Dehydrated Refried Beans - Product Review

Dehydrated Refried Beans are not something I've seen in stores; even in the 'food storage' section.

But they are available from the LDS cannery, which is where I got mine.

 

This is what they look like:

Now lets cover the basics:

(This text is taken directly from the can)

INGREDIENTS: Beans, Salt.

INSTRUCTIONS: Add 1 cup refried beans to 1 cup boiling water, stir briefly and cover.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  More water may be added for thinner consistency.  Makes 2 servings.

SERVINGS PER CONTAINER: 29

Store in a cool, dry area for best results.

So lets make some...

Beans added to boiling water:

After soaking for 10 minutes:

After 10 minutes, it had a very runny consistency and parts of the beans were still crunchy.

I covered it again and let it sit for a few more minutes.  It didn't help much.

 

I think to achieve a 'smooth' consistency, you would have to break up the chips prior to soaking.  I tried to mix them and break them up with a fork (after soaking), but nothing worked.  I even added more beans to try and soak up the water... nothing seemed to work.

** And as a side note, this is  the umpteenth time I've tried to make these - and they turn out the same way every time.

Aside from that, the taste differential is way too off for me compared to home-made or canned refried beans.  The dehydrated ones don't taste nearly as good.

Which wouldn't be as bad if the texture wasn't completely unappetizing as well.

In my opinion these are definitely not worth it; unless your family eats an insanely large amount of refried beans and they simply can't live without them.

Even then, I would highly recommend getting them canned or even home-made before purchasing these.

I have had this particular can for about 3 years, which does suggest that it has a good shelf life, but every time I try to make them I am sadly disappointed.

So there you have it - my first negative food review...

**10/2015 UPDATE:
There have been many of you who disagree with my negative food review of Dehydrated Refried Beans (as you can see from the comments below).  If you are one of these, know that the LDS Cannery discontinued these beans for several years, but has recently brought them back!  You can learn more about how to order from the LDS Cannery by clicking here.
Another option for online ordering would be Instant Refried Beans from Thrive Life.

I hope this helps those of you who really like this product!

Morning Moo's Dried Egg Product - Egg Mix (Powdered Eggs)

I was having a brief discussion with some siblings about food storage.  I mentioned that I used Powdered Eggs more than I thought I ever would.

My brother thought that was pretty funny... but only because he never knew such a thing existed.

So, are you ready for another Food Storage Review?

Dried Egg Product - Egg Mix

First of all, there are a LOT of different types of egg products out there for food storage.  There are powdered eggs, egg mix, egg whites, yolks, and more.  I have yet to try them all.

Although I will share all the information I have currently, I am hoping to get more in the future.

The Basics: (text taken directly from can)

Directions: Add three Tbsp. dry egg mix to three Tbsp. warm water and mix well.  Cook as desired.

Use in omlets, french toast, etc.

(For this particular brand, 2 Tbsp. egg mix + 2 Tbsp. water = 1 egg)

When using with other dry ingredients, it is not necessary to reconstitute the Whole Egg Powder.  Simply add them dry together with dry ingredients and increase liquid requirements by necessary amounts.

Ingredients: Pasturized Whole eggs, non-fat dry milk, vegetable oil (may contain soybean oil or corn oil), salt.

Contains dairy and eggs.

Processed in a plant that handles wheat, egg, dairy, soybean, peanut, and tree nut products.

Contents can be stored up to 10-15 years under proper storage conditions.

No preservatives added.

Store in acool dry place.

Here is what it looks like:

Lets try them!

Like it mentioned, if using them in a recipe, simply add them to the dry ingredients.  Add the water necessary to the wet ingredients and blend together.

I made pancakes... the batter looks pretty normal to me.

How about just plain eggs?

On the left is our powdered egg mix, with regular eggs on the right.

I used 2 eggs for each.

Here are the finished products - powdered egg mix on the left, and regular eggs on the right.

Now lets do a Quality Check:

Smell: The powder itself has a slightly sweet smell to it.  It smells absolutely nothing like eggs.

When used in recipes there is no noticable difference.

As soon as you mix it with water it begins to take on the egg smell... only not a pleasant one.  I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't stick my head in the bowl, so it isn't powerful.

When scrambled, there is a slightly 'off' smell, but not enough for it to be un-appetizing.  Just different.

Taste: Absolutely no noticable difference when used in recipes.

When scrambled... there is obviously a noticable taste difference, but they are probably the best powdered eggs I've tried (and I've had my share). 

Some brands I could only down when they were smothered with a large helping of syrup. 

I was suprised that I took several bites and didn't want to puke.  I could eat these... not even just in an emergency.

The other thing to note is that I tried them plain, just adding salt and pepper.  They would be much better in an omlet, with the aid of other flavors.  And I have used them to make french toast, with no noticable taste difference.

The thing that throws me off most is the texture...

Texture: Regular eggs have a light, airy texture; a quality that allows them to be used in so many wonderful ways.  When dehydrated, they lose this ability.

Eating any type of powdered egg, when scrambled, you will notice it has a heavier, thicker consistency.  The outsides crisp up just like a regular egg, but the inside is still moist, and dense, not light and airy.

The powder itself contains moisture, so if you pack it together, it will stick (like brown sugar).  This can produce small lumps when using in a recipe, so I like to whisk the dry ingredients together to break it all up before adding the wet ingredients.

As you probably noticed from the picture, when mixed with water, it is still quite runny.  It's like pouring water into a skillet and expecting it to harden.  But miraculously it does.

The down side to this is when making french toast.  The bread soaks up a great deal more than it would with regular eggs.  But, as I mentioned before, I couldn't taste a difference.

Looks: The biggest difference is the lack of egg whites - scrambled powdered eggs are completely yellow.  They also combine into smaller, thicker clumps, as you can see in the photo above.

I have never noticed a difference in the way a recipe looks when using powdered eggs.  I once made Butterhorn rolls (which called for 12 eggs), and they still turned out looking the same.

What about the Nutrition Facts?:

Regular Eggs vs. Egg Mix

Calories: 70  vs. 155

Calories from Fat: 40 vs. 90

Total Fat: 4.5g vs. 5g

Sat. Fat: 1.5g vs. 2g

Trans Fat: 0g vs. 0g

Cholesterol: 215mg vs. 0mg

Sodium: 65 mg vs. 63mg

Total Carb: less than 1g vs. 5g

Protein: 6g vs. 6g

So... the egg mix contains over double the calories, a little more fat, and more carbs. 

Regular eggs contain more colesterol. 

Everything else is pretty similar.

So how much do you get?

This #10 can uses 2 Tbsp. of powder per egg, and contains enough powder for 96 eggs

What about Price?:

Powdered egg mixes usually run around $15 (on sale), or $20 regularly

So... that would be .15 and one half cent per egg (on sale), and .20 cents per egg (regularly)

And depending on how many you buy, you could probably get fresh eggs for .06-.08 cents each.

So price is about double for egg mix.

(This particular brand uses 2 Tbsp. per egg.  I should mention that there are some powdered egg products that only require 1 Tbsp. of powder, which would essentially double your amount of eggs, depending on how much they include... but I'll get to that later).

Going back to the price however, you have to take into account the Shelf Life:

Sealed #10 cans of powdered egg mix can be stored for 10-15 years under proper conditions.

Once the can is opened, I have used it over a period of 12 months with no noticable differences.

The fact that it doesn't have to be refrigerated or used within a few weeks makes up for the price in my opinion.

Now lets talk Brand Differences:

Like I said, I haven't tried them all, but I do have experience. 

The first can I ever tried, if I can remember correctly, was Morning Moo's Whole Egg mix.  It required only 1 Tbsp. of powder per egg, but I was NOT satisfied! 

Not only did the powder reek worse than anything I have ever experienced, but they did not scramble.  They were good only to be added to recipes.

 However, I should add that Morning Moo's has discontinued one of their egg products.  My most recent trip to the store made me believe that it was the one I am talking about, but I can't be sure.

Despite the smell and lack of scrambling, having them for cooking was still convenient enough for me to try another type... and I'm glad that I did.

Personally, the smell alone of the egg mix brand I am reviewing today is worth using twice as much powder (yes, the first brand was THAT bad).

And the taste is much better.

Another thing I should add is that there are brands that offer powdered eggs with imitation bacon bits.  These taste better (because of the bacon), but I would not recommend them.  Having the bacon would limit you on your abilities... you could only use them for breakfast, not in your recipes. 

Unless you are going to be eating eggs every morning for breakfast, I would recommend buying your bacon bits seperately (because yes, they do offer those in bulk).

Aside from this Egg Product Mix, there are also powdered whole eggs available.  I haven't tried these yet, but the only difference is the ingredients.  The egg mix we are talking about contains powdered milk and oil.  The whole eggs are 100% egg.  They use the same amount of powder, but only have a shelf life of up to 5 years.

Basically, I would definately recommend Dried Egg Product Egg Mix for your powdered egg needs.

I am sure there will be more powdered egg reviews in the future, but this would be a good brand for you to try first.

I guess that would answer my next question... Yes, they are worth it.

During a period of me testing my food storage abilities I didn't have fresh eggs for 2-3 months (at least).

These provided everything I needed in an egg minus the physical attributes that accompany real eggs such as coating a pork chop or whipping whites to become stiff.  Which, if you think about it, could easily be left out or substitued in an emergency situation.

Realistically, these are a major pantry staple at my house.  I never have to borrow eggs from the neighbors!

So, if you are going to add them to your food storage, how much do you need?

How many eggs do you generally go through?
12 cans would average about 3 eggs per day for a year
7 cans equates to just under 2 eggs per day for a year.

The most important thing is to think realistically.  If your breakfasts mostly consist of cereal (or other store-bought items), that you wouldn't have access to in an emergency, you would have to start cooking more, which would require more eggs than what you use right now.

Personally, when our family went without fresh eggs, we used anywhere between 2-3 eggs per day; so 1 can would last us a month and a half or so.

If you do a lot of baking you would want to increase your storage amount - if you hardly ever use eggs, decrease it, but don't go without.  You never notice how many things require eggs until you don't have any.

Remember, this estimate was based off of NEVER having fresh eggs. 

But because powdered egg mix has such a long shelf life, you can buy several cans and use them sparingly over 15 years, replacing as necessary - without having to waste anything.

Which to me, is the whole point of food storage!

**UPDATED 11/11/13
Morning Moo's product has been out of the grocery store for quiet a few years, so I thought I'd throw in my recommendation for where I get the powdered eggs I currently use to date.  They are actually a better product than the Morning Moo's mentioned above, and they are also available online, so you are not restricted dependent upon your location.  Click the link below for more information:
Thrive Whole Egg Powder
Just as the name implies, these are whole eggs, not egg substitute.  That means that the only ingredient is eggs, which I love.  Because of this, the shelf life is 3 years sealed, and 1 year once opened.  They also carry egg whites and scrambled egg mix, all of which I think are fantastic products.  

Country Fresh vs. Country Cream - Powdered Milk Review (Real Instant Nonfat Milk)

Powdered Milk is such a wonderful product, and in my mind an essential part of any food storage system.
I think for the most part people are either really wierded out by the idea, or they love it.
I am the latter.

I went through a period of 3 or so months without buying fresh milk, just to try it out.
This is what I learned...

There are lots of different brand names that make powdered milk.  I have tried several of them and none of them taste like real milk (to me). 
However, I was making milk and putting it back into an original milk carton.  I told my husband a few weeks later and he had no idea.  Neither did my kids.
I usually drink milk plain - my husband and kids usually have it only in cereal or with chocolate, so they didn't notice as much as I did.  Also, I drink 1%, and powdered milk has more of a 'skim milk' thickness.

My point is, brand names are not important... for the most part they all taste relatively the same.

So... what is important?

Price and Quantity

Some brands are obviiously cheaper than others, but they use more powder per serving.

The most common brand I see in local stores is Country Fresh Farms.  It looks like this:

This is the ONLY brand of powdered milk that some stores offer.
(please do not be confusing instant powdered milks with Dry Milk Alternatives, which are different, but that is another post, for another day... I am only reviewing real instant powdered milk today)

Another brand of powdered milk is Country Cream.  I have been able to find it consistently at Macey's, but even there I've had to look for it.
They recently changed their label, so it will either look like this:


Or it will look like this:

These are the two most commonly found at the stores I shop at, so here are some comparisons between the two:

Country Fresh Farms:

Price: ~$10.00

Location: Most local grocery stores; walmart, maceys, etc.

#10 can makes: 9 quarts (2 1/4 gallons) of milk

Powder needed to make 1 gallon: 5 cups

Price per gallon: $4.44

Country Cream:
Price: ~$15.50
Location: Maceys
#10 can makes: 20 quarts (5 gallons) of milk
Powder needed to make 1 gallon: 2 1/2 cups
Price per gallon: $3.00

Pretty self explanatory.

Country Cream Powdered Milk is my brand of choice
It uses the least amount of powder,
which results in easier mixing (less foam),
and in my opinion tastes better than the other brand.

So how about Nutrition Comparison:
Country Cream and Country Fresh Farms are extremely similar in nutrition, almost identical, despite the fact that one uses half as much powder.
So... I am only going to compare nutrition between Country Cream Powdered Milk to Skim Milk:

1 c. Country Cream Powdered Milk:
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 110 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 12g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
 Sugars: 12g
Protein: 8g

1 c. Skim Milk:
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 130 mg
Potassium: 410mg
Total Carbohydrates: 13g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 12g
Protein: 8g

They are almost identical - excpet that Skim Milk contains potassium, and powdered milk does not.

So... lets go over some of the basics:
(Following text taken directly from can):
DIRECTIONS: Mixes instantly with a spoon.  Just add the desired amount of water and stir.  2 2/3 c. powder + 1 gallon of water = 1 gallon liquid.  2/3 c. powder + 1 quart water = 1 quart liquid.
For cream like consistency, mix one part powder to two parts water.  Best when chilled over night.
INGREDIENTS: 100% real instant nonfat milk, Vitamins A& D.

How about a Quality Check:
Smell: powder and liquid hardly have any smell at all
Taste: Taste is similar to skim milk, but you can tell a difference (depending on the person).  My nefew thinks it is 'sweeter' than regular milk
Texture: Just like water - no powdery residue
Looks: Just like skim milk
How long does it last once made?: I wouldn't go longer than 5-7 days

What about Shelf Life?
There is nothing written on the actual milk container.
The following information was retrieved from my own personal research regarding nonfat milk (regular or instant) - I belive I found it at the UofU food extension site, but I can't remember.

Temperature Stored At:
50 degrees F or below = 52 months
70 degrees F = 24-36 months
90 degrees F = 3 months

Is it worth it?
In my mind, absolutely.  It would be awful to be without milk in an emergency. 
However, it has a shelf life of just over 4 years (at best), so as always, I recommend that you start using it if you are going to store it.
I always have a can opened in my pantry, ready to be used, so I can rotate through my supply.

And by 'ready to be used' I don't mean that we drink it.  Powdered milk can be substituted for regular milk in any recipe, which is a good way to rotate slowly through your powdered milk supply, without having to actually drink powdered milk. 
Which in turn means you aren't wasting anything!
To substitue powdered milk for regular milk in recipes, simply add the powder to the dry ingredients.  When adding the wet ingredients, include the water.

Most containers only tell you how much powder is needed to make at least a quart, so I have figured out the amounts needed for regular recipes:

If you already have Country Fresh Farms, or simply choose to buy that brand, then here is that recipe conversion table:

So, if you decide to store powdered milk,

How much do you need?:
On average, my family of 4 uses around 1 gallon of milk per week.
One #10 can of Country Cream Powdered milk makes 20 quarts, which is 5 gallons, so
12 cans would last us at least a year.

If I was buying Country Fresh Farms, I would need over 24 cans for a year... another reason why Country Cream is my brand of choice.

All in all, it should be included in everyone's food storage system.  But I am a firm believer in using what you store, so don't be afraid to actually try it.  You might be surprised.

**UPDATED 11/11/13
As sad as it is, Country Cream brand milk has disappeared from my local stores.  I wanted to update this post to let you all know the current instant and powdered milk that I am using since Country Cream has vanished.  The price is more, but I am actually much more impressed with the product than I every was with Country Cream, and it is definitely better than the Auguson Farm and Morning Moo's alternatives.  You can click the links below to find out more information or to order online:
Thrive Instant Milk
Thrive Powdered Milk 

Pantry Secrets Bread - Product Review and How-To

Even if you choose not to make your own bread, it is important to know how, just in case you ever need to in an emergency.  Personally I like this recipe the best.

About a year ago, I decided to test out our food storage abilities, and withheld going to the store for quiet a while.  I had tried a few bread recipes before, but wasn't extremely satisfied.  However, I decided I better find a good recipe if we wanted to ever have any bread.

I attended a class held by the Relief Society on bread making, taught by Pantry Secrets. 

I have never gone back to store bought bread since.

There are several reasons why I chose to stick with this particular recipe:

- The entire process of making it takes about 1 hour - and only requires your attention for about 10 minutes

- It only requires 6 ingredients; which are very easy to come by

- Ingredients are inexpensive; one loaf of bread costs about .25 cents to make

- The ingredients used have at least a one year shelf life, making it perfect for long term storage

- The same recipe can be used to make other things; bread sticks, rolls, pizza dough, etc.

- It is by far the easiest bread I've ever made

- It is delicious!  Everyone loves it!

I have recommended this recipe to several people, but a lot are scared away by the different ingredients.

So I decided to do a Product Review and How-To post to answer questions.

Lets start with the Recipe:

For White Bread:

Makes 4 loaves of bread (I always half this):

10 1/2 c. Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Brand Flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

3 rounded Tbsp. Saf-Instant Yeast

3 Tbsp./quarter size drops of Liquid lecithin

4 c. HOT tap water

Mix dry ingredients. 

Add lecithin and water.

Mix for a total of 6 minutes.

Dough should be slightly sticky.

Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.

Spray counter and pans with Pam.

Shape loaves, place in pans, and cover with a dish towel.

Let raise 25 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes  (for rolls, bake at 350 for 15 mintues).

For Whole Wheat Bread: (when making 4 loaves):

Replace 1 c. of the water with applesauce.  Add an additional Tbsp/quarter of lecithin.

Mix for 8-10 minutes instead of 6.

This recipe has different ingredients and a different style of making it - which usually turns people away - so lets cover the basics:

The 3 ingredients not commonly used by other recipes are

1) Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Brand Flour

2) Saf-Instant Yeast

3) Liquid Lecithin

Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Brand Flour

First of all,this flour has nothing to do with turkeys.  It is simply the name brand (it has a turkey on the package):

Why use it?

- This flour has a high gluten content, which means that it has the ability to make delicious bread without being an actual "bread" flour. 

- This also means that you do not need to use 'vital wheat gluten' (which is an ingredient used if baking bread with regular all-purpose flour).

- This flour isn't a bread flour, so it can be used in all of your other recipes as well... no need to buy more than one kind.  This is the only flour I have at my house.

- It is inexpensive.  Costco sells it for $7-8 dollars a bag (which I believe is cheaper than what Lehi Roller Mills sells it for).

- From my personal research, this flour has a shelf life of over a year, being stored in normal conditions (poly bucket in the basement), and still maintains its good quality.

**As a side note, it really is THAT different from regular all-purpose flour.  I have made the bread without it and it doesn't turn out the same.

Saf-Instant Yeast

Saf-Instant is simply the brand name - the creator of this recipe found it to be the best, but I personally haven't tried it with another instant yeast. 

This is what it looks like:

Sorry for the horrible picture, I downloaded it from the internet.

Why use it?

- Instant Yeast allows you to mix the bread dough, shape it immediately, and then let it rise. 

- With regular yeast, you mix the dough, let it rise, punch it down, shape it, and then let it rise again. 

- Using instant yeast cuts your bread making time in HALF.

- This yeast can handle extreme heat without causing damage (since you use HOT tap water, this comes in handy).

- Saf-Instant yeast can be purchased at Alison's Pantry and at Macey's for about  $2.50 (on sale) and probably $3.50 regularly.

- This yeast has an extremely long shelf life - at LEAST a year if left at room temperature - almost INDEFINATELY if kept in the freezer.

Liquid Lecithin

Probably the most unusual ingredient for most people.  Liquid lecithin has the same texture, consistency, and color as honey - but it is extremely sticky.

Why use it?

- Liquid Lecithin is used as the oil replacement in this recipe

- It has a shelf life of about 10 years, whereas oil can go rancid very quickly - making it the perfect candidate for long term storage

- It is much better for you than oil

- 32 oz. bottles can be purchased for $10-15 at the Bosch store, or you can purchase some from the Pantry Secrets website. 

Now lets make some bread,

and hopefully answer any other questions you may have:

First, assemble dry ingredients and mix together.

Add lecithin

** Lecithin is measured in Tbsp/'quarters' because it is extremely sticky and difficult to remove.  It is recommended that you don't use an acutal Tbsp. to measure, since it will stick to it (even after the dishwasher).

1 Tbsp. should equal the size of a 'quarter' when poured into the flour mixture.

It has a tendency to run, which is why this picture didn't turn out, but you get the idea (this picture shows enough lecithin for 2 loaves of bread - about 1 1/2 Tbsp/quarters worth)

I have mine in this cheapo ketchup container with a hole in the top so I can just squeeze the desired amount out.  I know a lot of people who just pour it straight from the bottle.  If you purchase lecithin from pantry secrets it will come in a squeeze bottle like this one, only it has a removable cap over the top.

Now add the HOT tap water, and start mixing.

You should mix the dough for a total of 6 minutes (I just set a timer as soon as I add the water and turn it on).

After a minute or so of mixing, check to see if you need to add more flour or more water.

This picture demonstrates how it should look - the sides are starting to come clean, and it is forming a nice ball in the center.

If it is too dry, the dough will not come together in a ball, and you will need to add more water - a 1/2 Tbsp. at a time.

If it is too wet, the dough will continue to stick to the sides of the bowl and won't form a ball.  You will need to add more flour - a 1/2 Tbsp. at a time.

Once you have the right consistency, DO NOT ADD ANY MORE FLOUR OR WATER.

Adding flour without providing time for it to properly mix will not allow the gluten in the flour to activate - which pretty much defeats the purpose.

Continue mixing until the 6 minutes is up.

It should look something like this:

The sides of the bowl should be clean, and the dough should be centered around the kneading blade.

It should hold its shape fairly well, like this:

Place the dough on a large cutting board (or your counter) that has been sprayed with pam.

**Using Pam cooking spray instead of flour to keep the dough from sticking keeps it moist, as well as avoids the problem of having flour that isn't blended in, as I explained above.

Spray one of your hands with Pam and then rub them together so the dough won't stick to them.

Knead the dough 4 times, and form into a ball.

Cut the ball into 4 equal parts (to make 4 loaves).

With each ball, knead a few times before forming into a loaf.  Be sure and pinch the sides and the seam together.  Put into greased loaf pans (I use large pans).

Cover with a clean dish towel (I must admit that I never do that).

Let raise for 25 minutes.

Then bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Perfect bread every time!

This recipe can aso be used for Whole Wheat Bread.

Just use the same amount of wheat flour as regular flour.

Use the same amount of salt and sugar.

Increase the lecithin amount by 1 Tbsp. (for 4 loaves), and

replace 1 c. of water with applesauce (for 4 loaves).

** The appleasuace simply helps to keep the wheat bread moist.  If you are going to be eating it all within a day or two, you wouldn't need to replace any water with applesauce.  After a few days however, it would dry out very quickly.

Also, increase the mixing time from 6 minutes to 8-10 if using whole wheat.

As a last side note:

This recipe is supposed to be a good 'go-to' recipe for all of your bread making needs.

Pantry Secrets sells a video on how to make everything using the same recipe - bread, rolls, soup bowls, pizza crusts, breadsticks, cinnamon rolls, french bread, focaccia bread, etc, etc.

In my personal experience, I prefer this recipe ONLY for bread, rolls, breadsticks, and an occasional pizza dough. 

The rest of the recipes like focaccia and french bread, as well as cinnamon rolls, don't posses the qualities I like in the original recipe - like the crispy crust and airy center of a french bread, or the taste and texture of focaccia.  However, if this was the only type of bread dough you could make (in an emergency), it would work just fine to make those other things.

The video they sell covers the basics of how to make the bread, but is mostly about shaping and forming different types of rolls, etc., which may be helpful to some of you.  Their video can be purchased on their stie.

For me, this recipe is my absolute favorite for making bread, breadsticks, rolls and occasionally piza dough - nothing more.

(Rolls and breadsticks need to be baked at 350 for 15 minutes.)

I found that making pizza dough with this recipe is a little more tricky, but it is delicious.  If you want better directions for making Pantry Secrets Pizza Dough, you can click here.

I hope this information was helpful.  Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

Morning Moo's Sweetened Banana Slices - Product Review

It has come to my attention recently that there are people out there who want to get started on their food storage, but don't want to waste their money on products that they will never use.
I thought it would be helpful to post my research on the products that I have purchased; thus giving you the opportunity to decide if it's worth it or not.

So, here is the first of several Food Product Tests!

Again, this is just my evaluation of products, to help you determine if they are worth purchasing.

Today's topic:

Sweetened Banana Slices

The Basics: (text taken directly from can)
Directions: Eat as a snack, add to cereals or desserts
Ingredients: Sweetened banana slices, turbinado sugar, coconut oil, banana flavoring.
No preservatives added.
Store in a cool dry place.

Here is what they look like:

Now for the Quality Check:

Smell - Indescribable; not good or bad, but they don't really smell like bananas to me.

Taste - Nothing like a banana in my opinion, except for the hint of banana flavoring sprinkled on each chip.  Not good enough (for me) to just eat plain, and my kids don't enjoy them either.

Texture - extremely crunchy; much more so than a potato chip - almost like peanut brittle.  Too hard for my kids to eat - and it doesn't help if they slobber them to death either... they stay pretty crunchy.

Looks - Perfect representation, item didn't shrink or shrivel during processing.

Color - Pale yellow; good representation

How much do you get?
#10 size can hold 2 lbs. 4oz.
Container holds 36 cups

Price?
#10 can runs anywhere from $10-$15

Shelf Life
I haven't been able to find out how long the shelf life is.  Most Blue Chip products have the shelf life written on the container, but this one doesn't.  That leads me to believe that it isn't very long.
However, I have had my particular can for over 2 years now, and they are still edible.  And, my can has been opened for that long.  Sealed cans last much longer under proper storage conditions than those that are opened.  There has been some settling over the past two years (they settle to the bottom and start to stick together).  I am assuming they also get harder over time, but we don't eat ours enough for me to notice.
If I had to guess, shelf life would be 5-10 years (sealed can) under good storage conditions.

Brand Differences
I haven't noticed any other brands, so I have only tried Morning Moo's (Blue Chip)

Is it worth it?
Uhhh... I've been stewing over this question...
They are not my favorite, as I mentioned before, so I would have to say that they would be a good idea for a long term storage item.  I mean that I don't use mine enough to go out and buy more, but they would be great to have for emergency situations.
Just a side note: when I say 'short term' food storage, I mean anything that you eat on a regular basis.
And when I say 'long term' food storage I mean items that are stored primarily for emergencies (but that doesn't mean you should buy things you will never eat).
Uses:
Realistically, I am a freak, and I can't throw anything away.  When I bought these, I wasn't super satisfied, so they were seldom used.  I didn't want to waste them, so I figured out the best (in my opinion) use for them...

Banana Bread (Emergency Preparedness Style)

Start by chopping up your banana chips
(like I mentioned earlier, they are really crispy and don't get soggy, even in liquid.  For a smooth consistency, put them in a food processor - the more powder the better.  For bread that has 'nut' like banana chips, leave them coarsely chopped, like the picture shows).
Use 2 cups of banana chips (before chopping)
in place of 3 regular mashed bananas

Put the banana chips in a bowl and add half the amount of boiling water
(so if using 2 cups of banana chips, use 1 cup boiling water)

Set aside for about 5 minutes

Use your beaters to blend it all together

You may need to add up to 1/4 c. more water to reach the desired consistency.

Then, just add it to your banana bread recipe in place of regular bananas.

The taste is slightly different, but still delicious.  I have had several people try them without knowing I used dried bananas and they couldn't tell.  The color of the bread will also be lighter than normal.

Well, I don't know if that was helpful or not, but there you have it!

**UPDATED 11/11/13
I just wanted to update this post to provide an alternative to sweetened banana slices.  I have transitioned over to Freeze Dried Bananas, and use this product exclusively instead of the slices.  These are far superior in quality, taste and nutrition.  They cost more than the sweetened slices, but are worth it in my opinion.  You can view more about the product, the 25 year shelf life, read reviews, etc. at the link below:
Thrive Freeze Dried Banana Slices