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.
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.
—
Marti
