A lot is going on in the world and around us locally. If you watch the news every day you could become extremely depressed and possibly afraid. I would not recommend you run out and suddenly become a hard-core Prepper. Instead, I would recommend that you start making steps every day to become more self-sufficient. This is never a bad thing. Many discovered this during the pandemic in 2019. In the city, you can do many self-sufficient things, and get creative. As for me personally am not anywhere near a prepper. But, I do believe in being prepared. Food prices are on the rise and this would be one way to take care of yourself. I initially go into this due to my health. My plan is to grow all my own food organically and then preserve it.
If you are thinking that you might like to do this you should plan on where you are going to have this backup pantry. Do you have enough shelves for the food goods you will be stocking up on? Will you need to build shelves or buy them? Planning is a good idea. You can find unused spaces in your house to store your backup pantry.
You will also need to figure out not only the shelving but what containers you will want to put the extra food in. There are food-grade buckets you can put the bags of beans and rice in. You may start out with only one and that is fine. Just do what you can. I do not recommend you go and buy the store out of any food or supplies. That creates a much larger problem.
Start small by buying an extra bag or two of beans each time you go to the store or a couple of extra cans of vegetables. Do not buy what you will never eat. Think about what you and your family eat regularly and stock accordingly. I would start stocking up for at least an extra 3 months if you can. Build on that if you have the space.
I tried to grow my vegetables but I do not get enough sunlight in my small backyard to do so. Having said this, I have had to get creative on getting fresh vegetables to preserve. I have decided to grow herbs in my yard instead due to having the right conditions to grow them. So I grow herbs for their beauty, cooking, and now medicinal. Each year my herbs grow in numbers. This year in addition to drying them for cooking and teas, I began making all my own extracts. This is actually very easy and fun to do.
I would start by getting jars to make the extracts in. This year I chose pint-size canning jars. We will see how this year goes with our usage on how big of jars I go next year. I also made some stevia extract. I grow it in my yard.
One of the interesting things about stevia is I have harvested it three times this year so far. I am amazed at how prolific this plant is.
I also planted purple coneflower which is echinacea.
So far this year I have made echinacea tincture for medicine. It is best known as an over-the-counter herbal remedy for the common cold or flu. However, it’s also used to treat pain, inflammation, migraines, and other health benefits, such as reduced inflammation, improved immunity, and lower blood sugar levels. Both the plant’s upper parts and roots are used in tablets, tinctures, extracts, and teas.
How to make this. I harvested the plant (enough to fill the jar). I washed the plant to make sure there were no bugs, dust, etc. Make sure that you dry the plant well before you put it in the jar. Once the plant is dry cut it to fit in the size jar you are chosen. Then I fill the jar with Vodka. I make sure the vodka covers all the plant.
You will need
1/2 cup dried echinacea root
1/2 cup dried whole echinacea flowers and or leaves
1 1/2 cups of 80-proof vodka
I used fresh plants and flowers and I added a cinnamon stick to the tincture to help the flavor. Once you have the ingredients in the jar cover with the lid and shake. Label the jar with the plant name, date, and alcohol used. Let it sit in the jar for 4-6 weeks and then strain the plant out of the mixture. This is when you put the strained liquid into dropper bottles and then label them.
This tincture can last for 4 – 6 years. As for the dosage if you are going to use it.
1tsp 2 or 3 times per day. Take this when you first feel the cold or flu coming on. You can put this directly in your mouth and followed by a drink of water, or you can mix it into a cup of tea. Take this until you are feeling better.
The other herbals I created are extracts for cooking. Here is the list of extracts that I made so far.
Chocolate Mint – I used fresh plants, wash, dried, took the leaves off the stems, and then pushed them down and filled the jar. Leave the herbs in the vodka for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Apple Mint – I used fresh plants, wash, dried, took the leaves off the stems, and then pushed them down and filled the jar. Leave the herbs in the vodka for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Orange Mint – I used fresh plants, wash, dried, took the leaves off the stems, and then pushed them down and filled the jar. Leave the herbs in the vodka for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Peppermint – I used fresh plants, wash, dried, took the leaves off the stems, and then pushed them down and filled the jar. Leave the herbs in the vodka for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Cinnamon – I used cinnamon sticks. I have 4 or 5 sticks that I broke in half and put in the vodka. Leave the cinnamon in the vodka for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Lemon – I cut the skins off 4 lemons and tried not to get any of the pith. That is the white spongy substance you see when you peel the lemon. Put the skins in the jar with vodka. Leave the lemon in the vodka for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Orange – I cut 2 oranges and used the skins. That is the white spongy substance you see when you peel the orange. Put the skins in the jar with vodka. Leave the orange in the vodka for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
I also made Rosemary oil, 2 jars of them. One for cooking and the other for my hair. The Rosemary oil is to thicken up my hair. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Vanilla – I used 4 to 5 whole Madagascar vanilla bean pods. For this, I tried Spiced Rum. Yum, this turned out great. I need to make more bottles of this. Put the vanilla pods in the jar with vodka, or spiced rum. Leave the vanilla pods in the vodka/rum for at least 6 weeks for the flavor to be fully extracted. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Vanilla beans can be used 4 or 5 times before they lose their potency.
Almonds – 1/2 cup of raw unsalted slivered almonds. Put in the jar of vodka and seal. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Coconut – 1/2 cup of roughly chopped coconut. Put in the jar of vodka and seal. Gently shake every 2-3 days. Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Have fun and try creating these extracts and find new ones. I would love to hear if you tried any of these! Pictures also!
Tusen Tak
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