Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: July 9~15, 2023

[SouthernBreeze]

Did you rehydrate the beef crumbles before using? If so, did you use water or beef stock?

Both of those things could drastically affect flavor. And a trick I learned with something else is to let it soak in a batch of stock or broth to add flavor back in. Not necessary with everything but hasn't hurt anything so far. And I could see meats needing it.

And I've learned to always have leftovers available on days where I experiment. Because some things just don't come out as expected.

I have also canned ground meats before and had mixed results. The very first batch was horrid texture wise. It had the texture of those canned dog food loaves.

I have done it since with more success by par cooking the meat beforehand. But at this point, the only time I'll do ground meat is if it is a batch of taco meat that is par cooked.

I may try chili at some point, but not right now. Mainly because, for us, chili is made with venison, and venison is not plentiful. I've been doing some experiments with a mix of lamb and pork. So that might be tried with chili. Although I think plain pork might work for that.

When I opened the can of ground beef, it came out of the can in one chunk that looked like canned dog food. It was also wrapped in a thick layer of cold grease that I had to scrape off. When breaking it apart, it was more like ground dog food than ground beef. The texture was awful. If the texture of my home canned ground beef changes over time, I'll not be canning any more of it, either. Right now, it's all ok, but I've got about a year's worth canned up. We like the frozen ground beef better. My home canned is tolerable, though, unless the texture changes over time.

 

[kyrsyan]

I just realized that you weren't talking about freeze dried.

Ugh. Maybe mix it in as a portion of the meat for recipes in the next few months. Like 1/3 of the meat in the recipe. And then use the fresh meat it replaces to can up your own and fill that space in the pantry.

My failed canned ground meat didn't degrade in the jar. It was that bad from step one. I think my mistake was that I didn't cook it first. I didn't want overcooked meat.

When I did it again, I par cooked it. Basically to just barely done. Enough that the meat shouldn't cake and become granular. That worked. Not fresh cooked texture when done but not bad. And definitely not dog food texture.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I just realized that you weren't talking about freeze dried.

Ugh. Maybe mix it in as a portion of the meat for recipes in the next few months. Like 1/3 of the meat in the recipe. And then use the fresh meat it replaces to can up your own and fill that space in the pantry.

My failed canned ground meat didn't degrade in the jar. It was that bad from step one. I think my mistake was that I didn't cook it first. I didn't want overcooked meat.

When I did it again, I par cooked it. Basically to just barely done. Enough that the meat shouldn't cake and become granular. That worked. Not fresh cooked texture when done but not bad. And definitely not dog food texture.

Yeah, all of my home canned ground beef is fully cooked before filling the jars, and all the grease that is cooked out of it is drained off. The finished product, once cooled, only has a very thin layer of grease on the top which is easy for me to rake off when I open the jar. The taste isn't as good as frozen from the freezer, but it works, at least.

Cary laughed and said that Frisco has a lifetime's worth of Keystone ground beef to use as his gourmet dog food. He was only half kidding, too.

 

[hd5574]

Maybe try a can without scraping off the fat... heating it slowly and working the fat back through the meat...
a lot of the flavor is in the fat....taking the fat off may have changed the flavor.. remember if times are that tough that we must depend on preps..all the fat will be very important..

I don't cold pack of my meat always partially cook it also before jarring it...I chose lean meats to chunk up and can..like top round..and use hot beef broth as the liquid I don't remove the fat when I use it..

I have canned beef stew with chunks of beef, potatoes,onions and carrots..no objections to the beef with that..SB.. I canned that stew in the electric canner..used Rose Red's recipe...changed the spices some..she uses way too much thyme for my taste...you can can other recipes in the electric canner not just the one's in the book that came with it...this stew was the exception... she cold packs her meat in this recipe ...and I did it that way and it came out fine...have also seen cooked beef stew canned on the web... Sutton's Daze did it cooked and hot... will just make Mom's Irish beef stew..a huge pot and can it..this time..

Many years ago I made my spaghetti sauce with ground beef and canned that it was totally cooked to eat..ready to eat ....in fact we ate it a couple of times....I make a huge stock pot when I make it ....I canned a number of jars....and it came out fine when we opened the jars..was just like out of the pot... I used my All American canner for that but will use my electric canner this year....when the green peppers are coming better here will make a big pot and can it

Also want to make a big stock pot of beef veggie soup and can that...this year..and can some homemade chili..without the beans they can be added later if desired...

It is really nice to have canned meals for really busy times

Also when I use something like Denny Moore beef stew ..it is rather bland...I change it quite a bit add my own spices and canned pearl onions just use it as a cooked base to work from if I have left over beef from a roast or steak..chunk it up and freeze it and add that too..

 

[nomifyle]

I have some of the Keystone ground beef and I've eaten it a couple of times and I was fine with it, DH on the other hand didn't like it after I told him it was canned, before I told him he didn't say a word. But I like venison and some don't. Worchestire and Kitchen Bouquet ae great seasonings for bland foods.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I'm going to give it another try. I'm going to open the can and drain it, then pour it out in a skillet and brown it a bit, then pour off all the grease just like I do when I brown regular ground beef. If I had used the keystone meat without removing the grease it would have been just like using browned ground beef without draining it. It would have been floating in grease. I've never used a recipe calling for undrained browned ground beef.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Well, we had a mess to clean up in the pantry room! It could have been a lot worse.

I walked in there, and water was standing in the floor. We keep all of our bottled water by the case stacked in the middle of the room. That was my first thought. One of those bottles was leaking. Cary had to pick up every single case and take it outside to find the leaking bottle or bottles. Come to find out, it was one of those 2.5 gallon water jugs that have a spigot on it. It was split and water was coming out of it. We have a few of those, too. I got old towels to sop all the water up, but it's going to take a while for the floor to dry, since it's solid wood. Now, I've got cases of bottled water sitting everywhere while the floor dries. Nothing in the pantry was ruined, so I'm thankful for that.

We keep those cases of water rotated, cause we've heard that the bottles will break down after a certain length of time. This particular jug was only bought a few months ago. So, beware.

 

[paxsim2]

I've got relish waiting to be canned.
Did strawberry freezer jam yesterday, hope to do blueberry today.
My sister and I canned green beans in the Presto electric canner. They all sealed. We'll do more of them then we want to do meat.
We got 12 ears of corn that we've been eating fresh. So yummy! Our harvest is small but other than cucumbers we could have had a small meal every day. Can't beat that.
Thanks for all the tips, advice and encouragement here.

 

[nomifyle]

Sherree they are not making things like they use it, "they" don't want things to last. I have some water containers that I have not yet filled. I'm thinking that when I do I should store them on the camper porch, the floor is 5/4 and if there is s leak it won't hurt the floor.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Sherree they are not making things like they use it, "they" don't want things to last. I have some water containers that I have not yet filled. I'm thinking that when I do I should store them on the camper porch, the floor is 5/4 and if there is s leak it won't hurt the floor.

Even those plastic bottles bottled water comes in are so thin and flimsy that they want to cave in with you when you pick one up. They sure aren't made to last long. This 2.5 gallons of water came already filled from Walmart in a plastic jug just a few months ago. They are thin and flimsy, too, but thought they would last a year at least.

I have no other place to store the cases of water. All of our potable water is in the house, but we have several hundred gallons in storage to also use but, it will need to be filtered first. Most of that is stored in Cary's workshop. Not to mention all of our rain catchment tanks.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Oh Man! We just went under a severe thunderstorm warning with a tornado warning for the next county over. Power is blinking. More rain.

 

[summerthyme]

Stay safe!

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

The worst of the storms went around us, but we're still getting a deluge of rain. More storms in our area.

 

[hd5574]

Stay safe praying for you...
I have a wooden stand that holds a crock that has a spigot...that is replaceable.....you can put one of the 5 gallon water bottles on it...they are made of heavy plastic....the kind they use on water coolers in businesses....I fill a couple of those bottles if we are under a hurricane watch...with our well water... don't keep water in them all time because we have the well...I think you can get a crock that can set on the counter....that will take those heavy bottles..I probably have had mine for 35 years...when we lived in a different part of the state with county water we got water for ours at the health food store in glass 5 gallon bottles...they had a $5.00 deposit on the glass bottles back then... don't know if you can still get the glass bottles..

 

[nomifyle]

Between washing on the dehydrator, trays and silicone sheets its all clean and as soon as the silicone sheets dry I can start dehydrating the tomatoes.

I've been spending more of my time reading. I like to read and have a hard time finding something to hold my attention. I'm on book 3 of an 11 book series. Its holding my attention for sure.

 

[connie]

I had a 5 gallon container I had purchased and filled with water split at the seam and leak. I can't remember how old it was. It was on a shelf not concrete garage floor. I am rotating through some bottled water this summer while it's hot.

I store water in empty vinegar gallon jugs. None have leaked yet.

 

[hd5574]

I don't store water in my plastic 5 gallon plastic water bottles....
But if we have a bad weather prediction I will fill them...years back Hurricane Isabel came into the East Coast...and the eye went right over our house the winds were horrendous....I had the jugs full then.... trees were down everywhere....lots lost power..some for several weeks.....a couple of friends cut their way down the road to our house...we were blessed....no damage and our power stayed on....we filled water jugs for lots of people from our well....DH worked on generators and chainsaws all day at work ...and came home at night and did the same here at the house...his shop lent a Genny to the lady down the road and he filled and serviced it for her....in addition to every thing else going on....her husband was on life support and he survived...
We have a genny that can get water from the well and power most of the house....just don't do laundry or showers... when the power is out. We also have a well bucket and rope...
They also make large water containers to store water...I have never heard of those leaking...55 gallons I believe

 

[SouthernBreeze]

They also make large water containers to store water...I have never heard of those leaking ...55 gallons I believe

Cary has 4 of those 55 gallon barrels filled with potable water stored in his workshop. I would still filter it first, before using it. They have never leaked. We also have a 650 gallon water tank, plus 2, 55 gal rain barrels. We've had the water tank and these rain barrels for years, and they still don't leak. So, those flimsy plastic water jugs and bottles aren't made to last.

 

[Digger]

Yesterday was a long day away from home. We had some errands and I wanted to go to my sister in laws yard sale. We actually went twice. Once early, but they hadn't put everything out because of the rain. Then we went again on the way home. They buy only name brands and some tops she had never worn even. I have some really nice stuff. The most expensive item was a $90 or more pair of Jean's for $10. Nephew bought them, but never wore them. Our teenaged grandson got several pairs of Jean's and shirts we picked up for him. I got one shirt for hubby. 2 or 3 shirts for our son. Daughter in law got a pretty lace topper thing to wear over a dress or top. I don't know what they are called. I bought 1 pair of shoes, a couple pairs of pants, a couple of sweaters, 1 dress, and tops and tshirts. Some I will probably share with my daughter. Everything looks new. I love my sister in law, but she can really blow the money. But she works so she can shop. She said he closet is nearly empty now and she is only going to buy the bare minimum to replace it. If she sticks with it, that would be great. But it would end these killer yard sales. I spent only $80. Now I have to clean out my closet.

We went to the big Walmart today too. That took way to long and way too much money. But we rarely go there so we get a lot when we do go. I noticed my hot chocolate I use for coffee creamer has gone up.

The rheumatologist office called and my potassium was low. She faxed my blood work to my dr. I have a 3 day potassium prescription to take then an appointment for Monday to do labs again. Maybe this is one part of the puzzle.

Hubby is stirring. Have a great day everyone

 

[kyrsyan]

I have water stored in two places. The first one is full of the juice jugs I got over the years. I need to check again soon but so far the lids are the weak point on those. I also use them in the garden for thermal mass and the jugs themselves are still going.

In the kitchen I have 6 of the 5 gallon jugs made of heavy duty plastic. So far, they are holding fine. I'm around them on a regular basis and they are in the kitchen, so hopefully I'd notice if one started leaking.

In the long run, a rain water system is going in. And I'll probably build a basic water filtration system that can handle most issues. And then use the Berkey for a final filtration. If that becomes necessary.

Rain this morning. And enough rain this week that I'm going to look at resetting the water timer to every 3rd day instead of every day. This is really odd weather for here. Normally we go dry at the beginning of July, and stay dry and hot through the end of August.

 

[briches]

Catching up to this thread after enjoying quality time with my (adult) children this past week.
One prepping item that came in handy this past week is an eyeglass repair kit. At dinner one evening, one of the “kids” (he’s 23) here, had his lens fall out of his glasses. Seems the tiny screw had fallen out and was lost. No worries, mom to the rescue …. I had a eyeglass repair kit. Easy fix. I reflected on what a great “prep item” that also is.

I did stumble upon some great deals on pasta this past week (16 ounces of ziti for 61 cents and 32 ounces of macaroni for 75 cents).

I continue to organize and get rid of unnecessary items And do it little by little.

Slow and steady ….

 

[hd5574]

I looked at Etsy.... and noticed they now have stands that will hold a Berky water filter...we might get one as it would not be on the counter but could be in a little corner..I have very limited counter space...tiny kitchen...l could mostly likely figure a way to use my stand for my water crock but would like to keep it for emergency use....with the heavy plastic bottles.. they make lids for the crocks now but I have always just used a plate...to cover crock if I remove the bottle as there will still be water in the crock....

 

[nomifyle]

Today I start dehydrating tomatoes, finally. And I'm still washing jars. Usually washing jars would not be such a chore, but the jars that DH put the rendered pig fat in are very greasy. It takes a little time to get those clean. I'm working on the last two that he brought in, there are many more though that still have the oil in them. The oil has gotten old so he is putting some on the dog's dry food.

Still reading, I'm on book 4 of the Survivalist "Series by A. American.

 

[etdeb]

Today I start dehydrating tomatoes, finally. And I'm still washing jars. Usually washing jars would not be such a chore, but the jars that DH put the rendered pig fat in are very greasy. It takes a little time to get those clean. I'm working on the last two that he brought in, there are many more though that still have the oil in them. The oil has gotten old so he is putting some on the dog's dry food.

Still reading, I'm on book 4 of the Survivalist "Series by A. American.

Set them on tube of soapy water in this heat will help clean them.
I had lots if candles in jars I wanted to empty and this week i was able to cook them off outside.
I gave them to a cousin that makes candles.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I think I'm going to be canning tomatoes, soon. I didn't think I'd have enough, but my double windowsill in the kitchen is running over, and I have a bunch that I picked just this morning on the patio table out back.

Cary came back from the big garden this morning and told me he had found several baby watermelons and the green beans had blooms putting out all over them! Yay! One of my squash plants got destroyed by the high winds we had, yesterday, from the storms that blew through. It got twisted around and broke. That leaves me with 5 plants. Lots of baby squash on those. If I get plenty of squash, I've decided to just chunk it up, blanch them for a bit, and put in freezer storage bags in the freezer to use as boiled squash with onions this winter.

I cooked out more bacon this morning for sandwiches, tonight. The sun is shining right now, so I'm washing bed sheets to hang on the line. We're expecting more storms this afternoon, but the sheets should have time to get dry. Temps, today, 91 with heat index of 106.

 

[John Deere Girl]

When I opened the can of ground beef, it came out of the can in one chunk that looked like canned dog food. It was also wrapped in a thick layer of cold grease that I had to scrape off. When breaking it apart, it was more like ground dog food than ground beef. The texture was awful. If the texture of my home canned ground beef changes over time, I'll not be canning any more of it, either. Right now, it's all ok, but I've got about a year's worth canned up. We like the frozen ground beef better. My home canned is tolerable, though, unless the texture changes over time.

We don't care for canned ground beef. We like the chunks though, so I still can those.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We don't care for canned ground beef. We like the chunks though, so I still can those.

We don't care for it as much as we like the frozen. It sure had a different taste than what I was expecting when I opened and used my first jar. I canned it in beef broth, too. I'm considering using what I have canned, and I'm stocking my freezer with it again, instead. To me, canned ground beef tastes like boiled ground beef.

 

[summerthyme]

We don't care for canned ground beef. We like the chunks though, so I still can those.

We love canned beef stew. When we cleaned and consolidated the freezers last week to make room for 150 chickens, I cooked up all the old steaks that were on the verge of freezer burn (we've got 2 steers for fall and a third for Spring) and canned them as stew.

We're not as fond of plain canned ground beef, but love it in chili. Plus, I found I could make most of a recipe of "hamburger helper "... browned ground beef, onions, garlic, and a strong bouillon broth,, and can it. Then, open a jar, dilute the broth and either add pasta or potatoes, or thicken it into gravy to serve over rice or whatever. I like tonadd some yogurt or sour cream for a "stroganoff" flavor.

Also, it cans up very well browned and then added to spaghetti sauce... good way to use some of the tomatoes, and it again gives you a "freezer free" heat and eat meal... in a pinch, you can serve it on buns as a makeshift "meatball" sub.

For the canned stuff, I'd definitely break it up, brown it well, then drain it and see if that helps.

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I have 2 different pantry meal recipes that call for 1 lb. of ground beef and 1 can of chili with beans. If I use the canned ground beef along with the chili in these recipes it works really well. I can't tell it's canned. I haven't tried it with making spaghetti sauce, yet. That might work well, too.

 

[kyrsyan]

Tired. Completely and utterly wiped out. Spent two hours this morning working for a private client. Stopped when the headache started. Took care of various things. Then realized I hadn't eaten.

Sunsail is back up with springs at all 4 connection points. Tomorrow I'll deal with pool.

Range hood is up. After all the normal give you a headache issues that frequently pop up to make what should be simple jobs into hard jobs. Including missing pieces and bolts. Not wired like it was supposed to be. Etc etc. But it is up and functional.

Mouse traps all got replaced. Because if you have to pull the stove out you might as well take care of that at the same time.

I received a plant order. I'm tired and disappointed. They packed and mailed annuals as bare root plants. Nothing on their site says they would do something like that. I'll deal with it on Monday.

On the flip side, I wanted to say that I'm in love with the reusable silicone crockpot liners. They make life so much easier. I still have to clean the crock but it's a simple wipe down rather than scrubbing. And the liner is sturdy enough to store in fridge. And drop back into crock to reheat if I want to.

Anyways, off to do BBQ and veg in oven for dinner.