Marti’s Corner – 88

Hi Everyone,

NOTES:

*  I saw this on Facebook:  

“2+ years ago, I cracked a dozen eggs into muffin cups, froze them, then popped them out and placed them in a ziplock to store in the freezer. Last week, I ran out of eggs to feed my visiting brother for breakfast. Remembered the frozen eggs, thawed overnight in the fridge, whisked and scrambled in the morning, and he never knew. I tasted them before I fed them to my company, and I couldn’t tell a difference either!  2+ years!  Hooray for food storage! (Thought you all might like to know).”

Then I read all the comments.  One or two people said their eggs were kind of rubbery.  One or two said they had better results if they whisked the eggs a little before freezing.  My freezer is FULL FULL…   Not sure if I have room, but this is a good idea.  One person said they try to keep three dozen eggs frozen at any one time.

Oh, I just read another post where they cracked the eggs into an ice cube tray, froze them, popped them out, and put them in a baggie in the freezer!

GARDEN HAPPENINGS:

My lettuce is finally starting to grow again!  I’ve moved it from the north side of the house, and it is getting more sun now. 

​My tomatoes are growing again.  I picked a ripe one today.  Just waiting for more.

In our zone (9B), you can still plant vegetables:  beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, swiss chard, peas, spinach, and salad turnips.  Here’s a chart What Can I Still Plant? I found by zone for what you can still be planting in October.

THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: Onions, Peppers

The one I bought at the store was 17 oz. for about $8.  This is just about $7 per pound.  BUT…. in the bulk section, you can get dehydrated onions for $3.36 a pound, which is about 1/2 the cost.

It’s amazing how many recipes call for onions.  I have not bought fresh onions in a LONG time.  You can get both chopped onions and minced onions dehydrated at your local grocery store.  This one is from Amazon:  15 ounces for only $6.50!

They are WONDERFUL!!!

I did a little experiment for you to show the difference between chopped onion and minced onion. 

Here they are in their dehydrated state.  Really, you can’t dice onions that small!!	I usually soak them in water for 15 minutes.  Sometimes I heat up the water in the microwave, and they seem to plump up faster.

If the recipe calls for me to sauté the onions, I start soaking them while I’m getting things ready, then sauté as usual.  But if I’m making soup or sauce, I just dump the dry onions into the mix and let them simmer.  

I also highly recommend dehydrated green peppers. This 8 oz. bag holds about 4 c. of peppers and is $16.99.  For reference sake, I just dehydrated my own peppers that I got on sale for $.50 each and they were HUGE.  Four diced peppers turned out to be 1/2 c. dried.  I did 32 peppers and got about 4 c. – or $16 for the same amount.  AND it was a couple of hours of work!!!!

What a difference these two spices will make when you start cooking with your dry beans and rice! 

After I started using the dehydrated onions, I started buying them in bulk, not wanting to ever be without them!  

MISC PURCHASE: Cash

Instead of buying something, take $20 in small bills and tuck it into your 72 hour kit. In fact, you should put a little money in EVERYONE’S kit!   Don’t have one??? Then hide it in your car.

FOOD STORAGE RECIPES

Last year I gave my kids a box with dehydrated apples, banana chips, cookies, and several mylar bags with soup, or stew, that they could just add water to and cook. 

Here are some of them I liked best.

Chicken Noodle Soup in a Jar

(I’ve made this several times and I LOVE it)

In a pint jar:

1/2 c. freeze dried chicken (OR just include a can of chicken) 1 1/2 c. broken fettuccine noodles (about 3.5 oz) 1 TB plus 1 tsp chicken bouillon 1 tsp garlic granules or powder 1/4 tsp dry thyme 1/8 turmeric (for color and flavor) ​1 TB dehydrated celery As many dehydrated carrots as I can pack in the jar and still close it.​

Top with an oxygen absorber and seal jar tightly.  I didn’t do this.  Instead I vacuum sealed the jars (and I will do the same for you if you just bring them over).

Directions:  Combine contents of the jar with 5 c. boiling water.  Simmer 12-15 min until noodles are tender.

Rainbow Bean Soup Mix

3/4 c. dried red beans 3/4 c. great northern beans 3/4 c. split peas 3/4 c. lentils (preferably red or yellow) 3/4 c. black beans

Season packet in a small snack baggie: 2 TB dried minced onion 2 TB beef bouillon 2 TG dried parsley flakes 2 tsp dried basil 2 tsp powdered lemonade mix with sugar 1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp dried oregano.

Layer into a wide mouth 1 quart canning jar.  Add the small bag of seasonings and vacuum seal or top with an oxygen absorber.

​I did NOT copy the cooking directions.  So, if I had to guess, I’d soak the beans overnight, OR wash them and cover them with water, then bring to a boil, turn off the stove and let them sit for 1-2 hours.

Then replace the water with clean water and add the spices and simmer until the beans are cooked. 

​Variations?  Add sliced Kilbasa sausage, or ground beef, or leftover roast, or any type of meat.  You can also add any type of vegetable that is left over in your fridge.

​Taco Soup In a Jar

2 c. quick-cook black beans (You can find them on Amazon) Dehydrated, Fast-Cooking Black Beans

1 c. freeze-dried ground beef (or add later) 1 TB dehydrated minced onion 2 TB taco seasoning 1 TB beef bouillon 1 tsp salt 1/3 c. tomato powder 1/3 c. dehydrated diced bell peppers 3/4 c. freeze dried corn (or dehydrated)

Place in a mason jar in this order:

beans, beef, onion, seasonings, tomato powder, bell peppers, corn.  Shake to settle contents.

Vacuum seal or use an oxygen absorber. 

Potato Soup In A Jar

In a quart jar: 1 3/4 c. instant mashed potatoes 1 1/2 c. dry milk 2 TB chicken bouillon 2 tsp dehydrated onion 1 tsp dried parsley 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp thyme 1/8 tsp turmeric 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 c. dehydrated potatoes

Directions:  Add 4-6 c. water till desired thickness is reached and simmer until potatoes are tender.

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Marti