Down at the Farm

It’s been very lively here at the farm. 

   Well those two push mowers would not start again. But I traded the tiller for a newer push mower. They needed a tiller and had a push mower they didn’t need. Thank you Lord.  The yard looks good again.

   Dogs got after my Silky chickens, killing all but 2. I was not a happy camper. A rooster and hen ( sitting on 14 eggs) were left. So I moved them to another pen, and now have baby silky chicks. Thank you Lord.  My nephew, Matt, came by yesterday and helped me make the chicken pen bigger, and reinforce it to keep the dogs out.  Matt also did weed eating, and moved some things around for me. Thank you Matt. I worked his city boy muscles. But he said he liked working on the farm.

   Miss Jenny blessed me with enough homemade clothes soap to last a year. Thank you Miss Jenny.

   The landlords came and fixed the bathroom. I have a new bathroom now and it looks great. They were also kind enough to climb on the roof to open all the vents for me. Thank you Lord.

   Then Tasha’s laptop got attacked by Trojans.  But my step son fixed in a hurry. So if you need computer help for home or business, His company is the best, with great prices. He can fix your computer on line. Please go check them out.  http://twistednetworx.com/

 

Here are some photos from Tasha’s Baby Shower yesterday.

Tasha and Becky( my first grandbaby almost here, Boy I’m getting old)

Ok, Miss Gabby, we are ready for you to come on, 4-5 week wait.

   Well hot weather is on the way, time to dig out the fans and make sure they work. And put the attic fans in the ceilings in kitchen and food barn.

   My days are getting better. The girls have been a great help to me. Thank you girls. The Lord always sends me people and blessing right on time. Thank you Lord.

   My power bill has dropped to it’s lowest in 10 years, dropped by $90, and I did two happy dances. :)  :)  I could not believe my eyes, I almost called the power company to see if it was a mistake.

  Hope you all have a great day.

Becky

 

Technorati Tags: Twisted Networks,Trojans,Farm life,making do,self sufficiency,chickens

  

Things Tommy Has Made

 

 

 

 

 

Canning Potatoes

You can use garden or store potatoes to can. Our potato plants died to soon, so we did not get the crop we usually get. So when potatoes go on sale, I will buy a bunch and can them.

These are our new potatoes dug this year. The small ones, I wash really good and can. These are good when it's cold outside.

The above canned potatoes are from this year. The below are from last year. The starch (the white coating on potatoes below) is just washed off, and potatoes are good. The chopped potatoes are used in : beef stew, put in a pan and fried with butter and onions, in a pan and eaten as boiled potatoes, drained over night and used in potato salad, and more.

To pressure can Potatoes:

Small ones: just wash well and pack loosely in jars.

Large ones: Peel and cut into a brine water ( 1 teaspoon salt to a quart of water) , then rinse and pack loosely in to jars.

Then add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart and fill with water.

Process 40 minutes for quarts at 15 lbs.

Happy Canning!

For those of you who do not have a pressure canned, the potatoes can be froze, put in the cool part of your refrigerator. But please do not use a hot water bath canner as it is not safe.

See comment #25 below on how to freeze potatoes.
( more answers can be found in the comments here)

Becky

Comments:
becky. when canning potatoes can you use table salt or do you have to use canning salt? also do you have to cook the potatoes before putting in jars or do you just wash , peal, and pack then pressure cook? thanks kathy Comment by kathy August 31, 2008

Kathy,I use table salt in the potatoes and in the brine.And no, you do not have to cook the potatoes before putting them in the jars. I just wash, peel, pack LOOSELY in jars and can them. Hope this helps, if not let me know.Becky Comment by jordansfarm August 31, 2008

Becky,Thank you for your response on the salt. I done just what you had said and now I have another problem. After I took my potatoes out of the pressure cooker their were some jars that like half of the brine is gone. We made sure that all the seals were on good and tight and filled all the jars the same before putting them in the canner. What happened? Can I break the seals on the jars that the brine is gone in and put more brine in them and reprosess or are they ok like they are or do I just need to go ahead and fix those to eat soon. Only had like 4 jars out of 44 jars to do this. They all look good. Thank You again for all your help. We will be praying for Tommy and your family.Kathy Comment by kathy August 31, 2008

Kathy,Your potatoes are fine. The potatoes soaked up the water and some times the water leaks out. But if they have a good seal, they are fine. Mine do the same thing, and it’s ok. And great job, 44 jars is alot of peeling. Thank you very much for your prayers.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm September 1, 2008

BeckyI had always heard you could can potatoes, but I have never tried to do them. This year my brother gave me a good supply of potatoes and since it is just my husband and me know I wanted to can them. How long to you process pint jars?I grew up on a dairy farm, seven kid in the family and still can a lot. My boys are grown and moved on but I still can some things for them and they love the cost savings on their food bill.Thanks for your siteSandy
Comment by Sandy September 1, 2008

Sandy,Pints are canned for 35 mintues. And thank you very much for stopping by. Please let me know how your potatoes turn out, ok. Have a great day. Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 1, 2008

I do not have a pressure cooker, so I would like to know if anyone has used the cold bath method for potatoes. Also, has anyone ever made salsa and either cold bathed or froze the salsa. Sure am glad I found this site!!!Rochelle Comment by Rochelle September 4, 2008

Rochelle,It is not best to cold bath the potatoes, it’s not safe. They need to be pressure canned. Can you borrow a canner from a friend? I am not sure about the salsa as we do not eat it. But hopefully one of my readers will know. And thank you for stopping by. Have a great day.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 5, 2008

Becky….I would have never guessed that you can can potatoes…..such a good idea as I don’t use very often and the bag usually goes bad.Thanks for the idea. Comment by plantinthings September 6, 2008

Rochelle,Yes, last year I cold bath canned and also froze salsa. Tomatoes are acidic so it’s safe to cold bath can. Hope this helps ya. Comment by plantinthings September 6, 2008

Becky,Do you cook the potatoes before you can them or just pack them in jars and process? I have seen a few other recipes that require you to boil them for ten minutes first and then pack and process. Comment by Lee Snyder September 7, 2008

Lee,I do not cook my potatoes first. I pack them loosely in jars and then can them. And have done so for 10 + years. Yes, I too have seen those recipes and know people who boil first. But for us, when you are looking at a few 100 lbs. of potatoes, to us that’s just extra work. So I canned some with out boiling them first and it worked, and the canned potatoes lasted well over a year. So I guess it’s up to you which way you want to do it. We try and find the fastest, safest way to do things here on the farm, as there is so much to do. I hope this helps you. Maybe some of my readers will put in their thoughts on this. Hope you have a great day.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm September 7, 2008

Becky,Do you fill the jars with cold water or boiling water? Thanks for your wonderful tips. I’m canning for the first time and came across your site. It’s been very helpful.Blessings,Kimberly
Comment by Kimberly September 7, 2008

Good morning Kimberly,I fill the jars with hot tap water. More and more people are canning now. good luck with your canning and if you have any more questions, just ask, ok.Have a wonderful day.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm September 8, 2008

Good morning Becky,Thanks for the great information. So far I’ve put back 200+ jars of canned goods, not counting what’s in my deep freeze. I’m not done yet. Not bad for my first year. Anyway, I canned the potatoes last night, just guessing about the water. I ended up using hot tap water just like you said. My potatoes went from being white to having a yellowish gold color. My husband purchased a 50 pound bag. These were russets I believe. Is this okay? Yours still look white and I was wondering what the difference might be. Thanks again…I’m sure I’ll be visiting your blog often.Kimberly Comment by Kimberly September 8, 2008

Hi Becky-Found your website and it is so good to read-just like having a neighbor and friend next door talking to me. Thanks for the great information on canning the potatoes. We have more in our garden than we could keep good for the winter so decided to pressure can them. They ended up having the milky looking water. Glad to know it’s just starch and no problem with the canning. My husband and I also canned sweet corn and green beans for the first time this year. Scary but fun. I followed the directions to a t in the canning book for time and altitudes, etc. so they should be good. Take care-I’ll be keeping you and your family in my prayers. God bless-Marlys Comment by Marlys Zimbelman September 9, 2008

Hey Becky, It’s Cammy here. I am wondering about how many pounds of store bought potatos it would take to can 7 quarts. I have been running crazily and would like to just do one canner at a time. Thanks, and by the way would this work for Sweet potatos you think? You are such a wonderful person to help out all of us “newbies” to canning. Thanks and God bless you and yours! Comment by Cammy Harbison September 12, 2008

Cammy,Good morning. I think it’s about a pound per qt. but the little bit let you could cook for dinner. Or put in pint jars and put another canning rack on top of the qts. and put 4 pints and top. BUT make sure your canner will close. Only one of my canners can I do this with. YES, you can do sweet potatoes in a syrup, but I’ll have to check the time on cooking them. Have a great day. Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 12, 2008

Thanks so much for what you are doing! I have been canning for years, but have never canned potatoes–this will be a first. Your information is very helpful! Since I’m so visual, it is so wonderful to have pictures! There is nothing better on a cold January evening than to serve dinner from your own canned goods. A full cupboard of canning jars is a beautiful sight…a testimony to God’s goodness! Blessings to all! Comment by Linda Johnson September 15, 2008

Hello, fellow Becky!!I have been canning for a few years now but this is my first year trying potatoes. I did my first 7 quarts - used Yukon Gold and they looked beautiful when I pulled them out of the canner. When they cooled and we were putting them away, we noticed that the water had gelled - probably from the starch. Just wondering if this has happened to you and if the potatoes are still good. P.S. Love your website!! Comment by Becky S. September 16, 2008

Becky S.The potatoes are fine. Just wash off the gell/starch before eating/ using. It’s not harmful, I have always just washed it off. You did a wonderful job. And thank you for stopping in.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm September 17, 2008

Hi Becky,I don’t have a pressure cooker, but have been processing my dill pickles and salsa in boiling water in large stainless steel pot. Can I do this for the potatoes. I have never had a problem with my other canning goods. Thanks for your time. Great website!
Comment by John Szedlak September 18, 2008

John,It is NOT SAFE to process potatoes without a pressure cooker,they must be pressure canned. Can you borrow a pressure canner from some one? Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 18, 2008

I want to can my small potatoes whole. I do not have a pressure canner. I accept your advice about not being safe to can without pressure but I was wondering if I can a few and keep the jars in the refrigerator until I am ready to use them, would that be safe.
Comment by Nancy September 19, 2008

#25: Nancy,Potatoes are a low- acid food that must be pressure canned to destroy all bacteria and etc. I looked up an other way to store them safely.
freezing them:wash thoroughly, can peel. blanch 3- 5 mintues, depending on size. drain. cool. pack potatoes into can or freezer jars or plastic freezer boxes/ bags. seal, label, freeze.
Or they will stay in the cool part of your refrigerator longer than out. Hope this helps.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 19, 2008

I loved your nice pictures of canned potatoes. We have a great crop of red and also gold potatoes this year so I wanted to preserve them somehow besides just in bins. Your information is very helpful. It’s great to know that I don’t have to blanch them first.It’s great there are others who believe it’s important for mom’s to be able to be home with their children. My last one of six just graduated this year and I have loved being home with my children (and doing all the neat homemaking stuff as well)God bless you,Helen R. Comment by Helen Robinson September 20, 2008

Becky,Well, I put up 20 Quarts of potatoes for the first time. Hope they come out. I tried reds, whites and russets. Also had some small onions, garlic, beans, peas and corn left from the late plantings so I did 10 quarts with some of the veggies in the potatoes. Also made a beef stock and used that as the canning liquid. Hope to have a nice soup base for this winter. Will let you know how that works out. Friend gave me a recipe for salsa, and it is the best I have ever had. If you want it, let me know. My family uses more salsa than anything else so I had to put up 68 pints. 30 hot, 20 med, and 18 mild. Well, back to preparing the garden for next year. Thank you for your help and will check back later to let you know about the soup. Comment by Lee September 21, 2008

HI,
All the recipes i have found say you have to peel the potatoes as they will produce a bacteria, but i see you can without peeling some. What are your thoughts on this? Comment by Kim Barth September 22, 2008

Kim,If you wash the potatoes really good first before canning, you should have no problems. I never have. Just wash them well. hope this helps.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 22, 2008

Thanks to all your good advice I have put up many many quarts of Yukon Gold Potatoes! I left the skins on - washed them really well and cut off any bad spots. The Yukons seem to have more starch than the reds so most of my jars have “gelled”. Last Sunday we had to try a jar before I made the decision to can what’s left in my garden. I drained the jar and rinsed them well with cold water. When they were done draining (after the rinse) I fried them. My family absolutely loved them! Even my finicky 6 year old!! It’s so wonderful to “live off the land” and not rely so much on processed food. God Bless you and your family. Happy Fall!! Comment by Becky S. September 23, 2008

Becky S.,I am so glad you all like the canned potatoes. Try allowing them to drain over night after rinsing them, then deep fry them like french fries. We really like them this way. Or after draining over night - make potato salad, prefect potatoes salad every time. And thank you for letting me know about your canned potatoes. Have a wonderful fall.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 23, 2008

Becky,I, too, am reporting in that canning my red potatoes went well! Thanks for your help and insight.The tomatoes are about done and now it is on to applesauce–my favorite!! The whole house smells so wonderful! Thanks, again. You are in my prayers. Comment by Linda J September 23, 2008

Linda J,Your welcome. I am so happy they turned out right for you. How did the applesauce go?I made apple butter, apple jelly, both for the first time this year. Boy, there is a lot of work in both. But I like to try some thing new every year. I started apple sauce about 4 years ago, now mine won’t even look at the store bought stuff.Thank you very much for your prayers.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 25, 2008

If I freeze my potatoes wont they go mushy when thawed out?
Comment by sharon d September 25, 2008

Sharon D.,I have never froze potatoes. I always can them. The freezing potatoes came out of the Ball canning book, for those who don’t have a pressure canner. I was giving another safe way to put up potatoes. Sorry I could not be of more help on this.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm September 27, 2008

Hi..this willl be my first time canning potatoes. I am very excited about it..Thanks for all your tips.
Comment by Joyce September 29, 2008

Joyce,Please let me know how your canning goes.Have a great day.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 29, 2008

mami wand to can potatoes but do not want them cooked. i like to fry them later. i like them hard when i fry them. is this possible?lil Comment by dale stratton October 2, 2008

Lil,Once the potatoes are pressure canned, they are so what hard. I fry the canned potatoes in a pan, and deep fry them, and they do not fall a part. And they are hard enough for potato salad.Hope this helps.Becky Comment by jordansfarm October 2, 2008

Hi Becky, love your site - love to see someone milking by hand too! We milk goats by hand, raise our children and our food here on our farm in Michigan too! God Bless you for what you are doing for our next generation. I love the blogs from you and all of your visitors about canning. I am going to do potatoes for the first time. I have been told by several people to wash them in the washing machine on gentle cycle. Ever heard of this? I was also wondering about the draining them overnight for potato salad. Do you just leave them out in a strainer at room temp, or what exactly. I got the point loud and clear about pressure canning so I wil be borrowing a pressure canner. Thanks again and prayers for Tommy and your family.Sherry Comment by Sherry October 4, 2008

Sherry,Nice to meet you. Sounds like you have your hands full too in Michigan.Never heard of useing the washing machine, sorry, I just wash them by hand.Draining the potatoes for potato salad: Leave potatoes in the strainer and put potatoes and strainer in your ice box over night to drain. Happy canning, let me know how they turn out. Thank you for your prayers.Becky Comment by jordansfarm October 4, 2008

Well I was just given a couple hundred pounds of potatoes Give or take. SO I guess I will be canning potatoes for my first time. Its been awhile since I canned anything. My question is how much water do you put in your pressure cooker. I kinda forgot. I am also from Michigan and greatly appreciate your time and effort you have put in your web site it’s a god send. I think allot of us would be lost without people like you helping out…..Thank-you Comment by Becky October 5, 2008

It’s more like 400 -600 pounds lol of potatoes too bad you did not live by me I could give you a couple hundred. Comment by Becky October 5, 2008

Becky,What a wonderful blessing you got.With the jars in the canner, then fill with water until the canner is half full of water. Hope this helps. Please let me know how many quarts you get? That is a lot of peeling.Happy canning. And thank you for stopping in.Becky Comment by jordansfarm October 5, 2008

help I don’t have a pressure cooker i only have cold pack
Comment by cindy October 8, 2008

Beckythank you for helping I don’t have a pressure cookerand would like to use my canner to do potatoes Comment by cindy October 8, 2008

Becky,I was wondering if when you bottle potatoes do you have to put the salt in. I’m doing the red potatoes. My husband can’t have salt on his food. But I really want to do them. Thank you Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne October 10, 2008

Cindy,Potatoes have to be pressure canned. Please see if you can borrow one from someone, as this is safest way. Or see comment #25 here for freezing them and storing them.
Jeanne,I am not sure about not adding the salt. I don’t know how safe that would be. I’m sorry I can’t answer this question for you. Maybe you can freeze him some (see comment #25 here). Becky Comment by jordansfarm October 11, 2008

Becky,I was wondering if you could give me insight. I canned my yukon golds with the directions you gave. The potatoes are very soft. They are great for mashing but not fried or salads. Is there a reason that you might know of? Is it because they are yukons or maybe because they are home grown? Any help would be great! Thanks again for you input! Blessings, Melinda Comment by Melinda October 15, 2008

Melinda,I am not really sure why your potatoes are soft. For I can the Yukon golds potatoes that are homegrown for years. How old were the potatoes? But I’m not even sure if age is reason. I am sorry, you have me stumped. Mine have never been soft. Could you have cooked them too long?Sorry I could not be of more help.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm October 16, 2008

Hi BeckyI love your web page. I have been canning for 6 years now. This will be the first year that I try canning potato. I have alot of sweet potato (yams) to do but I don’t know how to do them. Please help. The red and white one I will start working today. This year I have put up about 300 quarts of green beans, 30 quarts and 15 pints of tomato, 34 1/2 pint of strawberry , blackberry jam plus bags in the freezer, froze 15 bags of cabbage, made sauerkraut and apple butter for the first time, froze hot and green pepers, canned hot peppers and make cabbage rolls for the freezer. I canned beets,froze turnups and dried my onions, so all I have left is these potatos. Comment by Alice October 18, 2008

Alice, you have been busy.
Sweet Potatoes canned:Boil first for about 5 min. so as the skins will rub off.Leave small ones whole/ or cut,pack into jarsFill with water or med. syrup( med. syrup: 3 1/4 cup sugar and 5 cups water= 7 cups syrup)leave 1 inch head space, remove air bubbles`Pressure can 10 pounds for:pints: 1 hour 5 minutesquarts: 1 hour and 30 mintuesHope this helps. Please tell me how you freeze your cabbage.
Thank you for stopping in, have a wonderful weekend.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm October 18, 2008

BeckyI cut mine in 1/4 and blench it for 10 minutes. let it drain. pack it in bags. I like leaving it in 1/4 what way I can cut it up anyway I want when I get ready to use it. 1/4 you can use in roast, chop or shred is great in soups or fry. The secret is let it thaw and drain the water before using it.thanks for your help
Comment by Alice October 18, 2008

Alice,You are an amazing woman!! 300 Qts. of beans!!
Becky,Thanks for the Sweet Potato idea…I’ll need to watch for sales. Linda J Comment by http://valleyvisions.blogspot October 18, 2008

Becky I’m canning with large mason jar some deer meat.I can’t remember how long to cook them to seal the lids.I could use some help thank you for last time with trying to bottle some potatoes with out salt.Jeanne Comment by Jeanne October 19, 2008

Hi Becky,
I was reading on another website that forcing depressuring (manually letting the steam off quicker) could spoil your canned goods. Do you have any comments on this? This is my first time canning with a pressure canner. I have always did the water bath or hot pack methods.Thanks,Myrna Comment by myrna October 23, 2008

Myrna,I have never heard of this. I always let the pressure cooker cool by itself. Which usually takes about an hour, I’m for safety first. Now in my 4qt.pressure cooker when I’m cooking corn on the cob in it, I do run it under cool water to cool it down faster. But I would never do it with canned foods I’m going to store.hope this helps,Becky Comment by jordansfarm October 25, 2008

Becky,Our local market had 2 boxes of small red potatoes marked $2.00 a box. I am guessing there was at least 25lbs to a box. How could I resist. So we canned the potatoes for the first time.I cut them into 1/4s and placed them in the quarts with water and salt. Processed for 40 min after the giggle at 15lbs. Some of the bottles in each batch lost about 50% of the liquid. The potatoes looks soft and are falling apart. We had 1 jar that did not seal so we tried them for breakfast this morning and they were great fried. They were kind of like using the leftover potatoes from a roast, that kind of soft. Just think it is strange that some lose the liquid and why they seem over processed. I hope you have some ideas. Thanks for the help. Comment by Karen October 26, 2008

opps guess that would be jiggle not giggle but that is fun too.
Comment by Karen October 26, 2008

I have canned for over 20 years..I put up around 1500 jars of food this summer and filled up 3 deep freezers..I have a large family..(expecting my tenth)..and gardening/canning is no hobby for me but a necessity!!..You should never try to “cool” your pressure canner down quickly by releasing some of the pressure…Your jars never seal in the canner until after they have cooled..by releasing the pressure you can lose some of your fluid inside the jar and can also take a significant risk of breaking your jars by decreasing the temperature too rapidly!!..I have 2 stoves and 3 pressure canners I use in the summer..and I ALWAYS just turn off the stove eye and let my canners cool on their own..Some people suggest moving them to a table or counter-top to cool off..but the least amount of jiggling the contents can break your jars!! Patience will pay in the end!!! Comment by jana October 26, 2008

Also, I have had tremendous luck canning sweet potatoes, but have never liked white/gold/or red potatoes after canning them..They have always been too mushy for me. Sweet potatoes however are a different story and do very well!! Comment by jana October 26, 2008

Karen,I’m not sure about the soft potatoes, as mine are always hard enough for potato salad. And it times some of the water comes out of my jars. And once in a while a jar will not seal, and I’m not sure why. At times I think it’s just a bad lid. What a great deal you got on the potatoes. Sorry I could not be more help. Thank you for stopping in. Have a great day.
Jana,I thought I can a lot, 1500 jars is a lot. I too, fill 3 freezers. But my family is no longer that big. Now there is just 3 of us. I agree with you about cooling down the pressure cooker, as this is what I do. And Tommy loves the sweet potatoes canned. Thank you for stopping in and your comment.Becky Comment by jordansfarm October 28, 2008

What is the shelf life of canned potato’s.
Comment by Marcy November 6, 2008

Marcy,I know mine last for a year, harvest to harvest. We have never had any left longer than that. Hope this helps.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm November 7, 2008

Becky,
You have answered all my questions from past comments.I’m really nerves on the pressure cooking. I (My father and step mother) used my pressure cannier (canned beef) for the first time but I had my family’s help. But still nerves to do it myself. I have had a garden for 2 years now and it sure is a good feeling when the finish product is sitting on the self. My Aunt Ada would be proud of me!!! I’m putting you on my favorites so if I have any questions I know where to coming (HERE).I also stay home with my kids.
Thankyou and God Bless,Amy Comment by Amy November 14, 2008

Sorry wrong email address. This is the right one
Comment by Amy November 14, 2008

Amy,The more you use the pressure canner the better you will feel. Just give it a little time. It’s the best thing you can learn to do, and will help you out the most. Please keep me updated on how you are doing with it, ok. Have a great week end. Thank you for stopping in here.God Bless you and your family,Becky Comment by jordansfarm November 15, 2008

I canned potatoes last year, they look great and pretty as yours! BUT…I didn’t know about the pressure cooker and just water-bathe them for 45 minutes. What do you think? Should I just discard the 20 jars of it or try them and see? I’m afraid now! Comment by Marcie November 16, 2008

Marcie,This is what I would do, but you need to do what you feel is right and safe for you. I would open a jar and smell them if they did not smell bad or look bad, I would reboil them GOOD before using/serving. Then taste one, to check taste. I am sorry I can’t just come right out and tell it’s ok, because I am not sure on this one. Trust yourself on this.Hope this helps you some.Becky Comment by jordansfarm November 16, 2008

I have finally finished my potatoes. 167 quart jars. It feels so good, and so reassuring. Thank you for posting this. It was exactly what I was looking for. I have almost bottled 500 jars of fruit, and veggies this year.
My husband will need to have surgery on Monday for a ruptured disc in his back. I will be living on our food storage for the 6-8 weeks that he is out. It is nice to know that it is there. The reduced paycheck will only pay for bills and now I will still be able to feed my family. thank you and my thoughts and prayers are with your family. Comment by christie November 20, 2008

I noticed you left the red peels on do you have to peel russets or can you leave the skins on? Comment by Laurie November 25, 2008

Laurie,You can,if you wash the skins VERY well. I only leave the skin on the small potatoes, as peeling them would not leave much potato. Hope this helps.Becky Comment by jordansfarm November 26, 2008

Becky,
I just wanted you to know you’ve inspired me - I canned 7 quarts of potatoes for the first time today. ) I’ve canned lots of other things, but never thought about canning potatoes until I found your blog several months ago. Thank you! I have so many other things I want to try canning (cheese sauce, dried beans, etc.), and I feel like time is running short. I really appreciate all of the information you’ve shared on your blog. It is truly so helpful!
Continuing to lift you, Tommy, and your family up in prayer.
Stacie Comment by arksoaper December 9, 2008

Stacie,You are more than welcome, I am glad to help. I have been reading your blog and you are doing a great job with everything. My best find this year was the canned cheese sauce and the clothes soap. Thank you very much for all your prayers for us.Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Becky Comment by jordansfarm December 10, 2008

Becky, Just got done canning 7qts of potatoes, Looks like they are over cooked, (soft) When you talk about processing for 40 minutes. Is that once the canner starts to jiggle. Or Do you start timing when you put the canner on the stove? Thanks Cara Comment by Cara January 3, 2009

Cara,Yes, you start timing when it starts to jiggle. Hope this helps.Becky Comment by Becky January 7, 2009

Love this site, first time here, will can next year. here is a tip for potatoe fry lovers. Cut the taters as you wish raw, soak in in sugar water, for a hr or so before frying. You will never make french fries again with out this method I’d bet.YUMM Lots of sugar,sweet water. Rod Comment by Rod January 7, 2009

This is excellent; I like knowing how many pounds to quarts. Thank you! Comment by Prudent Homemaker January 19, 2009

Gave my wife a pressure cooker for Christmas and I ended up wanting to play with it. I thought potatoes would be a good first start. I’ve got a question if you don’t mind. I thought I’d experiment with just 15 lbs. of potatoes but ran out of time after my first batch. I’ve got the unprocessed potatoes in their jars with no water in them. Would it be alright to put them in the fridge overnight and start the process up again another day? I’m sure I need to let the jars warm up before just putting them in hot water. Will this work or should I try something else in the future? Again, this was meant as an experiment so if I need to start over, that’s fine. Thanks, Bill Comment by Bill February 2, 2009

Bill,I am not sure about this. I always make sure I have time set aside for canning, usually a whole day. I would think that just putting jars in fridge with no water in them would turn the potatoes colors. I , myself, would not pressure can them. Maybe you could cook them for a meal, but add water so as they don’t turn colors. I really hope this helps some.Becky Comment by Becky February 2, 2009

Drying Clothes without a Dryer

This chain is on my porch. But it could be hung in a hallway or between two trees. On bad days, I fold towels in half and clothes pin them to the hangers. Blue jeans, socks, and on can also be pinned on. Even in high winds the clothes do not come off the hangers. When you go to the store to get the chain, take a clothes hanger with you, to make sure it fits in the chain.

Here is how Tommy screwed it to the porch.

These little spindles are great. Each holds 8 pairs of socks or 8 underwear. As you can see I have a lot in the back ground. And they take up very little space. The one with the socks on it, is hanging on a clothes line that is run in our hall way. And in the winter, I hang blue jeans on this line, and other clothes. It is up out of the way, and can not be seen unless you are looking for it.

I have 4 of these wooden clothes racks. I picked them up at the thrift stores for a $2.00 each. I put towels on these, too.

Hope this gives you some ideas on getting by with out your dryer.

Have a great day.

Becky

Comments;

I bought our folding rack at Lowes — it’s a plastic coated style. I have a small wooden one I use for laundry, but the plastic coated one is my pasta drying rack. I tried just lying the pasta across a broom handle on two chairs, but we make so much, I finally went for the larger drying rack. I certainly need aback porch and a drying line like this! My only covered porch is in front…though we live pretty rural out here on the mountain and no one really uses our road much. Guess I could just embrace my hillbilly roots and go for it, heh? Deanna Comment by Deanna September 2, 2008

Deanna,
I will be trying home made pasta soon, thanks for the drying rack idea. Hillbilly roots are good for everyone. I have been known to step out of the box more than once.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 3, 2008

Love the clothes on the porch! We have Amish friends that have a ‘clothes porch’ –which is one of their porches with clothes lines running across the top. To help save money, I hang clothes out even in the winter. (we live in Western PA) We laughingly call it ‘freeze drying’. If I get an early start and there is a decent breeze, lighter weight things will dry with no problem. Towels can be a bit trickier, but it can be done. It takes some skill to work clothes pins with gloves! If things aren’t quite dry, I bring them in to finish drying on my line in the basement. The bonus is the scent! The winter air smells so different and wonderful. You can’t put that in a bottle. Comment by Linda J September 27, 2008

Linda J.,Thank you. I usually hang my clothes out at about lunch time in the winter, no gloves. And leave them out over night to “freeze dry”. I find that if they freeze, it makes them soft, like using the dryer. I bring them in the next day, if they are still not dry, I hang them in the hallway.And this helps add moisture to the air in the house.Have a wonderful day.Becky Comment by jordansfarm September 28, 2008

A few days of blessings and photos

Our son, Raymond and his female friend, Faris, came up for a visit on Thursday.  They are on their way to Alaska for a 1 1/2 year stay.

Raymond and Faris (Our new farm hands)

Friday morning, we got a call saying, We could get hay out of the field for $3.00 a bale, and we could make payments on it. But we would have to get it that day as rain was coming in the next day. Now here is the Blessings: First, Raymond and Faris said them help me load it ( as Tommy was having a really hard time breathing and was hurting, there was no way he could loaded the hay), we loaded a 112 bales. It took us two trips to get it home. Tommy drove the truck around field, and even that was hard on him. Second: We have been paying $7.95 a bale, and we need a 100 bales to make it through this winter. We are still in a drought here, so we were not sure how to get the hay this year, or how to pay for it.  The Lord opened His window on us. So thank you, Raymond and Faris for your help, and saving us almost $500 on the hay. Below is some photos of us getting hay and these two city- beach kids helping us and blessing us:

Raymond and myself loading hay.

They both were really happy when I told them we didn't have to get the big rolls of hay, just the square bales.

Faris and myself

She said," This is not so bad".

They both did such a wonderful job. Faris had not been on a farm before. She tried cows milk and butter, and really like it. I sent her some milk in a cooler for their trip.  She also said, "Haying was fun." That's a city-beach kid for you.  I am so thankful our winter hay is on the farm. The Lord poured His blessing out of us. Thank you, Lord. A friend on the blog is blessing us with homemade goat soap and shampoo, and sending yard. Thank you again my friend. May God bless you to over flowing.  Well, my haying muscles are calling for another hot shower. Just wanted to Thank Raymond, Faris, and my blog friend and mostly to thank the Lord.

God bless you all,

Becky

If you would like to see all the photos of the day and the haying tractor see:  All the haying day photos   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordansfarm/sets/72157605514358302/

 

Technorati Tags: haying,blessings,farm

Why, What, How : I am storing and stocking up: Food

Why? Well , my hubby told me a year ago, to start stocking up. He knew all this was coming, higher food and gas prices and job cuts. So when you see what I have, remember that I have been at it for over a year.
When I go to the store, I only buy food if it's on sale. Then I buy all I can, but I check the exp. date on everything I buy. When I'm stocking up I think to myself: how many things can I make with this, what do I really need as far as staples(how much do I use every month), will my family eat this,etc. Your ?'s to your self might be different. I am just showing you our way, but you might not eat what I do or cook the way I do.

We have what I call a food barn( kids call it the grocery store). We rent, so we could not dig a cellar. So hubby made a food barn for me. It has AC in summer when it's hot and a small heater in winter. As you can see it's not very big, about 7ft wide by about 16ft long. My 3 freezers are in here too, they help keep in warm in the winter. This is were I store 80% of our food. Here are some more photos of inside the food barn.

The above is canned milk from our cow, eggs from the chickens, canned potatoes,green beans,carrots.

These are green beans, apple sauce(we pick up apples and pears off the ground at a friends house and cut out bad spots the size of dimes, no one else wants to pick them up and we rent so we can't plant fruit trees, so God provides fruit this way. We usually get enough to last us until next year.), pears.

Coffee and tea are bought on sale at less than half price or a little more. I stock up and by the time they run low or out the sales back.

Someone gave us their Y2K #10 cans of flour, sugar, powdered sugar, ect. The flour will not work in breads, but will do for a coating on fried foods, gravies, and noodles.

Sharp cheddar cheese canned (just learned you could can hard cheeses, we don't like it in the freezer, so watch out sales), rice in a 2 liter bottle with a few bay leaves inside to keep bugs out and top taped on, bottle of elbow noodles, canned cheese sauce( just learned to can this too), ice cream bucket with baking soda and tape closed.

The next are places I store in the house:

Rice with bay leaves inside.

Noodles are left in there packages and sugar.( 5 gal. bucket holds 7 -5lbs. bags)

I have 4 buckets of sugar, 2 of dry milk, 2 of lard, 25 bags of flour, and more. The buckets are stored in one of our bedrooms, other things are stored under beds, in closets: anywhere I can stick things.

Hope this helps someone. Start off with buying a little extra each week, or just one or two things. Nothing is going to be dropping in price any time soon. Can or put every thing you can put your hands on. But only put up what you will eat! And don't forget to put up a few sweets up, in hard times they'll give you a little boost, a feel good food. Cheese is our boost.

Happy shopping. Becky

Flickr Tags: food storage,stockpiling food

Comments from Becky's Farm Life

wow, this is amazing. I’m really wanting to start stocking up for our family, and we are renting too….but have a full basement to put shelves and our freezer. You have give me some great ideas! Blessings!
Comment by 2-Sweet Boutique June 27, 2008

I love it! You have done a wonderful job preparing. My husband has not been too gung-ho over the years about my efforts with food storage, but with all that is going on in the world at present, he is coming around. Keep up the good work. Thanks for your example.
Comment by Bev. June 27, 2008

Great Job! I have stocking for over a Year now. and in the fall going to plant fruit trees ..What State do you live in? I am in AR just bought this place just to have land for garden and raise ChickensGood Luck!Jeannie
Comment by Jeannie July 22, 2008

Jeannie,We rent our place, so we can’t plant fruit tree. You are blessed to be able too. We live in GA. May God bless you and your farm. Thanks for stopping by.Have a great day.Becky
Comment by jordansfarm July 23, 2008

HiDo you have the recipes for canning cheese and butter? I like to can dried beans…..no need to soak. Just wash and put 1 cup into quart jar fill with water 1teas. salt and cook at 10# for 75 min. If you are doing meat and have space for a jar you can do them for 90 min and it will not hurt.Enjoy!Cheese is on sale now so I would like to try this,ThanksJackie
Comment by Jackie August 13, 2008

Becky,I just found your site and I love it. Thank you for sharing. I too would like to know how to can cheese. Can you share?blessings,debbieo
Comment by Debbieo February 2, 2009

Debbieo,Canning cheese in under the recipe tab at the top of the pages. Canning cheese is near the end on that page.Thank you for stopping in.Becky
Comment by Becky February 2, 2009

Becky,You are an amazing woman! I am praying for Tommy and your family. Thank you for sharing all of your advice. I am far from a farm girl, but my husband has a new job with half of the paycheck and we need to find ways to cut back. I have such a problem with meal worms or paper moths in the summer. I never thought of putting a bay leaf in with my rice. I don’t know where those nasty little worms come from, but they love biscuit mix, pancake mix, noodles and rice. They even chewed through the plastic lid on my oatmeal container. I may just wallpaper my shelves with bay leaves!Lin
Comment by Lin February 5, 2009

As an old Army vet of 31 years service, I remember the old C-rations. These were foods in cans - like spaghetti and meatballs (made by the Chef Boyardee company), pound cake (it was awesome), canned cookies, chicken and noodles etc. The box of C-rations camw with matches, cigarettes (4 in a pack), toilet paper (hmmm) and Chicklets. The can foods needed a can opener however and not every box had one (to save money I guess). It was called a P-38 and some old timers may still have one on their key chain.
Now the Army uses MRE’s which is fine too. But the old ways worked so I stock up on canned foods and ones that have tabs for self-opening - no ‘P-38′ needed. I concentrate on the chunky soups that can be eaten as a meal. They are thick and have great taste. Sirloin Burger, Veggies and Chicken etc. There’s a wide variety of these. Also tuna in water, chili, Dinty Moore Beef Stew and a host of rices and other meals are available. I buy what I normally would consume - something I learned from the old Y2K preparations. Expiration dates are important so I take an indelible marker and write the expiration dates so I can easily see them. I rotate the stocks with the older things in the front and newer in the back.
Water is absolutely critical no matter what else we do. We can live without food for some 50 days if necessary as I understand it (although I wouldn’t like it) but without water, we dehydrate in about 72 hours. Bottle your own, get it from the store or do both. There’s no such thing as enough water.
The non-food items are things like paper towels, large green plastic bags with ties, smaller ones too, batteries in every size (every size), and sterno heaters since electric could be shut off. Get one of those little car-starters like Jump-It too. Besides starting your car it has an accessory with house current outlets on it so you can make coffee (my big priority first thing in the morning).
Get medications filled as soon as you can and keep ahead of them. Ask your Doctor to increase the quantity he orders so you can ’stock up.’ He’ll do it; if not, find one who will. Mine is great about it. Over the counter things are also important, things like a good first aid kit, peroxide, paper masks etc.
There’s more to my preparations which have been ongoing for years but this will hopefully help someone.
By the way, I am Catholic and have asked Our Lord if this is okay or does it offend Him since He provides for us. He always does. The answer I keep getting in my head (no voices thanks) is do your part and I will do mine. He expects us to take preparations like those in the Bible did. Noah had to stock the ark and Joseph told the Pharoah that Egypt needed to stock for 7 years of famine.
I have around the house a lot of holy pictures and statues of favorite Saints. Also I keep a large supply of Rosaries, brown scapulars, blessed salt and holy water and other Sacramentals for my family and friends. Be generous with them. Have them all blessed by a Priest or Deacon. Blessed candles are a must have too. Remember, these things are not ‘lucky charms’ and have no power of their own. The power they have to protect us comes from our faith in God alone.
I have Protestant friends who literally go into their closet to pray daily. That is a good thing. I am blessed to have an extra bedroom, small for guests, which I converted into a home chapel. It is awesome.
Anyway, blessings to all my brothers and sisters as you prepare for whatever may be coming down the road. I think signs of a serious depression are all around us and it could get very tense in the future. I have a friend from the Army who makes fun of me for all the preparations (his wife wants to prepare and he doesn’t). I told him its like an insurance policy - you hope you never have to use it but if something happens and you have it, your going to be okay. I don’t want to find myself wishing I had done something like preparations with food and water when it is too late and there is none or I cannot get to where it is.
Spiritual preparations are number one with me - getting and staying right with God through Jesus - confession, Communion and Rosaries and so on. Then comes the material preparations. Also, if you are able, don’t forget the less fortunate and share once in a while with them a few bucks, a warm pair of gloves and hat, or a bag of food from Mc Donalds. There are angels we are told in disguises right among us and that man or woman you pass by on the street - the person who you know is in bad shape - might just be one of those angels. Regardless, he or she is your brother or sister and Christ is in that person too. Don’t worry that the money you may hand them might by wine or booze or something worse….let God decided for that is who you are really giving it to anyway. At least your heart and intentions are in the right place.
Peace and blessings, Doc Comment by Doc February 20, 2009

I forgot to mention one other thing that I think is important. I had to retire from teaching psychology due to spinal stenosis. It is difficult for me to carry heavy items and climb the stairs to the apartment too sometimes. I bring home little items at a time, mostly the perishibles like orange juice, cheese, bread, bananas and tomatoes. But I discovered that many of the local supermarkets deliver and use their services for the bulk of my grocery order. While this service is available, who knows about the future, I take advantage of it. They allow you to tell them when you want the delivery and the driver carries everything into your house for you. I put it all away when he leaves. I also tip him too - nicely - since there are many trips up and down the stairs with many heavy items like cans, bottles of water and soda etc.
Just an added thought for those who are in my situation or simply cannot get out. You order right over the computer using their shopping lists and you get to see what you are ordering by picture too as well as cost. Doc Comment by Doc February 20, 2009