Solar Dehydration

The process of dehydration in foodstuffs is simply that of reducing the internal water content and in certain instances the intracellular water content of the food. Effectively when heat is applied to the food it induces evaporation of the water, which results in the water within the food first migrating to the periphery of the food, and then undergoing a phase change from liquid to gas, in other words water to water vapor.

The reduction in water content results in reduced water activity with a consequent reduced growth of microorganisms. Each microorganism has a maximal, optimal and minimal water activity at which it grows, and generally bacteria require more moisture than yeasts and yeasts require more moisture than molds. Dehydration of foods is an excellent method of preserving the foods and is practised extensively in the modern age. Solar dehydration is using the sunshine and consequent heat of the sun, to induce evaporation and dry the food.

Solar dehydration can sometimes be limited to climates with hot sun and dry atmospheric conditions and tends to work best with certain select food types, for example prunes, figs, apricots, pears and peaches, and in the case of meat, beef jerky and certain fish species. Whilst in certain instances this can literally be achieved by placing the foodstuff in a single layer in the direct sunshine on a container or tray and turning the food on a regular or semi-regular basis, the technique is generally facilitated by using a solar dehydrator.

A classic example of solar dehydration using a simple tray technique is the kapenta fishing industry in Lake Kariba in the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe, where 20 tons of kapenta (Tanganyika sardine) are caught each year during the evening. The small fish are then mixed with coarse salt (1lb salt for 12 lbs of fish) on the fishing boats and subsequently transported to land where the kapenta are sorted and placed on large, flat trays and dried in the sun. The fish remain an extremely important source of protein for the local population.

A solar dehydrator, also referred to as a solar dryer, is a solar appliance that is designed to dry foods using the power of the sun and nothing else. Solar dehydrators function to extract moisture from foods, while preserving color and flavor.

Once adequately dried, store the food in clean, sterile plastic bags at between 40-70 ? F (5-20 ? C). The food should be fairly brittle once properly dried. If you want to apply a degree of science to the process you could analyze the actual moisture content of the food, per individual food type or category, and through a process of trial and error you could determine exactly what your targeted final moisture contents should be per individual food type and what the normal solar application would be to achieve those levels.

A further enhancement to the dehydration process would be to either vacuum pack the dried foods or even package the foods using gaseous nitrogen flush to eliminate oxygen, thereby extending the shelf life of the food, although both of these add-on techniques will have an associated cost.

Spam, the Meat From Hormel - Yes, It Really Is Meat

What do you do with all the left over meat from a pig that no one wants after the choice bits have been taken off?

If you are George A. Hormel Company, you form it into a loaf, add a few spices and call it Spam.

Seeing thousands of pig shoulders (the parts no one wants) piling up in the warehouse back in 193, one of the company's executives came up with a novel idea. Why not chop the meat up, add spices, a little bit of the better meats and gelatin made from the pigs leftover skin and bones? It could be formed into a brick, put in a can and remain edible for months without refrigeration.

They tried it and it worked. Hormel's Spiced Ham was born.

But other pork packers, seeing the success Hormel was having getting rid of their leftover piggie parts, started selling their own piggie loafs. Hormel offered $100 for anyone who could come up with a good name to set their meat brick apart on the shelf. Spam was submitted by the brother of one of the employees. Spiced Ham = Spam.

Everyone claims to hate the stuff, but about 30% of all American households have a can in the cupboard right now. Even so, chances are the "pink brick of meat encased in a gelatinous coating" as one writer described it, would not still be around today if not for a little thing called World War II.

Cheap, portable and never needing refrigeration, Spam was the ideal product to send into battle. It was nicknamed "the ham that didn't pass its physical" and many GI's swore they would never touch the stuff after they got home.

They lied. Sales of Spam shot up dramatically in the years after the war. Today Americans consume 3.8 cans of the stuff every second, or 122 million cans a year. That's more than 5 billion cans since 1937.

Contrary to urban legend, there are no pigs lips, eyes, ears, tails or naughty bits in Spam - just pork shoulder, ham, salt, sugar and sodium nitrate.

Hormal, flush with the success of Spam released at least more slightly less successful canned meats - Spiced Chicken and Spiced Fish. Perhaps their failure was due to the names - and I am NOT making this up - "Spicken" and "Spish."

Seven Most Common Toxins Found in the Human Body

No matter how hard you try, a small amount of toxins in your body is common. Every food that we eat or drink, or the air we breathe, the place we live in. chemicals and pesticides, or exposure to the bacteria's and viruses from food and environment, etc causes constant exposure to the toxins which are easily absorbed by the body. We can divide the causes of toxins as due to internal as well as external source. The external sources are mostly food that we eat, the air that we breathe pesticides etc. But body also adds a reserve of toxins due to indigestion, or improper metabolism etc.
Some of the commonly found toxins in your body, tissues and cells are as follows-

1. Sugar- white sugar that we commonly consume in our tea, coffee and other delicacies is refined sugar. It has nothing nutritional about its presence except add calories and lead to diabetes. Rightly called as the 'White death' it is always better that we reduce the amount of sugar we consume on a daily basis.

2. Free Radical toxins- fruits and vegetables when left open turn yellow, or brown. We all have noticed apple turning brown when cut and left open, or banana turning brown, etc. This is the process of natural oxidation which when consumed is adding toxins in your body.

3. Caffeine- Beverages like coffee surely give a 'high' and freshness. This is very addictive and the person longs for such stimulation. Caffeine is known to cause irregularities in heart beat if consumed for long leading to increased caffeine accumulation in the body. It also causes mood swings and anxiety disorder.

4. Accumulation of LDL cholesterol from fatty and oily food causes atherosclerosis, and heart ailments, increased BP.

5. Pesticides- consuming traces of pesticides is common when you buy vegetables and fruits from the market. Prefer to choose organic food, since these are not pesticide exposed. Also always wash your fruits and vegetables well before easting or cooking.

6. Fluoride toxicity - though fluoride does have its benefits like strengthening of the teeth and dental care, chronic exposure to fluoride is highly toxic and can cause serious repercussions. Children who easily swallow toothpaste (fluoride is a common ingredient in traces in toothpaste) causes GI disturbances. It is also known to cause weakening of the muscular-skeletal system, thus increasing chances and risks of fracture, ill effects on kidney, liver damage, etc.

7. Aluminum toxicity- Aluminum is commonly used in a number of items that we use daily. Whether its food packing, or foil paper wrapping, medicines, soaps and other hygiene products or even processed food, all have a little quantity of aluminum. Many are not aware of how aluminum can be adding toxins to your body. Aluminum is found in cake mixes, baking powder, self raising flour, or some pickles, processed cheese contain aluminum. Aluminum is also found in shampoos, and antiperspirants. Many people cook in aluminum vessels. Food reacts and absorbs the aluminum easily, thus intake of aluminum in this case is very easy. Aluminum toxicity causes gastro intestinal problems, rickets, headaches, decrease in kidney and liver functions, speech and memory loss, muscular aches and wasting etc.

Quick Hippy Bread

Growing up in the 60's was really a rather beneficial experience for me. Not only did it afford me an opportunity to become a bit self reliant but it also gave me the background needed to feel secure in any endeavor which I undertook. In those days money was not a very plentiful asset and I often found it necessary to skimp on living expenses. Here is the result of one of my best means of saving money.

Even today the taste of this inexpensive bread is appreciated by all who taste it. Couple the great taste with the low cost to make it and you end up with an instant family hit. To make this "hippy" bread you will need two coffee cans which ultimately will make you two loaves of bread. You need not be concerned with kitchen utensils for measuring the ingredients, as the cans themselves will serve nicely. I would use the three pound coffee can to do my measuring and the one pound for the actual baking.

First you should mix up your wet ingredients using the following products:

1 1/2 cup of warm water
2 packages of pre-measured yeast
1 tablespoon of white flour
1 tablespoon of sugar

Proceed by mixing the above items in one can. For a variety you could add different flavorings such as a few spoonfuls of molasses or brown sugar. As a hint for those who may not have milk readily available you can always use a cooked potato that has been run through a food processor or blender. This will easily take the place of milk in the recipe.

Our next task will be to combine the wet mix that we created above with those ingredients listed below. Take one level can of white flour and knead into the wet product. In the old days just any inexpensive white flour was used however, today we could employ the bread flour or even wheat to provide an even healthier and tastier final product. You will now add the following ingredients to the mix:

A pinch of salt
1 /8 can of a good quality powdered milk or a potato as advised above
Several small boxes of raisins
Feel free to add wheat germ, nuts or dried dates

Continue to mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl combining it with the wet mix. Blend it together well until it is uniform in texture. If you have bananas or any sort of fruit available you can add it to the mixture at this time as you finish up your mixing. Finally let the kneaded mixture rise in a warm place until it has almost doubled. This may take from one to several hours. While waiting for the dough to raise you should grease the cans lightly.

After the dough has risen properly sprinkle some flour atop your counter and knead the dough a second time. Turn your bread dough over on the floured counter and knead it by pushing the top down and gently folding the edges up on the top once again. You should knead the dough for about 15 minutes. Once completed your dough should be round and springs slightly when pushed.

I want to inform you at this time of a few hints to making this hippy bread. First make certain that your cans are greased well. Divide up your dough and knead each half into balls and than place them into the two coffee cans. Let the dough rise once again in the cans until it doubles again in size.

Preheat your oven to 390 degrees. When your bread has reached the proper size, place the can upright in your preheated kitchen oven and bake for one hour. If you happen to be using the three pound can it might take a bit longer. After removing from the oven let your bread sit for 10 minutes to cool. Using oven mitts or a pot holder swirl the can in your hands and like magic your bread should slowly slide out of the can.

Copyright @2011 Joseph Parish
http://www.survival-training.info

Potato Chips - Scrumptious Snack With Assorted Flavours

People all around the world enjoy potato chips as it is one of the favourite snacks. It is considered the universal snack loved by people of all ages. Though there are controversies regarding the health issues of this delicious snack, today there are a number of manufacturers who are engaged in the production of chips which are far healthier.

All about These Delicious Snack

Potato chips found its early origin in Saratoga Springs, New York in the year 1853. It was actually a slight variation or a make over from the thick French fries to light and crispy potato fries. Invented by George Crum, a cook in Saratoga Springs, this delicious snack proved to be the best tasty snack in the world.

Potato chips happen to be one of the most popular and leading snack not just in India but in many of the western countries. It is known by different names in different countries. There are many leading brand names associated with the production of chips. Some of the most popular names which are synonymous with chips include Lays, Ruffle, Bingo and so forth.

It is quite easy to identify potato chips as it is sliced in thin layers and fried to form crispy wafers. It is also known as wafers in some of the countries. It is dark around the edges and is crispy in texture. Though there are many companies that manufacture chips of various tastes and flavours, it can also be made at home. Home made chips are delicious with just the right amount of calories. Nevertheless, it is important to know how to fry them.

It is known by the name potato chips in the United States though it is known as crisps in U.K and other countries. Different varieties of chips give a different calorie count.

Different Types of Potato Chips

The first chips were known as Saratoga chips which were invented by George Crum. Later on it underwent a number of transformations and came to known by different names. One of the most popular brands includes Lays which was named after Herman Lay in the year 1932.

Today it is available in different flavours including classic salted, barbeque, cream and onion, tangy tomato, pudina punch, magic masala, spicy chips and so forth. With the collaboration of Indian tastes, many new varieties of different tastes have been launched in the markets today. The Indian spicy treats are being incorporated to the existing version of potato chips giving a whole new taste to this delicious snack.

Another variety of potato chips is the Pringles, which is made by cooking and mashing potatoes. It is then dehydrated. Pringles are also available in different flavours such as salted, spicy, red chilli and masala.

A variety of potato chips can be bought from many of the online stores at comparatively reasonable rates in bulks. It is important to buy chips which are cooked in fat free oil so as to ensure that it is healthy. The low fat chips are quiet popular as it promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Population Increase Affects Both Ecosystems and the Food Chain

An ecosystem is generally understood to be the combination of biological, physical and chemical factors that makes up a particular locality and can be anything from a pond to a rainforest to a desert.

There are two components in an ecosystem, the abiotic components, such as sunlight, temperature, temperature, water or moisture and the soil chemistry, and the biotic, the living organisms from plants to insects, animals to people, all of which interact together.

Ecology is a way of describing how the the various component parts of an ecosystem interact and function whether it is the amount of energy produced by photosynthesis or how energy and materials flow along the food chain.

Energy transfers in a continuous cycle from growth to decay and back throughout an ecosystem and the rate at which it does so depends on a number of factors. However, energy transfer through the food chain becomes more inefficient as it develops from what is called primary producer level (plants) through herbivore primary consumer level and on to carnivore level.

This is all fine when the various elements of an ecosystem are in balance and functioning well together but it doesn't take much to destabilise it.

Climate changes, such as prolonged drought or rainfall, can affect the balance or a change in the animal population so that perhaps there are too many predators that can be supported in a given area.

Human activity has arguably one of the most significant impacts on an ecosystem in a variety of ways. Once an area of land is being used for a specific purpose, such as farming, it can lead to several problems.

Once populations begin to collect in communities and the economic system depends more and more on urbanised living, along with greater scientific understanding of public health and medicine, the death rate declines and the population begins to grow.

This puts more pressure on those working the land to produce food to become more efficient and again innovations like farming machinery - and eventually methods such as chemical and mineral-based pesticides and fertilisers have to be used to control pests and crop diseases and increase the yield from the land.

Meanwhile ever newer and more "efficient" farming methods create a hostile environment for wildlife, including pests and for their natural predators, perhaps because the areas where they live and shelter such as hedges have been removed to allow for larger farm vehicles to operate efficiently.

Equally too intensive farming means that there is no time for the land to recover and restore nutrients naturally through the cycle of growth and decay. The human population continues to grow as life expectancy and birth rates increase and add to the stress on the ecosystem.

It is the result of many centuries of such "improvements" in food production and in population survival and growth that has led to current worries about food scarcity and the need for farmers to increase food production.

But it has also become clear that increasing food production has to be done in a sustainable way as the drawbacks of previous farming methods have become evident, not only because of the effects of the residues of some of the old generation of fertilisers on human health but also because of the damage that has been caused to the ecosystems in which they have been used.

Hence the current emphasis on sustainable farming methods and integrated pest management but if the world is to support a population expected to reach more than 9 billion by 2050 without further damage to the world's ecosystems something has to change.

Biopesticides developers have been in the forefront of the search for solutions, researching more natural (aka low-chem) agricultural products - using natural ingredients to create biopesticides and yield enhancers that will both protect the land and help increase yields from the finite amount of land available by minimising the waste caused by crops lost to diseases and predators.

It is the work of such innovators that will hold the key to providing enough food and protecting the land and its vulnerable ecosystems for the future.

Organising the All Important Christmas Dinner

It's almost Christmas, so it will not be long before the family clan are gathered around the table once more for the highlight of the day; the Christmas dinner! And this meal is always worth looking forward to. There will be friendly banter, merriment and heaps of delicious grub. It's just a shame that Christmas only happens once every year!

Here are a few of our favourite parts of this 'festive chowdown' -

Crackers and Party Poppers

No Christmas dinner would be complete without the presence of crackers! Of course, if you want them to contain anything half-decent, then you will need to spend quite a lot of money...

The good old Christmas cracker will often contain a silly hat (normally too large or too small), a joke that isn't funny and either a green plastic ring or a 'fortune telling' fish. None of these are the world's most exciting items, but everyone would certainly be up in arms if they were absent from the table!

Tableware

Christmas is the time when all of that coveted cutlery and crockery is used! It's so much nicer to eat from the most attractive plates and with the best knives and forks.

And if you have been thinking about updating your tableware, then this is a great time to go shopping! Unless, of course, someone was to hear about how much you would like to receive a new set of plates for Christmas...

Turkey

Just imagine sitting down to your Christmas dinner and not having turkey on your plate. Unspeakable!

It's a funny old thing, isn't it? We use a significant amount of it for our actual meal, yet there is always plenty left. Once it has been put in the fridge it just seems to last forever! Turkey sandwiches must be the world's most common post-Christmas snack!

Lurking turkey... maybe this is how the name, 'Turkey Lurkey' came about???

Pudding

Christmas just wouldn't be the same without this scrumptious dessert to follow the main course. Yum yum! When you think about how much we all love our Christmas pudding, it makes you wonder why we only eat it once every twelve months.

And then there is the added bonus of wondering who will find the sixpence in their bowl... although this could be viewed as a potential choking hazard. In fact, there is probably a 'Sixpence in the Christmas Pudding' EU regulation in place these days...