Ch-Ch-Chicken...I know guys like chicks...

Chicken is PRESSURE CANNED. Let me get that straight right now.

Vent Pressure canner for 7 minutes THEN
Pints: 1 hr 15 minutes @ 10lbs pressure for our location
Quarts: 1 hr 30 minutes @ 10 lbs pressure for our location.

This is for folks who have not yet done this PLEASE buy yourself a Ball Book of Canning - there is a bigger one and a smaller one - get either. Some people swear by one I just use the one that is at my disposal since I cannot spend any loose change on additional things. I also find that certain types of foods generally have the same timing it's just a matter of looking at the book. The quickest way to get a ball canning book for less than $6 is just go to the canning section of your local big box store or wally world. If they don't have it check out walmart.com and they will do a site to store shipping for free and you can just pick up your purchase at the service counter. Also, some Ace Hardware places have canning supplies so please check them out too.

I have been canning since March 20th of this year. We now have 21 3/4 cases of canned goods that we made ourselves, that is 261 assorted jars of protein, veggies, fruit and preserves. When I first started I think the most difficult thing was figuring out the TIMING of how to do things. I am displaying the canning procedure in the order I do it to maximize the time. Feel free to make your own adjustments - but these things hold true:

Be sanitary.
Be aware that things are HOT.
Follow the times do not cut corners.
Do not overstuff jars beyond advised levels.
Be patient and do NOT burp the canner even after the timing is done.
Respect your equipment because it serves you.
Buy the best ingredients you can afford.
Check jars periodically for cloudiness and broken seals.

I put the jars on a towel on top of a cookie cooling rack. I have a bunch of these that I have picked up at yard sales, thrift stores and 2nd hand stores often for less than a buck.









I also wash and lay out my equipment.













Our local market Sprouts has the best chicken and beef. The regular price is outrageous but on sale - best believe I buy a minimum of 5 packages.

8 lbs makes about 8 pints.








$1.89 a lb is a steal for the quality. You can buy lesser quality chicken here in the Phoenix Metro Area for $1.47 a lb. I also use that. But when I use regular chicken I label it Chicken Breast. If I use Sprouts stuff it says Sprouts chicken. That way I know which is the good stuff.

Let's start canning:

I set the chicken I'd like to use in the sink. This way it isn't so cold that it chills the hot jars. And I will be using it immediately so there is no safety issues.


I select my 8 jars out of the case. I check the rims for cracks or chips.











I wash the jars, lids and caps. I set aside the jars half filled with hot water. I also wash the pressure canner and set the water level to the 2nd line. Some people only do the first line but I am afraid of dry canning which may pop your jars.








I add a splash of vinegar to prevent the glass and lids from cloudiness because our water is very hard here.











I set the half full jars in the canner. I then put this on my 3rd largest burner and turn it on HIGH. I cover it but I do not shut it so that the water gets to a nice temperature.










While the canner is coming to boil - I clean any excess fat and cut the breast in 7 pieces. You can cut them to any size you like. I set all this aside in a stainless steel bowl. I prefer to use gloves coz I don't like yucky stuff under my nails. I also only use a glove on my left hand because my cutting hand does not touch raw meat or poultry.







By the time you are done cutting the chicken the water should have come to a boil. Set the jars and lids in a ceramic or stainless bowl.











Before you take out the jars though dissolve 1 chicken bouillon in 4 cups of water in a separate pan. We pack ours with a bit of liquid you are free to do yours without.











Take the jars out with a jar lifter and pour out the hot water onto the bowls and set aside











Put the jar funnel on the coolest jar first. Pack the chicken to the 1 inch mark. That is the bottom most line on the jar neck.











We add 1 tsp of red chili flakes and a smidgen of sea salt. Once the chicken is divided evenly we add the hot chicken broth.











Run a NON METAL spatula around the sides of your jars to get out the bubbles. We also press the centers to get a good pack on our jars. I have very heat resistant hands so I turn them and pack them while hot - do this at your own risk or use a towel.








If a bit of the chicken peeks out it's ok because the breasts themselves still have liquid.

Now wipe off the jar lips. I wipe them off 2 or 3 times rinsing the dishcloth with soap and water.









Pull the lids from the hot water













Cover each Jar making sure they are nice and centered.












I always check them with my thumb and forefinger to make sure it is lined up evenly then I put the cap (ring thingie) and tighten it up "fingertight." Fingertight is simply a term that is used to say "tighten is as much as you can with one turn of your hand."








Remove the lid from your pressure canner - it should be boiling at this time because you would have left the heat on medium high. I advise that you use a jar canner as the boiling water is no fun. Like I said I'm an old hand at this so I have "asbestos hands" as Mr. Man likes to say.

Close the lid. When the nipple pops up start timing the steam for 7 minutes this is known as venting. Then pop the jiggler on. Once the jiggler dances start the time.



Once the jiggler stops and the nipple deflates you can open your canner and remove the canned chicken. it should still be boiling inside. I set it aside on the cooling rack. I give it a light wipe and wait for the popping sound.









The next day I remove all the lids and wash them with soap and water and air dry. While those air dry I wipe off the lids and crevices of the jar with a soapy washcloth and then later with a clean washcloth. Once it is dry I label it with a sharpie. This is simply a step I take because I am very sanitary in the kitchen.

Check your lids again and make sure they are all sealed and do not "pop" up and down. If they do just throw it in the fridge and eat it as soon as you can.

August Haul...About half way.

Back in the saddle from being overseas last month. I've been home about 3 weeks and it feels good to be back and preppin.

Pork tenderloin was only 1.76/lb. This one piece made approximately 4 pints. I like pulled pork sandwiches so I put this up. I know some of you are not fans of pork but we are. End of conversation.





93% lean was only 1.96 a lb from Fry's market as well. In other areas they might be known as Kroger's. We bought 3 chubs which is 6 lbs. 6 lbs made about 8 pints. Truth be told the biggest chunk of our canned proteins is chicken and lean ground. Lean ground is super flexible recipe wise or even as is for dirty rice.

Once Mr. Man returns with my camera I will be doing recipes on various canned meats including spam, canned ham and the like.



Here is the finished result from canning the pork and chicken.












Seedless grapes were only 77cents a lb and Rainier (THE BEST) cherries were only $1.99 a lb from the usual $5/lb. I am seriously considering canning cherries but I need a cherry pitter. The last time I dehydrated cherries my fingers were blue for a week from removing the pits.








Carrots: 50 cents/bag
Bellpepper: 4/$1
Bolillo Rolls: 5/$1











Half and Half organic salad: $1 each
Cauliflower $.50 cents each
Various Revlon makeup: 99 cents.

Now I know what you are saying makeup? When I see nice neutral colors in good brands like Revlon or L'oreal for less than a dollar - I put them up because even during the War women will trade for cosmetics. Believe that.





The vegetables above made this jardiniere. I really like jardiniere. Sometimes I'll even chop it up and put it in sandwiches instead of pickles.

Mr. Man is a bit heavy handed with the herbs but they tasted really good in the end. With him there are no mistakes in the kitchen - just new recipes. HAHAHA.






Bellpepper 4/$1
Plums 2lbs/.96 cents
Green Onion 3/$1
Cucumber 6/$99 cents
Jalapenos 4lbs/$1
Beef Roast $2.99/lb (very little fat)
Chicken Bouillon 99 cents

All this is for eating and prepping. Mostly for prepping lol.




Someone told me it is against federal law to put hormones in your chicken. So the label of no hormones is an enticement. However I will say that Chicken from Sprouts Market has the best texture, the best smell and the least fat of the chicken breasts that I buy around town.

Their Chicken (boneless skinless) are only $1.89/lb on sale. Other markets have it between $1.47-$1.67/lb. For the difference of approximately 30 cents I will pay for the higher quality.


Peaches were on sale the previous week 4lbs for $1 and last week at 3lbs for $1.

12 lbs was the first batch i bought $3
18 lbs was the 2nd batch i bought. $6

These were good both canned and fresh. And at those prices even if no one in the house did like them I would just put them up and trade them with someone in later days or even include them in Christmas tins with cookies.



12 lbs sliced made 3 pints plus 2 quarts plus 2 bottles of peach syrup.

I always withhold and can the syrup because fruit syrups are always good to mix with green tea or lemonade. And properly stored a syrup will not mold unless it is exposed to air.







18 lbs peaches quartered made only 7 quarts preserves and 2 quarts syrup. Unbelievable. I really thought it would take more than that. I will tell you this - I had to bust out the biggest pans I had to boil these for 1 minute and it was a pain. I would suggest you raw pack them and get the syrup super hot then boil water can them. It was a mess but a delicious mess.






I was running low on lemon and lime juice - so I popped by the 99 cent only. The lemon juice there is 25% juice and the lime is actually very good. I also stopped by Wally World for pure acetone (for my nails UH HUH) and the composition books were only 40 cents. In our preps we also include paper, pens, pencils, because those are simply things we cannot make and you may have to teach small children how to write or do math or science so it is good to have.




Here is confirmation that it's made int he USA and is good until June of next year - but truth be told it never lasts that long in this house.











Here is a close up of the chicken package













$1.89 a lb. It still can't be beat. What I don't understand is this temporary drop in prices on everything here in AZ. It's quite deceptive because I talk to people around the country and they are definitely not getting the same benefit as the prices we have here. I am taking advantage of it but since the fiasco with Wall Street I intend on buying even more this week to can and store.






8 lbs fresh makes about 8 pints canned. I am very cautious not to overstuff them coz I feel it is a waste of time when you lose a seal. We have used our chicken in various ways but that will be highlighted in another blog.









Always on the hunt. These brownie mixes were only 69 cents a piece at Albertsons. Yeah you heard me. So I bought all the ones they had left on the shelf. I buy the small boxes of baking soda for my cookies because I like the lift from a fresher box. I bought corn tortillas because I can't keep up with how much they eat around here. The pectin I got for $1 with my latest coupon. Now the Jars and lids...well that's another story.

Jars: 5 bucks a case and 99 cents a box of lids!


Here is a picture of the receipt for any disbelievers. This is what happened...the girl I always pick (Jess) to check out at Walmart knows that I price match and use coupons. She asked if the jars had any price matching. I said well,"you should just put them at $5 like the clearance at Fry's and the lids are normally 99 cents..." Well don't you know she did match it.

Click on the pick to enlarge.

Observe it says CASH. I try to pay cash for preps purchases so no one can dig around in my data. As for membership cards those are all dummy names and phone numbers.

The 25 lb sugar never goes on sale. However the price has held for the last 6 weeks at 13.78. This girl had the nerve to tell me that the 4lb bag was on sale for $3. Hahahaha. Ain't that something, I had to tell her that would make it about $18 for 25 lbs and that did me no good. Math folks.

Like I said - Mr. Man took off with the digi cam for the shotgun wedding so the other preps I was able to purchase so I will just put them on by the end of the month



Walgreen's is getting harder and harder to hustle.

Contact Solution: 8 bucks with instant $8 rebate
BPA free baby spoons: $1.09 clearance
Lindt Choco Truffles: $1.50 each
Aquafresh Whitening: $1.29 clearance
Johnson 500pc Q tips: $1.99

They have really tightened up on the use of the rebates. Before you could use the rebate on the next purchase which included separating your purchases and paying for the 2nd half of your items with the previous rebate. Now they no longer allow you to apply your rebate until the following day. So I'm going to have to break up my purchasing - I can't wait until the weather cools down so I can just ride my bike down there. I have no intention of wasting gas just to save a few bucks. In truth if you do it right they end up paying you 25 cents to a buck to take that stuff out the store.

Keep Preppin' Folks...It's getting bonkers out there!

Bwa hhahhaaha

Just relax and open your eyes...

Asparagus Beef from Preps!

Hi!

I decided that we should test our canned meats to see if we want to go forward using the same cuts. So far we have tested the canned ground, canned chicken breast and the canned beef. I totally spaced it and forgot to take a pic of the first 2 so I will have to redo them.

Asparagus Beef Ingredients:

1 pint canned beef (biggest chunk possible), reserve liquid in separate bowl
1 bunch asparagus (flash blanched)
1/2 white onion
1/2 green bellpepper
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster or hoisin sauce (you can also use plum sauce)

This fed 4 very easily.

Crack open the canned beef and pour out liquid into a separate bowl mix in cornstarch.

Chop asparagus and blanch in boiling water.
Drain and set aside.

Chop onion and Bellpepper



On High heat saute onions and bellpepper until soft. Add Beef and stir constantly until it is warmed throughout. Do NOT overcook or press try to maintain the appearance of the beef. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce then Mix thoroughly. Once everything looks coated make a well. Throw in beef broth in the center and cook until it is clear like gravy. Add asparagus and toss 4 or 5 times.

Serve over rice or rice noodles.



I would also like to add that I find using the canned beef chunks much easier than using fresh beef because it has a softer quality and a quicker cook time since you don't have to cook that long to get the soft bite. Stir fry is not that hard - it's the timing of the ingredients to keep that balance of soft and crunchy, salty versus sweet and the blended scent of it. Once you get the hang of it - this dish can be done in 10 minutes including prep time. By the way I also added baby spinach to mine for extra slide and vitamins.

Happy Prepping and even HAPPIER eating everyone!

July 2011 Preps

Well I was off to the Philippines for the first 3 weeks of July. I went to see my Grandmother and make sure she was ok. In between hanging out with her and getting massages I was able to acquire some preps.

Virgin coconut oil cold press organic - it was only a bit over $4 a bottle.






These 2 liter coconut oil packages already in mylar were a mere 5 bucks a package. Genuinely a steal at least in that cost per ounce thing.











I picked all this up locally - organic baby spinach and the organic half and half greens (half spinach half micro-greens) romaine, asparagus, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, ultra brite (yeah yeah i know it's got fluoride), grape tomatoes, large slice kraft swiss - all of it was 99 cents and I had a 10% off coupon. lol. obscene.







Peaches 4 lbs/.96 cents
White onions 4 lbs/$1
Cucumbers 4/$1
White long grain rice 4lbs/.96 cents
New Mexico Chili 99 cents
Paprika 99 cents








Dressing 99cents
Kerr Lids 1.50 for a box of 12.

You know I notice an ongoing debate about Kerr vs Ball. Guess what? Ball bought it ALL - so all the manufacturing is the same now.








Ginseng Coffee $2 for 16 packs
Choco Tabs $1.50 each - similar to bakers choco
Cocoa Powder $2 each

I love shopping overseas - I know I'm forgetting something I just don't know what it is.








I picked these up overseas at their ace hardware
the smaller ones were about $2 and the larger ones were $4. And supposedly that was more expensive than buying them in the country lol.

I have seen these here upwards of $5 and not for 25 pcs of them.







8 lbs of peaches made 3 quarts plus 2 pints preserves and 2 pints of peach syrup. We use the syrups to flavor our teas or for Italian ice.











Amazing organic large grain fed chicken brown eggs for only 99 cents.

Goodness Gracious!










My sister went to best buy so I popped over to the hobby lobby next door. I had never been to a hobby lobby before and I wanted to check out some mason jars.

First thing I found resting on a back wall was this 5 ft by 6 yard canvas for only $29. ahahhaa that is hilariously cheap and even though I still have paintings pending it doesn't hurt to put up fine grade canvas.




Next I went to the jar section. They had all the glass for 50% off. The mason jars were a ripoff and the Ball 1 gallon jars were actually made in China - WTF WTF WTF! However I did find these 2 liter storage for only $2.50 each. And these smaller ones (4 oz?) were only about 99 cents each. The taller ones I intend to use for grains and rice. The smaller ones I don't really have a use for but I figured 10 of them wouldn't hurt to have around.




Organic Red and Organic Black rice also from overseas - I think it was under $2 a pound. And such good bite - if I just had more room I would have bought more.










My lovely QB stove...around $45. It only has about 5% smoke - I actually saw them doing a demo in the department store with it lol.

Afro will test this for his youtube channel at the end of this week. It puts your mind at ease to have an extra stove.







I found these bug band insect repellent bracelets for only 80 cents at Hobby Lobby I figured it wouldn't hurt to throw them in the bug out bag haha.










The mini baggies were also on sale for 50% off and these are always handy for seeds and valuables.











I found a plain white sweatshirt for $2.39.
Hahahaha isn't that something?












This is from tonights canning - 4 pints lean ground and 4 pints pork tenderloin.

93% lean was 1.96 a lb.
pork tenderloin was $2 a lb.









Here is another fantastic find from overseas coconut cream powder less than 50 cents a pkg and is equivalent to a 12 oz can. The curry was only about 30 cents a packet. I'm going to test a small amount before asking for more to be brought here.

I have forgotten to take pics of stuff but you can see it on Mr. Mans page because he showcased it all in his excitement...that didn't even include the goodies we brought back for friends.

Stay preppin everyone.

Life's a Peach and then you Prep...

So I'm back from the Philippines. 18 days went by very quickly. Last night was my first solid night of sleep. For some reason I got jetlag this time and was waking up at 3am. I also jumped right into babysitting a friends 3 kids the day after my return and caught a cold from one of them. But as of today my cold is gone.

So yesterday I picked up deal of the week...GA peaches 4 lbs/96 cents. Now is a better time than any to learn.



Recipe is:
8lbs sliced peaches
10 cups sugar
3 tbsps lemon juice
2 packages pectin

Follow the directions in the blue ball canning book.






Boil the Fruit without sugar
Add sugar and let it melt mixing thoroughly.
Skim off the foam.
Jar them up.
Wipe them Off.
Process in Boil water canner for 10 minutes.

I personally count 10 minutes after the nipple pops on the canning lid.





I used 3 quart jars and 4 pint jars.
This recipe made
3 quarts preserves
2 pints preserves
2 pints peach syrup


Some people peel them I did not and got that nice reddish color.



I really like how these look.

It wasn't painful at all and it sure is nice to be back in the swing of things.

I'm back from Asia...and TSA din't touch a thing

Just a quick update everyone. I'm back from Asia and I didn't post while there because I forgot the cable for my cam. I also really didn't take a lot of pics since I was really just there to spend time with my grandmother.

I did want to say that TSA and Customs did not molest me ONCE. I went through TSA in Phoenix - and they barely gave me the once over. I went through TSA twice in Honolulu - and even when I was selected for a "random" search all they did was take a cotton pad run it past my hands and check for chemicals. I went through customs in Manila and all they said was "welcome" and wave me through.

So on the way home yesterday I decided to make it interesting. There were 4 of us traveling. We stopped at the duty free on the way there and the way home. Our "duty free items" included a big bottle of cognac, an assortment of beers, 18 cartons of cigarettes, a danish knife that is a gift for Mr. Man from some friends. All of this but the cigarettes were arranged in 11 of our checked baggage. We also had 4 pairs of hardwood hand turned fighting sticks, 2 huge wood statues, 10 bamboo rainmakers, 4 louis vuitton purses, 3 tory burch purses and a couple prada bags add to that the cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, virgin coconut oil and assortment of dried fruit and powdered coconut cream, plus more random crap and the tshirts and such we had. Total to claim should have been at least 4000USD. In my purse in 5 separate areas I had a variety of 4 oz moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, contact solution, face serums and lotions. I purposefully did NOT take these out and put them in ziploc bags for inspection.

We left Manila late afternoon - one lady asked is that Lotion? I said yes. She said go ahead no need to check it then. Once we arrived in Honolulu a man told us - you will have to pay a $10.00 tariff per carton of cigarettes because it is limit 1 carton per person. I said really? He said yeah - I said would you mind following behind us - because I bet you a carton we won't pay. He said deal. Lol. Customs said do you have any seeds, meat or produce- we said nope. The customs agent looked directly at my 3 duty free bags and said do you have anything to claim? I said nope. He said may we xray 2 of your baggage - I said please select what you would like to peek at. Then he waved us through.

International TSA asked what the glass bottle in my purse was - I said face serum - they said ok and waved me through. Domestic TSA asked if I had lotion in my purse. I said yes. They said next time please separate it - and the 2 women waved me through.

That's the brunt of it. Even when I pushed the envelope they waved me through with barely a glance. This is how it has been for me before 9/11 and after 9/11. Perhaps the TSA and Customs are like muggers or rapists - they know how to pick a victim that will cave in more easily. I have been traveling since I was in preschool - it does not phase me. Truth be told I think Customs was a lot more strict before the dogs and xray and all that. People are constantly saying that we are being subjected to some shit that I have yet to be subjected to. All I'm saying is - if your swagger is strong they probably won't mess with you.