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Let the broth cool til able to be safely handled and strain broth using a fine mesh strainer or colander to remove bones and vegetable scraps. Some tiny bits of meat and herbs may not be strained out, that's fine. You may want to let it cool enough to remove solidified fats from the surface if you are using beef bones.

Reheat the broth just to a boil, and fill sterilized canning jars leaving 1" head space. Process the jars of broth at 11 pounds of pressure for 20 minutes for pints, and 25 minutes for quarts. A 3/4 full 23 qt stock pot of bones and veggie scraps made 9 quarts of broth.

DEHYDRATING: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Apple Chips

Apple Chips have become quite popular among snackers looking for NON-GMO/organic food products. However, they can be quite pricey! Good news is, they are extremely simple to make at home!

INGREDIENTS:

3 lb Bag Apples*
8 c. Water
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
2 c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Combine water, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Stir til brown sugar begins to dissolve. The lemon juice will prevent browning.

Slice and core apples**. As you slice the apples, soak them in your brown sugar solution for appx. 5 minutes before loading them onto your dehydrator trays. If you wish, you may sprinkle additional cinnamon over the trays before dehydrating for a stronger flavor.

Dehydrate apples on 135 degrees for 6-8 hours, depending on dehydrator wattage. Store chips in a ziplock bag for easy snacking, or store long term in mason jars in a cool, dark, dry place with an oxygen absorber in each jar. One batch will make about 1/3 gallon baggie full.

*We prefer Granny Smith, but any apple variety will do! Red Delicious pictured above.

**We use an automatic Apple Peeler, Corer, Slicer. Works EXTREMELY well for large batch processing. Be sure to leave skins intact.

DEHYDRATING: Celery

About a month ago, I took advantage of a 10/$10 sale on celery. I found the pic on my phone and realized I'd forgotten to post the instructions for dehydration! It really couldn't get any easier, no blanching or other special preparation!

No blanching is required, but be sure to thoroughly rinse each rib. You'll then slice the celery. Nice thin, uniform thickness slices work best, about 1/8" or so.  (I use a food processor with a slicing blade to prepare the celery.)

Once you have a bowl full of thin slices, spread them out on your dehydrator trays in a single layer. You'll want to use screens or fruit roll inserts, a little overlapping of slices is OK. There is no need to meticulously arrange each individual slice!

Process the celery at 135 degrees for about 6-8 hours, depending on the wattage of your dehydrator. You may wish to rearrange slices about halfway through processing time to ensure even drying.The finished product will be crisp, and easy to crush, and slightly brighter green than the fresh celery.

Store your dehydrated celery in a clean glass jar with an airtight lid in a dark, cool, dry place. Add an oxygen absorber for long term storage. 2 bags of celery will fill a pint sized jar.

Dehydrated celery is especially convenient for throwing in homemade soups, and embellishing box mix stuffing (along with dehydrated mushrooms!). It's also important to have for homemade dry mixes.

DEHYDRATING: Bananas

Bananas are one of the least expensive fruits available at the grocery store, and are a great source of potassium. It's extremely simple to dry your own!

Dehydrating bananas is extremely simple. Just peel, slice into 1/4" slices, dip the slices in lemon juice to prevent blackening and dehydrate on 135 degrees for about 8-10 hours. They will slightly darken in color, and will remain just a tad pliable. It's a good idea to remove them from the trays while they are still warm, as they may stick! Store your dehydrated banana chips in a clean glass jar with an airtight lid in a cool, dark, dry place for long term storage.

Mix banana chips with other dried fruits, seeds, and nuts for a tasty homemade trail mix for your next outdoors adventure!

DEHYDRATING: Onions and Garlic

Onions and garlic are in just about everything- soups, sauces, meat marinades and rubs... Dehydrating your own at home is a simple, money saving process!

Onions and garlic are dehydrated much in the same way as mushrooms - there is no need to blanch them before drying. You will process the raw produce depending on what end product you'd like- Whole? Minced? Powdered? I personally prefer simply slicing them, and drying whole for versatility. 

Be warned that some people find the scent of drying onion and garlic overpowering! (Personally, I like it!) You may choose to set up in a room with the door shut, or in a garage on warmer days.

PROCESS:

Bulb Onions, Leeks and Garlic:

Set dehydrator on 135 degree vegetable setting for bulb onions and garlic. 

Slices: Slice onion/garlic about 1/8" thick. No need to separate the individual rings.  8-10 hours process time (save time on prep, but longer time in the dehydrator).

Minced: You may either chop the raw onion before placing in the dehydrator (a food processor works well), or dehydrate as above, then crush into smaller pieces as needed. 6-8 hours process time.

Powdered: Use a rocket blender to grind dried product into powder.

Be aware that onion will not re-hydrate to original texture. I do not recommend using re-hydrated onion slices on sandwiches and burgers!

Green Onions and Chives:

Set dehydrator on the 95 degree herb setting for bunching onions and chives.

Slice into 1/4" long pieces. Process for about 6-8 hours.

Store all your dehydrated produce in clean glass jars with an airtight lid. For a longer shelf life, you may add an oxygen absorber to the jars, or use a food saver with jar attachment!

*For large batch onion processing, I recommend using a mandoline slicer and/or food processor. We use a Norpro Mandoline Slicer and a Hamilton Beach 8-Cup Food Processor .

HARVEST: Air Drying Herbs

You can easily dry your herbs using materials found around your home. I recommend this method of drying for large batches, especially for woody stemmed plants. 

I have found that it's much easier to process large batches of herbs by air drying than by dehydrating, especially woody stemmed plants with small leaves like Thyme. Be advised though, air drying can take several weeks as opposed to a day in the dehydrator.

MATERIALS:

Coat Hanger

String (Thread/Yarn/Twine, etc)

Fresh Herbs, washed and dried

PROCEDURE:

Gather herbs together in small bunches  by the stems and tie together with string, leaving ends 5-6" long. Tie ends of string to the coat hanger, letting the bunches dangle freely. Hang the coathanger in a dry, ventilated place away from direct sunlight. Allow herbs to hang until leaves are completely dry and crumble easily. Strip leaves from stems and store whole in a glass jar in a cool, dark, dry place. They store well for at least a year, after which they will begin to lose some potency.

When you need to refill your pantry shaker, pour your dried herbs into a small blender or mortar/pestle and grind as needed.

BOOKSHELF: The Dehydrator Bible

There's a lot more to do with a dehydrator than dry herbs and make jerky! Preserve your harvest economically and create your own dry mix meals with the simple and hearty recipes contained in this tome of dehydrating knowledge!

Click to view/purchase book on Amazon.com

THE DEHYDRATOR BIBLE: Includes Over 400 Recipes

By Jennifer MacKenzie, Jay Nutt and Don Mercer

Although dehydration is an ages old method of food preservation, it's become a lost art for the most part with modern technology like refrigerators and freezers. But, what if we want to preserve more than will fit in our electric units, or we are travelling and won't have any access to electricity? This book will give you all the answers!

The book opens with a discussion concerning the history and advantages of  dry food preservation, the basic equipment you will need to get started, drying techniques, and storage of your products.

Perhaps the most important portion of the book comes next, where you will find a detailed manual as to how to properly dry each individual herb, vegetable and fruit, as well as different types of meat. Proper drying method and time is essential in creating a viable final product that will store and reconstitute well. I've referred to this section of the book several times since I've had it.

The book goes on to offer recipes for everyday meals, various types of jerky, portable dry mix camp meals, and other crafts and gifts like dried flowers. You can even use the dehydrator to make pet treats! It's actually quite convenient to use dehydrated vegetables in place of frozen in soups and stews. We store them in the pantry in glass jars, rather than taking up valuable freezer space, and there is no "freezer burn" to be concerned with for long-term storage!

I found the dry mix trail meals to be of particular interest. They can be mixed and carried in a backpack in ziplock baggies, or put together ahead of time and stored in mylar bags or mason jars with oxygen absorbers. Just add boiling water, and you're ready to eat!

BOTTOM LINE: 5 of 5 Stars. From beginner to expert, this book has a little something for everyone. It's an invaluable go-to reference book! Highly recommended for anyone interested in using dehydration for food preservation.

DEHYDRATING: Tomatoes

Continuing on with "Tomato Week", we present another method of preserving your harvest! Dehydrating is probably the simplest way to preserve tomatoes. Dehydrated tomatoes are surprisingly versatile, too!

Preserving tomatoes through dehydration is extremely simple. They take up less storage space per pound, and are excellent for outdoorsmen who wish to make their own dry mix meals.

RAW TOMATOES:

Paste tomatoes are recommended, but any variety can be used. The juicier, the longer they will take to dehydrate. You may wish to use screen inserts for easier removal and clean up.

1. Thoroughly wash tomatoes before processing. 
2. Slice tomatoes 1/8" thick. Too thin, and they will be near impossible to remove from trays, too thick and they will not dehydrate evenly.
3. Arrange slices in a single layer on dehydrator trays leaving a sliver of space between each slice to allow for air flow.
4. Set dehydrator to 130 degrees for approximately 16-20 hours, depending on type of tomato.
5. They are done when they feel dry to the touch, and just slightly pliable. It is imperative all moisture is removed, or they are liable to mold.

Dehydrated tomatoes can be stored in jars in a cool, dark, dry place. Recycled pickle jars are just fine. They may be stored for a longer period of time by adding a food safe Oxygen Absorber into the jar. Mylar bags or vacuum sealed packets will work as well.

To reconstitute dried tomatoes, simply submerge the slices in warm water for about 10-15 minutes. Use as you would fresh tomatoes in recipes. Not recommended for topping sandwiches and burgers.

TOMATO SAUCE:

Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti Sauce can also be dehydrated. In order to dehydrate sauce, you will need "Fruit Roll Sheets" or parchment paper.

1. If you are dehydrating chunky spaghetti sauce, process in a blender until smooth.
2. Place Fruit Roll Sheets or parchment paper into dehydrator trays.
3. Spread a thin layer of sauce upon each sheet as evenly as possible. Roughly 1/16" thick.
4. Set dehydrator to 130 degrees for about 10-12 hours. About halfway through, turn the tomato leathers over to facilitate even drying. When it is done, tomato leather should be dry to the touch, and a tad pliable. 
5. When it is done, tomato leather should be dry to the touch, and a tad pliable (much like "Fruit Roll-Ups snacks"). Peel leathers from sheets and process in a blender until powdered. 

Dehydrated sauce is stored in the same manner as raw dehydrated tomatoes (see above).

To reconstitute sauce, pour 1/2 c. hot water over 3 Tbsp. powdered sauce. Use reconstituted tomato sauce as you would canned sauce in recipes. Tomato powder can also be used as-is in homemade soups and sauces.

If you're an outdoorsmen looking for recipes for DIY dry mix meals, there are 83 pages worth in "The Dehydrator Bible " by MacKenzie, Nutt and Mercer. Some examples include: various pancakes and oatmeals, soups, chili, pasta and rice dishes. 

We use the Nesco Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator FD-75A. When purchasing a dehydrator, be sure it has an adjustable thermostat.