Utah Fruit 2011

Delivery Dates

September 27 or 28 Orders and $ Due by 20th

Pears 38 lbs: Large $23.50 Calli or Red Bartlett

Jumbo: $25.50 Red Bartlett

Peaches 32 lbs: $25.50 Elegant Lady or Summer Lady

Apples 38 lbs: $25.50 Gala, Johnathon or Gingergold

October 11 or 12 Orders and $ Due by the October 4th

Pears 38 lbs: Large $23.50 D'Anjoe

Jumbo $25.50 D'Anjoe or Bosc

Peaches 32 lbs: Angelus, O'Henry, or Autumn Rose

Apples 38 lbs: $25.50 Golden or Red Delicious, Braeburn, Jonagold, Fuji, Granny

My personal recomendations are in bold. These are the ones that I like to order. If you are interested in making applesauce I always suggest ordering a couple different kinds because it gives it a good flavor.

Please e-mail all orders to rugettingprepared@yahoo.com. All checks can be mailed to Anna Ptak (new last name) 3492 E Vernon St Gilbert, AZ 85298

There is a pickup location in Gilbert at Chandler Heights and Higley, Mesa at Brown and Gilbert, and in Surprise. Please specify which location you would like and include a contact number.

Another way to store cheese!

USE ONLY WIDE MOUTH PINT JARS

Bake jars for 10 minutes at 245 degrees on a cookie sheet. Do this just as the cheese is almost done. Jars must be hot when putting the cheese in.

There are two ways that you can melt the cheese.

First way- Melt cheese in pan, slowly. Put melted cheese in hot jars.

Second way- Melt about 3 cups of cheese in the microwave in glass bowl for 2-3 minutes. Stir cheese every minute or so to mix the cheese evenly until melted. Pour into hot jars. This way is much easier and less messy than doing it on the stove.

Process cheese in a water bath canner or a steam canner for 45 minutes.

Good information for storing in plastic.

Safest plastics for food and beverages
By Lori Bongiorno Posted Mon Nov 3, 2008 10:28pm PST

Some plastics are safer to eat and drink from than others. Here's a quick guide to help you make informed choices. If you want to dig deeper, take a look at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Smart Plastics Guide (PDF).
It's worth avoiding the following plastics when you can. You can identify a plastic by looking at the recycling code number that appears inside a triangle at the bottom of many containers.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can leach phthalates, known male reproductive toxicants. It can be identified by code 3. One way to avoid it in the kitchen is by choosing plastic wrap made from polyethylene rather than PVC. If a box is not labeled, find a brand that is or call the manufacturer.

Polystyrene is used in Styrofoam products. It may leach styrene (a neurotoxin) when it comes into contact with hot, acidic, or fatty foods. It's marked with recycling code 6.

Polycarbonate can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor associated with a long list of health concerns. Baby bottles, "sippy" cups, 5-gallon water jugs, and reusable beverage bottles are typically made out of this plastic. Products may be marked with recycling code 7 (also includes any plastic that doesn't fit into the 1 to 6 recycling code categories) and/or the letters "PC."
In response to the widespread concerns about BPA, baby bottles and other items made from alternative materials are springing up. Experts say stainless steel is your best bet for reusable water bottles right now. ThinkSport and Klean Kanteen are two widely available brands.
The following plastics are considered safest for food storage. Glass and stainless steel are also good options.

Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene (PETE), code 1.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE), code 2.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), code 4.

Polypropylene (PP), code 5.

Here are some tips for using all plastics safely:
Don't microwave food plastic containers. Chemicals are more likely to leach out when plastic is heated. "Microwaveable plastic" doesn't guarantee that chemicals won't leach. Cover foods in the microwave with wax paper or a plate. If you do use plastic wrap, then make sure it doesn't touch the food.
Avoid putting hot foods in plastic containers. Let leftovers cool off before storing them in plastic.Take good care of plastics by not washing them with harsh chemicals, and dispose of scratched and worn containers. Research has shown that older, scratched items will leach more, says Kathleen Schuler at the Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy. (Don't put them in the dishwasher if you want to be completely risk-averse, she suggests.)

How to store Cheese

Cheeses can be stored by dipping them in melted paraffin.Remove any wrapping from the cheese. Melt the paraffin in an old pan. Dip the cheese in the melted stuff or get a paint brush and paint the paraffin on the cheese. Allow the paraffin to dry completely, and dip again. After about 4 coats of paraffin, you may add a layer of cheese cloth for extra protection.Continue dipping and drying until the paraffin has formed a smooth, thick, bubble free surface. Store cheeses that have been coated in paraffin in the coolest spot you can find, as in a cellar or unheated room.
Cheeses that have been stored this way will last a very long time, almost indefinitely. If the paraffin ever gets a crack or blister, re-coat it with melted paraffin.

72 Hr. Kit Items

If you haven't started your 72 hr. kits yet, here are some great items to start with. If you have started, GOOD FOR YOU! But, you might see some items here that you don't have yet.

The one item that is a must have is the "Filtering Water Bottle". This water bottle can filter up to 100 gallons of water, which is a very important item to have.

The "Fresh and Go toothbrushes" are really cool items to have. They already have the toothpaste in them! There are up to 30 uses in each toothbrush.

Then there is the Premier Bottled Emergency Kit. This kit already has a lot of these items.
It comes with:
2- Purifying water tablets
1- Water bottle
1- Hand and body warmer
1- Emergency poncho
1- Emergency blanket
1- Strike-anywhere matches
1- 9-bulb LED flashlight
3- "AAA" batteries
1- 5-in-1 whistle
1- basic first-aid kit
1- Zip-top bag
1-Multifunction tool
1- Carabiner

There are several 72 hr. kit lists off to the right hand side. Take a look at these and then pick out which one would best fit you and members of your family. Remember, make it the way you want it and fun. For a very extended 72 hr. kit, look at the one called "The Cadillac of 72 Hr. Kits". It has some great ideas and instructions on how to do it.
If you just don't want to do one or are to overwhelmed with it all we would be more than happy to customize a kit for you. Please email for details.

Please look at the "Order Forms" for more items to order. All prices are listed there as well.

To order any of these items, please email your order and any questions to www.rugettingprepared@yahoo.com

Storing in Buckets

Storing in buckets is very easy and another great way to preserve your food.
I offer buckets ranging in size from 1/2 gallon to 6.5 gallon.
Depending on the size of your family you can store in 3.5 gallon, 5 gallon or 6.5 gallon. It will also depend on how fast you go through stuff, for example your flour, sugar, wheat, etc.

How to store in Buckets:

For every gallon of your bucket you want to use 1 oz. of dry ice. So for a 5 gallon bucket put in 5 oz. of dry ice. Put the dry ice in the bottom of your bucket, dump the food on top and then ONLY seal down your lid half way. DO NOT SEAL THE LID ALL THE WAY CLOSED, or you will have lids exploding off your buckets. You will finish sealing your bucket when all of the dry ice is gone. To tell if this has happened, feel the bottom of your bucket. If it is still cold then you are not finished yet. This process will take a few hours, so it is best to do it in the morning and then check it every so often throughout the day. As soon as you can not feel any more cold spots on the bottom of your bucket, finish sealing your lid. To seal the lid down, you can use a rubber mallet.
You must use dry ice on anything that you put in buckets, except white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar and salt. These food items don't need anything. Simply dump them in the bucket and seal down the lid.
DO NOT USE OXYGEN PACKETS, they will not work in buckets.

If you would like to print up this information click on "How to store food in Buckets" under the Links to other useful information.... on the right hand side of this blog, and also to see other items offered, go to the "Order Forms", off to the right hand side.


To order any of these items, please email your order and any questions to www.rugettingprepared@yahoo.com

Barrels for Water Storage

Water...Water...Water
Lets face it; water is probably one of the most important food items you can store not to mention the cheapest!

How to store and purify water:
Here are the amounts of bleach that you should add to your water when you store it. Remember to ONLY USE unscented bleach.
5 gallons- 1/2 tsp.- for clear water; 1 tsp.- for cloudy water.
55 gallons- 2 TBLS. - for clear water; 4 TBLS.- for cloudy water.
You can also purify water by boiling for 3-5 minutes at a rolling boil. For every 1000 feet in elevation add one minute. The time listed here is for the elevation of sea level.


WAYS TO STORE YOUR WATER BARRELS!
Always make sure that your barrels are not in direct contact with the ground. Put something under them, either a piece of plywood, old piece of carpet or a pallet. You can stack the water barrels on top of each other, but only 2 high. There is also the water barrel racks that you can store your barrels in. Please see the picture slide below for the racks.
Rotate your water once a year.

Shelf Stable Milk

We have found a shelf stable milk product. It is regular cows milk that has been processed at a higher temperature so it is shelf stable for two years. It comes in quarts and in 8oz boxes with straws. It has no preservatives and no hormones so it is an all natural product. If you buy it in the quarts it is just a little over $4.00 per gallon and the little boxes are between 41 and 43 cents per box.

To order any of these items, please email your order and any questions to www.rugettingprepared@yahoo.com

Canning Tools and Gadgets

Make Home Canning Fun, Fun, Fun!

There are many items here that help make home canning very easy and fun.

The food strainer sauce maker helps make apple sauce, jams, tomato sauce and many other things a walk in the park.
The apple slicer peeler corer helps make apple pie filling a breeze.
Dehydrating is another great way to preserve foods.

A hand wheat grinder is a very important tool to add to your food storage. Let's face it, without one, what are you going to do with all that wheat?

To order any of these items, please email your order and any questions to www.rugettingprepared@yahoo.com