Yesterday's weigh in

I'm down to 204...I'm going to make my 200 goal before Christmas! Hoo-da-lolly! I'm doin' a little dance right now!!! I haven't even reached the goal and I'm already crying with joy. I guess all that fat free red vines really did help.........ha ha ha!

homecoming 2

COUNTDOWN FOR WEBSITE

Companion planting guide

Companion Planting

Companion planting makes use of specific plants as insect repellant and growth stimulators. The chemical make-up of some plants simply is unattractive to various insects and attractive to certain plant growth.

Planting beans near or among potatoes will limit the amount of Colorado potato beetles present. The potatoes, in turn, discourage Mexican bean beetles. Chives planted among lettuce and peas limit aphids. Radishes contain and often stop striped cucumber beetles. Geraniums deter Japanese beetles. Other flowers, such as marigolds, chrysanthemums, cosmos, and nasturtiums, add color while acting as a general insect repellent in your garden.

The following table will help you plan your companion garden to aid in deterring the harmful insects as well as providing natural growth stimulators for your plants.

  Companion Plants

Garden Plants	Companion To	Do Not Plant Next To
Anise	All plants for bug control
Asparagus	Tomatoes, Parsley, Nasturtiums
Basil	Tomatoes
Beans	Strawberries, Petunias, Rosemary, Savory, potatoes, Carrots, Corn, Parsnips	Onions, Beets, Chives
Beets	Onions	Beans
Borage	Tomatoes, Squash, Berries
Broccoli	Chamomile, Zinnias, Mint, nasturtiums, Chives	Strawberries
Brussel Sprouts	Chamomile, Zinnias, Mint	Strawberries
Cabbage	Rosemary, Sage, thyme, Nasturtiums, Chamomile, Zinnias, mint, Tomatoes
Carrots	Chives, Tomatoes, Peas, Lettuce, Beans, most Herbs	Dill
Cauliflower	Chamomile, Zinnias, mint	Strawberries
Celery	Leeks
Chamomile	Onions, Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts
Chard	Onions
Chives	Carrots, Broccoli, Lettuce, Peas	Beans
Chrysanthemum	All plants for bug control
Corn	Beans, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Squash, Lamb’s Quarters, Potatoes, Radishes, Berries
Cucumbers	Corn, Radishes
Dead Nettle	Potatoes
Flax	Carrots, Potatoes
Garlic	Berries, most Flowers, Lettuce, Peas	Legumes
Geraniums	Grapes, Radishes, Squash
Horseradish	Potatoes
Lamb’s Quarters	Corn
Leeks	Celery
Lettuce	Carrots, Chives, Garlic, Radishes, Strawberries, Zinnias, tall plants for shade
Marigold	All plants, especially Potatoes
Mint	Cabbage, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts
Nasturtiums	Radishes, Cabbage, Broccoli, Asparagus
Onions	Radishes, Chamomile, Savory, Beets, Berries, Tomatoes, Chard	Peas, Beans
Parsley	Tomatoes, Asparagus
Parsnips	Beans, Peppers, Potatoes, Peas	Carrots, celery, Caraway
Peas	Carrots, Chives, Radishes, Garlic	Onions
Petunia	Beans
Potatoes	Beans, Corn, Horseradish, Dead nettle, Flax	Squash, Tomatoes, Sunflowers
Pumpkin	Corn	Potatoes
Radishes	Corn, peas, lettuce, Geraniums, Nasturtiums, Onions, Chervil, Cucumbers	Potatoes
Rosemary	Cabbage, Beans, Carrots
Sage	Cabbage, Carrots
Savory	Beans, Onions
Squash	Nasturtiums, Geraniums, Corn, Borage
Strawberries	Beans, Lettuce	Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower
Soybeans	Corn
Sunflowers	Cucumbers	Potatoes
Tarragon	All Plants
Thyme	Cabbage
Tomatoes	Most Herbs, Flowers, Onions, Asparagus, Cabbage, Carrots	Potatoes, Cabbage
Wild Morning Glory	Corn
Yarrow	Most Herbs
Zinnias	Lettuce, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage

JAN, beets!

Hey Jan,
What is your recipe for canning beats?  Dad loves them! Maybe we'll have to make our own...

sombody else's blog info

Jan 13th, 2011 | By Samara | Category: Education, Prepping | Print This Article

This was some good information to consider for your kids in an emergency situation.  Something to think about moms & dads!...

We have all thought about packing up for a grab and run scenario. We get the duffel bag, the important papers, a case of bottled water and throw it all in the car. Then we load up the kids.

Oh yeah, the kids.

If you have ever taken your children on a car trip for an hour or longer, you know that special considerations need to be made. If they are bored after five minutes, what will happen in an extended bug out situation? Thinking about their needs and wants ahead of time will help an already stressful situation to not escalate into an impossible one.

Kids Packs

The good news is that even though children need more stuff, they also come ready-made with additional hands to help carry it. However, you do need to be aware of realistic expectations. As a general rule of thumb, children should not carry much more than 10% of their own body-weight in a backpack. For a 30-pound toddler then, you want something that is about 3 pounds, whereas a 100-pound 12-year-old could handle about 10 pounds. You will want to put your kids and the finished pack on a scale separately to make sure you do not overload them, which could cause injury and fatigue.

This is another great opportunity to get your children involved in the process of preparedness. Let them pick out their own backpacks and have some input on what goes in it. Depending on their age, they may be able to pack the whole thing themselves and just have you review it together. It may make a great activity for them while you are putting the finishing touches on your own Evac Pack. Here are some ideas to consider:

●      Sippy cup with a pouch of water (if you just fill a cup with water it will go bad and be “plasticy” tasting).

●      Favorite candy bar or snack

●      Coloring book and crayons

●      Warm socks with their favorite story/cartoon character

●      For older children, a small notebook and pen for a journal

●      One or two family photos

●      A compass and map

●      Emergency contacts (not only yours, but other relatives as well in case you are evacuating due to weather or local event and your child is separated from you)

●      List of important health information (blood type, allergies, conditions, etc.)

●      Hooded sweatshirt

●      Flashlight with extra batteries

●      Signal whistle (especially helpful if you ever get separated!)

●      Moist wipes or small bottle of hand-sanitizer

●      A favorite (or new) book or toy

Grown-Up Packs

In addition to their own packs, you will want to keep your kids in mind as you pack yours. Think about the following items:

●      Ear plugs (in case it is hard for little ones to sleep with strange noises)

●      Any medication your children regularly need

●      Snacks, candy, and foods they will like – also a great stress reliever

●      An extra change of clothing for each child

●      Their essential documents, such as birth certificates and social security cards

●      A book of road trip-style games, or other ideas to keep everyone busy

●      Enough food and water for everyone (remember that children eat less, and plan accordingly)

●      Diapers or pull-ups – these are a good idea even if your child is recently trained, as stress can cause developmental regression

●      Children’s medications in the first-aid kit for fever, pain, stomach upset, etc.

Putting the Plan Into Action

Be sure to put some masking tape on the outside of the pack with the date it was last checked over. Maybe even tie this to a yearly family ritual (such as when you drag out the holiday decorations, you also check your emergency packs, or on your child’s birthday, they can switch out one item in their pack for a more updated toy or book). Always review emergency plans for various scenarios – and let kids know that in the event of a fire even their special backpack needs to stay behind!

If you are ever faced with an emergency that requires evacuation, stay calm, and maintain consistency as much as possible. Do you have a bed-time story you always read? Make sure you have it with you so it can still help them go to sleep. Is 8 pm the typical bedtime? Try to make a way for that to happen at least for the kids, even if you are driving through the night. Find a way to make a game out of the experience. Children will look to you for a response to stress and example is 90% of parenting. Plan ahead and take their needs into consideration and even the worst of times will be a little bit better.

Tidbit: Basic survival garden items

I viewed an interesting little 8 minute video on YOU-Tube today that talked about 4 basic survival garden plants. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIdzmIn79UE&feature=player_embedded
Scott, I think his name was, from the Living History School...

There are 4 basic survival garden items.  These items are not part of a typical "salad garden".   The salad garden would be lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, etc.  The survival garden would contain, potatoes, corn, beans and squash.  The survivalists say that these 4 foods can continue to grow for several days without water and attention.  They are the basic foods that the pioneers and Indians grew for their survival.  When growing these "survival" foods we need to know how to grow them, seed them and process them correctly for winter storage.  Their seeds can be saved until the next growing season to use for the next years crop.  These foods can also be planted together in the same space, as each one uses and gives back different nutrients to the soil.  The corn is planted first in a mound.  Then the beans are planted around it and can grow up the stocks.  The squash can be planted around that and the large leaves keep the warmth and moisture in the soil.  The Irish have survived on potatoes for centuries.

Prepared Survival List

All Things Emergency Prepared.com

Check-off the items as you obtain and prepare your survival list.

note from mom:  This is an extremely long and involved list of emergency supplies! Just so you know, we do not have a goat or a chicken in our survival supplies! Obviously it is not what you would pack in a 72-hour bug-out kit! It will, however, give you some guidelines to start from for emergency survival items that MAY be needed.

WATER -(Urgent - Survival List Items)
□ Emergency Water: (Urgent - keep stored)
□ Water Containers: (food grade if for drinking)
□ Hand Pumps & Siphons (for water storage containers and for fuels)
□ Emergency Water Filters and Purifiers

EMERGENCY POWER-(Important to Urgent - Survival List Items)
□ Power Generators: (fuel, solar or wind)
□ Portable Fuel Generators
□ Portable Solar Generators
□ Wind Generators

EMERGENCY SURVIVAL FOODS LIST-(Urgent - Survival List Items)
□ LONG TERM Emergency Foods (MRE's, FREEZE-DRIED, DEHYDRATED)
□ LONG TERM Vegetarian MRE Foods (vegetarian protein foods)

• Grocery Store & Bulk Foods List
•  Rice - Wheat
•  Legumes: Pinto Beans, Black Beans, etc.
•  Oatmeal, Cornmeal
•  Canned Fruits - Canned Vegetables - Soups - Stews, etc.
•  Milk - Canned/Evaporated, Powdered, Sweetened/Condensed
•  Eggs - Powdered (dried)
•  Peanut Butter - Nuts - Popcorn 
•  Dehydrated Fruits & Vegetables 
•  Jerky - Trail Mix
•  Graham Crackers - Saltines - Pretzels 
•  Chocolate - Cocoa - Tang - Punch 
•  Honey - Syrups - White Sugar - Brown Sugar
•  Garlic - Spices - Baking Supplies
•  Soy Sauce - Vinegar - Bouillon Soup-base
•  Tuna Fish (packed in oil has more protein)
•  Canned Meats
•  Cooking Oil
•  Flour - Yeast - Salt
•  Coffee - Teas
•  Bulk Herbs (used for seasoning),
• (Herbs can also be used for first aid, or treating minor medical issues)
•  Vitamins - Minerals - Supplements

COOKING & HEATING-(Important to Urgent - Survival List Items)
□ Emergency Cook Stove
□ Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur)
□ Emergency Heater
□ Gasoline Containers with Extra Fuel (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur)
□ Seasoned Firewood (those that heat with wood)
□ Heating Oil or Propane Users (Urgent/Shortages: keep tanks full as possible)

SAFETY ITEMS-(Important to Urgent - Survival List Items)
□ Emergency Weather Alert Radios (NOAA weather radio)
□ 72-hour Kit (portable- in you have to evacuate your home)
□ Emergency Car Kits (first aid & road-side kits)
□ Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
□ Smoke Alarms (battery powered)
□ Fire Extinguishers (or Baking Soda in every room)
□ Self Defense Items: Guns, Ammo, Pepper Spray, Non-Lethal Tools
□ Survival Guide Book
□ Take a basic course in CPR and First-Aid

KITCHEN & HOUSEHOLD-(General to Important - Survival List Items)
□ Cookware (pots, pans, etc)
□ Paper Plates, Cups, Utensils, Paper Towels (stock up plenty of these)
□ Hand Can Openers
□ Insulated Ice Chests (to keep foods from extreme temperatures; thawing or freezing)
□ Garbage Cans Plastic (great for storage, water transporting/cans with wheels)
□ Plastic Storage Containers (keep items dry and pest-free)
□ Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many)
□ Plastic Zip-Lock Bags (stock up on these)
□ Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Cooking and Barter Item)
□ Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypo chlorite)
□ Laundry Detergent
□ Dish Soap
□ Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
□ Clothes Pins, Line, Hangers
□ Paraffin Wax
□ Books (Bible and Favorite Reading)
□ Writing Paper, Pads, Pencils
□ Solar Calculators
□ Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks
□ Board Games, Cards, Dice
□ Scissors, Fabrics & Sewing Supplies
□ Duct Tape (must have item)

PERSONAL CARE/HYGIENE-(Important to Urgent - Survival List Items)
□ First Aid Kits
□ Reading Glasses
□ Medicine: Prescriptions, Aspirin, Cold & Flu, etc.
□ Hygiene: Feminine Products, Hair Care, Deodorant, Floss, Nail Clippers, Tweezers,
Toothbrush & Paste
□ Bath: Lotions, Shampoo, Soap, Waterless & Antibacterial Soaps - (save water)
□ Shaving Supplies: Razors, Creams, Talc, Aftershave
□ Baby Supplies: Diapers, Wipes, Formula, Ointments, Aspirin, etc.
□ Portable Toilets & Sanitation
□ Toilet Paper, Kleenex

PET SUPPLIES-(Urgent - Survival List Items If You Own A Pet)
□ Extra Water for Pets (approx. 1 gallon/day)
□ Pet Food: Extra Dry or Canned Food
□ Pet Food Storage Containers
□ Pet Emergency Kits
□ Portable Pet Crates (a MUST have for pet emergencies)
□ Learn Pet CPR and Basic First Aid

LIGHTING-(Important Needed - Survival List Items)
□ Flashlights, Light-sticks, Torches
□ Batteries (all sizes...buy latest Expiration Dates)
□ Candles
□ Matches
□ Lanterns
□ Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps
□ Charcoal, Lighter Fluid

TOOLS-(General Needed - Survival List Items)
□ Basic Tool Kit: Hammer, Screw Drivers, etc.
□ Shovels: Regular and Snow
□ Knives & Sharpening Tools: Files, Stones, Steel
□ Bow Saws, Axes and Hatchets. Wedges (also, honing oil)
□ Tire Repair Kits

CLOTHING-(General Needed - Survival List Items)
□ Sweatshirts/Pants
□ Hats & Beanies
□ Gloves: Work/Warming/Gardening, etc.
□ Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
□ Woolen Clothing, Scarves, Ear-muffs, Mittens
□ Work Boots, Belts, Levis & Durable Shirts
□ Thermal Underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
□ Rain Gear, Rubber Boots, etc.

MISCELLANEOUS-(General Needed - Survival List Items)
□ Tarps, Stakes, Twine, Rope, Spikes
□ Sleeping Bags, Blankets, Pillows, Mats
□ Cots & Inflatable Mattresses
□ Backpacks, Duffel Bags
□ Fishing Supplies/Tools
□ Mosquito Repellent, Sprays, Creams
□ Mousetraps, Ant & Cockroach Traps
□ Rat & Mouse Poison, Roach Killer
□ Glue, Nails, Nuts, Bolts, Screws, etc.
□ Plastic Window Insulation Kits (or sheeting with extra duct tape)
□ Lumber (all types)
□ Wagons & Carts (good for transporting many items)
□ Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc

SELF SUFFICIENCY SUPPLIES-(Several Important - Survival List Items)
□ Food Dehydrator (dry available extra fruits and vegetables)
□ Canning Supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
□ Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid A MUST)
□ Garden Tools & Supplies
□ Green House (a small green house could be a life-saver)
□ Goats, Chickens (milk and eggs)
□ Extra Rolls of Fencing (keep wanted animals in, unwanted out)
□ Chicken coop: your own eggs & meat
□ Solar and/or Hand Well Water Pump

Survival Food List - What Are Your Choices?

On this page we will discuss the top choices of emergency foods that you can add to your survival food list. We will explain the different types of survival foods, the difference in taste, convenience, and storage requirements of each.

We also include on this page (right side column), a simple grocery-store survival food list. We recommend you print the list and start stocking up the items to add to your emergency food supply.

Choose from one, several, or all of the different types of survival foods listed below.

Each option outlines the advantages, and disadvantages, some will fit into your personal lifestyle better than others.

No matter which types of survival foods you choose to purchase for your emergency food supply or grow in your survival garden ... GET STARED so that you HAVE a food supply ready when you need it.

1. Grocery Store Foods: survival food list

Commercial grocery store goods - canned foods, boxed foods, grains, and bottled water, (recommended by many government agencies) for your shorter-term emergency survival food list.

This choice actively requires storing and maintaining a "inventory cycle" of these commercial goods: As you buy new food you use up the old food, so that the product is not stored beyond the expiration date.

Advantages:

·       If done ahead, easy and convenient for short term emergencies.

·       Can be done in a few hours or less for a 72-hour up-to 1 month emergency food reserve.

·       Canned foods work well as an addition to the other Survival Foods.

·       Study shows nutritional value is quite high on several types of canned foods. Read more on our Canned Food Storage Page Here

Disadvantages:

·       Must be stored in proper conditions to keep optimal storage life of up to 2 years.

·       Have to rotate and check the expiration dates on canned goods and check grains for mold infestations, rodent invasions, etc.

·       Canned foods can be a bit bulky, space is often limited. Many people will not be able to store a large supply.

·       Grains need a lot of water to cook and water may be unavailable or scarce in a disaster.

2. MRE’s (Meals ready to Eat): survival food list

Advantages:

·       Easy to store and lasts up to 5-7 years in a cool dry place.

·       Easiest and fastest preparation time possible and can be heated fast with “MRE heaters”

·       Can be ordered online in minutes, and delivered to your house. Doesn't take much time to store it.

Disadvantages:

·       Relatively expensive per meal.

·       For extended reserve of 6 weeks, 3 months, or a year, a lot of space required to store.

·       Tastes similar to canned food in flavor.

3. Freeze Dried/Dehydrated Meals: survival food list

Advantages:

·       Easy to store and can last up to 30 years.

·       Fast simple preparation just add water. Requires only water that is needed to hydrate the food, (much less than cooking).

·       Freeze dried foods, because of the process, retain very close to the original amount of nutritional value as fresh foods.

·       Once hydrated, freeze dried food taste is very close to original food taste.

·       Light weight, easy to store large quantities of food for reserves of 6 weeks, 3 months, or a year.

·       A 6 week food reserve can fit under a bed.

·       Can be ordered online in minutes, and delivered to your house. Takes less than 30 minutes to store it.

·       Good economical choice - cost per meal can be the same or less than your average home cooked meal.

Disadvantages: (one ?)

·       Must learn to budget your money to purchase a supply.

As you can see there are a lot of benefits to adding commercial Freeze Dried & Dehydrated Foods to your survival food list over the other options. Thus making it the superior emergency food choice from the "prepared" survival foods list above.

NOTE: The "dehydrated" foods that we are referring to in the above example is "commercial-packaged" foods, not dehydrated foods that you do-yourself at home. Follow the link if you would like to learn how to dehydrate your own food.

4. Grow Your Own Food Garden: survival food list

Growing your own food is a completely differentmethod of adding to your survival food list, than the commercial survival foods above.

It is the most nutritious and self sustaining option. If you have the means to grow a survival garden, it can improve your self sustainability greatly, and can be very rewarding mentally and physically.

GROCERY STORE Survival Foods List: Note: sodium (salt) makes you thirsty - try to choose low- sodium products Bottled Water Canned juice Canned or Boxed Milk Canned Fruits and Vegetables Canned Beans: Pinto, Black... Canned Chili Fruit Cocktail Peanut Butter and Jelly Canned Pasta or Spaghetti Crackers (low-sodium) Canned Meats and Fish: Chicken Turkey Tuna  Salmon Peanut Butter Rice & Grains Soups (low-sodium) Dried Fruits Protein Drinks Granola/Energy Bars Cereal (Cream of Wheat, etc) Oatmeal Sugar Honey (there will be a shortage) Molasses (Excellent source of B vitamins) Nuts (unsalted, preferably) Cookies, Hard Candy Instant Coffee - Best (coffee beans can go rancid, ground requires electricity) Tea Bags/Boxes of Tea Ketchup (Lasts forever) Mayonnaise (Lasts well in a cool place) Cooking Oil (olive is best won't go rancid) Vinegar: White Distilled - cooking, preserving, first-aid, cleaning

Best Canned Food Storage Choices

Best Canned Food Storage Choices

A University food science study confirms many canned food storage items are packed with nutrition. Yet there has been a mis-perception, even among health professionals, that canned products don't stack up nutritionally.

Here we list these nutritional foods that would make the best canned food choices for your emergency food supply.

On this website, we highly recommend stocking-up a good variety of "survival food types" for your food storage list, such as: freeze-dried, dehydrated, garden foods, and canned foods.

Many people that are striving to stock-up on emergency preparedness foods cannot afford to buy the recommended "Commercial Survival Foods" for their food storage needs. Buckets, and #10 cans of freeze-dried and dehydrated emergency food storage items may NOT be an option for some people's budget.

We found this study to be, not only interesting and informative, but also a large plus to those that would like to “feel better nutritionally” about adding canned food storage products to their survival foods list. Remember, even if you can only add a few canned food items at a time... something is ALWAYS better than nothing!

About The Study -

In 1995, the University of Illinois Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition released a comparative analysis of a variety of canned, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. This study let a little-known secret out of the can... canned fruits and vegetables are as nutritious as their fresh and frozen counterparts.

In response to queries from health professionals and the media, the University of Illinois expanded and updated this study in 1997. The later study, provides nutritional analyses of about 35 canned fruits and vegetables, as well as poultry and fish.

Results of this nutrition study show that, more than ever, dietitians, nutritionists and food service professionals can feel confident recommending delicious, healthy meals prepared with canned ingredients.

The original study is quite lengthy, so we will only list the “high-lights” of the study findings that we feel are the most important and informational in regards to nutritional value, and therefore, why you should consider adding them to your variety of emergency food storage types.

What Are The Best Canned Food Storage Items For Emergency Preparedness? List of Foods Analyzed -

Canned Fruits:	applesauce, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, mandarin oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, purple plums, strawberries, sweet bing cherries, tomatoes (stewed and whole)
Canned Vegetables:	asparagus, beets, carrots, corn, green beans, mushrooms, peas, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, ripe olives, and white potatoes
Canned Beans:	black, black-eyed peas, garbanzo, navy, pinto, red kidney and white kidney
Canned Poultry and Fish:	breast of chicken, chunk light tuna, and pink salmon

How Canned Food Storage Compares Nutritionally -

Vitamin A

Many canned fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin A, which is essential for the activity of mucus-forming cells in the body, as well as for night and color vision. Since little of the vitamin is lost during the canning process, canned products have similar levels of vitamin A to their fresh and frozen counterparts.

Carotene’s

Vitamin A is present in many fruits and vegetables as carotene’s antioxidants that provide protection for the body s cells. Apricots, carrots, peaches, pumpkin, spinach and sweet potatoes all are high in carotene’s.

Tomatoes, in particular, are a favorite for canned food storage, they contain an important carotenoid called lycopene, which appears to be effective in preventing certain cancers. In fact, some analyses show lycopene is more effective when it is consumed after it is heated or canned.

Dietary Fiber

Many fruits and vegetables are important sources of dietary fiber. Blackberries, blueberries, cherries and strawberries, as well as apples, carrots, beans and peas, provide this vital food component in the form of cellulose and pectins.

The canning process does not affect fiber content, making them comparable to fresh and frozen. In fact, the heating process appears to make the fiber more soluble and, therefore, more useful to the body.

Potassium and Folate

Consumers can always count on beans for a great canned food storage item, they pack a powerful nutritional punch. Not only an excellent source of protein and iron, beans also are excellent sources of thiamin, dietary fiber and potassium which is important for regulating blood pressure and kidney function. They are also a good source of folic acid, which recent studies indicate plays a critical role during pregnancy.

The USDA nutrient database shows beans can provide 20 to 40 percent of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for folate. All of these nutrients hold up well in the canning process, making them similar to dried varieties that are cooked from scratch.

Vitamin C

Apricots, asparagus, oranges, grapefruits, pineapple, strawberries, spinach and tomatoes all are significant sources of vitamin C. Although small amounts of vitamin C are lost during heat treatment, most of what is lost ends up in the liquid in which the product is packed. The C retained after canning remains stable during the one- to two-year shelf life of the canned product.

Protein

Canned poultry and fish considered protein foods are comparable to their fresh-cooked counterparts in nutritional value, since protein is not affected by heat treatment. This makes the canned varieties convenient alternatives to fresh-cooked, since they require much less preparation time.

Calcium

The canning process actually is responsible for higher calcium levels in canned fish than in freshly cooked.

Thiamin

Thiamin, one of the B-complex vitamins, is obtained by eating meats or legumes. Although this vitamin is not particularly stable when heated, it survives the canning process well, making canned meats and beans comparable to their freshly cooked counterparts.

Advantages of Using Canned Food Storage Items -

·       Canned foods are convenient - particularly when used as recipe ingredients. Canned foods are quick, delicious alternatives to fresh foods, when prepared for the table. However, the big advantage in using canned varieties is easy preparation and year-round availability.

·       Nutrients Sealed In - Once the product is canned, it usually maintains its nutrient levels, even after one to two years of storage. This is particularly important, since canned products are harvested at the peak of ripeness and usually canned only a few hours after they are picked, sealing in the nutrients.

·       Safety Packed In - In addition to being nutritionally comparable to their fresh and frozen counterparts, canned products are one of the safest forms of food, according to the University of Illinois study. Canned products are heated and vacuum-sealed, destroying microorganisms that cause food borne illnesses, while locking in both flavor and nutrients.

SAFETY NOTES - Regarding Using Canned Food Storage

·       Always use your oldest cans first, or FIFO, meaning: First-In, First-Out.

·       Before opening, discard any badly dented, bulging, rusty, or leaky cans or jars that have broken seals.

·       Discard contents (do not taste) if there is a strange odor or appearance.

·       Discard any can that spurts when opening.