Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 2, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

When the time to cook arrives, the first step is to sort through the beans and remove any detritus or shriveled beans. In commercial products, it isn’t uncommon to find small rocks that were collected by the combine at harvest mixed in with the beans. Your next step is deciding if you are going to pre-soak or not. I tend to pre-soak dried peas but skip the pre-soak for beans. In both cases, I prefer cooking in a crock pot over using a pot on the stovetop. The common belief is that adding salt to soaking beans prevents the beans from fully hydrating and softening. I have never added salt for this reason and therefore can’t say if its presence before cooking negatively impacts the texture. I do give my rehydrated peas a rinse with cold water before cooking.

As to flavoring your dish, both garlic and onion in fresh or powdered forms are mainstays in our home. Field peas pair well with small amounts of bay leaf or rosemary whereas pinto beans deserve a bit of cayenne and butter beans only need time and salt (in my opinion). For cooking liquid, never use water alone. Beef stock, bullion powder, apple cider and marinades can be used as partial water replacement to impart unique or specific flavors to dishes. For crock pot cooking I aim for six cups of liquid per pound of beans and cook on low all day.Continue reading“Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 2, by A.F.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I was busy this past week cross-cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood. Our youngest daughter did most of the stacking.

I helped Lily harvest part of our potato crop and put them in storage in our cool room.

One day this week, I did an on-site seminar for one of my consulting clients and a couple of his close friends.

I also mailed out several Elk Creek Company orders. These included several pre-1899 Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 rifles. There is now just one of them left, from a batch of 10. “Going, going…”

Now, Lily’s part of the report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.“- Judges 6:1-10 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 16, 2024

On August 16, 1777, American militiamen led by General Stark defeated British forces at the Battle of Bennington, during the American War of Independence. The battle was fought at Walloomsac, New York, ten miles northwest of Bennington, Vermont.

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On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to re-establish the Bank of the United States. In response, angry supporters of the bank gathered outside the White House and burned an effigy of Tyler.

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We are pleased to announce that the kind folks at MobileSecSolutions.com are donating two new prizes that will be part of the Second Prize package for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, starting with the current contest round. These prizes are:

Long-time SurivalBlog readers may recall that their Cell Phone Blocker double Faraday Bag was reviewed in SurvivalBlog, back in January, 2015.

Also note that in addition to their electronics protection products, MobileSecSolutions.com now also provides a clever and stealthy one-way pager service. With this service, you can use your phone, then drop it in a Faraday bag, but still be reachable via pager in many areas, depending on your local pager service. After receiving a pager message, you can then pull out your phone and make a call and then disappear again afterward — thus preserving your location privacy while still retaining the ability to use a phone. So, you can be in contact via pager while also being both stealthy and EMP-protected! Contact MobileSecSolutions, for details on their pager service.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 1, by A.F.

Do you remember your first assigned chore from childhood? Starting at age four, I was tasked with walking up the ridge to my grandparent’s home every Monday around five o’clock to bring home our portion of the week’s pinto beans. To my knowledge, my grandmother fixed pintos every Monday from the late 1940s through the late 1990s. On Sunday evening she would spill out the dry beans on her kitchen table, then “look them” for stones or debris then sweep them into a large bowl to soak overnight.

On Monday morning the beans were rinsed, moved into a large pot, covered with water and set on the wood cook stove in preparation to feed the family and whomever might stop by. A little bit of salt, pepper and a piece of cured streaked meat were the seasonings and as surely as night follows day, the beans were served along with stewed potatoes and cornbread. Given that leftovers were heated on the stove top, any beans not eaten early in the week would be approaching refried consistency by Thursdays. When my mother took over fixing the beans, the recipe stayed the same and the beans were tasty but the low and slow wood stove imparted flavor couldn’t be duplicated.Continue reading“Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 1, by A.F.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, a recap of the tumultuous early August stock crash.

Precious Metals:

Spot gold hit another all-time high this morning in Asian trading.  When I last checked, it was at $2,511.20 per Troy ounce. (Up $42.80.) The more heavily-manipulated silver market has some catching up to do. The silver shorts may soon be in a panic.

o  o  o

Gold Is Back Over $2,500 As Money Starts Going Back Into ETFs.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: PBoC’s Gold Conduit Revealed: Chinese Central Bank Did Not Stop Buying Gold In May.

Economy & Finance:

‘Magnificent Seven’ Losses Approach $3 Trillion Amid Weeks-Long Selloff.

o  o  o

10 Imploding Stocks Cost Investors A Staggering $2.6 Trillion.

o  o  o

World’s Richest Lose $134 Billion in Stock Slump, Led By Bezos.

o  o  o

Charles Hugh Smith: The Great Unwinding: Is There Any Way to Come Out Ahead?

o  o  o

And at Zero Hedge: “Travel Trends Deteriorating” As Consumer Downturn Worsens.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The desire to confirm the legitimacy of the facially valid firearms permit that
Soukaneh presented did not—with nothing more—provide Andrzejewski with
probable cause for the half-hour or longer handcuffed detention that occurred. It
is uncontested that Soukaneh presented Andrzejewski with a gun license, the
legitimacy of which Andrzejewski himself admits he had no reason to question.
Moreover, Andrzejewski concedes that he was informed of the facially valid
license before Soukaneh told him that he had a gun and specified its location.
Andrzejewski does not allege that the permit appeared abnormal in any fashion
or that Soukaneh engaged in any suspicious or threatening behavior. On the facts
before us, Andrzejewski does not provide an articulable reason why he, or any
other reasonable officer, could conclude that there was probable cause to believe
that Soukaneh possessed his firearm unlawfully in violation of Section 29-38(a).
To find otherwise would consign those validly carrying firearms pursuant to a
license to automatic detention because it would effectively presume that gun
permits are invalid until proven valid, or that lawfully owned guns are per se
contraband until proven otherwise. Such a finding would effectively render
armed individuals’ Fourth Amendment rights meaningless when they are
lawfully carrying firearms.” – From the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Soukaneh v. Andrzejewski, August 12, 2024.

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — August 15, 2024

On August 15, 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Southampton, England, with 102 Pilgrims.

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On August 15, 1901, Arch Rock, a hazard to San Francisco Bay shipping, was blasted with 30 tons of dynamite.

—

I recently took delivery of a batch of 10 antique Swiss Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 rifles. An importer kindly hand-picked all antique (1898 or earlier) ones for me. (There were just 10 antique ones out of about 200 that they had on hand.) The 1896/11 model can shoot the modern high-pressure 7.5 x 55 ammunition.  Four of these rifles sold immediately, so as of this morning, I have just six left on hand.  These are being sold “luck of the draw” rather than with photographs and detailed descriptions of each. I expect them to sell out in less than a week, so get your order in soon.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

Prepper Outreach – An Example, by PrepperDoc

Most movements or organizations require some form of “outreach” in order to grow – or even to avoid getting smaller! Perhaps one of the only group to gain ever larger adherents without any form of outreach…..is the cemetery! Political parties, private schools, certainly retail establishments, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies all understand that outreach is part and parcel of growing their income and influence in a society.

The survivalist/prepper movement has traditionally left outreach to the purveyors of related products. Preferring anonymity and eschewing public recognition, leadership and followers alike have avoided any form of outreach.

But Christian love and compassion demand that those of us who understand the possibilities of any nation in such a fractured and dangerous world, speak out and encourage others to be better prepared for the safety of their families, children, and grandchildren. This is just Christian love in action.

So I would like to recount, in some anonymity, some great new leadership that materialized in an undisclosed city, and the growth that resulted. This is only the story of a beginning, but it is an important one that might pass on courage to budding leadership in other cities.Continue reading“Prepper Outreach – An Example, by PrepperDoc”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, news of another huge data hack.

3 Billion Hit in Huge Data Breach on Dark Web

Reader C.B. sent us this disturbing news: 3 billion hit in catastrophic data breach exposing full names, addresses and SSNs on dark web. The article opens:

“A new class action lawsuit has been filed against Jerico Pictures Inc., also known as National Public Data, alleging a massive data breach that exposed the personal details of nearly 3 billion people.

The complaint, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, details an incident on April 8, where a hacker group called USDoD allegedly released a database labeled “National Public Data” on a dark web forum. The group claimed this database contained sensitive information from 2.9 billion individuals and attempted to sell it for $3.5 million.”

Appeals Court: Physicians Have Freedom of Speech

Reader D.S.V. sent this: Appeals Court Rules Physicians Can Assert Their First Amendment Rights.

UK Police Threaten US Citizens Over Online Posts

UK police commissioner threatens to extradite, jail US citizens over online posts: ‘We’ll come after you’. JWR’s Comments:  I have a news flash for Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley: Any vestige of pretended jurisdiction over Americans by the Crown and its officers ended on October 19, 1781, when General Cornwallis surrendered. So, go Foxtrot Oscar.
Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“There is no means by which anyone can evade his personal responsibility. Whoever neglects to examine to the best of his abilities all the problems involved voluntarily surrenders his birthright to a self appointed elite of supermen. In such vital matters blind reliance upon ‘experts’ and uncritical acceptance of popular catchwords and prejudices is tantamount to the abandonment of self-determination and to yielding to other people’s domination. As conditions are today, nothing can be more important to every intelligent man than economics. His own fate and that of his progeny are at stake.” – Ludwig von Mises

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 14, 2024

On August 14, 1040 at the Battle of Bothnagowan, King Duncan I of Scotland (pictured) was killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. He was not murdered in his sleep as described in Shakespeare’s play. Macbeth did not succeed Duncan, as King.

—

August 14th, 1945 was Victory In Japan (“V-J”) Day.

—

American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is one of the long-time prize sponsors of our writing contest. They’ve just announced a new course on DVD (or online) that should be of great interest to SurvivalBlog readers: Survival Gunsmithing. This course has more than 10 hours of instruction. It will be priced at $397. But for just a limited time, it is being sold at 50% off.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, 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.

 

Vacuum Sealers: For More Than Just Food, by 3AD Scout

We have had a Vacuum Sealer for over two decades having received it as a wedding gift. Although we originally used it for food storage over the years we have found other things to vacuum seal for survival. Here are some of our thoughts and experiences on vacuum sealers

For Prepper Food Storage

When we first got our vacuum sealer I started sealing up white rice. I did packages with two cups of rice and then placed them inside a five-gallon food-grade bucket. As time went on we started to seal up five cup packages as well. The two-cup packages are great to grab for a side dish, whereas the five-cup bags would be for dishes where rice is part of the main dish. The other purpose for the two-cup packages is so we can hand out to those in need. We also printed off and cut out cooking instructions for the rice that we store inside the buckets for people who may not know how to cook rice without a microwave. Although having the two and five-cup vacuum sealed pouches are great for rotation purposes, we are not able to fit as much rice inside the five-gallon buckets as we do when we use one large Mylar bag inside a five-gallon bucket.Continue reading“Vacuum Sealers: For More Than Just Food, by 3AD Scout”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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This video echoes my long-standing advice to my consulting clients on camouflagling aboveground LP/OPs built from repurposed prefabricated concrete cisterns or septic tanks: How To Build The Best Place To Hide!

o  o  o

Radio Apocalypse: HFGCS, The Backup Plan For Doomsday.

o  o  o

A WND column by fellow blogger Patrice Lewis: 8 steps to take to prepare for a Kamala presidency.

o  o  o

At Reason: Lawsuit Claims Indiana Unconstitutionally Seizes Millions in Cash From FedEx Packages Every Year.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But we can still rise up,
And be the nation again that stood against them,
Proud Edward’s army,
And sent them homewards,
To think again!”

– The last verse of the Scottish National Anthem