Raggedy Ann and Andy -- Old clothes, new purpose.

All of us wear clothes...I hope. I haven't seen any people out there without clothes and I hope that doesn't become a trend. Anyone who wears clothes also knows that those clothes wear out over time. It doesn't matter what it is, those clothes are made of short, individual fibers of material which are strung together  into thread which is then woven into fabric and then cut and sewn into clothes. Anyone who has had a favorite towel, or bathrobe or socks know that occasionally they wear so long they go threadbare. I mean, the lint in the dryer doesn't appear out of nowhere. That is the loose fibers sloughing off of our clothes bit by bit until they are closer to window screens than clothing anymore.
Sometimes, the clothes are just fine but they have shrunk or we have grown (*ahem*) and there is nothing wrong with them. Most places have good secondhand stores such as Goodwill, Deseret Industries, St. Vincent DePaul, all places I have been. If you can donate them there. If not or if the clothes are less than usable, keep reading.
One of the key things to build up your emergency supply arsenal is in repurposing items from everyday life. Whoever has a garage and doesn't have a few washed out, tin cans for holding miscellaneous little stuff. Who doesn't have a pair of demoted tennis shoes for gardening? And how many people even remotely related to Boy Scouts haven't made a firestarter out of wax, wood shavings and a paper fiber egg carton. Clothes fall into the same realm.
Look at the clothes you wear. Some are spandex,wool,rayon, polyester, nylon, and cotton. Cotton and wool are natural fibers and both are designed to wick moisture away from the body.it is that absorbent feature that makes them so valuable. If you have old clothes that are no longer usable due to stains, rips, holes, etc. something you don't believe will be used at a thrift store, Keep them for rags. They are great in the garage and for scrubbing down things that, you really don't want to use your designer washcloths on. Here are a few tips:
DO try to pack like items together. keep jeans together, socks, together, and shirts together. If you want to demote some old towels or washcloths same thing. Bedsheets, curtains, anything made out of natural fiber is great for this purpose.
DO package them in good plastic bags and boxes. Mice and other vermin will nest in them if they know they are there. When vermin comes in for the winter they are looking for food and shelter including nesting material so bag it up and box the bags. DON'T cut them down.Leave sheets as sheets, pants as pants, and shirts as shirts. mark the bags and boxes as "clothes for rags" or "Pants for rags." or Shirts for rags" The reason behind this is say the world blows up and you eventually find yourself either out of clothes to wear or aren't warm enough, fashion won't matter. You would also be surprised what you could get in barter for a pair of pants with a stain on it. And of all of this,a pair of pants is probably more valuable to you or a barter customer as pants then as rags. It comes down to the point that if you keep them as pants, shirts,sheets, etc, then you have shorts or rags, pants or rags, blankets or rags, etc. if you turn them into rags beforehand, you have taken away the choice. Lastly, and somewhat unrelated but related, (like that!) Save shoes too. Ask any pioneer, (if you could) would they rather complete their trek across the plains with a worn pair of tennis shoes or bare feet. I think you could guess their answer. Shoes and clothes as barter items also mean there is no such thing as too much. I would rather than twenty boxes of them in my garage then two. Imagine what holes could be filled in my needs if I could barter them rather than having barely enough to tide me over for a while. Rags and/ or clothes to a person in need in an emergency, could make all the difference. 

Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink.

How often does water come up in your thoughts of emergency preparedness? I know many of us who have made some efforts to prepare for emergencies have done some with water but have we done enough?
First, when disasters happen, immediate access to clean water from the usual sources could be cut off. Secondary sources such as irrigation ditches, puddles,lakes, streams etc could give water, just not potable water. These sources could be made potable, but it takes time and water is something we can only go a few days without.
First, the most common recommendation is to have at least one gallon of water per person, per day available for at least two weeks. For me and my family often people, that means ten gallons per day for up to 14 days. 140 gallons can take up a lot of room. Second we live in a desert, Utah being the second driest state in the nation. I also live in a big metro area so a lot of people will need water. That has induced me to save more potable ready to go water for my family. I have more than the minimum and I am glad of it.
What next? What if the emergency last longer than two weeks? Some people live in rather remote areas and it could take time before water is restored to these more distant localities. There are a few different methods for treating water. Filtration, Boiling, or chemical.
Filtration of water is a good method but it is only as good as the filters and containers being used. I have often imagined some people dumping a bucket of water into a filtration system and then using that same bucket to capture the filtered water! That may have helped with sediments, but not with bacteria, or other chemical wastes that could be in the water. I have also wondered how long it has been since some filters are changed. Understand, filters do get used up and the dirtier the water is when it goes in, the faster the filter gets used. Screen the water for bigger stuff then run it through several layers of clean cloth as a prefilter. That should get rid of a lot of the mud and other sediments. Then, run the water through the regular filter. That will extend the life of your filter and ensure you have clean water longer.
If your filter is not designed to handle biological or chemical contaminants, invest in a good one that does. Get to know your filter. If you have an under sink filter that uses cartridges for the filters, get a spare set. Sure they can be spendy but you may be very glad you have it.
Chemical treatment can be done with a variety of chemicals but understand, they only get rid of bacteria, viruses, and other biological nasties in the water. It does not "kill" the dirt. Bleach, iodine, and water purification tablets are the most common methods. Depending on the issues with the water you are using, you may need to use more or less. If the water is relatively clean usually a few drops of bleach will be enough to sanitize it. Put it in before you store it and then before using it, open the lid and let some of the bleach smell breathe off before use. For tablets, follow the directions on the package.
Boiling is a common method but uses fuel to get it to boil so I would hesitate at it unless the other methods are not available. Boil the water for a few minutes at least and keep it clean and safe from contamination. A home water distiller uses this method and is the safest of the boiling methods when used correctly.
All of these methods will certainly make non-potable water you have better than it was but no method is perfect. Even water pumped to you house now isn't perfect. Protecting your source is vital too so don;t bathe in the stream or wash your dishes in the lake. keep the water source pristine and carry water uphill and out of the way for use for any need, bathing, drinking,cooking or cleaning -- DON'T do any of it in your water source. When waste water is dumped. dump it into a pit,dug for the purpose so the water can go through the natural filter in the ground and not contaminate the rest of the system.
As the title of the blog implies, this is intended for someone without much money. It is true that some suggestions given here cost money. However, with some creativity and savings, clean water as an element of ones emergency preparedness, is worth saving up for and investing time in. 

Do you carry an adhesive bandage with you?

As a parent of eight children, most of which are still in the daredevil stage of "they will climb up onto everything and jump down into everything" how often do you find yourself needing a simple sterile adhesive bandage? I know my kids and looking at them, you will find some scrape, cut, bruise, or other little sign of childhood somewhere on their, knees, face, elbows, arms or wherever they got dinged. I have bought band-aids by the 100 count box for a couple of years now and we never have them long enough to expire. Kids need them...often.
However, from time to time, I need one. I get paper cuts or just walking around I bump into things, and occasionally I bleed. It would be nice if that never happened but I am not walking around in a canvas full body bubble suit  to prevent every thing. And usually it is just a little thing.
Some time ago, I started carrying a couple of band-aids in my wallet. They are small enough to fit in there and as there is only two it doesn't take up much room. I swap them out for fresh ones if I don't end up needing them. I have even recently thought about keeping an alcohol wipe in it too as often the things I do that cause me damage, are not ones that find my skin to be very clean.

First aid kit in detail

   First aid kits are an indispensible part of any home. There are challenges with keeping one and if your house is like mine, you have to go to it often, at least a couple times a week to care for one five year old daredevil or another. Also things expire, heat in a car causes some wrappers to separate and sterility of the bandages could be compromised. Despite these challenges, I encourage you to keep one up.
   Many first aid kits are made by various companies. Johnson and Johnson and Curad come to mind as well  as other outdoor products companies so what should you consider in a first aid kit? Is there any one kit that is better than another?

A typical backpackers first aid kit. Courtesy of REI.com Item # 832243

   As I mentioned in an earlier post, first aid kits, like 72 hour kits need to be customized to your needs and your habits. Some items could be in the "gray area" between a first aid kit item and a 72 hour kit item. An example would be splinting material. Definitely a part of a first aid kit but they never show up in the little boxes you get in stores. If they did, they would no longer be "little " first aid kits. Think about where you go and what you do regularly. Do you often go hiking? swimming? canoeing? What items would you hope to have in those situations? Write them down. Your kit is your own and needs to reflect your needs.
   For starters I would start with a regular base kit and customize from there. I would compare contents between kits and see how much of a given kit is stuff you would need and how much you may not need. How much would you need to add to the kit? What do you go through a lot of?
   One other consideration I have made in recent years is the container the kits are in. I had been buying these "clamshell " plastic cases as I had found them at Walmart. Good idea normally but I found the cases after being kicked around in my van broke and would not stay closed. If the container won't hold up, it will spoil all of the contents. Eventually, I found a soft case zippered first aid kit, almost like an LDS scriptures case and it has done very well. It had good contents and was still fairly compact. I have had it for over two years now and remain happy with it.
   Size of the kit. Variety should be based on who is involved and what you do  as mentioned above but size of the kit should be based on how many people are involved and what they do. With my kids we go through standard adhesive bandages "band-Aids" like candy. Lets face it. Kids hate shoes, kids love wearing shorts  and they have some sor t of fearless death wish with some of their activities. Then they have the gall to be surprised when it all comes to a screeching halt, sometimes literally as they go flying over their handlebars and slide across the asphalt for a few feet. That will take a few band-aids but sometimes some tape, gauze, and peroxide too. Be prepared for your little daredevils. Increase the size or number of items based on your needs. Don't put enough in for just one little incident. Make sure you have enough for more than one battle with childhood. Memos to self to refresh it right after you get home doesn't always happen. Just remember though, things expire so don't buy a box of 100 band-aids if you only use one or two once in a while. That leads us to...
   Rotation/Refreshing. Like with a 72 hour kit, I would rotate items that need it every three months. This does not me an replacing the whole kit every three months. Some items like a roller bandage or splints, or moleskin do not need to be refreshed that often. However, anything in the paper covers like band-aids, 2 x 2 gauze, etc should be rotated. Any medications, especially prescription ones should be rotated every three months if not sooner. Peroxide for example breaks back down to normal water with light and heat exposure. that is why they come in brown bottles. Over time all you have is water and they aren't good for much, even in the house. They are cheap so replace them as they expire and as needed. I would replace them out of a car kit well before the expiration as they have been stored in the hot car. Medications are often affected by heat and moisture so Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Aspirin, etc should be rotated out every rotation. You don't want o accidentally poison yourself because a medication has gone bad on you. One cautionary note. Isopropyl alcohol or "rubbing" alcohol is flammable and could be dangerous if a bottle was broken or spilled. Invest in the alcohol wipes instead. The little foil packages they come in are durable and when there is just a handful in a ziploc bag, they stay safe and limit waste. A bottle in a home kit should be just fine.
   Once you get your kits established, every three months, rotate the items out of your car kits, to the main home kit which should be larger. For example if you have two cars and each have ten standard band-aids, replace all ten with new ones from a package you bought new recently. Use them in the house and if they expire, throw them out and replace them. rotate them in the kit too so you know which ones are the oldest.
   Remember your kit is your own and is that stepping stone between an injury and healing. It could make all the difference in a real emergency that requires an ambulance too. Remember that as you do different activities to add different items. I keep mentioning splint material. If you don't normally consider that as part of your kit but decide to go hiking in red rock country or four-wheeling on sand dunes or bridge jumping, (all of which I have done,) it might be a good idea to add them to the kit temporarily. Sand makes lousy splint material and sage brush just doesn't cut it either. Be creative and if anything overly cautious with what you put in.
   Lastly, get some training. I will post an article about this later but if you haven't ever had CPR or First aid training, get it. It is offered often and is quite simple. You could be the difference between someone living or dying, between someone having a superficial injury or having it degrade to a life-threatening infection. I have seen both scenarios. Knowledge is key. Make a first aid pamphlet part of your kit if it did not already come with one. Practice splinting arms, legs, etc. on occasion to stay up on it.  Practice bandaging up wounds with a triangular bandage. Practice!

Here is another about.com article on first aid kits. http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/first_aid_kit.htm

72 hour kit/First aid kit

A few of us out there in the world have had the wisdom to prepare an emergency kit for our car and/or home. It often goes by 72-hour kit, bug out bag, etc. but the intent is still the same. I don't like the acronym SHTF for these situations and as I have talked with people about it I have often said when the world blows up..." yes I have a tendency toward the dramatic at times. For now I will just use the term "in an emergency..."
72 hour kits or bug out bags are an essential item to always have packed, fresh and ready to go in your car whether you are two miles from home at the grocery store or 200 miles away on a road trip. Where each of us lives and where each of us may have to travel to get to safety is very individualistic and could have quite an impact on what we choose to put in our 72 hour kits.
How we pack them could also have a big impact. For example, I have eight children ranging from 13 down to a few months. Many 72 hour kit suggestions say pack a bag for each person. My youngest three can't and wouldn't wear a backpack loaded with gear. theirs would have to be distributed among the rest of ours. Also with that many, there are some items that would be redundant such as a folding camp saw or hatchet. We don't need seven hatchets for those of us that could use them.
As for myself, I prefer a tall soft-sided weather resistant backpack. It stores easily in my truck and would be easy for me to carry. Don't use things like Rubbermaid/Sterilite totes etc for 72 hour kits unless it is solely to keep them organized and separated from the clutter of everyday life. In that case you would likely abandon the bin upon the need to depart.
Water is important, probably the most important thing you have in your kit. There are three components to your water kit. First a supply of water, already ready to be used. This needs to rotate just like your food. I bought a gallon jug with a good handle on it and spent a little extra money to make sure it had a thicker walled plastic on the container. Stuff takes a beating in my truck and I didn't want to need to go for it to find out it had sprung a leak and fouled the water. Second, have a ready to carry water bottle with built in filter. Seychelle makes a nice one found here: http://www.seychelle.com/ it is a little spendy but works well. Third have a readily available way of filtering a water source if you come across one like streams, puddles, irrigation, swimming pools, etc. The water bottle incorporates that above, but if it cannot be afforded make sure you are not "one and done" with the ready source mentioned in point 1 above. Water is priceless, invest in it for your family.
Food is also important, just remember it will be in the kit for months so make sure it is not something that will melt. I have some trail mix (without chocolate) beef jerky, lemonheads and some crackers in mine. I am sure there are better things but this is what I will eat and what I have started with. A nice big can of beef stew might be more appealing to some but remember, you need to carry what you pack and the products of a case lot sale maybe more than you can handle.
First Aid kit. This is where a lot of differences occur. The most important thing to remember win this is that nomtter what you think, you could suffer anything from a bee sting to a broken femur in an emergency situation so have what you believe you need. You know your routine and where you drive. I drive in a crowded valley but then up into a canyon daily. Rockfall is one thing I could. Triangular bandages and some simple splint material as well as a walking stick is part of my supply. I also have a knife and saw in case the issue is not so "simple" and I need to fashion something.
Maps. We all may like our GPS's and all but a good map book is not dependent on batteries. Hopefully most of us know the lay of the land around our own home within 50 to 100 miles enough that we could get home without a map but carry one anyway. If you travel farther than that, it would be good to have a good road atlas. lastly, if you will be in rough terrain without any unique landmarks, a good contour map marked with your path and area you will be in both with you and left with a friend at home would be a great idea. Know where you are going and make where you are going known.
Practice. Once you get a good kit together, try a weekend day hike  with just what you have in your kit. Through the urban jungle or a ten mile hike overnighter  with just what you have. Take a small notebook and write down the impulses and thoughts about what you have and what you wish you brought like, "I usually wear dress shoes to the office. Maybe I should have a sturdy pair of shoes or boots with my kit" or another, I usually wear a skirt. maybe a pair of jeans and a good shirt would be wise" Write the thoughts down and try different things. Go with someone and get their impressions too.
Update. Summer is not winter. I would suggest updating your kit on the quarters of the year. Update your food, clothing, etc. at the end of March for wetter spring weather, end of June for hotter summer weather, end of September for cooler even winter weather, and check again the end of December to ensure you have all you need for a "hunker in the car" winter survival. Always refresh your food on these quarters. As unappetizing as my two month old saltines may sound to some, Two year old saltines are worse. Refresh them as often as needed to keep them usable and choose things that can take some time in the car. Grow the clothes as your kids grow and grow the portions too.
Customize. Nobody knows you better than you. You know your route, your typical haunts, and where you usually go. pack a kit accordingly. Multipurpose some things. Diaper wipes are great for babies diapers which you may need to pack as well, but could work well for wet wipes as well. If you have pets, pack appropriately for them as well, including a small package of pet food. try it test it and as you confront problems ask others what they would do. Advice on what and how to pack is a great way to improve upon it.

72 hour kits are not the be all and end all of emergency Prep. Likely there will be some coordinated response from organizations bot government and non. A 72 hour kit is to help you be in the best condition you can be to survive until you can return to civilization again or when civilization can return to you.

For the beginners and the rest of us who would like a good place to start here is a link to a good list I have found: http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/72hour_kit.htm

post feedback below, I would like to hear about it. I will be doing detailed segments on each part  of my kit and would like input. Also, don't forget to enter your e-mail address on the right  ----> to follow this blog. You never know what might help!!

Next article: First Aid Kit details.

Pressure Canning; some tips

Many of us who grew up in homes where food was canned like, peaches, pears, applesauce, etc. probably know something about what it takes to can some foods. Often there is peeling and blanching, coring and slicing. Not to mention the extraordinary amounts of sugar and other ingredients that go into canning something like this. I have done some in the past few years but one canning adventure that a lot of people balk at is canning meats. I by no means am perfect at it but have tried my hand at a few things and found the experience different but not very complicated. Aside from a few additional tools like a pressure canner, it isn't a lot different.

Canning tip #1: Experiment only on what you are willing to lose. I have tried some of the meat I canned that day and aside from a funny taste that may be the freezer burned nature of the meat, it wasn't bad. Nobody got sick! ;)

Some may wonder why pressure canning is necessary. With fruits, a hot water bath canning process is OK because fruit is typically high in acid and low in proteins. Vegetables are not acidic despite low protein. These conditions influence bacteria growth among other things so the temperature needed to ensure the bacteria is completely killed and any adverse elements are neutralized is much higher than boiling water. One principle of physics is when you increase the pressure, you also increase the freezing and boiling points. This higher pressure and temperature does the job.

Tip #2. Can in amounts you can use fairly readily. Half-used jars of canned items placed in the fridge tend to be forgotten and wasted. Can jams and jellies into half-pint or pint sized jars. Quarts are just too big. Can fruits into quarts or pints, half pints only hold about 2 slices -- not worth the effort. If there is something you use for several different things and in different amounts can some in different sized jars. I have a goulash sauce that I use to make goulash, a recipe I may share in the future. I also use it as the "tomato sauce" on top of meatloaf. For goulash, I use a quart, for meatloaf I use a pint. I can both sizes.

I am canning sixty pounds of ground beef today. (Yes that is 6-0 pounds). The extra lean ground beef (85%) was on sale for $1.99 and I had a budget left over for food storage. There was no limit so I bought forty pounds at one store and then another twenty at another. I could have gotten all I wanted at one store but that would have almost cleared them out so I was nice and split the trip. I was concerned that if I didn't get it on the first day of the sale, I would not be able to get the amount I wanted. I can fit ten pint jars in the canner at a time so this will take me six cycles to can it all. As I type this, I have batch 2 in the canner, Each cycle takes about three hours from start to start. Which means I will be done around 5am this next morning.

Tip #3 (Betcha' saw this one coming) Plan enough time to can what you need to can or conversely, only buy what you have time to can. In my case, I am pulling an all nighter to ensure it doesn't ruin my New Years weekend. Veteran canners know this but also know when it can't be avoided. Some fruits, vegis, etc, don't last long off of the vine and so they need to be canned quickly, sometimes a canning all nighter is necessary. Fortunately, not all such things need so much time in the canner. Another way to do this is to have enough canners to get it done quickly. If I had the money, I would have three pressure canners and two boiling water canners so I could go almost non stop. However I don't can everyday so borrowing one from a kindred canning spirit might do the trick as well.

OK, now you have all the tools, you have what you want to can, you've read up on canning what you want to can, now what?

First, start in a clean kitchen with lots of counter space. I am speaking relatively as some of us have smaller kitchens than others. I am one of those with a relatively small kitchen. Move some of the regular counter clutter out if you don't need it for the canning job. Wipe everything down. Also remember some of the basic culinary rules. When handling and preparing meats, they carry bacteria and other organisms that can cause disease. Always prepare them separate from anything else. If you need to cut or slice or otherwise prep your meat before canning, keep that area isolated from the rest. If you are canning different meats like beef and chicken, clean and sanitize between types to prevent cross contamination. Use a cutting board that you use for meats and meats only. If this is not a normal kitchen practice, begin now. Designate one that is only for meats and scrub it thoroughly after use. Clean kitchen equals good food.

Tip #4. Canning takes a while, be comfortable as you do it. I have a couple of bar stools that hold my girth without complaint. (Yes, GIRTH!!) If I have to sit at a sink peeling or at a stove stirring, I will often use those stools. Sit when you can. It will be a while.

Tip #5 Many jars have a "shoulder" or ridge right below the threads of the jar.it is the last ledge before the jar curves out to its shape. That is typically the 1/2 inch mark. A good estimate based on that line is often sufficient. Measure with a simple ruler to be sure if you have doubts.

Caps and rings. the cap is the flat jar lid that creates the seal, The ring holds it in place. The ring is only necessary during the canning process. Once the jars have cooled and you have verified the seal is good, take the ring off. Some think that it is double protection to be sure the cap stays on. Trust me if it is a good seal the cap is not going anywhere. The down side to leaving it on is water, from the canner, gets trapped in the rings and can rust the ring to the cap over time. I have had a few when I was young, be so rusted it took channel locks (monster pliers) to get the ring off, The ring was ruined, the cap was rusted, (yummy) and the jar could have broken. Take the ring OFF!

Before putting the caps on you need to prepare them. At least five minutes before using them, put the number you need for your current canning batch into a small pan of water, place it on the burner of the stove and bring the water to a boil. You don't need much water, just enough to cover the lids scattered over the whole surface of the pan. I use an omelet skillet or a small saucepan for this. After they have boiled for a couple of minutes, use a lid lifter, (a small wand about 6 inches long with a magnet on the end. Very cheap but so worth it,) to lift each cap out one by one and place them on the jar. Put a ring in place and just snug the ring down onto the cap, not too tight but tight enough to hold the cap firmly in place. Repeat with the rest until all caps are in place. The boiling sanitizes the caps and softens the rubber a little bit to ensure a good seal.

Tip # 6. The key to doing canning at a good pace is to keep things moving, time each thing so it is ready when needed. keep things hot and clean, jars, caps, rings and the canner water, Once you get jars in place, if the water is almost boiling the heat up time is not nearly as long. Save time.

Hot jars, hot food, hot liquids. This is important as temperature differences can be dangerous. If you put hot food in cold jars, it can cause the jars to shatter. If you put cool jars into a hot canner bath, they can shatter, if you add cold water to a hot canner bath to top it off, the jars can... wait for it... SHATTER! Be careful and keep things the same temperature,

Tip #7 Use jars in good condition. There is nothing wrong with reusing canning jars. be sure they are in good shape though, jars with chips on the rims, chips or cracks in them, Nicks or gouges in them, like your windshield, will crack and shatter in extreme pressures and temperatures. The jars int he canner go through these extremes. Replace jars that need replacing. they are less than $1 each even when not on sale. it is worth my time to not have to clean shattered glass and food out of a canner or box or shelf when a jar gives out to not use suspect jars. Well worth my time.

With a canner filled with preheated water, (hot water, hot food in hot jars,) use a pair of jar tongs (inexpensive and prevents you burning your hands in taking jars in and out of the hot water in the canner.

Now the jars are filled, into the canner. The water should just cover the tops of the jars about 1 inch. Refer to the canner instructions on this. I generally fill the canner with water up to half the height of the jars I am putting in if I am putting a full load in. After the jars are in, I adjust with hot tap water. Tip # 8 If you have hard water, then the pressure canning process will leave your jars with a hard water film after they are done processing. Sometimes the lid gets this. To avoid this, make sure the canner is well clean before beginning and put about 1/4 cup vinegar in the water. This will solve this problem. If you find it isn't enough, use filtered/bottled water or more vinegar.

Place the lid in place. Lock the lid in place and place it on the stove. Most canners have two or three valves. if yours has a gauge on it, then the valves are opposite each other along the edge. One is a metal pop up valve and the other is a rubber safety valve. Once the pan begins to heat the pressure builds inside. While the flow of steam is small, the metal valve stays down allowing the steam to come out. As the heat builds, the steam increases until the pressure pushes the metal valve up. Once up the pressure begins to build. NEVER remove the lid if the metal valve is up and the canner is hot. The rubber valve is a fail safe. if the canner get too hot or builds too much pressure, it will blow the rubber cap out and release the pressure. it is a monster whistling teakettle when this happens so be careful. Never hangout around the canner while it is cooking. Check on it and stay in the vicinity, but don't stand right over it. Watch the gauge and adjust the heat on the burner to get and keep the reading where it should be.

If you have a canner with a small set of weights instead of a gauge, you have three pressure options, 5, 10, and 15 psi. If your pressure setting is in between 5,10,or 15, round up. Remember to also account for altitude, generally this is one pound per 1000 feet above sea level. Again check your manual. If you have this weighted kind, the weights snap loosely onto a tube protruding from the lid of the canner, Set your weights before heating and then once the main valve pops up monitor the weights, eventually the weight will begin to rock, move and spin as steam pushes out from underneath it. Once this begins you will need to turn down the heat bit by bit to keep it acting right. You should hear a variable spurting sound like an oscillating lawn sprinkler as steam escapes. If it is one constant unbroken "shhhhhh" sound, it is too high, turn the heat down a little. If the weights no longer move and dance, it is too low, turn it up a little. Get to know your canner and how it behaves.
Once the canner has come up to pressure, start a timer for how long it should stay at pressure. Stay in the room, read a book, monitor the canner. the behavior should stay fairly regular once set. Adjust as necessary. If ANYTHING seems odd, turn off the heat and check everything, it is better to overdo it and lose a batch than blow up your kitchen. Well, usually. 
After the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the canner cool down naturally, this could take over an hour so be patient. Trying to cool down the canner with cold water or ice could be dangerous so don't do it. Also don't disable the valves, weights, etc. as steam shoots out at high pressure, like a super hot radiator on a car. Burns result. Be patient and wait for the main valve to drop back into the lid all on its own. The jars are under high internal pressure too so releasing the heat and pressure too quickly could damage the jars or food. if anything breaks, big mess. 
Now the canner has cooled off, the valve has dropped and you are ready to take off the lid. Do so carefully. the contents are still hot though no longer under pressure. Move the lid aside and look to see if any of the jars appear damaged. The color of the food may have changed, the water may have become slightly cloudy, the metal of the canner may have tarnished. This is all normal. If the water has become sludgy or filled with all kinds of debris, look for a broken jar, ring or cap. A jar probably blew. Use the tongs to search. Again, do not put cold water directly onto the jars or in the canner when hot. Jars will break.
Assuming success, carefully lift the jars one by one out of the canner with the jar tongs and set aside on a counter to cool. As you do this, take a look at each jar for any unexpected contents in the jar or new damage to the jar. if it looks good set it aside. Let them cool naturally. 
Was the canner only after it has thoroughly cooled. Use soap and water and make sure the tube for the pressure gauge or weights is clear. Many places will test your canner lid and canner for proper measurement of pressure and service as necessary. 
As your jars cool, you will hear a metallic pop as each jar cools and the vacuum inside the jar takes over. Each jar should do this though some jars do it quieter then others. This is the opposite of the pop when you open a jar. After they have all cooled, sometimes overnight, push the button in the metal of the cap. it should be firmly down.  If they pop up and down at all, and the jar is still hot, you can take the lid off, clean the rim again, make sure the rim is chip-free and reprocess with a new cap. If more than a few do this, the rims were likely not properly clean, do better next time. The rims must be clean.
More often than not, if you were careful and meticulous through the process every jar will look clean, uniform in appearance and hopefully appetizing. Relish in your success, and make a note of things to do different next time. Food safety is important, but food availability, freshness and a sense of accomplishment are too. Enjoy your food, you worked hard for it.

Short Term Food Storage: Meal Idea

Ok, you all say. Time for me to put my money where my mouth is. I have decided to share a recipe that would be a great short term food storage one. Now I have nine in my little army (little? Riiiight.) so I am preparing this on that scale. Most recipes are scalable you know so figure it out. It isn't really that hard until you get to 1/2 of a fresh egg and that isn't really a problem with storage eggs.
OK the recipe:

Spaghetti:

Now I am a carnivore far more than I am an herbivore. I will eat vegis but I like meat. If you don't you can substitute some items. Just try some different things and get something that works. My spaghetti is as follows:

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained.
1 large can traditional spaghetti sauce
1/8 cup (2 TBSP) Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Garlic salt
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
other seasonings to taste

1.5lbs spaghetti noodles, cooked Al dente, rinsed and drained.

Cheese, Cheddar, Parmesan, Romano, what have you. Each fit within the short term storage definition.

What does the last line mean? It means I don't make it the same way every time. I do it based on my mood and some times I want a good savory sauce so I up the Worcestershire. Sometimes I am in a barbecue mood so I may mix in some of my favorite barbecue sauce. Sometimes I want it sweet and tangy so I will go with some honey and 1/2 cup steak sauce. Either way, I make it a unique creation every time.
Something else? Ground beef? Yes you can bottle up and pressure can ground beef. It tastes pretty good too. It sure beats not having any and eating meatless spaghetti. The spaghetti sauce can change up too. I like one with 'shrooms in it but my wife doesn't. Occasionally, I sneak one into the cart at the store and it makes it onto the table when I am cooking. Variety is good.
Last, the pasta. I rinse mine as I hate sticky pasta. Al dente is a term in pasta (Italian, go figure) that I translate here as meaning just done. Nothing ruins a good pasta dish like overcooked pasta. It also varies from pasta to pasta. I usually cook mine till when I try it, it is still firm but not chewy or "doughy" tasting. Try chewing on a spaghetti noodle that has only been boiling for two to three minute and you get what I mean. Al dente for me is about 9-10 minutes but sometimes longer. Also, don't put the past a in until the water with 1 tsp of salt, is boiling already. makes for a better, more even and less sticky pasta.
To mix or not to mix? My wife likes to mix. If I have a lot of people and I am concerned that there may not be enough sauce, I mix. If I am deliberately making enough of both for leftovers, I don't. I prefer it unmixed particularly when I occasionally have a child who does not want sauce.

Now what does this have to do with food storage? In my last post, I mentioned storing enough for three months of the stuff you normally eat. Spaghetti is a common meal in my house, about once every two weeks. For three months this spaghetti recipe adds up like this:

9-10 lbs spaghetti (about $10)
6 lb hamburger (pressure canned) about $3.00 lb for the hamburger, and another dollar each for Jar, band, lid and time to pressure can it. (Roughly $25)
6 cans Pasta Sauce. I can often get the Larger cans, bigger than a pint and smaller than a quart (26oz) for around $.90. So about $6.00 for sauce.
Worcestershire Sauce. This will use about 1 bottle. I can often find my store brand for $1.99 though the Lea And Perrins is more than $3. and is a bigger bottle. I have just bought the store brand.
Garlic salt, Italian seasonings, and others all vary in cost but usually not very expensive. For all of these we'll say about $2.
Now cheese. I know fresh Parmesan and Romano tastes better but for storage purposes one of those pint size plastic containers will probably keep better. They are also around $2. We only go through about 1-2 of them in this time. so to be safe, we'll say about $3 for the cheese.
Water, Water. You can never have enough water. I won't put a price on clean potable water in an emergency, but I will tell you. Get it in different sizes. I have some 50 gal drums in my garage all the way down to a case of bottled water in my van. Have a way to purify water and not just boiling but filtering as well.

So for three months of a great spaghetti dinner, you run about $50. If you add a few cans of vegis, we always do at least two, that runs another$3-6 on average. Corn and Green beans are typical with us.

As I have written out this explanation, I have written it for a reader. But, in reality, it is more like a math problem. Write the list, estimate cost, add it up for the three months. Also remember to have a means of cooking it. Fuel isn't free either.
This is just one example of a decent meal that can be stored in its components with a little work and then prepared as needed.
Do the same with other meals. Don't be scared about totals. have fun with some culinary testing. Just remember to write down everything you used from water to salt, from meat to mayo.