Tattling Great Things about Tattlers...

As in all things, I tend to prepared for a time without electricity. Imagine say a year into an age without power & you have run out of normal canning lids. You are able to still do your pressure canning AND you happened to have Tattler Reusable Lids.
Finished off pressure canning the last of my Zaycon bacon order. This time I remembered to use my Tattler lids. Tattlers are a great reusable canning lid! You read that correctly, the Tattler Lids are specifically designed to be reusable, because they utilize a two part lid system.

(Tattler Regular Lids  and Tattler Wide Mouth Lids at 

Perky Gramma's associates store on Amazon)

Even if you are buying the lids at the regular price, I believe you will recoup your purchase after using them 5 times, then it is like having FREE canning lids!. But I also like to save money. Tattler usually has a good sale on their website around October. That is when I purchased a entire gross of lids & rings. I will announce it as soon as I see the sale. So save up your money.

The method used for canning with Tattler lids is a little different than normal canning lids. Here are the directions from their site.

EDITED: With the Tattlers, I did have a couple failures; but I determined that I got the rubber gasket askew on top which then didn't create a proper seal. So take care when placing the rubber gasket on the jar. ~Perky~

So here is my batch: the lids, holding the hot lids down, tightening the lids down.

Tightening the lids down AFTER canning...

Here is the batch all done!

Where does Perky Prepping Gramma go shopping?

We are about ready to make another visit to a location which stocks a tremendous amount of long term storage food and equipment. See, our preparedness journey didn't start with being a "prepper". Our journey of becoming prepared actually started because we read a book called "Aftershock" 

Both DH and I agreed that we were very concerned about our countries economic instability; particularly living in an area where almost every single job is dependent on the government. I don't personally ascribe to their primary solution (buy gold and silver), it is a very interesting book & we do have a small percentage of our savings in precious metals.

Before I knew there was such a thing as a "prepper", by word of mouth we met this man and his wife who were vital teachers when I started to prepare. They own a brick and mortar store in the Commonwealth of Virginia and chooses to stay brick and mortar, because their true desire is to teach people how to be prepared.

They fly under the radar, that is why I am not directly sharing their information (by their personal request). If you are serious about visiting them you will need to private message me on facebook and I will help you locate them.
So, without further ado, here is a video that you won't find (at this posting 05231) everywhere. At this point it is only linked on one really old prepper site. This currently has only 751 views. 

His lovely wife who helps in the store; is the person that first showed me a jar of pressure canned chicken. That got me started on pressure canning meats.

P.S. After posting this, I realized obviously lots of you still may not be able to get to this this location. I will post tomorrow a consolidation of other ways I build my preparation storage items.
I hope you enjoyed this video. ~Perky~

Why I chose the Essential Oils and company that I am using...

First I will start with the most recent essential oil blend I have tried. I started the EO journey mostly because I am trying to decrease the amount of OTC pain medication I take. I have had chronic pain in my back, neck, knees and hands for many years.

My most recent product use was Plant Theapy's “Pain Aid” pre-diluted blend roll-on. I have to tell you, I am pretty amazed at how well it works for me. Pain Aid didn't completely remove all the pain; but it drastically reduced the amount of pain & worked so well, that within a few days I had already ordered my second bottle. This is a blend I will be learning how to make soon.
Personally, I chose to use Plant Therapy Essential Oils. 

How did I decide on which company to use? It can be a little overwhelming to get started using essential oils. I actually started out looking at many various companies products. What I was looking for was very high quality, sourcing, purity, cost effective and great customer service. I read a lot of sites and there are some great companies out there.

You know how it is when you go down the rabbit hole of researching things...
I had already sort of locked in on Plant Therapy. It took me a several days to write this post, since I couldn't find two of the sites I read that helped convince me about Plant Therapy.
One site was Nourishing Treasures the other was LearningAbout EO's. A page devoted to independent testing of various companies E.O.'s. It is funded by readers and had great information on multiple companies products.

When I am researching I tend to “read deep”. Which for me means trying to read as much as I am able on a specific site.

Specifically, I was reading this report on Tea Tree Oil testing. Plant Therapy's product was found to not be in compliance. What amazed me, instead of arguing, they pulled ALL of the Tea Tree products off their website and from Amazon. When Plant Therapy got their new batch of Tea Tree oil in, they paid for the independent testing themselves. Which was then found to be in compliance. This is the type of customer care that I was looking for. I am not saying other companies wouldn't do the same, I was just impressed by their personal response.

The other incident was a slight mix-up on a personal Amazon order. I ordered the Top 6 Essential Oil Sampler Set (Lavender, Eucalyptus, Sweet Orange, Peppermint, Lemongrass and Tea Tree) from Amazon. I found out that the boxed set I received had Peppermint (mentha arvensis) instead of Peppermint (mentha piperita). I contacted Plant Therapy and they simply sent out the proper bottle to me in no time flat.

You are able to order these items at Plant Therapy's website (free shipping in the United States). If you sign up with your e-mail you will get a $5 off coupon to use on your order. They are linked above.
I now have their products listed on my Perky Prepping Gramma's Store Amazon associate site (free shipping and the same price on products as from the company direct). 

In addition, I have used essential oils for: Making toothpaste, Two salves: Tea Tree Oil Salve and Peppermint Oil Salve,  and in my DIY shampoo and conditioner.

Now I am going to take my shower and use the Pain Aid Roll-on. 

So, you are ready to start preparing for the "Cyber Canning Event"?

Starting the the last thing first, since the rest has already been discussed.
Last but not least, you need to have at least 8 lbs. of meat to can. I am going to recommend that you buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts for you first canning project. It is just simpler and less work to prepare them for canning.

"Pressure canning is way easier than making an origami elephant" ~Perky~

Let's get our equipment purchased & prepared for the “Cyber Canning Event”.

First you need to purchase (or have on hand) the following items listed below. We want to go ahead and purchase these as soon as possible. That way if you order something online it will arrive in time for the event; or if you have trouble finding something like the canning jars, you have time to search. There are links through out this article of where to purchase.

1. Pressure CANNER <<< (link to buy a pressure canner. Not a pressure cooker or water bath canner) This is currently the best buy, IF it will fit on your stove.

IMPORTANT TIP: When you are getting ready to purchase your canner, measure your stove CAREFULLY. You want to insure that the entire canner will fit on your stove & not hit any appliance that may be OVER the top of your stove. I would purchase the largest size, that will fit on your stove.
If you need a smaller (16 qrt. canner), you'd honestly get a better price at Walmart.

2. Canning tools <<< (link)

3. A least one case of canning jars. I recommend that you purchase wide mouth, pints sized canning jars.
I recommend that you first try to find the canning jars at a local grocery store. You can also order online and pick up from your local Ace hardware. Then last, but not, least you can order them from Amazon. This link is for regular mouth jars.

4. You will also need to have various items like dish towels, paper towels, vinegar, a timer (one on the stove or microwave will do).

Disclaimer: The links to Amazon, are to my personal Amazon Store. I do receive a small commission, if you purchase through my store. BUT there is no additional cost to you. I only recommend items that I use, have purchased & usually include free shipping (for the standard purchase). I do not receive any commission from other stores. 

Perky Prepping Gramma's Store

Here are some additional articles to read over for preparation for the event.

Canning Fears

Attitude, altitude, aptitude... (this links to another person blog)

Tools & getting started and organized

Safety: Avoiding Cross Contamination

Canning Chicken  

A. General Instructions for Canning Meat

  

I have been studying,,,

My Dear Husband is making the Zaycon chicken run this morning...then he gets there & sees nothing. Oh, no! I look up the information and pick up is TOMORROW.  Ugh! Can I say I have the BEST husband in the world! I called him back and he says "O.k., at least I know where it is for tomorrow". That is an hour nd a half drive one way!
I have been studying up on how to use the Tattler reusable canning lids I purchased this month.

They will be on sale for the rest of the month.
I have gone over the canning plan with my friend. We plan on having all three of our canners going on a rotating schedule.
 
Plus, I am making lists and starting to pile everything together that I am going to take.
My two canners
5 cases of caning jars
Tattler lids
My bag of accessories
Packing my overnight bag. I will be spending the night, so we can get started as soon as we wake up.
My camera
Oh, I know there are some things I am missing on this list. I guess I need to start making a pile.
I am seriously thinking about taking my video camera. We will see...

This is a link to my store on Amazon, if you want to see what items I recommend. I only add items I actually purchased, use & recommend, is available for the free shipping. It doesn't cost you anything extra & I do get a percentage of the sales.
Perky Prepping Gramma's Store

Best kept secret...

Sometime in the spring of 2013 I learned about LDS (Latter Day Saints) canneries & the LDS online store. 

First, there is an online LDS store. There is a limited selection & the store is a little hard to navigate. BUT, they have GREAT prices & they ship for free. plus there is not a lot of fluffy items, just basics. Have I mentioned that I don't like to go shopping? 

In May, my first shipment from the LDS online store arrived. I purchased a case (6 #10 sized cans) each of red wheat, oats & AP flour. I can't begin to tell you how easy it was.

Then, I ordered some lids (to reseal the open cans & 7 mil. Mylar bags. These are extremely heavy duty bags.

(250 bags for $94. That's .38 cents a bag)

Then, honestly somewhere in all my craziness called life, I forgot about the next goal, to visit a LDS Cannery. It is basically a giant store of already canned, long term storage food.. I have heard amazing things about the products, prices and people.Sadly a lot of these canneries have now closed.
You can try to find a cannery located near you here: Home Storage Centers 

Tammy Milsmom shared about her recent trip to an LDS cannery. "Absolutely unbelievable. Shopping at the LDS cannery is the BEST possible experience with amazing prices. I do not believe you could possibly get a better deal anywhere else. In fact, unless you got the ingredients free, I don't think you could grow/preserve/store it any cheaper. Not possible. GREAT people, GREAT experience. Be warned, you can buy more than your car can carry!  (Oh they will let you borrow a canning machine for free for one week, too. And their prices for oxygen absorbers, mylar, etc., are also unbeatable!)"

Seriously, check out their online LDS store, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

If you don't want to purchase that many Mylar bags, Amazon actually has some pretty great deals for smaller amounts with oxygen absorbers. What I do here is simply share our preparedness journey. If you liked this post we would love it if you joined our Perky Prepping Gramma community on Facebook, comment or share. Plus it would just make my day. There all decent deals. The second one (without the picture) offers different quantities from 10-500.

     

Your order is so very appreciated, because anything ordered through my Amazon Associate links helps me to be able to stay home and write for you.Perky Prepping Gramma is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

PERKY PREPPING GRAMMA'S STORE

Where else do I do my shopping? 
AMAZON
Welcome to my store on Amazon. I tend to promote the same products all the time. At this point I have decided to monetize these referrals via Amazon. They remain at the same cost to you, but I will start to receive a % of the sale. I promise that I will only link products that I personally have purchased & used. 
PERKY PREPPING GRAMMA'S STORE

If you open the link in a new tab, there are other categories included. I hope to expand this soon.

BASIC GRAINS, BEANS, FLOUR, SUGAR AND MORE: LDS Store Seriously, they have great prices & free delivery.

MEAT: Whenever possible, I purchase from Zaycon Foods. They ship bulk meat and other products around the country to various "events". Here is more about What & Why Zaycon  
Check to see if they deliver near you. If not still register, that is how they determine new locations. Also, you may need to travel to get to a location. I travel about an hour away to do my pick-ups and I feel it is well worth the trip.

SHOPPING with Perky: I also suggest simply reading the posts here on this blog. I will most often link to the products I use within each article. This link is just few for you to start out with. Enjoy!

Pressure canners & supplies...

When you are canning low acid foods, such as meat you need to use a pressure canner, NOT a pressure cooker. There is a difference.
I started with a 16 qrt Presto Pressure Canner. Mine doesn't have a pressure gauge.
NOTE: When deciding which size to purchase, always measure the distance from the surface of your stove to whatever may be hanging over your stove top! And buy the largest that will fit. Check the dimensions in the products description before buying.
I know several people that have gotten their pressure canner, only to find out it won't fit on their stove top. Talk about a very sad moment.

DISCLAIMER:: I tend to promote the same products all the time. At this point I have decided to monetize these referrals via Amazon. They remain at the same cost to you, but I will start to receive a % of the sale. I promise that I will only link products that I personally have purchased & used & I will work at making sure each item qualifies for "free shipping" with a $25 purchase. 

 
After buying my first pressure canner, I started saving for my All-American pressure canner. This time, I was looking for a size large enough to "double stack" (two layers of canning jars) my jars for larger canning jobs.
One of the things I really like about the All-American is that it is sturdier & far less replacement parts to replace.

 
 Then start looking into buying extra supplies and parts for your canner. Remember one is none, two is one...
In other words, if something does happen (stuff hits he fan) and you don't have back up parts, you probably will not be able to can anymore. So, stock up on additional rubber gaskets, gauges, regulators, canning racks & utensils.