Two Thousand Miles Into the American Redoubt, by M.H.

The following is an extensive review of my journey into the American Redoubt over 11 days and 2,000 miles in July 2014. My traveling companion, during this time, was my adult son, who shares my concern for the rather dim future ahead. My wife of so many years preferred to leave to me the filtering process on which communities we will decide to move to when the time comes. This is not my first trip into the Redoubt but my third; however, this is my most extensive. There is little in life that is more boring than someone else’s travelogue. …




Preserving and Storing Food Safely – An Overview – Part II, by N.M.

Types of Preserving Now that you understand, from Part 1 of this article, some of the reasons to preserve and priorities in preserving correctly, let’s consider which preserving methods you may want to use. Preserving methods include multi-step processes, like soaking, skimming, rinsing, hanging to dry, freezing, canning (in mason jars), smoking, and sucking air out of bags, containers, and buckets. Your choice of which method to use is governed by the food. For example, you would usually freeze berries but dehydrate and vacuum seal tomatoes and strips of meat (jerky). You could can (in glass jars) green beans, though …




Preserving and Storing Food Safely – An Overview – Part I, by N.M.

Preserving food has become an important focus of many families. After reading this article, you will understand what is involved in preserving and be able to decide if it’s for you. Food prices are soaring, and food quality and quantities are decreasing. You can save lots of money by buying things on sale or take advantage of bulk purchases, because you can preserve the food and use it later. You will be protecting yourself and your family by having safely stored nutritious food in the event of an emergency, and you can help your neighbors. With all these pluses, it’s …