Grocery brag (week 11)... the work in progress in 2012

[Ceren]

AMAZING!! I learn so much from you!!

[ahazaras]

wow

[Newfiegirl]

Great job 2010ontest. I bought some mason jars at a garage sale with the intention of trying canning but have yet to try. My SIL cans a fair amount, though she buys a lot of the produce/berries to can and we don't get that great a deal in NL. Seasonal markets are even more $ than the grocery store. We do try to pick wild blueberries to freeze, but didn't get many this year due to wind storms. Milk here is $3.89/2L with sale price around $3.50. No 4L option. We go through a lot and DS also gets some 250ml at school each day for $0.55 each (provincial program).

I'm wondering how you deal with freezer storage, my freezer is always blocked full. So I now have to be careful when I shop. Bread has become very expensive lately (around $3.20 regular price), so I try to buy on sale or when it get the 50% off sticker close to best before date (best when on sale and 50% off), but it takes up so much space. How to you manage to store everything? I know canning helps, but you stock up on milk and other things that need freezing. I picked up a few extra cartons at SDM Saturday and I could barely fit in my fridge lying down.

[2010ontest]

Great job 2010ontest. I bought some mason jars at a garage sale with the intention of trying canning but have yet to try. My SIL cans a fair amount, though she buys a lot of the produce/berries to can and we don't get that great a deal in NL. Seasonal markets are even more $ than the grocery store. We do try to pick wild blueberries to freeze, but didn't get many this year due to wind storms. Milk here is $3.89/2L with sale price around $3.50. No 4L option. We go through a lot and DS also gets some 250ml at school each day for $0.55 each (provincial program).

I'm wondering how you deal with freezer storage, my freezer is always blocked full. So I now have to be careful when I shop. Bread has become very expensive lately (around $3.20 regular price), so I try to buy on sale or when it get the 50% off sticker close to best before date (best when on sale and 50% off), but it takes up so much space. How to you manage to store everything? I know canning helps, but you stock up on milk and other things that need freezing. I picked up a few extra cartons at SDM Saturday and I could barely fit in my fridge lying down.

Hi Newfiegirl and thanks for reading and asking!

For bread, I don't buy bread I made it with flour, water, salt and fresh yeast. So I stock flour when there is a good deal. I will be short soon, I only have 10 kg left at home... But I saw this morining adonis flyers starting today have 10kg five roses flour for 9.49$ and I have a 1$ coupon for that I think (or may be for robinhood flour, need to take a look). I will price match at Maxi. My other option for flour is to buy at SDM with my optimum points that I get with my milk. I buy my fresh yeast at Mayrand. Fresh yeast come in pk of 2 blocks of 454g for 2.79$ (block have same shape than 1lb butter). I need approx 30-45g of fresh yeast to do 5 breads... So I buy 2 or 3 pack of 908g when I go to Mayrand and I freeze the extra yeast and it work well even after thawing in fridge. I'm sure this help me alot to found space in freezer because I don't need to put bread there!!!

I have a big stand-up freezer at home and 2 fridges (both with a small freezer section). Eventually I want to change one of the fridge for a full fridge without small freezer section.

I can alot in season. Alot mean I do around 1500 jars per year. I start in May with Asparagus and go until mid-october. September is the big month of canning with tomato (I need close to 12 bushel), sweet red pepper, eggplant, apple, pears. Often I start canning some meat in october because we have deals on meat before the thankgiving. We have a pantry for the storage of all the jars. This is my big stock pile in my house. In winter I can dry bean to have it easy to use. I can mostly chick peas and red kidney bean, but also some other.

In the same time I can local/season, I freeze one part and dehydrate an other part of my stuff. In season I fill a bit in jar, a bit in freezer and a bit is dehydrate and keep in glass jar in my pantry.

So in winter I need fresh fruits and veggies, but I use them in combination with stock in my freezer and in my jars. This help me to lower the cost in winter. And this is why I go to Sami fruit or other place similar at +/- every 2-3 weeks.

I buy my milk mostly, only at SDM/Pharmaprix on 20x event (or 18500pts wus75$) and store the milk in one of my fridge. I don't freeze my milk. Since 3 months I change some habit. Now I keep Natura soy milk shelf carton in my pantry. I'm in QC and I can't redeem for milk at SDM/Pharmaprix (but I'm able to rack points when I buy milk). So often I add natura soy milk in my basket when I redeem. So now we use both: regular milk and shelf soy milk.

My big stand-up freezer is for fresh meat that I buy and freeze (And not for stouffer's, flamingo, olymel or other transformed meat in box). My freezer is also for wildberry, wax bean and asparagus and other vegetable I want to have like that. And for one part of my flour.

Also I also keep alot of winter squash in my kitchen in a "plant shelf". I look every week all squash to see if one start to mildew. Squash need a spot without excess of humidity and ideally fresh, but could be kept at room temperature for many month.

I try to rotate alot and use alot of stuff in season when this is possible. This help to have cheaper price and more fresh stuff.

So far, for now this is what I could said about how I manage my different place of storage for food in my house! This help alot to know the quantity you need for you family and the kind of stuff you want to prioritise. This take some month and years to evaluated and could change with time and family situation!

[chickypoodles]

that must be a big pantry! can we convince you to share pics?

[2010ontest]

.

[chickypoodles]

thanks for sharing! it's beautiful!

[Abby5]

Wow!! I was thinking of canning this yr ! How do u seal yours?

[2010ontest]

Wow!! I was thinking of canning this yr ! How do u seal yours?

acid food with water bath, not enough acid food with a pressure canner.

[Ceren]

i love when people do their own can, bread, etc. I do canning and make my own tomato sauce(never bought tomato sauce from grocery stores so far!). I used to make my own bread but not any more but you make so much!! and I think that it is amazing!! please share with us when you start canning so I will have some ideas about what else I can can/freeze.

[Abby5]

acid food with water bath, not enough acid food with a pressure canner.

I don't have a pressure canner bath water?? Like a wax seal? Or rubber seal like the cans you can buy for jarring?? As u can tell I have no idea???

[Shwa Girl]

I'm pretty sure I already share a pic of it somewhere here... I will go and grab my pic to show you

edit: this is an old pic of one side of the pantry...

Your pantry is awesomeness to the max.
I am impressed!

[2010ontest]

I don't have a pressure canner bath water?? Like a wax seal? Or rubber seal like the cans you can buy for jarring?? As u can tell I have no idea???

I don't use wax, I use snap lid from Bernardin.

Mason jar come with closure in 2 parts: ring + snap lid. The snap lid have the rubber part and you need to be change the snap lid every time you reuse your jar (the ring and glass jar is reused). Dolorama have the box of snap lid and this is the place where I found it for the cheapest price.

So far, late last fall I invest in new lid: Tattler canning lids BPA free and reusable. I will only have to buy some snap lid for the gift jar. We organise a group to pass our order and reduce the cost last fall I figured with the number I buy, I will star to save in approx 2 years on the cost of my lids. I have done it because I know I will continue to do homecanning for many years, I do this since over than 10 years now. Also because I will put less stuff in the recycling bin!

Water bath = boiling water

You fill the jar with your product and treat in a pan having water boiling. water must cover jar 2 in over the jar and you treat the product for the appropriate time. You could take a look at the USDA website for more info about homecanning: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

[Abby5]

I don't use wax, I use snap lid from Bernardin.

Mason jar come with closure in 2 parts: ring + snap lid. The snap lid have the rubber part and you need to be change the snap lid every time you reuse your jar (the ring and glass jar is reused). Dolorama have the box of snap lid and this is the place where I found it for the cheapest price.

So far, late last fall I invest in new lid: Tattler canning lids BPA free and reusable. I will only have to buy some snap lid for the gift jar. We organise a group to pass our order and reduce the cost last fall I figured with the number I buy, I will star to save in approx 2 years on the cost of my lids. I have done it because I know I will continue to do homecanning for many years, I do this since over than 10 years now. Also because I will put less stuff in the recycling bin!

Water bath = boiling water

You fill the jar with your product and treat in a pan having water boiling. water must cover jar 2 in over the jar and you treat the product for the appropriate time. You could take a look at the USDA website for more info about homecanning: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

Thanks so much you convinced me

[IMLN]

i'm so jealous of your pantry!!
Sooooo beautiful, work of art
It would probably kill me to use it up