Canning recipes, food preservation and food sales

[TheGrey]

We have two boxes of Roma's coming from bountiful baskets. Momma's gonna can salsa. Yummy, and it does end up saving us money because our friends love it and it's our contribution at get togethers.

I've heard about Bountiful Baskets, but don't know much about them. Can you explain a bit as to how it works? Is it a good deal?

[Ah Pook]

I've heard about Bountiful Baskets, but don't know much about them. Can you explain a bit as to how it works? Is it a good deal?

Up here we have Door To Door Organics. They might be on the front range too.

[TheGrey]

Up here we have Door To Door Organics. They might be on the front range too.

Thanks for the tip! I'll look them up.

I'm so happy about these tomatoes; canning them now means I'm not going to have to put tomatoes into the garden this year.

[TheGrey]

I picked up 3 cases, and will be a canning fool this weekend. I'm going to core and blanch them to peel them easily, throw them into my giant electric turkey roaster and let 'em cook down for a few hours with some onions and spices. Make up some sauce to can.

[encorehunter]

I will be canning some salsa today as well. We aren't as lucky on prices. $1.89 a pound for Roma's. I need to have some salsa ready fornworkntomorrow.

[TheGrey]

I will be canning some salsa today as well. We aren't as lucky on prices. $1.89 a pound for Roma's. I need to have some salsa ready fornworkntomorrow.

Yeah, that's been the usual price here. When I saw the sale, I jumped on it. They only drop the price a couple of times per year.

[Jamnanc]

Bountiful is a good deal, but unless you make effort to use what you get it can be wasteful. It's volunteer based except for the truck driver. The co-op runs through Internet orders and volunteers. Volunteers unload the truck and separate that week's order out onto baskets. In theory that happens before the "donators" i.e. People who bought the food, show up. It seems a good half the time, the truck is late. There is a website, you preorder, prepay, and buy the "extras". This week tomatoes next week could be apples, these are usually below retail and are usually quite good.

[TheGrey]

Bountiful is a good deal, but unless you make effort to use what you get it can be wasteful. It's volunteer based except for the truck driver. The co-op runs through Internet orders and volunteers. Volunteers unload the truck and separate that week's order out onto baskets. In theory that happens before the "donators" i.e. People who bought the food, show up. It seems a good half the time, the truck is late. There is a website, you preorder, prepay, and buy the "extras". This week tomatoes next week could be apples, these are usually below retail and are usually quite good.

I looked at their website. Interesting. Yes, I could see how things could be easily wasted (we really don't go in much for salad stuff) but it looks like it could be a good program.

[Hummer]

Bountiful is a good deal, but unless you make effort to use what you get it can be wasteful. It's volunteer based except for the truck driver. The co-op runs through Internet orders and volunteers. Volunteers unload the truck and separate that week's order out onto baskets. In theory that happens before the "donators" i.e. People who bought the food, show up. It seems a good half the time, the truck is late. There is a website, you preorder, prepay, and buy the "extras". This week tomatoes next week could be apples, these are usually below retail and are usually quite good.

http://bountifulbaskets.org/

We've used Bountiful Baskets in the past, mostly in winter and spring before our own gardens produce. It's usually a very good deal price wise, and it helps us eat more fruit and veggies. The varied selection encourages experimenting with produce that we don't regularly use. We make a point of using all the food or giving away any excess.

It is run as a co-op. We try to volunteer to distribute from the produce crates into the baskets because any extra food on the truck is divvied among the volunteers. Pick up locations are usually in a business parking lot like this where buyers get two baskets each. You bring your own boxes and leave the baskets behind.

[Hummer]

I just finished reading One Year After, the sequel to William Forstchen's novel, One Second After, about the effects of an EMP detonation over the United States. I've also read Lights Out and Collision Course by David Crawford. All, highly recommended reading. These books address the scenario in which 80-90% of the US population is projected to die off within 6 months due to starvation, medical emergency, rioting and warfare. I'm now starting Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath, by Ted Koppel. Whether the SHTF happens by and EMP or some other widespread disaster, the apocalyptic scenario seems very plausible to me.


For me (as an Eagle Scout), being prepared is one of my core values. I suppose I first learned from my grandmother who lived through the Great Depression and always kept a locked cold cellar pantry in the basement, stocked with canned and dry goods. My wife and I do much the same and we could possibly live for 2 years off what we have stored in the pantry and freezers. I do keep some bulk dry goods such as beans, rice, lentils, coffee, dehydrated fruit and veggies, etc., in buckets and tubs. Recently, our supply of pinto beans (that I packed 7 years ago) was running low so I picked up a 10 lb. bag and vacuum packed them in meal sized portions. 2 1/2 cups of pinto weighs about a pound and will make a crock pot full of food, enough for several meals. It's a great addition to elk steak, hamburger, or any other red meat. We usually freeze leftover beans but I like the idea of canning them and may put up a batch or two of that soon.


I want to increase my dry goods storage and am curious what types of dry goods you guys have put up for long term storage, what methods you use, and how long you've been able to keep it in good condition?