For some of us, the harvest is over. Canned goods in glass jars, the fruits of our labors, line the shelves. For some, the harvest continues, with fall vegetables sill growing. The anticipation lingers.
Our food storage item for September is Fruits and Vegetables.*
Fruits and Vegetables: 5 servings (1/2-1 cup)/person /day
OR
desired servings/ week x 52
Time to take an inventory of what you have, see what you need, and build on it. Check Grocery sale fliers for great deals. Store openings is a good place to find a “3 for a dollar sale.” Keep and eye open for good deals throughout the year.
If you are on the baby step program, go through your pantry, check for canned fruits and vegetables you didn’t use last month and throw them the closet with what you tossed in there last month. Do you have $2.50? $3.00? Add an extra 3 cans of fruits or vegetables (depending on what you want) to your cart next time you shop, then throw it in the closet. You’ve just added to your food storage! If you’ve found you can do more, even better.
Using Dried Apples
Dried apples are an excellent snack straight out of it’s can or package. To reconstitute them use equal parts of dried apples to boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. If you put this mixture through the blender you have Applesauce.
Stewed Apples and Raisins
In a saucepan, cover 1 cup dried apples and a few raisins with 4 cups boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes.
"President Marion G. Romney said, “We will see the day when we will live on what we produce.” Producing our own food frees us from worries and more importantly, we pass on food preservation skills to the next generation. Canning, freezing and dehydrating skills are like any other. The first time we try will be the most difficult, but the process will get easier as we gain experience. If you haven’t canned or grown your own garden, consider starting to learn now, so you are prepared for the next season. I highly recommend the “Ball Blue Book of Preserving, “ which can be found in garden centers, book stores, and the canning supply aisle in the grocery store. (Amazon.com , itself, does not this version any longer)
)
This book has recipes for how to can, dehydrate, freeze, recipes for canning salsa, jams, and even soups.
What Amazon carries now, is the newer version, titled, “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving”
Another option is “Independence Days: A Guide to Sustainable Food Storage and Preservation.” 
*It is suggested that we store seed. You may find seeds still available at a Co-op, or farming store, to use for next season. Also check local dollar stores, and other variety stores for seed packet sales.
Usable Lifetime of Common Seeds
Beans, 3 yrs
Eggplant, 4 yrs Pumpkin, 4 yrs
Beets, 3 yrs
Kale, 3 yrs Radishes, 3 yrs
Cabbage, 4 yrs
Lettuce, 4 yrs Spinach, 3 yrs
Carrots, 1 yr
Melons, 4 yrs Squash, 4 yrs
Cauliflower, 4 yrs
Onions, 1 yr
Swiss chard, 4 yrs
Corn, sweet, 2 yrs
Peas, 1 yr Tomatoes, 3yrs
Cucumbers ,5 yrs Peppers, 2 yrs
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