The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

-taff

Floss said:

leftatthetrafficlights said:

I love my greenhouse but wish it was a bit bigger! I think that we will replace it next year before the spring - dh is over 6ft tall and really struggles to move about in it 😂    

Would it be feasible to raise it onto 2 or 3 courses of bricks and give it some extra height that way?

We raised ours [or more accurately, mine] by using sleepers double stacked. We should have screwed the plinth to the wood because it got shifted a foot during storm eunice but it's very handy for me. screwing down is next job outside. I've put a step of a block of wood inside to make the level change easier for me. My father built a low brick wall to put his on and he was six foot.The only thing i to remember there's a step over. Mind you, after i fell a couple of times through catching my foot on it, I got the hang of it
And the usual advice from anyone about greenhouses is always get the biggest one you can, because you'll regret it if you don't...

Si_Clist

ZsaZsa said:

There’s so little information in the Uk regarding canning. 

All the information you need (and more) is actually still where it's always been - firstly "Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables" Bulletin 21 published by the Min of Ag, Fish and Food. ISBN is 0 11 241321 8.  And then the US Dept of Agriculture's "Complete Guide to Home Canning - 1 Principles of Home Canning" which you download off the USDA site.

C_J

I love my greenhouse(s) too. I have two (plus a polytunnel, and a brassica cage made from the frame of a previous polytunnel and green debris netting as a new cover).

My first greenhouse was an aluminium 8x6 Palram thing with polycarbonate panels, which I got very very cheaply in a clearance sale when our local B&Q closed down some years ago. When we tried to assemble it we realised there were quite a few bits missing but Palram were very helpful, and Mister CJ is extremely practical and resourceful so we cobbled it together and it's still standing all these years later. It's now a dedicated chilli house.

The larger greenhouse is an industrial-strength steel and glass 18x10 beauty, which I bought second hand on eBay from a nearby farmer for £100. He even dismantled and delivered it, and not even one pane of glass got damaged in the process. I call it my Crystal Palace. I've put staging down one side, and a wide dug border down the other side and across the back end. Metal shelving at eaves height all the way around. The staging is filled with seedlings of all sorts right now, and the dug beds will have tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, aubergines and sweet peppers very soon.

ZsaZsa

Si_Clist said:

ZsaZsa said:

There’s so little information in the Uk regarding canning. 

All the information you need (and more) is actually still where it's always been - firstly "Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables" Bulletin 21 published by the Min of Ag, Fish and Food. ISBN is 0 11 241321 8.  And then the US Dept of Agriculture's "Complete Guide to Home Canning - 1 Principles of Home Canning" which you download off the USDA site.

Yes, I have both books, and find them very informative. Barely information in the uk book about  pressure canning though. (And the other is from the US, which was kind of my point , perhaps I wasn’t clear in my post). 

houseinafield

That UK canning group is very good. I believe that's the group that has a sort of mentoring system where they introduce experienced canners to newbies. I know that's how my sister learned a year or two ago. Someone who lived relatively nearby came to her house and went through her first batch with her. They've become firm friends since. My sister went on to teach me. It's actually really, really easy!! Once you've taken the plunge and completed your first run you'll wonder why you left it so long .

From what I understand though, you can't use the UK version of the Instant Pot for canning. It's not the same as the latest US Instant Pot. 

leftatthetrafficlights

Thank you everyone for all the information and advice!! 😁 I really appreciate it - it's a bit of a minefield out there so it's great to get experienced people to point me in the right direction! 

Thank you for the greenhouse suggestions too - we had thought about raising ours but in all honesty it's the width as well as the height that we need to increase - we bought this one about 20 years ago as it was the only one we could afford at the time - now we are in a better position we really want to get one which better suits our needs/wants- must admit I have greenhouse envy @C_J!!! 😂

maryb

The gold standard is pressure canning for low acid produce.  Water bath bottling is ok for fruit and ok for tomatoes with some added lemon juice to ensure acidity levels are high enough.  Having said that, they rarely use pressure canners in Europe and the Le Parfait site has quite a few recipes for bottling in clip top jars in a water bath.

I have a pressure canner which I imported years ago when the dollar exchange rate was a lot better than it is now.  I was terrified of getting it wrong and poisoning us all the first time I used it but it soon clicked.  I used to faithfully use new canning lids each time but after Si Clist assured me the lids do stand up to reuse I relaxed and that saves a lot of money - and hassle because they were hard to get during covid

Jellytotts

I needed more greenhouse space but couldn't afford a new one so kept an eye out on freecycle and managed to blag a second 6 x 8 for free (had to dismantle it myself). A pack of new bolts, clips and a couple of new panes of glass and it's wonderful.  Both of mine are raised on sleepers and on a bed of freecycled paving slabs.  I'd love a decent sized one but my garden is on an angled slope so the ground works involved would be hideous.

newlywed

Can anyone give me a list of suggested cupboard foods that could be eaten cold straight from the can if needed please?

I am a meat eater but a bit fussy about the quality of the meat, especially corned beef etc. Would rather eat vegetarian if the meat is on the gristly side….

so far I have tinned tuna, sardines, mackerel, tinned tomatoes, baked beans (though cold beans might be pushing it). Have nuts and raisins. Plan on getting tinned potatoes, sweetcorn, carrots, and veg curry tins. 

Most of my cupboard stocks seem reliant on at least having boiling water (eg pasta, noodles, etc) or need a microwave. 

Have oats, so could cold soak those.

I do have a full freezer (mixture of raw and cooked foods) but want to have a backup plan in case of electricity failure - though I know the freezer will be ok for some hours if not opened.

maryb

A few tins of mixed beans for a three bean salad with oil and vinegar?  Maybe hotdogs would be edible straight from a jar.  Potted meat such as rillettes and pate to spread on crackers which keep forever