Gluten-free storage foods

My wife is allergic to gluten in all forms and in very small amounts. No breads or any flour or food starch etc. In looking for foods for the survival pantry, the ingredients are either poison to her or not listed for the most part. Are there sources that you could steer me to?

Mike Ross
Kennesaw, Georgia

A lot of storage foods are gluten-free. Corn/cornmeal, masa harina (corn flour), rice, amaranth flour, quinoa for flours, plus beans allow for quite a bit of variety in dry foods that can be stored long term in your pantry. Type “gluten-free” in your browser and you’ll find a lot of sources for these foods, including King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Flour. Remember that a lot of storage foods can be dehydrated and home canned fruits and vegetables, not to mention a variety of home canned meats and poultry. Gluten-free meals don’t have to be boring! — Jackie

Corn relish

In Jackie’s book “Self-Reliance Recession Proof Your Pantry,” there is a recipe for Corn Nugget Relish. It says to process pints for 10 minutes & quarts for 15 minutes. Is this in a hot water bath or pressure canner?

Teresa Clepper
Hamilton, Texas

This wasn’t one of my recipes. (This book had a lot of my articles, but that particular one was by Linda Gabris.) However, you water bath corn relish. — Jackie

Canning tomatoes

I recently canned tomatoes for the first time, and each time, I lost fluid. These last tomatoes, which I packed raw and poured hot juice over, came out with an inch or two of just liquid in the bottom, then tomatoes and liquid to the shoulder of the jar, and then, just tomatoes and no liquid for another inch or so all the way to the top of the jar. I read in August of 2006 about great fluctuations in temperature causing the jars to lose liquid, but I just did not have an issue with that, as I have established just where to set the gas heat, once the gauge starts bubbling. Do you have any other thoughts on this?

Gloria Garretson
Sumrall, Mississippi

Raw packed tomatoes often do this, especially when they are pressure canned. I’ve found that when I water bath my tomatoes, they lose less liquid. But unless they are hot packed, they will nearly always separate during processing. It’s nothing to be concerned with; just heat and eat as usual and they’ll be fine. — Jackie