Be ready for emergencies big and small with these eight great meal in a jar recipes! All you need to do to get a great meal on the table is add water and cook! Or give them away as gifts!! Printable cut files for the label stickers and tags are available!!
Easy Meal in a Jar Recipes
I have been working on putting together some food storage for my family for the last several years. There are many options out there nowadays for ready-to-go meals, but they can be incredibly expensive! So I’ve spent some time researching ways to make my own. I came across several options for recipes for meals in a jar.
A few years ago I did a class for a local women’s group on make-ahead meals and mixes, and I put together several meals in jars as examples. We generally tend to focus on food storage for times of emergencies, but I’ve also found these meals can be incredibly useful for small-scale “emergencies” of the dinner kind – you know, those nights when things have been crazy chaotic and it’s 6pm and everyone is starving, but you haven’t been to the grocery store, or you haven’t pulled anything out of the freezer for dinner, or you just generally don’t have any thing planned for dinner that night…
These have been great options to keep on the shelf for THOSE emergencies!These meals in a jar can be used as part of your long-term food storage if you wish. When properly sealed, they can last 5-1o years on the shelf.
But they can also be used as part of your dinner emergency stash – those meals you pull out when you need to get dinner on the table quick!
Freeze-dried Ingredients
Most of these meal in a jar recipes will require freeze-dried or dehydrated ingredients. Depending on where you live, these might be available locally, or you may have to order them online. There are several companies that specialize in producing these items: Augason Farms, Emergency Essentials, Honeyville Grains, The Ready Store, and Thrive Life, just to name a few. All of these companies have websites where you can order products and have them shipped to you. You can also find many options on Amazon or on Walmart.com.
I don’t really have a preference among the brands, as I’ve tried several of them. I don’t generally use the Thrive products because you have to order through a consultant, and I’ve found them to generally have higher prices than the others. Most of the items in my storage come from Augason Farms, Emergency Essentials or Honeyville Grains, because they all have stores near me or are readily available at my local Walmart.
Not Just for Food Storage!
Now, the tags on the jars are there for gift-giving, should you choose to use these as neighbor gifts! You absolutely do not need to put tags on yours, especially if you’re just keeping them on your pantry shelf (although you do need to label the jar somehow), but if you would like to add tags, or if you’re thinking about making some of these up to give as gifts, you can find the Cricut cut files for both the instruction labels AND the gift tags at The Happy Scraps – my awesome friend Amy (and she’s my neighbor, too – lucky me!) designed the labels and tags especially for this project, and I think they turned out AMAZING!!
Eight Great Meal in a Jar Recipes
1
Taco Soup in a Jar
Delicious south of the border flavors you can enjoy any time without all the work - just add water and simmer!
2
Chicken Noodle Skillet Meal in a Jar
Chicken, vegetables and noodles all together in a rich, creamy sauce! You won't believe this came from freeze-dried and powdered ingredients!
Simple but delicious beans & rice that you can cook in casserole form in the oven. It's about as hands-off as you can get! Mix with water and bake, and dinner is done in no time!
4
A classic comfort meal! Convenient and easy to make - and kid-friendly, too!
5
A hearty beef, bean, and vegetable stew with no fuss and no muss!
6
Creamy Chicken Veggie Casserole
Peas, carrots, chicken, and bow tie pasta all nestled in a warm, creamy cheese sauce! The flavors of your favorite classic chicken noodle soup in easy comfort-food casserole form!
7
Beefy Taco Rice Meal in a Jar
A simple but filling meal even the kids will enjoy! Or use it as a side dish - either way it works great!!
8
Potato Sausage Cheese Casserole in a Jar
This easy meal in a jar recipe is a great option for breakfast or dinner! What's not to love about sausage and cheesy hash brown potatoes?!
The Shelf Life of the Meals in a jar is around 5-15 years, depending on the ingredients used. The #10 cans have a shelf life of about 6-12 months after you open them. Have you ever opened a #10 can and then forgot it was opened?
Freezing helps preserve the items, so they taste great on party day. This doesn't have to be done weeks in advance, either. Instead, make sauces, breads, pie crusts and other items that freeze well a few days before the party. Store them in the freezer until the night before.
– Choose meals that can be easily reheated later. Casseroles are an obvious choice, but I also like to do soups, chicken dishes, and curries. This is why I tend to stay away from fish unless I know they're going to eat the meal that night.
Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the 'best by' date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, canned contents are safe to eat as long as the can is in “good shape.” The Canned Food Alliance agrees, citing 100-year-old canned food that was recovered from sunken ships and tested microbiologically safe.
Some of the best freezer meals for new parents include stewed meats, lasagna, meatballs, soups, casseroles, and stir-fry. These can be prepared in advance, frozen, and easily reheated whenever needed, providing convenient and nutritious options during the hectic early days of parenthood.
Gifts like a pair of super warm fuzzy socks, soft button-down jammies (something with easy open access on the top, if mom wants to breastfeed) and a cozy robe are all great, as are gift cards for food or house cleaning to make life easier.
Include protein foods 2-3 times per day such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, nuts and seeds. Eat three servings of vegetables, including dark green and yellow vegetables per day. Eat two servings of fruit per day. Include whole grains such as whole wheat breads, pasta, cereal and oatmeal in your daily diet.
In conclusion, a new mom in the hospital will appreciate any gift that can make her stay more comfortable and relaxed. Gifts like a cozy robe, slippers, nursing pillow, blanket, and compression socks can help her feel more at home.
While canned goods past their "best-by" date may not taste optimal, there's no real health risk in consuming canned goods as long as they remain in good condition. Here's why: The food in the container is commercially sterile and a vacuum seal prevents any new bacteria from getting in, so it will not spoil.
Usually, when you wash and cut your produce, their shelf life is limited to a couple of days. But, when I put them in mason jars after prepping them, they last a week to a week and a half. Because mason jars are air tight, they keep the produce from spoiling as quickly.
According to National Center for Home Food Preservation… “Properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will retain optimum eating quality for at least 1 year.
Information. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth.
Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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