After Easter Chocolate

[JuneGem]

The post-holiday candy sales have now come and gone, and the goodies have been vacuum packed. Didn't have nearly the haul I had last year. Seems the stores simply didn't stock as much. Did anyone else experience that?

[Earthling]

I was too busy to go to the stores on Monday . . . but still have a box left over from last year's sales. I had stored in a dark cool place and you could not tell it was a year old. :l0 (57):

[JuneGem]

I have mine stored that way, too, and last year's chocolate tastes as if it was bought yesterday. Well, I just HAD to taste test it to make sure.

[CurtisG]

i went to Walmart Wednesday but couldnt find any Cadbury chocolate mini eggs:frown5:

[JuneGem]

Honestly, I didn't see ANY of those this year! Too bad, as they are my favorites!

[Noahs ARK]

The only candy I found was Robin Eggs, so I bought it all up and then sealed it up in a quart jars with my new handy-dandy Food Saver accessory hose.

They also had M&M's (plain & peanut) at 50%, so I grabbed some of them, too. Sealed those babies up in pint jars. I read on that Kellene's (Doomsday Preppers) blog that hers were sealed for 3 years before she did a taste test for the peanuts going rancid and they were just fine. Woot!!

I'm lovin' this Food Saver!!

[JuneGem]

The only items this available this year that I was interested in were the mini-robin eggs and solid chocolate bunnies (Dove and Russell Stover). I used our Food Saver, too, but made bags and stored those in a bucket. I wanted the chocolate annoying to get into. LOL! Good to know about the peanuts. I've been avoiding them.

I keep telling myself to get the mason lid accessory for the Food Saver. It's on my list of "must haves" and it's time I got around to it.

[faif2d]

The thought just crossed my mind, are we tempting botulism by vacuum sealing jars? I have vacuum sealed several quarts of raisins and while dried they do still have moisture and could have spores that could form the toxins in the absence of air. Do any of you have any thoughts or info on this concern?

[Earthling]

I vacuum sealed trail mixes with dried fruit and I don't think there will be a problem. The manufacturer had already put them in plastic bags.

I think I will go to NPS in SLC to get some Easter candy since I missed the sales. I am feeling bad about it . . .

[phylm]

Noah's: I've been vac sealing my walnuts and pecans. So far we've been giving away our peanut crops, just saving enough for the next year's planting. I'm going to put in a short row of the small Spanish peanuts for peanut brittle this year, but we'll have three 90 foot rows of the large Virginia peanuts, in case we need to start making our own peanut butter, or need to start feeding our unprepared neighbors boiled peanuts.

I'm teaching a prep lesson in our monthly Relief Society meeting Tuesday. (Pray for me!) The presidency wanted a demonstration of some kind, so I'll have the sisters make a one-bowl batch of basic bread dough that makes one loaf of bread or one pan of rolls, and not get their fingers sticky above the middle knuckles. Then I'll give them my basic "git 'er done!" prep talk. Don't know whether it will dent the complacency or not. It has worked with every prep class I've conducted in the past. I pass out a survey of the state of preparedness of each family: one week, one month, three months, 6 months, a year, or more before we start the bread-making. May be interesting to see the reaction. (!)

[Noahs ARK]

Noah's: I've been vac sealing my walnuts and pecans.

That's one of my next vac sealing projects. I'm new to this, so I'm wondering if using the bags vs the jars will give me a better seal. I did have to reseal a couple of my jars, but I was expecting that. Checked them all again today and everything's sealed up nice & tight. Yay!

Good luck with your class!!

[phylm]

Yep, it's apparently a learning process. Great to have that gadget, though. Give my best to your hubby.

[Earthling]

I freeze my nuts and it works really well. My peanut M&Ms I keep in the extra frig . . . and hope they stay there!

Anyone know a good place to get pecans for a good price?