Bottling Your Own...

Although bottling can destroy much food value, it does provide substance and calories, as well as comfort.  Grape juice and apple juice are said to retain most of the food value when bottled.   There are some things I prefer to buy already canned (such as beans). Alot of it depends on what is available in your area and how much time you have.

I bottle/have bottled the following:

Apple Juice
Applesauce
Apricot Jelly
Blackberry Jam
Rhubarb-Ginger Jelly
Corn (occasionally, but prefer it frozen)
Elderberry Jelly and Juice
Grape Juice (White, Red and Dark)
Nectarine Jam
Peaches
Pears
Pickles
Salsa (tomato, pear and peach)
Tomatoes
Zucchini-Tomato Mix
Anaheim Peppers
Pepper Jelly
Turkey/Chicken broth
Potatoes
Carrots
Beets
Venison

(Update: September 2018) Bottling seems to be a lost art these days.  We are personally prepared with a pressure canner and steam canner and plenty of empty bottles/lids on hand in case I need to bottle items when electricity goes out for a long period.  We have a propane cooker that can be used for this.  We have a freezer full of meat, fruits, vegetables that can all be bottled and saved.  I also have directions handy.  Remember to save your canning lids.  Put them on the washed, empty bottles for storage.  Lids CAN be used multiple times.  In spite of what most people say.  They DO reseal at least as well as NEW lids.  I have many lids that have tightly sealed even after 5-7 times being re-used. Either lids seal or they don't.  If a lid doesn't seal, whether new or used, chuck it!  Don't keep trying.  Look for the "red" seals on the newer lids.  The older lids with the "gray" seals often don't work again.  Contact me if you have any questions on canning.  I have been doing it for 40 plus years.

Colloidal Silver...Antibiotic Alternative

BYU study shows colloidal silver is as good as penicillin.

http://www.silvermedicine.org/byustudy.html

Silver in various forms has been used for centuries as an antimicrobial agent.  In the 1800s and early 1900s people put silver coins in their water barrels to kill microbes and make the water potable.

Use of silver, once common, faded with the advent of antibiotics.  Recently, concerns about overuse of antibiotics has lead to a resurgence of silver's popularity.

It may be a good addition to your survival supplies.

According to the study mentioned above, the solution "exhibits an equal or broader spectrum of activity than any one antibiotic tested."  It has been shown to kill more than 600 types of harmful bacteria.  Can be combined with other antibiotics and is safe for babies and children.

It has a reasonably long shelf life.  Not indefinite, but probably a year or two.  Should be stored in brown bottles, at room temperature in a dark location.

Personally, I have been using colloidal silver for years, but not all the time. I make my own with a colloidal silver maker.   

It is stellar for external infections such as cuts, abrasions or wounds, can be sprayed on easily.  It works amazingly well on any kind of eye infection, especially "pink eye", curing it most times within one day.  Also useful for ear infections, sore throats and sinus infections.  Can be put in a diffuser to be dispersed into lungs and bronchials.  Can be taken internally for "stomach flu".  Spray into the nose at the first sign of a cold.

1.  For prevention of illnesses and infection:  Take one teaspoon per day on an empty stomach. (late night suggested).  Swish it around the mount for a minute or two before swallowing to reduce bacteria in the mouth.

2.  Sterilize food preparation surfaces. Swab cutting boards and allow to dry without wiping off.  Use a tablespoon or so on your dish cloth.

3.  Can be used as a personal deodorant.

4.  Add to cut flowers, a tablespoon or so in the vase to extend the freshness of water and flowers.

5.  To purify water, add an ounce to quart of questionable water, wait 20 minutes.

6.  For safer fruit, use the water from hint #5 and soak the fruit for 20 minutes.

7.  For foreign travel, take a tablespoon with a meal to reduce your chance of getting sick from unfamiliar bacteria.

Ten Ways to Use Colloidal Silver

Grains and Seeds

Besides wheat, there are many other grains that can be stored to add variety and nutrition.  The ones that I have chosen are:

Rolled and Quick Oats
Rice--White rice keeps better.  Brown rice can be frozen or oven canned.
Rolled and Pearled Barley
Corn Meal, Popcorn and Corn for grinding and growing
Split Peas
Quinoa
Alfalfa Seeds (for sprouting) (Old seeds don't sprout.  Use for chicken feed or mulch.)
Mung Beans  (for sprouting). Same with old beans.  
Triticale
Rye
Millet
Macaroni
Chia Seeds
Flax Seeds
Lentils
6-Grain Mix

Note that 20-60 year old wheat may not sprout.  I have wheat in cans (about 30 years old) that does not sprout.  I have many empty canning jars, so I stone ground some of it into flour and oven canned.

Oven canning instructions:  fill clean quart or 1/2 gallon jars with freshly ground flour.  Place in the oven on a cooky sheet at 200 degrees for an hour.  Heat the lids (used lids are fine) in a container in the same oven. (Not rings). Then remove the jars carefully one at a time using hot pads.  Put the hot lids on each bottle and then rings.  Tighten.  They should seal within a few hours.   If they don't, use those bottles first.  The flour will still keep a long time even if the lids don't seal.

SPICES OF LIFE

Here is a list of the spices that Mary Bergman used:  garlic salt, onion salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, oregano, paprika, table salt

Here are the spices and seasonings that I store and use.  The ones I use most often and recommend to store are bolded and italicized:  All purpose season, almond flavor, basil leaf, bay leaf, caraway, celery seed, cinnamon, cloves, dill seed, garlic-herb season, garlic powder, ginger, Italian seasoning, majoram, Mexican seasoning, nutmeg, Old Bay, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley flakes, pepper corns, pizza season, poultry season, pumpkin pie spice, rosemary, saffron, sea salt or "Real Salt", salad sprinkle, spinach flakes, stevia, turmeric, vanilla extract (both real and imitation).

Most of these can be purchased locally or from online vendors such as Vitacost, Swanson, IHerb or similar companies.  

Ground spices don't keep their flavor after a few years.  Don't discard them, but add to potting soil.  Cut and sifted herbs keep longer.

UPDATE, June, 2024:  I now order almost all of my herbs/spices from Herbco, now Moneterey Bay  They are a wholesale company.  Shipping is free over $250, so I often find others who want to go in on an order.

Honey

We have been advised for years to store honey for many reasons.  It is a whole sweetener complete with vitamins and enzymes.

There's not too much to say except the internet is full of information.  Here is one link:
http://thesurvivalmom.com/heres-a-honey-of-a-post-17-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-honey-but-should/

You can make candy, sweeten almost anything or use it for medicine.

It does solidify, so storing it in larger containers is cumbersome when you need to use it.  I recommend pouring into smaller containers for storage.

Survival Family used 120 lbs. for their year for a family of 8.

Beans....

"We had several thousand pounds of dried beans.  The national estimate for a one year supply is 50 lbs per person per year.  My friends, that is a pound of beans a week for everyone in the family!  I have yet to see the family that can consume that amount of beans and still have any desire to stay alive!....we only used 85 lbs total for the entire year for the family of eight."  Mary Bergman

There is much information around on using beans in storage.
http://everydayfoodstorage.net/about-food-storage/beans

Dry beans take alot of cooking and soaking.  A pressure cooker would help here.  The point is...a few beans are nice, but the emphasis is  "few".  If you are like us, you probably have way more beans that would be actually utilized in a survival situation. They can also be sprouted.  They can even be used in a bartering situation for people that don't have anything else to eat.

Beans are made much more appetizing and edible by adding spices and meat.  (Think freeze dried ham, even canned ham or spam.)

Coconut Oil...Better Shelf Life than Olive Oil

Coconut oil is a liquid substance extracted from the meat of a mature coconut. A very stable substance with a long shelf life, it is used around the world as a safe, flavorful cooking oil, often substituting butter. Many believe that coconut oil offers health benefits, such as boosting the body’s natural metabolism. Although historically popular in tropical countries, millions of people throughout the Western world are including this versatile oil in their cooking regimens.

Another benefit of coconut oil lies in its high stability level. When stored in the proper environment, it can remain stable for many months, or even years.  It can also be used as a soothing, aromatic substitute for skin cream or lotion. Yes, people use coconut oil as a conditioner for their hair.

When cooking, coconut oil can be stirred into oatmeal, soups, and stews. For sauteing, heat coconut oil in a shallow pan for a few minutes and then add your favorite vegetables or use the hot oil to fry fish, potatoes, or chicken. Coconut oil can also be used in baking as a 1 to 1 replacement for butter or other oils.  

 Whether or not to store coconut oil in your refrigerator is based on your personal preference. If you choose to keep it in a pantry or cabinet, rest assured that it will not spoil. Storing coconut oil at room temperature does offer the advantage of easier scooping and spreading.

Coconut oil has an average shelf life of approximately 2 years, making it one of the longest-lasting unrefined cooking oils available, regardless of how many times it transitions between solid and liquid states.

Coconut oil has a melting point of 78˚ F. If you store it outside of the refrigerator, it may turn into a liquid. However, coconut oil has a very high stability and doesn’t break down as easily as olive oil.

There are many references to coconut oil on the internet.  Do your own research.  Here is just one link:  http://www.naturalnews.com/036156_Coconut_oil_superfood_healing.html

You can purchase coconut oil from many places, but one of my favorites is Vitacost. I also found it very modestly priced at Winco, Costco, Amazon and Walmart.

Click on this link to buy Coconut Oil from Vitacost.