Hugh,
I started “doing this” in 1979 when I took a class taught by Ron Hood through UCLA extension. Below is the best advice on food storage I’ve seen or heard, and none are paid endorsements; they’re just my opinion:
A video by Wendy De Witt [1] entitled “Sensible Food Storage”. The first 22+ minutes are on food storage; the other 35 minutes are on equipment. I believe it is the easiest, most commonsense, and cost-effective method.
Also, here is the link to her free doc [2].
Additionally, this woman has a series of ten or more videos [3] on dehydrating that are excellent.
Below are some more links to what I feel are the best canning channels on YouTube, along with a few examples of their canning:
- BexarPrepper: Channel [4] – Sample: canning butter [5]
- LDSPrepper: Channel [6] – Sample: Canning Butter Pros, Cons & Botulism [7]
- KatzCradul: Channel [8] – Sample: canning butter [9]
- Obsessive Prepper AZ – Channel [10] – Sample – year’s supply [11]
- ImStillWorkin: Channel [12] – Examples: Canning Eggs – Storing Eggs in the Old Days [13], Canning Egg Storage Experiment [14]
Here are the links to the two rocket stoves I would recommend:
- The SilverFire – more stable because of the broad base and heavier weight
- Intro [15]
- Demos:
- Canning on a Rocket Stove [16]
- Cooking Chicken [17]
- The BioLIte BaseCamp – nice because of the grill-to-boil lever, USB charger with LED light so you can watch what you’re cooking in the dark, and bucket handle:
For prepping purposes, the best vacuum sealer is probably the 12 volt-capable FoodSaver GameSaver [20].
Be prepared for when the fecal matter impacts upon the air circulation device!
– B.M.