Food prepping
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Gazrok
A True Doomsday Prepper
I prefer a multi-pronged approach to my food preps.
First off, I'll say this, you really shouldn't prep "emergency" food that you don't normally eat. The reason is that the last thing you want to do in a crisis is have to deal with the stomach issues arising from getting used to new foods.
STORE BOUGHT CANNED FOOD - this is just a given. While most are dated for a year, they are still perfectly safe up to 5 years or more. The taste may change a little (especially for canned fruit) and you may not get as many nutrients from some, but most canned foods will still be fine for this time. Some different things to think of too: canned evaporated milk, or even dry milk. Can also get dry butter.
HOME CANNED FOOD - This will last WAY longer than the above, and still retain taste, nutrients much longer. This is also a great way to handle the harvest from the next option (the home garden). There is some up front cost here (pressure cooker, canning supplies, etc.) and some learning to do, but for prepping, you just can't beat this at all. Note, there are some different types, so need to be educated on this, but a lot of material out there to help.
HOME GARDEN - you don't need acres for this. Many foods can be grown in pots, even hanging baskets. Fruit trees also fall into this category. This is just great, renewable food. Besides, with any extra, you can do the above for long term storage (canning).
DRY GOODS - These items keep for up to 15 (some say 20) years. Things like dry pasta, mashed potato flakes, dry cereals, dry rice, dry grains, dry beans, flour, sugar, popcorn kernels, and dry corn are great, and can be stored in tightly sealed containers to keep well. You may need desiccant packs for some of these, to absorb any moisture that forms. These things are hard to make yourself, so a good idea to stockpile, and rotate through. Again, food you are used to eating anyhow. (and don't forget dried spices, though you should be growing some spices too).
COOKING ESSENTIALS - These are things like cooking oil, seasonings, bullion, sauce mixes, condiments, bottled sauces, etc. While not a "need", I'm more about preserving a certain quality of life vs. just survival.
With all or even some of the above, you should be set just fine. But, you don't have to do it all at once. It's a process. Can build up.
First off, I'll say this, you really shouldn't prep "emergency" food that you don't normally eat. The reason is that the last thing you want to do in a crisis is have to deal with the stomach issues arising from getting used to new foods.
STORE BOUGHT CANNED FOOD - this is just a given. While most are dated for a year, they are still perfectly safe up to 5 years or more. The taste may change a little (especially for canned fruit) and you may not get as many nutrients from some, but most canned foods will still be fine for this time. Some different things to think of too: canned evaporated milk, or even dry milk. Can also get dry butter.
HOME CANNED FOOD - This will last WAY longer than the above, and still retain taste, nutrients much longer. This is also a great way to handle the harvest from the next option (the home garden). There is some up front cost here (pressure cooker, canning supplies, etc.) and some learning to do, but for prepping, you just can't beat this at all. Note, there are some different types, so need to be educated on this, but a lot of material out there to help.
HOME GARDEN - you don't need acres for this. Many foods can be grown in pots, even hanging baskets. Fruit trees also fall into this category. This is just great, renewable food. Besides, with any extra, you can do the above for long term storage (canning).
DRY GOODS - These items keep for up to 15 (some say 20) years. Things like dry pasta, mashed potato flakes, dry cereals, dry rice, dry grains, dry beans, flour, sugar, popcorn kernels, and dry corn are great, and can be stored in tightly sealed containers to keep well. You may need desiccant packs for some of these, to absorb any moisture that forms. These things are hard to make yourself, so a good idea to stockpile, and rotate through. Again, food you are used to eating anyhow. (and don't forget dried spices, though you should be growing some spices too).
COOKING ESSENTIALS - These are things like cooking oil, seasonings, bullion, sauce mixes, condiments, bottled sauces, etc. While not a "need", I'm more about preserving a certain quality of life vs. just survival.
With all or even some of the above, you should be set just fine. But, you don't have to do it all at once. It's a process. Can build up.
Gazrok
A True Doomsday Prepper
Thank your govt. It's from their website.
LOL, yep.....
The added bonus, as the water bottles thaw, second purpose, drinking water. Win-win.
Dry ice melts, you got nothing. Block ice melts, you have a puddle to clean up.
EDIT - During Hurricane Irma, I STILL had to thaw some chicken breasts to grill them, on DAY 3 of no power (because I did the water bottle method). The trick is to fill up nearly every inch of space with those frozen water bottles. (why I like them better than jugs of water).
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Gazrok
A True Doomsday Prepper
Forgot to add this.... Renewable proteins.
CHICKENS - Nice thing about chickens, daily eggs. It's surprising how many cities now allow the keeping of chickens, so even in the city, you could easily have a few. And of course, when they stop laying, you could breed them for more chickens, then cull the non-layers for meat.
RABBITS - There's a reason there's a saying, multiply like rabbits. The rabbit has a duplex uterus, and can get pregnant AGAIN while already pregnant (though this isn't a good practice). But, they mature quickly, so this is a great renewable food source.
The great thing about these two, is that they are easily fed from harvest excess of a garden, and table scraps (chickens are nearly like goats and can eat just about anything it seems). Granted, I like to give them store feed mainly, but post SHTF, this won't be an option (though I do like to keep these well-stocked, but usually no more than about a two-month supply onhand).
Others may keep GOATS, COWS, etc. and while great for food, I have to wonder about the food to yield ratio. (so much food over the course of their lives, before you obtain the meat).
We have HORSES as well, though I'd highly recommend against eating them, even post SHTF. For one thing, they are great post SHTF transportation, but because of all of the drugs and other modern medicines usually put into a kept horse, there could be some potentially hazardous ones you'd get from the meat of them. I'd have to be truly starving before considering this.
CHICKENS - Nice thing about chickens, daily eggs. It's surprising how many cities now allow the keeping of chickens, so even in the city, you could easily have a few. And of course, when they stop laying, you could breed them for more chickens, then cull the non-layers for meat.
RABBITS - There's a reason there's a saying, multiply like rabbits. The rabbit has a duplex uterus, and can get pregnant AGAIN while already pregnant (though this isn't a good practice). But, they mature quickly, so this is a great renewable food source.
The great thing about these two, is that they are easily fed from harvest excess of a garden, and table scraps (chickens are nearly like goats and can eat just about anything it seems). Granted, I like to give them store feed mainly, but post SHTF, this won't be an option (though I do like to keep these well-stocked, but usually no more than about a two-month supply onhand).
Others may keep GOATS, COWS, etc. and while great for food, I have to wonder about the food to yield ratio. (so much food over the course of their lives, before you obtain the meat).
We have HORSES as well, though I'd highly recommend against eating them, even post SHTF. For one thing, they are great post SHTF transportation, but because of all of the drugs and other modern medicines usually put into a kept horse, there could be some potentially hazardous ones you'd get from the meat of them. I'd have to be truly starving before considering this.
I use both gallon water jugs and 16-20 bottles. It helps to have a chest freezer, it doesnt lose as much cold when opened.
Gazrok
A True Doomsday Prepper
Interesting point.
I just like standing freezers as it is easier to see what I have. Things tend to get buried too easily in the chest freezers (at least for me), then I've got no idea what's in there.
I like standing freezers too. Being of the short stature, I once fell in a chest freezer trying to fish something out. I had several bumps on my face and had a passing resemblance to the elephant man for a couple of days.
I also cracked my cheekbone. Apparently it was hilariousbigpaul
A True Doomsday Prepper
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i hate upright freezers, I think they are trendy and naff, the only thing worse than an upright freezer is an upright fridge freezer.
I like the chest type freezers. I have two refrigerator freezers and both have the small freezers. I keep 2 liter pop bottles filled with water in the freezers. I put them in the chicken water during the got summer days. They stay frozen much longer than the small bottles.
Gazrok
A True Doomsday Prepper
Used to have a chest freezer...just never knew what was in the damn thing, which is why we switched. Never went back to the chest ones after that. I was looking for a replacement one, when mine bit it, but without the kids here, I really don't need it.
We have another upright fridge/freezer already too, so that secondary fridge is nearly always empty (and the freezer only has the water bottles in it). I may get another one, if I find a good deal, just to have to stock up during good sales. I have a family grocery store not too far away, that has awesome prices on meat most of the time.
This week, our local Winn Dixie has some amazing deals, so we've stocked up a bit. I've probably got two dozen meals worth of meats in the freezers. Chicken under $2 a lb, ground beef under $3 a lb, different pork cuts under $3 or $4 a lb, steaks at $5 a lb....even corned beef was $4 a lb. Some good meals coming up next week!
We have another upright fridge/freezer already too, so that secondary fridge is nearly always empty (and the freezer only has the water bottles in it). I may get another one, if I find a good deal, just to have to stock up during good sales. I have a family grocery store not too far away, that has awesome prices on meat most of the time.
This week, our local Winn Dixie has some amazing deals, so we've stocked up a bit. I've probably got two dozen meals worth of meats in the freezers. Chicken under $2 a lb, ground beef under $3 a lb, different pork cuts under $3 or $4 a lb, steaks at $5 a lb....even corned beef was $4 a lb. Some good meals coming up next week!
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It's amazing how expensive corned beef is. We love it with mashed potatoes. I always cook the cabbage separately though. We don't like it in with the meat.
Sorry, I'm off topic. I can my chickens because we lost an entire freezer full one year. We had huge salmon fillets that the dogs loved. What a mess.
Danil54grl
Top Poster
I always have white flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cornstartch, lard (canned up rendered from pigs we raise) both ionized and non ionized salt and a sourdough starter on hand for making breads. I do also store yeast for when I don't want to wait a couple days on the sourdough in cooler weather. Your flour will deteriorate over a couple years in storage though and your bread won't have the same light texture but still edible. I also keep cinnamon on hand for quick breads. When I want pumpkin, apple, pear, banana, etc, i pull a jar off the shelf to add in. Some already have spices added in to them so will omit that part of the recipe. Like for my pear butter, or pumpkin butter. Those make up good quick breads or even cakes. Can also be converted into pies.
We have to store dry goods in those metal trash cans. Wefill them with argon and tape the lid with duct tape to keep them sealed. We have to because rats were always hungry. The argon will keep out weevils and insects and decay by displacing the oxygen.
Brent S
Top Poster
I think all the suggestions above are good and I practice most of them. My take is to have multiple options available, both with storage and production. I get tired of eating the same thing more than two or three times in a row, so having multiples storage methods just helps with variety. It also is safer in case one method doesn’t work or fails. I just don’t want to loose that safety net that I’ve worked so hard to build up.
Gazrok
A True Doomsday Prepper
I personally like the plastic buckets that have an angled opening. We first got them for cat and dog food, but after seeing how well they fit in the pantry for that, seemed great for dry goods too (and we have gamma lids for them). We rotate and use these items too, so.... (for storage that isn't readily used, we just use the plastic buckets with more old school lids. Pain in the butt to open, but we just dump it into the rotation containers anyhow.
For storage in the garage though, yeah, I'm with you on the metal trash cans for rodent protection. Haven't got enough yet though stored up, to go that route.
For storage in the garage though, yeah, I'm with you on the metal trash cans for rodent protection. Haven't got enough yet though stored up, to go that route.
Brent S
Top Poster
I like the rodent proofing value of a metal garbage can, but don’t think it would seal out oxygen very well. I use one for dog food storage currently. I guess if you stored smaller sealed containers inside it it would be an extra layer of protection.
I haven't had anything go bad in the big ones in about 16 yrs. And the argon will almost completely eliminate rust if its not standing in dirt
Gazrok
A True Doomsday Prepper
You can get some with very tight fitting lids. The one I have for our dry cat food (for the outside cat), has a pretty tight lid.
There are some industrial food-grade plastic barrels you can get too, that (so far) seem pretty rodent-proof...one of our boarders uses this for horse feed.
We actually use big 55 gallon food grade steel drums for our horse, bunny, and chicken feed storage. Just scoop it out as needed, reseal the lid.
I'd like to actually use some for bulk dry storage, but I also like the ability to rotate it into daily use too. Still, some good long-term stores of that bulk would be nice, just hard to justify the expense of it. (if not rotated as much).
Both the large plastic barrels and the steel ones, we get for about $20 each from our local feed stores.
There are some industrial food-grade plastic barrels you can get too, that (so far) seem pretty rodent-proof...one of our boarders uses this for horse feed.
We actually use big 55 gallon food grade steel drums for our horse, bunny, and chicken feed storage. Just scoop it out as needed, reseal the lid.
I'd like to actually use some for bulk dry storage, but I also like the ability to rotate it into daily use too. Still, some good long-term stores of that bulk would be nice, just hard to justify the expense of it. (if not rotated as much).
Both the large plastic barrels and the steel ones, we get for about $20 each from our local feed stores.
Forestdweller
New Member
Not that I am any kind of expert but keeping in the freezer is just a short term solution for when things are going fine. For the long haul the next step is canned, then the next step after that is dried and use of food safe tubs lined with mylar and use of oxygen tabs and dry ice. Start a plan on how to accomplish, it is a big thing to look at all of it, you will get discouraged, just take one step at a time. Start with pantry stocking, then go from there and branch out as money allows. Anything that you get done is more than what you had.
