Pandemic Canning and Things

I know I haven't posted in... forever and it is mostly because I really haven't been doing anything self sufficient in all this time but the recent worries about future meat availability had me digging out my canner today (after I finally found it).

I had gotten a good deal on 20 lbs of chicken leg quarters and also got 20 lbs of potatoes. I have definitely missed my canned potatoes but with the kids gone it just seemed a waste to can food just for Phil and I....but now seems like a good time to be storing more food.
I cooked 5 lbs of the chicken in my pressure cooker (I thought it would make more than 3 jars!), took the meat off the bone and then put it in the jars to be canned. I also saved all the chicken stock to be canned as well (might as well fill the canner). I love homemade chicken stock. So much better than store bought and makes the BEST chicken soup. The chicken and stock went in the canner for 90 minutes.

The potatoes were peeled and cut into large chunks, washed and then boiled for just a short time, put in the jars and canned for 40 minutes. If you would like more specific directions use the search for this blog and put in Canning Potatoes and it will come up with a post I did years ago on it.

The pictures is a little reddish because there are grow lights over the bar. It is filled with plants, mostly house plants, but there are some herbs (thyme, basil, chives) and a few pepper plants up there as well. Plus some flower seeds that I started for outdoor flowers.

The rest of the time during this pandemic, I have been working. Wal-mart did not take time off. I made masks to sell to my co-workers for $3 and $5. I know a lot of people have made them to give away but my money has gone into our "Buy a House of Our Own" fund and I am just not going to feel bad about that. Besides my co-workers were very happy to get them at the price I was selling them for.

Tomorrow is another canning day. I have 15 more pounds of chicken to do and I also have a bunch of flowers to plant. I won't make promises to blog more often. We'll just see how it goes.