Archive for November, 2009

Self Sufficient Living – The Real Thing


2009
11.19

First it was the “Waterpod”, a sustainable commune floating along the Hudson river, now Mary Mattingly, an artist in New York, is designing the “Air Ship Air City”. In this project, she envisions a self sufficient living dome atop a large apartment complex.

The only problem with this approach is that there is a real dicotomy between trying to make something sustainable, in the midst of a metropolitan center – the epitome of non sustainablility. Minor interruptions in transportation and natural disasters repeatedly remind us of that. There are different schools of thought on this, but the irony of trying to create a pseudo natural environment in the midst of a concrete forest seems futile.

Why not pursue the real thing – actually living in an environment where sustainability is the norm, not something to be contrived. Families are discovering the benefits of self sufficient living in a rural setting. It takes careful planning and alot of hard work, but those of us doing it will testify – it’s well worth it. You’ll find articles in our blog that can help you start planning and working toward making a change in your life you’ll never regret.

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Canning Recipe For Successful Fruit Storage


2009
11.04

An important part of self sufficient living involves food preservation and storage. There are several ways to do this – canning, dehydration, and vacuum sealing being the most popular. Canning continues to be a popular and effective method for fruit preservation. Here are a few tips we have found helpful for successful fruit canning using glass jars:

1. Clean glass canning jars first. Some boil their jars to sterilize, others simply run them through a dishwasher relying on the hot water to do the job.

2. Soak lids and rings in hot water (just under boiling point) for about 20 minutes before use to soften the seal. (Don’t boil them at this point.)

3. Pour hot fruit only a little at a time into the jars to avoid cracking.

4. After the canning process, allow the jars to sit for about 24 hours.

5. Test for proper sealing by pressing gently on the center of the lid after jars have set for at least 12 hours. The lid should not “pop” up and down.

6. After the jars have set for 24 hours, remove the rings and clean the jars to remove any fruit that leaked or spilled out during canning. Food residue left on the outside of the jar in the vicinity of the seal can grow mold which can then migrate into the jar, breaking the seal.

CLICK HERE For a canning recipe for apple sauce.

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