Out Back with Jack – Epi-2972

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 9

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:11 — 16.3MB)

Today we we have our Friday show,  “Outback with Jack”.  These podcasts will be generated though back porch live steam sessions done early on Friday mornings.  That will be approximately 0730-0830 CST.

These podcasts will are a lot like old school TSPC episodes on a variety of topics, many quite topical form the news and from social media.  Each show will covers a bullet point list of 5-12 topics that I will handle rather rapid fire.

From there we will talk about what ever the live audience comes up with.  These livestreams will then be converted to MP3s and put out in the standard TSPC Podcast feeds under the new series title of “Outback with Jack”

Today we discuss skill sets, trolls, the IRS, crypto, keto diets, the next POTUS, attention seeking behaviour marketing, back yard meat production, “some day” fantasies and more.

Today on TSPC we Discuss…

  • Five Skills to Teach Kids Starting at Age 10 or Younger (Follow Up from Monday)
    • How to do real research
    • Cooking and knife skills
    • How to budget and set savings goals
    • Martial Arts
    • Basic construction including power tools
  • Please tell this jagoff on FaceBook to go screw for me
  • The IRS wants almost total visibility into your bank account, get on the crypto train NOW. – https://yhoo.it/2YwAuuD
  • A new way of seeing keto/primal/etc. – Don’t eat food that tries to kill you – https://bit.ly/3Bj1egn
  • Why your next POTUS is likely either Ron DeSantis or Joe Manchin
  • My advice to average Americans, stop giving attention to attention seeking behaviour
  • Start thinking hard about producing your own meat, really, I mean it
  • Stop letting “some day fables” ruin your action

 

Resources for today’s show

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

 

TSPC Expert Council Q&A 10-7-21 – Epi-2971

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 2

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:19:04 — 18.1MB)

Today on The Survival Podcast the expert council answers your questions on iron air batteries, jumper cables, portable compressors, rocket mass heaters, investing, keto diets, leaving a legacy and more.

Make sure if you submit content for a feedback show that you put something like “comment for jack”, “question for jack” or “article for jack” in the subject line to assure proper identification for my screening process.

Please understand I receive several hundred emails a day and can’t get them all on the air.

I also do put out a lot of information on Facebook from emails that I can’t fit on the program though so keep em coming.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls and Discuss…

  • What is the deal with “Iron Air Batteries” – Shawn Mills
  • Choosing booster cables and a portable tire inflator – Tim “Tool Man” Cook
  • Do you really need to “ground” portable generators – Derek Bonpietro
  • A rocket mass heater meet up update from Montana with TSPC folks on site – Paul Wheaton
  • To hold or sell oil stocks in the current market – John Pugliano
  • Is there a good “protein bar” for the keto world – Ken Berry
  • The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.  –  thoughts on the QOTD – Jack

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Can you Guess what Group this Weeks Pandora Channel Music is Based on?  – The Answer will come on Tomorrow along with a link to clone my station on Out Back with Jack  Here is what we had this week and again the answer this time is a an solo artist this time around.
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      • Who’ll Stop the Rain – CCR
      • You’ll Accompany Me – Bob Seger
      • So Far Away from Me – Dire Straits
      • My Stunning Mystery Companion – Jackson Brown

The Answer and link to clone my channel will come tomorrow on Epi-2971

Council Member and Content Specific Links for Today

 

Websites of the Expert Council Members

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Nanch 22 Piece Precision Screwdriver Set – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by  

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

For today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day we have the Nanch 22 Piece Precision Screwdriver Set.  I will start out with what this is not, vs. what it is.  Bluntly it is a 22 dollar item and it works great for that level of cost.  It may be called “precision” but that word is subjective and NOT some recognized enforced label either, anyone can use it.

To me the truth is precision here lies in use which I will get to next.  When reading the reviews I saw some intelligent negative reviews stating the bits are not “perfectly machined”.  While I have used a few and not had any issues, given it is made in China, I don’t doubt these people.  They seem to come across as machinist types, who expect perfection.  Fine, pay for perfection then.  Perfection does not come at 22 dollars in a tool set.

The other negative claims are that the set damaged screws etc.  No dummies the set did not do that, you did it and I will explain how.  You took a very hard bit, put in on a very soft screw, said screw was likely in some cheap piece of shit and over tightened.  You then made a choice and exceeded the metal hardness of the screw, with a substance harder than the screw.  If you did the same with a perfectly machined tool, the same thing will happen.

So now the good as the limitations are out of the way.  I got this set because my wife wanted to open some cheap plastic battery holders with tiny phillips screws and could not find our “eye glass” screw driver set.  The typical shit that sells for less than 10 bucks like this.  I was about to just get one for her and said to myself, “you know these things are garbage, how much do I need to spend to do better”.

I don’t need tools like this often but when I do, well nothing else will work.  I wanted something small, well made, well organized and that would live in a drawer where if it goes missing, its frankly Dorothy’s fault, not mine.  I found this, then I read the positive and negative reviews and considered it worth the risk, knowing I could send it right back if it was a POS.

Well, based on the fact that this review exists, you can tell that I decided it was a good set of tools for the price.

Now let’s talk about “precision” here, it lies in use.  The tool is very well made, and has a handle that lets you use it, precisely on small objects.  In that the back of the handle has a spindle and so does the collar above the shaft.  This aids ease of use and gives you control.

The materials are top notch for the price and if used within its limits it is a huge improvement with a lot more flexibility over a typical “eye glass” set.  Back 30 years ago when I was involved in Data Networks, it was the type of set my MAC (move, add, change) and Customer Service (trouble shooting) crews used.  This is the type of thing a set like is good for along with basic home use.

As to damaged screws, etc. here is some advice.  When trying to turn a screw, bolt, etc.  You reach a point where you have to either realize you need something different to get it done or that you risk damaging the screw or tool.  At that point THINK before you ACT.  While it is true that better tools are less likely to do damage if a soft metal screw is in tighter than its tolerance, you are going to need some sort of “extractor” to get it out.

I need to point out this is very common in screws placed into plastic in cheap electronics.  Go slow and you may make it work, but the risk is aways there.  When a machine screws a screw into plastic, it goes in easier than it comes out.  Just realize that and think when dealing with stuff like this.  And when you install things, don’t over do it.

Side Tip – When you have a damaged screw in cheap plastic crap you can often extract them with a “reverse drill bit“, just drill into the head slowly and eventually it will tend to start turning.  Yes there are tools made for this but that is another subject and we are not talking an engine block here folks.  Still please look up how to do this on say YouTube before trying it.  It is a good simple skill to have, BTW.

Anyway if you want a good micro bit kit for the standard stuff at the house hold level or perhaps are a computer tech or similar this is going to serve you well.  They also make larger quantity bit kits including the biggest one at 57 pieces.  I have not had the opportunity to examine one but I would bet it is the same quality just more bits.  So opting for the bigger one is a person a choice.  You can see all the bits in the listings.

As I said some say the bits are not “perfectly machined”.  I looked at them closely and can see no obvious flaws, but I have not had an opportunity to use them all.  I have used two phillips, a torx and flat tip they all worked fine.  I am happy to recommend this kit for use within its limits, so Check out the Nanch Precision Screw Driver Set today.  See the video below for more.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

Nicole Sauce on Building Food Preservation Skills – Epi-2970

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 9

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:44:04 — 23.8MB)

Nicole Sauce provides coaching services, education and entertainment through her podcast, Living Free in Tennessee, as well as roasts some kick-assed coffee at HollerRoast.com. A member of the Expert Council to TSP since 2017 and homesteading and self-reliance enthusiast.

Nicole has grown, processed, stored and managed food and livestock for over a decade on her Homestead in Tennessee. She is also a member of the Unloose the Goose Gaggle of hosts – an agorist podcast. In her heart, Nicole wants to help as many people as possible live the life they choose on their terms, separate from the pressures of what is “normal” or expected. Reach her at LivingFreeinTennessee.com.

Today Nicole joins me to discuss building food preservation skills.  We go over stuff like drying, freezing, root cellaring, canning, curing, fermenting, freeze drying, recipes and more.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

 Bones’ Links

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

 

 

Turkish Made Folding Harvesting and Pruning Knife – Item of the Day

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Special Notice – I am bringing these around again today because they are back in stock.  For how long I don’t know but almost every time they come around and I run this item it sells out in a few days.  This is the only source of this item I am aware of in the US.  And it is simply an exceptional tool for homesteading, gardening, etc.  If you want one given they are only made in Turkey and the supply chain issues, I’d do it now.

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is a Turkish Made Folding Harvesting and Pruning Knife, honestly I do not know what they are really called, but that is what it is.  The description on Amazon is officially a “Folding Scythe Weed Garden – Scythe Grass Saw 12” and I think some things were lost in translation from Turkish to English.  Anyway this is not a scythe, a scythe is for mowing and it has a non serrated blade.  This tool has a serrated blade, it is for cutting, not chopping and not mowing.  I have added a video to this review to further explain why I just love this tool.

I found out about it one of my favorite ways to find out about things, from the audience.  I recently did a post on Rice Knives and a commenter named Joel said this in response to that post…

“I have tried a variety of these rice knives as well as a number of alternatives when I inevitably lost them. I finally settled on an alternative that I like better: a folding Turkish grape harvesting knife also on Amazon. It is of similar light duty build and I use it exactly like a rice knife. Its trump card is that it folds and can safely be placed in a hip pocket so I don’t lose it. I’ve used it daily for months and have no complaints. I’m thinking of buying one for backup because I only know of this one source.”

Well I asked him for a link and he provided it, I ordered one and I love the damn thing.  It does everything a rice knife does and it is a little beefier in build though this is not a over built tool.  Gonna bet in Turkey these are really common and likely sell for about 5-10 bucks vs. the 20 they cost on Amazon.  You know what though, I think they are totally worth 20 bucks.  Just like Joel said the weakness of a rice knife is you do not want to put it in your pocket, you will ruin your pocket and or cut yourself.  Hence you end up setting them down and misplacing them.

This guy folds up like a big pocket knife and fits pretty damn comfortably into a cargo shorts pocket and even into jean pockets.  That equals not put down, not lost, not rusted, etc.

Okay but how does it work?  In a word perfectly.  It does all the light duty stuff a rice knife does it also handled wild sunflower stalks the size of my thumb and simply stalks on a huge lambsquarter plant, no issues.  Like a rice knife you must use a sawing motion.

There are some real advantages here though. The first is you are a lot less likely to cut yourself then with a chopping sickle. You hold the material, lay your blade on it and saw though. I do hope if you feel it on your skin you won’t pull it across it. Also if you do get yourself as soon as you start moving it you should feel pain and unless you are a moron stop doing that. When you chop something you are holding and miss you either cut yourself or cut yourself bad, like say hitting a joint or a tendon and fucking your hand up for good.

This is great for precision like trimming grasses out from in between vegetables. A missed chop and there goes that eggplant or swiss chard when all you wanted was to get rid of some stubborn grass that can’t be pulled up because it will bring your veggies with it. Oh and it is the best tool for cutting comfrey you will ever and I mean ever find. Harvesting mint and other herbs in mass for drying, amazing for that too.

While much like a rice knife this is best on material about thumb size and down that is still mostly green it will cut though some tougher stuff.  I did some research on these things and they are used mostly for harvesting grapes and berries and for pruning said same like Joel mentioned.  They seem to have been around in this form a very long time.  In trying to get more info which is very limited I ran into some that claimed to be antiques over 200 years old, they look exactly like this one other than being very aged and not having the same markings on them.

When something is used by a society for over 100 years or more you know one thing, it works as designed.  I plan to stain and seal the handle.  The blade is carbon steel so I will likely patina it with vinegar, if you are not familiar with that process tune in today (episod 2709) and I will explain how and why to do it with tools like this.

In any event like Joel said there is only one source of this thing I can find so I am going to order a few more.  I plan to gussy them up a bit and give them as gifts this year.  Heck I may even give one to a couple instructors and raffle one off to a student this year at TSP20.  You don’t have to wait for that though.  Pick up one of these Turkish Made Folding Harvesting and Pruning Knives today and I don’t think you will ever regret it.  I have to say as much as I like rice knives I don’t think I will ever buy one again.  I mean summing it up, I now consider this tool on of my essential gardening and homestead tools.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

PS – The Stock Images from the maker do give dimensions but it doesn’t really convey scale well so here are a few pics of mine in hand and next to a rice knife to convey how well scaled this tool really is.  Like I said when a culture uses a tool for centries there is usually a very good reason for it.

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Fall Garden and Cover Crop Work With Jack Day this Saturday the 9th of Oct.

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 1

Okay given I am a gimp due to my injury and really need to get this done before we go to Florida in a couple weeks I am doing a half day “Work with Jack” day this Saturday.

The cost is nothing and the work will be easy.  I’d say 4 folks will be enough and I am going to cap at 6.  I will take people first come first serve BUT I will give priority to people not coming to the Fall Workshop as it is an opportunity for some that may be missed it to come hang out for a bit.

The work is simple we will use the tractor and our trailer to shovel some soil mix to top the 4 beds around the big Miyagi pond, seed them, then do the same with mulch.  It is likely 2 hours of work max going slow for 4 people.  We may take 4.  I will feed everyone, likely brisket and sausage from Spring Creek as I don’t have time to cook at this point.

It will start at 11 AM, directions will be given if you email me and space is available.  Even if you are coming to Fall 21 you can come I will just give priority to those who are not coming if there is enough interest.  Clearly this is a local thing, no one should drive to far for this.

Anyway if you are local to DFW and want to come hang out and help me out since I am all gimpy right now.  Just email me with TPSC Saturday in the subject line and I will get you on the list, directions, etc.

Dr. Ken Berry on Reversing Type 2 Diabetes – Epi-2969

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:35:56 — 22.0MB)

Dr. Ken Berry is a long time repeat guest on The Survival Podcast and a member of our expert council.  Let me say he is one of our hardest working and most consistent members at that.  So when I heard he was part of a new docuseries called “Reversed” and he wanted to let the audience know about it and reversing Type 2 Diabetes in general, I instantly asked him to be on air about it.

In my view we should not even call Type Two Diabetes, well Diabetes.  I personally consider it “lifestyle induced insulin resistance”.  Type Two Diabetics are often producing more than adaquate insulin then a healthy person needs, what happens is do to over consumption of sugar (carbohydrates) they become resistant to insulin needing more and more to control blood sugar.  Then the cascade occurs!

More insulin creates more fat storage with even the same amount of calories, leading to more need for artificial insulin, leading to greater insulin resistance, back to more weight gain and it continues.  Generally to the point where limbs are lost, eyesight is ruined, kidneys are destroyed and eventually death comes way to early in life.

This is the real “PANDEMIC” in the western world today.  There are an estimated 34 million diagnosed diabetics and about 95% are “type two” according to the CDC.  That is over 32 million and growing, almost all of which could be reversed with the proper human diet.  Join Ken and I today, what we discuss could save your life of the life of someone you love.

Because here is the absolute harsh truth!  The advice 99% of doctors give to their patients is literally killing them!  Doubt me?  Tune in for a total truth bomb from Ken, he does it like no one else I know can.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Dr. Ken Berry’s Links

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Avid Armor Vacuum Sealer Bags – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 2

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

For today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day we have Avid Armor Vacuum Sealer Bags.  Long ago I spent a lot of hard earned dollars to buy a Cabela’s Commercial Grade Vacuum Sealer.  The one I have is no longer even made which is why I don’t have one on TspAZ.  I tend not to recommend something unless I have personally used it.

Over the years I have tried a number of brands of bags and never have been really happy.  They have always been super expensive or low cost but absolute garbage.  The low cost bags failed to seal properly or would fail from pin holes.  The expensive ones worked but were well expensive.  Often you’d need to double bag the cheap ones, well now they are expensive.  On and on it goes.

I found the Cabela’s brand bags to be the worst of both worlds.  Better than the cheap but still flawed and as expensive as the most expensive bags out there.  Bad price to value ratio!

Eventually I found the Avid Armor Vacuum Sealer Bags.  These cost right at half the price of Cabela’s branded bags and are about twice as good on quality in my view.  These things are tough!  Now if you have a sharpe bone or something I am sure they can still pinhole but I have almost zero failures with proper use.

They have them in many sizes and in cut and make your own size rolls.  I do keep some wide rolls around for odd shaped stuff but my favorite pre made sizes are…

  1. Qty 300 Quart Size 8×12 Inch – Cost 42 Bucks
  2. Qty 100 Gallon Size 11×16 inch – Cost 25 Bucks

 

I find those two sizes do 99% of anything I want to pack away.  And the price is great for top quality bags that do not fail.  Like I said what good is half price if you need two bags to do the job right.  Also this price is about half the cost of the sort of okay bags Cabela’s sells.  So they cost half and are twice as good.

On the cost the quart bags come out to 14 cents each, the gallons to 25 cents.  You can find cheaper but not lower cost and as good in my experience.  Also if you want to use rolls, variety packs, a different size you can see everything Avid Armor makes here.

Note though that they also make their own vacuum sealers, chamber sealers and chamber seal bags.  I don’t yet know how good their equipment is and chamber seal bags WILL NOT WORK with vac sealers.  Vac seal bags have ridges inside that let air out and chamber sealers don’t need this.

This actually means while chamber sealers cost more, their long term cost is lower.  I am planning to get one soon and will report back when I do, I am still in research mode right now.  But if like me you are still storing food and cooking food sous vide in vacuum sealer bags I really recommend giving these guys a try.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – Okay this is why you read my reviews, no matter what sealer or bags you use I am going to tell you how to solve a huge problem that causes failures.  Moisture that gets drawn up to the seal, then your seal is not good, so it fails.  We have all had it happen.  The solution is stupid simple and really speeds things up from a work time perspective.  It takes longer over all but you don’t do anything for most of the time.

Say you have a good day at the lake and need to bag up fish fillets into 6 bags.  Get your six bags out, leave the vac sealer on the shelf for now.  Put your fish in the bags, do wipe any moisture that gets on the inside up by the seal with a paper towel.  Now just put the bags in the freezer unsealed.  Set a timer for about 3-4 hours so you don’t forget.

By then your food will be 90% frozen, certainly the outside will be.  Set up your sealer, go get your bags out and seal them.  You will get perfect seals and no water of blood up flow to ruin the seal.  Label and return to the freezer.  Don’t you wish someone had told you that long ago?

One more tip, bag reuse.  I generally don’t trust a bag in the freezer long term with reuse, I reuse them for sous vide though on shorter cooks, say 1-3 hours, I always double bag a longer cook.  Just seal them as close to the top as reasonable and use a sharp knife to cut just below the seal.  Rinse them with hot water and store them in a separate place for sous vide use.  Your quart size bags (ones I use the most) are now about 7 cents in real cost.

Again these two tips work with any sealer or bag, but as to bags for me, now that I have found Avid Armor I have found my bag of choice.

 

10 Steps to Restoring America – Epi-2968

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 8

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:17:51 — 17.8MB)

There is a lot of discussion about this concept right now and God knows we need it.  That said most of the talk is total bullshit out of the standard play books of the political left and political right.  It is all bullshit and you should know that, since such talk and empty rhetoric is how we got here in the first place.

Trusting in the political process at this point is akin to a grown ass man or women waiting for “The Great Pumpkin” to rise on Halloween night.  Charlie Brown, go trick-or-treat, don’t waste time in the field with Linus!

For our political process to be even remotely useful we need a society that is educated, informed and fearless.  Why do you think the system discourages research, independent thought and calls trained conformity and “education”?

Right now if I am to be blunt and I always am, this country is screwed, it will take a least a generation to correct course, if we have that long.  I don’t know that we do, but we should start now, because the truth is we should have started 25 years ago.  Kind of like the best time to plant a tree.

Join Me Today as We Discuss…

  • The pointless nature and even the insidious nature of political solutions
  • The Ten Things Necessary to Restore America, Assuming it is not too Late Already
    1. Financial literacy
    2. Restoring hard skills
    3. Restoring local food systems
    4. Nutritional education
    5. Self defense training
    6. Preparedness of every family
    7. Taking control of the education of our children
    8. Entrepreneurship
    9. Personal accountability
    10. Restoring multi generational thinking
  • Is it too late, humans are so adaptable as long as we are alive the answer is no it is not

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Lakonto Monkfruit Based Sweetener – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 5

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is Lakonto Monkfruit Based Sweetener.  Specifically a two pack of the golden and white varieties.  I first learned about Lakonto from Thomas DeLauer on YouTube.  I really like Thomas and while I don’t agree 100% with him, I have leaned a ton from him.

Monkfruit has been used for centuries as a sweetener, as you might imagine often by monks.  It is a zero calorie sweetener with no effect on blood sugar.  It is very sweet, similar to stevia in that way.  To some though it has a bit of a “funny fruity aftertaste”.  Enter Erythritol which this is also made with.  Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that also has no caloric yield to the body and no impact on blood sugar. 

Now some people do not believe such claims about blood sugar, and with a logical reason for it.  This is because some things which make this claim, DO impact blood sugar.  Like say xylotil and maliditol  which is why I was very grateful when I found this video done by a couple called Keto Connect.  Since they did this video a ton of youtubers have done the same test with similar results.  Short version is xylitol (which is also highly toxic to dogs), spiked blood sugar and maltitol also did so almost as bad as pure sugar.  Erythritol and monkfruit both did absolutely nothing to blood sugar levels and that was with a quantity I can’t even imagine using in one serving (3 tablespoons).  Seriously who the hell uses 3 tablespoons of sugar on any one thing?

So why the blend?  Well all artificial sweeteners even stevia can have some level of a “funny taste” which actually really amounts to, they don’t taste exactly like cane sugar.  If you check into all the most popular low sugar products you will find that most use 2-4 sweeteners.  They don’t do this to be very sweet as some think.  No, what they do is use multiples and go for a specific level of sweetness.  If you just want really sweet you can use a lot of monkfruit or a lot of erythritol and you will have it.  But whatever odd taste is included is now magnified.  For erythritol you get almost a cooling mint like finish like say wintergreen.  Monkfruit has sort of a strong fruit taste (shocking I know). But when you use a bit of this and that, they sort of cancel each other out.

In short this stuff doesn’t taste exactly like sugar but it is the closest thing I have found.  I use a teaspoon of it and a drop of stevia in my chocolate coffee (recipe below) and it is amazing.  I also do use strait erythritol as it is cheaper and for some things it doesn’t matter.  I like the the Swerve Brand for that.

One thing I have been using the Golden Lakonto for a lot is meat rubs.  I have always used brown sugar for such things and it is great but it can add a ton of carbs.  I first tried the brown sugar version of Swerve for this, it didn’t work great.  When I tried the Lakonto Golden it was better, I eventually settled on a solution of using 1/3rd real brown sugar and 2/3rds Lakonto Golden.  It tastes amazing and the carbs are still low, I mean it is a rub not a sauce so you don’t use a massive amount of it.

The golden is my favorite, it is good in everything far as I am concerned.  I am recommending you try the small pack of one of each to get a taste for it and see if it works for you.  Once you know you like it, there are less expensive options by the ounce for sure with buying like a 3 lb bag, but you shouldn’t do so until you try it on a smaller size just in case you don’t care of it.

When I first found Lakonto they only did granulated sugar replacement and monkfruit drops.  They now seem to be using their sweetener to go into a lot of other products.  I am sure most will be awesome.  One caution though, they have like a chocolate chip pancake mix, etc.  I don’t trust products like this for keto.

My view is we need more tests with blood glucose meters like the Keto Connect people did with sweeteners to know for sure.  But when I see ____ starch, _____ starch, _____ starch, etc as the primary ingredients of  a low “net carb” product my bullshit detector goes off!  While I do subscribe to the net carb theory of subtracting fiber from whole foods, I don’t buy it with a laboratory manufactured starch and I won’t until someone proves it with a glucose meter.  For more on this and more recipes tune into today’s show, which will be episode 2540.

Otherwise though give Lakonto Monkfruit Based Sweetener a shot and check out the recipes below for using it.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. Here are two recipes for this sweetener.  You can use it in anything calling for sugar though at a 1-1 replacement.  If you want to cut sugar for your kids, do a 50-50 cut with it, they will never know unless you tell them.

Jack’s Chocolate Keto Coffee

Please note this is a keto treat type of coffee, something I make on a nice slow Sunday Morning not a daily drink. 

      • 1 TSP Pure Coco Powder (100% no sugar stuff)
      • 1 TSP Lakonto Golden Sugar
      • 1 TBS MCT Oil (totally optional for a keto fat bomb)
      • 1/4 TSP of real cinnamon (Ceylon)
      • 1-2 Drops of Stevia
      • Two Cranks of Pink Salt (pinch of any salt really)
      • 1 TBS of heavy organic cream
      • 2 TBS of Coconut Cream
      • Coffee

 

I make up a French Press of  Food Forest Farms or Holler Roast Coffee.  Pour coffee into the blender first so the powdered coco and cinnamon don’t cake.  Just put in all the other ingredients and blend, I use my Ninja Blender.  If you want to have a truly sinful experience you can add a shot of peppermint flavored whipped cream for only one more carb.

Again this is a spoil yourself indulgence but the chocolate is a no big deal.  You an back off the creams and be both low calorie and low carb.

Jack’s Coffee Chocolate Rib Rub

  • 2 TBS Ground Coffee
  • 2 TBS Coco Powder (100% no sugar stuff)
  • 2 TBS Lakonto Golden
  • 1 TBS Brown Sugar
  • 2 TBS of Chili Powder
  • 2 TBS Salt (kosher is best for this one)
  • 1 TBS of MSG (optional but if you are afraid of it, you better not eat tomatoes, mushrooms, etc)
  • 1 TBS of Black Pepper
  • 2 TBS Onion Powder
  • 1/4 TSP of Red Pepper Flake
  • 1 TSP Cumin

 

This is a do anything rub but it was made for pork ribs and it is beyond amazing on them.  It also loves skin on chicken!  When I did the math using the real brown sugar cut with the Lakonto only added about .2 carbs per rib, say .3 for a big chicken leg.  To me that is worth it and the melty nature of real brown sugar is worth it.  It is good with pure Lakonto but better with 1/3rd of the sweetener being the real deal.