Emergency Water and Pouch Retort

CHEFTALK

Emergency Water and Pouch Retort

Are we talking water? What is there to talk about water you might say, well true, but water is our main source of survival. We use water for almost everything we do in our daily chores and you only find the importance of water when there is no water. You cannot wash your hands for example, an exercise we perform more often than you think.

The need of emergency water

There is a good chance that you do not have access to clean drinking water when a calamity occurs, something that happens more often than you think also and when it does we have a recipe for disaster. Disastrous news enters our lives every day through the many media services available to us. Floods, droughts, earthquakes, hurricanes and wars are scattered all over the world. One wonders if there is still a single safe corner left on this planet.

Being hit by a natural disaster is already a devastating experience on itself, no water during the aftermath of such catastrophes is a serious problem. In areas, prone to disasters, people are very often advised to store emergency drinking water in their homes, a gallon per person (and pets) per day is advised, preferable for two weeks.    

When water is our survival during the Apocalypse, how does water survive when it is stored for a long period of time?



The trouble of safe water storing 

Good, but Porous 

Then there is the advice to replace that water every six months, not to store water near to pesticides or gasoline, store in a cool place with a constant temperature and a few more advices that are pretty troublesome. Emergency water is not something everyone wakes- up with in the morning.

Water stored in badly sanitized containers may still be alright after a year or so but the containers may develop molds, another problem you are not looking forward to.  

When you finally have the emergency water woes in order and under control, it is time to think about some more fun things in life, a weekend hiking or camping with the family for instance. Again the water topic pops up. No shops in the woods, trees and thirst in abundance. Now, size becomes an issue, your backpack is only that big. Huge bottles of water are out of the question, small bottles then? To store and carry many of them is also a bit uncomfortable.

The solution

Here is an interesting solution to all these water problems, retort water in small convenient packets. Expensive? Yes, when you buy them, No when you make them.

An 8 oz pouch holds 16 oz of water. Retort at 10 LBS pressure for 30 minutes.

An 4 oz pouch holds 8 oz of water. Retort at 10 LBS pressure for 30 minutes.

For more info on the right sizes of pouches that fit your vacuum sealer, go to:   

www.vacupack.com  for USA and www.vacupack.ca for Canada 

Pouch Retort

The Convenience
These pouches are easy to store in your backpack, they last for years and can therefore be made any time convenient. Retort pouches are not porous so you can store them anywhere you have space, there is no need to replace them every six months also. Forget about installing an air conditioner and a heather in your garage to maintain a fairly constant temperature.  

The Money Catch

Now here is the ‘homemade water in retort pouches’ catch.

Store bought they cost around $2.00 for a 4 oz to 6 oz pouch.

Homemade they cost less than $0.50 cents. Great cost saving! And you make good use of your retort canner and vacuum sealer

All reason the more to go for pouch retort when it comes to emergency or convenient safe drinking water on camping trips.

No scientific data  from the FDA is available on home canning, the information and retort times given are guidelines and not authorized data.

PMG holds no responsibility for misuse of information provided and is void of any liability.
Home canning is at your own risk.

By: Marinus Hoogendoorn   

  

Bad Retorts!

We have had several people ask how can one tell if a retort bag has gone bad? 

The answers are:

1. Can you smell the product? There should be no odor just like smelling a can on the shelf. If you are able to smell the product good or bad do not eat it.
2. Has the bag puffed up like a balloon?  The seals do not need to be open and the bag can be clean with out any moisture.  But if it has blown up puffy like a partially inflated ballon or even gone so bad as a tight ballon.  Do not open it or eat it.
3. An obvious open seam that has been on a shelf for more than one hour do not eat it.
4. To be extremely safe reheat all canned products back to a boil for 3 minutes before consuming. This will kill all harmful bacteria.  

Really the same principles apply for retort bags as any other canned product when in doubt don't eat it.

Call us if you have any questions about your retort canning projects.
Toll Free USA and Canada  800-227-3769 

See us online at http://www.vacuumpacker.com

Retort Canning of non acid foods has NO Scientific data from the FDA or USDA for home canners. Can at your own risk! We are expressing our experiences,  by no way are these experiences authorized data.

Bulk Up Your Stash

Bulk Up Your Stash Why vacuum packing is perfect for emergency survival food More people than ever are looking for long-term food storage solutions for a variety of reasons, from economic to preparatory. Whether you're looking to save money, you're a hiker or outdoor enthusiast, or you just want to be ready in case the world ends, there are plenty of benefits to incorporating vacuum sealing into your emergency survival kit.
Reasons for using vacuum packing If you're preparing large quantities of survival food, there's no better method than vacuum sealing. This technique has several advantages over dry storage, canning, and even deep freezing, including:
 Shelf life. Vacuum-packed foods last longer than other storage methods. For food that requires refrigeration, you can prepare, vacuum-seal, and freeze them, and they'll keep for one to two years. If you dehydrate the food first, the shelf life is extended to two years or more. For dry goods and non-perishables, vacuum packing also provides two or more years of shelf life.
 Storage space. Vacuum packages have a slim, flat profile, making them easy to store in piles, or even stacks of boxes. They take up far less space than typical canning storage, so you can store more food in a smaler space.
 Nutrition and flavor. Vacuum-sealed food retains more nutrients and flavor than other traditional storage methods.
 Food safety. Because vacuum packing keeps oxygen away from the food, mold and bacteria can't develop. In addition, the lack of oxygen prevents insect infestations, and the prevention of escaping odors keeps wildlife from invading your stash.
How to make your own MREs MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat, are a great staple for any outdoor trip or emergency survival kit—but they can get expensive. Making your own MREs with vacuum sealing is an affordable—and lightweight—way to build up your emergency food supply. With homemade MREs, you can seal a full day's rations into one package. Here's a quick menu idea for one day:
Breakfast: Two oatmeal packages, two tea bags, 4 oz. ground coffee Lunch: Dried beef jerky, whole-wheat crackers, dehydrated fruit mix Dinner: Beef stew mix (dehydrated vegetables, rice or quick-cook pasta, meat jerky broken into pieces, salt, seasonings)
To vacuum-seal an MRE, package the components for each meal in a separate, regular zip-lock bag, place the bags inside a vacuum pack bag, and then close with your vacuum sealing machine according to the instructions. Be prepared for anything Vacuum sealing can help you put up plenty of emergency survival food for any occasion, ensuring that you're well-stocked at all times. It's the ideal low-cost, space-saving, long-term solution for survival and food storage.

http://www.vacupack.com/
http://www.vacupack.ca/

Author
wordsbymelissa.com

Copywrite PMG 2012

Fast Food

Fast Food Making your own vacuum-packed “cup of soup” meals Just about everyone is familiar with the “cup of soup”—prepackaged foam containers with instant noodles, dehydrated vegetables, and flavoring. Just pour boiling water into the container, wait a few minutes, and you have a ready-made meal. But did you know that you can make your own instant soup with a vacuum-sealing machine? It's easier than you think, and comes with a lot of great benefits. The advantages of homemade soup packets
One of the best things about making your own cup of soup packages is that they're healthier than instant store brands. You can prepare them using fresher ingredients, and the vacuum packing process keeps more nutrients in food for longer times. Vacuum sealing also preserves flavors, so your soup will taste better. Homemade soup packets are inexpensive, especially when you buy the ingredients in bulk. They're fairly easy to prepare, and don't take a lot of time to assemble and package. In addition, vacuum-packed dehydrated food takes up less space, so you can store more.
Making your own ready-to-cook soup is a great way to prepare for emergency survival conditions. You can also bring a bunch along on camping or fishing trips, or use them as a quick, nutritious meal anytime.
How to make them To prepare your homemade soup packets, you'll need a vacuum sealing machine and a food dehydrator. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dry out vegetables either at low temperatures in your oven, or with solar power—simply place sliced or cubed vegetables between two screens and lay them outside on a sunny day. However, the USDA cautions against using these methods for drying meat, due to the risk of salmonella. You should use a dehydrator for meat, purchase pre-dehydrated meat or jerky, or use textured vegetable protein (TVP) in place of meat. also offers pre-cooked dehydrated Chicken, Beef and Sausage by the pound or in bulk. This is a long term storage meat already used in many prepackaged meals.
Place quick-cooking pasta or instant rice in a vacuum packing bag, and then add dehydrated vegetables, powdered or cubed bullion for flavoring, and dehydrated meat or TVP. Seal the bag according to the instructions for your vacuum-sealing machine—remember to leave at least an inch or two at the end of the bag to ensure a good seal.
When you're ready to prepare your soup, simply drop the bags into boiling water for a few minutes, and you'll have a hot, tasty meal, ready to eat.
A great solution for emergency food storage and more Whether you want to build up your stock for potential emergency survival situations, or just want to have quick, easy, and portable meals at the ready, making your own dehydrated, vacuum-packed soups and other convenient rations is a great way to be prepared for anything.
Article is copywrite PMG 2012. All use of this article must have all links active. Words By Melissa