Week 2 - The Long Haul

Hey, hey, hey sisters,

 

So did you get your salt all salted away?

OK...so now we are going to work on sugar/honey/alternatives for actually a few weeks. The church no longer gives recommendations as to how much per person to store for a year. Sugar and honey have very long shelf lives. I have no idea as to the shelf live of stevia (we keep a certain amount of stevia in our storage because I have a son who has diabetes, and I like it in my herbal teas) and other alternatives. Having gone to a number of other websites, it looks like a common goal is 100 pounds per person per year. So that will be our goal. However, you know your families best (perhaps you are very frugal with sugar, perhaps you have a sweet tooth), so feel free to make adjustments to that.

 

We are going to spend the next 12 weeks on sugar/honey/alternatives. Right now, if you buy sugar at the Home Storage Center, it is $15 for a 25 lb sack. If you find a better deal, let us know by replying to all.

 

So the task this week is:

 

1. to either purchase at least 8.3 pounds of sugar/honey for every two people in your family

OR

to take an envelope, and put in $5 for every 2 people in your family so you can save up to buy it in greater bulk.

 

2. If you purchase this week, be sure to label it with the date of purchase. (Properly canned sugar and honey last for many years, but you will still want to be rotating it after you get your full amount in storage, and you will want first in/first out.) Then put the sugar in the place you have designated for your year's supply.

For those of you that would like to save up for a few weeks and then go out to the Home Storage Center in a few weeks to purchase, I would be glad to set up a time when we could go together. Just let me know if you are interested.

 

In six weeks I am also going to check out the canner to be able to put the sugar in #10 cans. We can do that at the church. We also will be trying to get the canner to the church for the January 21st activity, although that has not been confirmed yet. If you have canned before and want to bring some of your product to can that day, that is also a possibility. Remember you will have had to purchase your cans, lids, and oxygen absorbers before then and bring them with you to the church that day.

 

Take care...and have a "sweet" week,

Marie