Doing a y2k bread test today.

I really don't like to make bread by hand, sooooooooooooo I pluged the old bread maker into the power inverter. (800 watt model) Bread machine is rated at 550 watts. Being powered from 3 deep cycle batteries which is being charged by a 95 watt solar panel. It's a sunny day here in the burgh. The wind turbine is also moaning once and a while. The test is, can I make bread in the morning and be recharged enough by sundown to have power for 5 hours. I will post the answer to this thread about 9:00 PM EST today.

-- SCOTTY (BLehman202@aol.com), April 22, 1999

Answers

Hooray for Scotty...will be watching for results. I too have a bread machine but made it the old fashioned way for years. Hubby is currently modifiying the solar oven to make it more shallow and will hold 4 loaves of bread. We have a 40kw generator, but its not feasible to burn all that diesel for a loaf of bread. But wonder about charging batteries for it. Hmmnnnnnnn. Time for y2k conference with hubby. Poor guy, I keep him hopping on this stuff. We have a 90 watt solar panel t for keeping batteries in RV , tractor, etc charged up. Living in Florida there is no excuse for us not being entirely solar.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), April 22, 1999.

Started machine at 9:00 am est. It is now 11:22 am est. Bread is almost done. I think the bateries will make it. I, on the other hand, am almost out of BEER.

Got Hops?

-- SCOTTY (BLehman202@aol.com), April 22, 1999.

I plan to use my bread machine while the generator is on....but will only use it to make the dough, then bake it in the oven. That way I can make a number of batches in a day. Since we plan to only use the generator one day a week or so, to power the water well, do laundry, use the oven (propane stove, but needs power for the oven thermostat) etc., I'm trying to find out how to preserve loaves of bread for up to a week. I find it only lasts for one day.

Does anyone know what they use as preservatives in commercial bread? Is it available? Any receipes that last longer?

I've read about baking the bread in canning jars and am going to try that, but from what I understand you can only use pint size jars so would need quite a few to have enough bread for a large family for a week.

-- Sheila (sross@bconnex.net), April 22, 1999.

Time High Noon EST. Bread is done! We have success! Now for the recharge. Will give full details this pm to this thread. Got to go buy more beer and mow the lower fourty!!!!!!!

Got Butter?

-- SCOTTY (BLehman202@aol.com), April 22, 1999.

Scotty, you're a gem! That's whjat I call useful, practical information.

Preserving home-made bread--I read somewhre recently that vinegar wll do it. Also vegetable oil. Didn't say how much vinegar. Have you tried searching on the Web? There must be a bread-machine baking club or something.

Great idea on using the machine just for mixing--the hardest part for anyone who's an

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), April 22, 1999.

I bought what is called a packers oven for my winter bread. It is a metal box affair that you can put on the woodstove or fire. (I think I will probably try it first on a trivet so the metal doesn't melt or something.) When I was a girl sprout, we had reflector ovens - they are inexpensive and I bought one. You can set them up next to an open fire and they will bake. Backwoods Home magazine (May/June, 1999) has an article on making your own adobe ovens or "horno." I have a heavy clay soil, so may try that. I think someone else (Ol Git?) recently posted on a similar brick one. Was really interested in the adobe brick making part. Would be nice to have that knowledge to build things on the homestead. I do live in cold wet weather in the winter, so would have to experiment with suitable waterproofing that can take the heat retained in the horno.

Ever wonder whether y2k is a plot by universities to get us to examine the place of alternative energy and resource use in our lives? Sociologically, this has introduced "sustainable" (hate that word as well as "appropriate" - why is it necessary to use value-ladened labels?) technology into our communities. Perhaps it will spread faster than it would otherwise - even if y2k is a bump.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), April 22, 1999.

Time is 5:36 pm. EST. The batteries are back up to 100%. Had some help from the wind. Bread turned out well had some for supper. SUCCESS!

-- SCOTTY (BLehman202@aol.com), April 22, 1999.

Scotty, I know you're just tickled to death! Now, butter. Adventurefoods.com has powdered butter. The sell-by date is not that long, but longer than the unrefrigerated real thing. I've tried the butter and it';s GOOD! You'll be amazed. AF also has powdered cream cheese and sour cream, dehydrated grated cheddar, and other goodies, plus I know they were looking at powdered mayo.

They also sell something called the Bakepacker, which I bought, haven't tried yet, but well-made and the cookbook (extra) is essential to anyone who'll be using dried foods. Can easily convert recipes for use in Dutch oven or other mens of cooking. But you can BAKE stuff in this thing on an open flame.

Very nice people, good service, usual business is NC mountain backpackers, although they've done Everest expeditions.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), April 22, 1999.