Hello from Florida

[Danil54grl]

Do nds like you have a good start! Welcome from TX, another 'hurricane prepper'. . . that's how I got started too. We've come a long way since then and now hunny even hooked up a house generator which we have recently had to use.

 

[Kexessa]

Also live in the sunshine state. (South Florida). Welcome

Do you find you have prepping problems specific to our climate? I've never seen a home in FL with a root cellar or other 'cool' area for food storage. Maybe in the panhandle, but not the peninsula. Even basements are far more rare than in northern areas.

I really struggle with long term food storage in the event there is no electricity with the year around heat & humidity factor.

 

[Danil54grl]

Canning, drying, & pickling are your new friends in a no power situation. Welcome to the great south!

 

[Kexessa]

Canning, drying, & pickling are your new friends in a no power situation. Welcome to the great south!

I haven't tried drying yet. But I do can and do limited pickling because pickled items aren't something we normally eat. No matter what the source, the advice is always to store your jars in a "cool, dark place". Dark I can do! But cool I can't and I worry about seal failure if the jars were in 80's-90's temperatures + high humidity for an extended period. Also dry goods are fine as long as they are sealed but high humidity & heat encourages mold spore growth. Maybe I'm just overthinking the heat issue.

 

[Danil54grl]

My can goods have been in temp fluctuation during hurricanes Rita & Ike. No electricity in house for 2 plus weeks and our weather here is much like you have in FL. I didn't experience any lid failures at the time. Both of these hurricanes were mid to late Sept so not the hottest times of the year, but we were still in the 90's. It is best to keep them in a basement, but we don't have that option at sea level. I store majority of mine in a "stockroom", which when the boys moved out I threw up wall to wall shelving in the old bedroom. I do know some old timers here that store their in a shed out back or their garage. I haven't ever heard of them losing a seal due to the temps.

 

[Danil54grl]

For the things I dry, I vacuum seal in 1 meal sizes, then toss in a bucket with tight fitting lid. I did learn the hard way, don't try drying your Bea s outside when humid . . . they will sprout!

 

[Kexessa]

My can goods have been in temp fluctuation during hurricanes Rita & Ike. No electricity in house for 2 plus weeks and our weather here is much like you have in FL. I didn't experience any lid failures at the time. Both of these hurricanes were mid to late Sept so not the hottest times of the year, but we were still in the 90's. It is best to keep them in a basement, but we don't have that option at sea level. I store majority of mine in a "stockroom", which when the boys moved out I threw up wall to wall shelving in the old bedroom. I do know some old timers here that store their in a shed out back or their garage. I haven't ever heard of them losing a seal due to the temps.

Oh wow, an outside shed! Ok, obviously I'm worrying for nothing. Thanks!

 

[Danil54grl]

My recommendations would be trying to find somewhere in the house. You can get inventive like someone I know. He ran out of room in his pantry so started putting boxes under the beds, in closets, stacked them to make tables throwing a tablecloth over them and then topping with a piece of glass. I haven't gotten to the point of making tables yet. . . but I maybe getting g close.

 

[Kevin L]

Do you find you have prepping problems specific to our climate? I've never seen a home in FL with a root cellar or other 'cool' area for food storage. Maybe in the panhandle, but not the peninsula. Even basements are far more rare than in northern areas.

I really struggle with long term food storage in the event there is no electricity with the year around heat & humidity factor.

I have the same problem, as I live in south florida.

Maybe you can get a kerosene refrigerator.

They are used on RV's and in solar homes. They not only run on kerosene, but you can use vegetable oil, diesel fuel, etc..

This kind of refrigerator was invented by none other than Albert Einstein and his student Leo Szilard.

You can get them second hand on Craig's List. They are mechanically simple, have no electrical circuits, and are very reliable.

You can fix them yourself with a minimun of tools. Look up dometic refrigerator. Kerosene and diesel fuel last a lot longer in storage than gasoline. If you use a diesel car or truck, a kerosene refrigerator, and a diesel backup generator (a slow speed Lister model), you could be set up for everything.

Biodiesel would even be relatively non toxic if it leaked, but biodesel doesn't store well. Most biodesel goes bad within two months in a hot climate. Regular diesel, however, can last more than five years if it's treated with sta-bil, antibacterial stuff, and algicides.

 

[Robinjopo1]

Hi! I found these forums and am hoping to learn some new ideas. Live in central Florida so we already prep for hurricanes. We are also semi rural so when our electric goes out it can be a week before it's restored. Unfortunately that is as far as Husband will go so I have to stealth prep under the guise of "hurricane preparedness". He doesn't really think anything will happen that would remove access to groceries, electricity, gas etc. for longer than a few weeks.

I've been vegetable gardening for years and I know how to (and do) can most things like soups, sauces, meats & jams. Looking forward to learning from everyone!

Welcome, you have a great start by canning. FYI it will only take 3 days for the food chain (stores) to be totally disrupted during a large catastrophe. Might I suggest checking out canning groups such as Canning Rebels.

 

[Robinjopo1]

I

My recommendations would be trying to find somewhere in the house. You can get inventive like someone I know. He ran out of room in his pantry so started putting boxes under the beds, in closets, stacked them to make tables throwing a tablecloth over them and then topping with a piece of glass. I haven't gotten to the point of making tables yet. . . but I maybe getting g close.

I've taken over my daughters room and it's full of canned goods and medical supplies.