You may have recently received the February 2012 Briden Solutions newsletter (if you didn’t you can sign up for it here) and saw their announcement that Coconut Oil is back after 9 months of being unavailable. So what’s the big deal about Coconut Oil you say? Well I’ve been saving a great article, that I’m pasting below, about the benefits and advantages of Coconut Oil.
This article was originally posted by Chris Hallford on his Hallford Health blog on February 19, 2011. It is full of great information and lots of links that will take you to more great information. Check it out below.
Is Coconut Oil Really Safe? Here’s the Top 40 How’s & Why’s to Use it.
I recommend that you don’t believe me or any of the hype surrounding coconut oil, I sure didn’t, until I tried it for a while. My first experience with it went like this; I was curious about it, so I bought some, I used it, and nothing really happened. The end, or so I thought.
It took me awhile to realize the true benefits of coconut oil and how they differ from person to person. Results also vary depending on how many of the oil’s uses each person takes advantage of, because eating it is only one of many ways coconut oil can improve health. In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpavriksha, meaning “tree that gives all that is necessary for living” and is a “wish-fulfilling divine tree.”
If you are already very healthy with no major issues to deal with, then your experience with coconut oil may be very subtle, or you may find out that your digestion, skin, hair, nails, etc. are nowhere near what they could be with the right nutrients.
If you are overweight, lack energy, have poor digestion, high cholesterol and fall into most other categories associated with the average American, then you will often experience DRASTIC and life changing benefits from using coconut oil on a daily basis.
To me, one of the best gifts coconut oil users receive is not directly from the coconut itself, but because coconut oil can replace so many health and beauty products and even some medications, people will be absorbing 100′s to 1000′s of less chemicals and man-made “products” everyday. That is huge when you read about some of the side effects of these ingredients.
I don’t want to make coconut oil sound like it’s heaven sent or going to cure cancer, although it may be and might. My job is simply to filter through as much info and misinformation as possible, and then report back with intelligent summaries and ideas based on my experience, my client’s experiences, science and the latest research. That said, coconut oil is proving to be as good as all of the hype touts it to be.
But first, most of us need to let go of the thoughts that saturated fats are bad for us, clog arteries and increase cholesterol. You can read more on that here and here. Once we learn the true science behind saturated fats, we can have some faith that they won’t make us fat, and will actually help our metabolism, reduce inflammation, improve heart and digestive health, lower cholesterol and much more.
If you become brave enough to try this super fatty, taboo food, then the benefits will most likely be right around the corner for you. Remember, the more tools you use to improve your health, the less opportunities disease has to grow in your body.
The 40 Most Popular ways to use Coconut Oil
*Coconut oil generally has no unhealthy side effects, so it can be used as often as needed and for as long as the applicant finds necessary.
*We are talking about pure, virgin coconut OIL here, not coconut flakes, water and the like.
* A little bit goes a loooong way with coconut oil.
Health
Lubricant. Yes, you know what I’m talking about.
Sun treatment. After being out in the sun coconut oil is known for soothing the skin, as is aloe vera. Coconut oil has great antioxidant properties and helps heal the cells and tissues. Because of the lipid barrier (a layer of fat) that it provides over your skin, it locks in moisture and blocks some of the sun’s damaging rays.
Research shows that it boosts metabolism and energy. ” In the l940s, farmers attempted to use cheap coconut oil for fattening their animals, but they found that it made them lean, active and hungry” and ” G. W. Crile and his wife found that the metabolic rate of people in Yucatan, where coconut is a staple food, averaged 25% higher than that of people in the United States. In a hot climate, the adaptive tendency is to have a lower metabolic rate, so it is clear that some factor is more than offsetting this expected effect of high environmental temperatures. The people there are lean, and recently it has been observed that the women there have none of the symptoms we commonly associate with the menopause.”
It is an anti-infammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral substance for the body – especially in the gut and Crohn’s disease. Read more.
It can help hypothyroidism and thyroid function, especially when coconut oil replaces the use of unsaturated fats. This combination will increase enzyme production and promote the conversion of T4 to T3 hormones in the liver.
Stress relief. Massage into your forehead and around your temples, the smell is very soothing and the health benefits plentiful.
Protects against heart attacks, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and strokes. Heart disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis account for nearly HALF of all the deaths in theUnited States. Coconut oil and its medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), especially lauric acid, destroy both the bacteria (Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumonia) and viruses (cytomegalovirus) that are most commonly associated with atherosclerosis. InSri Lanka, where coconut oil has been the primary dietary fat, the death rate from heart disease has been among the lowest in the world.
It helps diabetes and stabilizes blood sugar levels by encouraging the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Read more and more.
Increases bone and teeth strength. Coconut Oil improves the body’s ability to absorb minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which are needed for the development of bones.
Coconut oil can be used as a kind of liquid bandage because of its antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Application of coconut oilaccelerates the process of wound healing. It is very safe to apply on small cuts and wounds. Apply it to an infection and it will form a chemical barrier and help heal your wounds. It can also be applied on bruises to help speed the healing process.
Lowers cholesterol. Natural, nonhydrogenated coconut oil tends to increaseHDL cholesterol and improve the cholesterol profile.HDL is the good cholesterol that helps protect against heart disease.
Massaging foot with coconut oil helps to soften cracked heels and increases the beauty of the foot.
Beauty
23. Leave in hair conditioner. Massage coconut oil into your scalp to revive limp hair and to rid the scalp of microbes that can harm your roots. Use the oil as is, and leave in your hair for at least an hour and then shampoo it out to remove the oiliness.
24. Shaving cream
25. Helps reduce lines, scars and wrinkles in the skin. TheCoconutResearchCenterclaims it can help prevent age spots, sagging skin and wrinkles.
28. Improves the condition of your hair. Rub some on your scalp before a shower to prevent and treat dandruff. Mix some in your conditioner to help moisturize it, or put some on the ends of your hair to keep them healthy.
29. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer and body lotion. Apply it to your body anytime or after a bath or shower to help lock in moisture, combat wrinkles, skin discoloration, and the effects of sun damage and aging.
30. It makes a great lip balm.
31. Great as a massage oil and cuticle oil.
32. You can make a body scrub out of it by mixing it with sugar or salt.
33. Makes a good makeup remover.
Cooking – Top 7 Uses
Coconut oil is the most stable oil and has a long shelf life, plus contains many antioxidants. It aids digestion and helps in the absorption of vitamins and minerals. It contains less fat than other cooking oils, and the fat it does have is easily converted into energy. Coconut oil can be used for baking, frying, eating off the spoon and stir-frying. Coconut oil is solid when it’s stored below 76 degrees Fahrenheit. When solid, it can be used as a substitute for shortening or butter.
34. Mix in smoothies (1tsp-1 tbsp).
35. Sauté veggies (not so good with onions and garlic though).
For many of us in Canada summer is at least half over and what a summer it has been. Too much rain here, too little rain there. Thunder and lightning, wind and rain. For those of you who had a chance to plant a garden how is it growing? This is my garden. I planted it the long weekend of May, then it rained and rained and rained. Most of my produce has bolted, my radishes I pulled out and threw away, they were cracked and those that weren’t had worms. I replanted my cucumbers and squash twice. My carrots are spindly and between my 7 tomato plants I have one gnarly looking tomato. My beans and peas have overwhelmed the fencing I put up for them to climb, but they haven’t bothered yet to produce anything.
Garden produce
So what’s a girl to do when she takes stock of her stalks and finds them lacking? Well thankfully there are farmers markets. If your garden turned out less desirable than you had planned or you do not have time or space for a garden-farmer’s markets are a great opportunity to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for immediate consumption. They are also an awesome opportunity to purchase fruits and vegetables for canning, freezing and dehydrating.
In addition to farmers markets, many communities have U-Pick businesses where you can go and pick fruits or vegetables and pay for them by the quantities you pick or harvest yourself. These are often cheaper than the produce available at a farmers market, but of course you have to travel to the U-Pick location so they may end up very comparable in price when time and travel are factored in.
Neighbours are also a good opportunity for obtaining fresh produce. Produce often tends to ripen all at once and it is hard to eat or preserve large quantities of bean, tomatoes, rhubarb, apples, cherries or other produce all at once. I’ve even heard of neighbours maximizing their garden space by consulting with each other what they are planting in their gardens and in what quantities. One neighbour may plant enough tomatoes to share while another neighbour plants enough beans or apples to share in return.
Wherever you live take advantage of this season to enjoy the fresh produce available for eating and if at all possible purchase a little extra to preserve by canning, freezing or dehydrating so that you can enjoy it during our often long winter season.
If you are forecasting a greater harvest than you yourself can handle, let me know in the comments, if we get enough interest, Briden will set up an online board where you can connect with others in your community who may be interested.
Some of you may be able to relate others not so much, but the truth is I’m cheap. I bought a can of freeze dried mushrooms from BridenSolutions and the can felt like there was nothing in it because it was so light. I was very pleasantly pleased to open it up and find it was filled to the top. I was also pleased to see that the mushrooms looked like mushrooms and weren’t dark and bruised.
Freeze Dried Mushrooms
So I used them to make supper. I started with a pita and spread basil pesto on the pita as my sauce. I’ve tried the pizza both with reconstituted mushrooms and without reconstituting the mushrooms. Because they are so light and fluffy if your pizza has any juice in the sauce or pineapple or tomatos or cheese you shouldn’t need to reconstitute them.
Pita Pizza
Then I added chicken, tomatos, and soft goat cheese. Any cheese will work, but I like odd cheeses so I’m trying out different types of goat cheese. (I wonder if cheese can be freeze dried, that would be so wonderful because I love cheese.) Avocados would have been great on my pizza but I just threw out 4 that ripened on me too quickly and I couldn’t get them used. Maybe I should suggest adding freeze dried avocados as well as cheese.
Anyway, my supper was delicious. Don’t you wish your supper tasted delicious like mine?
Most of the #10 canned items sold at BridenSolutions have a recommended shelf life if they remain sealed and a recommended shelf life after they are opened. This information can be found in the “Additional Information” section at the bottom of the product’s information page.
Quick Oats in the #10 can sealed indicates that its sealed shelf life is 8 years. This is the same shelf life indicated on the Carrot Dices in the #10 can. However, studies at Brigham Young University (BYU) are finding that sealed products may have a much longer sealed shelf life than previously expected. What does this mean to you? It means that for your protection as a consumer, the makers of Thrive food products have been very very conservative in the amount of time they have given on the sealed shelf lives of their products.
We have a common saying, “When in doubt, throw it out.” However, research is showing that in an emergency don’t be afraid to pull out that can of powdered milk and dust off the “use by date” and possibly double it.
Below are some of the new sealed shelf life recommendations from the BYU study, which you can access at http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2009/09/byu-studies-on-food-storage.html This study also cautions that the sealed shelf life of a product may depend upon how the product was packaged.
Recently I had a chance to listen to Richard Duncan, the author of the seminal The Dollar Crisis: Causes, Consequences, Cures, an international bestseller that predicted the recent global economic crisis with extraordinary accuracy, commands a lot of respect among Asian policymakers, speak in Edmonton, Alberta. I went in cynical not expecting to understand much of what was being said due to technical jargon and world events I couldn’t understand. However, I was surprised and excited when I left because he spoke to the average person and I did understand his message and even agreed with it.
He recently gave an interview to THE EDGE SINGAPORE in May 2011. I’ve copied two paragraphs from if about inflation and the affect it is having on food prices.
“The real problem is the third kind of inflation or commodity price inflation, including food, which is now a serious global issue. You have two billion people who live on less than US$3 a day. As food prices rise, they become hungrier.
That’s what North African revolutions have been all about. Egyptians and Tunisians didn’t wake up one morning and decide they wanted more democracy. They woke up hungry because of food price inflation, which was a consequence of QE2.” [QE2 stands for Quantitative Easing or in really simple terms the printing of money.]
This article started me thinking seriously about food and the cost of obtaining it. Not including the cost of housing, the cost of food is usually the highest monthly expense individuals or families have.
In a recent article I wrote about planting a garden ,if we can. This is one way we can reduce the impact rising food prices have on our budget. We can buy an extra item or two every time we shop to build up our food supply. We could also look for suppliers of food such as BridenSolutions who sell food that has been prepared which the dual intention for it to be used immediately or stored for a longer period of time with the intention of using it as needed in the future.
We live in a land of plenty and we have great blessings. Have we ever stopped to think about what would happen to us if the plenty disappeared. Could we sustain ourselves, or would we too be forced into revolution because we were hungry?
I took the opportunity to submit some questions to the owners of BridenSolutions about the updates to the Food for Health Buckets. My questions and their answers can be found below. If any of you have had a chance to try this product, please post your comments. I’m interested in your thoughts.
Q: What are Food for Health buckets and how are they intended to be used?
A: The Food for Health Bucket is a 5 Gallon sealed bucket with 275 servings of dry food mix inside. The meals all have a 20 year shelf life, and everything is premixed, preseasoned, and ready to go. The pail with handle gives the bucket quick and easy portability, great for when you have a policeman at your door saying get out now. The buckets also stack well so if you have limited space or get multiple, they can go tall helping to maximize storage in your home or office. The buckets are intended for emergency grab and go, for camping, for office or school lock down or shelter in place scenarios, or for the college student who doesn’t like to cook.
Q: You tweeted two weeks ago on the arrival of a “new” Food for Health bucket. What changes have been made to the product and how will these changes effect the product price and availability?
A: Product changes:
1. All new meal choices/blends changed other than the milk
2. Reduced meal choices from 9 to 8
3. Increased milk pouches from 9 to 10
4. Eliminated the Hydrogenated Oils
5. Changed the graphics on the pail
Price is going up from $139.95 to $159.95, reason for this is a) this price is what the manufacturer is charging and they are in the USA, and b) there is more dairy in the product and there is a duty charged on dairy at the border, therefore;,more dairy more duty. As for availability, every month this has been our top selling product for the last year and so not having the product on the market at all for two months, I expect the backlog of demand to be very high. It will be hard to keep up with the initial demand, but we will do our best to keep the product shipping. Our initial batch is already sold and shipped and we have another batch coming in only a few days. So far we are doing well keeping up with the demand. As it is a very popular product we try to keep a large inventory.
Q: The product description for the Food for Health bucket indicates that there are 55 pouches of dry food mix. Can you give us an idea of some of the current dry food mixes are?
Cheesy Broccoli Rice, 25 servings (5 pouches)
Creamy Potato Soup, 35 servings (7 pouches)
Italian Tomato Pasta, 25 servings (5 pouches)
Vegetable Barley, 35 servings (7 pouches)
Creamy Vegetable Rice, 30 servings (6 pouches)
Brown Sugar Oatmeal, 50 servings (10 pouches)
Whey Milk, 50 servings (10 pouches)
Q: How many days does 55 pouches of dry food mix translate into feeding an individual three times a day?
A: For one person you need 8 servings a day to get your calories, so take 275 / 8 = number of days (34.3 days) If there are multiple people divide 34 by the number of people in your group/family and that will tell you how long the bucket will last your group.
Q: Can you purchase separately any of the products found in the Food for Health bucket to try them out to see if you like them?
A: Sorry, but no.
Q: How much water do I need to store and have available to use with the Food for Health buckets?
A: Each pouch requires 5 cups of water. So 55 pouches x 5 cups = 275 cups of water or 68.75 Liters.
Q: Can the Food for Health dry food mixes be cooked using the Global Sun Over, the Wood Gas Stove or the Volcano Stove also sold by BridenSolutions? If so, are cooking pots and utensils needed to prepared these dry food mixes?
A: Yes, the food mixes could be prepared on the Global Sun Oven, the Wood Gas Stove or the Volcano stove quite nicely. All you need is some nature of cooking pot from a camping or outdoor store and an appropriate mixing spoon (or twig).
If you are coming in to your summer season, you may want to consider growing a garden. Why, because if you grow your own food your dependence upon a grocery store is lessened. There is no doubt that producing food to eat from a garden is cheaper than buying it. Also, there is something wonderfully peaceful and relaxing about plunging your hands into the soil to garden.
I was able to plant a garden on Victoria Day and I already have little rows of green poking up from the dirt. What a happy sight that is. I went to a 2 hour gardening class at my church where the guest speaker was also from our congregation and she grows gardens like farmers farm. The pictures of her produce and other plants were amazing. So following some of her advice I planted radishes mixed in with my carrots in a bit of a zigzag. Apparently this is supposed to confuse the slugs and other pests that like to move along the rows nibbling as they go.
I planted my carrots in a scatter pattern about 18 inches wide instead of in rows. I will thin them as they grow. I really like carrots and I was reading in a best practices gardening book that this is a way to get more carrots per square foot of garden space. I’ll have to let you know how this goes.
I am trying to grow green peppers again this year. I’ve never had much success with green peppers but I’m willing to try one more time. The guest speaker on gardening from church lives less than a kilometer from me and she grows some amazing green peppers. I will have to ask for advice to see if I can’t get a better crop or any crop at all of green peppers this year. I do like to crunch on a fresh green or red pepper at lunch.
If you have any great gardening tips, please feel free to share them with your fellow gardeners.
I tried out the Mixed Bell Peppers last weekend when I decided to make a stir-fry. I was pleased with the taste and texture of this dehydrated product. One thing I noticed when I read the can is that I couldn’t find any instruction on rehydrating the peppers.
I did manage to find rehydration instructions after some digging.
Rehydration Instructions:
To make 1 cup of diced bell peppers, soak ½ cup of mixed bell peppers in 1 cup of warm water for 10–15 minutes, drain any excess water.
Now that’s not hard and actually exactly what I did. It is good to know that intuition when using these products works well.
Thrive says 1/2 cup dehydrated peppers + 1 cup warm water = 1 bell pepper. Last week I bought a lovely red bell pepper for $1.86. I also bought a can of Mixed Bell Peppers for $14.09 from BridenSolutions. The can has 42 servings (with each serving by 1/4 cups). If a serving is 1/4 cup and 1 bell pepper is 1/2 cup + water, then my can of Mixed Bell Peppers is equal to 21 bell peppers with a cost of $0.67 per bell pepper. A savings of $1.19 per bell pepper. A pretty good deal.
I wouldn’t use the dehydrated Mixed Bell Peppers to put on a veggie tray or take as a snack in a lunch because they are in the form of small flakes in the can, but mixing in to a meal they make a great deal of sense, both fiscally and in terms of storage.
Check out my stir fry below
and my lovely $1.86 bell pepper
If you’ve tried the Mixed Bell Peppers, let me know what you thought of them.
Ever wonder if a Grab and Go Kit is really worth the effort and money to make or purchase?
The wildfires in Alberta where 40% of Slave Lake burnt down over night on Sunday would suggest there are situations beyond our control where immediate evacuation is called for as indicated in the article below posted at the Alberta provincial government website.
May 17, 2011
Update on wildfires in Slave Lake and other communities
Edmonton…(10:30am) Provincial firefighting operations in the Slave Lake region continue and work with community leadership to provide information to evacuees are the next steps.
Status of wildfires
There are presently 100 wildfires in Alberta, 23 of which are out of control. These active wildfires have burned approximately 105,000 hectares of land. In the Lesser Slave Lake area alone, 15 wildfires are burning out of control.
wildfire in Slave Lake is out of control and has burned approximately 2,000 hectares
wildfire along south shore of Lesser Slave Lake is out of control and has burned 15,000 hectares
wildfire 23 km south of Loon Lake is out of control and has burned approximately 30,000 hectares
wildfire 15 km southeast of Gift Lake is out of control at approximately 80 hectares
wildfire 7.5 km northeast of Red Earth Creek is out of control at approximately 3,000 hectares
wildfire burning north of Fort McKay is being held at approximately 2,000 hectares
wildfire 27 km south of Kinuso is out of control and approximately 3,000 hectares
wildfire 12 km northwest of Cadotte Lake is out of control and approximately 700 hectares
five fires are burning 25 km north of Rocky Mountain House, covering approximately 816 hectares
wildfire approximately 5 km south of Chisholm is being held at approximately 516 hectares
wildfire in Richardson Backcountry is approximately 40,000 hectares and burning on both sides of the Athabasca River
Multiple forest fires north of Fort McMurray required the evacuation of about 2,000 oil workers on Monday.
Firefighting efforts
Province wide, Alberta has deployed approximately 1,000 firefighters, including 120 who arrived Monday from British Columbia. The province has also deployed 124 helicopters, 20 air tankers and scores of heavy ground-based machines. Approximately 80 firefighters from Ontario will arrive in Alberta at 11 a.m. today, followed by 200 additional firefighters from British Columbia expected to arrive in Alberta tomorrow.
Evacuations
In addition to the evacuation of Slave Lake, there are mandatory evacuation orders in place for Loon Lake, Red Earth Creek, and parts of the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River including Wagner, Widewater, Canyon Creek, Assineau, and the Poplar Lane Subdivision east of Slave Lake. The Municipal District of Northern Sunrise has issued evacuation advisories for Little Buffalo and Martin Lake.
Evacuation orders are issued locally by municipalities as part of declaring a state of local emergency. The orders may be voluntary or mandatory, and may cover all or part of a municipality. Residents should contact their local municipality for the latest information.
The following reception centres continue to be in operation for residents in need of assistance:
Westlock Community Hall, 10711-104 Ave. (www.westlock.ca, 780-349-8744)
Athabasca Multiplex, #2 University Dr. (780-675-2967)
Edmonton Expo Centre, 7515-118 Ave. (www.edmonton.ca, 780-442-5311)
Emergency medical staff are onsite and available should evacuees require assistance or medication. Meals are available as well as counseling services and spiritual resources upon request. Evacuees are welcome to stay at the reception centres for as long as required.
Evacuees with alternate accommodations
All displaced residents should call the Red Cross Central Registration Inquiry Bureau to register their information at 1-800-565-4483. By registering, loved ones are able to check on the status and location of displaced residents.
Road closures
Travel in and around Slave Lake continues to be restricted for safety reasons:
Highway 44 is closed between the junctions of Highway 663 and Highway 2
All access into Slave Lake is closed. Evacuation access out of Slave Lake is available on Highway 2 eastbound
Highway 2 is closed west of Slave Lake from Highway 33 to the Town
Highway 2 is closed east of Slave Lake from Highways 2A/Highway 44 into the Town
Highway 88 is closed north of Slave Lake up to Highway 986, located south of Red Earth Creek
Highway 750 is closed from Highway 679 to Highway 88
Air Quality
Due to deteriorating air quality caused by forest fires in northern Alberta, northern residents should take precautions against potential health risks associated with current air conditions. People with respiratory conditions are advised to remain indoors, keep their windows closed and limit outdoor physical activity. People who experience difficulty breathing should consult their physicians. Residents can contact Health Link Alberta to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, toll-free at 1-866-408-LINK (5465).
Health
Patient Information: Families of patients who have been relocated can call 1-866-301-2668 for information and status updates on patients who have been relocated from the Slave Lake Healthcare Centre.
Health Services: Residents looking for locations of nearby health services, including dialysis, should call Health Link Alberta 1-866-408-LINK (5465). Anyone in need of immediate medical attention should go to the nearest health centre. Call Health Link at the same number for nearest centre. If it is an emergency, call 911.
Prescriptions and Medication: Residents evacuated from Slave Lake in need of medication or prescription refills can visit any local pharmacy in the community they are located in. Local pharmacists will assess each individual’s needs and may dispense medication up to the amount of their last prescription. Anyone requiring narcotics or controlled substances will need to obtain a prescription from a physician. More information is available at www.albertahealthservices.ca/4696.asp.
Water advisory for the Town of Slave Lake
Due to high utilization and potential disruption of the water treatment and delivery system caused by the wildfire in Slave Lake, residents remaining in the area are advised that the water supply is not potable, and should not be used for any drinking, cooking or bathing/washing purposes. An alternate source of water should be used at this time.
Please note that this advisory is in effect until further notice. If further information is required, please contact Health Link Alberta 24 hours a day, seven days a week, toll-free at 1-866-408-LINK (5465).
Contact Numbers:
Albertans can call toll-free to 310-4455 to access current information about the wildfire situation such as Red Cross information, highway closures, and websites to visit for more information.
Red Cross Central Registration Inquiry Bureau is: 1-800-565-4483.
Any family members who are looking for information on where medical patients were moved can call Alberta Health Services at 1-866-301-2668.
Information about wildfires in Alberta is available on Facebook at the site ‘Alberta Wildfire Info.’ Status reports are also available at the Sustainable Resource Development website atwww.srd.alberta.ca/Wildfire/WildfireStatus/Default.aspx.
-30-
Note to Editors: Video and still photos of Premier Stelmach’s tour of Slave Lake and Athabasca are posted at http://alberta.ca/home/index.cfm.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Provincial Operations Centre
Communications
780-644-4862
Last month I attended a “Preparedness” workshop where the speaker talked about growing a garden and many of the ways you can work with your produce to use it as food storage. One of the examples given was dehydrated food which was then vacuum stored in bottles. I really liked this idea because there is only so much room in my freezer and I tend to lose food because I can’t “see” it and then it suffers from freezer burn.
I tracked down the lady who did the vacuum sealing of dehydrated foods in bottles and we got talking about dehydrators. Apparently she has several because this has become a passion for her. Her favourite is the Excalibur brand because the heater is in the back of the unit so the hot air flows evenly over all the trays. Apparently (and I’m learning here), most dehydrators have a heater in the bottom so the bottom levels, to some extent, cook while the top levels take longer to dehydrate.
This was all news to me and as I’m interested in trying dehydrating this summer and fall with the produce from my garden (assuming it ever stops snowing where I live in Alberta) I went to the Briden Solutions site and checked to see if they sold dehydrators and what brand. Well happy me, they do sell dehydrators and Excalibur brand too. Then I checked out their price versus the price on the Excalibur.com website. Big flashing lights. Briden Solutions was way more expensive so I queried them and they came back with an answer I just hadn’t thought of. Let’s do the math. Remember first that Briden Solutions sells their products in Canadian dollars and Excalibur is an American company selling in American dollars.
Sample purchase, Excalibur 3500 Dehydrator 5 tray, black (because apparently white costs more).
BridenSolutions.ca Excalibur.com
List Price $225.95 $189.95, on sale from $219.95
Postage $39.50 $64.68 priority mail or $113.92 express
GST $13.28 $12.73
Total $278.73 $267.36 **price before duty/customs/handling using the sale price
The good news is BridenSolutions.ca is spot on the market in its pricing and even a bit cheap because I used the sale price currently offered by Excalibur.com. Another plus is I don’t have to worry about any “hidden” fees associated some products crossing the border. I really hate ordering something from the United States or internationally and receiving a postcard in my mail that I have a package to pickup and an extra fee of . . . to pay. I’ve called Canada Post to try and understand why some things I order have an extra fee for handling or inspection at the border and other items do not. No one could give me a good explanation.
I’ll revisit this topic of dehydrating your own food as I learn more and as the harvest season gets closer.
