Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: September 26 ~ October 2, 2021

AlaskaSue

North to the Future
Local Carr’s/Safeway had BOGO on spices so I took a full inventory and got everything I could find to replace old stuff. Stocked up on pickling needs but still having a hard time finding canning lids that aren’t complete junk.

Working on processing the beets, carrots, turnips I pulled yesterday…really really hoping my garlic order comes in soon (placed in July for Sept delivery) because I know the ground is freezing more solidly with every passing minute now.

Tomorrow: shredding all my cabbages to go in the kraut pot or get dried for soup.
 

Old Gray Mare

TB Fanatic
Local Carr’s/Safeway had BOGO on spices so I took a full inventory and got everything I could find to replace old stuff. Stocked up on pickling needs but still having a hard time finding canning lids that aren’t complete junk.
Lehman's has a Amish guy making them. They only come in regular mouth. The rep at Lehmans.com say some of the ladies there had taken them home, used them and were happy with the results. Be warned they're expensive. Problem is where they're not expensive they're probably out of stock. According to Lehman's they're US made.

I haven't tried them. It's salty to have to buy canning jars to get the lids. With the price for the lids in my area I'm almost to the cost of the jars anyway.
 

amazon

Veteran Member
Tomorrow: shredding all my cabbages to go in the kraut pot or get dried for soup.
Sue, how's cabbage dried? How do you use it?
BTW, great picture!

Lehmann's sent an email today they have lids.
 

AlaskaSue

North to the Future
Sue, how's cabbage dried? How do you use it?
BTW, great picture!

Lehmann's sent an email today they have lids.
Thank you! I just now put in an order to Lehman’s, appreciate the tip!

I have an Excaliber dehydrator, but you can easily dry cabbage in the oven, just have to be sure to move the shreds around every few hours; takes 9-11 hours or so in an oven.I keep it in gallon jars and add to soups, casseroles, or meatloaf, mainly.

And thanks, that pic was taken in Maui…my second most favorite island ;)
 

tech

Veteran Member
Fun, fun, fun...NOT. The power flickered a few times this evening. Called the neighbors, but they had not experienced it. Went to the breaker box and found the main breaker hissing and occasionally arcing. Of course the box was old enough that a replacement breaker was 3 times the price of a new box, so sprung for a new (larger) box, which gives more room for additional circuits I was eventually going to put in anyhow. Perhaps a message I need to get the other things wired in... :)
Also need to pay more attention to the dogs. They would run over to the closet where the box is and raise holy heck once in a while. I suspect they heard it when it first started but was too quiet for human ears.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Fun, fun, fun...NOT. The power flickered a few times this evening. Called the neighbors, but they had not experienced it. Went to the breaker box and found the main breaker hissing and occasionally arcing. Of course the box was old enough that a replacement breaker was 3 times the price of a new box, so sprung for a new (larger) box, which gives more room for additional circuits I was eventually going to put in anyhow. Perhaps a message I need to get the other things wired in... :)
Also need to pay more attention to the dogs. They would run over to the closet where the box is and raise holy heck once in a while. I suspect they heard it when it first started but was too quiet for human ears.
Wow... you need to buy a lottery ticket! That could have ended so much worse !

Summerthyme
 

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Cary got the CT Scan done, yesterday. We won't know the results, until he sees his doctor, Monday, at the earliest.

The hunting party got off this morning at 5 am. Sent them off with sausage and biscuits and hot coffee. Hopefully, they'll have a great hunt.
 

hiwall

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Okay, I held out until the first of October but started heating our house yesterday. It was 63* in our house yesterday morning when I got up. Last night my wife put the heavy covers on our bed and I slept great last night. We went to our local small town yesterday and were able to see the north slope of the mountain behind our place, it was covered in snow.
At a yard sale yesterday I was able to buy for $5 this 10" grinder. It was setup to run with electric but I will change it over to work with a treadle. At the sale I also picked up 2 more nice hatchets that I didn't need:)
 

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WanderLore

Veteran Member
Dogs are great aren't they. Good detectives.

Got the mammogram done, only took 10 minutes with new machine. Picked up copy of CT on back last month.
Then Big shop. Not a lot of choices in the closest town big enough. But hit Dollar tree and Walmart. Thrift store, etc.
Gas is up to 3.25 reg unleaded some places. Won't be going too many places.
Everything was stocked up good everywhere I shopped.
Got a new vacuum for the house and an area rug for cabin that is light enough to take out and shake.

Definitely have to finish interior of cabin. Worked on it other day and finished walls except small ends. Ceiling and flashing next and bookcases.
SIL birthday today. Made cake and got him fishing pole. So him and the boys can go fishing.

We got 14 pumpkins from our patch. Few more weren't ready yet.
Prices weren't too bad yesterday for the most part. Couple things had doubled in price but not really anything essential.
It's starting to get much cooler at night. Leaves are changing. Pool and yard put to bed.
Winter is coming...
 

briches

Veteran Member
Just wanted to say hello to everyone here. This continues to be one of my favorite threads on the board.

I’m still plugging along and prepping as I can. I’m trying to stay ahead and have increased our coffee, tp, toiletries, vitamins and pantry as much as possible over the past couple of months.
I’ve started getting things for our Thanksgiving meal and have started Christmas shopping for my kids.
Hubby and I don’t exchange much for Christmas, but I’ll start getting a few things for him as well.

Next thing I want to work on is having oil and filters for our vehicles and air filters for the houses. I’m trying to think ahead now for things we’d be using anyway over the next couple of years.

Slow and steady ....
 

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
The hunters have returned, LOL! The guy who was to meet up with them didn't show up, so they didn't try to kill many squirrels. He was the one who wanted them all. There was no sense in shooting the squirrels just for the sake of it. DS did kill two, but gave those away to another hunter he ran up on. Cary didn't even try to kill any. They were overrun with deer, though. They all saw several while in the woods.

I don't know how deer season will go here in MS. We have an outbreak of "Blue Tongue" disease that is killing off a lot of deer here. Last year, it was Chronic Wasting disease, and now, this.
 

nomifyle

TB Fanatic
We went to the nearest town, I was getting itchy to pick up a few things. I didn't make a paper copy of my list so I forgot a few things. One thing I haven't been able to find for awhile has been frozen pie shells. An associate helped me find them. The section was tiny and only a few there, no wonder I couldn't find them. I also wanted some boxed pie crusts, but none to be found.

Jiffy cornbread mix only had a handfull of boxes and no pie crust mixes. I got a flat of green beans, regular top for 50 cents a can. Cold cut section is still bare.

I remembered to get onions, red and yellow and they had a few heads of cabbage this trip, 68 cents a pound. I didn't bother looking at the meat.

God is good all the time

judy
 

amazon

Veteran Member
Hope everyone's weekend is going well. It's 10 pm and I just finished canning apple pie filling and cleaning up kitchen. Recipe said yield of 7 qts, but I only got 5 qts and 1 pint. I followed recipe exactly except for using 1/2 brown sugar. Hope it's good. It was a lot of work. Cooler and rainy next week. We need it.

Did some online shopping. 2 long skirts, 2 pair jeans, 2 tops. I need new shoes too. I hate trying to find comfortable shoes.

I'm looking for a really good fruit/veg peeler. Mine's from WM. Any recs?
 

WanderLore

Veteran Member
Spending night at son's as he has to work a 48. And I have to go pick up 4H projects in the morning. Closer to town this way.

Son had a computer desk in a box he bought.
Don't know where he got it. Thought I would put it together for him. Lord. Lots of wrong pieces, missing some of the right ones. Got it put together anyway. Lifted it up to stand and it collapsed. Now I know the screws were tight. It's made out of paste board from China. Junk. But I feel so bad. The screws pulled out and tore the cheap board out.
I'll see if I can find him a good wood one local.
He probably got excited with new place and splurged. But this Chinese crap is not to be bought. It's under warranty so hopefully they will issue refund.

It's rained all day. There are about 40 squash in pantry, at least that many still in garden, and maybe 25 acorn squash in garden too. Lord.

Probably enough tomatoes for a few more dozen quarts of sauce. Okra still coming on. Late watermelon too. Last of beans are done. Thank God.
Hugs to you peeps, rest when you can.
 

hiwall

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Okay, I held out until the first of October but started heating our house yesterday. It was 63* in our house yesterday morning when I got up. Last night my wife put the heavy covers on our bed and I slept great last night. We went to our local small town yesterday and were able to see the north slope of the mountain behind our place, it was covered in snow.
At a yard sale yesterday I was able to buy for $5 this 10" grinder. It was setup to run with electric but I will change it over to work with a treadle. At the sale I also picked up 2 more nice hatchets that I didn't need:)
I now have a treadle grinder that I will likely never use.
268.jpg
 

Cag3db1rd

Paranoid Pagan
Bought 4 cases of wide mouth pints, 1 case half pints. Dehydrated 4 bags of broccoli. I am up to 1000 tea lights, so I am switching to the votives now. I picked up 2 12 packs of those.

I am up to 16 gallons of lamp oil. I was told that some ppl have the bottles start leaking over time. I so far have not had that happen. My oldest bottles is at least 10 years old. Best not risk it, though. I will be looking at more long term options.

I gave up one of my rain barrels today - one of my best. My future SIL's family is really poor, but they have been trying to prep as best they can. I had Weebit help me take down and pressure wash the barrel, gather up some good guttering and accessories, and took it to them to be sure should SHTF, they can have some rain catch.

Finally found a source for the really good monolithic filters that I used to buy from Cheaper Than Dirt. They have REALLY gone up in price. I bought 3. I have a cheaper, Korean made one I am thinking of giving to FSIL's family. I also have a few cheap ones I got a few years ago from Wish. Ppl are starting to understand my thing about water finally, and that I am not crazy.

Got a load of horse manure from my bestie Thursday. Also may have FSIL a job cleaning her horse stalls. Hope to get that manure into my garden beds asap.

New project. My mission is to find all the parts necessary to refurbish my MIL's old canners. First one is a Mirro-Matic M-0512 12qt. I have the weight and trivet. I ordered a new gasket and safety fuse for it tonight. The other one is more daunting. It has a springform style metal clamp that goes all the way around the rim and a dial guage. It's so old, it has wooden handles. I am intimidated by it, to say the least.

I have 2 more bags of broccoli to dry, 1 more package of bacon ends and pieces, and 16 lbs of butter to can. Oh, and a few dozen quail eggs to pickle. I better get to work.

Edit: it was y'all that told me about the leaky jugs of lamp oil. You rock!
 
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Cag3db1rd

Paranoid Pagan
Oh, and I finally found lentils at my local wm. They were in the hispanic food section. I bought 6 lbs. Will probably do that again a few more times. Hubby has voiced his displeasure at even having beans in the house when I suggested canning up my current bean stockpile. He adamantly stated ge hates beans and will not eat them. I just as adamantly replied that he will if I make them and he is hungry. End of discussion.
 

Marseydoats

Veteran Member
I've not a fan of green beans. When I was a kid, Mom made me string them until my fingers bled and I cried. Not allowed to stop until she had all the beans processed. Guess which vegetable has NEVER been allowed in my house? I honestly don't think I would eat them if I was starving.
 

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I now have a treadle grinder that I will likely never use.
View attachment 293552
True, but cool none-the-less. LOL

Considering the TV series "Revolution" and possibility of loosing power for years type of thing, I have considered this as well.

My first pre-emptive is to have files on hand. Never ever use a file on a knife, but axes, hoes, and while saw teeth are hard to do, just because it is hard doesn't mean we shouldn't try. And don't forget they also have a pitch to them.

My second pre-emptive is to consider converting my electric duel wheel grinder to a manual power as in treadle power.

I originally bought the duel wheel grinder, to sharpen axes, lawnmower blades, etc. A friend gave me, GAVE ME, a Dewalt portable grinder with 3 extra wheels, and that thing is so awesome, and quick, I've neglected the standing duelly.

Anyway my thoughts were running to - - taking the cover and one wheel off. replacing with a wooden wheel, and peg, Connected to an arm, running to a pedal.

I was thinking treadle sewing machine at the time, but dang ain't you got a good set up.

I use to run my grandmother treadle sewing machine like it was in the Indy 500. My dad said he wasn't allowed to that when he was a kid.
 

hiwall

Has No Life - Lives on TB
My second pre-emptive is to consider converting my electric duel wheel grinder to a manual power as in treadle power.
The easy way would be just to make a simple hand crank that you could quickly attach and a "helper" could turn the crank while you did the grinding. You could get fancy and add a pulley and attach the crank to a separate shaft and run a belt to the grinder shaft. That way depending on pulley sizes, the grinder could run much faster and the helper could crank slower. There are always many ways to do things. I made the treadle one just because one of my sons wanted one. So I made this one just to show him how easy it would be to make one. I'll give it to him if he wants it.
 
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