All About the Garden City LDS Cannery

604 E. 46th St. Garden City, ID

(208) 375-7893

We are some of the lucky members who have a church cannery in town. Many members have never been to the cannery so I thought I would do a newsletter to tell you all about it. Going to the cannery should never be something that intimidates you - like any other visitor's center or temple, there are plenty of kind people who will help you find just what you need.

Family Home Storage Center Hours - Dry Pack

9 AM to 5 PM Tuesday Wednesday & Thursday

9 AM to 3 PM Friday

Tuesday & Thursday Evening by appointment only

Saturday Morning by appointment only

Drop in during any of their regular hours. If you need an evening appointment, don't hesitate to call ahead. There are service missionaries who are more than happy to meet you there in the evening. When arriving, park on the east side of the building - it will be on your left as you approach the river. (If you get to the river, you have just passed it.) Look for the large, bright orange door. There is a door just to the left of the orange door which is where you enter to be able to purchase items.

When you first get there, you will be asked to fill out an order form. Then the service missionaries will help you pick up whatever it is you would like. (You can find current prices at providentliving.org - Just type "home storage order form" in the search box.)

You can purchase dry pack items whenever you want - there is no need to perform service first by helping with the canning. They have bulk items available or individual #10 cans full of product.  To purchase wet pack items, you need to perform service first and earn a "blue card." The card allows you to return one time during the year to purchase what you would like.

You can also purchase empty #10 cans and oxygen absorbers from the cannery and check out one of their dry pack canners. This way you can stock up on dry pack items that may not be available at the cannery and still package them up to make sure you can store them for long periods of time. I did this with lots of different pasta shapes as well as the brand of powdered milk that my family prefers since these products were not available at the cannery. We did it all one weekend in the garage and got them all canned up. It was a great way to include the kids in our preparedness efforts!

You can also check out wheat grinders from the cannery. If you have a bunch of wheat stored and would like to start using it, don't hesitate to borrow a grinder and grind a bucket full of flour. Then you can be ready to add wheat flour to all of your home baked breads, muffins, cookies, and cakes. Most all recipes work just fine if you replace 1/2 of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. You can significantly increase the whole grain in your diet just by making that little switch.

The church announced recently that many of the food storage centers would be closing. They assured us that the Garden City Cannery will continue functioning as it has been. The following statement came from our area leaders.

"Despite some Food Storage Facility Center changes, the Garden City center will continue operations.  They will begin offering nine new pre-packaged items for purchase.  Portable sealing equipment will continue to be available for check out, and bulk product and cans will be available for purchase.  Detailed lists with changes and products are available through the Garden City Center."

The cannery has a blog where they post updated information. The following information I copied from their blog http://gccannery.blogspot.com/ Check it out for the most current information.

Purchasing Policy

Oct 2012

1.      You may purchase bulk dry pack items as well as pre-packaged items at any time in 
our Home Storage Center.  We accept debit and credit cards, checks, money orders, or 
cash.

2.      You may purchase products for yourself, your family, or for personal gifts.  (Ward 
canning specialists may bring orders and checks for their groups to purchase bulk 
commodities and supplies only).

3.      No products may be resold to other individuals.

4.      No returns or exchanges will be accepted after the 1st 30 days.

5.      All purchases must have a fully completed order form.

6.      We encourage you continue using our dry pack facilities to package the dry products that are available.  By packaging your own product, you are providing for your family and practicing the principles of self-reliance. Following your work here, we invite you to purchase the wet pack product that is available. 

7.      No appointment is necessary during regular hours, but it is encouraged for large 
groups.  Special arrangements need to be made for evenings and Saturday morning by calling the cannery. (208.375.7893)

8.      “Blue Cards” are issued only to those who have worked a wet pack shift (church or family) for a minimum of 2 hours.  The cards are issued one per family and surrendered at the time of purchase of any wet pack items (ie.  peaches, pears, etc.).

9.  No outside products may be brought in for canning.

10.  Children under 16 are not allowed in the wet pack area of the cannery, however they can accompany their parents for shopping in dry pack area.  

How I use items from the Cannery

Hot Cocoa Mix  - I buy the 25 lb bags! I know many of you are wondering how to use 25 lbs of cocoa. We bring it to all the family reunion campouts, we mix it up at home when we want a cup full, we mix it and then chill it and store it in the fridge in an airtight canning jar. When chilled, it tastes just like the chocolate milk you can purchase by the gallon at the grocery store. Mix 3/4 cup with 1 quart of extra hot water (it does not need to boil.) Mix with a wire whisk. Serve immediately or allow to chill. As it cools, the chocolate will settle some in the bottom, just give it a stir or if you have moved it to a jar, shake well and enjoy. At the current cost of $39 for 25 lbs, it costs $1.56 per gallon for chocolate milk or less than $.10 per cup - you definitely can't buy the little packets for $.10 per cup.

Potato Pearls - These are the best instant potatoes we've had. They are just add water - no butter or milk required! I top shepherd's pie with them or make them up quickly for a side dish. They are delicious on their own, but you can stir in a large spoonful of sour cream and add some chives to dress them up a little. Or make loaded mashed potatoes by adding cheese and bacon bits. They are a quick and easy side dish.

Powdered milk - We use the powdered milk in all our cooking and baking. It reduces the milk we go through at home by at least 3 gallons a week. That means it reduces my trips to the grocery store and gives me more time and money to do other things. It seems a little expensive to buy the whole bag, but it ends up being about $1.88 per gallon. It is best to mix using your blender and adding warm water. Use 3/4 cup of powder per quart of water or 3 Tbsp per cup. If you don't have a blender, whisk vigorously to get rid of all the lumps. Chill to allow the foam to settle and then use like regular milk in all of your recipes. Once heated in a recipe, you cannot taste any odd flavor at all. Even my cream soups are delicious and no one can tell they are full of powdered milk!

Dehydrated Carrots and Onions - These are great to drop into soups and stews. Simmering in warm water for 15 - 20 minutes makes them just right. I save hours through the Fall and Winter since I don't have to chop so many vegetables for making soup. If I just want to use some of the onions in another casserole or with my hamburger when I am browning it, I just put a tablespoon or 2 in a small glass bowl and cover them with water. Heat in the microwave for 20 seconds and they are ready to drop into whatever you are cooking.

Hopefully you feel a little more excited about using the great resource of the church cannery. It is also a great place to take your non-member friends so they can see a little bit about what the church welfare system is all about. They can also purchase items there if they would like. I'm sure that many of you have thought, "I should go to the cannery some day." Stop hesitating and get it on your calendar today!