Monday Message

President J. Reuben Clark (Church News, 1953) –
“When we really get into hard times, where food is scarce or there is none at all, and so with clothing and shelter, money may be no good for there may be nothing to buy, and you cannot eat money, you cannot get enough of it together to burn to keep warm, and you cannot wear it.  You can’t eat money, but you can eat your three-month supply of food – IF YOU HAVE IT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT."

I think it is hard to think of times like that. Dick’s grandma said the next depression will be different; it will take a wheel barrow full of money to buy a loaf of bread…scary, isn’t it?

So, I want everyone to learn to make bread, even if you are gluten intolerant. Learn to make bread out of what you can use, gluten free and the rest use what flours you want and then store the flours, salt, sugar, shortening, yeast, and even vital wheat gluten to use with the wheat you have stored.

Then, if what she said ever happens, you will just be able to make bread.

If you don’t, you could be looking back and wondering why you didn’t while prices were still good.

 As you all know I have been trying to get our storage up on a very tight budget.

 I have been vacuum sealing everything I can find on my shelves, feeling like I need to extend the life of items I don’t normally think about. 

Like today I had several boxes of hot cereals that I put in quart jars and cut off the directions and shoved them down inside. 

A reminder here on fine powders - I cut a coffee filter the size of the jar lid and lay it inside on top of the product. Then I wipe the jar top and put on a used canning lid and ring and then vacuum seal it. I hadn’t thought of doing these that are in my using cupboard but I did today. Plus, someone gave me three bags of rice when they moved and I vacuum sealed those as well.

I want to do some popcorn and more rice this coming few weeks.

If you have not gotten a vacuum sealer yet, I encourage you to try look at thrift stores and on freecycle or craigslist, lastly if all else fails, get it new.

I encourage you to get a tall canister from online to be used in tandem with the sealer. If you do this, you can use any jar that fits in the canister, like a spaghetti sauce jar. Make sure it is cleaned and dry before putting in your product. But if you only have jar attachments, use those on canning jars and used lids.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=using+food+saver+and+canisters+you+tube&view=detail&mid=7016261FEE7DB4F857037016261FEE7DB4F85703&FORM=VIRE - this shows how to use the canisters, use only dry products. It does not just have to be freeze dried as she shows but you can dry your own foods.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=using+food+saver+and+canisters+you+tube&&view=detail&mid=C1EF15A993D5EA2D65A8C1EF15A993D5EA2D65A8&rvsmid=7016261FEE7DB4F857037016261FEE7DB4F85703&fsscr=-1155&FORM=VDFSRV - I have done her pin poke method for vital wheat gluten.

These will get you familiar with vacuum sealing.

You should consider these things as part of your storage…

Vacuum sealer
Water bath canner
Pressure canner
Dehydrator
Steamer canner
Canning jars, lids, rings
Apple peeler corer slicer
Wheat grinder
etc.

They will help you with your food storage. We need these tools to do our basic things.  You don’t have to get them all at once, just like your food storage. Just slowly accumulate. 

Since we have thrift stores and such, haunt those and with freecycle you can request. I even put up a sign that I was looking for free canning jars at the board in our town and I did get responses. So be on the look out. Ask relatives to look as well. They might even have an item on your list. Ask for Mother’s Day, birthdays, Christmas, even your anniversary. When asked this sacrifice to get these instead will help you and your family for years to come.

While everyone is looking, start checking on YouTube how to use them like the above shows you how to vacuum seal.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=store+this+not+that&qpvt=store+this+not+that&FORM=VDRE - I love this gal.

Dehydrating - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=store+this+not+that+dehydrating&&view=detail&mid=754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64&FORM=VRDGAR 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=store+this+not+that+dehydrating&&view=detail&mid=D989236E85769A53A525D989236E85769A53A525&rvsmid=754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=store+this+not+that+dehydrating&&view=detail&mid=79BBA04B08808294513279BBA04B088082945132&rvsmid=754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=store+this+not+that+dehydrating&&view=detail&mid=1C5FE46709C795EF21961C5FE46709C795EF2196&rvsmid=754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64754F3D2EC9DD600FBD64&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV

These are the best, so watch all. You will agree with me this is great.

Apple peeler corer slicer - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+use+an+apple+peeler+corer+slicer&docid=607999991305732359&mid=BD3D886FAA8598B90DFDBD3D886FAA8598B90DFD&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT - I have the kind that clamps to a table. If you cut in half you get pie size. What she doesn’t show is if you only cut through one one side instead of both sides you get rings. My girls used to love eating the long rind, real fruit by the foot.

https://www.facebook.com/Central-Iowa-canning-group-207448752952913/ - look for canning groups in your neck of the woods, this is a central Iowa group

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+use+a+wheat+grinder&&view=detail&mid=7A64D5D59D24370B42947A64D5D59D24370B4294&rvsmid=7A64D5D59D24370B42947A64D5D59D24370B4294&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV - know how to grind wheat.

So, these are skills to definitely have. Just as easy as can be to watch these.

Doing your own saves soooo much money.

Until you have collected the equipment, still work on your storage. It is amazing, even getting a little at a time adds up over time.

I urge you to gain these skills. Have your children learn with you. Put these to work in your home, they will be a huge blessing.

Do the best you can.