Well this week's trip to the local market was a real shocker. 93% hamburger was up to $5.49 per pound! Since when did ground up scraps become a precious commodity? Needless to say I didn't buy any. I bought a chuck roast for much less, took it home and ground it myself. Now I can't tell you what the fat content is on that, obviously wouldn't qualify as 93% lean, but it tastes a lot better than generic hamburger and cost less than half of what they were charging. Grinders are inexpensive on their own, and most stand mixers have a grinder attachment available. The only investment after that is your time. Besides, it is rather nice knowing what is in your hamburger meat. If you are adventurous you can very easily make your own sausages as well.
Another thing I am doing more of now than I used to is canning meat. Yes, I have a freezer, but the space I have to take advantage of sales is sometimes limited. After hunting season there is usually very little space in there between the venison, goose and duck breasts, etc. But I can always find a place to tuck away a few more jars. Lately poultry and pork have been much less expensive compared to beef, so I have been buying them up, eating what we want fresh and canning the rest.
For those of you whose only experience with canned meats are tuna fish and things made by Dinty Moore, you are in for a very pleasant surprise. Canned meat is very tender, very flavorful, and since it's already cooked it lends itself to quick and easy meals. Of course there is some initial cost in getting set up to can your own meat. First off a pressure canner is a must! There are no exceptions to that rule, but you can get a decent one for as little as $60 new. Obviously you need, jars, lids and rings, but again they are a small expense, and aside from the lids they are reusable from year to year.
Basically what I do with the chicken for example is simmer it in some water, usually with onions, carrots, etc., as if I were making stock. I then remove the meat from the bones, pack it in jars, cover it with the hot strained broth and a bit of salt, and process it in the pressure canner. The pork is done pretty much the same way. Whatever stock I have left over gets canned as well, or I will freeze it in ice cube trays and place the cubes in plastic freezer bags for later use.
It isn't terribly time consuming since most of the time things are just simmering or processing on the stove and don't need your immediate attention. It is a great way to take advantage of sales on whole chickens, or parts, and larger cuts of pork than your family may need for one meal.
You can also can your own soups, in which case you use less chicken, add some vegetables and stock, and process. Instead of reaching for the $2.00 can of Progresso, you can grab a jar of your own soup which cost a lot less, has none of the chemicals you don't want in there, and has only the things you personally enjoy in a soup since you made it! You can put up stews the same way. Again the time involved is minimal. If you already make your own soups just make more that day, and put up what you don't eat. If you have never made soup before then now is a great time to learn :)
I don't foresee the price of meat coming down any time soon. Like gasoline it looks like it is only going to go higher for the time being. We need to be able to best take advantage of the sales we can find, and it is always nice to know that in case of emergency you have all the food you need for a while sitting on your pantry shelf.
George
That's a good idea. I've frozen lots of soups, sauces, stock, etc., but never canned any.
OK NJLiberty, when are you going to get here and hold classes on canning? Or is there somebody else here looking to do this?
I'm serious about wanting to learn how.
(http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:eFrzVDoAHYytgM:http://www.forward-moving.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/38197-spam.jpg)
BAM! Already canned and everything.
I put these in a can, but now its so heavy!!
(http://www.harperfarms.us/images/hangingside.jpg)
I'm looking to some canning this summer. I haven't done before but I have been collecting the equipment to give it a try.
Pat, I can teach you from afar as best I can since I won't be in NH any time in the near future. I was hoping to make it to Porcfest by that is looking remote right now. I would strongly recommend you get your hands on a copy of Ball's Blue Book - Guide to home canning, freezing, & dehydration. It is a very good basic source of information, and errs always on the side of caution. I would be more than happy to teach you or anyone else. I have been canning for about 25 years on my own, 35 years if you count helping out at my grandma's knee.
Kate, the same thing. If you have any questions, need recipes, etc. let me know. The single biggest favor you can do is keep everything very clean. The whole point of canning is to kill the bad things that cause food to spoil. The cleaner you keep things while doing this the better your end result will be.
Puke, I love the packaging...your cans are way prettier than mine :)
Pat, you might want to cut those up a little smaller next time ;)
Quote from: NJLiberty on May 12, 2008, 10:59 AM NHFT
Well this week's trip to the local market was a real shocker. 93% hamburger was up to $5.49 per pound! Since when did ground up scraps become a precious commodity? Needless to say I didn't buy any. I bought a chuck roast for much less, took it home and ground it myself. Now I can't tell you what the fat content is on that, obviously wouldn't qualify as 93% lean, but it tastes a lot better than generic hamburger and cost less than half of what they were charging. Grinders are inexpensive on their own, and most stand mixers have a grinder attachment available. The only investment after that is your time. Besides, it is rather nice knowing what is in your hamburger meat.
Not sure where you're shopping, but I usually pay anywhere from $1.69-$2.19 a pound for hamburger. If I am making burgers, I buy ground chuck. I have a friend in the meat industry and he recommends chuck for the best flavored burgers. If chuck roast is on sale, I just ask the store to grind it for me.....they will if you ask.
Kat tried kanning meat, and seems to have liked it. >:D
Quote from: ny2nh on May 12, 2008, 08:31 PM NHFT
Not sure where you're shopping, but I usually pay anywhere from $1.69-$2.19 a pound for hamburger. If I am making burgers, I buy ground chuck. I have a friend in the meat industry and he recommends chuck for the best flavored burgers. If chuck roast is on sale, I just ask the store to grind it for me.....they will if you ask.
That's down here in the A&P supermarket, though the other supermarkets are the same anymore. Even cubed steak, which used to be dirt cheap, is $3.50 a pound and up. There used to be a local butcher but they closed up shop. They had great ground chuck at a real nice price, as well as interesting things like goat and guinea fowl. If I am lucky right now I can get 85% sometimes on sale for $1.99-$2.49 per pound, but I would rather buy the chuck roast. I know they will grind it for me, but with all the food borne illness problems they have had with ground meats I would just as soon run the meat through my own grinder.
George
watch hunting become more popular.
i think people need to be challenged..and I find it amazing to see how adaptable they really can be.
same with the gas crunch.. good things will come out it.
we have all been a bit spoiled and lazy..now its time to get out and do some real living and remember what it takes to survive..hell, some may even enjoy it!
its called self-sufficiency...and BTW having a good circle of friends will be invaluable as well.
Kola
Quote from: kola on May 12, 2008, 11:24 PM NHFT
watch hunting become more popular.
What does watch hunting have to do with any of this? ;) :o
Quote from: kola on May 12, 2008, 11:24 PM NHFT
its called self-sufficiency...and BTW having a good circle of friends will be invaluable as well.
Kola
True, and Claire Wolfe has an article on this very subject.
Circle of friends—The importance of other people in our preparedness plans (http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/wolfe111.html)
Sounds like it's mostly beef that you are talking about. What about chicken?
I don't like beef so I only buy chicken and turkey if I can.
Chicken and turkey are both very easy to can. I mentioned beef mostly because the price of beef has been going up much faster than that of poultry or pork.
You can chicken either on the bone or off, whichever you prefer. I do it off the bone simply because it is easier to pack that way, but that is just a personal preference. Turkey, having larger bones, you would almost have to do off the bone. Both can very nicely.
I do can corned beef in the spring time when it is on sale and very cheap (you can also make your own corned beef very easily.) Other than that I don't can much beef, mostly because we don't eat much of it. When we do, it is usually as hamburgers or roasts, and neither lend themselves to canning. So the beef goes in the freezer.
You can also can fish. I don't personally only because it gets overcooked in my eyes, so that also goes in the freezer.
Wild game can be put up the same as beef or poultry.
Here is the basic procedure for poultry.
Cook the chicken until its about 2/3 done. It will finish cooking during processing. Remove the skin and bones (if desired) pack the hot chicken into hot jars, leaving one inch of headspace (the space between the top of the chicken and the top of the jar.) Add salt if desired. I usually add 1/2 teaspoon to pints and a full teaspoon to quarts, but it isn't necessary. Add hot broth (or water) to the jar, again leaving one inch of headspace. At this point if there are any air bubbles in the jar you want to remove them. Wipe the rim of the jar clean, and put on the two piece caps. Then you process the pints for 75 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure in the canner, or 90 minutes for quarts. Once the jars have cooled thoroughly you remove the bands, check the seals, label and date the jars, and store them in a cool, place out of direct sunlight. The process for pork is virtually the same, you just cook the pork much less initially, 1/3 to half done is all.
Note: If you live higher than 1,000 feet then you are going to have to adjust the amount of pressure used. Ten pounds is only good at 1,000 feet and below.
The biggest thing again with all of this is cleanliness. The jars need to be thoroughly washed and then put into hot water where they stay until you fill them. The lids and rings themselves I also keep in hot water until they go on the jars. All the rest of your equipment you want to wash before you start and keep clean as you go along, including the surface you are working on.
As far as using the meat goes, always check the seal before you open the jar. If the seal has broken throw the meat away. Don't taste it, don't try it, just chuck it. Generally with meat, if the seal is broken you will smell it. It will smell like rotting meat. Assuming the seal is okay and the meat is okay, then you can use it any recipe you wish, bearing in mind that it is already cooked so you can add it towards the end of the cooking instead of when you would if it were raw. You can use the broth from the jars as well for soup, stews, gravy, etc.
George
Quote from: NJLiberty on May 12, 2008, 06:50 PM NHFT
I would strongly recommend you get your hands on a copy of Ball's Blue Book
Someone suggested this to Pat years ago, but, he misunderstood and bought the Blue Balls Book
Quote from: kola on May 12, 2008, 11:24 PM NHFT
watch hunting become more popular.
i think people need to be challenged..and I find it amazing to see how adaptable they really can be.
same with the gas crunch.. good things will come out it.
we have all been a bit spoiled and lazy..now its time to get out and do some real living and remember what it takes to survive..hell, some may even enjoy it!
its called self-sufficiency...and BTW having a good circle of friends will be invaluable as well.
Kola
You are right on all counts Kola, especially about the circle of friends. That is true even in the best of times.
I trade canned foods with people all the time here. I'll send them relishes and jellies and they send me pickles and different things, that way none of us has to have or do everything ourselves. When I bake bread I usually send a loaf over to the landlord. When his mother in law makes her Filipino specialties some always finds its way to my house. My house is almost a full fledged bakery at Thanksgiving time. We bake pies for five or six households and in return we end up with the excess "free" turkeys they don't have the need for, some of which we keep, and some we pass along to those needier than ourselves. During bow season, friends hunt on our property and in return we usually get a share of the venison.
One of my friends is a good mechanic. I can handle the routine stuff, oil changes, brakes, etc. but there are some things better left to him. He never charges me a dime, but always finds a prime rib roast waiting for him. He doesn't cook well, so for him it is worth so much more than the money would, and it costs me a lot less to prepare the meal for him than it would for me to pay a garage. This same gentleman raises ducks for eggs, and brings us some down periodically.
It is a shame that with the advent of electronic entertainment that so many people have lost those close circles of friends. Granted, the internet is a wonderful place to meet people with common interests, share information and such, but truth be told that if one of you really needed my help I would be hard pressed to help you from here. That's one of the things I look forward to most in moving to NH is getting to meet some of you and being involved in the community up there.
I agree with you Kola, a little adversity is going to be a good thing for a lot of people. They need to wake up and realize how fortunate they have been, and learn just how fat and lazy a society we have become. I was very fortunate, my grandmother and aunts all believed that you should know how to do almost everything you may ever need to do. From an early age we were taught to cook and preserve foods, how to clean things without store bought cleaners, how to locate and identify wild foods, etc. They grew up in a different time. My grandmother was born on a self-sufficient farm, and my aunts and such were there all the time as kids. I was really the first member of the extended family to not have the farm available to me (it was sold the year I was born.) There are too many people in this country who have never raised their own food, have no idea where it comes from aside from the market, and wouldn't know how to feed themselves if there ever was an emergency. It is a shame really. The necessary skills really aren't that hard to learn. It is a shame that so many of them have been lost to most people.
George
Quote from: Lloyd Danforth on May 13, 2008, 06:56 AM NHFT
Quote from: NJLiberty on May 12, 2008, 06:50 PM NHFT
I would strongly recommend you get your hands on a copy of Ball's Blue Book
Someone suggested this to Pat years ago, but, he misunderstood and bought the Blue Balls Book
ROFL!
That has to be your best line yet Lloyd!
Kola
Quote from: Lloyd Danforth on May 13, 2008, 06:56 AM NHFT
Quote from: NJLiberty on May 12, 2008, 06:50 PM NHFT
I would strongly recommend you get your hands on a copy of Ball's Blue Book
Someone suggested this to Pat years ago, but, he misunderstood and bought the Blue Balls Book
Well done sir!
Quote from: ny2nh on May 12, 2008, 08:31 PM NHFT
Quote from: NJLiberty on May 12, 2008, 10:59 AM NHFT
Well this week's trip to the local market was a real shocker. 93% hamburger was up to $5.49 per pound! Since when did ground up scraps become a precious commodity? Needless to say I didn't buy any. I bought a chuck roast for much less, took it home and ground it myself. Now I can't tell you what the fat content is on that, obviously wouldn't qualify as 93% lean, but it tastes a lot better than generic hamburger and cost less than half of what they were charging. Grinders are inexpensive on their own, and most stand mixers have a grinder attachment available. The only investment after that is your time. Besides, it is rather nice knowing what is in your hamburger meat.
Not sure where you're shopping, but I usually pay anywhere from $1.69-$2.19 a pound for hamburger. If I am making burgers, I buy ground chuck. I have a friend in the meat industry and he recommends chuck for the best flavored burgers. If chuck roast is on sale, I just ask the store to grind it for me.....they will if you ask.
Tammy.
Beef is cheaper up here than New Jersey. Pork is about the same as Virginia, chicken is more expensive than Virginia and Maryland. Dairy products are cheaper here than the mid Atlantic region in general. White eggs are more expansive up here and brown eggs are cheaper. I terms of overall selection New Jersey has the widest variety of anywhere I have lived.
Did you mean white eggs are more expensive? Or easier to find?
What is the difference between the two? I've eaten both and they taste about the same.
White eggs are still less expensive them brown eggs. The difference in cost is smaller here in NH.
I was paying between $.99 and a $1.29 for a dozen eggs in VA. When I move here I noticed they are around 1.49 to 1.69 a dozen. Most brown eggs in VA were over $2.00 a dozen. Here they are a $1.69 a dozen. These prices are for large eggs. Eggs don't go on sale as frequently up here as they do in Va either. I don't notice much of a taste difference between either store bought white or brown eggs. Home grown free range eggs are a different story. They taste much better.
Just as a frame of reference, here are some prices from this week's circulars:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts - $3.99/lb
Chicken drumsticks or thighs - $1.49/lb
Split chicken breasts - $3.39/lb
Whole roasting chickens - $1.49/lb
93% ground beef - $5.49/lb
85% ground beef - $3.69/lb
Chuck steak - $2.69/lb
Stew meat - $2.79/lb
Center cut pork loin - $2.99/lb
Pork tenderloin - $6.99/lb
Pork chops - $3.89/lb
Butter - on sale for $3.00/lb, normally about $4.50/lb
Whole Milk - anywhere from $3.69-$3.99 per gallon
Eggs are hard to price, they vary widely between stores. Depending on where I am I can be anywhere from $1.69 to $2.29 per dozen large. The white eggs are most common here. Brown eggs command a premium here. For all practical purposes there is no difference between brown and white eggs. It depends on the breed of chicken that lays them. There is of course a huge difference between commercial eggs and home grown both in taste and nutrition.
George
Quote from: Lloyd Danforth on May 13, 2008, 06:56 AM NHFT
Quote from: NJLiberty on May 12, 2008, 06:50 PM NHFT
I would strongly recommend you get your hands on a copy of Ball's Blue Book
Someone suggested this to Pat years ago, but, he misunderstood and bought the Blue Balls Book
Yes, that came to mind but leave it to you, Lloyd, to blab it all over the interweb! :o ;D
I'm so glad I don't live in NJ anymore. There is no way I could afford to move back there if I were dumb enough to even consider it.
Kate
Quote from: porcupine kate on May 13, 2008, 10:23 AM NHFT
I'm so glad I don't live in NJ anymore. There is no way I could afford to move back there if I were dumb enough to even consider it.
Kate
If the thought ever crosses your mind let me know. I'll set you straight again ;D
I will never ever ever move back to New Jersey.
I don't know if this forum is big enough to list the reasons not to live in NJ.
After June I'll have a pretty nice kitchen and I do canning (I'm not an expert). I'd be willing to host people for a canning lessons if anyone is interested. I'm thinking of getting a second canner, but even if I don't someone could bring a second one and we could probably can 4 things in a 8 hours period and discuss other things while we wait. If anyone is interested let me know and I'll try to come up with something.
I probably could easily host 6-10 people for this.
Let me know if you are interested.
Initial idea of how it works:
Come up with 2-4 recipes. Divide the ingredients 'evenly' across the people coming. Everyone gets an even share of the product.
I'm very interested. I have a pressure cooker, some large stock pots and canning jars. I don't have lids for all of them. I have never done canning but I started gathering tools for it a few months ago.
Pressure cookers and pressure canners are different animals. Canning meat will require a pressure canner.
Quote from: Pat McCotter on May 13, 2008, 02:52 PM NHFT
Pressure cookers and pressure canners are different animals. Canning meat will require a pressure canner.
Very correct, you need a pressure canner that can do 10 PSI. The way they function is you need to maintain a temperature of 240F for a sufficient amount of time to kill the nasties. 10 PSI is sufficient for increasing the temperature (boiling water only gets to 210F or so) through the fun use of physics!
Mine is a pressure canner. I called it a cooker by mistake.
I'm interested also. I didn't realize canning required a special device. My impression was just that you get it hot enough to kill everything including the lids, close it, and when it cools, that creates a vacuum that seals it against any intrusion. So much more for me to learn. I've had some really good canned food and I love a good soup. This seems like a great way to save money and be prepared at the same time.
Quote from: dalebert on May 14, 2008, 12:38 PM NHFT
I'm interested also. I didn't realize canning required a special device. My impression was just that you get it hot enough to kill everything including the lids, close it, and when it cools, that creates a vacuum that seals it against any intrusion. So much more for me to learn. I've had some really good canned food and I love a good soup. This seems like a great way to save money and be prepared at the same time.
Dale,
Your impression *almost* correct, only one flaw in the logic. Low acidic foods cannot get hot enough for proper storage at 1 atm. At 1 atm water boils at 212F. You need 240F to kill the nasties. Usually using 10 atm and cooking for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours at said pressure/temperature. More time if you are cooking something containing bones or is very dense.
You can however can high-acidic objects. One thing you need to be careful about (especially with tomatoes), is that depending on how ripe it is when picked the acidity can vary.
Ah, that makes sense then.
I used to dry more foods than I do now. The six year won't keep her hands off the goodies drying on the racks :)
My daughter is odd in that if you offer her candy/ice cream or fruits/vegetables she is more likely to pick the fruits and veggies, not that that is a bad thing of course. Yesterday we were in the produce store and she was in front of a the display of organic chocolates, dried fruits, and nuts, and out of all that she decided she wanted the roasted peanuts in the shell...go figure. I chose the chocolate ;)
The price of food here in NJ seems to have stabilized somewhat. Meat hasn't really changed any in a month. The price of milk has gone down about 70 cents a gallon over the last few weeks, back to $3-$3.25 per gallon depending on what you buy. Staples are about the same as they have always been. Potatoes were 29 cents a pound yesterday. Onions were 39 to 69 cents a pound. What is expensive right now are the "summer" veggies, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. I finally bought butter again. We had been without for several weeks because I wouldn't pay what they were asking for it. They finally put it up for sale at $1.67 per pound so I stocked up again. Corn oil is through the roof, over $4 per half gallon, but I don't use that so I don't really care. If I use oil at all it is either olive oil, or canola oil, neither price has gone up there.
George