Whether you’re feeding the family, hosting a backyard dinner party or whipping up something quick for a weekday meal, pulled pork is always a guaranteed pleaser. You can serve it with your favourite BBQ sauce and sides, in sandwiches and tacos, or over nachos, but have you ever served it over top a perfectly crispy waffle? Don’t knock it till you try it. My first introduction to chicken on waffles was a complete surprise. This just takes that favourite dish to a whole new level. How bout adding the flavour of maple syrup? Better yet, add a splash of sriracha sauce at the end for some extra zing.
What if I told you it could BE ON THE TABLE in less than half an hour? I know right! True story. Read on.
*full disclosure: this is not my recipe. I just wanted it written down somewhere so that I could share it. It originated with Chef Todd Leonard 1 (see below).
I am not a vegetarian but I do not eat much meat and could easily imagine a life without it. However, I live with people who DO like to eat meat, and I’m okay with that, though I do NOT like to handle raw meat. Having freeze dried meat checks off a few boxes for me.
Box 1: Food storage is important to me – not just for those BIG emergencies where the sky comes falling down, but for the more frequent emergencies like job interruption, like unexpected expenses, like illness that keeps one from shopping or meal preparation, like – I dunno, maybe something WAAAY out there, like a pandemic that keeps us out of the stores . . . . so many other of the day to day realities of normal life. There is something to be said for the peace of mind that comes with preparing for those times. Properly sealed freeze dried food has a shelf life of 25 years. Once opened, it generally will last up to a year if protected from the moisture in the air.
Box 2: Saving money is important to me, by NOT cooking more meat than we need at any given time (meaning we either ate too much, or we ate leftovers for too long, or we wasted food by throwing it away, or worse – all three). Now I just prepare exactly what I want.
Box 3: Convenience of putting a NICE meal on the table in less than half an hour. Thrive Life freeze dried meats are all precooked and in some cases, lightly seasoned. You can even eat them straight out of the can!
Box 4: Never having to touch, smell or deal with raw meat. BIG box for me.
I’ll admit – waffles and meat never used to fit together in my mind UNTIL I tried it a few times. Now this is one of our favourites. So put away your slow cooker and get over yourself. You don’t need to thaw, precook or shred the meat. It’s already done.
*Someone recently told me they spooned the pork mixture onto the waffle maker, and poured the waffle mix over top! Wowzers! Definitely trying THAT next time I make this recipe.
I am using mostly freeze dried ingredients here (FD), but not to worry – you can substitute with equal amounts of garden fresh in every case. And if you have a pork roast in your freezer, but not the freeze dried pulled pork – not to worry. Just slow cook it like you would for any other ‘pulled pork’ recipe (without all the seasoning). What you’re going to end up with is cooked pulled pork – just the long way around. Freeze dried pulled pork is delicious and accessible – the short cut way. Amounts intended to serve 4 or 5 people
Ingredients normal stuff in your kitchen: 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup water 1/4 cup butter
* optional: add more FD vegetables as desired. Green Peppers, Asparagus, Green Beans, Peas, Kale, Spinach . . . . etc Put away your cutting board. These vegetables are already washed and sliced.
Waffles: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 T baking powder 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 large eggs 1 ½ cups warm milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Sift all dry ingredients together, set aside. Beat eggs and oil into milk. Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir to moisten all.
OR use 2 cups of your favourite Pancake mix or try my mix (recipe in this blog site) + 2 eggs (beaten) to whatever liquid your mix calls for *tip: 2 T Thrive Life Scrambled Egg Mix +3 T water = 1 egg
Directions: 1. refresh PULLED PORK by putting it in a jar or container with a lid. Add 3 cups warm water, fasten lid and roll the jar ensuring all meat is moistened. Set aside to allow to soften 10-15 minutes. A little longer isn’t going to hurt. It is helpful to gently tumble the jar every few minutes.
2. make Waffles: Preheat seasoned waffle iron and pour batter onto oiled, HOT griddle. Approximately 1/4 cup in each quadrant. Close waffle iron and watch the time. I leave mine for 4 minutes until they’re toasty brown, but every waffle iron is probably a bit different. Cook waffles and set aside.
3. Pork mixture: Using a large skillet, heat oil and lightly toast onions and garlic till aromatic and slightly browned.
4. Add the moistened pork with remaining water. Stirring gently (so as not to break up the delicate meat), add all the vegetables and Chef’s Choice Seasoning, adding extra water (1/4 cup at a time) as needed to keep the mixture wet. Last time I made this in addition to the onions, I used red peppers, green peppers, chili peppers, green beans and spinach.
5. Add brown sugar, soy sauce and maple syrup. Reduce heat and simmer gently another couple of minutes stirring, till all vegetables are moistened. If mixture is too dry, simply add a little more water. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste if desired (I never add either as I find the Chef’s Choice is perfect for me).
6. Remove from heat and add butter, allowing it to melt and emulsify. Give it one final stir.
As mentioned above: *Someone recently told me they spooned the pork mixture onto the waffle maker, and poured the waffle mix over top! I’m loving that idea! Definitely trying it next time I make this recipe.
Unlike many freeze dried meats, PULLED PORK is a ‘high fat’ meant, which affects its open shelf life. Once the can is open, use it within a few weeks. Personally, I always write the date I open a can on the lid so I can stay on top of it. In the case of PULLED PORK, I put it in the fridge to buy me an extra week or two. If I know for sure I’m not going to use it right away, I’ll put it in the freezer part of my fridge to buy another week or two. Don’t forget about it – USE it! For this reason, I generally buy the smaller cans so that I can use them more efficiently, and I ALWAYS buy them when they are on sale.↩︎
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.
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.
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?
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
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
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
Those with gluten sensitivities may have to eliminate wheat from their diets, and those with celiac disease must avoid all gluten in any form. ↩︎
Right off the bat, let’s dispel a few common misconceptions that I observe over and over.
Myth: Harvest is at the end of summer. Sometimes new gardeners have the idea that gardening is like a sandwich. They expect to plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. Truth: If you’ve gardened for awhile, you know the truth is very different. Aside from the near daily attention of watering and weeding, you can begin eating out of your garden within the first few weeks after planting (in garden talk that’s almost immediately), and throughout the growing season. Harvest is an ongoing processall season long. That means you’re picking and eating, but also picking and dehydrating, canning and freezing what cannot be consumed right away.
Yes, there will be things you’ll be harvesting at summer’s end – like winter squash, root vegetables, plums and apples, but that doesn’t take into consideration all the other fruits and vegetables (especially garden greens) that you’ll miss if you wait.
Myth: Fresh food from the grocery store is the BEST option nutritionally. Truth: The word “fresh” has been stretched to mean all sorts of things. The produce in the grocery stores would be best defined as ‘perishable’. In many cases, it takes a week or more before it arrives on our grocery store shelves, and this after being picked before its ripe. Since all food begins deteriorating within the hour its harvested, having it be two weeks from harvest before we BUY it, is a problem. Sometimes, preserved food might actually be more nutritious than the older perishable food in the produce department. Open your mind to some new considerations.
Myth: Storing food will make it last indefinitely. Truth: All storage methods have limits that are shorter than we are tempted to assume. Be reasonable. Nothing STOPS food spoilage, but certain methods of preserving slow it down considerably. It’s food! Its not indestructible. Nutrition is optimum the fresher it is of course, and at the beginning of storing, best used within a certain time frame.
Generally this is what you can expect:
Canned food – commercially canned or home bottled food has a recommended shelf life of 18 months to 2 years. Two years is the time frame I try to work within. Nutritional value is approximately 40% of whatever that food was the hour it went into the bottle. That nutritional value decreases as it ages, so yes, we may all know someone who has bottled peaches from 2018 on their shelf, but the nutritional value is so poor . . . . Just EAT the doggone thing or give it to the chickens! Get it over with! What are you waiting for?
Frozen fruits and vegetables if prepared properly have a recommended shelf life of 4 months to a year. For me, I use a year as my benchmark. Nutritional value is approximately 60% of whatever the food was the hour it went into the freezer. The key is to have it in the freezer as close to harvest time as possible. Don’t forget about it in there.
Dehydrated foods have a Potential Shelf Life of – 1 year for fruits, 6 months for vegetables, 1-2 months for meat (6 months if vacuum sealed. I say potential because there are so many factors to consider when dehydrating at home. How long between picking time and the dehydrator? Did you remove all the moisture? Are you certain? How are you storing it? Best practise is to store in coolish room temperatures (no less than 40 F / 5 C and no higher than 70 F / 20 C), out of direct light. Nutritional value is approximately 80%; again the key is prompt processing.
– Freeze dried foods has an extraordinary shelf life of 25 years if done properly. Freeze drying is a gentler process preserving and protecting the food value. Nutritional value could be over 90%. See below for more information.
One of your greatest resources when learning how to preserve the food you grow (or acquire) is other people. Everyone has an idea you’ve never tried before. Don’t be stuck in the way you’ve always done things, just because that’s how you always have. Be open minded and willing to LEARN, willing to try new things and share your successes and failures. Be wise and pay attention to details.
an important side trip . . . . .
Botulism! is nothing to trifle with.
What is it? Botulism is a rare but serious condition caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves. It can cause life-threatening symptoms. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies, but for our purposes here, we’re only concerned about Foodborne botulism. The harmful bacteria thrive and make the toxin in environments with little oxygen, such as in canned food. There. I said it. The growth of the bacterial toxin responsible for botulism thrives in low oxygen and low acid environments. This happens most often in preserved foods and in inadequately processed home-canned or home-bottled foods. Freezing does not kill botulism and neither does boiling.
Strict adherence to cleanliness, and ensuring that proper canning methods are used when home preserving is more important than we might suspect. Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before using. Glass jars should be cleaned with hot soapy water, rinsed with hot water and kept clean till used. It is not necessary to sterilize jars if they will be processed in a hot water bath for at least 10 minutes.
Only high acid foods like some fruits and in some cases pickled vegetables, should be canned in a hot water bath canner. All other foods: vegetables, legumes, meat and fish should be processed in a pressure canner under recommended pressure. Don’t guess about the pressure or the timing, use a guide. Why pressure? Because under pressure a higher temperature can be reached than simply by boiling.
EATING “IN THE SEASON”
Years ago (for nutritional reasons), I decided to focus our eating IN THE SEASON, preserving the EXCESS of what we could use immediately. Consequently, we eat primarily out of our garden from the beginning of May through the end of September. Other than the watermelon we buy constantly throughout the summer, 90% of our fresh produce comes from the garden. Like everyone else, I still like summer fruits we cannot grow in our climate: peaches, nectarines, citrus, and blackberries – when all those fruits are at their best. Lucky for me, I live in a place where I have the best of both worlds.
Every growing season will be different; not every vegetable will do great every year. Some years are going to be great tomato years, some will be better green crop years. It is important to diversify what we grow to give us the best variety and chances for success. For instance, this growing season (summer of 2024) was the perfect lesson for why diversification is a good idea. It threw some unexpected curve balls at us: April was cold, May was cold and excessively windy, even June was cold and very windy. (Just for fun, I checked some weather history in Edmonton, and in May 2024 we had 8 sunny days!) I was still planting my garden in the middle of June – a full month later than than I ever have before. But then the weather was perfect for weeks at a time. By mid July things most things had caught up. Who knew?
April, May and June this year was perfect spinach weather, but unfortunately for me, and uncharacteristically, I hadn’t planted any. Boo.
What is ready in my yard (and probably your yard too) in May? * Early greens like spinach if you got it planted early enough (the previous August is a good time). * Volunteer Greens: Lambs Quarters – a common garden edible weed that is very much like spinach in many ways. Dandelion leaves – open your mind. When they’re very young, dandelion greens are nice added to a salad. Giant hyssop is an edible native plant that comes up early. Chickweed (yes, another common garden edible weed) that springs to life as soon as the ground warms up. * Sorrel, one of the earliest garden greens. * Rhubarb is at its best at the beginning of the season. * Chives, Garlic Chives and Welsh Onions are up and big enough to start picking for meals.
What is ready in my yard (and probably your yard too) in June? * All your herbs. * More early greens. * Early strawberries. * Hascaps are the first fruits of the season – usually ready before the middle of the month. * Rhubarb is full on and at its best in June.
By the first of July, you should be eating something from your garden every day. Peas, beans, more greens including Asian greens, kale, the first cucumbers, every kind of herb, and the first tomatoes, zucchini and onions.
Very soon the excitement of first ripening turns into mass ripeness – all ready to harvest at the same time. Zucchini that gets so big you can use it for a piece of furniture, or it sits on the counter for several days before you use it; kale that grows bigger by the hour; more salad than anyone can enjoy, and more basil wrapped tomatoes than you can put on any table. Who has time to do take-out in the summer? And why would you? There is so much to eat everyday right in your garden.
Part of the beauty of summer is the healthful benefits of eating in-the-season. There is nothing like fresh sour cherries or royal plums from the tree, or those first crisp apples! But don’t miss the more subtle offerings: parsley that is ready all summer long – wanting to be dehydrated for use all winter, the kale we can literally pick every day and it never stops producing. Gardeners have carefully tended our food plants since the weather warmed up, so be open to all the ways its giving back to us. In some cases the more we pick, the more will keep coming. When we let vegetables like peas, beans and cucumbers stay on the plant longer than needful, they start to over ripen in an effort to produce viable seed, signaling the plant that producing time is over. We sabotage our quality and quantity by not constantly harvesting.
Picking cucumbers every few days as they ripen will keep the plant producing. You’ll have some to enjoy today, some to give away, and some to put up for winter for several weeks. Same with tomatoes: freshly sliced on toasted sourdough, in your green salad of course, fresh bruschetta on fresh sourdough, fresh salsa, roasted pasta sauce, – enough to share and enough to put up for winter.
STORE WHAT YOU EAT AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE
Preserving means no waste, and extending the season – but never at the expense of eating IN the season. We really can have plenty of both. And there are several different ways to preserve, some more suitable than others, each with it’s own advantages, disadvantages and optimum shelf life. Not all methods are suitable for all produce. Be open minded and employ a variety of methods to take advantage of the best options. When you eat what you store, you will have greater success in keeping your food properly rotated.
When harvesting, be GENTLE. All fruits and vegetables are easily bruised and damaged which will affect how long they will last. Use injured produce immediately, and the less severely injured ones as soon as possible. Go through your stored vegetables frequently, discarding all that are showing signs of spoilage.
COLD STORAGE Choose the coolest area in your house or garage that is clean with no risk of freezing. Do everything you can to keep it cool: lowest level if you’ve got a basement, no windows, outside walls if possible, no carpet, no heating vents, dark. Vegetables like potatoes and onions will last for months, beets for a couple weeks at best. If you have a very cold room, you may even be able to keep carrots packed in CLEAN sand for an additional month or two, and possibly even cabbage short term if its cool enough. It is a temporary short term storage method, extending the season another month or two – the key being to EAT it, don’t leave it there for months. Rotation is important. Most modern homes are not built for cold storage.
REFRIGERATION Room is always an issue in any fridge and over packing your fridge reduces its effectiveness to keep everything at a consistently cold enough but not too cold temperature. Additional fridges are additional costs involved in running them. It is an excellent, though temporary, short term storage method. Count your time in weeks at best. Eat your food storage to keep it rotated.
FREEZING Again room is an issue, and leaving foods too long in the freezer is a common problem. Rotate your frozen food, first-in first-out. Short to medium short term storage when properly prepared, packed and labeled.
CANNING Two methods of canning: hot water bath using boiling water reaching 212 degrees F, and pressure canner which uses steam and pressure to reach 250 degrees F. When hot water bath canning fruits and tomatoes, I always add lemon juice or vinegar – depending on the flavour its going to give the fruit. To a quart its recommended to add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice or 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) vinegar.
JAMS, JELLIES AND SYRUPS I always can these lovelies in a hot water process. It is possible to freeze jams but I choose not. Freezing always seems to require more sugar, and freezer space is a premium in my house.
DEHYDRATING is one of the oldest ways to preserve foods, keeping them safe to eat and maintaining reasonable nutrition. Estimates are that up to 80% of original food value is preserved. Times to dehydrate range from 1-2 hours to 24+ hours, depending on what you’re drying. Pay particular attention to ensure there is no remaining moisture in individual pieces.
Do NOT dehydrate high fat foods such as avocados, olives or nut butters, or dairy as the risk of food poisoning is too high. I personally do not dehydrate any kind of protein either.
For optimum storage keep in a cool, dry, dark place at temperatures below 60 degrees F or 15 degrees C. Dried foods should be good for up to 12 months depending on storage conditions. Vacuum sealing dehydrated fruits, vegetables and herbs will extend the shelf life for up to 10 years. The vacuum seal prevents oxygen from entering.
PICKLING OR FERMENTING While I have pickled various vegetables over the year: cucumbers, beets and carrots, it seems our family are not big pickle fans so I haven’t kept it up.
We are however, big SAUERKRAUT fans. I like to make a batch of sauerkraut in the late fall – November for the winter.
FREEZE DRYING Freeze drying is a relatively new option in home preserving. Commercially, its been on the market for 40+ years, but a little hard to find. Since the year 2000 its been increasingly more available. The process is two step: 1) Freeze, and 2) remove all remaining moisture WITHOUT thawing. The key to the highest nutritional quality is – how fast can you get it from field to freezer? and how fast can you freeze it? When freeze drying at home, you must have sufficient freezer space to freeze your food in a flat surface layer so that once frozen, the food can be transferred the freeze dryer. Everything will take different times, but to give you an idea of what to expect, blueberries will take approximately 30 hours – up to 40 hours to completely dry. Because blueberries (and other berries like them) have a protective skin on them, each berry must be punctured. If you don’t do that, the outer skin will dry, sealing in the moisture – exactly what you don’t want! Once they’re completely finished it is imperative that you get them sealed in an oxygen free storage container as soon as possible because they will absorb moisture from the air.
Commercially, the process is the same – 1) Freeze, and 2) remove all remaining moisture without thawing through a vacuum like process called sublimation. There are many companies that freeze dry, and I have noticed that not all are the same in their commitment to quality. Again, like for home freeze drying, the key to quality is – how fast can you get it from filed to freezer? and how fast can you freeze it? I have tried many different brands and finally settled on THRIVE LIFE as my brand of choice. There are several reasons for this – all of them relating to their unwavering commitment to quality.
1. They have a list of over 40 items that must be complied with in order to be what they call “Nutrilock” guaranteed. And nothing has their name on it without that symbol.
2. One of the steps in the Nutrilock promise is to Flash Freeze. Typically the time limit is 2 – 4 hours between harvest to frozen. This means that inside of 4 hours, the produce has been picked, washed, chopped, and flash frozen to -40C, sealing in as much nutritional value as possible. I cannot help but consider my own backyard garden: I am hard pressed to get produce out of my garden and ON my own table within four hours! This single assurance bytheway, is very important to me. One of the primary reasons I choose to purchase my freeze dried food rather than freeze dry my own.
I have reflected on this many times over the years, and have several friends who have taken the step into freeze drying their own food. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t considered and even been tempted to buy a freeze dryer. It is cohesive with the way I do things. But the thing that holds me back from this very expensive system, is the fact that I do not believe I can do better or provide a better end product than what I can buy. In all other methods of preserving, I believe I can provide a cleaner and more nutritious end product: canning, freezing and dehydrating. But not when it comes to freeze drying.
Another factor in my decision, is that I cannot provide the variety on my own. And if I do, it will not be as fresh as I require. Thrive Life ensures that all produce is picked at the peak of ripeness – nutritional perfection. They can do this, because of their ability to flash freeze so quickly. For instance, their bananas are picked ripe – every other banana destined for a North American market is picked green).
Once Thrive Life produce is frozen, it is transferred to a facility where it goes into the freeze dryers removing all remaining moisture without thawing – again minimizing loss. That is why it retains its beautiful colour, shape and nutritional value. It comes out of the driers at ZERO moisture and are immediately sealed in cans. Oxygen free + moisture free = no way to decompose, hence an exceptionally long shelf life.
A late summer favourite in our house, we look forward to the apples. Usually coinciding with the beginning of back-to-school time, our apples are ready, and we begin juicing. September smells like apple juice in our house. If the apples are nice then we make a few apple pies to eat and freeze, apple muffins, apple cookies, apples in our salads, apple sauce, apple fruit leather . . . there is no end to the versatility of apples. If your apples are more tart, its not necessary to add lemon juice, but if they’re more sweet, you might want to add 1 T to a pint (500 ml), 2 T to a quart (1 L).
Canning: Yes! As apple wedges as if for pie filling, apple sauce and apple juice. Freezing: Yes! Also cut up as if for pie filling, apple sauce and juice Dehydrating: Yes! Sliced reasonably thinly in wedges or rings.
Canning: not really suitable Freezing: yes Pickling: yes
Beans – green or yellow or purple
Canning: Yes – under pressure. This is my sister’s family’s favourite winter vegetable; consequently she cans dozens of jars every summer. Cooked beans are not a favourite in our house, so I have never canned them. Freezing: Yes. Freeze in whatever meal amount suits your family best. I blanch for two or three minutes then seal into small freezer bags, label and freeze. I find this better suited for our family so that those few of us who like them can enjoy without cooking up to much at a time. Pickling: Yes. Several different types of pickled beans – open your mind and seek out recipes that appeal to you. Dehydrating: No. Texture not good.
Beets can be picked pretty much all July and August as you thin out your rows.
Thinning will allow more room for the beets to grow bigger, and they can be left in the garden till cold weather forces your hand.
Beets are best stored unwashed but with excess soil brushed away, in a ‘cold’ dark place – a cold room or the fridge. Unlike onions and potatoes they can be stored in large food grade plastic bags, but are not suitable to long term shelf life in a cold room. Best place is the fridge. For longer storage, either can, freeze or pickle.
Every year, I look forward to BORSCH, the traditional Eastern European later summer soup, and a national dish in Ukraine.2 click HERE to read my post on Borsch including recipe
Canning: Can in pint or quart jars – because they are a low acid food they must be processed in a pressure canner. Don’t have a pressure canner? Consider pickling them. This you can process with a hot water bath canner. For maximum nutrition, plan to use within 18 months – 2 years.
Freezing: Beets can be frozen with good results. Cook them first. I prefer roasting covered in a hot oven (400 degrees). Keep 1/2 inch or more of their bottom stem to minimize colour bleed, ensuring they stay to their beautiful deep colour. I use a roasting pan, or a casserole dish or even just tin foil – depending on how many you’re doing. Keep them covered. They’ll cook in their own moisture. Or you can boil: cover with water allowing plenty of room in your pot so it doesn’t boil over (big mess). Roasting or boiling, when tender to the fork remove from heat, cool and remove the peel – it will slip off easily in your hands. Slice, cube or grate and package them into freezer bags or containers. Label and freeze. Plan to use before next season for best results.
Pickling: yes Dehydrating: Don’t. You won’t like them. It’s a texture thing.
Berries and Cherries
Canning: Yes – its my suggestion to add 1 T lemon juice to a pint (500 ml) or 2 T to a quart (1 L). Freezing: Yes Dehydrating: Yes Jams: Yes Vinegars: Yes
Carrots can be stored in a high humidity COLD storage room.
Gently wash and trim the tops to within a 1/2 inch, and thoroughly dry before storing. Store only whole, unblemished carrots; refrigeration is highly recommended. Place in large plastic, food grade bags with several breathing holes punched through. Line the bag with a layer of paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Check carrots every few weeks to ensure they’re not drying out, but are also not too wet (I know – sigh). If the paper towels get very wet, replace them. Canning: Carrots can be bottles and processed in a pressure canner. As with beets, if you don’t have one, consider pickling. Freezing: Don’t. That’s all I have to say about that.
Pickling : Yes Dehydrating: yes, but they’re not great and you’ll be tempted to dry way too many than you can use in a reasonable length of time.
Cabbage
Canning: I never have and have no comment Freezing: We often freeze cabbage in the original head, to break down the texture to be better able to make cabbage rolls. Fermenting Cabbage : Sauerkraut. A definite YES!3 Dehydrating: doesn’t sound good to me
to read more about sauerkraut, including how to make it, click HERE
Corn
Corn is best eaten the day it is picked. If needed to pick in advantage, keep as cool as possible and make every effort to use as soon as possible. Suggestion: submerge cobs in ice water right after harvesting, drain and refrigerate with husks on. If the husks have been removed, store in plastic bags, for a few days in the fridge.
Canning: I have canned excess corn before, under pressure in the Pressure Canner. Freezing: My preferred way to store corn. Once the corn is cooked, (we prefer to grill it on the BBQ), we cut the kernels off with a sharp knife. I gather the kernels in a plastic tub. and gently tossed the corn with me hands. Then I pack in serving sized freezer bags. . Pickling: I’ve seen corn used in salsas which are canned, as well as relishes. Personally, I would pressure can these.
Cucumbers
Canning: nope, not unless you’re canning your pickles Freezing: nope Pickling or Fermenting: A definite YES for pickling. Dehydrating: doesn’t sound good Freeze Drying: in small pieces the results are excellent. When home freeze drying I find they don’t stay crisp. It’s tempting to freeze dry in slices, but it seems to work a lot better in dices.
Garlic – as with onions, you can use garlic immediately from the garden,
but for long term storing, as with onions again, it should be cured. Remove all excess dirt and tie in bundles of about 10-12 heads, hang upside down out of the way and out of the sun. Must be cured – as with onions – it is ready to prep and store when it is dry, brown and crispy. Any remaining moisture will promote spoilage down the road.
With scissors cut off the stock, leaving about a 1 inch piece and also remove the root close to the surface. Small paper bags left open at top are perfectly suited for storing garlic in dry dark cold room. Dehydrating: I have never done it myself but I have several friends who do. Slice and dehydrate in a dehydrator. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can dry on a cookie sheet in your oven at the lowest temperature. If you cannot get your oven below 150 degrees, use a wooden spoon to prop your oven oven slightly. Check often to prevent scorching. Once it is thoroughly dry / crispy, powder in a food processer or coffee grinder. A blender will work but you’ll get a lot of powder. Let it settle before opening the lid.
Garlic Salt: My cousin brought me some garlic salt she made herself and now I am a total convert. So doing this myself when I run out. It’s a super simple process. You control the texture of your garlic salt, leave it chunky, coarse or fine – depends on your desired end use.
1 cup coarse kosher salt (non iodized – don’t use regular table salt) 12-15 cloves fresh garlic peeled. Process in food processer until garlic is finely chopped. Spread over parchment line baking sheet and bake 200 degrees till mixture completely dries out. Expect it to take 45-60 minutes.
Baking it makes it a little clumpy, so after its cooled, either crush it in a mortar and pestle or run through your food processer again, or throw it in your high powered blender if you want a finer texture.
Most of the herbs I grow get dehydrated for winter use. The exceptions are dill weed and chives. Dill weed is too delicate to dry – it loses all that makes it wonderful. So I chop it and freeze it, scraping out of its container with a fork while its still frozen and returning to the freezer immediately. Chives are also too delicate to dry – becoming ‘woody’ in my opinion, so I chop and freeze them too.
Small amounts of thin leafed herbs (basil, mint, oregano, parsley, tarragon, thyme) – dry on a clean towel on the table or counter. Larger amounts or thick leaves I put in the dehydrator.
Dandelion roots – I wash, chop and dry roast them in the oven. Store in glass jar away from direct light.
Dill– I am generally interested in the green weed. I pick when they’re green and lush throughout mid summer, swish in cool water then put in a salad spinner to take excess water off. Chop with a sharp knife on board and scrape into a freezer container. Label and seal. Freeze. To use, I simple scrape the chopped weed out of its container with a fork while its still frozen and return to the freezer immediately.
Horseradish – you can make horseradish sauce or freeze it in clumps. It will lose some of its pungency, so plan to use in 6 months. to read more about horse radish including recipes click HERE
Pesto – Pesto is one of my favourite summer traditions. I used to think it was synonymous with basil and at one time it was, but this is a brave new world we’re living in, and pesto can also come from parsley, radish greens, carrot greens, nasturtiums or any combination thereof, or any other flavour you want to preserve.
to learn more about pesto, including recipes click HERE. In the link are several different posts about different ways to make pesto using a variety of herbs. Be creative and have fun experimenting.
Kale
Canning: nope Freezing: I’ve heard it freezes well, but I’ve never frozen it. Freezer space is in short supply at our house. Dehydrating: This is my personal preference. Easy to do and easy to use later. Two to three hours in the dehydrator depending on how full your racks are, and then pack away in a glass jar. Label, and keep out of direct sunlight.
These jars are 2 quart size and you’d be amazed by how much dehydrated kale is in each of these jars. I use it throughout the winter in many dishes, just scooping out of the jar and adding it to soups, stews, chilies and sauces of all kinds.
Freeze drying: One of my favourite freeze dried vegetables. Currently a limited time item with Thrive Life, so keep your eye on it. When it comes back in, grab a few cans.
Onions can be used from the garden as needed all summer long
especially when the bulb starts to round out, but by late summer you’ll notice the tops begin to flop over, giving the signal that the plant has stopped growing. They’re ready to harvest.
To dig, carefully loosen the soil around your onions with a garden fork, then gently pull them up by their tops. Best to keep the full stem intact until fully dry. If the weather is dry with no danger of frost overnight, lay the plants out in the garden for a day or two to dry out. If the weather is not in your favour, move them to a protected area – perhaps the floor of the garage or a covered porch.
Curing onions is the term used to prepare them for long term storage, and is absolutely necessary. The outer layers dry out, tightening around the bulbs to effectively protect them, keeping the onion firm longer. Its a simple process: make sure they have plenty of air space for circulation – ideally outside but protected from the sun. Either hang or lay out. That’s it. You do you, but take care not to bump or bruise them. And don’t rush this process, drying takes TIME, and properly curing onions means you can enjoy the harvest all winter long. Taking shortcuts will prevent proper curing, and the onion bulbs will turn soft and mushy. Curing onions allows them to be stored at room temperature, so even a kitchen pantry would be sufficient if it was nice and dark.
*note: if you only have a few onions and you think you’ll use them up in a few weeks, don’t worry about curing. Go ahead and put them in your fridge.
Either hang or lay out, you do you, but don’t rush the process. Drying takes TIME
Onions are sufficiently cured when the necks are completely tight and dry and the stems contain no moisture. Use scissors to trim the roots to about 1/2 inch, and the leaves to about 1 inch. Like potatoes, onions should be kept cool and dark – with good air circulation. The same kind of containers are suitable. If the onions are exposed to light for any long stretches, they may sprout new green leaves. Use any onions that have been bruised or damaged first as they will not last as long.
Its tempting to store onions with potatoes because their needs are similar, but potatoes release moisture as they age which can encourage onions to develop soft spots, so keep a reasonable distance between them.
Not all onions are intended for long storage. Generally, the milder or (or sweeter) onions are intended for short term use. Stronger (or more pungent) flavoured onions may retain quality for up to a year if cured properly. These are things to consider when selecting the type of onion you want to grow in the spring.
Canning: no Freezing: Yes but. . . . I’ve seen my dad put on goggles and chop tons of onions by hand for hours so that he could freeze them for ready use. That was enough for me to never want to do the same thing. I do not freeze. Dehydrating: Yes, but personally I’d take the dehydrator outside to do it. The idea of that smell lingering in the house for days is not appealing to me.
Freeze drying: Yes! I don’t freeze dry them myself – I prefer the quality of Thrive Life Chopped Onions. 4 For sure one of my must-haves at home, chopped or sliced.
Parsnips – same as carrots.
Peas
Canning: Yes, under pressure Freezing: Yes Dehydrating: Yes, but . . . . I don’t like them. Freeze Drying: YES! They’re great to snack on, and when they’re refreshed, taste just like fresh from the garden. 5
as it converts starch into sugars changing the texture. Cool is good, COLD is not. A nice dark area is necessary as light turns potatoes green. Keep them in a breathable storage container like a cotton or burlap bag, paper bag, basket, or a cardboard or wooden box. Use injured potatoes first – those that may have been damaged with a shovel when harvesting, those with blemishes, those with splits or anything else not perfect. Those injury spots will begin to spoil so use them first. Continue to go through them from time to time, removing any that look like they are starting to rot.
Canning: Yes, under pressure Freezing: No Dehydrating: Yes Freeze Drying: Yes . . . . sort of. I’ve used it commercially freeze dried.
Potatoes are easy to store: choose the coolest area you have (NOT the fridge) and keep them in the dark with as much air circulation as possible. No plastic bags or tubs.
handle Pumpkins and other winter squash gently
as dents and scrapes will introduce decay. Clean the surface by wiping with cool water in which a capful of bleach has been added. This kills bacteria that will quickly gain a foothold in any injury spots, including cuts when you carve a jack-o-lantern. After its been disinfected, dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth before storing it. Keep your pumpkins cool, dry and dark and they’ll reward you by lasting several months. Slight freezing or even too cold will break down the tissue and make the pumpkin soft, but too warm is a problem too. Keep them out of direct sunlight. Best place is in your cold room or garage as long as it doesn’t freeze. Keep them off the cement floor with cardboard, a blanket, wood slats or on a shelf. And try to keep them from touching each other to allow them to breathe.
Canning: Yes, in chunks not puree – and always under pressure Freezing: Yes, but the texture gets watery. I don’t care for the final result Dehydrating: No. Freeze Drying: Yes
Rhubarb – the best friend you never gave the time of day to
Canning: Yes! I cold pack macerated rhubarb into pints, using the juice of the rhubarb and sugar as liquid. 10 minutes in a hot water bath. I don’t feel the need to add any lemon juice or vinegar, as it is acidic enough already. We use this to top yogurt or oatmeal on winter mornings.
Also, rhubarb is foundational in most of my red jams. Freezing: Yes! Wash, chop, bag and freeze. I use the frozen rhubarb in smoothies for an especially refreshing drink. Dehydrating: Yes, but only as fruit leather. By itself or as a base with strawberries, raspberries, plums, and many other flavour companions. Be creative. Yes you can dry rhubarb in small pieces, but it is not a nice texture or flavour and is hard to find uses for. Freeze Drying: Yes
to read more about Rhubarb including recipes, click HERE6
Sorrel and other Greens such as Spinach, Swiss Chard and Amaranth
Canning; nope Freezing: Yes. Lightly blanch and pack into small freezer bags, label and freeze. Dehydrating: nope Freeze Drying: YES
Tomatoes are why I garden
Canning; YES! I always 2 T vinegar to a pint (500 ml) or up to 4 T to a quart (1 L). Freezing: YES! Dehydrating: YES! Freeze Drying: YES! but I find the texture very delicate and that it absorbs moisture from the air very quickly
to learn more about tomatoes including recipes click HERE
Zucchini is the master of disguise
Canning: Yes under pressure Freezing: Yes but texture will be watery Dehydrating: Yes – my preferred method of long term storage Freeze Drying: YES! but I find the texture gets a little spongy after a while
Fruit Leather
Fruit leather! Apple leather – rhubarb leather – any kind of fruit leather. Mix it up. Apple pear. Rhubarb raspberry. Plum! Whatever you’ve got on hand that needs to be used up, turn it into a delicious, nutritious snack to grab all winter long.7
to read more about fruit leather including recipes click HERE
Vinegars
Take your favourite flavours from the growing season and use them to flavour vinegars.8
to read more about vinegars including recipes, click HERE
Tips for storing your preserved foods
Don’t just stash your food and forget about it. You’ve done half the job, but finish it by protecting it, making it accessible and learning to incorporate it into your daily life.
I cannot overstate the importance of STORING WHAT YOU EAT and EATING WHAT YOUR STORE.
In many cases the shelf life of your food will depend on where and how its stored.
Pay attention to the risks : Humidity – Light – Oxygen – Temperature Variations – Pests (insects and mice)
Humidity/Moisture: If dried food picks up moisture molds and bacteria will grow. Moisture can also damage packaging material, and rust jar rings. In areas of high humidity, using moisture absorbers and investing in a dehumidifier is a good idea. OFF the floor especially if the floor is cement.
Light: Direct light, especially sunlight can speed deterioration
Temperature: Optimal temperatures are cool, ranging from a low of 40F (above freezing risk) to maximum of 70F. All food will react badly to heat. Canned food should not be allowed to freeze – freezing will compromise seals. Dehydrated foods can freeze but continual freeze-thaw is detrimental. Even freeze dried food will have its exceptionally long shelf life significantly reduced by heat, and in continuous freeze-thaw conditions.
Pests: Protect your food storage from pests. Moths, ants and mice belong outside but they don’t always stay there, and once they’ve found their way into your food storage – it will be unsafe for you. Glass, food grade plastics and metal are excellent protection but not always practical in every situation. Do the best you can with what you’ve got. Keep food off the ground and off the floor! Aside from being more susceptible to insects, it is also more vulnerable to water damage should that sad event occur.
Preserve responsibly. Pay attention to cleanliness and details like full boiling and timing when canning, full moisture removal when dehydrating, blanching and packaging when freezing. Cleanliness extends to your storage area. Keep it CLEAN.
Label . You think you’ll remember but you WON’T, and even if you did – you may not be the one who uses it.
Shop for Dinner from your Food Storage. Routinely go through it to ensure that seals are still intact, food is still properly packaged, no signs of pests or mould, and to ROTATE it. USE it!
STORE WHAT YOU EAT and EAT WHAT YOU STORE. I know, I know, you’ve seen it before. It is the single most important rule. If you don’t eat what you store, you’ve wasted your time, energy and expense.
the final word (words)
Eating a nutritious and balanced diet with variety is the best way to protect our health. It gives our bodies the best chance to take care of themselves. That extends into the non growing seasons, those of us who live in northern climates must think about winter, so we store food.
* Storing food properly is the key to protecting ourselves and our families WITH continued good health and FROM foodborne illnesses.
* You cannot always tell when food is unsafe by its appearance, smell or taste. Botulism for instance cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. When in doubt, throw it out!
* Preserving your garden produce is the next-to-final step in the blessings and benefits of growing a garden. It is soul satisfying. The last step of course is to continue to enjoy the produce throughout the winter.
I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions, as well as some of your success stories as well as things you’ve learned from failures.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Utensils: large spoon or ladle to fill jars, and a simple table knife to remove air bubbles.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
It’s about choosing your life partner with eyes WIDE OPEN – because getting married is NO SMALL THING!
This post may seem quite a departure from what I usually write about, but in actual fact, if anything – it is foundational for our family. I am posting it, because I’ve had so many requests for the information that it made sense to have it accessible this way instead of printing it off every time. And in actual fact, it is a living document – meaning it gets amended from time to time as life and circumstances dictate. Sometimes I am reminded of another ‘question’ that should be addressed, so I add it.
When we were engaged Dan and I lived in different cities, and consequently spent many hours on the phone and on the highway. Talking. We talked about important things. We talked about dumb things – some of which turned out to be more important than we expected. We talked about who and where we came from, our goals and aspirations, our values and priorities, traditions and parenting styles we admired, our religious beliefs, things that made us laugh and tick, and our “non-negotiables“. We talked about WHY we wanted to get married and what we expected out of marriage. We found common ground and we ironed out differences. We made promises to each other about things we’d do and things we’d never do.
Years later I was repeatedly amazed at how glad I was for those long uninterrupted conversations. They weren’t always fun bytheway, some led to hurt feelings and there were tears, and some became arguments of ideals. But they set the ground work for the next 40+ years. Many of those commitments we made still stand as absolutes in our life.
I had assumed that everyone had those conversations before they married and came to eventual common ground on important issues, OR decided there was not enough common ground and parted. I was shocked to hear from friends married decades who still had disagreements about things as basic as how to give gifts and how to celebrate Christmas. I asked one of my friends how it was that they hadn’t worked that out before they were married. She said they never thought about it. Plain and simply – it never occurred to them to discuss those things then and now years later, they still don’t. They just muscle through them when necessary and try to minimize the resulting misunderstanding and hurt. Till the next time it comes up.
When my daughter became engaged I wondered when she and her fiancée would find the time to talk about all these things. I worried about what would happen if they didn’t.
I drafted up a list of questions that I was glad Dan and I had addressed when we did, and some that came up later that I wished we had.
I called the list – Engagement Questions because I couldn’t think of anything more clever or creative. The idea behind them was to take as little baggage to the alter as possible. I’ve added to and amended the list many times since then and have given it to all my children, nieces and nephews, friends and anyone else who asked for it. Now I’m giving it to my grandkids. And now you.
My daughter and her fiancée didn’t get married bytheway. They realized they couldn’t resolve some pretty important differences. Yes it was heartbreaking when they ended their relationship, but much easier before the alter than after. One son and his fiancée also chose not to get married with another heartbreak. Those are hard things to go through, I know. But getting married is serious business, and deserves serious preparation. I am happy to say that since then, both of them found their eternal companions that they built a life together with.
Too often more time, energy and means are dedicated to preparing for the wedding than for the marriage. In actual fact, when it comes right down to it, how much do the wedding details matter later (the grand reception, the gifts received, the honeymoon or even the guests), when compared to the marriage? One day compared to the rest of your life, and in my religious beliefs – marriages can be eternal. That’s a long time. Most of us can prepare BETTER for marriage than we do. In fact it is critical that we do.
I highly recommend these kinds of conversations.
it began with our story
During our courting year, we lived almost four hours apart by car. I was in grade 12 and living on the air base in Cold Lake Alberta. Dan lived in Edmonton. We met two years earlier at my sister’s wedding, just weeks before my family moved back up to Cold Lake – my dad being transferred there. I stayed in Edmonton for another couple weeks till the end of summer, completing my commitment to babysit for some family friends.
Dan and I dated casually, knowing that I was leaving, but we were too young and the distance was too much for any lasting relationship. We stayed in touch from time to time the old fashioned way – letters, and he even drove up to see me once or twice, and I saw him a time or two when I came to Edmonton over the next two years. Then one day on a whim, on my way home from spending the summer in Vancouver with my sister and her husband, I phoned him and we reconnected in a new way. I was 17 years old and just going into my final year of high school. Dan was 21. I know, both still so young. Kids really.
Two weeks later Dan came to Cold Lake to see me on a Saturday. We went on a picnic at one of the beautiful lakes in the area, and after that, we spoke regularly. He came to see me every weekend, arriving Friday, staying till Sunday. I spent Sunday mornings at church, so he joined me. Only weeks into our renewed relationship, he proposed and I accepted, beginning a long distance courtship that involved lots of time on the phone, letters and weekend visits while I finished high school. We also spent lots of hours on the highway between our two families that year which allowed for a lot of time to ‘talk’.
Four driving hours each way – and radio reception was sketchy at best, so we talked. About everything. I was young, energetic, creative and very idealistic. I was exploring my religion attending seminary every weekday morning and church every Sunday, anxious to go into the world after graduating and make it a better place. He was more pragmatic and down to earth. We talked about our families and backgrounds, our personal histories and experiences, our religious beliefs and personal values, and our aspirations for the future. We talked about our individual family circumstances, relationships, habits and traditions, the things we liked about our upbringings and the things we’d change in our own future family. We talked about music and literature. We talked about extended family and our relationship with them; I had cousins by the dozens, he had nine. I didn’t know there were people in the world with so few cousins and he couldn’t believe I knew all my cousin’s names let alone had meaningful memories of them all. I loved all my aunts and uncles, he hardly knew his. We talked about traditions, and the ways our families celebrated holidays like Christmas. His family teased and poked fun – my family could not be teased and poking fun was hurtful. Because he was with us every weekend, he saw my family in all their colours: the good, the bad and the ugly. I saw his family to a lesser degree but we both understood that we were products of where we came from.
Although from the outside looking in, we appeared very similar and perhaps even an easy match – over the course of these long car-ride discussions, we discovered many differences between us. Yes, for all intents and purposes, we came from similar cultural backgrounds, we were both ‘Christian’, and we had even both grown up on military bases in military homes. But our experiences and viewpoints on important things were very different. Neither of our families were religiously inclined, but I was, and was becoming ever more so as I got older. This created many more differences in our individual views of the world and our futures, particularly our combined prospective ‘future’.
How grateful I am for those long conversations. There was hardly a single piece of music we both enjoyed, but through it all – we found shared core values that were strengthening, and mutual respect for each other, including for our differences. We agreed on important ways to navigate our life together, and we made commitments toward certain courses of action we would take. We promised to never speak ill of each other, never to raise our voices to each other, speak in anger, swear or be abusive. We promised to be united in parenting, and to never argue in front of our future children. We promised to work out our differences privately and to always present a united front to our children. We promised to keep the ‘word of wisdom’ which is to avoid alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substances.
I am not going to pretend that life has been a bowl of cherries, or that we didn’t continue to find differences after we were married, or that we were perfectly obedient to the commitments we’d made in those long car rides. But I am going to say those conversations became foundational and helped us understand each other. We referred back to those commitments we made over and over again as we navigated married life for many years after. And that is the whole point. There will always be differences that we have to figure out, and curve balls we didn’t see coming, but doesn’t it sound like a good idea to minimize those as much as possible in the months preceding the wedding? I mean how much time do couples spend creating a gift registry? Or the details of their wedding? I assumed all married couples had that same experience of ‘learning’ about each other and how best to put two lives together, but I’ve been amazed over the years to discover many did not.
Flash forward many years, when our daughter became engaged and it occurred to me that she and her new fiancée didn’t have long hours of driving to talk about everything that ‘mattered’. When would they have those discussions with all the distractions they had? I worried about all those inevitable ‘differences’ and when they would be sorted out. We all have baggage when we enter a new relationship, but wasn’t the point to start life together by taking as few ‘bags’ to the alter as possible?
I thought about all the things Dan and I had talked about as we got to know each other. I thought about the commitments we made to each other based on those discussions, and in particular, those commitments that had sustained us through rough times.
I started writing some of them down, and the list grew from what we had discussed and found helpful, to things that I wish we’d known enough to discuss and which may have been helpful. This is that list. It has evolved and been amended many times over the years as the need arose. For all intents and purposes as mentioned, it has become a living, breathing document. It was given to each of my children in their courting months, and offered to all of my nieces and nephews and even my grandchildren. I hope that it has been of value to them – I believe it has, to the degree that it was taken seriously. Perhaps it might be of value to you or someone you love who is beginning a marriage.
the list
This list of questions is intended to be the beginning of ongoing dialogue between couples who are seriously dating toward marriage. Ultimately, its purpose is to increase understanding and mutual respect between you both and to prevent the bringing of unnecessary problems and differences to the marriage alter. Please go through them together, in the order that they are presented as they are designed to progress one section per week, from Temporal to Spiritual. Take your time, don’t rush through them. Don’t delude yourselves into believing these things won’t matter in the future, or that they’ll simply resolve themselves or disappear. That’s taking a pretty big risk.
You may discover one or two questions are repeated – this is not an accident. It is intended that the question be considered from a different perspective. Perhaps in your discussions, you might realize you have new insight. It is not necessary for you both to agree on everything or to attach equal importance to everything. How could that even be possible? Siblings don’t agree on everything and they were raised by the same parents in the same house. What matters is that whether you agree or not, you respect the other’s viewpoint. Sometimes that’s all you can do, and then simply go forward.
Often times what is important to one, is not so important to the other. In our case that happened a lot, so we agreed that if one partner didn’t really care about an issue, it was easy to defer to the one who felt strongly. For instance, it was important to Dan to use good “table manners”. He was particular about what that table etiquette was. As a youth he had admired a friend’s family’s dedication to this simple and respectful habit and he decided then that he wanted that in his future family. It was important to him to have a proper table set for every meal. None of this grabbing a bowl and a comic book and scarfing down your meal. I didn’t have strong feelings about it one way or the other, but I could see it was important to him. I agreed that we would always do that, especially once our kids came along. When they did, Dan often travelled for work during the week, so there were frequent meals when he wasn’t present. I faithfully set the table and taught table etiquette whether he was there or not. Over the years, it became more important to me as well, and when our kids grew into young adults and found themselves in various social situations, they were confident and comfortable in every circumstance. I was always grateful that had become part of our life. It is far more common in our household for me to have strong feelings about the way things should be done. Dan is generally more easy going and laissez faire about most things, so I’ll admit – we generally lean to the way I like things done.
WARNING: I have spoken to some who felt that answering the “right” way would win them brownie points, and that “if I didn’t say that [he/she] wouldn’t have married me“. That is so wrong! On every single level its ‘wrong’. And it’s a set up for disaster – which I have seen play out. Trust is one of the most basic foundational elements of a happy marriage. By misrepresenting yourself in discussing these questions, you not only show yourself as a person void of self confidence (that you couldn’t be straightforward), but much worse, you violate TRUST. Self confidence can improve over time in a loving relationship, but starting marriage out on a bed of lies, is to trample what should be sacred to all marriage partners – Trust. You owe it to yourself, your potential partner and your future families to be open, upfront and honest from the beginning, and to be SAFE for your partner to be just as open and honest. You are in a HEALTHY relationship when you can express your deep feelings even if they differ from your partners. The stakes are too high to be anything less.
Having said that – I concur with psychologist, marriage counsellor and author Doug Brinley when he expressed the view point that any civilized society must allow divorce – the alternative is unthinkable. However, “commitment” is a pretty important factor in marriage that can outlast most other things. It’s entirely possible that at some point years down the road, you may go for a time when you wonder if you still love each other. Commitment will get you through that. If you’re not willing to commit to ‘commitment’, then perhaps you are not ready to marry.
Temporal
1. Finances: Money, and the use of it, is unavoidably part of our everyday lives and is one of the biggest causes for contention, arguments, and divorce.
– What is my / your / our – commitment toward TITHING? What is my / your testimony regarding this important commandment? What do I pay tithing based on – the gross or the net? How do I determine that? How strict am I in my obedience? We know that tithing is a principle with a promise. What promise? What blessings do I expect in return for my obedience? Is it wrong to expect a blessing when I am obedient to the principle upon which it is founded?
– Who will handle the day-to-day finances?
– What are our long term financial goals?
– What sacrifices are we prepared to make to reach those goals?
– What are our financial goals for the next year? For the next five years?
– What kind of a budget will we set up? What kind of commitment will we have to it?
– How will we pay for dentist bills? Eye glasses? Prescriptions? Car repairs? Emergency purchases like a new furnace? New fridge?
– How will we make large purchases?
– The strong counsel of the church has always been to stay out of unnecessary debt. What would constitute unnecessary debt? What is debt justified for?
– How do I personally / you personally / we – feel about debt? What commitment do we have to adhering to the counsel of prophets on this important subject?
– What purchases would we consider going into debt for?
– Credit cards are a valuable tool in our world. They are also the vehicle for a terrible form of bondage. In what ways is this true? What is my commitment toward the use of credit cards? What am I willing to do without in order to keep that commitment?
– How will we fit gifts into our budget? For each other? For others? How will we plan to pay for Christmas?
– What is normal in my family / your family – regarding gift giving? What is tradition? What do I / you want to continue? What adjustments are we willing to make in order to be unified in this area?
– Regarding gifts, does equal mean ‘the same’ / identical? Do we need to provide the ‘same’ way in order to provide equally? Do we need to spend the ‘same’ in all things in order to be equal? Do our individual needs, need to be ‘the same’ in order to be of equal importance?
– Keeping in mind that we come from two entirely different backgrounds, what is important to one family, may not be important (or even meaningful) to the other. If one family has never done something before, and has no expectation of it, how necessary is it to begin doing it, simply to keep things ‘equal’ between our two families? What examples can we think of that this might apply to? What can we do to avoid this being a contentious issue? What changes or compromises do I/you/we feel are important to make so that we bring the best of both our upbringings to this area, and so that we are both comfortable?
– What things, or in what areas do I/you personally consider important enough to spend money that may not be an area others would consider important? What do I/you consider unimportant? What do I/you consider a waste of money? What would I/you really have a problem justifying spending money on?
– What do I consider fair in the way of financial accountability to each other, and what do I consider over the top and being too controlling or too controlled?
– There is a big difference between the financial struggle that accompanies shared goals, effort, sacrifice and growth, and when that ‘struggle’ morphs into feelings of helplessness and even despair. Although uncomfortable, struggle and growth are healthy and good. But there is no peace in debt. Living beyond our means soon enough causes distress. Financial distress causes despair. In what ways is despair different than struggle? How will we be able to tell the difference? What will we do if somehow, we have allowed ourselves to get into a financial situation that causes despair? What measures will we take to rescue ourselves?
– What commitment do we make to stand on our own two feet as a new family?
– At what point do we go to our families and ask for help? How do we avoid or prevent ourselves from asking for help too frequently and expecting someone else to repeatedly rescue us from poor choices we’ve made? Who will we feel comfortable asking for help? When do we ask for help? And what arrangements do we make to repay that help?
– How important is it to share our good fortune with others? What obligation should we feel toward being charitable? What does charity mean to me/you? Is giving without sacrifice really charity? What sacrifices are we willing to make to help another in need?
2. Careers: no matter what your career choices, making a living and your personal satisfaction in it is a foundational part of your life together.
What are his or her long range career goals?
Where does he or she realistically expect to be career-wise in one year? Five years? Ten years?
What effort will be required to achieve these goals?
What sacrifices are we prepared to make to accomplish these goals?
What skills will we have acquired sufficiently and have enough experience in, to fall back on if or when an additional wage is needed?
What are we willing to do to ensure that she or he has an additional marketable skill?
Will she work after children come into the family?
What are our feelings about mom being in the home? What are our family backgrounds in this area? What are each of our personal priorities? How has my/your attitude and commitment been influenced by the experiences and priorities we grew up with?
How important is it to me that our children have a mom home fulltime? And for how long? How important is it to you?
The Proclamation on the Family states: “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”
How important is it to us that we are in line with this or any other prophetic counsel?
What adjustments in our attitudes and perspectives do we need to make to be reconciled with this prophetic counsel?
What are we willing to sacrifice to achieve this?
3. Family roles and household responsibilities: In marriage – little things are BIG things. I am convinced it is important to have roles established. Roles are important, they create structure.
For instance: in our marriage, the house has always been MY responsibility although Dan is quick to help whenever it was needed. Providing financially has always been Dan’s responsibility, but I have always done whatever possible to help ease the burden while still maintaining a strong presence in the home. Cars and the lawns have always been Dan’s domain, while gardening has always been mine, although we’ve both chipped in when needed. Dan does the heavy work, I do the ‘fiddley’ work. Dan enjoys barbequing (as did my dad), I enjoy indoor cooking. Dan wants meat so he, for the most part cooks it, otherwise we would be eating much less of it. Those were our established ‘roles’, that we ourselves chose and were comfortable with. At times however, necessity demanded that we adjusted – sometimes dramatically for a time. Like when we bought the store – and I managed it for the twenty years we owned it. That was an ‘adjustment’, sometimes even a painful adjustment, but it was not a permanent reversal of roles. When the need abated, former rolls fell back into place. – Cindy Suelzle
What are your priorities in the area of roles and expectations? In our house, we refer to “The Proclamation on the Family” for guidance. “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation..” 1
– How will the chores be divided up? How will they differ or adjust if or when ‘she’ quits work to nurture children? Or continues working?
– Who will take responsibility for what area?
– What are our role definitions?
– What are our role expectations?
– What skills do I need to acquire or improve upon to be a better wife/mother/nurturer?
– What skills do I need to acquire or improve upon to be a better husband/father/provider?
– What am I willing to do to learn better skills, and what am I prepared to do to help YOU learn and grow in your responsibilities?
4. Health, Food and Nutrition:
– What do we consider important here?
– How will we deal with minor illnesses in our family? What kinds of medication do I consider appropriate? How will we deal with major illnesses?
– Review Section 89 of the D&C. How do we interpret this section? What are our insights? To what extent are we willing to follow the noncompulsory parts of its direction?
– What kind of responsibility do I feel toward proper nutrition? What are my standards on the “quality” of the food we buy or grow and feed our family?
– What foods are “comfort foods” to me? or my personal or traditional favorites? Do I have an opinion on the ‘type’ of foods we eat as a family?
– Am I willing to have new food experiences? What foods do I have a strong dislike to? How will we compromise here?
5. Family Preparedness and Food Storage:
When we were newly married, we decided on some basic things which we thought were important to acquire for our independence and self reliance. ie: a few flashlights, coal oil lanterns with extra wicks and sufficient oil for many days use, wheat grinder, food dehydrator, canner, sufficient jars for home canning, juicer, battery operated radio etc. Money was always scarce but the motivation was high. We used birthdays and Christmases and any other opportunity to acquire them for each other, put on a wish list or sacrifice to purchase. – Cindy
– What are our priorities in the area of Family Preparedness and Emergency Preparedness? What is the difference?
– What are our goals? What are we prepared to do to meet these goals?
– There is strong counsel to STORE WHAT YOU EAT, AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE. To store food you don’t normally eat, doesn’t make any sense at all. But to not eat what you’ve got stored to keep it constantly rotated makes even less, and leads to waste. Wasted food = wasted money.
– What are our individual opinions on the counsel to store food? How do we feel about that counsel and what is my/your/our commitment to it?
– How does that counsel fit into what we see going on in the world around us?
– How much of our family budget are we prepared to spend building up and then maintaining our year’s supply of food and other necessities?
– How will we obey the prophet’s counsel to plant a garden in whatever living situation we find ourselves? Remember that he gives us no commandment without providing a way for us to accomplish that thing.
6. Entertainment and Gifts:
President Hinckley said “When there is a good movie in town, consider going to the theater as a family. Your very patronage will give encouragement to those who wish to produce this type of entertainment. . . . There is so much that is good, but it requires selectivity. . . . . In large measure, we get what we ask for.” “…if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” A/F 13
– What is my favorite type of entertainment? – What would I consider doing as a regular form of entertainment? – On a monthly basis? – On a once in awhile basis? – On a seasonal/yearly/anniversary celebration basis? – How much money would I consider fair and reasonable to budget/spend on these forms of entertainment? – Some couples do not give gifts to each other. Some consider it very important. How do I feel about it? How do YOU feel about it? If our opinions differ, what will we do here? – What would I expect in the way of a birthday gift? Christmas gift? Anniversary gift? – What would disappoint me and hurt my feelings concerning a gift from you? – What would I absolutely love to receive from you? – What type of gift would always be a hit with me?
7. Personal standards:
Personal standards are hugely important, and they affect every facet of our lives. We are ruled by our own personal standards. So, what are mine? Am I consistent with them? Do they transition smoothly to all areas?
President Hinckley said “The flood of pornographic filth, the inordinate emphasis on sex and violence are not peculiar to North America. The situation is as bad in Europe and in many other areas. The whole dismal picture indicates a weakening rot seeping into the very fiber of society. Legal restraints against deviant moral behavior are eroding under legislative enactments and court opinions. This is done in the name of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of choice in so-called personal matters. But the bitter fruit of these so-called freedoms has been enslavement to debauching habits and behavior that leads only to destruction. A prophet, speaking long ago, aptly described the process when he said, “And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21). ……. I am satisfied that there is no need to stand still and let the filth and violence overwhelm us or to run in despair. The tide, high and menacing as it is, can be turned back if enough … will add their strength to the strength of the few who are now effectively working. I believe the challenge to oppose this evil is one from which [we], as citizens, cannot shrink. …. Respect for self is the beginning of virtue. That man [woman] who knows that he/she is a child of God, created in the image of a divine [parent] and gifted with a potential for the exercise of great and godlike virtues, will discipline himself against the sordid, lascivious elements to which all are exposed. Said Alma to his son Helaman, “Look to God and live” (Alma 37:47).” – Gordon B. Hinckley
– How do I feel about protecting my home, my family and myself from the plague of Pornography? – What steps am I prepared to take to assure we are not poisoned by it? – What about inappropriate music? And other forms of entertainment which chase away the spirit of God? – How do I feel about the prophet’s admonition to not watch R–rated movies, or anything like unto them? – How important is it to me to have the spirit of the Lord in my home at all times? What am I prepared to do to make sure it is always there? – Do I sup from the scriptures daily? And do I consider it important to study daily as a couple and family? – How will we do this? What commitment will we make to each other to continue? – If circumstances interfere from time to time, what will we do to get back-on-the-wagon? – How important is it to me to align myself with the counsel of the leaders of the church? Of what value is this in my life? – How important is it to me to have a clean house? What does this even look like to me? What am I prepared to do to accomplish this? – Do we have similar standards on personal hygiene/grooming? Are we compatible in this area? – How important is it to me to keep a close relationship with my immediate and extended family? – What am I prepared to do to learn to appreciate and come to love YOUR family? -If one of my siblings needs help, what obligation will I feel toward them? Will I feel the same obligation to one of your siblings?
Etiquette is a societal thing; it changes from one society to another, but wherever you live, it is very important. It is a set of ‘norms’ of personal behaviour in polite society. They show respect to others. Eating at someone else’s table where you don’t understand their etiquette can be offensive, disrespectful, intimidating and embarrassing. Learning regional and cultural variances is easy to adjust to when you have a good foundational knowledge of some basics. Understanding and being comfortable with good table manners will always put an individual in the advantage. – Cindy Suelzle
– How important are table manners and table etiquette – including setting a proper table to me? How will they help us be comfortable in social situations and help our kids to be comfortable eating with others as they grow older? – What about good manners in general? – Speaking about personal respect for each other . . . . – How will we show respect to and for each other? – How will we honour each other? – How should we treat each other in public? What things should we agree to NOT discuss with other people? What guidelines could we agree on to ensure that we do not say things around other people that may hurt our sweetheart’s feelings? How will we know when we have offended our sweetheart’s feelings? And what will we do about it? – What do I consider RUDE? What do I consider inconsiderate or thoughtless? – How do we fix things between us? – What do I need to feel ‘safe’ enough to discuss with you, things that are important to me? …things that are sensitive to me? …. things that are hurtful to me? What can I do to help YOU feel ‘safe’ enough to discuss those things openly with me? – We have been admonished to study “out of the best books”. How important is a “gospel library” to me? How important is it to me to have a good “classic” library? What kind of plan should we implement to accomplish our goal?
President Hinckley said “You know that your children will read. They will read books, and they will read magazines and newspapers. Cultivate within them a taste for the best. While they are very young, read to them the great stories which have become immortal because of the virtues they teach. Expose them to good books. Let there be a corner somewhere in your house, be it ever so small, where they will see at least a few books of the kind upon which great minds have been nourished. … Let there be good magazines about the house, those which are produced by the Church and by others, which will stimulate their thoughts to ennobling concepts. Let them read a good family newspaper that they may know what is going on in the world without being exposed to the debasing advertising and writing so widely found.”
– How important is music to me? – What do I consider worthy/appropriate music? President Hinckley said “Let there be music in the home. If you have teenagers who have their own recordings, you may be prone to describe the sound as something other than music. Let them hear something better occasionally. Expose them to it. It will speak for itself. More appreciation will come than you may think. It may not be spoken, but it will be felt, and its influence will become increasingly manifest as the years pass.”
– How important is it to me to develop a musical talent of mine? What kind of support will I expect?
8. TRADITIONS
– How did my family celebrate Christmas? What was my favourite part?
– What was our traditional meal? – When did we open gifts? What kinds of things did we get in our stockings? – How do I feel about continuing my family’s Christmas traditions into our own family? – How do I think we should keep Christ in our Christmas celebrations? – What are the best parts of the ways we each celebrated Christmas in the families we grew up with? – What could we do differently in our home that we will both be happy with? – What traditions will I bring with me? You with you? Do we agree on the value of these traditions? – How did my family celebrate Easter? What was my favourite part? What part do I want to continue in my own family? – How do I feel about Halloween? – Thanksgiving? – Summer vacation? – What is my favorite holiday? And why? How can I share my enthusiasm for this special day with you? – What style of furniture do I like? What can I be happy with? What compromises am I willing to make?
SPIRITUAL
1. Temple:
The temple is a place of learning – everything in it is symbolic of important gospel truths, and every one of those symbols are intended to help us learn about our relationship with God. We can receive personal revelation while in the temple AS we properly prepare to be there, give ourselves the time to pay attention, the time to think and ponder, keep our dialogue appropriate to temple worship, reflect on our experiences, read and study related gospel material and return often.
– With a temple so close, many couples set a goal or regular attendance. What are our feelings about that? – What is my feeling about the promise of eternal families that temples represent? – What goal have I set personally, and will we set as a couple relative to temple attendance? – What commitments are we willing to make to each other and to ourselves about continued temple worthiness?
2. Private Spiritual Commitment:
– What commitment will we make specifically about scripture study, individual/couple/family prayer, journal writing and family record keeping? – How will we choose to preserve family memories? (i.e. photos, slides, videos, albums, scrapbooks etc) – What Christ-like attribute most impressed me about you? drew me to you? and made me want you for my companion? – What is the thing I admire/respect most about you that I would like to emulate in my life? – How important to me are the laws, ordinances and principles of the gospel? – How important is it to me to be align myself to them? How important do I think it should be? Is there even any value in obedience? – What efforts am I willing to make in my personal desire to have a relationship with my Saviour? – What is my feeling about regular church attendance? – What is my feeling toward church service? – The counsel of the church is to dress as if we are wearing temple garments, even if we are not. How do I feel about modesty in dress and speech? – What commitment do I feel to dress so that I reflect church standards at all times?
3. Forgiveness:
Lamanites in the Book of Mormon had a generational hatred for the Nephites – based on perceived offences and tradition. Their tradition was simply to ‘hate’ all things Nephite. We know through our study and understanding of the Book of Mormon that their justification for hatred was flawed, based on misunderstandings that they blew out of proportion, and that ultimately resulted in PRIDE. Tribe-Pride is when someone takes on the feeling of justifying unforgiveness or even hatred, because it unites them with their ‘people’. Maybe their people are a school or a community or a religion or a nation or a race or socio-ethnic group or a gender or even a family . . . .
Pride is the feeling that “I am right!” and it is often followed by us taking this stand “I have a reason to be offended because you did something unforgivable.”
But – – What if WE made mistakes? – What if WE caused offence to another? – What if WE knowingly or unknowingly hurt another’s feelings and they were having a hard time forgiving us because of it? – What if WE didn’t even know that we had caused that offence? – What if WE deliberately said unkind things to someone because we were protecting ourselves, our family, or felt they deserved it? – And what if those unkind things caused a rift in our family that lasted for years? – What if OUR children and that person’s children could never be ‘friends’ because our pride and refusal to forgive forbid it? – What if WE became responsible for generational hatred?
What if Heavenly Father refused to forgive us? In actual fact, that is what we are in danger of because the Lord tells us in D&C 64:9 “he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin”. And again in Mark 11:25,26 “… if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
– What if WE took steps to try to understand another’s perspective? – What if WE realized that our perspective / our understanding of a situation may have been flawed? – What if WE had misunderstood a situation, mis-read someone’s intentions, and took offense where none was intended? – What if WE came to realize that we were perpetuating a perceived offense to justify our own hatred toward another? Turning it into a tradition. Making it a source of Tribe-Pride.
– What if we came to realize that we had become part of the problem? – What could we do to resolve the disharmony? – What would we be willing to do? – It is not possible to be in harmony with God while harbouring hatred for another. – It is not possible to be a committed disciple of Jesus Christ while refusing to forgive another.
– Are there any situations in my life / your life that cause me / you to feel poorly about one or more individuals in our families? – Is it possible that my / your justifications for feeling a certain way may be ‘perceived’ or misunderstood? and that the offender didn’t mean to offend?
4. Church Responsibilities:
– What is my commitment level to callings and responsibilities within the Church? – How willing am I to serve selflessly and faithfully in the Church? – What will I do to encourage my partner in his/her ministering stewardships? – What will I do to support and sustain my partner in his/her individual callings? – What sacrifices am I willing to make for my commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church?
5. Tithes and Offerings:
– What do I regard as an honest and full tithing? – Do we agree on what we consider Increase? _ How do I feel about fast and other offerings? – What do I consider a generous fast offering? – Do we agree on this? – What about other donations such as the Perpetual Education fund or the Missionary fund? – Do I believe that blessings will come into our lives as a result of our obeying the law of tithing? – What about contributing to other funds organized by the Church for the benefit of the charity the Church provides individuals in need? – Do I have an understanding of the principle of ‘offerings’? – What is my testimony of this subject?
6. Sabbath Observance:
– What do I consider proper Sabbath observance? – What are some of the things we should DO on Sunday? – What are some of the things I feel that we should NOT do in order to keep the Sabbath day separate and holy? – What are our expectations of each other in this area? – What would disappoint me regarding our / your Sabbath observance?
7. Family Home Evening:
President Hinckley said “A better tomorrow begins with the training of a better generation. This places upon parents the responsibility to do a more effective work in the rearing of children. The home is the cradle of virtue, the place where character is formed and habits are established. Family home evening is the opportunity to teach the ways of the Lord.”
– What will we do to ensure that we observe the counsel to keep Monday evenings for family when we are still just a couple? What will we do to use this opportunity to strengthen our family in the gospel? – How will we keep it a priority? – What commitments are we prepared to make now about Family Home Evening (FHE), that would directly impact our future children regarding the importance of family time and “home centered – church supported” teaching?
ROMANCE
It is a mistake to marry with the intent to change your partner. It’s also not fair. They are what they are, and expecting them to change before you can fully accept or love them is unrealistic and sets them up to fail, and yourself up for disappointment when they do – all based on expectations that never should have been there. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t grow and develop and become better people as individuals and couples – and that we shouldn’t expect that growth and development to be a real and breathing thing in our marriage. We can see the potential in our partners and still love them today.
I love this song by Michael McLean that speaks to that beautifully.
1. Friendship:
– What things are important to me in our continued relationship as FRIENDS? – What are my expectations from a best friend? – What am I prepared to do to BE your best friend? – What do I consider healthy as far as other best friends in my/your life? – What freedom will I be willing to give my spouse in their pursuit of relationships with other friends?
2. Date Night:
– How committed are we to obeying the council to have regular date night? What value do we see in this practice? – What good examples can I think of concerning regular date night observance? – What are we prepared to do on a daily basis to keep the romance in our marriage alive? – How will we observe special days such as our Anniversary? Each other’s birthdays? Valentine’s Day? Etc. (i.e. some couples celebrate their anniversary date by attending the temple to do sealings. In this way it is a continual reminder of the covenants they made and the promises they can depend on.)
3. Safe Guarding the Other’s Heart:
– If I intend to be happily married to you in 40+ years, what am I prepared to DO and to GIVE until then to ensure it?
– How will we talk about each other in front of other people? (even if we are upset with the other) – How will we talk toeach other in front of other people? – What precautions will we take to ensure we never undermine, belittle, ridicule, embarrass or insult our sweetheart? (in private or in front of others) -What if we do offend the other not intending to? What if they get their feelings hurt over something we considered innocent or even funny? – How will we refer to each other? What terms of endearment am I comfortable with? – What will we do when we fall out of love? (WE WILL bytheway) – How will we stay married, and healthy and committed to each other if one day we think that we’ve grown apart? How will we help each other through it? – How will we communicate to each other that we are in distress, and that something is very wrong in our relationship? – What are we prepared to do to overcome major difficulties in our relationship? – What do we expect from each other in the area of commitment and communication? To God? To our marriage? To our children? To our own family? To Family Home Evening? To Date Night? To our extended families? To the Church? And to our community?
4. Intimacy and Pregnancy
– How do I/you feel about purity before marriage? – Can we be honest with our personal history concerning that? – Can we deal with it? – Do we see the need for using a form of birth control? If so, what form will we use? – What will we do to make sure we are educated and properly informed about current methods of birth control? – How important is a feeling of ‘trust’ and safety to me in regards to intimacy? – How important do I think it is that we both feel comfortable about being open and honest in our discussions about intimacy? – What will we do to be sure we are educated and properly informed about pregnancy and child birth? – What will we do to ensure optimum health for Mom and baby? How involved do we want Dad to be in the birthing? – What if the unthinkable happens? ….. miscarriage? What if … our baby dies? How will we help each other through this hard thing? – What if another unthinkable happens? . . . . . infidelity? What will we do? Can we see ourselves able to forgive? What are our ‘non-negotiables’ in this area?
5. Parenting
– How many children do we want? – Will Mom stay home to raise them? – What is my idea of discipline? – What are some things that I consider very important in child rearing? – What should we as parents do to ensure that we teach by example such things as respect for womanhood? Manhood? Etiquette? Table manners? Good housekeeping? Personal cleanliness? Personal responsibility? etc. – What are things I consider essential to teach children? – Where will we turn to learn parenting skills? – How will we teach our children that the Church is true? That we love, respect and obey the prophet of God? And that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our life? – How will I show my children that the scriptures are important to me? And that they can come to know Jesus Christ through their own personal study of them? – What efforts will we make to encourage our children to stay active in the Church? And to adhere to the counsel it provides? – How will I show them the importance of education and help them to develop a love of reading? – What are some absolute taboos concerning children in my opinion? – What do I feel very strongly about – concerning behaviors we will encourage, those we allow and behaviors we will absolutely forbid? Do we agree? What should we do to ensure compliance with these behaviors? – What if we have an unhealthy, disabled or otherwise challenged child? Perhaps a down syndrome child, or one who has a serious illness or disability? How do we plan to be the best parents possible no matter what that looks like? – What did our parents do right in the parenting department, that we’d like to emulate? – What improvements can we make over our parents’ best attempts, to continue to become the best parents our children deserve?
Other things of importance to consider.
– What are my priorities in the area of TIME? – What do I consider a big waste of time? – a moderate waste of time? – Where would I absolutely draw the line in my flexibility of my partner doing something I consider to be a waste of time, money and energy? Or something I feel very strongly against?
– What are my priorities in the area of money? – What do I consider a big waste of money? – a moderate waste of money? – Where would I absolutely draw the line in my tolerance of my partner spending money in what I consider to be a waste of money? – How would I like to spend the hours of an entire free day with you? – How would I like to spend the hours of an entire free day without you?
note from Cindy: These questions have been edited continually since I first drafted them for Sarah – many years ago. I think it’s helpful to be accountable to someone that you have indeed been through each one. For my kids, I tried to give them one sheet at a time, and when they told me they were ready for another, I gave it to them.I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to communicate, now and throughout your marriage. If there are serious ‘issues’ with any of these questions, be aware of them today, before you are married. If they cannot be resolved, learn that now – BEFORE you go to the alter.
Add to them as you see fit.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Warmly,
Playing the game of “What if?” can start to seem pretty real when you see it up close and personal, especially if it’s going on in your own house. Here’s our current scenario – Influenza Outbreak: a widespread influenza outbreak during the winter leads to a health crises. What do you do to protect your household, care for anyone in your house who is sick (while protecting the others), and reduce health care strain. What if you have a vulnerable person in your house?
So – let’s talk about this. It’s pretty close to home – what with Covid still fresh in all our minds. It’s especially fresh in my friend Karen’s mind – she was diagnosed recently with Whooping Cough, also known as pertussis (also known as the 100 day cough) which is highly contagious and apparently going around in Alberta just now. Who knew? Symptoms don’t show up for 5-10 days after exposure, and start out looking like a common cold, so you could easily be spreading the disease without even knowing you have it. Which is probably exactly how she caught it. It can cause serious and even deadly complications in young children and vulnerable people, so its best if you stay away from others if you’ve got symptoms, but who really even knows what the symptoms are? I’ve actually never even known anyone who had it.
I have a good friend with a child who’s received a transplant. I have a cousin who has received a transplant. These people who I love, take medication every day of their lives to suppress their natural immune system, so that their bodies won’t fight off and destroy the new organ that is keeping them alive. From the outside, they do not look any different than you and me, but to come into contact with illnesses that for you or me may be innocuous or uncomfortable at worst can be very serious for some – and may actually kill them.
Their situations make me much more aware of being healthy around them. And make me want to be more responsible in public.
Reviewing the Rule of Three: AIR, SHELTER, WATER AND FOOD – the big one for me in this scenario is definitely AIR since it is very hard to catch one’s breath – so I’m told. If you have asthma or other lung issues, it can be downright scary, and the LAST thing you want to do is pass it on to someone with young children.
Staying home is the responsible thing to do when you’re sick but how many do? Hopefully Covid made us a little more responsible about that. Wearing a mask in public if you have to go out is not as weird as it used to be – that goodness, so I’d hope if you knew you were sick, you’d wear one out of respect for everyone else you might come into contact with. Since the beginning symptoms of Pertussis are identical to those of a common cold, courtesy implies that if you think you’re coming down with a cold, you’d cover your mouth, cough into your elbow, wash your hands frequently, use hand sanitizer and follow all the other usual protocols we learned.
It goes without saying that those preventative measures would be implemented for one’s own protection, but also to prevent you spreading the disease if you were sick.
And the last area of focus is FOOD. I know several people who live in apartments and rely on public transit to get around, including going to a grocery store. For some, if you’re not feeling well, going out to buy groceries suddenly becomes a much bigger job than it used to be. But . . . . what if you had a good supply of food on hand? What if you had at least an extra week or two worth in your pantry? What kind of peace of mind would that give you with one less thing to worry about? Especially if you’re not able to work, and are not getting paid.
And what if you’re well enough but several people you know are down with the flu? and it seems like such a bad one? You still have to go to work, and still have to get groceries. How you do protect yourself?
These kinds of scenarios are not obscure. They are very real, highly likely and happen ALL the time. Just because it isn’t happening to you right now, doesn’t mean you might not suddenly find yourself in that situation as easily as anyone else might? Why not you?
The question is then: What would you do?What have you already done to prepare for such a scenario?
Do you have a couple of weeks or more of shelf stable food on hand to at least take that worry away? Do you have a little money set aside to buy prescription medication if necessary? to cover some bills if you have to miss work for several days and don’t have coverage? Do you have some common over the counter medications on hand? Advill? Tylenol? etc. Do you have a friend or relative in mind who you could call on to help you if needed? Have you made yourself available to others who might need help in a similar situation? Do you have emergency numbers handy if you need them? Is your phone usually charged?
What are some other things that you can prepare for JUST IN CASE?
I’d like to hear your thoughts or experiences on this subject. Feel free to comment below.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
