The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Zentimes

CCW007 said:

Ordered and received a dehydrating book in order to make more use of my dehydrator.  Currently got a bag of potatoes grated and dehydrating hopefully to use for hash browns, fingers crossed it works.  Used some dehydrated mushrooms in a risotto which worked really well.

Also managed to order a pressure canner from USA so am just praying it is shipped and arrives by end of July as promised and frantically researching technique and recipes.  I love the idea of shelf stable produce and not just relying on freezing.

Which book did you choose? Also have a dehydrator that I've done precious little with, am thinking I must change that!

Cheapskate

It's taken me since I posted on the 10th to catch up on all the posts I'd missed since May - feel like I've lived a hundred lives!
My growing efforts have fallen flat this year, hardly anything bar a few herbs, but loads of brambles will soon be ready (some in the garden and others in the fields nearby), and my fruit trees look well loaded for now.  I got an allotment at the start of the year, but due to really pants weather when I should have been planting, we've got nothing in. Given how overgrown it is  (think Amazonian rain forest...!), we're not doing too bad, and I'm going to cardboard over the beds (if I can find them again) and try to keep up with the weeds until next spring.
I've sometimes made 'liqueurs' - sloe gin that was bl00dy lethal; plum brandy that's still in the jar (must see if it's still drinkable); and experimented with rosehip gin last autumn (again, still in the jar...). Bramble gin is by far the best I've made, going to do some more this time, makes lovely Christmas gifts in dinky bottles.
I'd like a dehydrator, got about £60 in Am@zon vouchers to spend (can add a bit more). There are hundreds on there! Can anyone recommend any decent makes, or at least ones to avoid, please?

A xo

CCW007

Zentimes said:

CCW007 said:

Ordered and received a dehydrating book in order to make more use of my dehydrator.  Currently got a bag of potatoes grated and dehydrating hopefully to use for hash browns, fingers crossed it works.  Used some dehydrated mushrooms in a risotto which worked really well.

Also managed to order a pressure canner from USA so am just praying it is shipped and arrives by end of July as promised and frantically researching technique and recipes.  I love the idea of shelf stable produce and not just relying on freezing.

Which book did you choose? Also have a dehydrator that I've done precious little with, am thinking I must change that!

This one was recommended on a FB group.  It is American so temperatures are all in °F but so far it's pretty good.

MingVase

jamanda said:

Ming-Mardy
What are you stocking up on.  More to the point, where and how are you storing?

Hiii Jamanda    I've ordered a lot of tins.  Tatties, peas & carrots for soup. Beans, sardines & mackerel for toast. French beans, tomatoes and mushrooms just to have. Apples, apricots and rhubarb for crumbles & pud.  Lots of kibble for Beeglie, along with a load of Dreamies. That animal would make my life hell without Dreamies.  Big bags of pasta although we already had tons and we don't really eat much of it anyway. But I might be glad of it one day so I got it.

Then I went onto wholefoodsonline and got a load of dried veg. Mixed veg, for soup. Already got a couple of big bags of flour and we're now baking all our biscuits & cakes.

I've got a big empty back room and am filling it with food. Slowly. LOL!

MingVase

DigForVictory said:

I think this is the article https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/10/no-deal-brexit-will-raise-cost-of-uk-household-staples-say-retailers (just they want me to register - not paywall but an email address) but I did also read (& grin at) this one https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/11/allotment-hobby-lockdown-lifeline-trade-deals-britain-food (as I have A Lot to be Modest about & my lads are equally as unwilling to cooperate with a hint...)

Wasn't this one DfV and I canny find it now. But it was a link from Twitter that said how unprepared we were, and how only 2-5% of  UK haulage companies currently have the right permits and documentation to run food from Europe.

MrsCD

Re: GPs...my 81 year old dad's doctors have been really good throughout. He needs blood tests every other week, so they arrange a health care assistant to come out to do that, and he has injections supplied by his renal unit, which the district nurse administers once every 4 weeks.  I have to follow up in case he needs a transfusion or iron infusion, and I order his meds through the online system, but so far it's all working ok. 

MrsCD

The steepy peas I planted weeks ago now have quite a few peapods! I'm really pleased with them because it was a bit of an experiment.

wondercollie

I've started adding extra cans of fruit, beans, sauces, and meats to the weekly shop for the dungeon of doom larder.  
It's a bit hard on figuring out how much to stockpile for the Collie.  He's 14 and a bit, so we are keeping one sack of kibbles and two bags of his favourite snacks on hand.  His medication is another worry.  When he has to go the Vet, we have to wait in the carpark, let them know we are there and what his concerns are.  The vet tech then comes out and walks him in.  After the exam the doctor phones you in the car with the prognosis and meds.  On our last visit you could tell he wasn't happy having a note pinned to his collar and sent in with a new tech.  Twenty minutes and $296 later, back in the car and on his way home.  
I'm seriously thinking of asking our GP to prescribe his meds, it would be far less expensive.  The only time you can enter the animal hospital with your furry one is for the final visit.

Zentimes

Thank you *CCW*, I will check it out.

Glad your results are negative *Elaine*, great news!

elaine241

Well NOT so good news :'
Although my test came back negative despite me feeling unwell and a cough my youngest son apparently is positive!! I had a phone call from a track and trace person, who left a message on my mobile as there is no signal on the mountain where I was. The message asked if I was the mother of my son as he had tested positive! When I returned the call it just went to an answer phone message, so much for track and trace!! I could have mixed with or been anywhere in the meantime. So it seems, despite being the only unwell person in my household, we are now a positive test household!! I realised I read the same email twice as all four had the same title, so I read my elder sons test results twice. I was so relieved that mine was negative I made the error of not reading the name on the email, just cut to the negative part. No excuse but I feel so guilty. My son has been to school, twice, for two hours in the last two weeks. Met friends on the horses once just over two weeks ago and met one friend outside. He has not been away from the farm since the middle of March except the day on the horses and school. It seems that school is the most likely vector for infection. He has absolutely no symptoms. I have today gone to a drive through test centre for a second test as I can not shake the feeling they mixed my and my sons tests up. Hopefully the results will come through tomorrow and we will see. I have not been able to book tests for my OH and sons as it seems the slots are only released on the day. It just says nothing available, which I find hard to believe as the place was empty despite being set up with six lanes for testing. I feel dreadfully guilty as my son was near his grandfather in a field today whilst hay making. I am praying that he has not passed the virus on to his grandparents.