Thursday, December 11, 2014

Meal in a Jar--Lasagna Soup


My family loves lasagna.  I do not love to make it.   Do you see the problem?

When I first got interested in Meals in a Jar, I made a list of meals I would love to have sitting in my pantry ready to go at a moment’s notice.  Lasagna was at the top of the list.    

After some experimenting I settled on this soup.  There are currently 12 quart sized mason jars filled with this soup in my pantry.  We like it that much. 

This soup has all the flavors of lasagna, pasta, tomato sauce, and sausage.  I don’t put the cheese in the jar but I use it as a garnish (if you can call ½ a cup of cheese a garnish).


If you are new to making Meal in a Jars please read this how to post about   How to Make a Meal in a Jar--Two Methods

Lasagna Soup
3/4 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Sausage
¼ cup Thrive Freeze Dried Onion
3 Tablespoons Thrive dehydrated mixed bell peppers
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
¼ cup Thrive tomato sauce
¼ cup Thrive tomato powder
1 tsp Thrive Chef’s Choice seasoning
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups Thrive farfalle (bowtie) noodles.
Add contents of jar to 8 cup of rapidly boiling water. Stir well. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Simmer 10 -12 minutes until noodles are soft. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

A note on Food Safety:
The Meal-in-a-Jar method is a form of Dry Pack Canning.   The food inside the jars is preserved because the food is free of moisture and oxygen, the lack of which inhibits bacterial growth.  Jars should be stored in a dark environment to prevent any nutritional degradation due to light.  
When packing your jars remember to always 
  • Sanitize all equipment before use. Be sure to dry all equipment thoroughly before using.
  • Wash hands and or wear food handler’s gloves.
  • Keep work area clean and dry. 
  • Use either method 1 or method 2 to remove the oxygen from your jar.

Printables: 
Recipe Card 
Regular Mouth Mason Jar Label
Wide Mouth Mason Jar

Interested in Learning More about Making Meals in a Jar?  Join my meal in a jar facebook group.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Meal in a Jar--Chicken Noodle Soup




If you are new to making Meal in a Jars please read this how to post about How to Make a Meal in a Jar--Two Methods



Chicken Noodle soup is my kids all-time favorite meal.  They always eat it well without complaining (insert happy dance here).    


I’ve been making Chicken Noodle soup for them using freeze dried Thrive Foods for about 5 years and just recently realized I could speed up the process by making a bunch of Chicken Noodle Soup meals in a Jar.   So I made 12.  


Best idea ever.  Now I have a bunch of meals ready to go that I know my kids will love that only take 10 minutes to make.  Love it.
  


Chicken Noodle Soup in a Jar
For printable recipe and mason jar labels see below.

1 cup Freeze Dried Chopped Chicken
2 Tablespoons Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp Chef’s Choice Blend
1 tsp Salad Blend
½ cup  Celery
¼ cup Carrots
1/4 cup Freeze Dried Onions
2 cups Egg Noodles

8 cups water (to be added during cooking)

Jar Directions:  Layer ingredients in a wide mouthed, quart-sized jar, shaking the dry powder ingredients into the bulkier items. Top with an oxygen packet (300 cc) for longer-term storage, or seal with a food saver.  Cover with a new canning lid and hand-tighten the metal ring. 

Cooking Directions:  Add contents of jar to 8 cup of rapidly boiling water.  Stir well.    Simmer 10 -12 minutes until noodles are soft.  


A note on Food Safety:
The Meal-in-a-Jar method is a form of Dry Pack Canning.   The food inside the jars is preserved because the food is free of moisture and oxygen, the lack of which inhibits bacterial growth.  Jars should be stored in a dark environment to prevent any nutritional degradation due to light.  
When packing your jars remember to always
  • Sanitize all equipment before use. Be sure to dry all equipment thoroughly before using.
  • Wash hands and or wear food handler’s gloves.
  • Keep work area clean and dry. 
  • Use either method 1 or method 2 to remove the oxygen from your jar.

Read more:
Printables: 
Recipe Card
Regular Mouth Mason Jar Label
Wide Mouth Mason Jar

Interested in Learning More about Making Meals in a Jar?  Join my meal in a jar facebook group.

Monday, November 24, 2014

How to Make a Meal-in-a-Jar Two Methods



I’m excited to share of my favorite Meal-In-A-Jar recipes with you.  I’ve been making these easy recipes for my family for just over a year and I love how easy they are to prepare.  I am concerned about the quality and nutrition in the foods my family eats but I don’t always have time to cook from scratch, these Meal-In-A-Jar recipes have become the solution for my family.  



How to Make a Meal-in-a-Jar:   Two Methods

Method 1:  Use a Food Saver to Seal the Jars
Step 1:  In a clean, dry quart jar, layer ingredients. Shake the powder down into the jar if needed. 
Step 2:  Place the lid on the jar.  Don’t add the ring. 
Step 3:  Attach one end of the hose to the accessory port and the other end to the jar sealer.  Place the jar sealer over the jar.
Step 4:  Turn on your food saver and remove the oxygen from the jar.  
Step 5: Remove the jar sealer (it is easier to unhook the hose from the jar sealer first), add label and ring, store in a cool dry place. 


Method 2:  Use Oxygen Absorbers
Step 1:  In a clean, dry quart jar, layer ingredients. Shake the powder down into the jar if needed. 
Step 2:  Wipe the top of the jar with a paper towel to remove any powder.
Step 3:  Top with a 300 cc oxygen absorber. Seal tightly. 
Step 4:  The lid should seal within a few hours.  Add label and date.  Store in a cool, dry place.

I purchase my oxygen absorbers from Amazon.  Oxygen absorbers are a onetime use product, they can NOT be reused, if the jar does not seal after one hour remove oxygen absorber and discard.  Then add a fresh oxygen absorber and reseal. 



A note on Food Safety:
The Meal-in-a-Jar method is a form of Dry Pack Canning.   The food inside the jars is preserved because the food is free of moisture and oxygen, the lack of which inhibits bacterial growth.  Jars should be stored in a dark environment to prevent any nutritional degradation due to light.  

When packing your jars remember to always
·         Sanitize all equipment before use. Be sure to dry all equipment thoroughly before using.
·         Wash hands and or wear food handler’s gloves.
·         Keep work area clean and dry. 
·         Use either Method 1 or Method 2 to remove the oxygen from your jar.