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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Presto! It's a Canner! (Emergency Prep)

I found one! I found one! Why so excited? I didn't realize how much of a challenge finding a pressure canner would be. Finally tracked one down at Parker-Astin Hardware in Bryan, TX.

Remember the "oldtime" hardware stores? P-A has tools, fasteners, garden equipment, household goods, automotive and more. Visiting there is like a trip to my past: bins of hardware, not just the pre-boxed stuff. They have the weird stuff that I need, in stock, such as the spring scale we use to weigh the rabbits.

At any rate, they had one Presto pressure canner (holds 7 qts.) which they graciously held for me until I could get to town to collect it. "Presto" sits in its box on the porch, gleaming, waiting for the produce to come.

Visions of home processed stews and chili dance in my head. Lean ground beef and home grown rabbit to put up in shining jars as soon as these buns reach proper size. The home canned bacon recipe lurks in my collection, waiting for me to collect the supplies I need.

I'm cheered to view my shelves of "Dinners in Jars" ( 60 and still working on more) , but the pressure canned meals will be true luxury. Guess my next purchase will be the newest Ball Blue Book, the authority on putting up food. Safety first when canning low acid foods like veggies and meat is critical. Botulism is deadly.

The emergency preparedness program at HomePlace enters a new phase.

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Order from the Ready store arrived 3/14/11 -- back to making up "jarred" dinners.

Pear trees are blooming, dewberries greening up, seeds planted, seedlings transplanted, and weeding old overgrown gardens continues. Spring is here regardless of the calendar.  Thirty-five rabbit babies and counting. Four more does due at month's end. P

Venison (harvested here) for dinner 3/17, to share with Hangman, the Mrs. and son, who'll visit for the weekend. Gotta go junk out "the Hut", my office and guest house to make room. Can't have folks tripping over my excess of "stuff" trying to get to bed. I need to tame my office and craft stuff anyway.

3 comments:

  1. I'm jelous, things keep trying to bloom here, then it snows again!

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  2. Used to live in Wisconsin. Nothing went out into the garden until after Memorial Day. After 10 years here on the farm I've managed to garden the year round the last 3 years. The worst part is summer; if you can keep the plants from dying under the searing sun, you've accomplished something.
    Thanks for joining my blog, Ruth.

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  3. the ground itself is actually thawed remarkably well, I have to admit to being surprised, in the city 1/2hr away its still rock hard. But the lake less than 1/4 mile away has thawed out and so I guess its thawing out the surroundings. If it would just stop snowing every three or four days it would actually feel like spring!

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