I really didn't have much in mind for today actually so I thought I'd touch on a few different things that I've come across in the past little bit.
Be sure to check out the Ozarker's timely post about water today.
Water, Water, Everywhere
Water is our most important prep and oftentimes the last thing we think about.
Tropicalgirl sent me a link to some videos about a hydroponic set up that a man has designed that I thought might be of interest to some.
Here is the link.
Homesteading University
Here are the videos.
There are 3 of them so just click along after the first one. Thanks to Tropicalgirl for the link!
Also, a lot of folks are probably eyeball deep in tomatoes and peppers right now. I know we are.
I was especially pleased with the Sweet Cayenne peppers this year. I'll be growing them again for sure.
They are a delicious sweet slender and long pepper with no heat. For those of you that don't like hot peppers but like that pepper taste these are a good choice. And beautiful in the garden. My plants are loaded with long squiggly ripening peppers right now. I found this picture on the web to show you what they look like.
Remember, that peppers are self pollinating and easy peesy to save seed from. Just let some fully ripen on the plant, cut open and remove seed and allow them to dry thoroughly on a paper towel in a dry area away from direct sun. When they are good and dry store them in a labeled envelope or something.
You can eat the pepper too. A win win.
Over the past couple years I have canned less and less. I still like to put up tomato juice but for the most part I have been dehydrating. Hub bought an Excalibur Dehydrator and I really do love it.
Dehydration has a lot going for it as far as food preservation goes. It is light and easy to move large amounts of food around, is not subject to freezing damage like if your house gets really cold in the winter when the fire goes out. LOL and is space saving. You can get an awful lot of food in a small space.
Probably the internet queen of food dehydration is this lady here.
Dehydrate2Store.
I love this woman! I wish I could afford to be as meticulous as she is! LOL
here is one of her youtube videos.
She doesn't dry meats but you can find lots of info on the web for drying jerky.
There are also sites on the interwebs that talk about making your own dried camping meals.
For preppers, that's some good info!
Last year, I made dried refried beans. For that, I cooked and then dehydrated some pinto beans, then added peppers, garlic, and onions and seasonings and whirred it a bit in the food processor. You could probably put the dried ingredients in a sack and mash it with a hammer.
One thing, if you don't have a certain thing, like a food processor or blender, don't let that stop you. Find another way of doing it.
Anyway, dried meals like that, or meals that all you add is water, are great items to prep and have on hand.
Here is a site that talks about different recipes and methods for making your own camping/hiking meals.
Make Your Own Dehydrated Hiking Meals
Here's a pdf file on backpacking meals you can make, with recipes.
Make Your OwnA compendium of
backcountry recipes,from WTA members and cookbook authors
There is a lot of information on the web about backpacking meals you can prepare at home. This is of interest to doomers and people who prep.
One thing to think about too, is, you may not always have electricity available to you to run a dehydrator so it is also important to be thinking about how you'd go about doing these things without power.
Here, up on the 3rd floor, in the summer season it is hotter than hell up there and very dry so....I'm hoping to build some drying racks to put up there for food to dry on.
you can also dry food in one of the old cars sitting out front too. LOL
Well. hope you guys enjoyed the mixed-up post today, see you all tomorrow, the news should be interesting to say the least!
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