last step for winter...

I know, I know, we're still experiencing 24 hours of daylight, and what am I saying, "for winter?!"

Well, remember the posts about Ugruk and how we catch it, cut it, dry it and store it, and it takes a few days to a few weeks to be "ready for winter" well, we FINALLY are done, and its ready for winter.



An Eskimo can't have too many freezers. Here lie Pinky and the Brain (that's what we call them) ...and one can't have too many fish boxes either!

Because we are still having a great summer, my freezers are full. Previously, I had mentioned what I thought my freezers held, not being the one to get food from them, I simply guessed. And I was spot on.

What did I say? Case of bread, gallons of frozen milk, meat, eggo waffles, frozen pizza's, etc?! We had to force our Seal Oil and Pugmiitaq (dried seal meat) into the non-native freezer, cause our other freezer still has a bunch of fish in it...among other things. (like that white thing on the third row down, right side...can you guess what that is?! Yep, a ptarmigan...)



Usually, when its time to bucket up the meat and seal oil, I try to get a few jars as well, you know, to share. So, I made four jars of blackmeat and seal oil in addition to my three buckets.

Once the meat is dry, USUALLY, the seal oil has rendered and you can go ahead and simply put your meat into the buckets close them, store them and you're done.



But...when your weather is crappy, wet and muggy, like ours was when our oil was TRYING its best to render...you end up with cloudy rancid oil. And then you cry because you wasted good oil. Or wait, that's just me.

BUT...when you have AWESOME family, they get another young ugruk and render the oil at camp...where it ALWAYS works!



In the meantime, our pugmiitaq was in the freezer chillin out. Pun intended!



We thawed the meat a bit, to make sure no frost was present in the oil, and since I like bit sized pieces, I cut most of mine up before putting it in my buckets. For the sake of my sanity and frail emotions, I personally, like to use the three gallon buckets, because they fit into my freezers better.



So...we're ready for winter, and I have a few jars to send to people...or for people to take with them when they leave.



I like to share, eskimo's like to share.

That's how we roll.