Hahaha! Seriously though...I've been canning a lot - and I'm gonna run out right now and pick up some strawberries from Sprouts Market for 77cents. And I'm gonna can them...
I'm getting tired of all these OMNISCIENT people who think
they know it all and are actually going so far as to tell people to give up their phone and internet and "cut back" in order to buy more quality, heirloom, organic shit - and MOVE from their current locations into the outer limits and be one with the earth and to SHUN all store-bought goods because they have additives and are GMO and all that shit. C'mon. The crazy thing is I'm actually cool with the person who said this shit and she even helped me kick off gardening with seeds. How PRIDEFUL. How ARROGANT - to inflict your lifestyle on others.
1) Many people cannot simply get up and go - and leave all that they know to live on some land where they can grow something. It is NOT that simple because even if their credit is tiptop they may not be liquid enough in their cash or career to make such a drastic move.
2) How the SHIT would someone in the middle of Manhattan, LA or San Francisco afford that drastic change in eating and storage? Should they just walk 20 blocks to work and give up the subway? Be considerate in your advice
3) While they are learning to plant and garden and purify their home water what are they supposed to eat? If you don't eat something you will not have the energy to learn. Don't treat people like they are a bunch of Damn PARIAHS because they are still eating some processed food. That is just EFFING RIDICULOUS - what that does is discourage movement towards preparation. It ain't what was said - it's your fucking tone and the sentiment of your words.
4) How OBNOXIOUS to discourage anyone from prepping in the best way they can especially in these times when prices are increasing and they are already able to buy less - you DARE to tell them to cut back when they are already doing the best they can. AND on top of that such people are knocking the stuff that's canned and dehydrated from their own hands? Funny shit - like oh it just ain't good enough. Hahaha that's funny.
5) I'mma keep Preppin...Eff The Rest...Ironically - some of our preps are possibly GMO, very little of it is from China (especially not the food), but when i hear stupid shit that just makes me prep harder. I will not sit on the high horse of preps - and knock anyone for what they've got. I will admit that I do worry about people who have 100% canned and processed and I make moves to help them in any way I can even if it's just ideas, recipes and links.
How dare ANYONE discourage others from prepping when inflation and prices are making prepping already an expensive affair. Acknowledge what people do...Encourage them to go FURTHER...Suggest with humility and an open ended manner. Don't FORCE me to be an ASSHOLE...Don't FORCE me to be IMPOLITE - because if need be I will verbally TAX THAT ASS.
You're lucky you ain't down the street.
Anyhow, the locally owned Food City had the roma tomatoes on sale @ 4lbs/$1. Initially
Mr. Man bought about 7 lbs because Poppa Afro in Law was reading my blog and said "Pops likes SALSA..." Loud and clear pops - we will get some salsa to you.
The salsa recipe is on my previous blog.
We decided to pick up another 16 lbs because the price was so cheap and I would make some spaghetti sauce with it.
While at Food City we also picked up Green onions (3/$1), Avocado (.59 cents each) and stopped to fill 25 gallons of water @ Sprouts Market. Sprouts had a few things on sale - bellpepper (50cents) and Rainier Cherries from California (1.99/lb)
Rice was 5lbs/$1.99
Everything else was 99cents each.
I mean if you are doing the rounds - you might as well figure out a "route" so that you are stopping at stores along the way instead of backtracking.
I had to use a $4 coupon from Walgreens so we picked up coffee packets 60 cents each, olive oil for $3.49 and salt @ $39 cents each.
I think people fail to realize that Salt is important in your preps. Walk into any non prepped house - I guarantee you they will have maybe 1 canister of salt.
We keep as many types of salt that we can; iodized, sea salt fine, sea salt course, kosher, pickling, ice cream, pink, black and whatever else we can get our hands on. I can't make salt, and besides, it doesn't expire. This will probably be the single cheapest thing you can trade with others - it's not just seasoning it's a preservative.
So this is salsa for Poppa Afro in Law . 7 lbs tomatoes, 5 jalapeno, 1/2 large white onion, garlic, cilantro, herbs and lemon juice - made 8 pints. I doubt he will take 8 of them but it doesn't hurt to have them on hand.
The next day Ground Chuck was on sale for $1.99 a lb. That's hardly a sale to me - but we needed the meat for my little plan.
2 6lb packages - one was reserved strictly for the canned spaghetti idea...This is the first time I made this. I followed the spaghetti sauce recipe but the chili processing time since our sauce had meat.
First of all start your sauce as early as you can. Second of all think about more than 15lbs of tomatoes because it cooked down to nothing.
The canner comfortably fit 7 quarts. So i figured I needed 49 meatballs and 1 to sample.
Make your meatballs to taste.
Start the meatball process when the sauce is almost reduced to half.
I used an ice cream scoop flattened off to make my meatballs so they are pretty uniform. 50 meatballs can be made from 2/3s of the package - so a little short of 2 lbs.
Keep the sauce moving.
I baked them at 450 for 20 minutes. This seals them into that ball shape yet does not overcook them. After the time was done I turned off the oven and left them in there to 'rest.'
The sauce should be done by now.
Clean your jars and set in hot water on simmer in the canner...I only put 7 meatballs per quart to make sure enough sauce gets in for pasta. My idea behind the meatballs in marinara is that if need be we can separate the meatballs for 2 sandwiches and use the sauce on pasta. It is increases variety.
After looking at them I was tempted to up the meatballs to 10, but I'd already made them for 7 lol.
Put sauce to 1 inch line, then move spatula around the sides to burp any airbubbles.
Process as you would "chili" in the blue ball canning book. I think 1hr 30mins @ 10lbs pressure for our location.
While the first batch cooked - I prepared the ground beef so there would be no "dead space" in the canner. I'm trying to be efficient.
I'm really not OCD. haha yes I am.
Do what you can!
I just saute the garlic and onion with a bit of mexican oregano - add my own enchilada sauce and let that thicken while i cook the chicken. 
Okay the latest update on my canning is 16.5 cases. Those smaller jars you see on the upper right are butter and salsa. Those are the "special" ball short pints. I really like them. They just don't stack very well so I keep them in the original boxes.
13 full cases on the ground. What a trip. I've said this before but I'll say it for anyone who hasn't read my blog before I only started canning on March 20th. In less than 3 months you too can have 198 bottles. Mind you we have given away over half a case and half a case was eaten by I dunno whom?
