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Stock up on this now

Posted By: ConSigCor

Stock up on this now - 03/14/2017 03:41 PM

Here is another excellent article from Survivalblog.com. Everyone needs to stock up and learn to make your own supply. I use this for everything from cold medicine to window cleaner. It works well.

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Vinegar As An Essential Multi-Purpose Tool for TEOTWAWKI- Part 1, by J.R.

During TEOTWAWKI, long-term survivability will depend upon more than adequate caloric intake and the ability to defend oneself and one’s family. Historically, the leading cause of death during times of prolonged war, conflict, or natural disasters has not been violence or the direct impact of disasters, rather, most people perished due to rampant disease and infections caused by the interruption of access to medical treatment, clean water, and adequate hygiene. In dire times, access to medicinal agents and the ability to both prevent food and water-borne illness and to maintain hygienic living quarters may make the difference between life and death. Although various options abound to address one or more of those concerns, for the budget-minded prepper, tackling each of those categories can prove costly and confusing. But what if we could utilize one affordable and easily obtainable substance to treat many medical conditions, preserve food, and provide for a hygienic environment? Many people may be surprised to learn that such a substance does exist and has been known since ancient times. That incredible substance is vinegar.

Even before the rise of civilization more than 6,000 years ago, vinegar was known among many cultures for its medicinal, preservative, and cleaning properties. Along with alcohol, vinegar was discovered independently and used heavily by almost every culture of the ancient world for many of the same uses we think of today. In ancient China, Korea, Babylon, and Egypt vinegar was used widely by all classes, from slaves to sovereigns, as a means to treat the ill and infirm, to ensure food preservation for lean times, and clean domiciles. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, wrote about using vinegar. Vinegar is also mentioned numerous times in the Bible, both the New and Old Testament. This is all because vinegar has such a variety of uses in food, medicine, non-toxic cleaning, and even removing rust and corrosion from metallic objects.

Vinegar was so widely known due primarily to its simple and sometimes spontaneous nature. Vinegar is so incredibly easy to make that it was most likely discovered by accident, much the same way that alcohol probably was. In fact, the process of producing vinegar is nearly identical to that of alcohol. That procedure, known as fermentation, is a biological process wherein microbes of the genus Acetobacter metabolize simple sugar, starch, or alcohol into acetic acid. Acetobacter is so prevalent in the environment that nearly any hydrated sugar or alcohol can seemingly spontaneously convert into vinegar given time. If you have ever left an open bottle of wine on the counter for too long, you have likely already inadvertently made your own vinegar. Some more commonly known vinegars include apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, distilled white vinegar, coconut vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and malt vinegar. Though the process of making vinegar is very simple, there are keys to exploiting its full potential if a TEOTWAWKI scenario comes to pass. For whatever vinegar you use, it is important to make sure to use the raw, unfiltered form to reap the maximum benefits from all the qualities vinegar has to offer. This is especially important when used as a medicinal measure.

In this essay, we will examine some of the uses of two types of vinegar, but in particular, raw, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (hereafter referred to as ACV). Perhaps the most beneficial type of vinegar, raw, unfiltered ACV has literally dozens of applications. Let us first explore the medicinal properties of ACV.

Health Benefits

We all know that prevention is the best medicine, and this is especially the case during TEOTWAWKI. ACV contains minerals, vitamins, essential acids, and enzymes. Catching a cold or having the flu is a relativity simple fix presently because we can easily make an appointment with our primary care doctor or go to the emergency room if need be, but we know both of those options will be off the table when the grid goes down. ACV has the medicinal knockout punch to help the immune system fight many common viruses and ailments. With a recommended dose often ranging from one tablespoon to one ounce, individuals need not be concerned with consuming large quantities in their diet. Taking it straight, in its undiluted form, may be tough for some unaccustomed to the unique, strong flavor of ACV, while others may enjoy it. Diluting it, or chasing it with water will help lighten the taste and alleviate potential damage to teeth due to the acidity. Many prefer to dilute ACV in a glass of water and add some honey to make it more palatable.

Historically, ACV held a place of high regard in the medicinal cabinets of doctors, healers, and elders. Hippocrates used vinegar as a medicinal treatment to tackle various aliments, including pleurisy and pneumonia. In modern times ACV has been shown to be an effective treatment against intestinal infections caused by E. coli and salmonella. During the American Civil War, ACV was given to soldiers on both sides to help prevent scurvy on the front lines. Modern science has indicated through a number of studies that ACV may be beneficial to a wide range of biological functions in our bodies. Many of us take vitamins and supplements everyday in hopes of adding some extra nutrition to our daily diet that may be lacking in various nutrients. Unfortunately, many of these supplements are expensive and not available around the common man’s household. ACV is regarded as a superfood by many nutritionists and is an affordable supplement that anyone can add to their daily routine. Medical studies have demonstrated how ACV can slow or even halt the growth of various forms of cancer cells, shrink tumors, lower blood pressure levels, and assist in insulin regulation in people with diabetes. Those are just a few of the documented medicinal benefits, but traditional medicine expands the potential uses of ACV far beyond the scope of this essay.

These benefits are especially important during TEOTWAWKI because our minds and bodies will be under a considerable amount of ongoing stress, causing us to be more exposed to possible health complications. Consuming ACV is a great way to boost one’s immune system in the present and an essential preventative measure if the grid goes down. Additionally, ACV and other vinegars are great tools to use for purposes outside the body.

Antiseptic

During TEOTWAWKI, cuts and scraps from working hard around the house will no longer be a minor issue. Even with access to antibiotics, infection is a serious threat. Proper hygiene and prompt cleaning prevents many small wounds from festering, but what about when antibiotics and cleaning products aren’t readily available? How will we prevent or treat infection? We will be exposed to increased risk of physical injury in a grid-down scenario when the machines of modern age can no longer do the work for us. That risk of injury factors directly to an elevated risk of infection. Thorough cleaning of abrasions is essential. Distilled white vinegar, which has a higher acetic acid content of 6% is a natural antiseptic and can be used to successfully disinfect a wound that has been exposed to possible germs. To disinfect with vinegar, merely mix a 50/50 solution of sterile water and vinegar then lightly scrub and irrigate the wound with the solution. This solution is particularly valuable when a medicinal iodine solution is not available. This technique was used during World War I on soldiers when medical supplies were in limited supply.

Anti-Bacterial/Topical Pain Reliever

ACV can also be used to treat sunburns by applying a cloth soaked with both water and vinegar directly on the sunburn or by using a spray bottle filled with a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar that is then sprayed over the sunburned area which will help alleviate tenderness and prevent blisters. ACV is also a remedy for diarrhea because diarrhea is primary caused by a bacteria or virus in the intestinal track and ACV is great at killing those germs. A scratchy, sore throat can also benefit from ACV. Bacteria often stay in the throat and cause excess mucus when you’re sick with a cold. Drinking or gargling some ACV will help eliminate excess mucus in the throat while also killing pain causing bacteria. On top of all that, ACV and white distilled vinegar can be applied to itchy bug bites, poison ivy rash, and jelly fish stings to help minimize itching, irritation, and swelling.

Vinegar’s Acetic Acid

Along with disinfecting wounds on the body, vinegar can be used to thoroughly disinfect your environment. The primary active agent in all vinegars is acetic acid, which kills bacteria and viruses on household surfaces. There may be a situation during TEOTWAWKI where there is danger of contagion; keeping a clean sterile environment means the difference between getting sick or not. Even multi-drug resistant tuberculosis can be eliminated with vinegar given appropriate application. Distilled white vinegar, again because of the 6% acidity, can be used to disinfect all commonly touched surfaces in your home. If bleach supplies have been exhausted, vinegar can be used for nearly all household cleaning purposes. Distilled white vinegar is commonly used in homes where an individual may suffer from a chemical sensitivity and using harsh chemicals in your home is not an option. It can also be used as a degreaser in place of other harsh, flammable, or reactive solvents. In addition, ACV can be used to remove rust and corrosion from metallic objects or tools. Archaeologists even use ACV to substitute for electrolysis when removing corrosion from delicate artifacts. For the scientifically inclined, both ACV and distilled white vinegar can even be used to make battery cells! Keeping several gallons of distilled white vinegar and ACV on hand with a few ***spray bottles***amazon.com/Houseables-24SB-CL1-Bottles-Professional-Trigger/dp/B00Z86FRPO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1489457382&sr=8-3&keywords=cleaning+spray+b ottle gives one the ability to always disinfect the home when needed without causing an unwanted allergic reaction from harsh chemical cleaners.

Acetic acid has the capacity to kill tough bacteria and viruses, but having even a few more extra gallons of vinegar on hand will help out greatly when it comes to preserving food as well. Vinegar is safe and effective food preserver. The ability to preserve food to eat at a later date is a traditional practice that took place in just about every country homestead and across many cultures. Pickling and fermenting in vinegar is a safe, delicious, and nutritious way to ensure food security. This practice will have to take place in every home in a TEOTWAWKI situation, if people expect to keep their families fed. Buying distilled white vinegar for canning may be the easiest solution for canning needs, but ACV works too, as long as the acidic acid levels are 4.5% or higher. With an inexpensive acid titration kit, vinegar can be tested to measure acetic acid levels to make sure the correct acidity is present. Certain foods do require the use of vinegar when canning, so if you want those foods on your long-term menu during a grid down situation, keeping a supply of vinegar would be a necessity. Of course you could always learn to make your own.
Posted By: ConSigCor

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/15/2017 06:55 AM

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Vinegar As An Essential Multi-Purpose Tool for TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by J.R.

Equipment and Supplies

Making your own vinegar at home is a simple, useful, practical skill that is applicable to TEOTWAWKI. If you can crush apples and save the apple juice, you can make apple cider vinegar (ACV). In addition to apple, there are many different types of vinegars you can make depending upon your needs and desires. I have been making ACV for many years. I have gallons put away in my basement, and I always have a bottle in the fridge that I use on a continual basis. Stocking up on some basic supplies ahead of time will ensure you have the potential of making your own supply of vinegar for years. One of the most important items you would want is an apple or fruit cider press. Farms with apple orchards have used these elementary presses for decades to make apple cider. Growing up in rural New England, I first saw one in use when I was a child when my mother took me to the local town apple orchard where they made apple cider. These types of presses can be purchased online for between $100-$500, depending on the quality and brand of the press, and may even be found at estate sales for much less. Just like when you shopped for your grain mill and purchased a Country Living hand grain mill with a lifetime warranty, it would be wise to purchase a juice press of the same caliber. I have a Macintosh apple cider press with the stainless steel basket. I purchased mine online from PleasantHillGrain.com, but there are several companies that offer cider presses at a fair price. My local apple orchard, in addition to a large industrial press, has a few of these Macintosh presses on hand that were many years old and still in proper working order. This was one of the reasons I bought one, as well as the machine’s design being very basic and tough to break because there is only one moving part. An electric juicer is also a great tool for juicing your apples, but of course using it will depend on having access to electricity, so having a electricity-free manual fruit press for long-term vinegar making is a must.

Regrettably, like many grain mills, this juice press is also powered by human muscle. So just like when you have to grind your corn down for corn meal, your arms will also be getting a workout when you have to use your juice press. Hopefully, you have your own little fruit orchard on your property. If not, locating the fruit orchards that are in relatively close proximity to your property ahead of time is a wise idea. Often during the fall season, there is an ample amount of fruit that ends up on the ground that farmers will not use and may be collected with permission from the landowners. This fallen fruit is still perfect for making vinegar. Frequently farmers will not even charge a penny for the fallen fruit so you will be able to get the principle ingredient of your vinegar for free! Of course, this is also another splendid reason to plant some fruit trees of your own on your property so that no travel is required when it’s harvest season.

Having all these essential supplies to make ACV would not only enable you to make vinegar for you and your loved ones but would also position you to have a seasonal job where you could provide both vinegar and apple juice to the local community when the grid is down, provided you have easy access to an plentiful supply of apples. You will also need containers in which to ferment your vinegar. Ideally, these containers should be glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or sanitary wood barrels. I have found the best containers to use if you’re making a larger batch of vinegar to be glass carboys commonly used in beer and wine making. These come in 5- and 6-gallon sizes and will usually last a lifetime. For making smaller batches, you can use 1-gallon glass wine fermenter bottles. You will also need cheesecloth or even some old clean cotton t-shirts that you longer wear can also be used to cover the fruit juice after you put it in the containers. Lastly, you will want to have some plastic food grade tubing that you will use to siphon the vinegar into smaller containers for convenient storage and use. As you can see the amount of equipment needed is minimal and the press is the most expensive item.

Procedure For Making Vinegar

To make ACV, rinse your apples in water to rid them of debris, then commence juicing/pressing. There is no need to cut them up when using a press, as presses are designed to work with whole fruit. Just fill the press with your fruit and began working the wheel until the apples begin to crush. Make sure you have set up a sanitized bucket below the press to catch all your apple juice. The excess mushed fruit scraps can be used to feed your chickens, if you’re lucky enough to have some. You can then begin to fill the containers using your food grade tubing as a siphon or by pouring the juice into the containers with the help of a funnel. When filling your containers with juice, make sure to leave space for adequate surface area for proper gas exchange. If you use a large glass carboy, leave some space at the top of the container as opposed to adding juice all the way to the narrowing neck of the bottle; this will maximize surface area in the container. Make sure to cover containers with either cheesecloth or a cotton shirt so no insects or dust gets in, while the juice is still allowed to “breathe” for proper gas exchange.

The juice will now go through two stages of fermentation. The time it takes for both stages will vary depending on the room temperature of the juice; the warmer the room, the faster the process. The first stage will take about a week; all the sugars in the juice will start to covert to alcohol. This is when the fun comes, not because you can then get tipsy by drinking some of your newly produced alcoholic libation but because you get to watch the fermentation process take place. Using glass containers adds the benefit of being able to watch the fermentation process happen. This ends up becoming a type of science experiment, which is great if you have kids in the house and get them involved in vinegar making. Your container of juice temporarily takes on the appearance of a lava lamp. For those of you old enough to remember lava lamps, which had wax in a container of liquid that melted from the heat of a light bulb causing balls of liquid wax to float up and down in the lamp, the yeast cake that forms on the bottom of the container acts in a similar fashion as it rises from the bottom to purge its excess CO2.

During the fermentation process, bubbles of CO2 gas will rise up from the bottom and slowly accumulate at the top of the container underneath a floating mat of beneficial bacteria, known as the “mother”. This mother bacteria will continue to grow and slowly convert the alcohol into acetic acid, which is the second stage of the fermentation process and gives vinegar its distinctive bite when it hits your taste buds. Strands of the mother will eventually fall back to the bottom of the container, while some may reach throughout the cylinder causing all the liquid to take on a cloudy appearance, which is exactly what you want. It may take a month to several months for all the alcohol to be converted over to acetic acid. When the process is finished, you will know by taste testing the flavor, or you could also get that acid titration test kit to see if your vinegar has reached the preferred level of acid between 3-5% acetic acid.

After the second stage of fermentation is finished, you can bottle your vinegar into smaller containers for long-term storage or even give some away to family and friends after you educate them about the many benefits of vinegar. Just like saving yeast when baking bread or brewing beer, saving some mother bacteria from one batch of vinegar can be used to jump start the fermentation process of your next batch of vinegar. The mother bacteria that concentrates as a thin floating mat on the surface of the vinegar will stay living for an extended period of time in a sealed bottle with just a little vinegar. Whenever you happen to make another batch of ACV, even if it’s a year or two later, just add in some of your saved vinegar that contains the mother immediately after you juice your apples. This will dramatically speed up the fermentation process and will also give the vinegar a similar flavor to your previous batch of vinegar because you are using the same bacteria culture to initiate the fermentation process.

With such a wide variety of uses, coupled with its affordability and simple method of production, we owe it to ourselves to store an ample supply of vinegar to enjoy now and during uncertain times. Hopefully you and your family will enjoy the process and uses of vinegar as my family and I have. Happy fermenting!
Posted By: airforce

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/15/2017 09:55 AM

I remembered seeing plans for making a fruit press out of an auto jack, and I fount it online here . After the last pressing of the year, wash all the wooden parts well and apply a light coating of mineral oil.

Lehman\'s sells fruit presses. If you have the money, get the stainless steel one.

Onward and upward,
airforce
Posted By: ConSigCor

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/15/2017 12:38 PM

I have several good producing apple trees. Always have more apples than I can use. I really need to get off my butt, find a press and start making my own cider.
Posted By: airforce

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/15/2017 01:06 PM

I've never used a cider press, and I don't even think I've seen one used. When I was a kid a neighbor had an apple orchard, and he used to let me hunt squirrels there all the time. I know he used a press to use some of the blemished fruit, but I've never actually seen him do it.

Onward and upward,
airforce
Posted By: ConSigCor

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/15/2017 03:27 PM

Bruised /overripe fruit was what grandma always used to make cider. They didn't waste anything.

Around here we have a bunch of antique/thrift stores that carry old tools and equipment. Over the past couple of years I've put together a collection of hand powered carpentry and kitchen tools. Right now I'm looking for a working corn sheller...will see if I can find a press the next time I make my rounds.
Posted By: airforce

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/15/2017 03:59 PM

I've seen some cheap corn shellers that didn't look like they would survive more than a couple ears of corn. This one looks similar to the one Mom used , but I sincerely doubt dad paid that much for it.

I don't own any stock in Lehman's. Maybe I should.

Onward and upward,
airforce
Posted By: Breacher

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/15/2017 11:55 PM

The cider press was on the shopping list for the Diaxaris project. Even when we were on that short lived abortive program of the other retreat, I had bought a grain mill to take in to that one.

Basic stuff you really don't need to own for your own little survival cottage but needs to be group stuff that is accessible:

Cider press
fruit grinder
fermentation jugs (carboys)
bottle capper
bottle cleaning station, varies by design, requires several specialized brushes
supply of bottle caps (paid for by those who use them)
10 gallon still
5 gallon still
2-3 gallon stovetop pot still
cheese presses
curdling vats, paddle, complete kit
grain mills (not a multipurpose mill, but a specialized grain mill)
meat grinders (1 manual 1 electric)
meat slicer (deli style, 1 electric, 1 manual if available)
smoker
smokehouse (permanent infrastructure item)
10 gallon boiling pot(s) with spigot.
55 gallon food safe drums (plastic)
30 gallon food safe drum (stainless) with dual spigots
large standalone propane burners
large deep fryer
industrial type vacuum sealer
if possible, a can sealer
a bandsaw permanently modified or built for meat cutting
food dehydrator
vacuum oven
pressure oven
large baking oven

This isn't all stuff that needs to be duplicated for every single household, but everybody involved in the retreat should pitch in for these items or profits from the group business activities be shunted over to pay for the stuff.

The cider situation is fairly simple, but I am not quite sure how you keep the cider/apple beer from going straight vinegar except I think it has something to do with the timing on when it is pasteurized, fermented and filtered. I think cider is straight fermented without pasteurization then either settled or filtered and then rapidly heated again to keep from turning vinegar and that's your commercial apple beers, but I am not sure. I do know that if you just let the apple juice sit and age for a very long time and it is exposed to air during that period, you end up with mostly vinegar with crap floating on top, stuff settled in the bottom, and the stuff in the middle is your vinegar.

Honey mead also goes on a similar cycle and has a certain special time period when it must be drank. If you let it sit too long, it goes vinegar, but that honey mead vinegar is interesting as a meat marinade and salad dressing ingredient. The kind of stuff you would soak gamey meat in for a few days before slow roasting.
Posted By: ConSigCor

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/17/2017 12:54 PM

Breacher, This stuff has a million uses. I want the cider to go to straight vinegar. I'm not interested in making apple beer.
Posted By: Breacher

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/17/2017 01:39 PM

You use the same equipment to make the different stuff, it's just a matter of timing and sequence of the processing stages.

I had a bunch of honey mead I made in 2004ish which was not really all that great to drink until around 2007-2008, started to go downhill quickly and by 2010 was bitter. Had I separated and rebottled it and repasteurized it I think I could have killed off the yeast and bacteria and stabilized it but I didn't have the right equipment accessible at the time, or the motivation to do it. So the remains of that batch ended up as the "special vinegar" for marinades and is absolutely amazing with red meat, duck and pork.
Posted By: ConSigCor

Re: Stock up on this now - 03/17/2017 05:08 PM

I bet that did make some good marinade.
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