# September 2008 Monthly Prep Journal



## Guest (Sep 1, 2008)

Well, as I write this a lot of folks on the coast in East Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi are getting a for-real chance to test their hurricane preps. God speed you all and the best of luck to you.

For you folks in coastal Georgia and the Carolinas it appears you may be the next in line as Hannah warms up. Good luck to you as well.

For myself we made a smalllish prep run to Wally World yesterday. A few cases of beans, some medication, clothes for me and the girls. Got lucky for once and found exactly what we wanted.

Finished the pears for the years last night with another twenty eight pints of pear sauce. Glad to be done with them. Grapes next week weather permitting.

For you folks who are not fleeing at the moment how's the prep month looking for you?

.....Alan.


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## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

Putting the finishing touches on my preps. Taking off on September 16 for a year long camping trip. Plan on using all my preps, along with gathered items (wild greens, fruit, nuts), wild game and fish, only. Not buying any food along the way. 
As a side note, I just got an e-mail from my sister who lives on the Florida gulf coast. Said that the winds are already getting real bad, and she just lost a big pecan tree in her yard.
My thoughts and prayers to those in peril right now.

alan


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Well I am sitting here in pain from finishing this morning my firewood storage stacking in the woodshed - 3 and 1/2 cords. Now to cut, split and stack another 2+ cords of firewood to place in the racks on the lower landing. The neighbors and myself, are getting/ splitting the cost of two dumptruck loads of gravel to be spread on the private road with the heavy equipment up here later this month.

This morning I fiinished up a batch of candles that I had poured late last night. I had to fill in the depressions in the candles (tunneling) from the wax cooling. Looking at my tote with the extra coleman fuel, small propane bottles, and lamp oil, I need to get a few items (1 more gallon of white gas/ lantern mantles, and a couple bottles of lamp oil) to be prepared for this upcoming winter.

Later today, I need to wrap in ziplock baggies, some extra boxes of 12 gauge shotgun shells @ $4.99 per box that I bought on sale a couple of days ago, and place them into the long term ammo storage cans. This week .30-06 springfield rifle ammunition is on sale locally for $12.99 per box, so I may get 2 or 3 boxes of 20 rounds each. Now this coming week, I also need to go purchase my hunting licenses and other required tags/ stamps. I am receiving a used freezer soon, and I plan/ hope on filling it with some wild game from up here. Maybe by thinning out some of those darned deer, that keep me from having a big garden.. Better add some butchers wrapping paper and tape to the list of items to pick up soon....


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2008)

Well, with the Hurricane Conveyor looking like it's going into overdrive we decided today to just get EVERYTHING caught up in one swell foop. Swapped out two LP tanks, rotated out the remaining half of the fuel storage so that it's now all less than a month old, filled the feed cans for the birds and dogs, and if I can think of anything else that's behind we'll do that this week as well. We brought all of the food and medications back up yesterday and the day before.

Thankfully they're not all taking aim at Florida this time (yet, anyway) because this is beginning to feel like 2004 all over again.

.....Alan.


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## MoGrrrl (Jan 19, 2007)

We spent the weekend at my MIL's cabin. I looked for wild edibles and took some hikes. This week I've got jury duty. Hopefully I won't get assigned to a jury, and can use a few hours to read up on canning and other topics.


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## lorian (Sep 4, 2005)

I've been away for a while (from this site). Too busy prepping to post! 
Glad to be back though.
Anyway, We've been canning all the usual stuff. Started a fall garden in August (had never done that before) hoping to take us through some colder months. 
I'm really, really trying to get to a 95% of providing all our own vegetables. This is so much harder than I thought it would be. I'm at 100% for chicken and turkey though!

I learned how to can meat and I feel really good about that. Have been doing soups and broth as well. Last butchering day was the best ever as I've learned how to part everything out well and can it and make broth to can all in the same day. Never thought I'd get to that point.

Brought home seaweed from the shore to make our own foliar fertilizer. That should be fun.........

I am inspired by radiofishes candle making. Good job! I want to do that to. And you got free wax? cool.........


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

lorian, way to go on canning the meat. I still don't have to nerve to try that yet. I have all the supplies in case the freezer goes out to do so, but that's about it.

My question, is your family used to eating canned meat or will this be a new item on the menu this fall? The only canned meat we eat currently is tuna, we have a lot of canned chicken but I don't really like cooking with it. It is really as an emergency prep.

thanks 

AR Transplant


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I dont have a lot of canned meat, but I've got about 20 lambs in the pasture and 22 ewes I can breed
There are also 16 chickens and 30 pigeons.
If all that runs out, my neighbors horse is in BIG trouble!


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## Collinsfarm (Oct 30, 2007)

With the resultant rains and flooding from Fay here in Central Florida, we are now faced with a mosquito epidemic. We are getting overrun. After evaluating the prep stores, I must beef up mosquito repellants.

Practiced washing clothes this weekend in a big mop bucket using a hand scrubbing board and the mop ringer for a clothes ringer. Also practiced using a 5-gallon bucket with the lid on it and plumbing plunger for an "agitator".


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

We are very busy this week. I have well-drillers here today. So hopefully, later this week, we will be off city water! DH spent his holiday yesterday under the house trying to get gas lines going to the new appliances that are now sitting in my family room.

A friend 'needs' me to come and pick their apples today and get them out of the yard. I love friends that plant fruit trees and don't use the fruit! I need a few more of of them!

The summer garden is getting finished up and the fall garden is about to go in. I just planted some of the beds in wheat this morning for a cover crop. I transplanted 100 strawberry plants and have another 100 to go. This morning, I ordered more raspberries and a couple fig trees! This afternoon is the time to visit the beehives to see if they have enough honey socked away for winter. Hopefully they will have just a tad more than they need.....it is their first year here, so hopefully, next year we will see our first good harvest.

Someone really needs to weed the flower beds - no one can see the flowers!


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Picked about a bushel of apples friday, and canned them for pie filling saturday, baked a test apple pie sunday afternoon. It passed the test!! Those apples are just from the preachers tree. I still have my 3 trees and a neighbor lady's. I take care of all her trees in exchange for all the apples, peaches, cherries, pears and blackberries I want. Great trade, and there is still lots left for other people.

Sent the young goat kids off to market a week ago today, so I started milking goats a week ago tomorrow. Had to send them to market because thanks to the G'kids they all had names. Even Boer goats give milk. Not as much as a regular milk goat, but enough for DW and I and some left over for butter and maybe cheese.

Took 180# of honey off of 4 colonies a week ago last Saturday. Should be enough for a year, some for presents, and a little left to sell.

Used some of the money from the sale of the goat kids today when I went to the Amish stores at Lead Mine. Picked up 50# Montana Gold wheat berries for $35.50, 50# Rolled Oats for $26, and 50# of Pinto beans for $32. Plus reading another post about the sale on potatoes at Amazon.com, I just had to order a couple of boxes for storage. Since I was buying a computer program for one of my customers, I added his program to my order and got free shipping for all of it.


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## lorian (Sep 4, 2005)

AR transplant,

I tried canned meat first from our Amish neighbors and we were all surprised at how much we liked it. I can it with the bones and when you use it all you need to do is slip it off the bones and use it. No grissle (sp?) and an instant meat for casserole, or chicken salad and we like to mix it with cooked rice. It's a fast-food meal that's healthful.

With a good pressure canner, I found the whole process incredibly easy: pop the raw meat in, add salt and broth and a few herbs and can according to directions. I will say it's no show stopper to look at on the shelves. Very ugly to the point you want to say "Eww, what's that?!" I think that is what stopped me from trying it for so many years.
Silly, but true.........


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Ordered a 5 gallon bucket of fresh lard with no preservatives from the butcher shop. It should be ready Monday and will go into wide-mouth quarts. They're charging half dollar a pound which comes to about $20/5 gallon (~40#) - a substantial savings from what the grocers want! (At the grocery, Armour brand, the only one we can get and has preservatives, is $33 for 25#.)

Freezer is now full of meat for winter use . Garden's slowing down, canning's slowing down, and house repairs at full tilt.


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## Sabre3of4 (May 13, 2008)

Just bought the 2007 Taste of Home and Quick Cooking Annuals from Amazon and earned some more skeins of DMC embroidery floss by gridding a lady's cross stitch fabric for her. Will go on a stock up @ Aldi's this weekend.....
Got a pressure canner from my granddads and gave it to the DD1 for her 20th B-day. Getting ready to sell a '85 Vanagon for cash

Sabrina


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## canadiangirl (Jul 25, 2004)

The tomatoes are starting to come on for me, so I've been busy with them this week. The garden has done well plus I've traded some of my goat's milk soap with other market vendors for fruit. We are still working on our firewood, I think we have enough but I'm not sure, and I don't like that feeling : (
We spent quite a bit of time this last week preparing for hurricane weather, even though we don't have anything coming right now. We put extra tie downs on the greenhouse and poultry shed and started making sure items that can possibly fly are getting put away if possible. The rest of the month will bring more canning and more canning.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Lorian, the canned meat sounds great, and I'm planning to try canning chicken and beef soon. I've shied away from it because of spoilage fears, but since I've had such good luck with canning veggies and fruits, I'm ready to try.

Falcondance, what do you do with so much lard? I have some on hand for soapmaking, and I suppose I'd cook with it if I couldn't get more vegetable oil, but that's a lot of lard!

Our garden is slowing down (thank God green bean season is over, I'm starting to hate them), and I'm making cucumber pickles, pickling jalapeno slices, canning and dehydrating potatoes, and drying herbs. My shelves are full of beautiful red canned tomato products, and lots of peach, apple, blueberry and raspberry preserves and pie fillings. I have 10 gallons of mead percolating, and have concentrated on buying pasta on sale and vac sealing it. My Food Lion had 1 pound packages of spaghetti, penne, elbows, rotini, and fetuccini on sale for .89 each, so I stocked up.

I also ordered some dried tortellini on the advice of someone on this board. I got free shipping at Amazon, but the purchase price wasn't that great . I can't find it dried at my Costco, and I wanted to store some, so I just bought it.

I've also spent some time this week making sure my storage items are all up on pallets and shelves, and protected from any flooding we might have from upcoming hurricanes.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Mom, I plan to cook/bake with it. Shortening prices are becoming ridiculous - and I noticed this past winter after I started to change over to using mostly real butter, olive oil and lard (instead of margarine, other veggie oil, and shortening) that my arthritis is much more bearable! Add a bit of hot red pepper somehow each week, and it's down to a dull throb rather than sharp, incapacitating pain.

This summer, I slipped and started using regular oil and shortening again - and trust me, I can tell! So, back to the old tried-and-trues for me. Canned up, it won't be so bad and should last a good while.


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## missysid (Feb 21, 2006)

I finally got up the nerve to try canning and love it. We water bath canned peaches, apples, and applesauce this weekend. As well as putting up 5 gallons of green beans in the freezer. We dont have a pressure canner yet so we could not can them. But still felt great about it. 


We also got the new roof put on the storage shed so we will have "dry" storage this winter. Also got our license to sell eggs today so a little extra income and less complaining from the family on eating so many eggs


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## Guest (Sep 5, 2008)

If we have any Floridians who have not been paying attention to the Ike thread I think you'd better start watching it daily now. Many of us are now coned.

.....Alan.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

missysid said:


> I finally got up the nerve to try canning and love it. We water bath canned peaches, apples, and applesauce this weekend. As well as putting up 5 gallons of green beans in the freezer. We dont have a pressure canner yet so we could not can them. But still felt great about it.


Isn't it great, those first attempts? You feel this kind of "ok, I can DO this!" proud, fulfilled feeling....that feeling never goes away when you try something new and it WORKS!


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## MoGrrrl (Jan 19, 2007)

Today (right now actually) I am canning 5 pints of roasted red and green peppers. I'm gaining more confidence with canning. However, I forgot my lemon juice in the jars, so I had to backtrack a little. But at least there was time to correct my mistake. I guess this is what happens when I can past my bedtime.

I'm hoping that the pears at my CSA are ready this weekend! Pear butter and canned pears are on my agenda.


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## avandris (Jun 8, 2007)

I have not done a lot so far this month. We had a friend from San Diego up to visit for a week. It was his first time in a rural place. He said he was really impressed that we have so much food on the side of the road. We took a several hour drive around the countryside on back roads to show him the different micro climates around here. He was able to sample various apples, blackberries, service berries, rose hips, elderberries, pears and to see wheat, barley and garbanzos growing in the fields. We picked one stalk of wheat so he could see what it looked like and then that evening I ground some fresh hard wheat and the next day made homemade cinnamon rolls. He was astounded by it all. He had never seen food go from field to table before. He also had never had homemade bread before. So it was a good experience for both of us. I got to see what we normally do through new eyes. He called and told his family that he got to try all these new things and was eating eggs fresh from the chicken. It was fun. I told him he needed to come up again after hunting season. 

As far as stocking up....I bought three gallons of local raw honey. I like this producer better than others that I have tried. The honey comes in buckets rather than jugs. It is much easier to dispense. 

Tomorrow I hope to be getting apples, peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, beets and a few other things. Then next week will be a canning marathon. Our garden did not make it this year despite three attempts. So hopefully the orchards and farms near the inlaws will have lots of produce at a decent price this year.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

> He said he was really impressed that we have so much food on the side of the road. We took a several hour drive around the countryside on back roads to show him the different micro climates around here. He was able to sample various apples, blackberries, service berries, rose hips, elderberries, pears and to see wheat, barley and garbanzos growing in the fields. We picked one stalk of wheat so he could see what it looked like and then that evening I ground some fresh hard wheat and the next day made homemade cinnamon rolls. He was astounded by it all. He had never seen food go from field to table before.


Isn't that amazing? We live in a tiny town in the middle of fields and such - and there are still people _here_ who have no idea what grows wild and edible .


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Been busy dealing with the prolific output from our 30 tree orchard....but not complaining after the hard freeze last year left us fruitless. Our one young Braeburn tree gave us a bushel...at store price I saw of $2.79/lb that is around $111! Most of our trees give us 4-5 bushels or more; all semi-dwarf. Will tackle the Spies and Ark. Blacks when I come back from work weekend Mon. Did 60 pints applesauce and won't qut until my jars are full--you never know when some crop will fail.Has rained here last three days thanks to Gustav so got in a bed of spinach and one of kale plus still picking green beans. Tomatoes are done for...had a huge harvest and then no new blossoms d/t extened period of 90+ heat. But still canned over 100 qts and had leftover from last year,too. Only have a few late potatoes; early ones did poorly with all the rain so.MO got this spring. Glad I canned alot of 'taters last year so still have a supply of them. $4.29 for 10# here of not so good potatoes...and they seem to be totally flavorless...maybe just me after eating homegrown so long! 
dee


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## abckidsmom (Aug 28, 2008)

I've been lurking here for a while, but this is my first post.

This is my "practice" summer. We have a medium sized garden, just started keeping chickens and are waiting for them to start laying. Our basement is filling up...I'd say we have about 2-3 months' worth of supplies for us and our 4 little kids.

Do any of you do all this with little kids underfoot? My oldest is 5, helpful only to a point, ya know? And with the babies all around, it gets very tiresome. Any tips on how to accomplish canning and gardening, semi-farming with kids along?

Dh is on board, but he's a firefighter, and works 24 hour shifts a good ways away from home. Often it's just me and the kids for 2-3 days at a time. Right now, I should be processing our garden stuff from today, but I'm just too tired.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

God bless you with four kids, 5 and under! Mine are spread out between 14 and 5, and that helps a lot. But I remember the days with 2-3 kids under 5 years old. Gah! By hubby traveled a lot when my kids were young, so I can sympathize with your hubby being gone. It's hard being the only parent 24/7.

Kids are able to help with some things, but sometimes they make more work that they're worth. Those times are when you pop in a Thomas the Train or a Veggie Tales tape! Don't feel guilty using the TV as a babysitter when you need to - the times to can and process foods is short and your family with benefit from it. Plus every Mom deserves a break and if there's nobody to help, the VCR does just fine!

Other times, you can give the kids "busy work" like watering the flowers and picking up sticks, or even gathering acorns that you'll never use. Your older kids can help pick beans and peppers, if you show them what to look for. We have our kids busy with stuff all the time, but I know it's hard to get YOUR work done while supervising little ones.

My best advice is to enjoy these years. Soon they'll be in school with friends and homework, and you'll never again be able to have them all in the garden pulling weeds or looking for the perfect cucumber. My boys (5 and 8) are never happier than when they bring me a grocery bag full of peppers, cucumbers and beans, for my approval. 

P.S. Don't you love watching the little ones gather eggs? It's one of my favorite things, like an Easter Egg hunt every day. The occasional broken one from dropping them in a basket is worth the excitement.


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## abckidsmom (Aug 28, 2008)

Still waiting on these chickens to find their purpose in life. I'm getting a little impatient.... I'd love to send my girls down to find the eggs! If only!

We homeschool, so in years to come, August and September will be home ec. This year, the learning curve is steep for me and them, so we're just figuring out what to do.

I let them watch TV during nap every day, the older 2, 4 and 5 yos. The baby is 1.5 and the next one up is 2.5 so we're just racing through life. I totally love the look in my oldest's eyes when she looks in the pantry and says, "we're storing up for winter, just like the squirrels, mama!" 

They like to pick tomatoes, too...our peppers didn't do too good this year. Next year I'm going to put them up close to the house for frequent tending.

A friend of mine recently got rid of all her canning jars...over 2,000! I'm so thrilled, and can't wait to plant enough next year to begin to fill them. We could easily eat a pint or two of applesauce every day...and I'm just *loving* having healthful convenience food on hand. 15 minutes to dinner if canned food is waiting on the shelves.


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## MoGrrrl (Jan 19, 2007)

abckidsmom said:


> Do any of you do all this with little kids underfoot? My oldest is 5, helpful only to a point, ya know? And with the babies all around, it gets very tiresome. Any tips on how to accomplish canning and gardening, semi-farming with kids along?


I only have one, a 3yo, but I also work 8-5 outside the home. Our bedtime ritual goes until 8:30 or so. Last night I was up to 1 am roasting and canning bell peppers. Other nights I'll break up the work into a few nights. When I made peach butter, I peeled and pitted the peaches one night, and cooked the butter and canned them the next night.

Some of the items just go in the overstuffed freezer because I can't keep up with the canning. 

Tomorrow I am taking her with me to the u-pick-it CSA. It usually doubles or triples the time we have to be there, but she does enjoy it. I either give her a job (picking beans) or just make sure she stays in view. At our community garden, she likes to bring the water pistol and "shoot bugs" off the plants, weather they are there or not.


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## avandris (Jun 8, 2007)

ABCKidsmom, 

I don't have four. Only two- 4 1/2 and a 10 month old. So I understand a bit about they difficulty in getting things done. I will let you know after this week. I Have 40lbs of peaches to can, peach jelly to make, 40lbs of apples to make into applesauce, probably enough produce to make 30 pints of zucchini relish, about 15 1/2 pints of red onion relish to make, some more strawberry/orange/rhubarb jam to make. I also have our county fair this week, eye appointments, we are picking up a couple of bunnies, school starts this week(we homeschool..4 year old is working on kindergarten/1st grade level depending on the materials) and I know I am forgetting other things. So I will let you know what happens and if I succeed. 

We will also have to go pick crabapples, blackberries and elderberries this week too. Maybe plums too. Other people are offering them and we can not say no or they will not offer them again. Dh is gone from 6:30am(ish) to 6:30-7:00pm. So even though he is home each night it still does not help during the day. I am sorry it sounds like I am complaining. I am not. I am grateful for all the offers of produce and for having my husband home at night only. I am blessed beyond belief. 

Abckidsmom if you ever need to just vent out all the frustration or talk to an an adult just pm me I will be glad to listen. 

Elsa


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## kully (Feb 19, 2008)

Avandris--I got so tired just reading your post I think i'll go to bed now. Good luck (and strength) You're gonna need it to get through this week! But next week you'll love looking at those filled jars and full freezer. How I admire people who can get things done! I have good intentions but just can't seem to ever get much done.


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2008)

Stopped at the grocery on the way home Friday to stock up on some little stuff. B&M canned brown bread, Spam, and so on. Put them on the ever growing stack of stuff waiting for me to either date it, label it, or just put it away. Spent all weekend working outside so didn't get to the pile.

.....Alan.


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## kitaye (Sep 19, 2005)

Managed to catch red bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, onions,and mushrooms on sale so I'm running the dehydrator all week long. Also got 5 corned beefs curing right now too.

Also a neighbour is going to sell us 10 face cords of oak he cut and split for $300. All we have to do is pick it up and stack it somewhere on our property.


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## highlandview (Feb 15, 2007)

This week I am going to try making my own yogurt. I am also going to try some Amish friendship bread recipes - where you use a yeast starter that you keep going. I bought a recipe book that has charts, etc. to keep the starter going indefinitely. I've tried other starters that didn't work but I'm hoping the details in this book will help me. I am also going to look into starting a worm bin because the composted soil would be good for gardening. Also the worm bin is related to my immediate survival because my husband is going to loose it if I break another garbage disposal.


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## vegascowgirl (Sep 19, 2004)

Well Gustov came on inland and dropped a little over ten inches of rain and one small tornado on our little ranchstead. So with Ike forcasted to take nearly the same path, we are doing hurricane preps as well. Obviously we don't need to board up the windows, but we've added extra tarps over the wood pile, and what animal feed that doesn't fit in the tack/feed shed. Garden is still drenched, so we picked everything in case we get more rain to prevent the stuff from rotting/molding right on the vine. Been busy drying, freezing, canning what we can't use in the week. one good thing about gustov, is that it filled both our 50 gal rain barrels to near overflowing.


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## avandris (Jun 8, 2007)

Kully, I always have good intentions too. Today did not start the week as productively as I had hoped. I got the bunnies, had a 4 year old throw a tantrum off and on all day, got all the dishes washed, the jars washed for canning and then found a chicken that we now believe is dying. So as soon as the eldest is in bed I will start on the relish. Tomorrow after we get back from the eye appointment(1 1/2 hours away) I will start the peaches. The apples can wait thank goodness. 

Hopefully I will get more done. 

Blessedly I was told that the plums will probably not be ready until next week. We will go berry picking this Saturday so I have a bit of time. Dh was kind and said we could wait until then and then come home and work on the bathroom shower. Hopefully the 4 year old will have a better day tomorrow and we can get a bit more schooling done.


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## vegascowgirl (Sep 19, 2004)

vegascowgirl said:


> Well Gustov came on inland and dropped a little over ten inches of rain and one small tornado on our little ranchstead. So with Ike forcasted to take nearly the same path, we are doing hurricane preps as well. Obviously we don't need to board up the windows, but we've added extra tarps over the wood pile, and what animal feed that doesn't fit in the tack/feed shed. Garden is still drenched, so we picked everything in case we get more rain to prevent the stuff from rotting/molding right on the vine. Been busy drying, freezing, canning what we can't use in the week. one good thing about gustov, is that it filled both our 50 gal rain barrels to near overflowing.


As of last night and this morning, now they are projecting Ike to go on into Texas. Praying for anybody in the path wherever ol' ike goes. At least we have everything done here (I Think) in case we should get bad weather. Now it's on to getting ready for winter for the rest of sept. Oct.. I'm down to one bag of ice melt, so will probably pick up a bag or two more. the past couple of years we've only been grazed by the ice storms. I figure One of these years we might get hit full on. We are good on wood for the stove in the shed (that thing was a God send last year when we were working outdoors in the cold). Need to start pulling the winter clothes out of storage. It's a wonderful 65 degrees right now, but cool for this time of year here. we have to make sure the insulation on the pipes is still good too.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Still have a bunch more apple trees to pick and work up. Thankful for the Squeezo that makes short work of making applesauce. Made bread yesterday from wheat milled in my new mill. At least twice a week I've dedicated to making a meal from storage foods and trying new recipes. So far no major flops! Lucky my guys will eat most anything that doesn't eat them first! 
Been busy collecting seeds in the garden. DH said the elderberries are ripe so thought I'd try making some syrup....way high at the health food store. Pulled the huge patch of green bean seed as supposed to rain for next few days and they are drying out nicely; didn't want them to mold. Gotta go rescue some basil seed for next year. Very productive herb garden this year and will have enough dried herbs until next year. Need to pot up my rosemary and bring it inside....remembering to check for hitchhikers....one year we kept hearing this squeaking sound and couldn't figure out what it was....we'd brought in a teeny-tiny toad in one of our big potted plants! Need to check the dalhias,too....we grow them from seed each year ....and the hollyhocks.....man does not live by bread alone! DEE


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## MoGrrrl (Jan 19, 2007)

I am due to pick up some *free apples* - maybe as much as a dozen grocery bags - from a freecycler. These will become applesauce, apple butter, apple juice perhaps. Last night I made pepper jelly. Not really a "prep" but it *was my first jelly and first time using pectin.* So it falls under a knowledge prep.

Also *joined a online foraging discussion list.* 

And, I am spending my book store gift certificates. Yesterday I got too jams/jellies/preserves cookbooks and a book called "Handmade Contrivances" at half-price books. Today I will go to Barnes and Noble over lunch and see about getting some more books, probably on foraging/wild edibles. And stop by Costco for more sugar.


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## pickapeppa (Jan 1, 2005)

Boiling smallish potatoes for the freezer. Harvested the entire garden except canteloupe, peppers and cabbages/broccoli. Need to harvest the apple trees and store, then the processing of apples/pears begins in full swing.

Learning how to use up a dozen eggs a day. Today's menu: Quiche Today's prep items: potatoes and egg noodles.

Also, putting in an order for a Bosch to make all of this run a little more smoothly.


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## shellrow (Feb 8, 2007)

Well tomorrow is payday and a local grocery store Carlie C's IGA is having a great sale on meat. I plan on restocking my freezer with hamburger, chicken breast, pork loins and chopped hamburger steaks. I might even get brave enough to can some of the hamburger. Not sure yet though. Also a local Food Lion has a great sale on Scott brand tp. I am going to stock up on them as well. This month seems to be my spending month. I try to save up and go "stocking up" every 4 to 6 months. I caught dish soap on sale last week and bought several bottles along with several bottles of shampoo. My list has grown quite a bit this month. I am trying to get in the habit of taking anywhere from $25 to $100 a week out of my pay to stock up on things. I am also going to need to stock up on duck food this week. I am so happy that Daisy is laying eggs for us now!


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## StatHaldol (Sep 1, 2006)

Wow! You guys make me feel lazy!! (My wife says there's a good reason for that!!):clap:


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Wow, where has the time gone? It seems we were getting ready for Gustav, and then all the sudden Ike is bearing down on the coast!
so... DH got on board a little better after the Gustav experience.. He made sure we had the propane lamps ready to go, quized me on the oil lamp status, and food preps.
When the power was out for a couple of hours - it was sunny and 2 days pre-storm- He actually said "we need a generator" :clap:
So, that will be added soon.
Anyway, with Ike heading this way and its looking like we will be on the east side of the storm, we are all set. Power can be out and we will be fine. My DS called from southeast texas and said "mom, do you have bottled water?"
I just laughed and he said, oh never mind.  I think he forgot who he was talking to! last hurricane he was calling me for the 'check list' of things to have.

So.. got my fall garden in and I have little baby cabbages and greens sprouting up! I hope the rain is easy on it and it doesn't get wiped out.
We are looking at adding to the preps in a new way,,, will be shopping for a truck soon! Way overdue on that, my van is done... 225,000 miles on it and it just doesn't work like a truck!
Got my Walton order sheet, and found LOTS of folks in the area willing to go in on the order, so I may just have a truck deliver right here close for us.

I still need to find a guideline for what we will need for 3-5 years, I know it is here somewhere, just can't find it.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2008)

Made a run to Sam's Club today. Another fifty pounds of rice since the current use bucket is about empty. More coffee, chocolate chips, raisins, Cheerios, and Craisins. Got some of it repacked and vac-sealed tonight and will try to get the rest tomorrow. Naturally I'm short on pint jars so will have to get more when I make a feed run.

I've got a large mound of stuff that is waiting to be labeled and put away so it looks like my Sunday afternoon is going to be spent doing that.

.....Alan.


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

Alan, I have a couple of questions. Did you say that a 6 gallon bucket would hold 50 lbs of grain/rice? If I have that wrong, what size would accommodate 50 lbs? I'm wasting space.

Secondly, can vacuum sealed chocolate chips be stored on the shelf or do they need to be frozen? How about pecans and walnuts? We have a small chest freezer and just learned that we will have the opportunity to purchase half of a non-medicated, grass-finished cow. I'm going to need to come up with some freezer space before too long.

As always, thanks for your advice.


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

ABCKids,
My three are grown and gone now, but they are the real reason that I learned to can. None of our local friends or relatives canned, so I was afraid that if our kids didn't see it, they would never see canning as a possibility. We worked together occasionally, but to be real honest, I did most of it right after they went to bed. We might work together on ONE batch of something simple, but the serious canning didn't happen until I could count on having the kitchen to myself. 

If you decide to try this, I have one work of caution. Stop when you get tired, especially if you are using a pressure canner. I speak from experience - luckily I wasn't hurt, but had Mexican Bean Soup from one end of the kitchen to the other! What a mess.


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

This month was off to a slow start for me prepwise. My pc died in mid August and then along came tropical storm Faye leaving me with a leaky roof, a mini lake in my yard, a drowned garden and several other little annoyances. I finally got everything cleaned up and repaired except the pc which had to wait until this past week, so finally I am back online! 

Several areas of Jacksonville flood really bad and Faye dumped a load of rain on us. There were fallen trees, damaged roofs and flooding everywhere. My own home held up very well except for a small leak in my living room but it looks like the damage was already there, the heavy and constant rains just pushed it to the limit. My garden was flooded, I lost alot of herbs which is bad for me because that is part of my income. There was just so much rain and flooding that many plants just washed right up out of the ground. I must have looked really silly standing in the drizzling rain with my umbrella watching my chinese baby corn plants float across the yard! 

I did get some prep things done this past week, As some of you have done I finally got to try pressure canning! I found pork roast for 99 cents a pound so I bought two 15 pound roasts and pressure canned one. I had some help by the owner of the pressure canner but it turned out really well. I also put up 6 pints of strawberry preserves and 6 jars of blueberries and dehydrated several batches of herbs that survived the floods.

Today I am cutting up some wood for my firepit and will be going to the store for oatmeal which we have been using alot of lately for some reason. I have a half a 5 gallon bucket but I don't want to run low with cool weather coming.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2008)

Marilyn said:


> Alan, I have a couple of questions. Did you say that a 6 gallon bucket would hold 50 lbs of grain/rice? If I have that wrong, what size would accommodate 50 lbs? I'm wasting space.


If you shake it down as you fill the bucket you should be able to get somewhere around 43lbs of rice in a six gallon Mylar lined bucket. There aren't any buckets that I know of that will hold the entire fifty pounds. I usually put the left over rice in the current use bucket.


> Secondly, can vacuum sealed chocolate chips be stored on the shelf or do they need to be frozen? How about pecans and walnuts?


 All of my chocolate supply is vac-sealed in glass jars in my storage cabinets. Storage temperature in Florida at this time of year peaks in the low eighties which is a bit high for best chocolate storage, but this only results in a bit of bloom on the surface. This doesn't look so hot, but it otherwise harmless. My family scarfs it all up just the same.

I really prefer to keep my shelled nuts frozen, but I do have some pecans vac-sealed in glass as well in the same cabinets. The oldest has been in there over a year and they still taste OK to us.

.....Alan.


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## Kari (Mar 24, 2008)

Although where we live there is no worry about hurricanes (or its after-effects), tornadoes etc. However after seeing and hearing over the past 6 months of 1000's of people without power due to many different disasters, I have started in the last month to invest in old time, no power required hand tools such as brace drills, bow saws, various hand saws, come-alongs etc. 

Ebay has been a good source of these types of tools and I know that these old tools are better quality then many new ones I have purchased at the local hardware store.

If we ever loose power and need to cleanup from any natural or man-made disaster at least we will not need to rely on power for many types of tools.


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## kully (Feb 19, 2008)

I have a few cans of Spam that I need to cycle through my storage , so I decided to fry some for supper last week. My great grandson, 7, came in the kitchen and asked what we were having . When I said Spam, he picked up the can and sniffed. "Yuck" he said, "It smells like catfood! I'm not eating catfood!" I told him, "Oh, you'll love it when it's fried all crispy.It'll taste like bacon." Well, he didn't love it, or even tolerate it. He said it still smelled like catfood. (I liked it .) So now I guess I'll hunt up some new recipes for Spam designed to cover up the smell AND taste good. Had some purple hull peas and some blueberries taking up my freezer space , so I canned them today. I will start another inventory tomorrow , as I've added a lot lately and kind of lost track of it.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

I have to wait longer for my 5 gallons of lard - the butcherer only had enough for my friend's order. But at 50c a pound, I can hold out a bit. I'm seriously considering taking the dive into soapmaking - can't be all _that_ hard, right? Right?

I'm trying real hard to not put on my tinfoil beanie or get the gun out these days. I *know* the freezer was ----ed near full of meat ('near' because there was a layer of frozen whole peaches, one peach deep, on top of the meat) yet the other day, it was only half full. We've only taken out three packages and they were all small. The freezer is in the house we're moving to, and the house is watched by the neighbors (except when they go to sleep, of course). It would _not_ be _easy_ to get into but it wouldn't be impossible, either, if you were a thief. I hesitate because the chainsaw, a Stihl, was sitting on the floor in front of the freezer where we left it, untouched. Personally, I'd have taken the saw, but maybe we have a lazy ass thief :shrug:.


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## kully (Feb 19, 2008)

As Gollum would say, "Thieves, thieves, we hates 'em , precious, yesssss, we hates 'em. Nasssty little thieves, we hates 'em."


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

WooHoo, big week this one . 50# of taters $12.50. That's all, folks.


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

another 200 pounds of sugar from Sams.. took off another super.crushed and strained 32 more pounds of the lightest honey I've ever seen at my place . it looks almost like veg oil. Cut and split 6 more cord of wood to sell this winter. another 100 pounds of dog food from Sams which i had to take back 2 days later and exchange for a different brand because of a Salmonella recall, 20 more 6 gal mylar bags and ox absorbers to go with them. I really have know idea as to how much soap, bleach, tissues, ect my wife has put away, it seem like every time she come in the house, she's carrying sacks of stuff, anything that is on sale.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I finally got a shipment I'd been waiting for, for three months, of some 10# cans of cheese powder, powdered shortening, and powdered butter, which I'll keep for LTS for baking. Also got a 25 lb. bag of salt, which I divvied up in jars and vac sealed, and two pounds of yeast, which is in the freezer now. 

This month I've been rotating stocks of things like flour, sugar and cornmeal. I had concentrated on just stocking MORE for a long time, so now I'll start to rotate as much as possible every six months and keep replenishing the shelves. The things like superpails of wheat berries and the salt, I plan to keep for years without rotating. 

I'm pretty sure I have a year's worth of toilet paper, paper towels (we don't use many but still), scrubber sponges for the kitchen, bleach, laundry soap, bath soap, shampoo, etc. It's a good feeling to see it all sitting on the shelves and know we're good to go.

The garden is winding down, but I've canned more apple butter and apple pie filling, persimmon butter and paste frozen for baking, dill pickles, tomato sauce, and the few potatoes we got from our garden. My son found a big patch of chives, so I dehydrated them and saved them. I like the Spring ones better, but since he was so proud of discovering them, we'd use them no matter what. 

Also dehydrated a bunch more okra, onions, potatoes, oregano, celery, and even tried drying some corn. I have my pump-n-seal tabs on regular food jars, and the dried foods are adding up nicely. I use my Foodsaver for the vacuum part most of the time. Sometimes the plastic lid things don't fit on the commercial jars, so I manually pump those.


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## vickie (Aug 8, 2002)

Picked 14 bushel of apples, Husband is picking pears he is at 8 bushel and alot more to go. Canned apple juice, froze juice for a wine class i am giving next month, canning pie filling, and drying some for an old fashion Christmas at my store. pears will be juice for wine, pear butter, and plain canned pears, running 800 lbs through the freezer 2 days at a time for long term storage. clearing a tree that fell at the door of the barn. need to get that done so we can get the tractor out to move the hay from the field across the street. We have alot of plans this week, I hope we find the time to get it done. Vickie


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

got a copy of carla emery's 'encyclopedia of country living' (10th edition) as a gift a few days ago, and have been perusing it in the evening. amazing volume of info in it!

--sgl


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Finally done with the apples. Stored away 2 bushels of Ark. Blacks that are such good keepers...problem here in so.MO is it doesn't get cold fast enough..our cold storage room isn't really cold enough in Sept. Stuff tends to get stored in spare bedroom in airconditioned house which is annoying to deal with

Did a major inventory yesterday and found stuff I'd forgotten I'd bought...a good thing as was freeze-dryed #10 cans of beef,ham,turkey,chicken,meatballs. Meat items was one thing I needed to address in our storage. Freezer pretty full and expecations high for getting 2-3 deer but would be canning most of that.
We really need to get stocked up on soap,TP,etc. With son and fiance living here now we go thru alot more stuff. He will be shipping out to Afganistan but date keeps changing so don't know how soon. They pay room/board so I put that towards stockup stuff. Be foolish of them to rent a place when the Army has their plans up in the air right now. Kinda miss it just being DH and me but son has been gigantic help....he and his dad worked up 15 full cord of wood; 14 wood boiler size and one cord of stove wood for our backup stove. It looks like a mountain out there!! Now son is painting the eaves...not a fun job in this old two story farmhouse. Plus he loves to cook and makes many meals...ate too many MRE's on his last deployement! DEE


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Falcon,,, 
we have a lock on our freezer for 2 reasons, to keep the little ones from playing in there, AND to keep all manner of varmints out! We lost the contents of our freezer twice before we installed locks. And no tools were missing at the time either. Guess they were just hungry. (I would actually give it to someone if they just said something!)
Anyway... might help ya out.

Hey, let me know how the soapmaking goes... I keep thinking I need to do that.


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## vickie (Aug 8, 2002)

After the high wind on the 14th there is alot of trees down everywhere. So i went to the golf course and asked about thier downed trees. They said take what you want. Went home got dh and chain saw and went back. About half the trees were cut in to about 24 inch pieces. So i ask to see where they want us to cut and was told just try to take all that stuff that is cut. WHAT? no cutting just throw it in the truck. YEP! the local guys like to use the chain saws. Its all yours. WHOOHOO. Plan is everyday after work at least 2 truck loads until gone. What a blessing. Vickie


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Does 2 new milk goats count on the milk, butter, cheese roster. Both are open, so now I have to find a buck. Kinda funny as I went to the goat auction on Tuesday evening and watched over 1500 head of goats sell. Not one was even worth bidding on for my needs....Friday there was about a dozen head listed on CraigsList. Went looked them over and probably 10 0f them fit my needs. I was only going to buy 1, but the only Oberhasli in the bunch adopted DW, so we cam home with 2 for the same amount I had been willing to pay for 1 at the auction. Some things are just meant to be.


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2008)

Spent much of last evening repacking and vac-sealing stuff that has been piling up waiting for me to get to it.

Five half-gallon jars of Cheerios
Five half-gallon jars of Cheezits
Four quart jars of coffee
Four pint jars of various M&M candies

I'm almost certain there was more than that, but we moved a lot of stuff around in the work table area on Sunday so now I can't find it. Still have a fifty pound bag of rice to get bucketed up.

Sure beats sitting around listening to the news of how bad it's all getting to be.

.....Alan.


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## ACountryMomma (Aug 10, 2008)

What sort of vacuum sealer do you use? Any one more recommended?


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2008)

I'm using a Magic Vac Maxima. Many of the Jarden FoodSaver models are very good as well. For home vacuum sealing those are the only two brands that I've had any experience with thus far that I recommend.

.....Alan.


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## magnolia2017 (Dec 5, 2005)

Very little prepping this month. Took car to get alligned after getting new tires and discovered we needed a ball joint and tie-rod end, so there went any extra money we had saved.

A flu shot is high on my priority list for next month as I'm just getting over the latest round of the flu. That's twice in as many months. Adding vitamin C to my stock-up list.

Spent most of the month getting my larger spare bedroom repaired and repainted from the water damage a few years ago. It will become my office as the smaller bedroom I have been using is too cramped. The smaller bedroom will be used for storing my preps so I can once again use my closet for its intended purpose.

Need to inventory my preps as we've been using from them quite a bit lately. 

Maggie


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## missysid (Feb 21, 2006)

Well we put up 200 gallons of diesel in the tank and hope to add another 100 gallons of gas soon. Propane tank is at 85% right now going into winter so I hope we are good until at least March - but I think we will run low by early Feb.

Reading Alas Babylon right now and got to say it is really interesting! Should finish it this week. I ordered mylar bags and o2 absorbers for our flour which makes me fell a lot better. Going to the salvage amish store tomorrow to see what I can find. Always neat to look there. 

Garden is done for the year and we are starting to add manure to it for next year. I ordered a few books from the library to look over on the garden ideas and what to plant.


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## magnolia2017 (Dec 5, 2005)

Forgot to add to earlier post that dh was offered a 55-gallon plastic water barrel for free so we'll have extra water storage.

We've held off getting our propane tank filled because of lack of funds, but the tank is at 15% and now it's a necessity. The good thing is that by using a programmable thermostat and decreasing the temperature in the house, we've been able to go a whole year on one tank of fuel. 

Have 50% of the lighbulbs changed to flourescent and planning to change the remaining 50% ASAP. Now to adjust the water heater and take other measures to be more energy efficient. Maybe not directly prep related, but any money saved can go towards more preps.

Maggie


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

A.T. Hagan said:


> Five half-gallon jars of Cheerios


Alan, where do you get your half gallon jars? I have a few that pickles or Costco sized artichoke hearts came in, and I use them for things like dried onions since the pickle smell never completely leaves the lid. But I don't know anyplace I can buy half gallon or gallon jars, and I'd love to get some.

Also, can I pack "heavy" things like salt in gallon jars or will it be at risk of breaking the jar?


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## countryside (Sep 24, 2008)

Mom, I get my half gallon canning jars from Ace Hardware. If the local store in your area doesn't stock them you can order them and get them shipped to your local store. I store sugar and salt in mine, in addition to lots of other things. They are pretty sturdy.


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## shellycoley (Mar 6, 2003)

We carried off some metal yesterday, really just to get rid of it.
It amounted to half a days pay for 20 minutes worth of work plus driving 6 miles.
We have sixty years worth of scrap scattered in the woods here. 
I think we'll be cleaning up those woods now.
Shelly


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2008)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Alan, where do you get your half gallon jars? I have a few that pickles or Costco sized artichoke hearts came in, and I use them for things like dried onions since the pickle smell never completely leaves the lid. But I don't know anyplace I can buy half gallon or gallon jars, and I'd love to get some.
> 
> Also, can I pack "heavy" things like salt in gallon jars or will it be at risk of breaking the jar?


 Like Countryside says you can order them from Ace Hardware if they don't actually stock them in your local store. That's where most of mine came from.

You can pack salt by the gallon if you want. I used to do that myself before the half-gallon jars came back on the market. Kind of heavy, but I never had a jar break from it.

.....Alan.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Thank you for the info on the jars....I'll see if I can order some and have them sent to the store. I've never seen them for sale anyplace.


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