Monday, February 24, 2014

Canning up dairy is way different from other canning

Dairy is very acidic so it just needs to be water bathed for a short time.  If you do it to long or try to pressure can it, you'll end up with a very disgusting blob that will be very uneatable.    Here are some of my dairy canning things so you can try it and get the general idea on what to do on your own.

Alfredo Sauce

My daughter wanted Chicken Alfredo on her wedding menu.  She had so many items on her menu I had told everyone we only needed one stock pot full but they insisted on two stockpot fulls.  Unfortunately we had already added the veggies to it so it all went home with us and I had no way to save it.  It doesn't freeze well and with veggies in it I couldn't can it.   But I had enough cheese left over I went ahead and made several batches and canned up 12 pints of plain Alfredo Sauce.  It was very nice to open a bottle and add veggies and serve.  So here is my recipe:
This recipe did up 15 pint jars:

6 cups Butter Melted in a big pot
Stir in 3 Quarts of heavy cream and
26 ounces of Cream Cheese plus
a heaping Tablespoon of garlic powder

Stir constantly and bring to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer stirring often.

Add 2 cups Parmesan and or Mozzarella cheese.  Stir in until melted.  I keep adding more cheese until it gets thick.  Season with salt and pepper.

Fill hot jars and wipe rim clean and add prepared lids and put into boiling water bath canner.  When it comes back to a full rolling boil let it go for 10 minutes and then pull and put in clean towel to cool down. 

This is an easy project and makes for a very nice very quick meal.  A great addition to your food storage for sure!

Excess Milk


If you have excess milk and want to preserve it before it goes bad you can freeze it into smaller containers or you can, can it to use in baked goods or making hot chocolate. 

To can:  Pour milk into prepared canning jars and seal lids.  Place in water bath canner and when rolling boil is reached let it go for 10 minutes then pull to cool down on counter top on a clean towel.

Copycat Velveeta

This recipe comes from Budget101 website.  You can find tons of great recipes and tips on frugel living on their site!   http://www.budget101.com/copycat-clone-recipes/homemade-velveeta-3630.html


Pour into prepared loaf pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Slice as desired for grilled cheese sandwiches, munching, etc.

Yields about 1 pound

**Tips:
DO NOT USE Pre-shredded cheese. It contains an additive to prevent the cheese from "Clumping" which will also make your cheese have a "gritty" texture.

One pound will fill a pint jar so if you are canning this times the recipe by how many jars you want to fill.   If you want it to slide right out of the jar then you will need to use the 1 pint wide mouthed straight sided jars .  You would water bath this for 10 minutes.

Cheese Whiz Clone

12 ounces evaporated milk
4 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
4 pounds Velveeta type cheese
2 teaspoons dry mustard

Melt milk and cheese in a double boiler.  when creamy and smooth add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Fill canning jars and process in water bath for 10 minutes.

I've used this recipe for several years and have no clue where I got it from.  I had a different recipe for making Velveeta type cheese using cottage cheese and that might be listed in my early blog but I went to the simpler type recipe from Budget 101 so I won't share the Amish style Velveeta made from cottage cheese.

Canning cheese:

You can can hard cheeses by putting your canning jars on a cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven.  Grate the cheese and add and let melt and keep adding until the jar gets full.  Make sure the rim is clean ** IT WILL BE VERY HOT!  USE CARE IN WIPING THE RIMS!  Use canning lids that were presoaked in hot water and dry them and cap and seal the jars and carefully move to counter top and set on towel to cool down.  

It was great to have cheese canned up this winter when we got snowed in.  This cheese is more crumbly then the regular store bought cheese but was just as yummy to eat!

This should be enough recipes to get you started on canning up your own dairy products! 

Blessing!
Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com

Monday, February 17, 2014

Proverbs for Prepping

Proverbs 6: 6 ¶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

Proverbs 20: 4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.


Proverbs 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 


Food for thought from the Good Book as you plan and get ready for the coming years garden.

Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Signs of being allergic to wheat and other gluten grains

More and more people are finding out they are allergic to gluten and I've been asked more and more often to teach classes to help folks learn to cook and handle these allergies better.  I thought I should share with you some of the signs that you may be allergic to what you are eating.

Here is a list put out by the Mayo Clinic:
  • Swelling, itching or irritation of the mouth or throat
  • Hives, itchy rash or swelling of the skin
  • Nasal congestion
  • Lethargy
  • Headaches
  • Coughing
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Cramps, nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis

For some people wheat allergy may cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. In addition to other signs and symptoms of wheat allergy, anaphylaxis may cause:
  • Swelling or tightness of the throat
  • Chest pain or tightness
  • Severe difficulty breathing
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Pale, blue skin color
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Fast heartbeat
Eating something you are allergic to can effect your whole body.  It will most certainly effect your Gastro-intestinal system causing stomach bloating and pain, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation and diarrhea, etc.
Neurologial conditions including headaches, memory loss, behavioural difficulties and depression.
Immune condition: Frequent infections like colds, flu and bacterial infections, mouth and stomach ulcers.
Skin rashes: Hives, Eczema, Psoriasis, itching flaky skin.
Inflammation & Inflammatory diseases: Stiff joints, allergies, Arthritis, colitis, thyroidities, etc.
General: Food cravings, tiredness, Chronic fatigue, unwell feeling

 Now as you can tell, you can go a long time before it might click in your doctor's head to check for food allergies.  I know I was treated for all kinds of garbage before someone suddenly said I should get allergy tested.  They can do a simple blood test now that will list every food you are allergic to.  The problem with the list is that it won't tell you how allergic you are.  When I got my list (5 pages long!)  I frankly didn't think life was worth living any more!  I basically could eat meat and sugar the 2 things I was no longer eating.  I went ahead and went off everything and instantly felt better than I had for years!   I also started losing weight!   I then went to an allergy doctor and got tested.  I found out I was very, very allergic to gluten and soy.  But I could have corn and dairy. Even shell fish was back on my good list.   That made it much more livable.  I have reduced my dairy but Having it scattered in my diet makes life worth living again.  I am making a cheese substitute that seems to work well in casseroles, etc made out of cashews.  I am also learning how to use non-gluten grains in our meals.  

So if you are having any of the above problems and can't seem to improve go get allergy tested to see if you have food allergies.  If you prefer to avoid doctors then start cutting out things like wheat/gluten or dairy and see if it helps you out.

Blessing!
Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com