Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living
Dear Editor,
In response to “Overrun” and her questions about canning summer squash… I have an abundance of summer squash as well. For the past two years I have been dehydrating my excess squash and using it throughout the colder months by adding it to soups and stews, along with extra dehydrated and crushed spinach leaves, dehydrated corn, and green beans. I usually cut the squash in eighths (lengthwise) and then remove the middle part where the seeds are. That leaves a slice of firm flesh and the skin (vitamins) which I cube and put in the dehydrator. I’ve had no problems with storing the dehydrated squash in glass canning jars or in vacuum sealed bags, and it sure takes up a lot less room this way.
JF—
Dear JF,
That is an excellent idea! There are so many things that you can do with squash, and no matter how you put it up—whether canning it, freezing it, or dehydrating it—it’s worth every bit of effort to do so!
I have been scouring the Internet looking for squash recipes because I do have such an abundance of them and have found many, many ways to use them. I used some shredded squash to stretch a spaghetti sauce recipe I have and it was delicious! I added it at the last minute, just enough to heat the shredded squash through, and it made for a very filling meal. Squash has so many vitamins and minerals for our bodies and if there’s any way to include it in a recipe, I try.
The Editor
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Dear Editor,
I was wondering if there were articles on how to be self-sufficient when things go south (like a Prepping for Dummies) or something with a collection of articles on what to do when we lose our power grid, riots, how to stay alive, being self sufficient etc…. I love all the articles I read, but there is so much to remember. It sure would be nice to get a compilation of information on gardening, health, what to have stock-piled to survive etc…..sort of like the top 20 things to do to be prepared…….I imagine the Internet will get hi-jacked first so people can’t communicate with each other…….I need to figure out what to do but don’t know where to start.
Thanks,
GC—
Dear GC—
I understand what you mean about being overwhelmed with all the information that is available. I have the same problem myself, and I’ve been a member of the self-sufficient community for years! I can only imagine what it must be like for someone just coming on board.
First, Off the Grid News will soon have available The Big Book of Off–the-Grid Secrets. It is a compilation of the top 50 articles from 2011 as well as 10 of the top radio shows. I’m so excited about this project and I think our readers will be as well! Look for its debut soon.
In addition, we also have Ready For Anything, a manual that takes you from start to finish in preparing for disaster. I think it’s one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand manuals of the day. It’s written by someone who has been forging this road for a while, and she wanted to share everything she had learned with our readers. You should order a copy if you’re struggling to figure out where to begin. Good luck and God bless.
The Editor
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Dear Editor,
Did I correctly understand your squash canning instructions to be water bath canning rather than pressure canning? The last time I looked, summer squash are low acid so require pressure canning.
LB—
Dear LB—
If you have to ask, then I didn’t make myself clear and for that I apologize to our readers. Under no circumstances should squash be water bath canned. It is a low acid food and must be pressure canned.
The Editor
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