What’s For Dinner?- Part 4, by J.R.

Meats

While meat should probably be viewed as a nicety rather than an essential, we have made it an essential in this house. My husband is a type-1 diabetic, and as such his insulin will last a whole lot longer if he goes to a no-carbohydrate diet. We could purchase commercially-canned meats, but we really prefer not to for both economic and safety reasons. We buy pigs and sides of beef from a local family and generally use our meat straight from the freezer. However, we always keep a sufficient number of empty mason jars and new lids on hand for canning up all the meat, if the freezer dies or the power goes off indefinitely.

We also always have a good quantity of home-canned meats available. They are so convenient to use in making last-minute meals.

Beef, pork, and chicken are among the easiest items to can. Basically, you pack the raw meat into the jar, add salt, and process according to instructions. See your Ball Blue Book for the step-by-step instructions.

There is, however, more to life than the basic three. Bacon is an essential in this house. I remember one autumn, after harvesting an abundant crop of potatoes, we were having baked potatoes very frequently for dinner. The kids were getting a little tired of them. So I fried up a jar of bacon to use as an additional topping. They were so grateful! And I was more than a little amazed at what a difference it made in them. It was another lesson learned about flavor fatigue.

I can both bacon ends and pieces and bacon strips. Bacon ends and pieces are sold in three- to five-pound packages, usually right next to the regular bacon strips. The packages will contain a lot of pieces of straight meat, a lot of straight fat, and a little that is a mixture of both. I usually can the meat in jars separate from jars of fat. While this fat is not what you would normally want to use for rendering into lard for baking, it is still very valuable. I fry it up and pour off the grease to use later in making tortillas and pan frying a variety of foods. The cracklins are a pretty tasty topping for salads and baked potatoes. The meat is great for adding to soups and beans and for making bacon bits.

Canning Bacon

Bacon strips take more work to can, but having those bacon strips once in a while for breakfast or for some BLTs will be greatly appreciated. You will need wide mouth pint jars and a roll of parchment paper. To prepare bacon strips for canning, first cut them to fit the height of the jar, minus one inch. Cut the parchment paper to the height of the jar plus one inch. Lay the bacon strips side by side down the middle of the parchment paper so that there is one inch of space on either side. Fold both sides of parchment paper over the ends of the bacon. Add more parchment paper as needed, trying to work it in to the preceding parchment and bacon strips to make a continuous roll. Roll it up as you would cinnamon rolls. Make the roll as large as possible while still allowing it to fit in the jar. Regardless of what kind of bacon you are canning, wipe the rims of the jars very carefully with vinegar on a paper towel. Do this at least twice to remove any traces of bacon grease or fat. Process per directions from your Ball Blue Book. Each pint jar will hold almost one pound of bacon.

In my earlier years, after reading that “you can can anything,” I decided to try canning hot dogs. After all, Beanie Weenies are a canned product, so I reasoned hot dogs should work as well. And besides they would be a huge treat for my children. So I bought the hot dogs—high quality hot dogs—and canned a few quarts. I don’t know what the problem was, but the result was truly nasty. The flavor was right, but the texture was horrendous. So I would have to advise against trying to can hot dogs.

Canned Hamburger Logs

One experiment that did work was canning lean hamburger in the shape of small logs to be sliced later and used as hamburger patties. Like bacon strips, you need wide mouth pint jars and some parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper so that it is one inch wider than the height of the jars. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt per pound of meat onto the hamburger and mix to distribute. Shape the raw hamburger into a log one inch shorter than the height of the jars, and just small enough to fit inside the jars. Place the hamburger on the parchment paper, fold in the ends, and roll up your hamburger log. Process per directions from the Ball Blue Book. When you are ready to have hamburgers, place your jar in hot water to soften the fat and remove the log from the jar more easily. Slice patties about ½-inch thick and fry them briefly in bacon grease or butter. Serve with slider sized buns and all the condiments. While fresh hamburgers are always better, the kids all agreed that this would be a very welcome menu item in a TEOTWAWKI situation.

Canned Cat Food “Bones”

As most people know, chickens have hollow bones. What even most preppers don’t realize is that chicken bones can be pressure canned (with water added to the right level in the jar). Pressure canning softens the bones such that even the largest can be easily mashed with a fork. The resulting chicken bone mash is a great food for cats. However, it is too high in protein for dogs. (Too much protein can cause kidney damage.)

Drying/dehydrated

Probably the most desirable dried meat is jerky. We buy carne asada already very thinly sliced and salt both sides and pepper one side and then dry in the dehydrator. Raw chicken and raw pork should not be dehydrated.

The only other meat we regularly dry is what we call hamburger rocks. Basically, ground beef is thoroughly browned. The fat is then rinsed off very well. The cooked and rinsed hamburger is then spread on drying trays to dry. When reconstituted, the hamburger rocks are ready to add to casseroles and sauces.

Freeze-dried Meat

While we do have some stored, we’ve never actually tried them. They have been too expensive for taste-testing. Once opened, the meat must be used within one month.

Smoking and Curing Meat

I can’t speak to these, as I have never done either one. They are on the list of skills to acquire!

Fruits

Fruits were probably the first item I included in my expanded storage, probably because I have such fond memories of my grandmothers. One grandmother always had home-canned peaches and apricots for us. My other grandmother spoiled us with homemade fruit rolls and jams.

Canning Fruit

You already know what’s available from commercially-canned fruits at the store, and you know what you like, so I won’t go into that. However, there are items that are not available in stores that can be bottled at home. The first is bananas. The bananas are simply pureed or run through your juicer. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice per pint, pour into your canning jars, and process in your canner for the appropriate amount of time for your elevation. Why can bananas? Canned bananas can be used in all kinds of homemade desserts and breads and also in smoothies. They add variety to the diet. Bear in mind that heat intensifies the banana flavor, so some don’t like using canned bananas in smoothies. They work perfectly well for banana breads and cakes.

The second more unusual item that I can at home is pineapples. Home-canned pineapple does not have the same taste or texture (though it is quite acceptable) as its commercially-canned counterpart, but it does have one important advantage; it has a much longer shelf-life because it is preserved in glass.

Drying Fruit

As far as dried fruits go, we buy raisins and dried cranberries, but most other fruits are prohibitively expensive and/or entirely unavailable. Dried fruits are a highly desirable component of any food storage program for several reasons. Because most fruits are very high in water content, they lose a lot in weight and size when dehydrated, making the finished product very lightweight and portable. As a result, a whole lot of fruit, when dried, can fit into a canning jar or a small plastic bag.

Be aware that home-dried fruit is in most cases far different from commercially-dried fruit, which also generally has preservatives added. Furthermore, texture is everything with dried fruit. A fruit that is only mediocre when cut into chunks before drying becomes a huge treat when cut into long thin slices before drying. In addition, you must use quality fruit with good flavor, because while sugars will be concentrated in the drying process, the flavor itself will remain the same. So, before purchasing 50 pounds of watermelon to dry, make sure you and your family are going to like the result first.

Watermelon- When I first began drying, I read that fruits, like watermelon and pineapple, were cut into chunks. My dried watermelon chunks had a squash-like flavor to them. It definitely did not possess the candy-like flavor I desired to duplicate. So I tried again. This time I cut the watermelon into long, thin strips, like a fruit roll, about 1”x4”, before drying. The result was perfection.

Pineapple- I had a similar experience with pineapple. While the dried chunks didn’t taste like squash, the texture just wasn’t all that desirable. So I also experimented with cutting the pineapple into strips about the same size as the watermelon strips. This time the result was beyond perfection. Dried pineapple strips are a huge hit with my children, as they have been with the children of all my friends who have tried them. They must be carefully hidden away, or they will all disappear rapidly.

Bananas- Dried bananas are another popular item. Because we also prefer these to be as thin as possible, I put the slicing blade on the food processor and run them through.

Strawberries- While many people leave strawberries whole for drying, the texture is greatly improved if they are very thinly sliced so that they become strawberry chips.

Fruit rolls- However, when it comes to drying strawberries, most children far prefer the true fruit roll version for this fruit. To make fruit rolls, puree the strawberries in a blender. Add corn syrup (Karo syrup does not contain HFCS) to taste. Pour the puree onto dehydrator trays that have been covered with plastic wrap. Spread the puree so that it is about 1/8” thick, and dry until only very slightly tacky. Once dry, I cut it with scissors into 3”x4” sections, roll those up, and store them in plastic. We also make fruit rolls with peaches, nectarines, and plums. (Do not use sugar as the sweetener, as this may result in a very grainy fruit roll. Honey may be used as the sweetener, but the result is that the fruit roll remains a little tacky and it can be difficult to gauge when it is sufficiently dry.)

All dried fruits and fruit rolls must be vacuum-sealed in either bags or canning jars in humid areas or they will take on moisture from the air. In a desert environment, vacuum sealing is not necessary.

Freeze-dried Fruit

Freeze-dried fruits, though comparatively expensive, also have their place in a well-stocked pantry. Blueberries have been designated for our family’s favorite blueberry sour cream pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup. Raspberries have been set aside for raspberry-lemon muffins. However, most of our freeze-dried fruit is intended for making various flavors of instant oatmeal. We combine 8 cups quick oats that have been processed in a blender or food processor for a few seconds, 1 cup dry milk powder, 1 cup sugar, and 2 to 2.5 cups freeze-dried fruit. (I so wish I could comment on using the Harvest Right in-home freeze dryer, but alas, it is still out of our range.)

Letter Re: Powdered Milk

HJL,

To add to the article “What’s for Dinner,” one way to make powdered milk more palatable is to add one can of evaporated milk per gallon of reconstituted powdered milk. Powdered milk has had most of the milk fats removed from it and adding them back in via evaporated milk makes it much better tasting.

When we lived in Turkey, the milk plant on the Balgat airbase in Ankara used the powdered with evaporated method to provide milk for the BX. (Tuberculosis is endemic in the cattle herds in Turkey, and you will get TB if you drink their milk.) If you didn’t know, you would swear it was “real” milk. – H.D.

Economics and Investing:

RBS cries ‘sell everything’ as deflationary crisis nears – G.G.

o o o

Record Numbers Of Retired Americans Are Working Part-Time Jobs – G.G.

o o o

Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

All of the World’s Money and Markets in One Visualization (Visual Capitalist) An excellent (and terrifying) representation beginning with Bitcoin and ending with derivatives.

Oil Could Fall to $20 but NOT for the Reason You Think (Market Watch) Excerpt: “While oil markets are undoubtedly oversupplied, after a certain point, deteriorating fundamentals have little to do with the price action. ‘Oversupply may have pushed oil prices under $60, but the difference between $35 oil and $55 oil is primarily the USD (U.S. dollar), in our view,’ they wrote.”

International News

RBS Cries “Sell Everything” as Deflationary Crisis Nears (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “The bank’s credit team said markets are flashing stress alerts akin to the turbulent months before the Lehman crisis in 2008.”

Oil Price Shock Affecting Business Outlook Beyond Energy Sector: Bank of Canada (Business Vancouver) Containment is largely a myth. Excerpt: “In its report, the Bank of Canada said, ‘The negative effects of the oil price shock are…increasingly spreading beyond the energy-producing regions and sectors.'”

Here’s What Spooked China Last Night (Business Insider) Excerpt: “… overcapacity may be a bigger problem than we thought.”

Baltic Dry Crashes: Insiders Warn Commerce Has Come to a Halt (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “Last week, I received news from a contact who is friends with one of the biggest billionaire shipping families in the world. He told me they had no ships at sea right now, because operating them meant running at a loss. This weekend, reports are circulating saying much the same thing: The North Atlantic has little or no cargo ships traveling in its waters. Instead, they are anchored. Unmoving. Empty.”

China Warns No V-Shaped Recovery Coming (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “His punchline: ‘against such a backdrop, China’s economy is unlikely to achieve a V-shape rebound, but instead an L-shape growth.’But his most dire warning was one which would make an already unhinged Paul Krugman even more unhinged: ‘To deal with the medium and long-term economic malaise, the traditional Keynesianism methodology does not work. A structural reform is thus needed to address the root cause.'”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Using “the Force” on Weak Minded People (Mark Dice) Spoiler Alert and a Suggestion: Don’t give out your personal information to people you don’t know and for purposes you cannot confirm. Once again it’s difficult to imagine falling for this sort of thing, but people do it all the time.

Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

SurvivalBlog reader T.A. sent in this recommendation:
On a recent trip to a used book store in a tiny little Tennessee town, we found a wonderful treasure. Here it is for SB readers interested in a helpful resource: Root Cellaring: The Simple No-Processing Way to Store Fruits and Vegetables by Mike and Nancy Bubel. Our copy was printed in 1979 and purchased for $5, but there appears to be an updated version from 1991. From the 1979 edition, a quote from Ella Heide whose cellar was built in 1901: “The root cellar was the most crucial link in the subsistence chain for a good unworried life.”

o o o

Reader J.W. writes in to recommend the classic movie The Bridge on the River Kwai.

o o o

Do you have a favorite book, movie, or video that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Odds ‘n Sods:

House Homeland Chair Warns of Terror Attacks at Disney, Oscars, the Mall of America… – Sent in by T.A.

o o o

Disturbing news for those planning on having children: Scientists push for new wave of eugenics with genome testing for all newborns While there may be good reasons for knowing this information, I can think of a stream of ways that it will be abused if it exists. – Sent in by D.S.

o o o

An interesting idea for a survival kit was sent in by reader M.T. PACE lid. Be prepared for whatever life throws your way. While it is still in the “kickstarter” phase, it has promise to be a useful way to carry a few essentials. If you have your water bottle, you have your kit.

o o o

The EU response to the increased violence the Muslim refugees are presenting? Make more victims! EU Gun Control: After Terrorism And Sex Assaults, European Union Cracks Down On Firearms Ownership – G.G.

o o o

Reader RBS sent in this link to an NPR article on A Hardier Honeybee That Fights Back By Biting Back. These bees are selectively bred to bite the legs off of parasitic mites.

Notes for Tuesday – January 12, 2016

On January 12, 1888, the “Schoolchildren’s Blizzard” killed 235 people, many of whom were children on their way home from school, across the Northwest Plains region of the United States. The storm came with no warning and some accounts say that the temperature fell nearly 100 degrees in just 24 hours. There were many instances of teachers keeping or rescuing children who would have been caught in the storm while walking home.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 62 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw Code Red 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knifemaker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 62 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

What’s For Dinner?- Part 3, by J.R.

Powdered Milk/Dairy

Ah, powdered milk. It’s probably the ugly stepchild of the food storage world, the last item people want to put in their food storage because it’s the last thing they want to drink. We’re going to change that. First off, let’s discuss the various needs, the bare bones essentials. Children, up to about age ten or twelve years, and pregnant and nursing women need 75 pounds of powdered milk per year to satisfy the nutritional demands of their growing bodies. Teens and adults can make do with 20 pounds of dry milk per year. This reduced amount is what is used in baking and cooking. There is no allowance for drinking or pouring on cereal. Let’s face it, most of us have had the questionable blessing of drinking powdered milk at some point in our lives. We just don’t want to contemplate going there. We know Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine but making powdered milk palatable… well, that may require more faith than we have. (But have faith! Read on.) When you learn how to improve the flavor, you may wish to increase the amounts you store.

Powdered milk must be kept as cool as possible (without freezing) at all times. Even brief exposure to high temperatures will render it unpalatable. In addition, it must be kept completely dark as any light at all will also degrade nutritional value and taste quickly. (So do not store it in plastic buckets as I did when I was starting out. That was an expensive lesson to learn.) However, when it is stored properly, powdered milk has a shelf life of up to twenty years.

Milk

Now there are many options in powdered milk storage. All the major long-term storage providers have their own powdered milk lines for sale. When I taught a class on using powdered milk in the food storage plan, the class had the opportunity to taste test samples from several different companies. There was no consensus for first place. The taste testers favored the rather expensive options from either Emergency Essentials or Grandma’s Country Cupboard or Provident Living, but just barely over what was universal consensus for second place. What was the second choice option, which everyone agreed they could happily drink on a long-term basis? Powdered milk from the LDS Home Storage Center.

It is not just powdered milk mixed according to the directions and chilled well. (The chilling is important for all powdered milks.) To one quart of reconstituted milk, add ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or some prefer almond extract) and ½ to 1 teaspoon of sugar, and mix very well. Life is good again.

The LDS Home Storage Center has the best prices on powdered milk.

Once you have acquired the minimums for your basic storage of powdered milk, you may want to consider supplementing your supply with additional dry milk or other long-term storage milk products in some of the following ways.

We are milk drinkers in this family, so I have doubled the minimum storage amount suggestions for all the adults—just to cover being able to drink milk with our meals.

Yogurt

Yogurt can easily be made from powdered milk. You do not need any special equipment. A crockpot, thermos, cooler, or oven that can be set at low temperatures will suffice. You do need a starter, whether it is commercially prepared yogurt (with live cultures), homemade yogurt, or a freeze-dried starter. Directions are all over the ‘net; here is one suggestion included with the links at the end of the article. Note that the longer the incubation period, the tarter and the firmer the yogurt.

Milk Drinks

Milk drinks (powdered milk alternatives) available from some long-term storage companies should be carefully researched before purchase. While everything we have tried has tasted quite good, taste appears to come at the expense of good nutrition. Saturated fats are added and important vitamins are removed. Buyer beware.

Hot Cocoa Mix

One of the best values on the market, in terms of quality and price, is available through the LDS Home Storage Center.

Shelf Stable Milk and Whipping Cream

Shelf stable milk and whipping cream are available from a variety of sources. In my area, I go to Trader Joe’s. These items have a shorter shelf life, usually about six months. Still, it is nice to have whipping cream on hand.

Sour Cream

Freeze-dried sour cream does not reconstitute well for using fresh. This product only works well in baking.

Media Crema

Media crema is found in the Mexican food section of the grocery store. It is a sort of whipping cream substitute, though it does not whip up. We’ve used it to make ice cream and other desserts.

Dry Milk With Fats

There are powdered milk options that are nonfat. Nido is a whole milk powder found in the Mexican food section of the grocery store. It has a short shelf life. Milkman contains 1/2% milkfat and is found with the other dry or canned milk options in the grocery store. It also has a short shelf life but not as short as Nido.

So now that we have covered the food storage basics for one year, how much food is this really? In my classes, I measured each item into bowls and placed them in the front of the class. I can’t do that here, so I will try to create a visual for you. Doing the math (and allowing for a year to be 360 days instead of 365 for ease in calculation), we have 13.3 ounces of grain for List A (17.7 ounces for List B), 2.6 ounces of beans, 2.6 ounces of sugar, 0.8 ounces of oil, 0.4 ounces of salt, and 3.3 ounces of dry milk for List A (0.8 ounces for List B). Having the ounces isn’t as illustrative, so let’s convert everything to standard U.S. baking and cooking measurements. That will be 1¾ cups of wheat for List A (2¼ cups for List B), 1/3 cup of dry beans, 3½ tablespoons of sugar, 1¼ teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 2/3 cup of powdered milk for List A (3 tablespoons for List B).

Of course, the grains and beans will expand with cooking. However, you are still dividing this into three meals. In addition, consider how much variety this provides to your diet. What can you really do with these basics? Do you really want to be eating just these few basics every single day? If you still think these minimums will work for you and your family, I highly encourage you to measure out these amounts and eat only this for a day or two. I guarantee you will re-think your position. It’s far better to do this re-thinking now rather than when TEOTWAWKI hits.

Moreover, remember that these amounts provide 2,000 calories per day. Men, pregnant and nursing women, and teens need more. Other adult women and young children need less. How happy are your working men and teen sons going to be on 2,000 calories per day? How healthy will babies be if their mothers don’t have quite enough food?

Furthermore, flavor fatigue will happen with this minimum. Many individuals think people will eat if they are hungry, but that is just not the case for some groups, especially young children and the elderly. That’s a historical fact. And it will only add to stress, both mental and real physical stress, in an already very stressful time, not only for those who are refusing to eat but also for those of us on whom they depend for support.

Finally, don’t deceive yourself into thinking you need to lose weight. While that may be true, weight loss is going to happen anyway when TEOTWAWKI hits. We don’t need to stress the body out more.

EXPANDED STORAGE

Now that you have hopefully been convinced of the need to expand your family’s variety of storage, let’s begin with the understanding that the items listed below do NOT replace any of the basics listed above. The fruits, vegetables, meats, baking essentials, and other items will add some calories, nutrients, and variety to the diet, all of which will be very much needed when we are stressed and working and exercising a whole lot more.

Baking Essentials

Yeast

Instant active dry yeast is recommended at 1 pound per person per year. Yeast is needed to make yeast breads (as opposed to quick breads). Bread is the staff of life. It’s great for sandwiches and very nice to have with soups and stews, and it will also keep for about a week without refrigeration. Yeast has a two to three year shelf life, as long as it is kept cool and dry. Store it in your refrigerator or freezer, if possible.

Wheat Gluten

Vital wheat gluten flour added to bread dough helps the dough rise better and have a lighter texture after baking. Now that I have been baking bread for several years and I have finally reached a point where I have consistently great results, I probably won’t purchase any more gluten flour. But as a beginner bread maker, I found gluten to be a tremendous help. Substitute one tablespoon of wheat gluten flour per cup of wheat flour.

Dough Conditioner

Dough conditioner is used in addition to wheat gluten flour to improve the texture of whole wheat bread. You can purchase it in stores or online, or you can make your own. The individual ingredients all serve a particular function in improving the texture of your bread. Don’t worry if you don’t have one or two of the ingredients. Dough conditioner is like money—some is good, more is better.

A batch of dough conditioner can be made with the following ingredients and instructions:

  • 1 cup lecithin,
  • 1 cup whey powder,
  • 1 tablespoon diastatic malt powder [I can never find this, so I don’t include it],
  • 1 tablespoon citric acid,
  • 1 tablespoon pectin,
  • 1 tablespoon ginger.

Mix well and store in an airtight container. Add 1 tablespoon of dough conditioner per loaf of bread. Again, this is an aid for beginning bread bakers. Once you gain experience with how to make a perfect loaf of bread, you won’t need the conditioner.

Powdered Eggs

We raise our own chickens here, but powdered eggs will always have a place in our pantry for a few reasons. Egg production decreases or stops completely when the hens go into a molt or in the middle of winter, so it’s good to have powdered eggs for a replacement. Powdered eggs are also handy for making your own mixes of convenience foods. Bear in mind that powdered eggs do not come from free range chickens. They are a very pale yellow and have an almost grayish cast to them. Scrambled eggs made from powdered eggs really are not visually appealing. We use about one #10 can per year as a supplement to our hens. If I didn’t have chickens, I would plan on six cans per year for my family of seven. Powdered eggs need to be stored in a very cool, dry place. An unopened can has a shelf life of three years. Each #10 can from Honeyville Grain contain about 156 eggs (13 dozen).

Baking Soda

Baking soda is essential in helping doughs and batters rise for a wide variety of baked goods, including cookies, cakes, quick breads, muffins, pancakes, et cetera. If properly stored in an airtight container, baking soda can have an indefinite shelf life. The key here is properly. Baking soda absorbs odors and moisture, and it does so very readily through the cardboard packaging it comes in. Baking soda that is currently being used should be kept in an airtight container in the pantry. Baking soda that is being stored and rotated should be in an airtight bucket. To test whether your baking soda will still do its job of raising doughs and batters, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to a tablespoon or so of vinegar in a bowl. If the mixture bubbles vigorously, the baking soda is still good. Baking soda also has numerous applications in both personal care and household cleaning, and we actually store more baking soda for cleaning than for baking, about three pounds total per person per year.

Baking Powder

Baking powder is another essential ingredient for helping doughs and batters rise, especially for cakes, quick breads, and muffins. Baking powder increases the volume and lightens the texture. Even when properly stored, baking powder has a maximum shelf life of 12 to 18 months. However, you can make your own very easily. The individual ingredients of baking powder have a much longer shelf life separately than they do when they are mixed. To make your DIY baking powder, mix ¼ teaspoon baking soda with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar. The resulting ¾ teaspoon will substitute for 1 teaspoon of baking powder. If you are not using this mixture immediately in your recipe, also mix in ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch. The cornstarch will absorb moisture in the air and prevent the baking soda and cream of tartar from reacting too quickly. Because baking powder has a short shelf life, I only keep a few cans on hand.

Cream of Tartar

The only thing I use cream of tartar for is making my own baking powder. I store one pound for my family of seven per year.

Vanilla Extract

Some of the vanilla extract (pure vanilla extract, not imitation) we store is for baking treats, but most of it is for improving the taste of powdered milk. A 16-ounce bottle contains 192 ½ teaspoons (½ teaspoon is the amount added per quart to improve the taste of powdered milk), so that converts to 48 gallons of milk. In my observation, the amounts of milk consumed vary widely, so you’ll need to perform your own calculations for your family. Also, remember that pure vanilla is high in alcohol. You may need to keep it safely locked away.

Cocoa

So how often do you want to have hot cocoa, or chocolate cake, or brownies? Baking cocoa has an indefinite shelf life, just as long as you keep it cool and dry.

Pectin

Are you going to be making any jam with wild berries or with fruit you have growing on your property? If so, store one box of pectin per batch of jam you plan to make. If not, one or two boxes will be sufficient for making your own dough conditioner. Pomona pectin (available in some grocery stores and on Amazon) allows you to make no sugar, low sugar, and full sugar jams and jellies without having to purchase different kinds of pectin. Each package comes with full instructions.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is used in some canning to increase acidity and in cheese-making. It’s also used in making your own dough conditioner. One pound should be plenty for your family.

Yogurt Starter

When TEOTWAWKI happens, it will probably be when I don’t have any fresh, plain yogurt on hand for making my own yogurt. And even if I did have it on hand, eventually accidents will happen and a batch may become contaminated or something goes wrong. So it is a good idea to have some freeze-dried yogurt starter in your pantry. You can find them in your local health food store or on Amazon. And in case you are wondering, yogurt made from powdered milk has no trace of the off taste of powdered milk in it.

Letter Re: Algorithms

Sirs,

I was particularly interested in your 1/9/16 link to an article regarding The risks — and benefits — of letting algorithms judge us. Algorithms are convenient tools and are more ubiquitous in society than you might think. Those maddening automated telephone answering scripts that lead you through a labyrinth of options that do not address what you are calling about are an excellent example. Many businesses and healthcare venues (or providers) regularly use algorithms to help them maintain a minimum standard of service. That is fine, if you are satisfied with a minimum standard of service.

I tried, at the healthcare system I retired from, to allow deviation from algorithms for valid reasons without employees fearing adverse consequences. My reason was my calculation that, even if the algorithms used were “perfect” and were fully complied with, there would be 30 patients per day who would not be best served by them. In health care, this can have adverse, if not catastrophic, consequences.

What constitutes a “perfect” algorithm? Obviously, one hopes to use this tool to address the vast majority of issues/demands/needs of the target population. The algorithm will work best for those who inhabit the fattest part of the bell shaped curve of that population and will still be useful for those to either side, all the way out to the asymptotes (the narrow tails of the graph). What about those IN the asymptotes? By definition this will be 2.5% of the population at either end of the bell shaped curve. That is 5% of the population, or one in twenty.

Returning to my telephone answering example, I must be the mutant who is among that 5% most of the time. There are two other explanations. First, the algorithm they are using is far from perfect. Second, they are limiting options to guide behavior (as noted in the article above which stimulated my discussion). If an algorithm is nothing more than a series of “If _____, then_____” directions for the user, one can easily see that there can be an insufficient number and type of “If, then” branches in the algorithm, or the “thens” recommended can be faulty or manipulated to achieve a desired result. If the desired result is noble, great. If not, then not so great.

Think about this when you use the apps in your smartphone and ask yourself if they know all the facts pertinent to your situation before completely and blindly following them. While most of the apps we use will not lead us astray, I have seen numerous instances in the medical field where blind reliance on algorithms led to an unwanted result. It might be an excuse for some to say that they followed the algorithm to the letter to achieve a minimum standard, but again, should you be satisfied with a minimum standard? If the algorithm said the bridge should be sound if you load it with cars, but you then add a truck and it falls down, is that acceptable?

If I have a point, I guess it is that you should take responsibility for your actions and their consequences rather than blaming an algorithm if things go wrong. They are just tools. My attempts at carpentry are not pitiful because of my tools, they are dismal because I am inept at carpentry and should either avoid it at all cost or learn to do it right. Until I do so, I recommend not sitting on any chairs I craft. Remember this and do not accept excuses from businesses or government who rely completely on algorithms, whether their intentions are good or ill. Remember what the road to hell is paved with. – K

News From The American Redoubt:

Here is some food for thought, when considering retreat locales: Five Maps Showing the Extreme Variance in U.S. Population Distribution. Note that The American Redoubt has some of the least populous counties.

o o o

U.S. Government to Cull Hundreds of Yellowstone Bison This Winter – Sent in by T.J.

o o o

RBS sent in this article containing some odd photographs of a rare defect: Idaho Fish and Game mystified by rare, deformed mountain lion

o o o

The Californication of Washington continues. Here is yet ANOTHER reason for the Citizens of eastern Washington to seek partition! – JWR

o o o

2 Texas billionaires bought up 38,000 acres of Idaho land – D.S.

Economics and Investing:

“Unprecedented Demand” – US Mint Sells Nearly As Much Gold On First Day Of 2016 As All Of January 2015 – G.G.

o o o

Shipping Said to Have Ceased… Is the Worldwide Economy Grinding to a Halt? – B.B.

o o o

Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

More Trouble Ahead for US Oil Industry (Houston Chronicle) Excerpt: “The tentacles of the energy sector run deeper in the US economy than most understand…”

Why Sugar, Once a Big Business in Hawaii, is Disappearing (Christian Science Monitor) Excerpt: “The company hopes to shield itself from the vulnerability of a single crop market by pursuing a ‘diversified agricultural model’…”

International News

As Canada’s Economic Engine Stalls, Can Other Industries Pick Up the Slack? (The Globe and Mail) Excerpt: “Since the Great Recession, Canada has relied on two key elements to keep its economy humming: oil and real estate. But after a rough start to 2016 that dealt fresh blows to the beleaguered energy segment, the big question is whether other industries can power the Canadian economy through an extended resource slump – and whether debt-laden Canadian consumers can still be counted on to be part of the solution.”

Saudi Aramco: Sale of the Century? (The Economist) Excerpt: ““THE amounts of oil are incredible, and I have to rub my eyes frequently and say like the farmer: ‘There ain’t no such beast.’” So wrote an American oilman in the Persian Gulf a few years after the discovery in 1938 of a gusher of oil from Saudi Arabia’s Well Number Seven, 4,727 feet (1,440 metres) below the desert floor.”

Timeline: How the Global Economy Played Out in 2015(Visual Capitalist) Excerpt: “It’s hard to say where markets will turn in 2016, but for now it will continue to be much of the same volatility until the picture becomes clearer.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

5 Traits of Fulfilled People (Dave Ramsey) Excerpt: “They’re those people who are always cheerful and smiling. They’re the ones who rarely complain, and everything they touch seems to turn to gold. They’re successful yet humble, influential yet compassionate. And the thing is, that’s who they really are! What you see is what you get, in public or behind closed doors.”

9 Ways Plain Mennonites Save Money (Just Plain Marie) Excerpt from Marie’s “About Page”: “I am supposed to say here that ‘I know not everyone can do this …’ but that would be a lot of hogwash. If this is what you want to do, you can do it.”

How to Save More Money: Rethink Your Spending (Clark Howard) Excerpt: “The wonderful thing about personal finance is that it’s really quite simple.”

Odds ‘n Sods:

The latest from Wranglerstar (one of our favorite vloggers: Best Everyday Carry Gear 2016)

o o o

Reader C.S. sent in this link to a review of some inexpensive/cheap “mop wick” diesel stoves. Part of the article is a video that shows how to re-wick them and their operation. Prepping 101: Cooking With Diesel – Mop Wick Kerosene Stoves Explained

o o o

From Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large: Point source failure – One major highway and only one bridge connecting the nation. Ontario’s Nipigon River bridge fails, severing Trans-Canada Highway

o o o

After Ebola, two other tropical diseases pose new threats – new medical world threats named and assessed. Food for thought: consider the effect of upcoming Olympics as a “means of dissemination”. – D.S.

o o o

Forget fingerprints, Wi-Fi ROUTERS could soon help police solve crimes. Sent in by B.B.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Property rights are not the rights of property; they are the rights of humans with regard to property. They are a particular kind of human right.” – David Friedman

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Ruger SR-556 Takedown

I’m a fan of the AR-15 type of rifles. I always have been. So, when some gun makers started coming out with AR-15s that had a gas piston, instead of the direct gas impingement system, I tested several of them. I think we could have a debate all week long as to the merits of the gas piston system versus the direct gas impingement system and we couldn’t change one another’s minds. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the direct gas impingement system, other than your AR really gets dirty, in short order. Yes, I’m aware there were problems with the first M-16s (military select-fire versions of the semiauto AR-15) when they were first shipped to Vietnam. However, there was stupid thinking on the part of someone who said the guns didn’t need to be cleaned very often and no cleaning kits were even supplied. Plus, there was a problem with the gun powder used in the ammo of the first M-16s. Once these problems were corrected, the M-16 ran fine, so long as you kept them halfway cleaned and lubed, just like any other gun.

100_6223

A couple of years ago, Ruger came out with their first version of a gas piston AR type of rifle, called the Ruger SR-556, and it was an immediate hit with gun owners. I did an article on the SR-556 for SurvivalBlog.com and was very favorably impressed with my sample. Ruger had a hard time keeping up with demand. The Ruger gas piston system is proprietary to their guns. You can’t interchange parts with any other gas piston AR, and this seems to be typical of gas piston ARs, no matter who makes them.

I do like the way the SR-556 gas piston adjustments can be made with a simple .223/5.56 round. Simply slide the bullet end into the adjustment knob and turn it from one setting to another. Ruger ships their SR-556 rifles with the setting on the “2” position. Quite honestly, the gun ran fine, no matter what ammo I ran through it or how dirty it got. Still, I played around with the different adjustments from the “0” position to the “3” position. You can find all this information in my previous SR-556 article on SurvivalBlog.com

100_6224

Today, we’re taking a close look at the Ruger SR-556 Takedown version. Ruger did a bang-up job on it. A few specs are in order first. The SR-556 comes with a newer style butt stock that is still adjustable, but I like the shape and feel of the new butt stock a lot better than the older version. There’s nothing wrong with the older version, but the newer one is better in my opinion; it’s stronger, to be sure. The SR-556 Takedown has folding “iron” sights in the front and rear. They are actually made of steel not iron, but for whatever reason we always call them “iron” sights. Go figure. Plus, the sights are readily adjustable without any problems. The barrel is 16.1 inches long, just like the original with a 1:9 right hand twist. The finish is manganese phosphate/hard coat anodized, and the gun weighs in at 7.6 lbs. You can read all the specs on the Ruger website. I hate boring our readers with too many specs when they can read about it themselves.

100_6225

Where we have a drastic change is with the barrel assembly. The Takedown SR-556 comes set-up with the standard .223/5.56 barrel. However, you can swap out the barrel with one chambered in .300 AAC Blackout. Yes, you read that right! Just by changing barrels, you can change calibers; no other changes are required. You use the same bolt and bolt carrier, and you can technically use the same magazines. However, with the .300 AAC Blackout conversion barrel, Ruger sends you two magazines that are marked .300 Blackout. I, however, have one of the first conversion set-ups and my magazines weren’t marked with the .300 Blackout on them.

So, how easy is it to change from one caliber to another? Actually, it’s VERY easy. Simply slide the locking bar on the end of the fore arm, twist and pull the barrel out, and reverse the order to put in the new barrel. It’s just that quick and simple. Now, the .300 AAC Blackout barrel doesn’t come with the gun; this is ordered separately, but I’m hoping that, and I mentioned it to Ruger, maybe they could offer the SR-556 with the .300 AAC Blackout barrel installed, instead of the .223/5/56 barrel. Those of us who already have enough ARs in .223/5.56 might want this gun just in .300 AAC Blackout. Or, we might want the Ruger AR-556 in .300 AAC Blackout instead of .223/5.56. It’s something to think about here, Ruger.

100_6228

The takedown feature on this gun provides repeatable accuracy. I removed both barrels several times, numerous times for that matter, and the bullet point of impact didn’t change at all. Of course, when you change from one caliber to another, the point of impact changes; the .300 Blackout shoots heavier .30 caliber bullets. For my testing, I didn’t change the sight adjustments at all. I just let the different calibers group where they did. I was testing for accuracy, not setting up the sights for different points of impact.

I also wanted to mention the new Ruger Elite 452 AR trigger they are installing on the Takedown. It is a two-stage trigger that is smooth; yet it has a crisp release that is 4.5 lbs. I hope Ruger starts installing this in all their AR-style rifles. It is a great trigger pull, to be sure. Again, for all the specs on the Takedown, go to Ruger’s website.

100_6228

The SR-556 Takedown does come in a nice black ballistic nylon backpack, with the rifle in the takedown set-up. People wouldn’t know you were carrying a rifle in this backpack. Just remove the Velcro Ruger patch on the back of the backpack and you’re good to go. It only takes a minute or two to reassemble the rifle. It’s a nice way to pack a gun in the trunk of your car, or if out hiking no one would know you had a rifle in that backpack. The pack is very well-made, too. It’s super nice!

I had the SR-556 Takedown for a month, before the .300 Blackout conversion barrel arrived, so I had more than a few shooting sessions. Of course, it all took place during the hottest part of our summer and I don’t tolerate heat, especially in the upper 90s and 100 range. I took copious notes, because my testing was spread out over the course of a month.

100_6230

From Black Hills Ammunition, I had their .223 Rem in 55-gr FMJ, 55-gr Soft Point, 60-gr Soft Point, 62-gr Barnes TSX and their 68-gr Heavy Match Hollow Point. In 5.56mm, I had their 69-gr Open Tip Match. I also received some new 5.56mm ammo from Ruger after my initial testing, and that was their new 69-gr Sierra TMK and their 70-gr Hornady GMX loads. So, it was back to the range for more testing, when I thought I was all done shooting. What a hard job, but someone has to do it– the sacrifices I make. LOL

There were zero malfunctions with any of the Black Hills ammo, and all shot great using open sights. I was only shooting at 50 yards this time, and I was getting groups less than two inches using a rest over the hood of my pick-up truck. The 60-gr Soft Point load gave me a one-inch group, so long as I did my part, and I did this several times. A smart writer knows when to quit; you quit when you’re at your best. After that, your groups start to open-up and you get frustrated that you can’t keep on getting those little groups all day long.

Now, here’s something of interest; the 5.56mm 69-gr Open Tip Match load was also giving me groups close to the one-inch mark, so long as I was on my game. However, when I received the 5.56mm 69-gr Sierra TMK and 70-gr Hornady GMX loads, the SR-556 Takedown’s 1:9 barrel twist just didn’t like them at all. The groups were all over the place. Now, this isn’t the fault of the gun or the ammo; it’s the barrel twist. On the Ruger AR-556 rifles, the barrels have a 1:8 barrel twist, and I had no problems with these newest 5.56mm rounds. What I found really interesting is that the 69-gr Open Tip Match 5.56mm load shot fine, but the same 69-gr weight bullet with the Sierra TMK load wouldn’t group. So, you should always test any ammo you plan on using, first of all to make sure it functions and secondly for accuracy.

100_6232

When it comes to barrel twists in ARs, it just depends on the particular rifle and the bullet weights you are using. Many ARs with a barrel twist of 1:9 won’t shoot anything with any sort of accuracy over 62-grs; some will, and some just won’t. It depends on the gun itself and the ammo you are using. If you want to shoot heavy .223 or 5.56 bullets, you should go with a 1:7 inch barrel twist. Who knows, maybe Ruger will offer conversion kits for these Takedown rifles with different barrel twists. Still, I found it a little bit strange that this gun would shoot and group the 69-gr Open Tip Match round, but the 69-gr Sierra TMK round wouldn’t group. One would assume (and we shouldn’t do that should we?) that the bullets are the same weight, so they should shoot about the same, right? Nope!

Black Hills sent me some of their .300 Whisper 125-gr Open Tip Match ammo. I actually received the ammo several weeks before I got the Takedown .300 AAC Blackout barrel conversion. Now, to be sure, you can shoot .300 Whisper through a rifle chambered in .300 AAC Blackout, however, the reverse isn’t always true. You really shouldn’t shoot .300 AAC Blackout in a rifle chambered in .300 Whisper. They are “that” close to being the same ammo, but there is a silly millimeter difference in the specs of the rounds. I know some people don’t have any problems shooting .300 AAC Blackout in a rifle chambered in .300 Whisper, so proceed with caution. Black Hills also manufactures a 220-gr subsonic .300 Whisper round, but it won’t function the action, if you don’t have a suppressor on the end of the barrel, so I didn’t request any of the heavier .300 Whisper ammo from them for my testing.

100_6233

Some months back, I received a Ruger Mini-14 in .300 AAC Blackout, and I’m here to tell you I simply fell in love with this round. It is actually a bit more potent than the 7.62X39 round that is used in the AK-47. Again, the only ammo I had in to shoot in the Ruger Mini-14 in .300 AAC Blackout was the Black Hills .300 Whisper 125-gr OTM round, and it shot great. There is just “something” about the .300 AAC Blackout/.300 Whisper that draws me to it; it’s nothing I can really put my finger on though, strange! The round is super accurate, and it can be used for hunting medium-sized game, and I understand it is great on wild pigs, too.

Once the .300 AAC Blackout barrel was installed on the SR-556 Takedown, I ran out to the range and used the Black Hills .300 Whisper, 125-gr Open Tip Match ammo. Once again, my shooting was done only at 50 yards because of weather conditions– extreme fire danger. I had zero problems keeping all those rounds under one inch. The gun can shoot, and the ammo was second to none. Then again, I expect nothing less from Black Hills Ammunition. I was more than a little impressed with the .300 Whisper ammo in the Takedown. I have since begged Jeff Hoffman, who co-owns Black Hills Ammunition with his lovely wife, Kristi, for some more of their .300 Whisper ammo, just for killing rocks and paper. They happily sent me a good supply for further shooting.

I have zero complaints about the Ruger SR-556 Takedown that I can think of. As I suggested to Ruger, I’d like to see if offered along with their AR-556 in .300 AAC Blackout to start with, and if a person wants to swap out that .300 barrel in the Takedown version for one in .223/5.56 they can. If Ruger offered their AR-556 in .300 Blackout, I’d buy one in an instant. I have no complaints with my Ruger Mini-14 in .300 Blackout, but still I’d buy their AR-556 in .300 Blackout if it was offered.

The .300 AAC Blackout is rapidly gaining acceptance for a round that can outperform the .223/5.56, especially when more power is needed at longer distances. The .300 Blackout will outperform the .223/5.56 out past 450 yards and hit harder and hit with a .30 caliber bullet instead of the lighter .222/5.56 will, and I didn’t even mention recoil. I honestly didn’t notice much more recoil between the .223/5.56 rounds and the .300 Whisper rounds I fired. I guess there was a bit more recoil with the bigger rounds, but I honestly didn’t notice it during my firing.

One of the benefits with the .300 AAC Blackout round is that it fits into AR-sized guns. There’s no changing out the bolt/bolt carrier, just a different barrel, and you can use the same magazines if you want. Ruger, on the side of caution, sends two magazines with the .300 Blackout conversion with the mags clearly marked as to .300 Blackout. Of course, as mentioned, mine didn’t have any markings. Then again, it was one of the first .300 Blackout conversion kits shipped.

Full retail on the Ruger SR-556 Takedown is $2,049.00. To be sure, it is spendy, but there are many other piston-driven AR-style rifles in only .223 or only in .300 Blackout that are a lot more money. Ruger has always offered blue collar prices on their guns. While I’ll readily admit that this is a lot money, the gun is worth it, especially when you consider that you can change calibers in a minute with the conversion kit, and it sells for under $500, too. I’m keeping my sample, and now I have to find a way to pay for it. Maybe I’ll declare it as a Christmas present to myself. How much can the wife complain? I always tell her that, “I just need one more gun…” and it’s still as true today as it was when I first told her that, many years ago. Check out the Ruger SR-556 Takedown at your dealer, if you can find one. They are still in short supply, due to great demand.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio