The Caffeinated Engineer

Recipe: 2 cups dried figs 2 cups rhubarb 1 Lemon 3 Teaspoons of Pomona's Pectin 2 Cups of Sugar 1/4 Cup of Bottled Lemon Juice 3 Teaspoons of Calcium Water (Comes with the box of Pomona's Pectin) Pre-Requisites: Prepare Calcium Water: Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Calcium powder to 1/2 cup of water. Mix thoroughly. Step 1: Prepare your jars and lids! Clean and sterilize your lids and jars to ensure you do not get debris in your product. Check your jars for nicks, cracks, or imperfections. These will cause failures in your canner. Step 2: Prepare your fruit! Rehydrate your figs with hot water. Wait 15-20 minutes. De-stem your figs. Zest and juice your lemon. Cook your rhubarb until softened. Measure your pectin and sugar; mix thoroughly. In a separate container, measure your bottled lemon juice, and calcium water. Mix thoroughly. Bring your fruit up to a boil. I blitzed mine in a blender, but if you are using fresh figs you prob...

Ingredients: Several pounds of ground beef. Pre-Requisites: Ready your pressure canner for use. Link to National Center of Home Food Preservation instructions. Step 1: Prepare your jars and lids! As always, you should start with sterile jars and lids. Step 2: Prepare your meat! Gently brown up your meat. You don't want to grind it up too small. Drain most of the fat off of your meat. Leaving too much in the jar can cause your seals to fail. When siphoning happens (and it usually does) you will end up with a nicely greased lip of your jar instead of a nice seal. Step 3: Fill your jars! You want to fill your jars to a 1-inch headspace using hot water. It's important to get your headspace correct because it is an important part of the sterilization equation. Seriously, double check you have a 1-inch headspace. Debubble your jars and check again. Wipe your rims with some vinegar. Place your lid and rings on the jar and tighten "finge...

YES! Accoridng to the CDC , we should boil our low-acid foods -- even if we do not detect signs of spoilage. "Before eating home-canned tomatoes, foods containing home-canned tomatoes, or any home-canned foods that are low in acid, boil in a saucepan, even if you detect no signs of spoilage. At altitudes below 1,000 feet, boil foods for 10 minutes. Add 1 minute for each additional 1,000 feet of elevation."

Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cup of freshly ground Cornmeal 1/2 Cup of Tapioca Starch 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder 1 Teaspoon of Salt 2 Eggs 1 Cup of Milk Kefir 1 Tablespon of Sweetener 3 Tablespoons of Butter Instructions: Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together cornmeal, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Melt the butter. Cool down the butter by mixing in the milk kefir. Mix the eggs in the milk/butter mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly, and allow to sit for a few minutes to allow the liquid to be absorbed. Grease a baking dish thoroughly. I used a cast iron skillet, but you may use an 8x8 baking dish. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Enjoy! -Regards, A Caffeinated Engineer

Recipe: 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon 3 Teaspoons of Pomona's Pectin 1 Cup of Sugar 1/4 Cup of Bottled Lemon Juice 4 Teaspoons of Calcium Water (Comes with the box of Pomona's Pectin) 2 Pounds of Pears 2 Pounds of Peaches Pre-Requisites: Prepare Calcium Water: Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Calcium powder to 1/2 cup of water. Mix thoroughly. Put a spoon in the freezer. Step 1: Prepare your jars and lids! Clean and sterilize your lids and jars to ensure you do not get debris in your product. Check your jars for nicks, cracks, or imperfections. These will cause failures in your canner. After giving them a good rinse, you can put them in the water bath canner to keep them warm. Step 2: Prepare your fruit! Wash, skin, and cut up your pears. Wash, skin, and cut up your peaches. Mash up your fruit to a consistency you enjoy. I really like chunky jam, so I am using a potato masher. In the left-hand measuring cup is the calcium water and th...

I finaly got my Country Living mill! I'm so excited to have freshly ground grains! YAY! -Regards, A Caffeinated Engineer

Pre-Requisites: Jar Lifter, Debubbler, funnel, and lid lifter. Pressure Canner (This is a Presto) Link to instructions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation! None of these links are affiliated. Fill your jars with your broth-y goodness! Ensure you have 1 inch headspace. Wipe your rims with a rag dipped in white vinegar. Put on the lid, ring, and process in your canner. After the pressure canner has released pressure naturally, and the temperature has reasonably cooled, remove the jars from the canner. Let them sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours. The next day, check your seals. Wash and dry your jars if the seals are intact. Wash, label, and store your jars. Enjoy! -Regards, A Caffeinated Engineer