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5 ways to STOP wasting money on food storage

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had the “one-and-done” conversation with people who are rightly concerned about investing in long term food storage but don’t want to be inconvenienced by it.

Being compelled enough to invest money into food storage, buying a bunch of it all at one time, and then (having their conscience soothed), put it away and forget about it. Their thinking is that they have done their due diligence, with minimal inconvenience and now can get on with life giving no more thought to it.

The first time I heard this philosophy was a friend many years ago. They had learned of a new brand of food being sold locally, that had a very long shelf life. It was kinda pricey but the shelf life was attractive. They bought a year’s supply for their family of four, stacked it into a corner of their basement, and brushed off their hands so-to-speak. They were more than content with this marvelous plan; they had their food storage and didn’t have their life complicated with having to eat it. Simple. I admit, the idea was a little unsettling to me; it didn’t seem that life could really be that easy. Fast forward a couple decades. My friend had passed away of cancer. Their children had grown up. Her husband had remarried and moved to a different city. He called me one day. They’d had a house fire! All was lost including their long term food storage, which he had carried with him ten years before. Insurance had provided the money to replace it and he wanted to do exactly the same thing they’d done before.

1. USE IT

The reason he called me? Because he knew that at the time I sold Thrive Life foods, a relatively new brand of freeze dried food. “Just give me a reasonably varied assortment of food like I had before.” he said. He had no intention of ‘wasting’ it by eating it. It was intended as 100% food insurance, to be packed away again. We talked about the fact that most of the food he had depended on to ease his conscience for so long, was well over 20 years old, and not all of it was freeze dried, meaning it didn’t have the 25 year shelf life he thought it did. We talked about what he’d had previously – including milk and eggs (neither of which at the time he bought it, claimed to have the 25 year shelf life he believed everything had). As a friend, my counsel was to USE some of the food he was buying for two very important reasons: 1) to KNOW what one had, and 2) to know HOW to use it. Long term food storage is not the same as buying perishable food from the grocery store. It requires a little different ‘thinking’ to get used to it. He was adamant about “not bothering with all that”. What he had done two decades ago was conscience soothing and he wanted more of that.

We came up with a reasonable selection, and it was sent to him – which he stacked in a corner somewhere to never think about again.

His details involving the house fire may have been unique, but his philosophy was not. I have had that same conversation with many people over the years.

them: “Oh freeze dried food! I have a ton of that in my basement.”
me: “Great. How do you like it?”
them: “Oh, I have no idea; I’ve never used it.”
me: “Why not?”
them: “Because its FOOD STORAGE! And besides, I haven’t got a clue what to do with it.”
me: “How long have you had it?”
them: “We got it the year after we were married.”
me: “How long have you been married?”
them: “37 years.”
me: “Wow. You know its 12 years past its expiry right? You don’t have milk and eggs in there do you?
them: “Yes.”
me: “Well, I know the food you’re talking about, and the shelf life of milk used to be 5 years, and eggs was 3 years. Those are over 30 years past their expiry date. You might wanna dispose of them. . . . . I wouldn’t even open them if I were you, just throw them out. . . . .
So, . . . just curious, when were you planning to figure out how to use this food anyway?”

I have another friend who had pretty much the same idea. She had a lotta long-term-food-storage that she’d never had any intention of using, but a few years ago it became alarmingly evident to her that it was waaaay past its prime. She doesn’t want to waste it, (and waste all the money she spent on it), she wanted to learn how to use it. She had no recollection of how long she’d had the food (decades she admits), and there was no date on the cans. Apparently the labeling laws have changed since then.

My counsel? To USE it of course. I promised to come over and show her how to use them. We opened up her first can – broccoli. It was absolutely indistinguishable. Looking nothing like broccoli should, and smelling terrible. Nothing anyone would want to eat. “What can I do with it?” she asked.
“Throw it in the compost.” was my suggestion.
We opened a can of spinach with similar results.

On the left is dehydrated spinach that was deliberately left on the shelf waiting for some emergency that would justify opening it. No one could remember how old it was, and the owner mistakenly believed it was freeze dried when in actual fact it was dehydrated (with a much shorter shelf life). This is what happens when you don’t USE the food you store. The result was a lot of wasted food, and a total waste of the money spent to acquire it.
The spinach on the right is a 7 year old can recently opened. It is what freeze dried spinach SHOULD look like today, tomorrow, next year and 17 years from now.

To be fair, the food we opened was much older than it was ever intended to be. It is not the manufacturer’s fault that the food was not used when it should have been. It is the result of faulty “save-and-protect” reasoning. But on the other hand, from the beginning she never knew what she had, what it looked like, or how to use it anyway. Ironically that scarcity mentality intended to not ‘waste’ food by using it, resulted in ultimate waste. Wasted food is wasted dollars. It’s simple math.

I well remember that same brand of freeze dried food when it was a new thing, trying to wrap my mind around the concept of it and trying to justify the cost. I bought some, used it, didn’t see the value at the time, nor the point. As the science of freeze drying got better over the ensuing years, the food got better, and the nutrition got better.

2. FIND THE BEST

In 2009, when I first started buying Thrive Life (the brand I finally settled on after trying several on the market), their guarantee was that the produce went from field to freezer in less than 24 hours. I was impressed with that. By the time I put that into print, the company corrected me – their guarantee was now less than 12 hours. “Can’t get better than that” I thought. Produce picked ripe, washed, peeled, chopped and into the freezer in less than 12 hours? Incredible. “Can’t get better than that” I told people.
Wait! In another year, they raised the bar again. Produce picked at perfection when all nature’s goodness was at its height, and then washed, peeled, sliced and into the freezer in less than 6 hours! (usually 2 to 4 hours). Amazing. NOW with a pretty good degree of confidence I can be sure “it really canNOT get better than that!”

In summer months my household eats directly from my backyard garden. I am hard pressed to get produce from my garden to the table in four hours! Truly it cannot get better than two to four hours.

What does that mean to you and me? Why is that such a big deal?

Because all fruits and vegetables begin to deteriorate within the first hour after harvest. That’s why. They begin the process of deteriorating in colour, texture and nutritional value immediately. To pick a fruit before its fully developed is to start out with a handicap. Thrive Life has a commitment to excellence that forbids picking produce before its ripe. Then its a race against the clock. That produce is washed, peeled (if needed), sliced or chopped and flash frozen to -40C within four hours! In that frozen state the food is transferred to a facility where all the remaining moisture is removed in the second step of the two step process of “freeze-drying”.

When spinach or broccoli or mangoes or strawberries or whatever, goes into that BPA free can at the end, it is more nutritious than those same ‘fresh’ fruits we buy in the produce department of our local grocery stores – that in nearly all cases were picked before they were ripe, and have been shipped a thousand+ miles to ripen on the supermarket shelves sometime in the following week or two. Without any moisture, that food is sealed in an oxygen free can, giving it an exceptionally long shelf life. Zero moisture + zero oxygen = zero decomposition. So when I open a can of peaches that was packed 7 years ago, it is as nutritionally sound as it was the day it was sealed. If I open that can another 7 years from now, it is still the same. THAT is what we’re talking about. And that’s why timing is such a big deal.

“freeze drying food is not rocket science”

3. Benefits of using freeze dried food NOW

FAMILIARITY
Becoming familiar with freeze dried food while our lives are comfortable and predicable is so important. Sometimes people fool themselves into believing they’ll use it when they have to, but a crises is not the time to start experimenting with foundational necessities like meals. There are bound to be some differences between what you’re using now and freeze dried food. Familiarity brings confidence, and confidence removes fear.
When we are prepared, there is no fear.

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KNOWLEDGE
With familiarity comes knowledge and skill, opening a whole new world of possibilities. Learning how to use freeze dried food will make meal preparation a lot quicker and easier. Those fruits and vegetables are already washed and chopped, ready to eat straight out of the can, or to throw into your soup, casserole, omelette or stir fries. The cheese is already shredded, the meats are already cooked – ready to refresh and add to your meal.
You’d be surprised at how streamlined your meals become. You can have dinner on the table in minutes.

ZERO WASTE
Not only will you reduce the waste of produce in the fridge going bad before you can get to it, and the waste of trimming a good portion of your broccoli, cauliflower and peppers etc, but you will eliminate the waste of those cans of food timing out. Think of the waste that my friend experienced having to throw out most of her ‘shelf stable’ canned food. My other friend who replaced it all after the fire – he would have had to replace it all anyway, fire or no fire – because most of it was long expired before the fire.

When you regularly USE your food storage, it replaces perishable groceries that would other wise go into the trash. The North American average for household kitchen waste is up to 40%. That’s an incredible figure to wrap your mind around. If you’re the average North American consumer, up to 40% of the food you buy is going into the garbage! What if you could reduce that waste? How much money would YOU save in a month, in a year? Take a minute (knowing your monthly food budget), and use some simple math to roughly calculate what that might look like to you. Imagine what you could do with an extra $3000 or $4000 a year! You could probably have your food storage built up in a very short time for one thing.

CONVENIENCE
One of the things we will depend on in any emergency is having food that will be convenient to prepare with fewer resources than we’re currently accustomed to. Knowing what that food is and what kind of variety is available ahead of time is helpful. Also knowing what your family prefers and doesn’t prefer ahead of time is pretty helpful too. You don’t want to learn that when its too late.

4. SCARCITY vs ABUNDANCE

A can of dehydrated cabbage, about twenty years past its expiration. This is the kind of thing that never should have happened.

A scarcity mindset is a way of thinking that focuses on the idea that there is a limited supply; one becomes obsessed with protecting it. Its a trap many of us fall into when it comes to food storage: “This is food storage. It must be protected.” But we’ve already seen where that thinking leads, and its a slippery slope. When the supply is not being replenished, protection mode kicks in. So what is the antidote?

Rotation. Rotation is a “1st in-1st out” mindset. It is continuously using and replacing. It is treating your food storage like groceries and your groceries like food storage. It is the philosophy you’ve heard me repeat many times if you’ve read anything I’ve ever written on the subject: Store what you EAT, and Eat what you STORE.

If you are constantly adding to your food supply every time you buy groceries, and constantly eating from it, then replacing it, you are ROTATING. This keeps everything fresh and updated, saving you money and providing peace of mind. Your food storage becomes an organic thing with a pulse, not an inorganic box of dead food that nobody wants that cost you too much money. Consider a different perspective.

5. CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT IT

When you change the way you look at it, everything about it changes. The missing link between the SCARCITY mindset and the ABUNDANCE mindset is ROTATION. Rotation of “using and replacing” helps us regain control, and allows us to see abundance instead of scarcity. Change the way you’re looking at things.

I truly believe that when we are prepared, there is no fear. It is a personal mission of mine to help people gain the freedom and peace of mind that BEING PREPARED offers. And that includes FOOD STORAGE. Part of that is to help people stop wasting the food they purchased and are currently purchasing, and to help people acquire their food storage in the best possible way, getting the best prices and benefits in the process.

This is a course of action I have followed my entire adult life; it is very important to me. In the process, I discovered Thrive Life freeze dried food in 2008, and by the beginning of 2009, I brought it into our family bookstore – Generations Bookstore in Edmonton, Alberta. One of our major sidelines was food storage and emergency preparedness so it was a perfect fit. Since that time, we sold the store, but I kept Thrive Life with me as a personal consultant. I believe it is the best brand on the market today for high quality freeze dried food, and I am committed to helping people benefit in the same way I do from it.

In our house I’ve put it to the test. We’ve used it almost daily since those early years, and I know of which I speak.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on food storage and all things related. I welcome any questions you might have about Thrive Life specifically. Who knows? You might even want to become a consultant yourself.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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to wheat or not to wheat

The story of cereal grains is the story of humanity’s transition from nomadic life to one of settlement and agriculture. With the exception of people in the far north, every culture from time immemorial has their own cereal grain, depending on climate and soil conditions: wild grasses, nuts, and seeds gathered, then pounded into flour or roasted and eaten whole. The beginning of agriculture marked the end of dependence on foraging, and the need for constant travel searching for food. Family groups could afford to build more permanent homes and bigger numbers meant more hands in the fields, hence the need for more buildings in which to gather – permanent communities – civilization.

Why wheat?

  1. WHEAT IS GOOD FOR YOU.
    There, I said it. Notwithstanding all the wheat haters out there and the anti-gluten people, for most of us, wheat is an excellent choice.1 Whole grain wheat is an excellent source of fibre, antioxidants, vitamins (particularly the B vitamins), minerals, and even protein. Almost 80% of its protein comes from ‘gluten’, (a large family of proteins) which is also responsible for the unique elasticity and stickiness of wheat dough, making it so desirable for bread making. 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of wheat contains 15 grams of protein! To put that into perspective, that’s about a quarter of the recommended daily amount of protein for the average 160 pound adult. Gluten can cause side effects in a small percent of people with conditions like celiac disease, IBS (inflammatory bowel syndrome), and gluten allergy, but most people eat it without any issues.

People who eliminate wheat from their diet by extension also avoid the excess calories in too much bread, pizza, junk food and desserts. Obviously one is going to feel healthier as well as experiencing weight loss, and this could cause one to mistakenly assume that wheat and other gluten containing foods are the culprit. To the contrary, wheat in its natural form fuels the body with essential nutrients and is associated with reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity. The secret is to avoid the excess oil and sugar that so often accompanies wheat flour in baking. Too much of anything is a bad idea.

2. Wheat is readily available in every part of the world.
Wheat is a hardy and forgiving plant, growing in nearly every horticultural zone where there is sufficient moisture and fertile soil. It was cultivated anciently in Western Asia, (being found in archaeological excavations in present day Iraq), accepted now as one of the earliest known sites of agriculture. It was cultivated in Egypt as early as 4000 BC, and from there eventually spread throughout the Roman Empire and Asia. The Romans brought it to Europe where it grew exceptionally well, and 500 years ago the Spanish brought it to the New World. By the 1800’s wheat had literally travelled the world and was being cultivated on every inhabited continent.
In 2023, the top ten wheat producing countries in order are: China, India, Russia, United States, France, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, Australia, and Ukraine. Generally Ukraine had been in the top five producers – their current production has suffered since the Russian invasion in February 2022. 2

Dan and I discovered wheat six months into our marriage. We were young and still ‘playing house’, but neither of us had ever used ‘wheat’ as a whole grain before (or probably even seen it if I was to be totally honest). Friends in our congregation were making a group purchase of wheat from the Peace River area, and they invited us to join. We decided we might as well jump into this ‘adult thing’ with both feet so we bought some. 10 bushels of hard red spring as I recall. Dan felt that if we were going to have wheat, we needed to figure out what to do with it, and I agreed. We assumed we could just ask those same friends, but was surprised to learn that most others didn’t feel the same compelling need ‘use’ it. It was after all, for ‘food storage’ – which evidently meant for some future undetermined time when we’d all be glad we had it. That didn’t make sense to us, so we started doing our research – pre internet and social media – the old fashioned way, books! And you might not be surprised to know that there weren’t that many books available on the subject either. A pamphlet in a health food store was the best we found for a long time, so it became a life long quest, with lots experiments. There didn’t seem to be any shortcuts.

“Almost all the wheat produced today for human consumption is used for the making of bread, but the very earliest farmers didn’t use it that way.”3 Evidence from early sites indicate that it was probably soaked and then cooked into a porridge of sorts.

While whole wheat is high in fiber — not surprisingly, refined wheat contains considerably less as the bran is removed during the milling process. That is true with every other good thing that wheat brings to the table.

Whole grain wheat kernels are called ‘berries’, and they are SEEDS, containing everything a new sprouting plant needs to be healthy, made up of three parts:
– the protective outer layer: BRAN
– the heart or ’embryo’ of the grain: GERM
– the starchy middle layer intended to feed the sprouting new plant: ENDOSPERM

image borrowed from Chef IQ
https://chefiq.com/blogs/blog/the-whole-story-on-whole-grains

isn’t flour just flour?

When the wheat berry is ground into flour, the bran gives it it’s familiar slightly brownish tint, and oil from the wheat germ is released. Its best to grind fresh, only what you can use in a few days because the wheat germ has a healthy fat that will go rancid if left too long. Pay attention to the ‘best before date’ on store bought whole wheat flour for best results. Better yet, grind your own.

This is precisely why it became desirable commercially to strip milled flour of its bran and especially its germ – which though rich in vitamins and minerals, has that volatile wheat germ oil. The yield is a more shelf stable product, but at a high nutritional cost. This is called UNBLEACHED white flour. BLEACHED flour is whiter than unbleached through a process that uses ‘bleaching’ agents like benzoyl peroxide or chlorine dioxide to break down the starches and proteins in flour, making it softer and more absorbent, but nutritionally void. Consequently bleached flour is regularly ‘ENRICHED’ with the replacement of more shelf stable vitamins – but don’t fall for that. Again, it’s a poor substitute for what it was in its freshly ground day.

So what is your best option for nutrition when it comes to wheat flour? In the order of nutritional and flavour superiority:

I have had this Grain Master for well over 20 years. It is my 3rd electric wheat grinder.
It is the grandfather of the current Wondermill, which I highly recommend. As you can see, you can adjust the texture of your flour. I usually have it set on the finest, although in this picture it is set on the coarsest. THIS is some goofball grandson’s (or son’s) idea of a practical joke.

1. Freshly ground wheat. Not to be confused with whole wheat flour from the grocery store (that is not ‘freshly’ ground). This requires a wheat grinder or grain mill of course.
2. Unbleached flour. The only reason I skip the whole wheat flour at the store is because one doesn’t know how fresh it is (how long its been since that wheat germ oil has been released).
The unbleached flour has the germ and bran removed true – but at least it hasn’t been bleached.
3. Whole wheat flour from the store. Look for a best before date and make sure you take it seriously. It is important you use it quickly before that oil goes rancid – you’ll know something’s off when the flour starts to smell bad. Once you’re familiar with a ‘rancid’ smell, you’ll recognize it for the rest of your life.

That’s it. Only three options. Don’t buy bleached flour – it’s not an option.
And yes, there is cake flour with added salt and leavening added. I don’t have anything to say about that. I’ve never been tempted to buy it because its just another step along the processing journey and I usually avoid that trip if I can.

Personally, I prefer to grind my own flour, but when I want to lighten it up a little, I’ll add some unbleached. I have never purchased Bleached or Enriched white flour.

using the whole wheat berry

Flour is not the only way to enjoy the benefits of ‘wheat’. The healthiest way to enjoy whole grains of any kind is to eat them whole, and if you’re new to this exciting world of whole grains, wheat is a good gateway. Prepare to be delighted.

Cooking the whole wheat berry is easy enough, it just takes time.
Don’t rush it. Take a chill pill and let it be what its gonna be.
1 part wheat + 3 parts water + a little salt. Bring to a boil and boil for a couple minutes, then cover, turn off the heat and leave it over night. The next morning, bring it back to a boil and gently simmer for 30 ish minutes, stirring once in a while to prevent scorching and testing for tenderness once the water has been absorbed.

Wheat Porridge
Do yourself a favour and open your mind. Make a small batch the first few times – to get used to it. Its a whole new experience but its so GOOD FOR YOU, its worth the adventure. Best to start it the night before, give it time to soak.
1 cup wheat
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Bring to a boil, let it boil for a couple minutes, stir and turn heat off. Cover and let sit on the stove till morning. Bring it back to a boil and let it gently simmer for about half an hour or just a little bit longer. Stir every once in a while to ensure the water isn’t disappearing too fast – it should be on quite low. After 30 or so minutes, start testing for tenderness. When its pleasantly plumb and tender to chew, its done. Don’t be in a rush.
Spoon about 1/4 cup into a bowl, drizzle a little honey over top and cover with your favourite milk. Enjoy.

Reserve some cooked wheat to keep in the fridge to add to other things during the week; you’ll love their sweet, nutty flavour and chewy texture.

Other ways to use cooked wheat berries

  1. Salads:

    Fall Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberries
    Kale 3 or 4 cups (measured after its stripped off the stalks)
    Butternut squash (or sweet potato)
    1 Apple
    1/4 – 1/2 cup cooked wheat
    1/2 cup chopped parsley
    2 green onions chopped
    1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries or raisins
    toasted walnuts
    1/2 cup crumbled feta if you have it on hand
    Much of this can be made ahead and then set aside to be assembled just before serving.

*Peel butternut squash and cut into 1 inch pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in baking dish till fork tender. Set aside.
In the meantime, wash kale well and strip greens off stalk.
Lightly chop, sprinkle lightly with salt and drizzle a tablespoon (at most) olive oil. Massage with your hands for 2 minutes, rubbing the oil into the leaves, transforming them into ‘tender’ leaves. Set aside.
Toast 1/2 cup walnuts. Set aside.

To assemble salad in salad bowl:
Start with chopped and massaged kale
Sprinkle roasted butternut squash over top
Sprinkle 1/2 cup dried berries over top
Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley over top
Sprinkle 1/2 cup cooked wheat berries over top
Drizzle apple cider vinaigrette over top, and serve.

*optional: arrange freshly sliced pears on the top for the perfect fall touch
*optional: add fresh pomegranate seeds over top
*optional: use hazelnuts or pecans instead of walnuts, or a combination of your choice
*optional: candy the nuts ahead of time for a pleasant crunchy surprise
*optional: use mixed greens instead of kale – switch it up depending on the season – tender greens like baby kale, spinach, baby lettuces and arugula.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard 
1/2 teaspoon your favourite salt
about same amount of freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil 

OR
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 cloves garlic minces
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon your favourite salt
about same amount freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

In small bowl whisk together everything but the olive oil till fully combined.
Slowly add olive oil while continuing to whisk till fully emulsified. This will make enough for today’s salad, and a little extra to store in the fridge for tomorrow’s salad.

Basil Tomato and Corn Salad with Wheat
1 cup cooked wheat
1 cup chopped green onion
2 cups corn toasted in 1 Tablespoon olive oil
(OR freeze dried toasted in olive oil and then refreshed with a little water)
2 cups cherry tomatoes quartered, or regular tomatoes diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup fresh basil chopped finely
Combine all ingredients together except cheese and basil. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss, then sprinkle cheese and basil on top before serving.

Lemon Dressing:
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
whisk together

TABOULI (Tabouleh) pronounced ta-boo-lee
Normally Tabouli is made with bulgur wheat (see below), but you can make it with whole wheat if you like too. Just make adjustments.

2. Soups and stews:

stir cooked wheat into the brothy soup during the last 20-30 minutes, or simmer dry wheat at the beginning of a long cooking soup.
Garnish your butternut squash soup with a sprinkling of cooked wheat on top.

3. Casseroles or in a rice pilaf, or on top of Buddha Bowls or Poke Bowls:

On a base of cooked brown rice or quinoa – with any number of fresh toppings of vegetables, fruits and protein artfully arranged on top and drizzled with a light dressing.

4. Breads:
Add a cup to your next batch of whole grain (or part whole grain) bread.
Add a cup to your next batch of carrot muffins, carrot cake, apple cake, banana loaf . . . etc

5. Whole WHEAT Pancakes using the blender:
you’ll be surprised and how light and tender this pancakes are.
3 cups milk
3 eggs
2 cups wheat (just wheat, dry and uncooked)
1/4 cup sugar (white or brown your choice)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 scant Tablespoon baking powder
Pour milk and eggs into blender. Blend on high, then remove small cap on top to slowly add wheat while still blending. Add sugar, oil and baking powder, continuing to blend till smooth. Test your batter with a spoon. There should be no grit left in it – totally smooth.
Spoon batter onto greased skillet and cook as you would any other pancake.
Serve with syrup or fresh apple sauce.

5. Baked Wheat Pudding
2 cups cooked wheat (or cooked cracked wheat)
I prefer whole wheat but it really doesn’t matter once they’re cooked
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup raisins
nutmeg and cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Beat eggs, add salt, sugar and vanilla. Stir well. Add milk and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add wheat and raisins and stir well. Pour into a well buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, then stir the pudding to keep the wheat from settling. Bake another 15 minutes and stir again. Bake another 30 minutes (to total approximately an hour) or until toothpick comes out clean.
Serve plain or with cream, yogurt or ice cream.

Cracked Wheat

Cracked Wheat Porridge or Multigrain Porridge
1/2 cup cracked wheat
2 cups water
dash of salt
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer slowly for 30+ minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. When tender to the bite, remove from heat and serve with milk and honey.

Beat eggs till frothy; add salt, honey, vanilla and milk. Beat well.
Add wheat and raisins and stir well to combine.
Pour into a well buttered casserole dish and sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
Cover with a lid or tin foil.
Bake at 325 F for about an hour. After 15 minutes, stir the mixture again as the wheat will mostly have sunk to the bottom. Return to heat and continue to bake until the pudding is no longer runny. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes to allow to brown on the top.
Insert a toothpick to test for done-ness as you would for a cake.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. We used to serve it warm with cream or ice cream.

Bulgur Wheat

Bulgur is the fast food in the health food world: whole wheat that is par boiled and then dried and cracked. Because it is pre cooked and then dried, it rehydrates quickly making it very convenient with a mild, nutty flavour and chewy texture. It is a staple in middle eastern cooking and the key ingredient in Taboulleh (Tabouli) Salad.

Not to be confused with cracked wheat, while bulgar is cracked, it is partially cooked first. Bulgar comes in fine, medium and coarse texture . This shortens the cooking time – in fact it doesn’t need cooking, just soak it in hot water to soften it. Coarse bulgar could take up to half an hour, while medium and fine could take 15+ minutes.

Tabouli Salad
1 cup Hot water
3/4 cup medium bulgur wheat
pour hot water over top bulgur wheat and set it aside rehydrate (about 1/2 hour).

When bulgur is tender and cooled, begin adding all the above and toss to combine:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1 medium tomato, diced
6 green onions, diced
1 medium pepper your choice of colour
1 cup (or more) washed and chopped fresh parsley
small handful of finely diced fresh mint
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
juice of 1 lemon, or 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil

Toss well and serve. Enjoy.

sprouting wheat

Super easy and very nutritious, sprouting is a great habit to get into, and great to do with kids. Use sprouted wheat (as with other grains and seeds) are great for salads, sandwiches and more.

Sprouted wheat is UNlike many seeds you may have sprouted in the past. Don’t expect it to look like bean sprouts or alfalfa sprouts – its in a league all of its own. Sprouted wheat is also sometimes referred to as ‘germinated wheat’.

Why sprout wheat? Because sprouting turns a grain into a ‘plant’ – for lack of a better term, a ‘vegetable’. Seeds contain enzymes; when they are sprouted they release their enzymes and the once dormant seed springs into life as a new ‘plant’. Enzyme inhibitors are a plant’s natural defense against degradation. When sprouting, grains are given the signal to neutralize these substances that can be hard on the human body. Vitamins increase, including Vitamin C. As the sprout begins taking energy from the endosperm, the changes that take place alter the carbohydrates, and it breaks down the gluten making it easier to digest for people who otherwise might have difficulty with wheat in general.

The tools are simple. There are a large variety of suitable sprouting containers, but to begin with, start with a simple wide mouth pint jar. When I sprout alfalfa or beans I use a quart jar, but you aren’t going to want that kind of quantity to begin with.
You’ll need some kind of a lid to strain water from. A net or cheese cloth with an elastic band, or a screen inside a jar ring, or a plastic strainer made for this purpose.

Day 1:
Put 1/2 cup whole wheat into a wide mouth pint jar and cover with plenty of water. Let it soak over night.

Day 2:
Strain after 8+ hours and give a gentle rinse. Strain again and set it aside. Repeat again at the end of the day. The point is to never let the seeds dry out while you’re sprouting or they’ll die.
By the end of day 2, you may already be seeing the beginning of little white sprouts on one end. Yay.

Repeat the rinsing and straining cycle twice every day. I set mine on the counter where it gets indirect sunlight.

Day 3:
repeat rinsing and straining cycle.
Day 4:
By the end of this day your sprouts should be ready to use, for all the same purposes as you’d use softened cooked wheat but with the added benefit that THESE kernels are not cooked and are loaded with additional vitamins including vitamin C. They are very sweet.

This will be good in the fridge for 4 or 5 days, but don’t store it, USE it.

Wheat Sprout Apple Muesli – 2 servings
1 cup wheat sprouts
2 tablespoons liquid honey or maple syrup
1 cup vanilla greek yogurt (or plain yogurt with another tablespoon of maple syrup)
1 fresh apple diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Mix all together and enjoy

Yes, you can dehydrate your sprouts and then grind them to make sprouted wheat bread. Make sure they’re VERY dry.
It’s tempting to get all excited and try everything all at once. For now, my recommendation is to take a chill pill and start gradually trying things out before you go all crazy (like I did). If you’re going to make this a way of life, its gotta be sustainable. Slow and steady wins the race.

adding back the bran

Bran Muffins
in separate bowl, cover 2 cups bran in with 3 cups buttermilk or whey.
Stir to moisten all and set aside.
In large bowl sift together:
3 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt

in smaller bowl, cream together:
1 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup molasses.
Add 3 eggs and mix well between eggs.
Pour sugar/egg mixture into dry ingredients and add moistened bran.
Stir only to moisten.
Pour into prepared muffin tins.
– Bake 400 F for about 20 minutes. When done, remove from heat and let sit in tin to cool slightly before removing.

I hope you’ll give some of these recipes a try, and I hope you’ll start being creative in finding new ways to incorporate wheat into your every day life.

Let me know how it goes.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

  1. Those with gluten sensitivities may have to eliminate wheat from their diets, and those with celiac disease must avoid all gluten in any form. ↩︎
  2. World-Grain.com https://www.world-grain.com/media/photos/154-world-s-top-wheat-producing-countries ↩︎
  3. The Book of Whole Grains by Marlene Anne Bumgarner (pg 13) ↩︎
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Apples the way they should be

When I was a little girl my mother bought apples by the case this time of year. Usually Macintosh if I remember correctly. They were FRESH, crisp and wonderful, and we stored them in our cold room in the basement.

We loved eating them and could have one whenever we wanted during those weeks. I equate fresh crispy apples with fall school days.

My mom would put some in a bowl on the table and I took it upon myself to shine them so they looked nice enough for a table centrepiece. I took great pride in this task, and it was a continual job as the apples got used up quickly. They needed shining because they came to us looking like the apples in this picture. Once I shined them up with a clean damp cloth, they looked like the apples in the picture below – which incidentally, I just shone to go on the table before writing this.

Can you see the three lady bugs that came inside with them? They thought they found a safe hiding place for winter, but ….. sorry ladies, out you go, find another one. Did you know lady bugs can live three years?
I love lady bugs.

By the time I was married, apples came from the store already shiny and I puzzled over my childhood memory of shining them. I missed the ritual, and wondered why my mom would have had me shine apples when apparently they were already shiny. (?)

Years later I learned that the apples we buy in the grocery store are ‘waxed’1 to have that shine. I didn’t know with what, but there was no option. They’re all like that after the initial harvest.

I began washing my purchased apples to ‘remove’ the shine 🙄. Ironic eh?

But today. Today we brought in our very own beautiful honey crisp apples. They’re in the fridge now, but some inner voice compelled me to shine up a few for the table.

That’s when it happened. My flash back. THIS! Déjà vu. This I have done before. …. Just exactly like this! With a clean cloth. And just like those in my childhood memory, these apples shone up quickly. Almost like magic. And beautifully.

THIS IS WHAT APPLES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!

Beautiful. Organic. Right outta your own backyard, or outta your community garden, or your nice neighbour’s yard. With a natural matt finish that shines up with the touch of a slightly damp cloth, till you can see the light reflecting in them. Apples in the fall are one of life’s great pleasures.

I hope you get some FRESH apples this fall, and I hope you have to shine them up. I’d love to hear your apple stories.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Footnotes:

  1. In an effort to make ‘fresh’ apples available to consumers all year round, it is necessary to treat them. “Waxing these foods seals them, protects them from pests and diseases, and prevents them from drying out, thus maintaining freshness.” (*my note: Interesting use of the word “freshness”) https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/information-product/fact-sheet-use-morpholine-apple-coatings.html
    I rest my case with regards to my opinion of eating IN the Season. Is it really necessary for us to eat ‘fresh’ apples 12 months of the year? ↩︎
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will the real Borsch or Borscht please stand up?

In preparing to write this article – and at the same time, preparing to teach a workshop in our community garden – on Homemade Borscht, I asked a lotta friends to tell me about their Borsch. Every lover of borsch has “their” variation. There are so many different variations that its hard to know what someone else is talking about when they use the word, and how they can all be called the same name! Some people insist on a brothy soup, some people prefer a thicker version. Some use meat broth, some feel that an authentic borsch must be meatless. Some use a cream at the end to cut the acid. Some do not.

Food is part of culture and identity – whether it be in a family, a community, a region, a religious group, or an entire country. Food can be shared and can unite people in the sharing. While there may be regional differences, people from all over eastern Europe are familiar with “Borsch” or “Borscht”. Ukrainian, Polish, German, Romanian, Croatian, Georgian, Russian and others all have their ‘authentic’ versions, but the general consensus is that the dish originated in Ukraine.

People move, and food travels with them. Food moves more easily as long as it moves horizontally (east-west) where climates remain similar. Food is an important part of tradition and memories, and being able to keep favourite dishes a part of one’s life is valuable in adjusting to the many changes that come with a new life in a new country. One cannot over estimate the importance of the food people have been raised with, and families can be quite rigid about not messing with ‘gramma’s recipe’.

In the last part of the 19th century a general exodus from Eastern Europe into western Europe, Australia and North American began in earnest for those seeking a better life. Dan’s family came from Germany, some spending a generation in Poland before coming to Canada. My ancestors came from Denmark, Sweden, England, Wales, Scotland and France. It is always difficult to move to another part of the world, but the travails of immigrants in those days were intense, including breaking land and homesteading. There was much hardship. Both Dan and I feel a deep debt of gratitude for their sacrifices – which made it possible for us to be born here, in this land of plenty and relative safety. And yes, there are still a residue of favourite family dishes among them which have lasted long enough to be part of our family’s heritage.

Let’s get the spelling out of the way first. Borsch or Borscht? The ‘T’ comes from the Yiddish transliteration into English since it seems that the dish was introduced to the west by Jewish refugees fleeing Eastern Europe. So both spellings are equally correct, and no wonder there are so many recipe versions of it. Jewish refugees to the US. Ukrainian refugees to western Canada. Polish, German and Russian refugees throughout the western world. They had one thing in common – the food they all grew in their home countries: root crops, cabbage and dill. These vegetables grew equally well in North American soil and climate (especially in the northern parts) so it was natural that the dish would be reproduced here. Every part of it was something the average farm in the northern hemisphere could produce at home. The ingredients were cheap, plentiful and dependable. The soup was hearty, nutritious and satisfying. How could it lose?

Does Borsch had to be red?
In a word – ‘no’. I’ve seen ‘green borsch’, but that’s blasphemous so I’m not gonna talk about that other than to say it is generally a spinach soup – so where it gets off referring to itself as ‘borsch’ is a mystery. Borst IS red. In my mind, beets make borsch RED. If you don’t like beets, don’t make borsch. If you make borsch without beets, you made soup. Might be a good soup, but find a new name, because “borsch” is red. There. Glad we got that settled.

So what is IN borsch?
Keep in mind that traditionally borsch is a peasant soup. A good ol’ downhome, country folk hearty beet soup. So that means it had the foods that were easy to come by.
Potatoes. Onions and garlic. Carrots. Cabbage. Maybe celery for some. Maybe kale for some. In later years, as it traveled west – peppers and tomatoes; a hundred years ago, tomatoes were not so plentiful in north eastern Europe among farm folk. BEETS. Vinegar. Dill. Sometimes meat, sometimes not – depending on availability. Sometimes sour cream.

So how do you find out which type of borsch you prefer?
Well, there are no shortcuts. You have to try a few to narrow it down.
Personally, I like a borsch with lots in it. I’m okay with a more brothy base, but I rarely make it that way, because Dan prefers a thicker soup. So I make my brothy soup, then when its nearly ready, I take about 1/4 of it and puree it in the blender. Adding the pureed portion back to the pot makes it thicker and more substantial, and my family prefers it that way.
You do you. Make it a few different ways – but keep the basics in place.

What are the basics?
BEETS. Added near the end to keep the colour beautiful.
Onions and garlic.
Other root vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Don’t hesitate to add parsnips if you have them.
Cabbage. Of course.
Some sort of acid – lemon juice of vinegar. In the spirit of authenticity I do not use lemon juice because I am pretty sure no Ukrainian Baba had lemons in her kitchen. The acid is said to keep the red vibrant, and who am I to question wisdom of the ages? Maybe it does, but I like the flavour enhancement anyway. Its not the same without it.
Broth. The kind is completely up to you. Beef broth, chicken broth, vegetable broth, water. Whatever you have on hand. I generally use chicken broth or chicken bouillon – simply because it’s light and flavourful.
Tomatoes or tomato paste. A relatively ‘new’ (but welcome) addition as Ukrainians wouldn’t have had access to tomatoes on the prairies a hundred years ago.
Dill. Other than the onions and garlic, dill is the primary seasoning. Don’t add it too soon though because its a delicate flavour and you might lose some of it’s beauty.

How to make it

1. precook your beets
There are many ways to precook your beets, but the easiest is to clean them then place in a covered roasting pan or wrap them in tin foil, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about an hour. Test for tenderness every 15 minutes after 45 minutes. The timing is going to completely depend on how big your beets are – could be an hour, could be more. When you can insert a fork easily, they’re done. Remove from heat and when slightly cooled, peel.

2. Chop your onions and garlic and sauté in oil of your choice over medium heat till translucent. Stir frequently to prevent scorching, while dicing fresh potatoes.
*hint: yes, you can add your onions and garlic to the broth mix at the same time as everything else. I prefer to saute mine first as I think it adds to the flavour and I like a more caramelized texture, also it glazes the pot – adding a roasted taste.

IF, you’re going to add meat, either precook it or add it to your onions at this point to brown.

3. Add potatoes to pot and sauté with the onions for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper at this point. Add broth or water, stir well and bring to a boil while you’re chopping cabbage and carrots.

4. Add chopped or sliced cabbage – it seems people have strong opinions on which is best. You do you. (Personally I prefer chunks to slices in a soup.) Stir and add carrots. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer till all is tender. At this point, add additional Iate-summer vegetables as desired: parsnips or kale perhaps.

5. Add vinegar. Start with 1/2 cup, then add more later if you want. Easier to put more in than it is to remove so start with less and adjust as desired. You can use plain white vinegar. I like to use a flavoured vinegar, perhaps a basil or chive blossom vinegar.

6. Continue to add broth as needed to keep the soup gently simmering. Add tomatoes if desired. Adding tomatoes, tomato paste or tomato powder adds that familiar light acidy taste of tomatoes while improving the texture and colour. I never buy tomato paste – preferring tomato powder so that I have more control on how much I want to use with no waste. In this case however, I generally have a lot of fresh tomatoes in the late summer early fall – so I’ll choose my ripest tomatoes. Continue to cook until tomatoes are fully incorporated and lost their shapes.

7. When your vegetables are tender, add your peeled and chopped cooked beets. Stir well to incorporate colour and let sit for a few minutes. You could be done at this point, ready to add your dill and serve up a nice brothy soup. Or you could take one more step to thicken your soup as I do.

8. Ladle out two cups of soup into a blender, and puree. Pour back into your pot and stir well. If desired, ladle out two more cups and do the same thing, stirring back into the soup. This step is completely subjective. You’re looking for a texture, colour and consistency that you prefer. Remove from heat.

9. Add fresh, chopped dill weed (the green part) and stir well to incorporate. Lots of dill. What does that mean? How do I know? How much do you like dill? Maybe a cup? Maybe more or less. I add at least a cup, but easier to add more later than remove, so start slowly and taste along the way. .
Adjust salt and pepper as desired and remove from heat.
At this point you can add some sour cream to the pot, or save that for individuals to add to their own bowls.

10. I always save the sour cream to be added to individual bowls at the table with additional fresh dill, because I like sour cream and Dan prefers without.

So much of what your borsch is going to look like will depend on individual tastes. There’s no point in making it a specific way if your family prefers something different.
For instance, I know people who add caraway seed to their soup at the simmering stage. Caraway is the one spice that I do not like, so that’s never been a consideration of mine. But its worth trying different things from time to time – you never know how it might add to your over all dish.

Serve with fresh bread or buns. Some nice fresh sourdough served alongside is amazing. Or some nice dark rye bread.

I’ll provide a sample recipe with suggested amounts below for beginners to have some ideas of where to start.

Borsch is a meal in itself, especially served with bread. But serving it alongside a plate of perogies, cabbage rolls and kubasa would be the perfect winter meal.

recipe for 6-8 servings
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 large potato diced
3-4 cups chopped fresh cabbage
6 cups broth or water
salt and pepper to taste
4 carrots peeled and chopped into nice big pieces
nice big handful of fresh kale chopped
1/2 cup – 1 cup chopped fresh dill (reserve some to use at the table)
fresh sour cream
for directions, refer to numbered instructions above

Pour remaining soup into jars to refrigerate or to give away.
That’s a wonderful thing about soup, its a great gift for someone who could use a meal tonight, or its easy for them to pull out of the fridge tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Cindy


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Preserving Your Excess: Home Canning 101

(the basics to know)

Home Canning (and by that we really mean home ‘bottling‘) is the easiest, most reliable and economical way to preserve food at home. It can be done in your own kitchen, doesn’t require a whole lot of pricey equipment, and has a reasonably long shelf life – up to two years. Yes, I know you know someone who’s had their home canned food for eight years (we all do), and that supposedly “it’s still good”. To that I repeat: “the shelf life is UP to two years“. My suggestion is strongly not to push it too much past then.

Fact:
Food is Food. You cannot prevent it from spoiling, you can only slow it down. Canning it will preserve it, but not forever.

Don’t expect home canned food to be what it cannot be, and everything will work out fine. It’s reality is that the nutritional value of canned foods (commercially or home canned) is about 40% of what it was when it went into the canner. I admit I was super disappointed when I learned that fact, mostly because I raised my children on home canned food, especially fruit, and I thought I was doing the best thing I could for them. In reality, I really was doing the best I could for them, but when one gives it some thought, those peaches are in boiling water for 40+ minutes. What did we expect?
After the recommended shelf life of two years, we can expect that the food will lose more of its nutritional value, which is why I highly advocate not trying to keep it past that suggested time. Having said that, if something gets away from you and you’re into the third year, don’t sweat it – just use the food.

As with any type of food storage, the bottom line is to STORE WHAT YOU EAT, and EAT WHAT YOU STORE. If you do that, you’re gonna be okay, if you do not – you will end up wasting a lotta money. Canning isn’t magic. It cannot make something perishable last indefinitely.

So what’s the point? And why should I can?

Because it’s a good way of extending the valuable useable time of perishable food, preserving good and nutritious food today, to use tomorrow. Instead of preparing for immediate consumption, you are preparing food that you can store for months! Make no mistake, canning IS cooking, but it allows us to capture the best flavour at the peak of season—to enjoy all-year long! Garden Roasted Tomato Sauce, Homemade Garden Salsa, a bowl of peaches, rhubarb to go on your morning oatmeal, raspberry jam – all in the middle of winter! THESE are why we can!

Back when my kids were young we canned a LOT of fruit. When the price was good we’d buy a 100+ pounds of peaches (our favourite) and pears, maybe 50 pounds of cherries, apricots or plums. I’d can half of the plums and dehydrate the rest. Though I did the bulk of the work during the day it was a big job, so it had to be a family affair. Dan always pitched in when he was home and we required the kids to help out. And yes, I got backlash from time to time (especially from one of our boys who shall remain unnamed at this point), but I flat out insisted that everybody help. We all enjoyed the end result of having peaches with breakfast in February, so it only made sense that we all pitch in to make that a possibility. At some point, when this one un-named boy was a teenager, he put his foot down and refused to be involved in the project anymore. HE was not peeling peaches (or pears or whatever it was). He disliked the work and he’d had enough; it was too much work for him. He was too big to argue with so I told him that was fine, but as with anything there are always consequences, and the consequence to this choice would be that he’d be giving up enjoying the “fruits of our labour”. He couldn’t expect to eat peaches that someone else did all the work to put on the table. I reminded him about how much he enjoyed eating peaches in the winter. I also reminded him that the likelihood of me forgetting in February that he didn’t help in the summer was next to zero. He may have thought about it for all of thirty seconds, and in the end he trusted me, and put on an apron. I’m not gonna pretend he was happy about the job after that, but we never had that same conversation again.

My daughter on the other hand, looked forward to “canning season”. It was just as much work for her, but there was something about her that made that work enjoyable in its own way. My other boys were fine to pitch in and participate, it was after all – the means to the end we all wanted: fruit in the winter. Many memories were made in a hot and sticky kitchen on those long summer days. One summer I went away for a week with a friend. Sarah was 14 years old, and diligently went through the grocery store sales flyers in my absence. At one point she saw that peaches were a ‘good’ price and she believed they would likely not still be that price when I came home. With urgency, she told her dad that he must pick up several boxes of peaches on his way home from work the next day – which of course he did. While I drove home from New Brunswick with Peggy, Sarah and Dan canned those peaches from beginning to the end. I was amazed when I got home, and kinda still am as I look back on it. I was very proud of her, and I wish that I had expressed that better than I did. I was proud not only that she felt it her ‘motherly’ duty to can peaches in my absence, but also that she took it upon herself to judge when the price was right, make the decision to buy, judge when they were ripe enough to bottle, and then take charge of actually getting it done. Dan wisely let her do all that, and then in typical Dan style, he put on an apron and began peeling peaches.

the method

The method is to use high temperatures to kill microorganisms and inactivating enzymes that would cause food to spoil. The heating process pushes air from the jars, creating a vacuum seal as they cool. Without oxygen the bacteria, yeasts, and mould will not grow and the food will last a lot longer.

There are two methods: hot water canning, and pressure canning. They are NOT interchangeable. This article deals with HOT WATER canning. How do you know which method is used for which type of food? It’s pretty straight forward: high acid foods require the hot water method – the easiest. What are high acid foods? Most types of fruit and berries. Some suggestions to consider:
Apples: apple juice, apple jelly, apple butter, apple sauce, apple pieces, crab apples …
Apricots, apricot jam, Berries whole, berry jam, berry syrup,
Cherries whole, cherry jam, cherry syrup, cherry juice,
Cranberries whole, cranberry sauce, cranberry jelly, cranberry juice,
Grapes, grape juice, grape jelly, Grapefruit and Orange sections, Citrus marmalade,
Mixed fruit combinations (cocktail), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Rhubarb

adding acid in the form or lemon juice or vinegar

To most fruits I add a Tablespoon of lemon juice to a pint (500 ml), and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to a quart (or litre), just as an added precaution. I don’t bother with rhubarb because that is acidic enough.

Tomatoes (yes tomato is a fruit): cold pack whole or cut up, tomato sauce. Less ripe tomatoes are more acidic. Very ripe tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic. (Can them before they’re very ripe and soft.) I add 2-4 T vinegar to my tomatoes, depending on how ripe they are. Sometimes I use flavoured vinegar like basil vinegar – just for an added flavour that we like. Your choice.

Low acid foods require the higher temperatures that only using a pressure canner can provide. They include ALL vegetables and proteins.

Hot water canning involves boiling your fruit in glass jars in a big pot of water. There are pots specifically designed for this- called water bath canners – that consist of a large DEEP pot, a rack insert, and a lid. When purchasing, ensure that you have room for a quart jar to have at least two inches of water covering and plenty of room for water to boil. For small batch canning, I often just use my pasta pot because it checks all the boxes and its in my kitchen cupboard already so its handy. It is good for all my smaller jars: my pints, half pints and smaller that I may be using for jams or syrups.

If I am canning quart jars I use a bigger stock pot that I keep up high on my pantry shelf, so not easy to retrieve but not terribly inconvenient either. I can process up to seven quarts in this pot so its perfect! The important thing to remember when repurposing non-canning-specific pots is to put something on the bottom to prevent your jars from being directly on the bottom of your pot. A rack that will fit your pot will help keep the bottles from ‘jumping’ around when the water is fast boiling, preventing unnecessary trauma and possible breakage. If you have a rack that fits then go ahead and use it (I picked up a few different sizes from a thrift store years ago). Otherwise, use a folded dish towel in the bottom of your pot. You’re mostly trying to protect the bottles from banging around during boiling.

Boiling water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient for high acid foods like most fruits, pickles, tomatoes, sauerkraut, relishes, salsas, and all sorts of jams. It is the acidity of these foods helps preserve them safely without the need of higher temperatures and pressure.

Supplies

  1. Canning jars: not to be confused with single use jars. These are jars intended to be used at extremely high temperatures. Use ONLY clean jars without cracks or nicks in them.
  2. Lids and rings (screw bands): those that are made for the particular jars you’re using. Do NOT reuse them. They are single use only.
  3. Water bath canner: for water-bath canning, it isn’t necessary to purchase a special canner as long as you have a pot that has a fitted lid and is large enough to fully immerse the jars in water by 2 inches—and that will allow the water to boil when covered. You’ll also need a rack that fits inside the pot or canner.
  4. Jar lifter: very important, this tool is relatively inexpensive but indispensable. It is essentially large tongs to assist you in putting jars into HOT water, and in removing them again out of boiling water.
  5. Wide mouth Funnel: sure makes it easier to fill your jars without spilling and making a mess. You can buy plastic or stainless steal. I have both, but I prefer my stainless steal one. I use it for much more than camping – almost daily, for lots of applications.
  6. Utensils: large spoon or ladle to fill jars, and a simple table knife to remove air bubbles.
  7. Clean dish cloth to wipe jar rims, and clean dish towels upon which to place you processed jars.

10 Tips to Review Before you Start

  1. Always use the FRESHEST produce possible – in peak condition. Overripe fruits are lower in acid and are already in a state of decomposing. It is important to know that produce begins to deteriorate IN THE HOUR it’s harvested, so fresh means AS IMMEDIATE AFTER HARVEST as you can get it.
  2. Gather all your ingredients and equipment beforehand, so that they’re at your finger tips. It is so frustrating to realize at the point of no return, that you don’t have that extra bag of sugar or additional lids you thought you had.
  3. It is critical to pay attention to “CLEAN” throughout every part of the process.
    Freshly CLEAN your jars in HOT soapy water – rinsed with hot water and set aside with a clean cloth cover. Sterilizing jars is good, but current advice is that if the food is going to be processed in a boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes, sterilizing is not necessary. CLEAN however is not negotiable; pay attention to it. If you have a dishwasher – running your clean jars through a cycle should get the job done. In years gone by, I always had my CLEAN jars in a hot oven till I used them, but I hardly ever take the time to do that anymore.
  4. Use REAL canning jars, screw bands, and lids – intended for canning.
    Jars: Many jars that we may recycle are intended only as ‘single-use’ jars. They were not made to go in high temperatures and are liable to break. They also do not fit regular canning lids which are critical. Those single-use jars may be suitable for dry storage, but they are NOT suitable for canning.
    Lids: Use only NEW lids, not previously used. New lids have a rubber inner ring intended to seal during the process. They do not need to be heated to activate the sealing compound before placing on the jar top, but I usually heat them anyway – by placing them either in a pan of water that I bring to a boil, or by dipping them into the boiling hot water bath with a lid holder that I have for that purpose. This is just one further way of ensuring they’re CLEAN.

5. “Head Space” is the air space from the top of the contents of the to the top of the jar; it is important to ensure the jar seals properly. Head space and can vary depending on the food (usually between 1/4 inch to 1 inch but on average – 1/2 inch). During the boiling process, contents of your jars expand, and if the head space is too little for the contents (bigger contents like peaches, pears or tomatoes for example) the contents may expand into headspace and jeopardize the clean seal of the lid. Insufficient head space may even cause the contents to boil over and escape the lid, causing a big mess in your canner and again, jeopardizing the seal.
You could leave up to an inch to prevent those contents from expanding into the headspace. It is important to remember that even liquid expands when it boils.

So what about too much headspace?
If too much headspace is left, the food on the top may discolour in time. That in itself isn’t a terrible thing, but in the case of too much air, processing time may be inadequate to push out all the oxygen within the jar, again preventing a good vacuum and therefore a proper seal.
Having said that, I’ve had times when the syrup in my fruit boiled over (having not left sufficient head space) and yet the jar sealed. I’ve had times that everything seemed perfect and yet the stupid jar didn’t seal. I’ve had time that I left too much head space and the jar sealed and times that I had too much when it didn’t seal. The bottom line is that we’re looking for optimum protection from potential spoilage through aerobic bacteria (an organism that can survive and grow in an ‘oxygenated’ environment) so we want to do our best to follow proper canning procedures.
In principle, following the procedures closely will leave us with no oxygen in the jar. We’ll know we accomplished this when the jar seals.

6. It is VERY important is to wipe the jar rim and threads clean before putting on the lid and screw band. Having any fruit or syrup residue along the top will prevent a good seal with the lid. When putting on the ring / screw band – don’t tighten more than finger tight. It’s job is not to seal the jar, it is to keep the lid in place while the jar is processed and during the cooling process when the vacuum is complete. After 24 hours the ring can be removed to reuse on other jars.

7. Using the jar lifter, place each jar on the rack in the boiling water. I always put the jars in at a slight diagonal to prevent a possible air bubble creating in the slight dome on the jar bottom. Make sure that the jars are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Cover the pot with lid and bring the pot to the boil. Start counting processing time once the water has returning to a boil. I usually turn the heat down a bit to keep it at a steady rolling boil but not a furious boil. Allowing the water to hard boil at high heat the whole time, may cause some water loss. If that happens simply top it up with small amounts of new water making sure you don’t pour directly onto the jars.

8. When processing time is done, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid venting the steam away from yourself. Remove each jar with the jar lifter and place upright on a nice thick clean tea towel to cool. Keep a space between them of 1 to 2 inches. Let jars cool 12-24 hours.
Do NOT make the mistake of tightening the rings as soon as you remove your jars from the canner. It’s typical that the rings may loosen a bit during processing – that’s okay. Adjusting them while the jars are hot may disturb the seal and interfere with successful sealing. Overcome that rookie temptation.

9. How do you know a jar has sealed?
Another rookie temptation I’ve seen people give into is pushing the centre of the lid when the jar is still hot. Their intention is to “finish the seal”, but that is not what happens. The natural ‘ping’ of the jar sealing on its own is indication that it’s sealed. By interfering you don’t have that indication and you will not know if it has properly sealed.
It is important to test each jar to ensure it’s sealed properly before putting it away. Wait until the jars have cooled at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours before you test the seals. You may notice that the level of the contents is lower. Relax. It’s okay and it is what it is.

A vacuum is created during the sealing process, by drawing the oxygen out of the jar – pulling the lid down, forming a shallow depression in the centre of it. So what you’re looking for is a concaved lid.
* Gently press the centre of the lid with your finger. If it is properly sealed there will be no give, Great. If the lid springs down and up when you press and release your finger, there is no seal, Shucks! Don’t despair. It happens sometimes, especially in the beginning when you’re learning. Put that jar in the fridge and eat the contents in the next few days.

In general, your canned foods should last all year long, as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place. When you open your jar, you should have considerable resistance and need a spoon or table knife to loosen it. It should POP audibly when the seal is broken. If it opens too easily – like with your hand, the lid is NOT sealed and that’s a sure sign that air has gotten in. Not good. Do not keep it. Dispose of immediately.

What signs am I looking for down the road, that a seal has been jeopardized?
*a broken seal (the lid is no longer concave) – this is likely because it wasn’t a good seal to begin with;
*a bulging lid (in home canned or commercially canned food) is a sign of spoilage;
*a lid (not the outside ring) that is corroded or rusty is a sign of spoilage;
*when you open your jars or cans and see mould or bubbles or cloudiness, its a sign of spoilage.
In all these cases – dispose of the contents immediately.

10. One sign that your jars have sealed properly is the gentle “popping” or “pinging” sound” you hear as the jars cool. The wonderful sound of jars ‘pinging’ is music to the ears of anyone who home cans. It tells you “Job Well Done!” Now all you have to do is wipe up the mess and wait for the next round.
Jars that don’t seal can NOT be stored. Put them in the fridge and use within a few days.

It might sound at this point, that its all problems but in actual fact MOST jars seal, so relax – you’re doing the right thing. Home canning is still a good way to preserve food. Because you canned, you can enjoy the taste of summer fruits (and vegetables if you pressure can) in the middle of winter, and you can also customize recipes to suit your family’s taste preferences and dietary needs.

The biggest concern of any canning is botulism poisoning. Botulism is an illness caused by the botulinum toxin. Back in my grandmothers’ days, botulism was a real thing and something most people knew to be fearful of, but not always how to avoid it. Even today I hear people say things like “My grandmother canned all her vegetables in a hot water canner and they never had a problem.” That makes my blood run chill. I am ashamed to say I was one who blatantly (and I might add – foolishly) disregarded my father’s warning about botulism and canning vegetables without a pressure canner. I didn’t take it seriously in those days and I’m sure I caused some him some unnecessary stress by my flippant attitude. It’s a dangerous game to play. People die from stupid attitudes like that. My father’s sister died of typhoid fever when she was just 15 years old. It was scary and people didn’t always know how to avoid it. I expect that might have had something to do with him being especially vigilant about foodbourne or waterbourne illnesses. I’m glad I smartened up, but I do regret the worry I caused him.

In actual fact, the bacteria that causes botulism occurs naturally in soil and normally doesn’t cause a threat to people. However, they are a very hardy type of bacteria and thrive in LOW-ACID, low-oxygen environments, like those we create when we can foods. When food is canned improperly, the bacteria grows and produces their deadly toxin botulin, making the food unfit for consumption of humans or animals alike. 65% of botulism outbreaks have been traced to home-processed foods.

It is critical that the environment inside the bottled or canned goods be INhospitable to the bacteria by canning only high ACID foods at normal water boiling temperatures of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celcius. Low acid foods must be processed at 240 degrees F which can only be accomplished using pressure. For this reason, I habitually add a tablespoon of vinegar to my tomatoes and a tablespoon of lemon juice to all my fruit as an additional acid precaution (in honour of my dad).

I no longer can in the same quantity I used to. For one, I don’t have five growing kids living in my house anymore. I no longer buy fruit for the purpose of canning. I preserve the EXCESS of what I produce myself, and sometimes produce that is given to me – produce that we have more of than we can enjoy FRESH. The “excess” of that produce.

Another reason I don’t can in the same quantity anymore is that there is no such thing as ‘a good price’ for the fruit I used to can so much of. This makes it necessary to be more creative in what and how I preserve, and more ready to take opportunities when they come our way. It makes it more important for me to have a home garden and to make friends with the fruits and vegetables that want to grow in my part of the world. It makes it all the more important for me to find good nutritious food in times of plenty and to learn to preserve the excess of it for times of less.

And yet another reason I don’t can in the same quantity that I used to, is that about 12 years ago I discovered freeze dried food which has an extended shelf life and higher nutritional value. Not everything is suitable to be freeze dried, just as not everything is suitable for canning, drying or freezing. I love that I have the flexibility to take advantage of all preserving options. Click HERE to see other methods of preserving, and the freeze dried food I prefer.

In many ways it was easier back then, when I could count on finding peaches for a good price every July or August. All told, thousands of man-hours were spent in my kitchen by those who would eat later as well as today. I am glad I took those opportunities to learn the skill. I am glad for all that practice. I believe it is an important skill to have.

So go ahead, can the apples that you grow, cherries or plums. Find some recipes for jams that sound good to you, or that friends share with you. I’ll share some of my favourite jam recipes in another post. Find some recipes for sauces and salsa – I’ll share my favourites in another post. One of the fruits I can the most is tomatoes (and yes – tomato is a fruit). I fresh-can them and I roast them in the oven to can for sauces later. I have also begun canning rhubarb – never thought I’d see the day, but we love it in the winter this way.

I hope you’ll tell me about your experiences, including your successes and failures. Failure is just another lesson learned about how not to do it again. I’ve had lots of those – you likely will too.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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Fajita Burrito Bowl

Loaded with bright, fresher-than-fresh ingredients, a burrito bowl is a fresh, healthy, customizable meal that the whole family can enjoy. It contains a few basics pantry staples like rice, beans, chicken (or beef), salsa, and shredded cheese . . . and then you add the extras: peppers of your choice, tomatoes, corn (not to be missed in my opinion) and dressing (either lime or salsa). Burrito Bowls are essentially a wrap without the tortilla, but you do you. Wrap the fixings in a tortilla, or serve them on top of cooked white rice or your choice, brown rice or quinoa. Use chicken, pork or beef, or skip the meat all together if that’s you – your choice again. Switch it up next time – to give you a completely new dish.

True confession: I have a hard time writing down a recipe because it varies so much almost every single time I make it. So much depends on what I happen to have on hand at any given time. I love having freeze dried food because I can count on it to ALWAYS be there.
I do often jot down the ingredients for a recipe so that I don’t have to rely on memory every time, but the amounts I rarely write down. This recipe is my best attempt to include the necessities while encouraging you to use what you have on hand. I will highlight the freeze dried ingredients in RED for your convenience.

I used instant black beans, freeze dried ground beef, cheddar, onions, corn and peppers in this picture. I didn’t have any fresh tomatoes on hand, so I used tomato powder instead. In the summer I for sure would have used a fresh tomato.

It is helpful to me to prepare everything ahead of time – I use mostly freeze dried, so they’re already prepped. Usually it simply a matter of assembling them to make it easier. I used black beans in this picture, but don’t go out and buy black beans if you don’t have them today. Use what you have: red, kidney, pinto, pink . . . .

The amounts in this recipe will serve 4 adults.
ingredients:
2 T oil of choice
garlic minced
beans
meat of choice (or no meat)
vegetables: peppers, onions, corn, tomato
seasonings Taco seasoning 1
water
served over rice 2
dressing 3

Prepare ahead and assemble ready to go:
1 cup raw black beans – bring to a boil in 4 cups water the night before. Boil for 5 minutes, then cover and set aside over night. Drain in the morning, top off again with 4 cups of clear water then bring them back to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 3 hours till beans are tender. Old beans will take a little longer to cook.
OR use canned black beans.
OR refresh 1 cup INSTANT BLACK BEANS*. If you use hot water, you can expect them to refresh in about 20 minutes. If you use cold water it will take 30+ minutes.

Shred or chop cooked chicken to yield approximately 1 +1/2 cups.
OR use the same amount of cooked ground beef
OR refresh 1 cup FREEZE DRIED DICED CHICKEN
OR refresh 1 cups FREEZE DRIED GROUND BEEF*

Cook your favourite rice. Set aside.
OR cook rice, then use it to make Cilantro Lime Rice (see recipe below)
OR cook quinoa

slice 1/2 fresh green pepper, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 onion (red or white)
OR use 1/2 cup FREEZE DRIED Red and 1/2 cup FREEZE DRIED Green Peppers, 1/3 cup FREEZE DRIED SLICED ONIONS (don’t refresh any vegetables first)

dice 1 large fresh tomatoes
OR use 1 cup FREEZE DRIED Chopped Tomatoes
OR use 2 Tablespoons Tomato Powder (dehydrated tomatoes powdered) added with the seasoning.

chop up a handful of fresh chili peppers or jalapenos
OR use 1/3 cup FREEZE DRIED CHILI PEPPERS

measure out 1 cup grilled whole kernel corn (fresh from the cob) set aside (use more if you love grilled corn)
OR use 1 cup frozen corn
OR use 1 cup FREEZE DRIED SWEET CORN (use more if you love corn)
optional but nice: toast your dry corn in medium hot skillet with a tablespoon or two of olive oil till it has a beautiful grilled look and smell

Shred
1+1/2 cup cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese
OR refresh 1 cup FREEZE DRIED SHREDDED CHEDDAR or PEPPER JACK CHEESE

Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
OR your own Taco Seasoning (see below)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in medium hot skillet, and lightly toast minced garlic and corn for one or two minutes or till it gives off a nice aroma, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
2. Add freeze dried onions, peppers and tomato. Continue to toast for another minute.
If you are using fresh vegetables, then take the time to saute over high heat while stirring constantly.
3. Add 2 cups water and continue to stir.
4. Add prepared meat and prepared beans. Continue to stir.
5. Add seasoning with tomato powder if you’ll be using it.
6. Turn heat off, add most water if needed. Add chopped tomato and stir in.
7. Add shredded cheese and stir to thoroughly combine.

Serve approx. 1 cup fajita mixture over top 1 cup rice, and top with dressing of your choice.

optional but nice: 2 cups freshly guacamole
optional but nice: 3 cups chopped fresh lettuce – make it a salad
optional but nice: a bunch of fresh cilantro lightly chopped and added on top at serving
optional but nice: sour cream to serve on the side
optional but nice: lime wedges for serving to squeeze additional lime flavour

Pico de Gallo OR Salsa OR Lime Dressing (recipe below)

This is such a quick and easy dinner to make, especially when using freeze dried ingredients. Who says dinner needs to take an hour to prepare? Please try it – I’d love to hear your comments.

Enjoy!
warmly,
Cindy Suelzle

Footnotes:

  1. Homemade Taco Seasoning
    4 T Chili Powder
    3 T Cumin Powder
    1 T Smoked Paprika
    2 teaspoons EACH salt, garlic powder, onion powder
    1 teaspoon black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    – this combination will give you approx. 3/4 cup seasoning. I usually use it 1 T at a time. Don’t be afraid to try new combinations of your own. ↩︎
  2. Cilantro Lime Rice
    3 cups cooked rice of your choice
    1 T olive oil, 1 clove garlic minced, 5 green onions chopped, juice of 2 limes, zest of 2 limes,
    1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
    pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Salt and pepper to taste if desired.
    Toss everything together and serve. ↩︎
  3. CILANTRO LIME DRESSING
    1 cup fresh cilantro lightly chopped
    1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
    1 clove garlic minced
    1 T apple cider vinegar
    1/4 cup olive oil
    1/3 cup mayo
    1/4 t salt
    1 T Thrive freeze dried chopped onions OR 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    juice of 1 lime
    Puree in blender. Chill till ready to serve.
    can Store in fridge for a week ↩︎

link to “Mixes” blog post – https://backyardcityhomestead.com/2023/11/15/homemade-mixes-sauces-salsas-dips-and-dressings/

link to Grilled Chicken Dices – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/grilled-seasoned-chicken-3964.html

link to Ground Beef – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/freeze-dried-ground-beef-1240.html

link to Instant Black Beans – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/instant-black-beans-1620.html

link to freeze dried Shredded Cheddar – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/shredded-cheddar-cheese.html

link to Green Bell Peppers – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/green-bell-peppers-freeze-dried.html

link to Red Bell Peppers – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/red-bell-peppers-freeze-dried.html

link to Chili Peppers – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/green-chili-peppers-freeze-dried.html

link to Sweet Corn – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/freeze-dried-sweet-corn-681.html

link to Sliced Onions – https://thrivewithcindy.canada.thrivelife.com/onion-slices-freeze-dried.html


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Spring is the time for New Beginnings: amending our garden soil

Simply put, amending our soil means improving it in texture and fertility. Soil amendment should be looked at as a long term solution with ongoing continual effort and ongoing continual results. If we’re looking for a quick fix, we’ve chosen the wrong hobby. Even if our soil was great five years ago, its not reasonable to expect it to remain that way without continuing to replenish it. Plants use nutrients; water and winter leach out nutrients – it’s simple math. Making our gardens the BEST that they can be begins with healthy soil, and that means we do what we can to continually replenish what is continually being used or lost.

How do I know if my garden soil is good?

The primary way to understand your soil is to check its texture and structure. Good soil has a healthy balance of organic matter, sand, silt, and clay. It should also be moist but not soggy. To determine the texture of your soil, take a handful of damp garden soil and squeeze it into a ball. If it breaks apart easily our soil is on the sandy side. If it clings together, our soil is more clay. Why does this matter? Proper soil texture is essential to allowing roots to take up moisture and air. Most soils contain a mixture of clay, organic matter and sand. Whatever your soil is currently, the objective it to ‘amend’ it so that it is more humus-y. Humus is the result of a long process of decomposition, the combined efforts of earthworms, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms and time. It is loose, crumbly and spongy and usually dark brown or black in colour. Good soil could have as much as 25% compost and will hold together loosely if we squeeze it into a ball. Ideal soil for growing vegetables could be as high as 50% compost in the soil. This helps hold the moisture in a way that plants can readily access it. Ultimately, it is our goal.

Let’s talk about Clay first:

Clay is a fine grained mineral made when rocks break down. It acts as a binding agent giving the soil elasticity and allowing the soil particles to stick together. Clay soils can be difficult to till, and will not drain quickly after a heavy rain, often hardening when dry.

I remember a certain area near a creek close to my childhood home. We kids called it the ‘clay pit’, and I have no idea who discovered it, but new kids were constantly introduced to it. In the spring we would walk down with pails and (if I was to be totally honest) our mothers’ serving spoons, to dig some clay. We had to go after a rain when the clay was perfect, other wise it would be like cement and good luck getting any out with a serving spoon. It was heavy so we couldn’t bring a lot home in our little pails, but no matter – we didn’t need a heckuva lot.
We would get more water and knead it in like we were making bread. When it was the texture of plasticine, we formed small bowls out of it and left them to dry in the sun. I don’t recall how long they took to dry, probably a day or two if it was nice and sunny. Then we’d give them to our mothers (who were always so ‘appreciative‘) as gifts. They used them as ashtrays – which in the world in which I grew up, was a valuable household ornament. When I was much older and observed old indigenous pottery in museums, made in areas further south of where I lived, I remembered that clay pit and our rudimentary attempts at using the clay – and I felt one with the world.

I cannot say anything really ‘bad’ about clay lol, because it holds such fond childhood memories for me. But on the other hand, I didn’t have to grow a garden in it. And I sure wouldn’t want to. Dense clay soil compacts easily, restricting the movement of water, nutrients and air throughout, making it inhospitable for your plants. Roots hit a hard clay floor or wall when they try to grow, and the clay retains too much moisture drowning or rotting roots. Sandy soil is the exact opposite.

to amend clay soil –

add organic matter – like compost, dried grass clippings, shredded leaves, aged horse manure, and compost. That’s pretty much it. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well you’d be surprised at how many problems can be solved by compost. My advice – after some very positive personal experience – is this three layer lasagna recipe.

1. Distribute a nice deep layer of straw (3 to 4 inches is a good start) over the surface of your garden area in the early spring.
2, On top of that, distribute another 3-4 inches of well aged horse manure. Why horse manure? Because it is a beautiful natural fertilizer rich in nitrogen and perfect for earthworms. (tip: horse manure is a good thing to add to your soil frequently, so make friends with a horse owner and plan to add a top layer every year or two). Your leafy green garden vegetables will be very happy.
3. On top of that – like the shredded cheese on your lasagna, broadcast the clippings of the first mowing of your spring lawn – with all the leftover fall leaves and snow mold and all the other things you thought were ugly when the snow finally melted. All organic grass clippings are wonderful, but the first mowing is full of microscopic critters that make the world go ’round. Their job is to break down organic material and they’re very good at it.

I am reminded that many years ago when our kids were young – for a different reason entirely, we layered a few bales of ‘hay’ all over the top of our backyard garden (yes, I mean hay as opposed to straw). Hay is grass, less coarse than straw (which is the dried stocks of grain) so it breaks down easier than straw. I hear all the time that one should avoid hay in a garden because of the amount of ‘seeds’ in it that are obviously going to grow, but I found that not to be a problem at all. The types of seeds you can expect to find in hay are the type of hay it is – perhaps Timothy Hay, perhaps Alfalfa. Those seeds are going to grow so LOOSELY in the hay itself that they’re easy to pull out as you’re walking by. Nothing to worry about. Don’t avoid hay for that reason.

Over the course of that summer the hay created a marvelous mulch for us, while it began the process of breaking down under the surface.
Benefits:
– It kept the weeds down, and those that did grow were rooted in the hay so super easy to pull out.
– It helped keep the moisture from evaporating.
– It was excellent mulch for our potatoes. They literally grew IN the hay, shielded from the sun.
– In many ways that was one of the best gardens we’ve every had, and I was anxious to repeat it.
– By the next growing season the hay was almost completely assimilated into the garden, and I needed more. But we couldn’t find more that year – we live in the city, so don’t have easy access to things like this. We found straw instead however, and while we understood the difference, didn’t fully envision the significance of that difference. While it looked good initially, it didn’t readily break down like the hay had, and after another growing season and winter, when Dan rototilled the garden the following spring, it got all tangled up in the tines of the rototiller – very frustrating for him. I agreed to not use straw anymore. In retrospect however, understanding it so much more now, I could have done things a little differently. We gave up too easily. All these years later, it is interesting to me that we’re returning to a method we had unwitting success with decades ago, but we’re understanding more about why it worked and that is helping. Such is the nature of gardening: one lesson at a time.

Sand:

Unlike clay, sandy soil allows water to drain more easily, but that requires a lot more water to sustain plant growth, and the constant draining washes nutrients away. My 9 year old Zack, once asked “Why doesn’t the ocean drain out?” He had noted that the sand on the beach didn’t hold water. I thought that was a brilliant question but of course I didn’t have a brilliant answer. The good news is that it is a relatively easy remedy in the garden; but again, don’t confuse ‘easy’ for ‘quick’. Looking for a one time fix is far too simplistic.

Amending sandy soil –

is necessary to help create a happy, healthy home for our garden vegetables. Adding organic material to the soil will not only add important nutrients, but will also help maintain them. It will also help with moisture retention. Compost is the best amendment. How ironic that for these two extremes of inhospitable soil, the solution is the same: COMPOST and other organic matter.

The best quality compost is made of many different types of material: garden greens, shredded leaves, dried grass, as well as kitchen waste of all kinds, and everything else that goes into a homemade compost. If you don’t have a good supply of homemade compost at your disposal, start by using city compost, or commercially purchased compost. Then immediately start your own compost so you can supply yourself every year after this. If you live in a place that isn’t conducive to compost, consider donating your kitchen scrapes to your local community garden. At the very least, donate it to your city’s green bin program if you have one.

Peat moss aids in moisture retention, helps increase the acidic soil level, and we can still buy huge bags of it quite affordably. I use it in my many pots and window boxes – pots of flowers, pots with peppers or tomatoes – all traditionally places that I have a hard time keeping moist. I use a wheelbarrow as a big mixing bowl. Equal parts potting soil, peat moss and compost – pretty much following my mother-in-law’s recipe. Then I add a LOT of water. It will absorb more than you think it will, and I constantly work the water in with my hands till the mixture is very moist but not dripping wet. Then I put it into my pots and plant my plants or seeds in it. It is a lot easier to keep peat moss moist than it is to get it wet in the first place – it’s first reaction is to repel the water, before it finally gives up and absorbs it. If you let it dry out, you’ll be starting again with that process.

Aged horse manure is an excellent compostable material to either mix into our compost or layer over top of our garden surface. Again, avoid the temptation to work it in. Have a little faith and give it time to amaze you.

Ultimately – this simple rule applies: the best way to improve soil texture is by adding organic material, such as compost. Decaying organic matter loosens clay-dense soil helping air and water move more freely so that roots can penetrate easily. It also helps sandy soil by holding water and nutrients that would otherwise drain away. In each soil extreme, it encourages beneficial microbial activity and provides nutritional benefits.

All soil requires amending from time to time – if only just to KEEP it good. And of course there are all sorts of other issues like ‘heavy feeders’, and crop rotation which continually benefit the soil. Gardens are living breathing entities and part of the cycle of life. Though we cannot see most of that life – it is there nonetheless, and living in harmony with it makes life a lot gentler.

Testing your soil for specific nutrient issues

You can test your own soil using a basic soil test kit from your local hardware or garden store. Inexpensive, easy and relatively accurate, soil tests provide good insight about what’s going on under your feet, including the levels of pH, calcium, lime, gypsum and potassium. I have only tested my soil once, the year after we took our spruce trees out. And after a year of fussing about this nutrient or that nutrient, the only thing that made a sustainable difference was something as simple as that garden lasagna recipe – which added compostable material in a very big way.

5 easy tips for healthy soil in your garden

  1. continually add organic matter – every year, and throughout the year by incorporating compost and compostables – which increases air, water and nutrients
  2. try to get out of the habit of using a rototiller, especially in smaller gardens where they aren’t necessary. Breaking up all that soil isn’t helping it.
  3. protect your topsoil from sunburn with mulch
  4. don’t use chemicals unless there’s absolutely no alternative
  5. rotate crops so that they are naturally both using up and replacing nutrients

Crop rotation:

The concept of crop rotation is simple: avoid planting the same crops in the same area every year. Different types of plants require different nutrients from the soil, and in return – provide different nutrients. By not planting the same vegetables in the same spot year after year, new plants will benefit from what the former plants leave behind, and we will discourage pests and diseases from building up in the soil. Ideally, we should rotate a vegetable family so that it grows in an area only once every three or four years.

Beans – include all sorts of beans, peas and other legumes. They are easy to grow and don’t require anything specific in the soil – just lots of sun. They’ll replace the nitrogen that high feeders use up.

Greens – include anything green and leafy: lettuces, spinach, swiss chard etc. They are easy to grow and not too demanding, but will benefit from nitrogen and phosphorus. Beans and peas are known for fixing nitrogen in the soil, so follow them with greens.

Roots – are obviously potatoes, carrots, beets, and other vegetables that grow IN the ground.
Phosphorus promotes strong root growth. Bone meal is a good source of it, but don’t over use. 1 Tablespoon mixed into about 2 square feet of soil is a good amount. It’s not fast acting so the sooner you can apply it the better.

Fruits – includes any type of garden produce that produces ‘fruit’ like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers etc. They are heavy eaters so give them lots of attention. Brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage etc are also high feeders so I’m including them in with fruits. They want phosphorus – and good sources are chicken and horse manure and fish fertilizer (fish emulsion). For several years I have planted a raw broken whole egg with my tomato plants because I had heard that the protein in the egg was beneficial, and I knew that calcium was – which the shelf provides. I had not taken the time to conduct any experiments but I’ve always had good eggs. Last year (2023 I didn’t take the time to use any raw eggs. I noticed at the end of the year that my tomato harvest was disappointing but I didn’t make a connection right away – and who’s to know if there even was one? . . . A good friend of mine conducted an experiment last season with three sets of three tomato plants each. In one set she planted each tomato in a deep hole with a fish head at the bottom (sprinkle a little compost). Same types of tomatoes, everything else the same, but different things ‘planted’ with the tomatoes. She noted that the set of three with the fish heads had considerably more fruit than the others. That is what made me think about my last season’s disappointing harvest.

This year I will be using eggs again – and in half of my tomatoes, I’ll also be including fish remains. I’ll keep track and watch for any changes. Stay tuned.

Gardening is about learning new things Every. Single. Year! So keep your eyes open, listen to others and pay attention.

Personally I avoid growing most vegetables from the brassica family: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, radishes, mustard greens, and collards. Not to say I don’t like them, I DO. But I despise the ugly voracious caterpillars that come from the cabbage moths – which always seem to find my plants no matter how well I think I’ve hidden them. I have tried every potential solution I’ve heard or read about but in the end, each success is limited and unsustainable. I finally gave up years ago and I’m at peace with that. However, I have three exceptions to my ‘no-brassica’ rule: kale, radish greens and mustard greens (which I have recently discovered). These I plant dispersed throughout my garden – especially kale, which are planted here a few, there a few in the vegetable garden, herb garden, flower gardens, front yard, back yard, . . . . wherever I can find a spot for one or two plants. I do this because I’ve noticed that the cabbage moth will take the easy path of going down a row laying their eggs. If my kale are not in a row, I have a chance of saving more of them. I am ruthless though – if a plant shows evidence of being eaten, I quickly pull it out and get rid of it – saving its neighbours from a similar fate. I tell them “Sacrificing for the greater good is noble“. I don’t know if that helps them or not lol.

Radishes I plant sprinkled among my lettuce and carrots. I don’t really care for radish roots, but I do like their green tops so its worth it to me.
Mustard greens – I have only recently discovered mustard greens and I really like them. I haven’t developed a routine for them yet however, still working on that.

For years Dan and I have maintained what I (playfully) refer to as the “grass war”. Its a complicated conflict. He loves his grass and I sorta like it too. I love my garden and he sorta likes it too. I would like more garden and less grass. He would like more grass and less garden. The war has never been won; we remain in a tenuous semi-permanent truce, each awaiting the other to weaken or concede on small issues. Maintaining a healthy balance of both, our yard successfully accommodates every demographic in our family: the little kids who need a play area and a yard to run around in, the bigger kids and Grampa who need a trampoline with water and a treehouse, the young adults and Grampa who need space to set up some yard games and roast hot dogs, Gramma who needs a place to grow food for them all, and the Gramma Great who needs a place to sit and watch the whole goings on.

So far mutual respect is the keeping the peace. However, the ‘conflict’ is further complicated by our opposing views on a few major points – like compost. They’re not irreconcilable differences, just differences of basic idealisms. We both believe in composting – me radically, and him conservatively. It is my insistence on keeping grass clipping IN the yard, being lightly distributed as mulch throughout the gardens and adding the rest to our ongoing compost. His position is that we have too much of it, and some of it has to go. Consequently, he’s motivated to mow the lawn when I’m not around to get the bags of a freshly mowed grass out into the alley for pick up, before I notice and go rescue them – hauling them back in and dumping them out in the compost area.

For years, the quiet but simmering conflict came to the surface every spring with the first mowing. My instincts told me that the first mowing was a gold mine of grass clippings, and his instincts told him it was dangerous – full of snow mold and other bad things that had to be eliminated. This remained a stale mate issue since time immemorial UNTIL a mutual friend unwittingly weighed in. Our friend Scott took a stance firmly on my side – stating emphatically that snow mold was a garden’s friend, and that the first mowing was full of hidden treasure. I should state here that Scott and his wife Alana are excellent gardeners with more formal education on the subject than either Dan or myself. It was Scott who prescribed our garden lasagna recipe above, and we both respected his opinion. The success of that ‘experiment’ has become the stuff of legend in our garden. But that’s perhaps a story for another time. Suffice it to say, that since that supreme success, we have agreed on the issue of the first mowing. Score one point for Cindy (not that I’m keeping track of course lol).

Back to the lasagna recipe –
I understand that it is tempting to want to “work in” all that additional material you just put on your garden. I admit I was sorely tempted the first time we did this too. My opinion was influenced by many years of tradition – as no doubt, is your’s. But DON’T DO IT! In fact, you will actually do damage to the very thing you’re trying to nurture. The natural state of a soil’s structure is alive and loaded with organic material – bacteria, nutrients, worms and other creatures, and microorganisms all working together in the great cycle of life. As we rototill or dig that wonderful material in, attempting to distribute it, we are actually disrupting and destroying instead of repairing. All those channels that worms and other critters create when they chew through the soil, help to bring oxygen and water into the ground below, making it easier for our plants to develop healthy root systems and find the nutrients they need. With our shovel, fork or (heaven forbid) our rototiller, we will break all that up – destroying colonies and disrupting harmony. Let nature do what she does best, and leave well enough alone.

Let the rain do its job of washing the nutrients from the top layer down into the layers below. If we’re having a dry spring, maybe we can help it out a little by watering from time to time. Yes, I know the wind will blow some of the straw around. Calm down. Just mow it up when you mow your grass and sprinkle it over the top again. In a matter of only a few weeks it will all settle in and make itself at home. We can trust the natural process beneath the surface; leave this part up to God and all his little critters.

If we intend to plant this area right away, we may be obliged to work some of this material in with a shovel or fork. We must do what we must do, but be cautious. In the past, I’ve marked my rows and gently moved the straw mixture away from the row line – to plant my seeds or seedlings, gently pushing it back around the seedlings when they come up. For potatoes, I keep the straw in place. Potatoes are tough; they’re gonna grow through it all, but I’m not as confident about more delicate seedlings, so I baby them a little.

Yes, our garden will be several inches higher than it used to be, but over the season the straw will break down, the aged manure will be distributed into it and and the top layer will become indistinguishable. It will remain a fantastic mulch. By the next year we won’t see any evidence of it – testimony to all that subterranean community effort that went on undisturbed and unseen from the surface.

~

In the process of amending our soil, we may be tempted from time to time by the lure of a ‘quick fix’. This can sometimes look like synthetic fertilizers, which can be relatively cheap and promise to act quickly. (To be fair, I am not opposed to fertilizers but take care in their selection). Fertilizers don’t amend the soil, they feed the plants. A synthetic fertilizer might help us within a couple of weeks, but its usually a single use result, needing reapplication. Organic fertilizers on the other hand, release their nutrients over a period of time. We won’t get the instant fix, but we will get a longer, sustained feeding. Several years ago we had a problem area in our garden, caused by three 40 year old spruce trees that we had removed the previous year. Whatever we were doing to help the shrubs and other plants we planted in their place wasn’t working; it became clear we had a soil problem. We went to a few local nurseries to ask for advice and suggestions for soil amendment, but the best we received were recommendations of fertilizers to help specific plants in our problem area. This was not helpful, as the foundational issue remained ‘poor SOIL’; the plants were just falling victim to it. That is when Scott and I discussed our problem, and he prescribed our lasagna recipe above – which in a single season, transformed our dead zone into a rain forest.

disclaimer:
While I believe there is a place for natural fertilizers AFTER the soil has been improved, and I use them from time to time, I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject. This is primarily a discussion on soil amendment.

Tips for ongoing success

  1. Adding compost or another organic material like horse manure, chicken scratchings, grass clippings, or straw or . . . . any other number of sources, is the easiest way to continually nourish your soil. An annual application of spring compost and an occasional top dressing of aged horse manure should in most cases, eliminate the need for any other form of amendment.
  2. The least expensive soil amendment is your own home produced compost using kitchen scraps and yard waste.
  3. While fertilizers temporarily add nutrients directly to the area, amendments improve the nature and characteristics of the soil while additionally adding nutrients.
  4. Don’t expect a quick fix. Soils cannot be changed in a single gardening season; it will take years of continually adding organic material to prevent your garden from returning to its former heavy clay state. The action of compost and garden plant matter breaking down and working its way into the soil is a process not an event.
  5. When clearing out your garden in the fall, consider allowing leaves and other plant material to decay naturally becoming part of the ongoing ecosystem. In the spring, you can rake out what you need to, mow it up and add it back in as mulch once you’ve planted your rows.

I’d love to hear your tips for a healthier garden.
Feel free to comment below.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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Building your 72 Hour Kit

Q: What is it?
A: a disaster supplies pack that you and your family WILL need in the event of evacuation.
Q: Why is it called a 72 hour kit?
A: because it should contain a minimum of three days supplies.

Okay, I’ll start by confessing the truth – I’d rather not leave my house for anything. In most emergencies, people would prefer to ‘shelter-in-place’ at home, where they’re more in control. With or without power, sheltering in place is still where one would rather ride out just about anything. However, there are times when that simply isn’t possible. And while I’m ‘truthing‘, if I had to evacuate my house, I’d really rather NOT do it in the winter. But since emergencies rarely make appointments, and we likely wouldn’t get our choice, its something we have to strongly consider since (at least for me) winter takes up close to half my year. One last truth: MY evacuation plan may not be the same as yours.

I live in a city, so I won’t be heading out to the great outdoors if I have to evacuate my house, and I don’t have any little kids or pets in my house. There was a time we lived in the country, and a time we had little kids at home, and we did have pets, which made my 72 hour kit then, look a lot different than it does now. Though the basic essentials may be the same, everyone’s kit will be unique to them.
Do you have dental appliances?
Do you have dentures?
Do you have allergies? Or special medications?
Do you wear glasses?
You get the picture. We’re all different, and so our kits and our plans are going to look different too, but there are some things that are pretty basic.

So what is magic about 72 HOURS anyway?  Why choose that length of time?  

Three days (72 hours) has long been a minimum guideline to be self sufficient, and its recognized as a standard worldwide.   Whatever the disaster, no matter what help might be coming – it is unlikely to arrive inside of 72 hours.   Three days is also a manageable time frame that is easy for people to wrap their minds around, and fairly reasonable to plan for.   Experts recognize that the first 72 hours are often the most critical, so having an emergency kit ensures that individuals and families are adequately equipped to manage the initial chaos and uncertainty that lie in the aftermath of a disaster.   Bottom line – YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN for at least three days.

A supply of food, water, medication and other essential items for three days may be intimidating, but it is entirely manageable in terms of storage space, portability and cost.   It is just the beginning though; you should consider it a foundation upon which to build a more comprehensive preparedness plan, as the situation that causes the emergency is not likely to magically end in three days.   You should add to your plan – evacuation routes and destinations, communication strategies and community resources as well as how you can lend a hand to your neighbours.  These are proactive preparedness steps that when followed will mitigate your family’s risks, enhance your resilience and increase the level of your comfort and security.   

For me, our first option after evacuation would be to go to our son’s house – four blocks away. In the likely event that it won’t be far enough away, we’d all head to our other son’s house about 20 minutes away. If that is not far enough, we have another destination 40 minutes away. And so it goes.
Worst case scenario – we’d end up sitting on some gym floor somewhere with a hundred other people.

What are YOUR destination options? First choice, second choice, and so forth . . .

Terms to be familiar with:
SHELTER IN PLACE – means to remain indoors, or if outside to go indoors immediately. You should follow all instructions and watch your news source for updates. These situations can last hours or days. It is suggested to have enough supplies on hand to last a minimum of 14 days without needing to go to a store.

EVACUATION – evacuating a place – leaving it. Could be temporary, or long term, and can sometimes get quite stressful.

Looking at our Rule of 3’s:

1. AIR
– not likely to be a problem UNLESS our need to evacuate is related to air quality – which happened to us many years ago. In an oil town about three hours west of us – Lodgepole (close to Drayton Valley) was a tragedy that ultimately caused some significant future changes to sour gas safety regulations in Alberta. The well blew out of control for 68 days, spewing toxic hydrogen sulphide across west-central Alberta, making thousands of people ill. It caught fire and killed two workers who tried to cap it. Many people with breathing issues or other health concerns chose to leave the area.

2. SHELTER
– This always gives me pause to consider the circumstances of the many people without houses right now. Every winter day it seems, I hear about another death or two in the ‘tent cities’ in Edmonton. People just trying to stay warm in the most difficult situations.

Generally, if we need to evacuate our homes there will be temporary shelters set up. Its up to us to provide our own comfort within that temporary shelter though – blankets, food, water, things to occupy our time, etc.

3. WATER
– Bottled water should be on the top of your list of important items to include in your 72 hour kit. Whether you’re in a temporary shelter or driving to a distant destination you’ll want to have a supply of drinking water. In the winter time, melting snow may be an option if you have a way to clean it. But for most of THIS winter in my home city – good luck finding snow.

4. FOOD
– We have more flexibility with food than anything else. Instant freeze dried meals in a pouch provide tasty and nutritious hearty meals with nothing more than added water. Excellent option to have in your 72 kits. If you have the ability to heat the water, then all the better (a nice HOT meal), and with a 20 year shelf life you don’t have to be constantly switching it out. Other meals that require little preparation are of benefit too.
*pro tip: TRY THEM OUT AT HOME FIRST. Don’t ever pack a food that you have not first sampled. While you’re sitting on some gymnasium floor is NOT the time you want to find out you don’t like it. And don’t give me that “we won’t care what it tastes like, we’ll eat it anyway”, because that totally depends on how bad it really is! And even if you could choke it down – you’re not gonna be happy about it. Trust me, you’ll have enough things to worry about without hating your food.

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The RULE OF 3 is a good measure when coming up with a game plan for any emergency. Remember, you may be left to your own devises for several days before help can get to you. Being prepared means having enough food, water and other necessities to last for as long as you need them. Three days is the MINIMUM to plan for.

Below is a sample supply list. You’ll want to customize it to your own circumstances – but it’s a good place to start. Compile your own list and take it shopping with you to make sure you pick up things you want. Keep it handy as sometimes its a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Consider the unique needs of your family – children, disabled persons, elderly, pets etc.

ESSENTIALS

*pro tip: when assembling your kit, store items in airtight plastic bags inside an easy-to-carry (or pull) container.
Container suggestions: back packs, rolling bags for elderly, duffel bag, plastic bins (in the car).

* FULL GAS TANK. I’m just putting this at the top of my list right off the bat. Nobody’s going very far without gas in the tank.
*battery-powered or hand crank radio
*flashlight for each adult and older child
*lighters or matches in sealed zip lock bags; I prefer lighters
*small candles with something for them to sit in while burning
*pocket knife
*nylon cord to use as a clothes line, and clothes pins
*First aid kit
*hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to disinfect surfaces
*extra batteries
*whistle (to signal for help)
*paper and pencil or pen to leave messages for people
*note paper and pen for your own personal writing
*dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
*plastic sheeting and duct tape (to prepare some kind of shelter)
*moist wipes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
*small ax – may come in handy for more than just chopping wood
*bungee cords of various sizes
*duct tape

**Local maps (and don’t say ‘google maps‘)
**List of your emergency contacts (don’t say they’re on your phone)
**Cell phone with chargers and a battery power bank for back up
**Cash. Yes $$$.

BASIC PERSONAL SUPPLIES

* Water – 2 liters per person per day for drinking. Another liter for cooking, another liter for basic sanitation. I know, it’s heavy. Plan accordingly.

* Food – non perishable. Instant meals, preferably freeze dried for long term storage and ease of preparation. Plan for no less than three days. Consider the high probability that you will be near someone else who doesn’t have food. Are you really gonna eat in front of them without offering to share?
*Favourite snacks: dried fruit, individual packages of nuts.
*cooking pot and spoon, dishes and utensils for each person
*ideally – a small portable stove to heat water
*manual can opener (even if you aren’t bringing canned food – trust me)
*dish soap and cloth

* Personal hygiene supplies: toothbrush and tooth paste, mouthwash, deodorant, comb or brush, shampoo & conditioner, chapstick, nail clippers, emery board, razor if you need it, hand soap, face cloth and hand towel, toilet paper flattened and in a plastic bag, baby wipes, and feminine supplies. Pack these items together in a ziplock plastic bag or other sealed bag.

*Laundry soap. I am not suggesting that we’ll be doing laundry, but lets face it, we may be wearing the same clothes for a few days. It’s nice to be able to spot clean as needed. I recommend Tru Earth Laundry strips. They are easy to store and transport, and fit into a sandwich bag. There is zero waste, no measuring, no mess and they dissolve in hot or cold water. And they are biodegradable. I have used these terrific laundry strips in my every day laundry for over three years, and have a year’s supply of laundry soap in a box the size of tissue box. I am NEVER going back to the way I used to do laundry.
Click here to find out more https://bit.ly/backyardcityhomestead

* 2 pairs of socks and 2 pairs of underwear for each person
*optional: a change of clothes can take a lot of room, and it doesn’t do any good if it doesn’t fit – so particular care must be given here. For these reasons I say “optional”. You simply may not have the ability to pack additional clothing – but at least you have underwear and extra socks – right?
If you have children, clothes are more important, but they’ll have to be switched out every year – perhaps more often at different stages. For my husband, its a piece of cake – throw in a pair of jeans and a t shirt. For me – not so easy; I’m a little more complicated lol.
Regardless of who its for, you’ll need to pick something that isn’t bulky; fold or roll it tightly and put in a plastic bag.
* A light jacket. Something that can be rolled up tightly and crammed into a corner hopefully. If you have to evacuate in the winter, you’ll likely be grabbing your winter coat, footwear, hat, scarf and mitts on your way out – especially if you’re also grabbing your 72 hour kit. But in other seasons it best to have a jacket or hoodie packed into your backpack.
* A light fleece blanket. Don’t underestimate the value of something warm and soft. It does more than take the chill off, its comforting. Fleece blankets can be rolled tightly, packed into a plastic bag and if necessary strapped onto the outside of your backpack.

Additional Emergency Supplies – consider adding based on your individual needs:
*Prescription and non prescription (pain relievers, anti-diarrhea, antacids) medications. An emergency can make it difficult to refill prescription or to find an open pharmacy. *Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution
*way to boil water and a small pot
*Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream
*Pet food and extra water for your pet – see below
*RED FILE: Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification, bank info saved electronically or in a waterproof container
*warm blanket for each person
*change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes
*Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
*books, games, puzzles to spend the time + activities for children (even if you don’t have children – there WILL be children)
*small pocket calendar (don’t say you’ve got one on your phone)

PETS

Knowing how to keep your pets safe and comfortable during and after an emergency is part of being a responsible pet owner.
My cousin has two golden labs who are important members of her family.
She surprised me one day by telling me she had 72 hour bags for each of them – which I thought was brilliant!

Having a plan for your pets can reduce the stress for both them and you during an emergency. Where will you go? How will you transport them? Is your destination pet friendly? Are your pets friendly with other people and/or other pets?
What kinds of things will you bring for them?
What stressors trigger your pet? and what calms him down?
Having a go-bag ready for your pet ready to grab on the way out will save you a lot of potential agony.

SANDIE ZOBELL’s Dog Pack:
in small backpack
individual small bags of dog food (about a cup of food in each)
jug of water
spare collars (put additional ID tags on them)
spare leashes
poop bags
bowl (collapsible bowls take up less room and are water proof)
treats
towel, brush/comb – depending on the type of pet
handy wipes or hand sanitizer
toy or ball

Sandie has a 5 gallon pail with a gamma lid (screw top) so that it won’t pop off. It is always by back door and always has food in it. If the top portion is empty then you can stash the go-bags in it if you’re going to be in a vehicle.
Original papers for her dogs are in her ‘red book’. Copies are in the go-bags.
Dogs are micro chipped in case they get separated.

Here is an excellent emergency checklist to print off for pet owners.

Personal – Personal Stuff

These are the things that are very specific to your comfort. The things that you know you’ll be unhappy without. Maybe its your face cream, or a type of soap, or a little bit of make up, or something you use in your hair, or something else that another might not find particular value in, but YOU do.

Don’t underestimate the psychological value of ‘comfort’, especially when your life has been turned upside down. If you feel that you need that little bit of make up to help you feel good about things – then you don’t owe anyone an apology or an explanation. Plan it in.
In the same way, allow your family members the same favour. Scriptures, a favourite paperback book, a favourite toy, a favourite game, a favourite . . . (fill in the blank). Obviously it has to fit into your backpack, so that’s your firm criteria. But don’t deny something you may at first convince yourself is frivolous, it may make all the difference to your (or their) state of mind. If you ever get to a situation that you actually have to grab your bag and leave your house, you’ve got enough to worry about, and enough to be scared of, and not feel comfortable with – you don’t need to have created some of that yourself by neglecting things you consider important. Cut yourself a break and give yourself a little bit of grace.

That’s just my way of looking at it, you can do whatever you want with it. No one has a right to judge what you decide is important.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this list.
What would you add?
What would you not bother with?

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

resources:
basics list pdf to print off if desired. Copy the link below and paste it into a new tab file:///C:/Users/danan/Documents/72%20hour%20kit%20suggested%20list%20from%20Backyard%20City%20Homestead.pdf

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10 things to know, DO and NOT DO when buying emergency food

Years ago, I bought this Emergency Food bucket at Costco in Utah. It says it has 200 adult servings – pretty impressive. I think I paid almost $200 (cdn) for it. I tried one of the meals as soon as we got it, and I recall thinking it was ‘okay’ and in a real emergency if it was all we had, we’d probably be glad to have it. I liked the claim of a 20 year shelf life (still like that part).

To be fair, at the time there really weren’t too many alternatives on the market so its not like I had a whole lotta options and I considered myself lucky to make this find.

The label says 100% vegetarian and vitamin fortified. Each package contains 5 servings. All this appealed to me. I offered it to my son-in-law to use for backpacking trips he was taking in the mountains at the time. He took some meals once and reported that they were ‘alright’, but I noticed that he never asked to use them again. . . . huh.

So flash forward to now, I thought I’d start using some of them – as time is flying by and I did spend $200 on it after all. The first morning I tried one of the breakfast packages, oatmeal. The ingredients: oats, sugar and flavourings (natural and artificial). Instructions: add to 5 cups of boiling water and cook for one minute, stirring. This is much more water than I add to quick oats normally, so I was a little suspicious of the claim to five servings per package.

It wasn’t terrible, but it really wasn’t good either. No milk + no salt = kinda blah. I added some Thrive Instant Milk powder and a little salt and it was ‘better’, but not much. I would have preferred to have had the milk and salt already in the pkg. Gramma Great said it “wasn’t terrible”. but I’ll be glad when they’re all gone. I tried to serve it to my grandkids when the came for a sleep over a few days later, but though they are huge oatmeal fans, they disliked this profusely. Let they lose confidence in “Gramma’s oatmeal” (which they love and request every time they’re here), I promised to never make THIS kind for them again.

I tried a few different meals this week. They were all pretty yucky. I’m committed to try more meals so that I know better what I’ve got, and how to prepare it for my family. Then I’ll decide what I’ll do with what’s left. Dan says we could use it for chicken food.

From the perspective of TODAY (15 years after I bought it), I have 10 suggestions when buying long term, shelf stable emergency food:

1. CONFIDENCE

when you buy something you expect to last long term, you should really know what it’s like. You should be able to have confidence in it. That means you should sample some of those meals fairly soon after buying, so that you know what you’re dealing with. If its good, its good and its gonna stay good. If it’s yucky to start out with, its certainly not gonna get any better in 15 years.

2. STORE WHAT YOU EAT. AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE.

Use the food from time to time so that you’re aware of how it’s ’aging’. Yes, it’s got a long shelf life, but time has a way of passing before you know it. And I know it’s tempting to go with a “One and Done” mentality for food storage, and then forget about it. But I have seen the result of that way of thinking. . . food that you thought you could count on – only to find out too late that it was poor quality.

What if you really had needed it? It let you down. Simply because you didn’t really know what you had. You trusted something too much, something that had not earned your trust.

In the end, you’ll waste a lot of money if you don’t STORE WHAT YOU EAT, AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE.

Keeping it rotated (by using it) keeps it good, and eliminates the potential of waste if it expires.

3. USE IT

‘Protecting’ your food till the end of the world or when the zombies come, may seem like a good idea at first, but eventually it will expire. Even 20 years comes to an end one day – and then what?

If you have something similar to what I describe in this post in YOUR food storage – that you bought a loooong time ago – USE it. Now would be a good time to know whether you like it or not. Finding that out later when you need it is a terrible ‘failure to plan’.

Don’t let it go to waste. The money you spent then, was real money, and if the food expires, you’ve wasted those dollars $$$!

4. CHECK REVIEWS

Seek out ‘real’ reviews from ‘real’ people and better yet, recommendations from like-minded friends. If you find a good line of shelf stable food that you’ve tried and like – tell others. If an emergency supply of quick easy to prepare meals is important to you, and you find a line that you really like, tell others. Learning from each other saves a lotta time and effort for everyone. Personal recommendations from a friend COUNTS.

5. SALT?

The sodium in that package of oatmeal was ‘0’ (zero). Impressive until you tasted it. There’s a reason we use salt. Just sayin’ . . .

6. GOOD FOR YOU?

I really don’t like artificial ingredients. Of any kind: flavours, colours, anti-caking agents, preservatives, etc . . . That’s important to me, even in something I expect to last a long time; maybe ESPECIALLY in something I expect to last a long time.

It’s gotta be “good-for-you”, or what’s the point? In this regard, the food in that bucket is profoundly disappointing.

7. TASTE?

After trying the few meals I tried, I have to say I really dislike the artificial after-taste. Its gotta taste good, or again – what’s the point? Who want’s to eat it if it tastes bad? I seriously couldn’t bring myself to eat a bowl of the bowl of the soup I made last night.

8. TRIAL AND ERROR

When I first bought that bucket, I’ve since found a brand I like MUCH better – for taste and quality, but I did the best I knew at the time, so I don’t regret my choice to purchase the original one. You can’t win them all. I just would never do it again – with what I now know. And I’d be a little more careful to read the label better. I trusted the place I bought it, and sadly, I put too much trust in the labeling – it said things I like to read. But I didn’t take the time to look at the ingredients.

I made mistakes, and learned from them.

9. AVOID PANIC BUYING

To be fair – like I said at the start, there were very few options for emergency food at the time I invested in this one. I may have “panic purchased” for that reason, scarcity.

That’s no longer the case. There are options now. I recommend taking your time. Check out reviews. Ask for opinions. I still think emergency meals are important to have – but ask around first. Read reviews.

10. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS

Take the details seriously if you don’t want to waste money.
Preparedness is not a vacation; it’s a journey and an investment – so its worth investigating, reading and asking around. If all you’re concerned about is shelf life, then no worries – there are lots of things that will last a long time. But if you want it to be nutritious, read the labels. If you want it to be delicious, read the reviews. And don’t just put it away “in case of”.

My conclusion –
Don’t be afraid to try things – how else will we learn. Though I didn’t like anything about the package I bought 15+ years ago, I don’t regret buying it. It was important to me to invest in emergency planning and I did the best I could have at the time. I learned – and that made the purchase worth it (although I hate wasting money). However, if I can reduce my mistakes by learning from other people’s mistakes – all the better. Which is why I am writing this – so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes.

I am happy to see better options available now, and the BEST in my opinion – came on the market just a few years ago. Thrive Life Premium Meals – 12 individual meals available singly or in 5 assorted packages. What makes them different?

Well, for starters –
I have CONFIDENCE in the company as I’ve tried everything else they produce. They are INSTANT meals, meaning just add water, and ready in 10 minutes – much more suited to emergencies, and also suited to meal prep on those crazy busy days when you still have to feed the family. They are completely freeze dried (prepared as meals from nutritious ingredients, then freeze dried to preserve goodness and taste). I was fortunate enough to be able to taste a few before I invested in them, so I knew they tasted good, and now I can read reviews about them.
Yes, I STORE them for long term, but I still USE them at home when we need a quick meal, for camping trips, in the trailer, at the cabin, I even take them when I travel sometimes – because they’re so easy to prepare. In this way I keep them rotated and replenished.

*I like that they have a 20 year shelf life. *I like that they taste good. *I like that the ingredients are wholesome and nutritious. *I like the variety. *I like that there are many reviews – and more added constantly. *I like that they don’t require cooking, and that they can be refreshed in a bowl or their original package. *I like that each package has THREE servings, honest-to-goodness-hearty-real servings. *I like that they are available in an Emergency bucket very similar to the one I bought all those years ago – suitable to grab and go, or easy to send home with a College student or to take camping or whatever. *I like that I can order them to arrive right at my door. *I like that I can get FREE shipping (yes, even into Canada). Hey, I just plain LIKE them! And I highly recommend them.

Live and learn I guess.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

Rule of THREE

When considering any emergency, I find it helpful to consider the RULE OF THREE to prioritize my means and my energies. 
*We can live up to 3 minutes without air.
*In extreme weather, we’ll be in trouble within 3 hours without shelter.
*We can go up to 3 days without water.
*Our bodies will start shutting down long before 3 weeks without food.
Variables include age, weight, health, activity level, environmental conditions and type of food of course. 

So with these priorities in mind – whether considering emergency scenarios – especially without POWER or fresh running WATER (both of which could go on several days), do you have plan in place? . . . .
I live in Edmonton, Alberta and in the winter we can experience some pretty severe cold weather from time to time.  To be without power during those times can be deadly, and yet it is precisely those times that we may have problems with our furnaces. Furnaces are not going to quit in the summer when they’re not being used, they’re going to quit in the winter when they’re being used daily, especially when it’s bitter cold outside. (sigh . . . . I know right?)

And if you don’t have heat in the winter, you will soon have a water problem as well. Regardless of the time of year, our water supply is precious yet volatile, always susceptible to restriction or contamination. It is worth protecting and having a clean supply on hand.

Rule of 3

AIR
– not likely to be a problem UNLESS we need to provide an alternate source of heat, at which time improper ventilation becomes a concern.  Carbon Monoxide is produced any time you burn fuel: in vehicles, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges and furnaces.  It is a very real, very scary thing – which can kill. 
*NEVER bring in an outdoor heat source or cooking stove. NEVER EVER.  Those are not meant for indoors. 
link to my post THE NIGHT WE NEARLY WENT TO SLEEP FOREVER
https://backyardcityhomestead.com/2018/12/13/the-night-we-nearly-went-to-sleep-forever/

SHELTER
– This should give us pause to consider the circumstances of the many people without houses right now.  Every day I hear about another death or two in the ‘tent cities’ in Edmonton. People just trying to stay warm in the most difficult situation.
But if we’re sheltering in place during an extended power outage, there are things we need to take care of.  With no heat, it will take only hours for the inside of your house to be the same temperature as the outside.  If we don’t have an alternate source (fireplace or wood stove), we’ll need to leave the house in a short amount of time.  Hopefully we’ve got a place in mind that we can go.  We do – Right? And of course dressing for the weather is imperative.

Assuming we have a wood stove, lighting it when its really cold is not so easy.  The low temperature in our chimney will force the cold air down creating a blockage – that prevents the smoke from escaping.  Time to figure out how to light the fire and have it draw properly. 
Assuming that we’ve mastered that, we may find it a good idea to have everyone sleep in the room with the heat source.  We have a Carbon Monoxide detector right? One that is battery run and fully charged.  Right?
Dressing for the weather is important IN the house too – sweaters, slippers, blankets . . .

WATER

– If we have to leave our home because of no heat, we must ensure the water is turned off and the lines are drained.  Water will freeze in only hours and burst water pipes will cause terrible destruction.  (don’t ask me how I know this)
But even if we’re sheltering in place, there may be parts of our home that are at risk of freezing.  It may be advisable to shut the water off anyway.  We have another source of water in the house – Right? 

If we only have one area that is warm, bring containers of water into that area to prevent them from freezing. 

FOOD

We have more flexibility with this than anything else.  For the short term, open up a can of pork and beans or make yourself a sandwich.  (You have a hand operated can opener – Right?)  Eat up some leftovers in the fridge – it could be lost within a day or two.

If the power outage goes on for more than a few days – your frozen food is in jeopardy.  When its bitter cold, setting it all outside is an option – but that’s a terrible job!  If the weather isn’t cold enough, we better be able to cook – or we’ll lose a lot!  But that sounds like an arduous job too, and not very practical. I strongly advise AGAINST having your freezer contain the bulk of your food storage.  Not a good idea at all, and this is exactly why.  Having said that – I too have a freezer, and I use it. But depending on it alone for your food storage is a terrible idea.

Having some Meals in a Jar (MIJ) on hand will be a life saver if we have the ability to cook a one pot meal.  They are nutritious, delicious, easy to prepare, and provide variety to meals that we’ll be glad to have.  All we need is a pot, some water and a heat source.  15-20 minutes for most meals. 

Instant freeze dried meals-in-a-pouch provide tasty and nutritious hearty meals with nothing more than added water.  Excellent resource to have in your pantry or food storage.  If you have the ability to heat the water, then all the better.

Always consider the RULE OF THREE and use it to measure every emergency when coming up with a game plan. 

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle