Don't Trust Your Freezer

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  • Rich1911

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 8, 2012
    3,839
    Thank you, I made Pickled heart last year and the recipe didn't have sugar and was going to add that this year. We made B&B pickles and I'll use that brine for the heart this year.

    :thumbsup:

    We might cold pack some meat and pressure cook it and experiment with cubing deer and packing vegetable and spices for ready made quart soups or stews you just add flour too. I still don't understand why you can't have a slight bit of flour in the water.


    Adding flour or other thickening agents to a product for home canning, prevents the heat from penetrating to the center of the jar interfering with safe processing to destroy the bacterial spores that cause botulism. Never add thickening agents to a home canned product.Nov 9, 2017
     

    bratgirllcp

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 13, 2013
    2,795
    Grasonville MD
    Wife's Cousin was on two waiting lists for freezers. They found one at Martin's Appliance in Quarryville PA. There were two left out of 6 at the time.Price was less than they were quoted at the other stores for the same freezers. Might be worth checking-out.

    Thankyou we need 1 delivered and old one removed
     

    bratgirllcp

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 13, 2013
    2,795
    Grasonville MD
    What size are you looking for? We have been getting a steady supply of the Media chest freezers for customers and I have been able to get basic white 21CF Fridges from GE and Fridgedair in about 3-5 business day turnaround at my Lowe's in Kentlands. Shoot me a PM with what you are looking for and I can see what I can do, non-commission based and out of the ProDesk so no incentive for me to take your money for a vaporware product.

    Thankyou sir
     

    Vic

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2010
    1,453
    Whiteford, MD
    We started canning a lot of our venison. It lasts a very long time. Then we don't have to worry about a freezer. Doing a little more each year to build a stockpile.
    V
     

    huesmann

    n00b
    Mar 23, 2012
    1,927
    Silver Spring, MD
    Years ago as a kid our vertical freezer that was full of meat tripped the breaker and we didnt find it until a few days later. Dad reset the breaker, re froze everything and took the contents of the freezer to the dump.

    To this day I run all of my freezers on their own dedicated circuits and have multiple freezers to lessen the blow of a a failure
    Freezer failures are a huge deal. BTDT, had the stink in my nostrils for days.

    There are things you can do to mitigate:

    • Replace the outlet the freezer is plugged into with a GFCI with an alert. If your freezer is in the garage, it should be on a GFCI circuit anyway.
    • Plug in a power outage alarm into the same outlet; it'll beep if the power goes out.
    • Use a smart outlet system that signals you if it loses power, or smart breakers.
    • Get a fridge/freezer thermometer with an alert. If the temperature drops below a level you set, it beeps to alert you. AFAIK this is the only method that will alert you to a mechanical failure.
    Obviously, if you're on vacation or something, the audible-only alerts aren't going to tell you about a freezer failure. Maybe if you can set up some kind of cellular or WiFi alert that messages you when there's a beeping in the house—acoustic sensor? Then you could call a neighbor or friend to take a look. Your alert system and your internet would need to be something on a battery backup in case the whole house goes dead.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,063
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    I have an extra Refrigerator/freezer and a Stand up freeze down stairs. I bought a sensor after reading this thread. I bought this Amazon unit for two freezers, and place on in the freezer section of both. Both freezers seem to have the sensor holding at 1 - 3 degrees and I set the alarm for 15 degrees. If one dies or as we have had before the box of chicken wings shifts and the big freezer door doesn't latch. I'll get an alarm up stairs. We got a black refrigerator up stairs. I bought the black one and placed it on the side of refrigerator the dog food it on. I see it twice a day if I look at it. It will beep if the door gets left open or one dies. Two AAA's for the base unit and two AA's per sensor needed.

    Plus I plan to can deer more and start practicing more this year with recipes.
     

    cap6888

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 2, 2011
    2,556
    Howard County
    How long do you need to run a fridge and freezer on a generator daily to keep them at proper temps? Is an hour a day sufficient, or do you need to run them longer?
     

    Glaron

    Camp pureblood 13R
    BANNED!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 20, 2013
    12,752
    Virginia
    How long do you need to run a fridge and freezer on a generator daily to keep them at proper temps? Is an hour a day sufficient, or do you need to run them longer?

    test it. One of those 24 hours timers used for lights should be able to switch it off and on for you. You could be fancy and watch the power use and watch when it cycles off.
     

    DutchV

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 8, 2012
    4,702
    We can meat and vegies learned from my grand ma at 8 years old, wife country girl too. One of the best canned meats is pickled heart. Boil the heart until done, make a bread and butter pickle brine, cut the heart in strips about 1/2 inch then can them, typical HW bath. We also can venison, pork, chicken and turkey. I use to do a lot of smoking but canning is easier yup a slacker.

    I'm not a food scientist but I do read. The USDA says that meat is supposed to be pressure canned, not just processed in a hot water bath. Is that overly cautious? Maybe. My Mom used to seal jelly jars with parafin, and that's not recommended any more either.


    https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/strips_cubes_chunks.html


    i'm in a Facebook group of hunters and freezer failure for various reasons seems to come around every month or two.
     

    bibitor

    Kulak
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 10, 2017
    1,894
    FEMA Region III
    I'm not a food scientist but I do read. The USDA says that meat is supposed to be pressure canned, not just processed in a hot water bath. Is that overly cautious? Maybe. My Mom used to seal jelly jars with parafin, and that's not recommended any more either.


    https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/strips_cubes_chunks.html


    i'm in a Facebook group of hunters and freezer failure for various reasons seems to come around every month or two.

    Don’t need to pressure can if pickling.
     

    Kicken Wing

    Snakes and Sparklers
    Apr 5, 2014
    868
    WASH-CO
    I'm not a food scientist but I do read. The USDA says that meat is supposed to be pressure canned, not just processed in a hot water bath. Is that overly cautious? Maybe. My Mom used to seal jelly jars with parafin, and that's not recommended any more either.


    https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/strips_cubes_chunks.html


    i'm in a Facebook group of hunters and freezer failure for various reasons seems to come around every month or two.

    I am a little late to the party but I thought I would post what I know about water bath vs pressure canning. Pressure canning, according to the USDA guide that I downloaded several years ago, is mandatory for acidic foods such as tomatoes, etc unless you use a particular pickling recipe. If you try to can acidic food without using a pressure canner, you risk eating a batch of botulism. I have not tried using a pressure canner. I looked into them years ago when I was growing hot peppers and making big batches of fresh ghost pepper salsa. I opted to jar them and freeze them instead. I am sure that someone will come by and correct me if I am wrong about that tidbit of information. Hearing the word botulism was enough to steer me away from canning acidic foods using a water bath.

    Back on topic with the Op... I love my freezer but I realize that I need a backup plan.
     

    JoeRinMD

    Rifleman
    Jul 18, 2008
    2,014
    AA County
    I am a little late to the party but I thought I would post what I know about water bath vs pressure canning. Pressure canning, according to the USDA guide that I downloaded several years ago, is mandatory for acidic foods such as tomatoes, etc unless you use a particular pickling recipe. If you try to can acidic food without using a pressure canner, you risk eating a batch of botulism. I have not tried using a pressure canner. I looked into them years ago when I was growing hot peppers and making big batches of fresh ghost pepper salsa. I opted to jar them and freeze them instead. I am sure that someone will come by and correct me if I am wrong about that tidbit of information. Hearing the word botulism was enough to steer me away from canning acidic foods using a water bath.

    Back on topic with the Op... I love my freezer but I realize that I need a backup plan.

    I think you've got it reversed. Botulism won't grow in acidic conditions. Things like tomatoes are acidic enough that it's not an issue. It's non-acid items like canning peaches which can be an environment for botulism to be created.

    JoeR
     

    onedash

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 24, 2016
    1,026
    Calvert County
    Anyone have a freeze dryer? They seem pretty great besides the pricetag. i guess I could have ten lifetimes supply of duck eggs in no time if I got one.
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    How long do you need to run a fridge and freezer on a generator daily to keep them at proper temps? Is an hour a day sufficient, or do you need to run them longer?

    Not even close in my guestimation. Probably at least 2 on, 2 off and leave it closed until you're digging.
     

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