I hope this isn't being presumptuous if I take a shot at answering several posted questions in one posting (been awful busy canning, ect. According to tests I ran one coleman propane fuel bottle 16.4 oz. used on coleman propane stove will last 2 1/2 hours (one burner on high; boiled 1 quart of water in 4 minutes). The coleman duel fuel stove will burn one quart of premium unleaded gas in about 4 hours with one burner on high (boiled 1 qt. water in 8 minutes). The sierra zip stove (burning dry pine chips- boiled 1 qt. water in 5 minutes). Nitro Pac sells a fuel additive guarranteed to keep gasoline fresh for 3 years. I tested the product after 3 1/2 years of storage- burned great in auto and in all my 2 cycle equipt. Fuel must be stored in airtight container and be out of direct sunlight. Two good sprout combinations are: 1/3 each of mung, lentil, and alfalfa/ two parts wheat, two parts rye, one part flax. Eat this second combo when the sprout is only as long as the seed. In my experience cheap wheatgrass juicers don't do a very good job of extraction- buy the more expense models from Lehman's or the Wheetena from 800-248-1475. I just tested wheat I'd stored in plastic pails in a fairly high heat spot for over 9 years- over 90% germination. For a book on food storage I wrote a couple years ago I tested the products of every food storage company- Perma Pac was by far the best packaged product on the market, BUT- I never recommended purchasing a food storage unit from them. I suggested one may look into their vegetable stew blend, whole egg mix, milk powder, apple sauce and soup base. I can't vouch for the products not in #10 cans from Perma Pac (actually I think Perma Pac was as incompetent as the other firms- things like products in plastic pails had lids that didn't have a poured in seal- an important feature in proper pail configuration). Anyway- Vacu-Dry 707-829-4600 is the packager of the perma pac #10 cans. You used to be able to buy them direct in case quantity but that is no longer the case. However- you can purchase some things by the 25 lb. box (product sealed in plastic). I recommend the #4 mesh prunes. I will e-mail my most important chapter for free upon request. It explains things like what's wrong with TVP, dehydrated milk, and more!

-- skipper clark (skipper@cncnet.com), October 12, 1998

Answers

Thank you for all the info! To save yourself time and energy, would you consider posting that chapter here? I for one would like to read up on what's wrong with TVP, etc.

-- Karen Cook (browsercat@hotmail.com), October 12, 1998.

TVP doesn't store well for an extended period of time. It is very hydrophilic and so needs to be handled properly before and during packaging (a questionable proposition for most companies). It contains only some of the nutrition inherent in the soybean. Because it resembles meat you may be fooled as to its actual nutritional benefits. During processing, the high heat and pressure used changes an enzyme into an "anti-trypsin inhibitor". Trypsin is an enzyme needed to break dowm tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids. This inhibitor doesn't allow that to happen. What has been created is a protein that the body can't use efficiently. TVP also contains a lot of salt and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Here is the ingredient list for sausage TVP: texured vegetable protein (soy flour, caramel color), partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, natural flavorings, spices, dextrose, onion, paprika. Yum,! Another nutritional point: Most dehydrated fruits and vegetables are treated with sulphur dioxide or sulphur bisulfide. These sulphur compounds cause nutritional loss of many B vitamins and vit. C, things needed in greater amounts during times of stress. These dehydrated products provide bulk, taste, variety and extra calories, but don't think of them as being important nutrient sources, according to my research.

-- skipper clark (skipper@cncnet.com), October 13, 1998.

Slow down a second, and help us non-technical-food types.

What's TVP? Sounds like it's a soy-based dry food supplement. Close?

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 13, 1998.

Ooops. Found that definition hidden in there, thank you.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 13, 1998.

TVP - "Textured Vegetable Protein"

-- Kay P. (Y2Kay@usa.net), October 14, 1998.