From Steal This Wiki

Contents 1 Grow Your Own Food 2 What to grow 2.1 Roots 2.2 Gourds 2.3 Corn 2.4 Beans 2.5 Grains 2.6 Bamboo 2.7 Blackberries 2.8 Hay 3 Farming Techniques 3.1 Guerrilla Farming 3.2 Preparing a Field 3.3 Watering 3.4 Tire Farming 3.5 Greenhouse 3.6 Plastic Sheet 3.7 Open Source Ecology 4 The Organic Way 4.1 Organic Pesticide Solutions 4.2 Organic Fertilizers 4.3 Compost 4.4 Soil Nitration 4.4.1 Nitrogen fixation in legumes grown under irrigation of 8 in H2O/yr 5 Farm Animals 5.1 Bees 5.2 Chickens 5.3 Goats 5.4 Sheep 5.5 Aquaculture 5.6 Cows 5.7 Donkeys 5.8 Rabbits 6 Canning and Pickling 6.1 Canning Process 6.2 Processing Times

Grow Your Own Food

As food prices spiral upwards, the personal and group garden will come back into vogue. This Victory Garden puts us somewhat above the heavy handed and regularly used strategy of people control through the selective distribution of food to the "good" people. Try to acquire and seed non hybrid seeds before times of trouble, as these seeds can be used generation after generation. Don't kill yourself with poisons; use natural insect repellents and fertilizers. Try to plant some staple foods, like spinach, cabbage, and squash, which offer more versatility for dishes. Even an urban dweller is not excused, you have greenspaces, rooftops and even suspended window platforms to farm from.

Most seed packets cost about a dollar, and can contain hundreds of seeds. More hardy plants, like squash, can go for about 15 cents a seed. Almost all packets have growing facts printed right on them, including best climate, harvest periods, and even how to plant them in the ground. Most harvest periods for solid, edible crops range from only 50 days to about 100 days. Be sure to look to see what seasons are recommended to grow your crops in and where to plant them. After replanting the hardier plants from your seedlings into the ground, most just need about a foot or two between each plant. Even a backyard a few yards across and a few yards deep, if devoted to your new plants, can yield enough food at harvest time to feed yourself for a few weeks.

Remember to rotate which crops you plant seasonally. If you only plant one type of plant in the same row for a few seasons, you risk severely damaging the soil and depleting it of various minerals. Try to first add crops that can be brought into operation in a few months so you can start cutting your food budget rather than for example waiting years for an orchard.

Be sure to contact your nearby university with an ag program they are chartered to run extension services by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

What to grow

Roots

Root vegetables are easy to grow and have high food content per acre. The potato fed the Irish until the blight sent them packing to new shores due in part to lack of crop rotation.

Potatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow without access to a plot of land. The most important step is to acquire good quality seeds/eyes. You can often use a potatoes from the supermarket, unless they have been treated with chemicals to prevent eyes from forming, let them sit for a few weeks to see if they sprout. Most big box stores with a "garden" section will also have one or two varieties in early spring. Carrots, beets, and onions are also pretty easy to grow from seed.

Acquire a large garbage can or other large container and clean it out with a 1:5 ratio of bleach and water to kill any molds and fungi. When you are finished punch a half dozen holes in the bottom for drainage. Put about four to six inches/ten to fifteen centimeters of soil in the bottom. If necessary, cut the seeds up so that there are two to three on each piece. Place the seeds or eye sprouts on top on the surface of the soil, eyes up. Some suggest soaking the seeds beforehand others say dry them out to prevent rotting and others yet say don't do anything at all. Look at the package in your hands and see what it says and then use the grey matter between your ears. If something doesn't work do the other next year. Cover the seeds and keep the soil watered but not soaked, about an inch a week. Once the plants have grown about six to eight inches/fifteen to twenty centimeters cover the bottom third with soil. Continue adding soil whenever you get some new growth until the plants begin to flower. It is essential to keep the "seeds" and/or tubers covered with soil as exposure to the sun will cause them to turn green. Never eat any green part of a potato or potato plant, they are poisonous. You can harvest these as new potatoes or wait. Your choice. Once the flowering is over and the plants start to yellow stop watering. Wait a few weeks for the potatoes to settle and dig them up.

Optional variants: Use sawdust (non-pressure treated wood) and feed with liquid kelp or compost tea whenever you add a layer.

Gourds

Most types of squash are good for filler food in typical meat dishes, such as chili. Cut up gourds and pumpkins are good in soups or as a filler for pies.

Corn

Corn is starch and sugar rich and can be dried and ground up for cornbread in the winter.

Beans

Beans are high in protein and usually easy to grow, eat whole or shell out the inner seeds and dry in the sun for storage. Combined with rice you have a complete if boring diet.

Grains

If you have a large field at least an acre you might try growing wheat, oats or barley. Once you harvest the wheat you need to be able to cut down, de-hull, and thresh away the chaff. See also Caching and Cheap Chow

Bamboo

Bamboo is of the grass family but the wood can be used in place of trees. The stalks are quick growing, strong, and lightweight. Bamboo can be grown from a cutting placed in water and once roots sprout potted. Bamboo will take over a yard if allowed so caution must be used in planting especially near a water source. Bamboo rots quickly if allowed to remain damp.

Blackberries

Blackberry briar's not only provide supplemental food for pies or juices but it is also an excellent barrier plant. Blackberries grow quickly and care must be take to prevent overgrowth especially in wet climates or near water.

Hay

If you harvest hay during the fall and keep it dry you can feed your livestock during the winter, store feed is expensive. Be sure the hay is well protected and dry. Hay that is harvested green or gets damp will compost generating temperatures high enough to start a fire, this is a serious danger for hay kept in a barn or near an animal pen.

Farming Techniques

If you have access to the internet a search on the US Government ERIC system should hopefully still find you a copy of the [Remote Areas Development Manual] It is one of the most useful farming and village life handbooks available especially if you can find the printed pocket size. It covers everything from fertilizer to blacksmithing to medical care everything a Peace Corps worker would need, and since it is a US FedGov publication there is no copyright on it, share, edit, print, and repurpose it!

Guerrilla Farming

Our revolutionary warriors need never use violence to feed the people. By building an arsenal of seed bombs even the ignorant sheeple can be equipped for the coming changes, plus this is fun to do even if you are mobile and have no garden of your own. Just mix one part clay, three parts compost, and edible vegetable seeds, soften with water, and roll into small balls. Deploy in any open areas. Easy to grow crops include onions, peas, beans, beets, rutabaga, potato, and zucchini. Aim your bombs for areas that have the right sun/shade ratio and moisture, avoid mowed areas where the crops will be killed.

Preparing a Field

A new piece of land needs to be prepped before seeding. Choose a location near the bottom of a downslope or at the bottom of a valley, a place that is already green most of the year, this means there is water near the surface. Alternatively plant near a source of irrigation water, but choose wisely surface water is controlled by the government. Unless you can arrange drainage or plant swamp reduction trees over time avoid swamps or areas known to flood which could destroy a whole crop. If the area is very weed infested you might consider a controlled burn off but be careful this can lead to erosion of your priceless topsoil, quickly planting clover will enrich and anchor the topsoil. First off remove all large rocks down to fist size to at least six inches deep, worldwide the solution is to build stone fences around the field to get rid of these rocks. Add mulch and compost to enrich the soil, this will also encourage earthworms who aerate the soil. Turn over the soil and mulch, whether it is a cow pulled plough or a motorized rototiller you need to turn over and soften packed soil. Clay retains moisture but can become very hard, sand helps drainage but washes away easily, you need the correct mix for water conditions as well as good organic mass and nutrients to feed your crops.

Watering

The trick to watering a garden is to water it around dawn or dusk, when the plants are still warm, or about to get warmer, and to water until it starts to flood. Too little water, and you're only hurting the plant by teasing it. Too much will erode the soil, but this takes a lot of water. If you're in an area where it gets below freezing at night, water your plants before it gets there, then cover them with a blanket or tarp. Ice makes a surprisingly good insulator, and the blankets do too.

One of the best sources of free water is your roof gutters, it is best to store this in a rain barrel or cistern since the rain is already watering your garden that day, use the stored water on a dry evening. Replumbing your residence to store your shower and sink water for evening may supply your whole irrigation budget. Also look for ways to catch the runoff from parking lots and driveways, an artificial pond is one way to save this water.

Tire Farming

A stack of tires filled with soil is the start of a vertical farm. Plant between the tires and wedge small openings for your plants. The tires help conserve water and space and are especially good for growing root vegetables.

Greenhouse

PVC pipe and UV Plastic sheet are almost all you need to start a greenhouse, saving you water and increasing crops. It is important that the clear plastic you use will resist degradation, ask at a garden or hardware shop. Choose a site with well drained soil. If you will be growing only in summer build under the shade of a tree to reduce overheating, but place in direct sun if you plan to grow full life cycle plantings, shade cloth or white plastic can substitute for natural shade if overheating is a problem. Use environmental friendly ground contact pressure treated wood like CCA, untreated wood will rot quickly. When leveling the frame on uneven ground dig a trench on the upper side which will be easier to seal. The large 4x4 posts are to keep the greenhouse anchored in wind. Use Schedule 80 Pipe if possible, other pipe will be weaker. The mid rib PVC pipe is cut into about 22 ½ in long pieces and rejoined with the cross joints. EMT tubing in the mid-rib (number 14) or spine strengthens the rejoined tube. Use two or more people when bending and anchoring the PVC ribs into the EMT strap loops(number 4) to prevent damage to the joints and ribs. Stapling down the plastic cover is the best way to attach it, allow some extra plastic to extend and be covered with dirt to help make a seal. Find some old garden hoses and punch drip holes or use drip irrigation tube, it will stay under the ground sheet for drip irrigation. Lay down ground sheet plastic and punch holes for your baby plants, or a few inches of sand or gravel, these limit mud and weed problems. Bury the edges of the greenhouse plastic with soil or sand, it is important that the edges be sealed to keep rainwater and moles out. Even in the coldest weather be careful that a small heater or heat lamp doesn't overheat the greenhouse, in summer open the door if overheating. This greenhouse design will support four inches of snow, if there is more snow add additional prop supports Connect twine hanging from the ribs for vine and soft plants. As the plants grow help them twist around the twine for easier vertical growth. This works great for cucumbers, beans, and tomatoes. Flowers and food for sale can be grown year round in most areas. If you need more room extend the length of the greenhouse following this design, a wider frame will be weak in wind and snow. If you need to save money leave out the door but keep the door frame and use overlapping plastic flaps.

Illustrations and design courtesy of North Carolina State Cooperative Extension Service, modified for Steal This Book Today

Bill of Materials

• Item Qty. Description
• 1- 16- ¾ in. PVC Schedule 80 Pipe, 10 ft long
• 2- 6- ¾ in. PVC Cross Joints, Schedule 80
• 3- 2- ¾ in. PVC Tee Joints, Schedule 80
• 4- 32- ¾ in. Galvanized electrical metallic tubing (EMT) Straps
• 5- 2- 2”x6”x14” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
• 6- 2- 2”x6”x12” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
• 7- 4- 2”x4”x7” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
• 8- 4- 2”x4”x6” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
• 9- 4- 4”x4”x2” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
• 10- 2- 2”x4”x3” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards
• 11- 2- 1”x4”x12” Outdoor Treated No. 2 Pine Boards (to cut up for door parts)
• 12- 1- Set of door Hinges
• 13- 1- Sheet of Plastic 24 ft x 20 ft, 4 mil thickness
• 14- 1- ½ in.x 10ft. Galvanized Electrical Metallic Tubing
• 15- 1- PVC cleaner
• 16- 1- PVC cement
• 17- - misc nails, screws, and staples

Plastic Sheet

Bury old perforated hose or irrigation tube under black UV plastic sheet, holes for your plants or seeds will reduce the need for herbicides and weeding.

Open Source Ecology

This wiki is dedicated to the open, collaborative development of a basic and robust infrastructure for a Global Village economy, as embodied in the list of the 28 of the above products and services. Such a village is by design

• one which promotes the highest autonomy and freedom
• grounded in self-sufficiency
• dedicated to voluntary pursuits, right livelihood, and quality of life

The basic assumption for a New Village economy is that humans are capable of transcending struggle for survival and resource conflicts, where this preoccupation is replaced by higher pursuits of personal and societal evolution.

At the time of this writing several of the core projects are in testing phase but together should form the core of a fully self sufficient settlement avoiding many pitfalls of depending on globalist commerce.

http://openfarmtech.org/

The Organic Way

As various studies can show, you don't need to dump fertilizers and pesticides on your plants to have a thriving farm/garden. The organic methods of gardening really took off in the 70's when many of the hippies, yippies, and yuppies took to the country in order to have a cheaper and peaceful life. After the conservative era of the 80's, and the party era of the 90's, people really began finding the advantages of growing organically in the last few years.

Organic Pesticide Solutions

• Rotenone the extract from roots and stems of several tropical and subtropical plant species belonging to the genus Lonchocarpus or Derris. It was first used as a fish poison, its powder is an effective pesticide and is only moderately toxic to humans, birds, and mammals. Rotenone is allowed my most organic certifying agencies.

• Tobacco leaf extract can be made as a tea from tobacco and sprayed onto your plants, one cup of tobacco to one gallon of water. Do not use on pepper, eggplant, or tomato plants.

• One clove garlic and 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper crushed and soaked in warm water work effectively, filter and spray onto plants.

• Mild soap solution sprayed onto plants will ofter repel pests, a mild salt solution often works too.

• Most plants with strong odors or sharp flavor have these attributes to repel insects, try alone or in combination to eliminate insect problems.

Organic Fertilizers

Organic farmers use animal manure, manufactured seed meal, home and garden compost, and mulching as well as several natural mineral powders like rock phosphate and greensand, a naturally occurring form of potash. Used tea leaves are very good for restoring nutrients to the soil. What else would you do with them anyway? Straw can also be used super effectively as an organic mulch.

Compost

Composting is the natural breakdown and return to soil of organic wastes such as garden and kitchen wastes. It is best to keep your home composting to the waste of vegetarian animals and vegetable matter, meat and dairy require higher composting temperatures, consider burying this waste instead. Once the composting is under way, start a new bin or pile and use the older heaps for garden fertilizer. Composted vegetable matter is even more important than nitrogen sources like manure for feeding your plants.

If you are involved in a food co-op or something similar, such as a commune, or even a group of like-minded individuals living on your street, you should designate someone as the official composter. Sending all of your organic waste to the compost cuts down on your waste output as well as that of the whole world. Once the compost batch is done, distribute it out to those growing food.

Soil Nitration

Some crops like wheat will remove nitrogen and nutrients from the soil others actually increase available nutrients. It is important to remember that one crop crown continually will burn out a fields and will attract pest infestation. Some examples of good rotations to improve overall soil nutrition are alternating rice then cotton, or soybeans then maize, old Europe farmers planted rye the first year, oats or barley the next year and nothing the third year. The Irish potato famine could have been prevented had crop rotation been used. Sweet-clover is a great fallow cover crop with very high nitrogen fixation but be careful as it can cause bloat in some animals if they get into it. Also remember to use all available compost and green manure to improve soil nutrition. Chemical herbicides and pesticides can kill the nitrate fixing bacteria in the roots of your plants. Here are some vegetables that do well when they are planted together: beans-potatoes; peas-carrots; peas-turnips; cabbage-beets; kohlrabi-beets; spinach-cauliflower; spinach-eggplant; corn-cucumbers and corn-beans.

Nitrogen fixation in legumes grown under irrigation of 8 in H2O/yr

Crop - Nitrogen Fixed Symbiotically (lb N/ac)

• Sweet-Clover - 223
• Fababean - 267 (Must have proper irrigation or nitrogen fixation drops greatly)
• Field Pea - 178
• Lentil - 134
• Soybean - 134
• Chickpea - 108 (good in dry soil)
• Dry bean - 62

When we grow tired of war as a species there will be a great surplus of explosives and gunpowder, when the time comes consult a soil chemist as to which powders and explosives can be safely turned into valuable non-toxic nitrogen fertilizer.

Farm Animals

Bees

If the bee hive colony collapse disorder turns around, a fun way to commune with nature and help out your own crops is to start and run a bee hive. Try to be organic in your bee farm by not using weird chemicals. Some claim the bee mite problem is caused by oversized artificial bee honeycombs, making over-sized bees. which can have their windpipe infected by mites. Others claim it is due to the constant movement of bees. Bees like to stay in one place. Don't bother them by constantly moving their hive or smoking them. Leave them part of their honey for food. Don't completely substitute corn syrup.

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder

Chickens

Even if you only have a small available run area, like an urban rooftop, raising chickens will help eliminate some bugs and provide you with eggs. Use a bright light after laying to shine through and find the unfertilized eggs if there is a rooster around. Unfertilized eggs will rot if not harvested. Have a dark box for the hen to lay in otherwise she will hide and bury the eggs, be sure to get the unfertilized eggs before the hen eats them which many hens do when not brooding, keep putting the hen in the box until she nests there. Let your chickens run wild if possible, as they will usually stay near the feed. Ducks, quail, pheasants, and peacock are also fun to raise for eggs. These birds can live off of fresh compost bin stuff, cracked grains and corn in winter. Placing a bright light over their run will tell their bodies to produce eggs even in winter, be sure to feed them enough that egg laying will not overtax their bodies, most hens produce an egg once a day or every other day. Save the high nitrogen manure soil for fertilizer. In an apartment with a balcony or rooftop lay a few square meters of soil on a tarp and provide shade. Chicken hens are fun safe pets for kids but teach them to not abuse them.

It is still possible to order chickens and other farm birds in the mail, do a web search, or take a drive to the country and visit a feed store, a rare pet shop might be able to help you. After Easter go door to door collecting live colour dyed chicks to raise for your brood, most of these will be male throw-away chicks, which is OK if you are a carnivore and plan to kill them anyway for food.

Speaking of killing, use a big knife or hatchet to behead your birds, hopefully a very quick death after a healthy free range life. Pluck the bird before opening, some people like to quickly dip the dead bird in a bucket of boiling water to loosen the feathers, although this will alter the taste. Cut open the abdomen and remove the guts, give them a quick look to make sure they are smooth and glistening, otherwise the bird might be sick, most guts are good for use in cooking, don't waste them. If you are still hungry after this, bon-apetit.

Goats

Goats will start giving milk after having their first litter of kids, there are very small pygmy goats that still produce one to two liters of milk a day if they are fed well. Goats will eat almost anything and are useful for clearing a yard of blackberry overgrowth and mowing the lawn. But they will also tear plastic parts from cars, rubber tires, house siding, nails, and other non healthy things is they are too close. They will also eat a rope if they are tied up. They are less able to survive solely on scraps and also need hay if there is not grass to eat. As with chickens they need place to be free and they like a high place to stand on sometimes. Some goats can be trimmed for wool.

Sheep

Domestic sheep are friendly although a little dumb, they need a lot of help which a smart sheep dog will provide. The natural maternal instincts of a Shepard dog pushes them to herd and protect these sweet dumb animals. Pick a breed that won't be too hot in your climate. Once a sheep has lambs you can start milking the sheep. Shear sheep right before hot weather sets in. Sheep are too dumb to move if they have eaten all of the grass and will mow an area bare, don't let your sheep cause erosion problems, keep them moving.

Aquaculture

If you have a pond where you live or if you can lay down a plastic liner in a depression in the ground you can start raising fish and aquatic plants. You can start by stocking fast growing fish which you either catch or buy and then introduce them into your pond and feed them. You will need to watch water temperature and aeration (oxygen) as well as pH so you fish will survive. Adding aquatic plants both helps feed and oxygenate the tank the plants are also fed by the fish. Chicken wire fence will help keep robber animals like raccoons from stealing the fish.

Cows

American size cows take up too many resources to be practical. If used as a tractor to pull a plow or wagon having a cow might be justified. Cows are easily seen from the road by agriculture dpt. inspectors, a problem once compulsory animal registration is enforced.

Donkeys

A donkey is a great choice for a labor helper animal. They are usually gentle and sweet if treated well. Horses are mostly a wasteful extravagance in both food and care, you can walk while the donkey pulls a cart or carries a proper load. A harness or saddle must be fitted by someone trained in this skill, always check for rubbing and soreness. Never ride or work a new donkey until you have taken him to a veterinarian for a checkup.

Rabbits

Rabbits are the workhorse of meat animals. Two females (does) and one male (buck) can produce enough offspring in a year to provide at least one meal a week for a small family. Rabbits can be fed hay, commercially produced pellets, or vegetable scraps. Dietary changes should be made gradually to avoid gastric upset. Pelts can be tanned using salt/alum or even brain tanned.

Canning and Pickling

REFERENCE: Complete Guide to Home Canning, Extension Service, USDA, 1994.

If you have a good harvest from your greenhouse or if you want to preserve a particularly good dumpster haul you should consider home canning. Canning is a way to preserve food by heating and killing bacteria and then sealing the food in with special lids so no new bacteria can enter ruin it. Most canned foods last around a year although the more acidity the longer the life even if the acid removes some nutrients. If you can find glass jars that fit canning lids it is OK to use them for canning as long as there are no chips around the rim and that there are no hairline cracks anywhere, but real canning jars are always the best. The very best canning system is to use a pressure cooker, this vessel is expensive and often hard to find, especially in tough times, but watch thrift stores for deals. We will only discuss hot water bath canning which requires only a container of hot water at a minimum. As with many subjects that we cover read up on the subject before starting, we only cover the very basics.

Many stores sell canning lids, these lids have a special compound which seals to the jar rim. DO NOT REUSE jar lids, they are not designed to seal twice, especially do not reuse the screw on lids from store foods, these are just not safe. Jar lids are inexpensive and there is normally no reason to substitute. Most lids have sealing compounds that can be shelf stored five years from date of manufacture and after that may not seal properly. Some older books recommend using wax as a sealing compound for reusing lids on jams and jellies, this is not the best as the seal is questionable it often allows mold in.

If normal canning you food is not possible due to lack of proper lids and jars we suggest cutting the food into thin strips and sun drying fruits and veggies under a fly net or salting and smoking or oven drying meat and fish at around 100C(212F) until the meat is hard. Improper canning is a waste of your food, it will spoil, although cold vinegar and salt pickling in a reused clean jar should work for a few months on boiled eggs, and raw or slow cooked fish, and meats.

Always use your senses to tell you if the seal is good on your stored foods

• Is the lid sucked down, and does it pop when you open it, or is it bulging from rot?
• Is the coloration normal or do you see unusual spots or discoloration
• Does the food smell wrong?

If any of these or something else makes you suspicious throw the food out, there is no reason to poison yourself, your friends, or pets with botulism, molds, or other toxins from improperly canned food.

The only foods that may be safely canned in an boiling water bath (non-pressure cooker method) are highly acidic ones with a pH below 4.6, such as fruits, pickled vegetables, or other foods to which acidic additives have been added, such as vinegar, citric acid powder, ascorbic acid, or lemon juice.

Canning Process

Here is what to do:

• Pack food firmly into jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace at the top of the jar.

Note: Some fruits will need to be precooked before packing into jars. This is called the "hot pack" method. To "hot pack," the fruit is brought to a boil in the syrup, juice, or water, cooked briefly, and packed into hot jars. Hot liquid is poured over the fruit. Hot packing helps to prevent fruit from floating in the jar.

• Pour boiling fruit juice, water, or syrup over the fruit in the jar. Fill within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Run a non-metal knife or spatula along the inside of the jar to remove air bubbles. Wipe off the top of the jar rim with a clean cloth.
• Place hot sealing lid on packed jar next to glass. Screw band on jar until just tight.

The canner(or large pot) should be covered during processing. The hot boiling water should cover the tops of the jars during the entire processing time.

After processing time is completed, remove hot jars and place on a towel or rack to cool. Keep jars out of drafts. DO NOT TURN JARS UPSIDE DOWN. When jars have cooled, check for sealing.

Processing Times

Processing Times For High-Acid Foods Using A Boiling Water Bath Canner (212° F)

Fruits & Vegetables    		Pints 		Quarts
Apples (hot pack)	  	20 minutes 	20 minutes
Apricots (raw pack)	 	25 	        30
Berries (raw pack)       	15 		20
Cherries (raw pack)       	20 		25
Dill Pickles (raw pack) 	10 		15
Sweet Pickles (raw pack) 	10 		15
Fruit Juices (hot pack) 	15 		15
Fruit Jams and Jellies  	10 		10
Peaches (hot pack)         	20 		25
Pears (hot pack) 	        20 		25
Plums (hot pack) 	        20 		25
Pickle Relish (hot pack) 	10 		--
Rhubarb (hot pack) 	        10 		10
Tomatoes (hot pack)	 	35 		45
Tomato Juice (hot pack)         35 		40

• If using the raw pack method, have the water in the canner hot, not boiling. Placing raw pack jars in boiling water may cause the jars to break.
• If the rack does not have handles, leave the rack in the canner and place the jars in the rack using a jar lifter.
• When fruit is hot packed the fruit is heated before it is placed in the jar. Raw packed fruit is not heated, but it is still covered with boiling liquid.
• Tomatoes are normally considered to be an acid food. However, some varieties may have pH values above 4.6. Therefore, if tomatoes are to be canned as acid foods, they must be acidified with lemon juice or citric acid. Add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid.