RANT

[hippybngstockng]

This is not the PMS talking, I am all kinds of sick of not being able to trust the food industry. There shouldn't be a single blasted thing in spaghetti sauce that K is allergic to, but for some magical reason, roughly 15% of the time he has a reaction to SAUCE. I've had him allergy tested for everything that SHOULD be in sauce, and he tests negative. So clearly they are adding something, likely something remotely derived from peanuts or peanut oil, or some other nutty thing, and it's making him get fat lips, completely at random. There are many more times that it DOESN'T happen, but it happens enough that I am getting seriously freaked out that someday some stupid PIZZA PLACE is going to fucking kill my son.

It's getting to the point where it seems like the only safe bet is to make my own EVERYTHING. I can't buy ANYTHING pre-packaged that might go into K without a tiny shred of worry because they FUCKING LIE about stuff on those labels, and none of those factories that don't produce candy are regulated to be anal about nut contamination, but they so totally should. Fuckers. How many people have to die???

I guess from now on I will be making all my own spaghetti sauce and freezing it. I was kinda thinking of doing it anyway, and I need more excuses to use the REALLY BIG pot, and possibly get an EVEN BIGGER pot, and of course I love my storage freezer and will keep it in my closet in our new place if I have to, because clearly I can't trust society to feed me.

*points to icon, stomps off*

Comments

Allergies suck!

[ketina.livejournal.com]

Try Newman's Own.

And I get screwed by candy manufacturers all the time. I basically can never eat fancy chocolates, trail mix, or anything not from a major candy company. Hazelnuts and almonds end up in everything, even when labels say they don't.

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

That really sucks.

You should move to America, where consumer protection totally trumps corporate interests!

Sigh.

[tornattheelbo.livejournal.com]

that super sucks. Maybe the plant that processes the vegetables also processes peas? They are related to the peanut and can cause similar reactions, i used to have a neighbour who was highly allergic to peanuts and she swelled up like a baloon when her mom gave her some split-pea soup for lunch one day. Yikes, that was scary...

but making your own sauce is awesome - i had an ex whose parents made their own tomato sauce every year, it was sooooo much better than anything store-bought. mmmmm.

[hippybngstockng.livejournal.com]

He used to eat peas out of the jar as a baby and never had a reaction, so I would assume that's not it. In fact that's the one thing giving me hope he might get over the peanut thing someday, but the "other nuts" thing will still likely be there. This just reminds me I need to go in for more tests soon to narrow this shit down. It gets old with the worrying and the reading.. :P

But in the end, if it inspires me to grow my own tomatoes, and make my own sauce, then I totally should because it's one of the things I rock at! Even my mom couldn't argue with my sauce making skills, as long as she was growing the tomatoes, so I guess I have to learn that now, and ya know, have a yard.. *snort*

[the-nita.livejournal.com]

If you're interested, each August/September, woodardp and I make our own tomato sauce (okay, tomato & many other vegetables sauce) and we jar it using a pressure canner.

If you want, we could get together to do this. We usually make enough (based on 1 bushel of tomatos, roughly a half bushel of peppers, a 5lb thing of mushrooms, a 10lb bag of onions and a few things of herbs) to last us a year. We usually have 1 meal a week that involves a 1L jar of this stuff.

It doesn't help you much *now*, but we've found it is a good, reliable, and in the long run, slightly cheaper.

[hippybngstockng.livejournal.com]

I have heard wonderful things about your tendency to cook in mass quantities! :) I am a big fan of this as a means to keep myself alive and sane. I am totally in favor of getting together on this as a plan!! I was even pondering giving growing tomatoes a try, if I can get the space for it, so I could hopefully provide a lot of the tomatoes! I was dreading getting the canning supplies, so you totally rock for already having it!! I already have some jars, I just need new lids for 'em..

[the-nita.livejournal.com]

Dare I ask who's been telling tales out of school?

If you've got jars, we've got solutions.

Hell, we're also looking at trying to make our own tomato paste, as that's still something we buy.

(Mostly starting this because it works out "better" for us, not so much as it's much cheaper (especially if you consider labour), but because, as you said in the rant, you know what went into it.

[hippybngstockng.livejournal.com]

"Dare I ask who's been telling tales out of school?"

Oh, you know, the usual suspects.. ;) (neeuqdrazil and persephoneplace in particular)

I've been using the jars in question as drinking glasses for some time now, but am getting to the point where I might just buy a set and use these for canning. Pretty sure they'll be okay, but some of them might need deep cleaning.

And indeed, knowing is often half the battle! :)

[the-nita.livejournal.com]

If you have a dishwasher, run them through that. Then 10 minutes in the oven at ... it's like 200 or something (have to check my notes) to sterlize them. Reasonably good at that point (just make sure you don't reintroduce anything.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's not just nuts? My SIL is allergic (stomach, skin) to tomato paste (too concentrated) - she has to only use sauces with no paste in them and she's also allergic to one of the spices (dill? oregano?)

[hippybngstockng.livejournal.com]

I had never heard of someone not being allergic to tomato, but being allergic to the paste! How weird! I'm pretty sure I would've noticed that though, since I even put it in my sauce and he's never had a problem with that..

I am pretty sure he's not allergic to any spices, except things like curry and stuff that is heavily blended with god knows what... That's likely also to blame, since some spices are likely cross contaminated.