Gaye Levy
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Canning is a blessing and a curse. For seasoned canners, preserving the local bounty not only saves money but is a relaxing and stress-free experience. These same canners giddily prepare fully cooked meals in jars, to be opened and reheated at a moment’s notice.
And everyone else? They suffer a fear of the canning process, botulism, and of blowing themselves up along with their kitchen. Don’t let this canning curse prevent you from learning and benefiting from this important skill. In The Prepper’s Canning Guide, my good friend Daisy Luther teaches you how to can without fear!
Not only that, she shares the latest in safety tips plus tried and true recipes from her own prolific kitchen. These are recipes every prepper will embrace because they were developed by a prepper, for a prepper. Meats, veggies, beans, jams, and pickles – they are all here along with useful hints and tips that will ensure your success.
With that introduction, today I share an interview with Daisy plus I have three copies of her book up for grabs in a giveaway.
An Interview with Daisy Luther, Author of The Prepper’s Canning Guide
This is your sixth Backdoor Survival Prepper Book Festival which speaks to your success as an author in the preparedness and survival niche. That being said, how do you differentiate this book, The Prepper’s Canning Guide, from your previous books?
People who have purchased my original canning book, The Organic Canner, will recognize some of the recipes from that book in the new one. The difference is, the new book is written with preppers in mind. It has lots of “kitchen sink” recipes to help you preserve whatever your garden happens to be overflowing with at the moment.
It has a section on canning off-grid, a section on the supplies a canning aficionado will want to have on hand, and even tips for canning the things in your refrigerator so they don’t spoil during a power outage. There are quite a few new recipes and the book is professionally produced and edited.
If you happen to be new to food preservation, you’ll find all the information you need to help you get started canning with confidence.
Do you ever suffer “prepper burnout” and if so, how do you deal with it?
Definitely, especially with the current climate in the United States right now. There is so much political animosity. We’re so divided. I’ve always spent a great deal of time reading and researching current events, but lately, it is so difficult to get to the truth. All of the sources seem extremely biased, and there’s so much anger in every article. It was really throwing me off my game.
Finally, I decided that the most important thing I could do was focus on the things that I can actually control. For example, I can’t win fruitless arguments on the internet. I can’t change the minds of people who are dead set in their opinions, no matter how much logic and reason I apply.
But there are lots of things that I CAN do. I can learn skills. I can store food. I can grow vegetables. I can read books – there are MANY things we can all control, and we should focus on those.
People seem more stressed than ever before. How can we combat this?
Have fun. I am not on board with the philosophy that prepared people have to be grim and serious all the time.
Take time every day to do something just because it makes you happy. Even though we are all focused on getting prepared, that shouldn’t mean that you exclude the things that make life worth living. Make memories with your loved ones. Travel when you can. Pet baby animals. Lay down and watch the clouds cross the sky on a beautiful day.
Survival shouldn’t just be about existing. It should be about taking every chance you can to find more joy in your life.
What, in your opinion, are the greatest challenges we face going forward?
A lot of people think that the economy has been magically repaired, but it hasn’t. The damage done and debt created over the past years are something that can’t be fixed overnight, and I think our situation is very precarious. The second issue is the current unrest – unless people can find some common ground, I think it’s only going to continue to accelerate.
Some people stopped prepping after Trump won the election and I think that was a big mistake. The problems that existed before the election are still there, and now we’ve added these societal issues. Prepping has never been more important than it is right now.
Two acronyms are bantered about among survival and prepper types. They are SHTF and BOB. How do you feel about these two terms and do you use them yourself?
I don’t use a whole lot of acronyms for the simple reason that jargon can be hard to understand and this can be intimidating for someone who is new to prepping. I prefer to use language that is easy to understand, even if someone hasn’t been at this for decades.
What advice do you have for a young person in their 20s who has shown an interest in preparedness?
When you’re younger, you tend to move more often. Maybe you’re changing jobs, getting transferred, getting married – there are all sorts of reasons you might need to be more mobile.
For someone who isn’t firmly settled, focus on having a couple of months’ worth of food, a water supply, and the skills and tools you need to survive. This is a great time to learn skills – you are young, fit, and a lot more suited to roughing it than someone who is older.
Tell me about your own website. Was is its focus and who is the target audience?
My website is The Organic Prepper. I started it back when I lived in Canada, so the URL ends in “.ca” for that reason.
I write about a pretty wide variety of topics. I’ve always had a strong interest in health and nutrition, and I combined that with my love for preparedness when creating the site. I write about frugality quite a bit too – as a single mom raising two kids, my ability to stretch money has meant a much more stable lifestyle for us.
I like to connect current events with the need for preparedness. For example, in January and February of this year, our area was subject to storms lasting for weeks. This resulted in mudslides, avalanches, floods, and giant sinkholes. Roads were crumbling as people drove over them. From this, I was able to write a lot of content that was applicable to our real-life situation.
Other current events to watch out for are issues with the market, politics, weather events, crises in other parts of the world, and civil unrest. By watching these events unfold, we can learn what to expect if similar events happen where we live. This can show us the things we need to do to prepare for such events, and can also help us to predict what may happen next in our own scenarios.
Can you drop some hints about your next book?
So many books, so little time. I have a few topics in mind and I’m not sure which will come next. One thing I’m considering is writing about specific preps for specific disasters, instead of the broader view.
Other potential topics are frugal yet healthful food, prepping for people with dietary restrictions, and maybe even some fiction.
Do you have some advice or a personal message you would like to pass on to Backdoor Survival readers?
Don’t be discouraged.
There is so much ugliness in the world right now. There are so many people having life-altering financial problems. Serious health issues are on the rise and will affect nearly every family at some point.
It can make you feel hopeless.
But no matter what is going on in your life, if you face it with a survivor’s attitude, the journey will be easier. Even if it doesn’t result in the outcome you would like, you can alter your path positively. Never lose hope that tomorrow will be better than today.
The Giveaway
Daisy has reserved three copies of her book in this newest Book Festival Giveaway.
A special word about the giveaway question/comment: Please read the question and respond accordingly, even it the answer is “I don’t know”. This week’s question is:
Submit a question about canning or preserving food that you would like answered in a future article.
The deadline is 6:00 PM MST Tuesday with the winners notified by email and announced on the Rafflecopter in the article. Please note that the winners must claim their book within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.
Note: Due to customs requirements, this giveaway is only open to individuals with a mailing address in the United States.
The Final Word
Before closing let me tell you something about Daisy. She is a mom of the highest order, nurturing two daughters and farm animals which she has named. She is also a blogging colleague, friend, and the nicest person you will ever meet. As busy as she gets, she always has time to help out when needed, even it takes precious time away from her own workday.
Aside from those personal qualities, she is a fantastic author who shuns fluff. Her writing is well researched and often comes from personal experience. Her book, The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide, is a best seller in its own right and must-have for every survival library. I could go on and on, but for now, will just say this: The Preppers Canning Guide along with the Ball Book of Canning and Preserving and the USDA Canning Guide, are the only books you need to set yourself on a path of home-canned goodness.
For more information about the books in this latest book festival, visit Prepper Book Festival 14: Books to Learn, Prepare, and Be Ready for Anything.
If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to email updates. When you do, you will receive a free, downloadable copy of our e-Book, The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide. Also check the Facebook page regularly for links to free or almost free eBooks that we personally review just for you.
You can also vote for Backdoor Survival daily at Top Prepper Websites!
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Spotlight: The Prepper’s Canning Guide: Affordably Stockpile a Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious, Delicious, Shelf-Stable Foods
A practical and approachable guide to amassing an emergency food supply filled with your own natural dishes
As the disaster drags on for days, weeks, months or even years, food scarcity and starvation will fuel people’s desperation. Even preppers like you will need more than dried beans and rice to survive. With The Prepper’s Canning Guide, you’ll learn the lifesaving techniques to take your food storage to the next level, including how to:
•Store nutrition-packed foods
•Create delicious MREs
•Can protein-rich meat and poultry
•Make canned produce last longer
•Use time-tested water-bath methods
•Utilize modern pressure canning
From food safety guidelines to grid failure canning tips, this book will guarantee your family stays safe, secure and well-fed.
170 Responses to “Prepper Book Festival: The Preppers Canning Guide”
I am interested in easy to make jerky recipes.for using a dehydrator.
Jan, I marinate my jerky in Worchestshire sauce, Soy sauce, and some liquid smoke. I’ve used black pepper on it, have used Tobasco sauce on it. You can use any spices you desire. I dehydrate mine for 12-24 hours. After it cools, I place it in a quart canning jar and vacuum seal it. It wil last for years like this, but . . . It never lasts that long. The most a week. I have given it for Christmas gifts. You can use roast or round steak. I have used both. If I use roast, I get the meat market to cut it for jerky. If I use round steak, I cut it myself in about 14-inch strips. Hope this helps. Oh, and you can use turkey, chicken or fish to make jerky. We just like the beef best. And I don’t pre-cook my meats.
What would be the best way to preserve dog and cat food that is not kibble or canned? I make my own cat and dog food and don’t want them to go hungry should TSHTF and we need to use what we have. Can you comment?
You can feed your animals chicken, beef, green beans, and carrots. Look online for homemade dog/cat food. If you are pressure canning, you need to pressure can it for the longest time of whatever foods you have in there. It really depends on what you fix. We made our dogs food when she was in Renal failure. We mixed ground beef, extra lean, with cooked rice, green beans, and carrots. Everything was cooked from scratch. The only thing canned we used was the green beans, and they were home canned. BTW! The vet said she wouldn’t have lasted as long if we hadn’t fed her what we did. She also wanted the recipe we used.
Thanks! I already have my own recipe (made from about a bazillion I found on-line) and figured that would be the case – can for the longest time any of my ingredients have. Sometimes, you can over question yourself, you know?
There is a section in the book about canning your own recipes. You probably will want to add the grains at serving time and can only the meats and veggies you feed your pets. This will need to be pressure canned to be safe. Remember that botulism can kill animals too!
Yes, Daisy, I knew they would have to be pressure cooked. Now my question to you is: If I’m canning and feeding this food to them in case of a power outage, how would I cook the grain? That’s what I meant by TSHTF – The Stuff (only it’s another word) Hits The Fan (all in capitals for clarity). No power. So I understand your comment, but because this is a preppers site, I thought I’d ask. As I mentioned, sometimes it is easy to overthink yourself, if that makes sense. I make all my critter food from scratch (they are much healthier this way, and despite what you hear, if you grow your own veggies, NOT more expensive), as well as their snacks. I didn’t lose a pet from the pet food scare several years ago, but I know those who did, and I could not bear it if that happened to any of my furkids. My other kids don’t eat kibble or canned (by others) so I’m not as worried about them, LOL.
I would purchase some “instant” rice or whatever starches you are using. Although it may not be quite as nutritious as what you give them now, it will still be far better than any store-bought kibble.
The grains could make the food too thick to process safely if you try canning them.
Again, I know people who do it, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe.
You have very lucky furkids!
Typically, what is the shelf life of do-it-yourself canned vegetables, fruits, etc?
Vegetables, ballpark one year. Fruits, you can extend a bit longer – two years. Always make sure the seal is intact and that everything smells or looks ok. Also remember, past one year, the foods really won’t taste as good.
How to can with newer electric pressure cookers.
We have eaten home canned things that are 5 years old. I make sure the seal is intact, and I smell the contents. If they’re off, they’re thrown out. I haven’t had anything bad, yet. I also heat them to a boil and boil at least 3-5 minutes.
How long do dehydrated foods stay edible? How can you tell when they aren’t good anymore?
If they are vacuum packed, and an oxygen absorber is placed inside, it can last for 25 years or more. Check with a dehydrator manufacturer to be sure.
I need this for my library… Thanks in advance!
How do you feel about solar dehydrating vs canning and are there units out there that you would recommend? Also, I have heard differing opinions on stacking canning cars. Some it is fine, others say it compromises seals. Any thoughts or opinions?
Carol, people have been solar dehydrating for a really long time. That’s how the Native Americans dried their foods. My MIL remembers drying fruit on a sheet on a tin roof. You do have to cover the produce with another sheet to keep flies off. It was her job to turn the fruit over.
Solar dehydrating is great. The thing is, you don’t have to pick one or the other. I use a wide variety of different preservation methods for our food storage.
I occasionally do stack small canning jars, but never the quart jars, simply because it is more unstable and I live in California – I can’t even imagine the mess in an earthquake.
I don’t know.
Floyd
i really want to know how long water bath and pressure canned goods last, storage wise. My darling DH threw out not just the applesauce I had canned but the jars as well because he said it was two years old and therefore no good. The jars were in the basement pantry, dry and around 55-60 degrees. No bulging or anything. My cousin , who has been canning for years told me when she came for a visit they were still good for quite awhile. the jars had been there for two years. She said I did a great job of my first attempt at water bath canning. Now I am scared to death to do any canning for fear I will poison my family. Thank you
1) The jars are glass. They will last forever unless they are cracked, chipped (especially the rim!), or scratched. The glass jars can be cleaned and sterilized and used over and over – this is one of the big benefits of canning. The bands can also be reused, but generally rust after a few uses so they should be replaced periodically. The flat lids are one time use only and should be replaced each time.
2) As long as the food was canned and stored properly it can last much longer than 2 years in my personal experience. The most common thing that you’ll find after 2 – 5 years is that the taste degrades – even though the food may still be safe to eat it just isn’t tasty anymore. As a test, I just went down to the pantry shelves in my basement (dry 65-70 degrees year round) and found a pint antique canning jar (jar is at least 50 years old, but probably closer to 100) of spicy tomato juice that I water bath canned in September of 2011 (always put the date on your jars!). It’s still yummy! You should always look for discoloration/mold/unsealed lids/bad smell or anything else that looks off when using ANY canned goods (including commercial), but in my opinion two year old jars that were properly canned and stored are just fine and even if you decide your food is too old to eat you should save the jars.
The USDA says home canned food lasts “at least a year.”
Of course, expiration dates on everything tend to err on the side of “too soon” rather than “too late.” Here’s exactly what they say about it:
“Properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will retain optimum eating quality for at least 1 year. Canned food stored in a warm place near hot pipes, a range, a furnace, or in indirect sunlight may lose some of its eating quality in a few weeks or months, depending on the temperature. Dampness may corrode cans or metal lids and cause leakage so the food will spoil.”
Personally, we eat anything containing meat within a year. Fruits, jams, and acidic foods, we’ll stretch to 2 years or more.