# 2009 Food Storage Challenge (March Update)



## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I'd like to invite you all to my 2009 Food Storage Challenge.
Here how you do it:

Read my 2009 Food Storage Challenge http://jyotsnasjournal.blogspot.com/. Photograph (or make a list) of the foods that you have, and share your plans on your blog. I plan to save enough food so that I have at least 1 months worth of food, and I plan to up that to a 3 month supply. I'm reading Sharon Astyk's blog http://sharonastyk.com/

I challenge you to find ways to store food, whether it is through buying foods that don't spoil and holding on to them, canning or freezing foods. Make sure it is food that you can eat without heat. Also, please find a manual can opener in case you are using an electric opener.

Read through Sharon's Food Storage Friday Quickies. These blog posts will give you ideas on how to save some food, and you can expand on your blog.

Please extend this challange to all your friends and family, and link their blogs to yours, and refer them to mothering.com to discuss the challenges of food storage.

I'm storing food for economic hard times, and for natural disasters.

Post to my comments under 2009 Food Storage Challenge to give me an update on how your challenge is going, and also post to this thread to get ideas for improving your food storage.

Okay, GO!

Jyotsna


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Hey, 36 of mothering folks have looked at this. I thought someone would like to do this with me. I have been reading about peak oil for some time, and I really think that whether it is going to be soon, or later, that we are all going to be on some hard times.

I live on the New Madrid Fault line (which possibly means there is no point in saving food!) and we tend to have dramatic weather crisis here. I've always thought it would be good to start storing food and I did for a while, till my nearly teen son started eating anything not nailed down.

So, I'd love to have some partners in







: food storage! What do you think???

Thanks,
Jyotsna


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I have a goodly bit of food stored. Most of it does require cooking though - theres just not a lot of non-perishable ready to eat food available (at least, not that I'm willing to eat on a regular basis). Personaly, I subscribe to the 'eat what you store, store what you eat' philosophy - and thus thats exactly what we do.

I canned lots of tomatoes, pickled jalapenos & bananna peppers, and froze lots of green beans last summer. We're still eating on all of them. We did can some beans to, but personally, I'm just not a fan of them, so we froze the vast, vast majority. Other than that, I have around 150# of legumes and 150# of grains stored in big glass jars (4 gallon ball ideal jars), 25# of sugar, 50# of salt & about 4-5 gallons of oils (olive & coconut). Along with a couple of deer, a dozen or so odd chickens, some lamb and goat meat in the freezer.

Another thing to think about is water. Either you need a way to have access to it no mater what (we just put in a hand pump on our well), or have lots and lots and lots stored and be rotating through that too. We have a generator to keep our freezer/refrigerator running and as it takes less than a gallon a day of gas we should be able to keep them going for a good long while (we have some gas stored, would like a lot more though)

How long could we live off of our food? I don't know. A good long while though. Probably at least 3-6 months.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I'm planning to can tomatoes, green beans, ect this year. What do you think about buying food to can? Obviously I don't have any garden foods yet, and would like to get a move on it. I have a friend who can teach me to can foods (she just told me yesterday). So what is your opinion?

Also, I do eat alot of beans (I keep them dry, and if I have to do so, I'll sprout them instead of keeping them canned). I'm a vegetarian, and that's why I eat them. But for non-vegetarians, you can always keep beans to help spread out what you already have. They are a good source of protein, and I would think that when a person is hungry, they would eat beans, vegetarian or not! : ) They store for a long time.

I also agree with you, about storing what I can eat. And, since I don't have a cow in the backyard (I live in the city...with plans to live in the country one day) I feel that powdered milk would be worth keeping on hand.

Now, for everyone else... I know there has to be alot of mamas out there who are not prepared with a 3 - 6 month supply of foods. If you are like me (unprepared at this moment) then would you mind joining me so I can meet my goal?

I'm planning to store at least the following, with plans to increase:

Rolled oats
Dry beans/canned beans
Canned tomatoes
Canned veggies
Canned fruit
Canned applesause
Dried raisins and other fruits
Raw nuts (watching closely to rotate)
Dry milk
Peanut Butter
Cumin
Corriander
Chili powder
Cinnamon
Brown sugar
Cooking Sterno
And with a goal of finding or purchasing a Solar Oven (my sisters can reach well over 300 degrees)

Also a plan to buy a new/clean potable water storage (like at Whole Foods).
Food Storage containers
Much more....

Jyotsna


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I bought some of the tomatos & jalapenos that I canned last year from farmers markets/farmers stands on the side of the road. My tomatoes just didn't do very good







So, I'm definetly all for that. I wouldn't buy them from a grocery store, but during the summer in season localy? Absolutely. Most all the tomatoes & peppers I bought while not organic (since it costs a TON to get certified), were at least not sprayed, and thats what counts to me, personally.

As for herbs/spices, yeah, I do store some of them too. Mostly garlic (which we just use an absurd amount of... I probably buy 1# of it every 2-4 months...), though I did also buy 1# each of parsley & oregano a year or two ago... and which we're still going through! I'll probably buy them again though.


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## Purple Sage (Apr 23, 2007)

I'd like to do this. Right now we are living in a temporary place without much room to store anything, but we will be moving in the next few months. I have no way of knowing what the storage situation will be when we move, though, so it's hard to plan.

I'm going to be following this thread and







:


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## BunnySlippers (Oct 30, 2007)

I am in.
I would look at storing foods with a high moisture content, fruits and veggies. That way if water is scarece, you will still be getting some water, and be using less of your bodies supplies in digesting dry food. There is also more nutrients, and little to no preperation needed.

Id like to learn how to store foods in cold storage, and get away from needing the fridge. The only problem I see with storing foods, is if you need to be mobile.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
Hey, 36 of mothering folks have looked at this. I thought someone would like to do this with me. I have been reading about peak oil for some time, and I really think that whether it is going to be soon, or later, that we are all going to be on some hard times.

I live on the New Madrid Fault line (which possibly means there is no point in saving food!) and we tend to have dramatic weather crisis here. I've always thought it would be good to start storing food and I did for a while, till my nearly teen son started eating anything not nailed down.

So, I'd love to have some partners in







: food storage! What do you think???

Thanks,
Jyotsna

I looked at the thread, but didn't reply. I already have about 1 year's worth of food, stored well, with oxygen absorbers, much of it home canned, and rotated regularly, so I don't really need to join the challenge. We have been stocking up for years as a natural extension of the way I was raised (parents were young during Great Depression). Good luck with your challenge. I think it's important to have a good sized pantry.

ETA: You might search for older threads. There were some a few months ago about stockpiling and there were a lot of great ideas people were throwing about. A couple of the threads were hundreds of posts long.


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## BunnySlippers (Oct 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
I looked at the thread, but didn't reply. I already have about 1 year's worth of food, stored well, with oxygen absorbers, much of it home canned, and rotated regularly, so I don't really need to join the challenge. We have been stocking up for years as a natural extension of the way I was raised (parents were young during Great Depression). Good luck with your challenge. I think it's important to have a good sized pantry.

.

What is an oxygen absorber?

So you might be a good person to pass along hints?


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BunnySlippers* 
What is an oxygen absorber?

So you might be a good person to pass along hints?

It's a small packet, I think iron oxide, that you put into your *sealed* dried goods to extend their lives because they absorb the oxygen (one of the 4 main things that destroy food... oxygen, light, moisture, temperature).

I don't know if I'm good for hints. Everyone should have a very specific food storage plan based on their own family's needs. I'll help if it's applicable, though.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Did you all see this? I frankly want a different thread, because these are new times.

https://www.mothering.com/discussion...php?p=12757207

Jyotsna


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## corrie43 (Mar 9, 2003)

I will join in. I won't be taking pics but I am going to start taking notes on what I have and what I need.

I just got some really good books for Christmas from my mom about long term food storage and being prepared for disasters ect.

I proabably have two months worth of food right now in the house but it is not very organized.

For my family I have stocked up on rice, peanut butter, soups, canned beans and loaded our freezer with bread, bagels and meats purchased very cheap.

I have a full pantry of cereal, granola bars,canned fruits ect too that would last awhile. I do need to work on water storage though. I am lacking there.

I am also stockpiling paper products and personal products. Basically I would like to have everything we need to survive if there were no stores open for a few months. POssibly even no gas, oil or electricity as well. We just had a major ice storma nd there were people in our area with no power for almost a week.


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## Stone Fence (Mar 10, 2004)

DH and I started a long time ago. We had about 4 months of food stored up. I've used up some of the more convenient foods in order to avoid the grocery store.

I need to get going again and restock.

Last year we acquired a grain mill and lots of wheat berries. I need to practice my bread baking some more.

I too am a fan of Sharon Astyk. I know her IRL, she doesn't live that far from me. We share the same bulk food store


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## SquishyBuggles (Dec 19, 2008)

I am definitely in.

We have a rather large garden and I would like to get into canning this season. I gave lots of veggies away last year because I didn't know how to can. We're in the midst of earthquake country and I would love to have a good stockpile in case of emergency. I would also like to reduce the food we waste as a family. I'll be checking in here regularly.


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## AngelBee (Sep 8, 2004)

I'm in!
















:


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Stone Fence:
That's so cool that you know Sharon. She is one smart lady.

Hi Everyone,

I'm taking Sharon's Food Storage Class right now (month long) and one of the women posted a link to her blog (http://touchtheearthfarm.blogspot.co...ity-part-i.htm)

I was really impressed with this womans food storage, and it looked neat and large. My hope is that I can work towards this type of storage in the next year.

Meanwhile, I'm going shopping tomarrow, and I will stock up on rice, legumes (beans), cans of tomatoes, oatmeal, raisins, almonds, peanuts, cashews ect. I'm going to get started with my goals, then just improve my storage shortage each month.

Once I have my food in the pantry, I'm going to replace the photos on my blog with those (gosh my pantry is bare looking).
Those who talk about food shortage also say that it is our duty to store food for outselves because we shouldn't expect the government to hand out food to us in our worst time, afterall we have seen what the government can do during our worst times....speaking of Katrina and other disasters including midwest flooding, California firestorms and in my area, earthquakes, tornados and ice storms. Forget our economic crisis for a moment, and think about the extreme range of disasters our country has faced this past year, and then think about how you could be prepared in the event that you and your family has to face any disaster of this type.

The US government advices that we should have at least 2 weeks of food stored. However, 2 weeks is what the average American keeps, so I'd say at least 3 months on non-perishables and semi-perishables like potatoes, onions, garlics ect.

Okay, how is it going? Anyone made any changes yet?

Jyotsna


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Well, I just got a stand mixer yesterday and today I (succesfully) made bread for the first time :dance: It turned out fantastic! I'm SO happy! So, now I'm thinking about storing more wheat and am trying to figure out how much I want... I'm starting to lean towards 100-200# of wheat (75-150 in hard red spring the rest in soft white). And I'm also trying to figure out my yeast situation... I think I want to start buying it in 'bulk' that is to say, in something besides individual-use packets!!


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## onlyzombiecat (Aug 15, 2004)

I think I could go for a month on what we have now.
I went through my cabinets last night. I have a bunch of dried beans/lentils and rice.
I'll be shopping at the end of the week and I would like to get more canned food and flour though. Maybe some powdered milk.
We do not have a large freezer space so I'm going to focus on non-perishables.

I'm doing this more for security in case our finances tank rather than disaster survival.


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

I am in and I will be back with some more info in a little bit I'm trying to get my crazy children to bed.


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## corrie43 (Mar 9, 2003)

I hit some crazy deals at Shaws and got about 160 dollars worth of stuff for around $40. I stocked up on baby wipes (even though no baby- I read these are good to clean yourself if there is no available water source) Sanitation can become an issue in long term situation like that.

I got 4 bottles of dish soap
15 boxes of cereal

I also got a deal on peanut butter on amazon and got 12 jars of that.

These were all things I was looking to add to my stockpile so I was excited.

We also got 48 pack of water and 12 cases of soda for my husband who refuses to drink any water whatsoever..

So I feel like I am on my way to a decent stockpile.

I am also interested in taking measures to provide more than just food and water. We have handcrank flashlights, loads of candles and lighters. I am looking to get a handcrank radio, some kind of campstove, (we do have a grill already and a fireplace outside we use,) and other things that would be useful in long term power outages and other disaster situations.

We have a small generator, but are thinking of a large full scale model to rn more things in the house.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I've written a blog post about "To tell or not to tell".

Would anyone like to have a discussion about this?

Jyotsna


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## krankedyann (May 28, 2005)

LOL, Jyotsna, those who believe in keeping their mouths shut likely won't chime in at all! They don't want to blow their cover!


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## corrie43 (Mar 9, 2003)

My family, and two friends KNow I stockpile. They are people who I would share with though. One of my friends stockpiles also and we compare note, share sales, ect.

I think I probably wouldn't put it all out there on the net with pics of the outside of my house and stuff but honestly I don't think people are going to hunt me down...LOL


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## onlyzombiecat (Aug 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
I've written a blog post about "To tell or not to tell".

Would anyone like to have a discussion about this?

Jyotsna

I don't see any need to hide the fact that I have extra food from people I know. I'm not going to randomly tell people or put a sign up in the yard.
If things got bad for people I knew then I would share what I could.
I don't believe in a scenario where someone is going to show up with a gun to steal all my food, etc. I live in a small town/rural area. I suppose I might feel more fearful if I lived in a bigger city.


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## Purple Sage (Apr 23, 2007)

I probably wouldn't tell people irl because they'll just think I'm weirder than they already do.









ETA: Seriously, though, I would not worry about about people coming to steal my food. And we do not have firearms or ammo, so definitely not worried about that. Of course, you really never know what things would be like during a serious disaster, but I cling to my need to believe that people are good and that the worst of times can bring out the best in people.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Jyotsna

I probably wouldn't tell people irl because they'll just think I'm weirder than they already do.


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lemongrass* 
I probably wouldn't tell people irl because they'll just think I'm weirder than they already do.









ETA: Seriously, though, I would not worry about about people coming to steal my food. And we do not have firearms or ammo, so definitely not worried about that. Of course, you really never know what things would be like during a serious disaster, but I cling to my need to believe that people are good and that the worst of times can bring out the best in people.









:

I haven't talked to many people yet about it. I tried talking to my mom about it but my mother is simply not a big picture, long term thinker when it comes to life so she just kind of looked at me with glazed over eyes like she has no idea why I would "prepare" for anything. Yeah, my mom will probably be living off of my food stores in the future









Most people I know agree that it is a great and smart thing to do but just can't be bothered to do the same.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I'm with honeydee.. I think they only people outside of our family who realize we're stocking up is the folks who run my food co-op... cause' they've noticed the massive amounts of grains/beans I've been buying recently... And I'd really like to have double of everything I have, ideally. But, I'm pretty happy with what we have now


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## slsurface (May 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *velochic* 
It's a small packet, I think iron oxide, that you put into your *sealed* dried goods to extend their lives because they absorb the oxygen (one of the 4 main things that destroy food... oxygen, light, moisture, temperature).

Silica packets work to absorb moisture too...just don't eat them!


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## slsurface (May 8, 2007)

I come from a family that always kept several years worth of food stockpiled. One of the reasons we did this was because we lived in a remote area, where we often lost power or got snowed in. Another reason we had so much food is because grew tons and tons of it. We spent most of our summer's growing and canning or freezing. My grandmother had two extremely large deep freezes, and 3 refrigerators, as well as a root cellar. My mom also had one large deep freeze and two refrigerators. Another reason that we kept a lot of food was because I lived with extended family. Our house was 1/2 mile from my maternal grandparents - my parents built their house on my grandparents farm. My paternal grandfather lived with us at the time too, so there was a lot of people to feed. We also kept water stockpiled too (due to the fact that you cannot pump water out of a well without electricity and we had frequent power outages). We didn't stockpile things like hygiene products, however. Our food stockpiling was not out of paranoia, but out of necessity. We certainly never would have thought about keeping our food stocks a secret, but then all the farmers in the community had similar stockpiles. To be honest, I am a little surprised by the mentality of keeping it secretive...









On to my goals:
I had gotten out of the practice of keeping large stocks of food, mostly because DH and I always lived in very small urban apartments with no storage. When I bought my house in the fall of 2007, I decided to start keeping more food on hand again. I am working towards having several months worth of dried goods to hedge against possible job loss.

I spent much of last fall canning preserves, apple sauce, fresh berries and apple slices, and pepper relish. I plan to can a variety of other foods this year, once fruit and veg comes in season. Because I bake nearly everything from scratch, I started buying flour and other dried goods in bulk from here: http://www.clnf.org/. DH and I recently assembled some shelving in the basement for storing food (http://www.flickr.com/photos/archymo...7608688239541/) . I was very excited to finally have a designated pantry area. I don't have a deep freeze and my refrigerator freezer is actually filled with pollen samples (don't ask) so I have to limit my food stores to canned or dried goods. It is doubtful that I will get the money for a deep freeze. But if I do, I would like to purchase a 1/2 beef and a half-dozen chickens to freeze. In the future, I hope to buy extra canned goods each week to slowly build up my supplies and to buy some dried black beans and chickpeas. this week ordered some seeds to get my veg garden going this year (last year was spent preparing the disaster of a backyard and starting my herb garden).

My current stock of dried goods includes:
10# unbleached organic white flour
5# organic spelt flour
5# organic whole wheat flour
5# buckwheat flour
15# organic red lentils
5# organic french lentils
5# powdered milk
10# sunflower seeds
15# whole almonds
10# dried cranberries
8# sesame sticks
20# white rice
2# quick rise baking yeast

I also have a case of rice dream (non-dairy drink) and about a dozen boxes of tofu. Neither of these need refrigeration.


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## KariM (Mar 13, 2004)

Don't know how I missed this one!

We currently have a year's supply of grains stored (wheat, quinoa, millet, oats, rice, etc)

We have about a six month supply of meats - some home canned chicken and the rest in the freezer.

We have lots of dried beans stored (need to check to see exactly what the quantity is)

We also home canned applesauce, apple pie filling, pickled beets, grape jelly, pears, and pinto beans.

We like to cook up soup and home can it as well so right now we have about 14 pints of ham & bean soup.

We also store staples like yeast, honey, baking powder, fruit juice, etc.

Our ultimate goal is a nutritionally balanced year's supply!


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Well, it was my PM that asked the question.

I don't expect people breaking down my door, guns a-blazing.

I don't think that you have to keep things "secret".

But if you have a 1-year monetary emergency fund... will you post pictures of the cash? Why treat your other emergency funds any differently?

It's just a prudent thing to not PUBLICIZE what you are doing. Tell friends that share the same feelings... in fact, COMMUNITY is the most important "stockpile" that you can acquire.

Here on MDC, a relatively anonymous community, it's not a big deal to talk about it. It's helpful to others. We really don't know each other. I have an IRL good friend here and although we don't talk about stocking up, I would trust and respect her if the subject came up.

But to advertise it on the web to strangers, via blogs??? I can't see the sense in that.


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## jewellz (Jan 8, 2008)

Im in. First need to inventory what I have. Then make a list of what I need to buy.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

No one would want to come and take my food, since the photos on my blog show a very disorganized pantry, with a major lacking of food! I posted a link on my blog which is of a woman who has a wonderful pantry. I find it imporant for all of us to talk about how to do this, where to do this, and what to do even. I appreciated the photos of the blog I linked. And my photos are just very pitiful, since there is no food in them. LOL









Next Challenge?????

There are some great ways to store food so animals can't get to it. In the class I'm taking, Sharon is recommending that we locate a place where we can get large plastic containers with tight fitting lids, to store some food in (think dry milk packets, rice, sugar, wheat ect). The idea if that these containers need to be food safe. The ice cream stores have tons of these containers. Also check with deli's, since they buy mayonaise and ketchup (ect) in large tubs.

Try to find a source for this type of container. Let us know where you find yours.

Jyotsna


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

KariM,

Can you tell me how you can your soups? I often make a double batch of soup, and freeze half. I'd like to can half instead, and see how it turns out. Can you give me some links on canning soup, or is it basically just like canning veggies??

Thanks. I'm interested in canning everything I can. LOL


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

So if you locate some large food safe plastic containers, you can order these Gamma Seal Lids if you choose, to make it easy to put food in, and take food out of your food safe containers.

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/kit..._solution.aspx


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## Purple Sage (Apr 23, 2007)

I have a question about storing food in a hot climate. What foods are good to store where the temps get over 100 for months at a time? I think my best option for storing large quantities of food is to put them in a storage room that is not air conditioned. It will be hot all summer long, and I don't want to put anything out there that will go bad in the heat (like cooking oil). Any advice?


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## krankedyann (May 28, 2005)

Bakeries are also a source for the buckets, either a small chain grocey or an independent bakery.

Lemongrass, everything will suffer quality-wise at those temperatures. Everything I've read said it shortens the usable life by about half.


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## Purple Sage (Apr 23, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *krankedyann* 
Lemongrass, everything will suffer quality-wise at those temperatures. Everything I've read said it shortens the usable life by about half.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. I guess I'm going to have to make the space I have in the house work...just going to have to get more creative.


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## AngelBee (Sep 8, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 

Next Challenge?????

There are some great ways to store food so animals can't get to it. In the class I'm taking, Sharon is recommending that we locate a place where we can get large plastic containers with tight fitting lids, to store some food in (think dry milk packets, rice, sugar, wheat ect). The idea if that these containers need to be food safe. The ice cream stores have tons of these containers. Also check with deli's, since they buy mayonaise and ketchup (ect) in large tubs.

Try to find a source for this type of container. Let us know where you find yours.

Jyotsna

I never even thought!







We are good friends with a couple that owns an ice cream shop!







I bet I can get some containers from them.








:


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

So did anyone get their containers yet?

Also, I wanted to say to Lemongrass that I don't think it is recommended that you store something where it will be 100 degrees ore more.

I spent some time in India, in a state called Andhra Pradesh, where it was 90 - 100 the whole time I was there. But I believe their temps drop down to the higher 80's at night. And for at least a couple of months, they have slightly cooler temps. Lentils (beans, dal ect) and rice store for a long time, but I think they used such high quanities of these two, that they don't have much of a chance to last. I know in our house, rice and lentils/dals/beans go fast. So if you could use up the items regularly, you would be okay, as long as you were completely replacing your lentils and rice completely every 6 months. But I'd really try to find an indoor spot for your food storage. It is very important. So if you are into building, maybe you could search for "Kerala building styles". In Kerala, India, all of the houses have 4 or more vents at the very top of each wall. They are the sized of a large builders brick or more. Each vent is screened, so mosquitoes can't get in.

You may want to build a room which you can insulate, keep a fan running, and keep it vented like I mentioned, which would be your pantry. Maybe you could keep the temp down to 80 degrees, 60 at night? And while you were at it, you could use reflective insulation, so the building doesn't accept any heat?

Just a thought.


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## Purple Sage (Apr 23, 2007)

Jyotsna, thanks for that idea.







Right now we're just going to make do with the space we have inside the house - I think it would take us a very long time to build up a supply big enough to need another separate room. I wish we had the money to buy that much food!


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
So did anyone get their containers yet?

Also, I wanted to say to Lemongrass that I don't think it is recommended that you store something where it will be 100 degrees ore more.

I spent some time in India, in a state called Andhra Pradesh, where it was 90 - 100 the whole time I was there. But I believe their temps drop down to the higher 80's at night. And for at least a couple of months, they have slightly cooler temps. Lentils (beans, dal ect) and rice store for a long time, but I think they used such high quanities of these two, that they don't have much of a chance to last. I know in our house, rice and lentils/dals/beans go fast. So if you could use up the items regularly, you would be okay, as long as you were completely replacing your lentils and rice completely every 6 months. But I'd really try to find an indoor spot for your food storage. It is very important. So if you are into building, maybe you could search for "Kerala building styles". In Kerala, India, all of the houses have 4 or more vents at the very top of each wall. They are the sized of a large builders brick or more. Each vent is screened, so mosquitoes can't get in.

You may want to build a room which you can insulate, keep a fan running, and keep it vented like I mentioned, which would be your pantry. Maybe you could keep the temp down to 80 degrees, 60 at night? And while you were at it, you could use reflective insulation, so the building doesn't accept any heat?

Just a thought.

Well, so far I just have one giant Rubbermaid container (seriously, it's big enough to stuff a body into). That is where I am keeping anything that a mouse or bugs could get into--boxes of pasta, bags of rice, beans, flour, sugar. Cans and jars are on a shelf in my basement. My basement is pretty cool, even in the summer it is the coolest place in the house, and now that it is 5 degrees out it feels slightly warmer than a fridge







:.

Have any of you considered building a root cellar? I found directions on this website http://theepicenter.com/tow1102.html and it sounds cool but I am concerned with mice and other small critters that might eat right through the plastic tarp.

My water storage is definitely lacking. I think right now I have about 20 gallons which isn't nearly enough for any of us as far as long or short term emergency goes.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

We just went over to Lehman's today and bought another 4 jars (had to go to Mt Eaton to get organic chicken feed anyways), which I think brings us up to about 20 4 gallon glass jars







On thursday I should be getting another 75# of wheat and 25# of sugar so that'll fill those up







I need to go down to the basement at some point and arrange everything though... but its just so darn cold right now! And our basement is very much unheated (its so cold that my olive oil down there solidified!! And took a day to thaw out!!!







). I looked into getting the big plastic containers, but there aren't any available around here, and buying them and the gama lids makes them nearly as expensive as glass jars... and I just prefer the glass!!


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## sahmama_12 (May 25, 2008)

I'll join your challenge. I got a canner for Christmas, planning a huge garden this year and we've finally moved into a place where we can grow our own food so yay!! We also have a cold room in the basement so I'm in.


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

subbing, back later to read.

Memories of my grandma's pantry inspire me. (She was born Mormon, though she left that church to marry a non-Mormon, but definitely believed in storing the year's supply of food.)


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *slsurface* 
Silica packets work to absorb moisture too...just don't eat them!

I just saw this post and wanted to mention... silica is for moisture and oxygen absorbers are specifically for removing the oxygen in sealed food storage. You need to make sure the silica is food grade and that it won't take too much moisture out of your stored foods. For example, you may end up with beans that will simply not cook even after soaking and cooking for many, many hours. Foods need a certain moisture content (10%?) to be reconstituted successfully.


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## AngelBee (Sep 8, 2004)

Just emailed my friends who own the ice cream store to see if we could get some large pails from them









Will update when I know.


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## kriket (Nov 25, 2007)

I'm joining! I looove food storage. I will get some pics soon. I never have caught back up the week long power outage where we decimated our canned section.

So reading back through the posts, are the rest of you stock piling or storing food? I'm not a stockpile.

And I tell people about my food storage and they are jealous!







I'm not worried about people breaking down my door or anything, even if they did, honestly, do most people know what to do with 10 lbs of oatmeal? If you are stockpiling for some kind of natural, societal disaster, IMO most people _will_ rely on the government or their church, etc to meet their needs, but I have been a negative nancy all day.


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## thewaggonerfamily (Oct 13, 2003)

First question...where do you get the oxygen absorbers?

I am in! I have decided that this is the year to really ramp up our food storage/emergency preparedness. DH almost died the summer before last and was off work 6 mo on disability and my larder stash really helped us a lot! I am a couponer and use our stockpile to keep us to about $50/week for groceries/paper/HBA/pets for a family of 8. My plan is to up that to $100/week. Some of that will get saved up for a side of beef purchase.

DH's uncle just died and we helped clean out his house. I got about 20- 1 gallon glass jars, a bunch of canning jars and a newer water bath canning kettle, and a fruit squisher (not sure of the name, but it is a cone shaped collander with a wood smoosher with it.)

I also have been saving the pete plastic 1 gallon jars that pretzels come in from TSC. I figure those will also help with food storage.

I need to get some 5 gallon buckets and gamma lids
We'd like to get a big berkey for emergencies.
I'd like to get a 2 gallon jug of water (sealed from grocery store) and case of bottled water for each of us to start. Then I need to figure where I want to go with water storage from there. We are on city water, so I may start bottling some of my own in 2L pop bottles.

I pretty much have a grocery store in our basement at all times, but the quantity needed for a year for a family of 8 is pretty overwhelming, but I think that would be a good finished amount to shoot for. We don't do whole grains other than oatmeal, so the flour amount is a lot overwhelming, and I'm not sure how long white flour lasts before going bad. I'm also not sure of the shelf life of Coke and coffee, two staples in our house.

Anyhow, I just wanted to share my unhappy/happy food storage score.

Oh, and although I'm shooting for a year's supply, we're not LDS. I always wonder when someone is stocking for a year, if they are LDS or not, so I thought I'd answer that wonder for others. The LDS have great info on food storage, and are so generous with sharing their info.


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## thewaggonerfamily (Oct 13, 2003)

I forgot to ask, whoever was taking the food storage class with Sharon Astyk, would you please post the tasks/challenges for us? If the class is the same cost as her other classes, it is not an option for me.







But I would love to follow along. I love her stuff! Please don't post anything that would infringe on her copyright or anything, just a brief mention of the task like you did earlier or as much as you feel comfortable with.


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## thewaggonerfamily (Oct 13, 2003)

Nobody working of food storage?


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## Purple Sage (Apr 23, 2007)

I can't really start until we move (February 14). I'm just beginning to make a list of foods that I know we use a lot of and will be easy to store.

Would love to hear about the progress others are making, though.


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## jewellz (Jan 8, 2008)

Just waiting for our tax return. Dh has been off for six weeks with no money coming in so have to save this money for bills but when it gets here, grocery planning and shopping we come. I still have to find pails/buckets. Its slow going with a newborn that loves to be up all wee hours of the morning and me having to catch up on sleep during the day. Its hard to do anything. But slowly getting things organized.


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

It's going slow, but I'm working on it.


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

I've been getting my household organized, inventorying what I have, and clearing storage space for food inventory in the process.
Also picking up a couple of extras of staple items at every grocery store trip.

I've figured out some things about food storage in my home

-- my pantry shelves upstairs are wierdly deep, like 2.5 feet deep. It is one of those wierd closets that get built as an afterthought in some houses. This is too big for a kitchen pantry -- food gets lost in there. So I think I'm going to fill up the back foot of the pantry with drinking water storage and MAYBE some bulk food, and put food for current rotation in the front where I can see it

-I can make salsa and pizza sauce, but unless it is my fresh salsa that can only be made with fresh veggies in the summer, my family MUCH prefers the cheapest store brands.







: So I'm giving up canning/freezing salsa and pizza sauce and saving some time and energy stocking up on store brands. Going to try making homemade ketchup out of my surplus frozen tomatoes, wish me luck that they like it!

--canned and frozen fruit in all forms including jam is what my family uses up first and most enthusiastically, so I should concentrate on preserving fruit as the most effective and cost effective home food storage project next summer.

--I need to think of canning a couple of jars at a time to preserve garden veggies and leftovers more effectively, instead of the monster canning projects. Right now, I put them in the freezer and that takes up too much room.

-- I want to grow and store more potatoes this coming summer as we are eating more, so I'll be figuring out some options. We don't have a garage, a cool basement, or a good space for a root cellar, so the simplest would be asking for room for some boxes in my sister's triple-car garage. She and her husband have been interested in food storage, so I want to talk to them about combining resources in some areas anyway.

Garage sale list--

--containers for drinking water storage, esp collapsable water carriers for camping.
--canning jars of all kinds, especially larger than a quart for water/dry good storage

I have a question --

any problem reusing plastic 1.25 gallon vinegar jugs for drinking water storage? They fit so nicely on the shelves


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## mhaddon (Aug 25, 2007)

This is a wonderful idea. Right now we are having a very rough time and thankfully we had a lot put back. Not as much as past years, but still. We are only having to spend around $80 every 2 weeks for a family of 4 adults and 2 kids that eat (DD is EBF still)

We are lucky enough to live on a farm. My DH and I were planning what to do w/ the tax check and we have decided that chickens are on our list, sheep, and the seeds for our garden this year. I am going to list our plan for everyone to see.

What we have (resources now)

We raise pigs so we always have pork for fresh meat
We have some cows so we have about 2 beef to butcher every year
We are able to hunt and usually have venision, rabbit, and squirel.
We raise butcher rabitts, but need to find a few more to finish out
We have plenty of land to grow on.
We trade out grain from the crops to feed our animals with
We have a few of the very large water holders that are the size of our truck bed
We have well water so a generator will provide us w/ fresh water.
Means to heat house w/ firewood if needed

What we will be getting/doing this year

We are buying a herd of sheep
A milk goat
Chickens- for eggs and to butcher (a lot of them)
I would like a horse to have (last on list)
We are building a large root cellar this spring)
We will be putting out around 3 acres of garden
We are planting on orchard for fruits as well
Our generator was stolen so we will be getting a new one to run our freezers if something was to happen.
We are going to start storing things like sugar, cooking oil, and other essentials that we will not make/grow









We already have an area set up to store canned foods and we currently have 3 freezers to store food in. We have been canning for a while









So what things will everyone be making on their own??

And no we are not LDS either, we are just striving to live off our farm and be self sufficent







We also prefer fresh foods.


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Aubergine68* 
I've been getting my household organized, inventorying what I have, and clearing storage space for food inventory in the process.
Also picking up a couple of extras of staple items at every grocery store trip.

I've figured out some things about food storage in my home

-- my pantry shelves upstairs are wierdly deep, like 2.5 feet deep. It is one of those wierd closets that get built as an afterthought in some houses. This is too big for a kitchen pantry -- food gets lost in there. So I think I'm going to fill up the back foot of the pantry with drinking water storage and MAYBE some bulk food, and put food for current rotation in the front where I can see it

-I can make salsa and pizza sauce, but unless it is my fresh salsa that can only be made with fresh veggies in the summer, my family MUCH prefers the cheapest store brands.







: So I'm giving up canning/freezing salsa and pizza sauce and saving some time and energy stocking up on store brands. Going to try making homemade ketchup out of my surplus frozen tomatoes, wish me luck that they like it!

--canned and frozen fruit in all forms including jam is what my family uses up first and most enthusiastically, so I should concentrate on preserving fruit as the most effective and cost effective home food storage project next summer.

--I need to think of canning a couple of jars at a time to preserve garden veggies and leftovers more effectively, instead of the monster canning projects. Right now, I put them in the freezer and that takes up too much room.

-- I want to grow and store more potatoes this coming summer as we are eating more, so I'll be figuring out some options. We don't have a garage, a cool basement, or a good space for a root cellar, so the simplest would be asking for room for some boxes in my sister's triple-car garage. She and her husband have been interested in food storage, so I want to talk to them about combining resources in some areas anyway.

Garage sale list--

--containers for drinking water storage, esp collapsable water carriers for camping.
--canning jars of all kinds, especially larger than a quart for water/dry good storage

I have a question --

any problem reusing plastic 1.25 gallon vinegar jugs for drinking water storage? They fit so nicely on the shelves









It's funny that you mention making your own salsa because I have been doing this lately and it is coming out great but DH prefers Tostitos brand







(I blame it on his mother







).

I have been using the big vinegar jugs for water storage, they're great







. The vinegar smell is easy to wash out.

One of Sharon Astyk's blogs this week has some great links for making your own ketchups, mustards, and chutneys along with eating seasonally. http://sharonastyk.com/2009/01/22/condimental/


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mhaddon* 
This is a wonderful idea. Right now we are having a very rough time and thankfully we had a lot put back. Not as much as past years, but still. We are only having to spend around $80 every 2 weeks for a family of 4 adults and 2 kids that eat (DD is EBF still)

We are lucky enough to live on a farm. My DH and I were planning what to do w/ the tax check and we have decided that chickens are on our list, sheep, and the seeds for our garden this year. I am going to list our plan for everyone to see.

What we have (resources now)

We raise pigs so we always have pork for fresh meat
We have some cows so we have about 2 beef to butcher every year
We are able to hunt and usually have venision, rabbit, and squirel.
We raise butcher rabitts, but need to find a few more to finish out
We have plenty of land to grow on.
We trade out grain from the crops to feed our animals with
We have a few of the very large water holders that are the size of our truck bed
We have well water so a generator will provide us w/ fresh water.
Means to heat house w/ firewood if needed

What we will be getting/doing this year

We are buying a herd of sheep
A milk goat
Chickens- for eggs and to butcher (a lot of them)
I would like a horse to have (last on list)
We are building a large root cellar this spring)
We will be putting out around 3 acres of garden
We are planting on orchard for fruits as well
Our generator was stolen so we will be getting a new one to run our freezers if something was to happen.
We are going to start storing things like sugar, cooking oil, and other essentials that we will not make/grow









We already have an area set up to store canned foods and we currently have 3 freezers to store food in. We have been canning for a while









So what things will everyone be making on their own??

And no we are not LDS either, we are just striving to live off our farm and be self sufficent







We also prefer fresh foods.

Wow...can I come live you? It sounds like you're pretty much all set.


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *honeydee* 

I have been using the big vinegar jugs for water storage, they're great







. The vinegar smell is easy to wash out.

One of Sharon Astyk's blogs this week has some great links for making your own ketchups, mustards, and chutneys along with eating seasonally. http://sharonastyk.com/2009/01/22/condimental/

Thanks! And especially for the recipe link.

My dad used to lament the passing of the pickle as a food staple. When he was a kid, everyone had lots of relishes/pickles /sauces that they'd make at home from the garden and serve up through the winter.

I'm hoping to revive some of that custom....if I could only get my family hooked on the taste of a condiment that doesn't come from the store!


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Aubergine68* 

I'm hoping to revive some of that custom....if I could only get my family hooked on the taste of a condiment that doesn't come from the store!

Would be nice, wouldn't it?


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I'm so very glad to see that this thread is moving along on it's own.
There are plenty of threads on Mothering that deal with food storage, but this one is the only one (that I know of) that is a challenge thread for food storage.







:

I wanted to issue a new challenge, something that Sharon Astyk started on her blog last year. Take a look at my blog to see the challenge, which deals with adding a new skill, or planting, harvesting or storing something new/different every day.

Also, while I'm at it, I wanted to share some of the things I'm doing, towards my challenge. I used to make yogurt in the microwave, and at that I had on and off again results. Our family eats so much of the Stonyfields Farms yogurt (ymmmmy Banilla and plain old yogurt with the cream on top). So I choose to relearn to make yogurt. I failed miserably the first time and wasted about 2 quarts of milk.







My dad always made me get back on my horse when I took a fall as a little girl, and so I started the next morning with yogurt making, and this time it went VERY well. I ended up with two yummy quarts of creamy and firm yogurt. The kids were so excited about it because they were too young to remember my yogurt making attempts in the past. The couldn't believe I could make something so good. Ha ha!

So, my plan is to make 2 quarts of yogurt weekly, and I'll probably do that on Mondays.

Also, I have heard so much about the No Knead Bread, that I finally searched it on the internet and found a great video on youtube which shows this technique. If you'd like to try it too, check this out. 



 Just realize that I am using whole wheat to make my bread, and it doesn't form the pockets inside the bread like the white flour does. It still rises, and it's still really good. You store it at room temp and let it rise for 12 to 13 hours, then take it out, flatten it and let it rise for 2 to 3 more. My kids love this bread. So I hope you can let us know some of your new skills that you are picking up. What's next for me??? I need to get my sewing machine repaired, because my next plan is to cut up the kids old jeans into patches, to repair their newer, but torn jeans.

Thanks for hanging in here with me and I'm very excited about all of this. Keep on working on the first challenge (basic food challenge) as you add the second challenge. It won't seem so difficult once you get going.

My blog link is in my siggy.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Honeydee,

Have you tried making kimchee? I'm going to try to make a basic kimchee, and try it on my kids. They already are willing to eat Indian pickles (chutneys too). I thought if they like kimchee, then that is another thing I can store this summer, and it would be part of my garden planning.

I think I'm going to make a jar or two this week, and try it out on the kids.
And while I'm at it, I LOVE beets, so I think I'm going to play around with some recipes for canned beats, and if the kids don't like it, that's more for me.


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## kriket (Nov 25, 2007)

I added an 8pk pf paper towels (DHs sinful pleasure







) and a hug pack and 3 four packs of TP.

If anyone is interested you can get 4 packs of TP free from Kroger with a coupon on the cottonelle website


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Kricket,

Thanks for the heads up on the TP. I haven't added it yet, but plan to start that soon. I buy 48 rolls a month, and we don't always use them all. So we already have a few left over each month, towards our storage. I learned too well, the time that all four of us got the stomach flu at the same time. I had to send my just-getting-well son over to the neighbors to borrow a roll!









The Wagoneer Family and everyone,

I can't tell you enough how good the food storage class was. Now, they have the garden planning class going, and Sharon (as of yesterday) still had a few spots left. I think they are $100 per spot.

Normally, she had 2 or 3 spots that are for low income folks, and that means no charge folks. She doesn't have any of those for the current class, but in August she will have another food storage class, and she will take a few low income folks. If you are interested in her classes, you should get in touch with her to let her know.

An Article about extending the growing season....I've got an excellent article by Nancy Humphrey Case that I'd be happen to share if anyone is interested in it. Just email me at Indiamommy at yahoo dot com.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Hi everyone,

As food storage junkies, what do you do when a junk attack happens? I was at the grocery today and I had a VERY hard time ignoring all the sugary treats. I'd stay off of that aisle, but it has the crackers I like, on the same aisle.

I don't recall this happening to me before, not like this.

So for do you store anything like that? When I got home, I really wish that I had found the largest chocolate bar to bring home. Then I could have shaved it and put it on something. I'm really trying to imagine living from my storage foods, when I develop cravings like this.

So, my weakness is exposed!


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## KariM (Mar 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
Hi everyone,

As food storage junkies, what do you do when a junk attack happens? I was at the grocery today and I had a VERY hard time ignoring all the sugary treats. I'd stay off of that aisle, but it has the crackers I like, on the same aisle.

I don't recall this happening to me before, not like this.

So for do you store anything like that? When I got home, I really wish that I had found the largest chocolate bar to bring home. Then I could have shaved it and put it on something. I'm really trying to imagine living from my storage foods, when I develop cravings like this.

So, my weakness is exposed!









We have what we call morale storage.







I store baking supplies that would allow me to bake sugary treats. We also store hard candies and chocolate. Chocolate stores well in the right temperature conditions for several months. If you don't mind a little bloom (those white spots) it can store even longer.

Ever wonder why military MREs have chocolate? It's not just for the calories!


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I buy snacks in bulk from my co-op. Mostly, to keep DS occupied on car trips, so mostly Annies' bunnies (choc, cinnamon, & cheddar). But I too also have lots of wheat to grind into flour, lots of sugar and such to bake with as wanted/needed. I have thought of stock piling choc chips... but haven't done so. Yet. Mostly cause' I know they'd be *WAY* too tempting for me sitting down there. I LOVE choc chips just plain. MMmmm!!


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KariM* 
We have what we call morale storage.







I store baking supplies that would allow me to bake sugary treats. We also store hard candies and chocolate. Chocolate stores well in the right temperature conditions for several months. If you don't mind a little bloom (those white spots) it can store even longer.

Ever wonder why military MREs have chocolate? It's not just for the calories!









Yup, morale storage is very important. I think I remember one of Sharon Astyk's blog posts mentioning this. It's ok to pick up some junk once in a while because it can boost your spirits and make things feel a little more "normal" if you are in a dire situation.

And OMG I love plain chocolate chips too! Just right out of the bag is fine with me.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I love it! I'm going to shop tomarrow, for a little "Moral Storage". This will definately help me as I stretch every dollar and every morsel of the other things stored!









Thanks!


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Someone was asking if I could post some of Sharon Astyk's "homework" and ideas from her class. She said it is okay to do so.

The following are her simple assignments. Everyone moves at different paces, so she did one each Friday. Also, she posted topics to her blog for things we were talking about in the group each week. If you are interested, go back and read all of January's blog posts, which coresponded with her class on food storage. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with the reading. Frankly I'm still reading and rereading.

I'll post all the topics which I thought were very helping in planning, implementing and creating food storage, and I'll also share recipes ect that were brought up in the group.

Food Storage Class Assignments:

Try something new:
For this weekend the homework is the same as last weekend (and yes, it
can run into next week if your weekends are booked) - pick a project,
a step you'd like to take, a new technique you'd like to try, and do
it. Try not to pick something that will make you crazy with
frustration or that you won't get done - if you don't think you can
spend more than 15 minutes, well, pick something that takes 15 minutes.

Living the food storage diet:
Hey folks - ok, one of today's subjects is finding the balance between
quantity and quality ;-) - that is, for some people, eating out of your
pantry means real dietary shifts, and those can be tough. If, for
example, you mostly eat fresh foods, particularly meats, dairy products
and fresh vegetables, this eating preserved and seasonal foods can be
tough in the off season. It helps if you check out the links I
included on root cellaring and season extension, of course, but what
are your concerns about dietary shifts?

Coping with large quanities of grains:

What I usually do is this - I get most of my grains
packaged in large lined paper sacks, but they occasionally come in
burlap, nylon or plastic bags of some sort. I usually dump them into
the bins (this is easier with help), put in the 02 absorbers and
diatomaceous earth.

In all the time I've been buying in bulk, I've had pantry moths
several times, but not from bulk foods, generally. So I've gotten
kind of lax about freezing. But you absolutely can. You probably
don't want to put a five gallon bucket in your freezer - you might
find it easier to take the bag and repackage into plastic (I've used
big freezer bags, that can then be reused over and over again for the
same purpose) or wrap the bag of, say oats in plastic, and then
freeze it.

Spices, Condiments and Sauces:

When you eat a diet that is built at least in part around the staple
foods we're storing, the value of high quality seasoning, condiments
and sauces becomes self evident. A little highly seasoned food
alongside a larger quantity of a starch really makes the difference
between bland and terrific.

Are there any particular ones your family relies on? Any you'd like to
learn to make yourself? Are there herbs and spices you grow or store?

Life of Spices:

They never really spoil, but they do lose their flavor and potency
after about year. You can extend it by keeping them in airtight
containers, away from light and heat (ie, not over the stove). On
the other hand, whole cinnamon sticks and peppercorns last a long
time, so if you have a means of grinding them, this is much more
effective.

Mushroom Growing
www.fungiperfecti.com - they are a great source

KimChee Recipe

There are a lot of kinds of kimchi - not all
are hot. I'll give you a sort of a classic recipe, but there are many
more out there - www.wildfermentation.com has several, and I'm sure
there are tens of thousands out there. In Korea, kimchi is served with
every meal, including breakfast - we're not quite that extreme (except
when I'm pregnant ;-)), but we eat a lot of it.

What I do is cut up some greens - napa would be the most traditional,
but I like a lot of different greens. Some shredded roots are good
too - daikon, turnip, carrot. But really whatever you want. Wash the
greens and submerge them in water to cover which is a ratio of 1 tsp
salt to 1 quart of water (ie, if you have enough greens to need four
quarts to cover...). Soak overnight, with a plate or other cover ontop
and weighted down to press the kimchi down.

The next day, drain the greens and reserve the liquid. In the bottom
of a quart sized mason jar, put as much hot chile pepper (you can buy
the traditional sort at korean grocers or use cayenne - you can get
seeds for kimchi peppers from www.evergreenseeds.com) as you like, and
if it is very warm out, another 1/4 tsp salt (it is better to use non-
iodized salt for all of this, for reasons of color and texture, but
iodized will work if necessary), and as much ginger and garlic as you
like (we like lots) minced up fine. You can also add scallions, garlic
chives or whatever you like really. Stuff the greens into the jar,
packing fairly tightly but leaving a solid inch of headspace. Add a
bit more chile if you like it, and then put liquid (reserved) in to
cover.

Put a double canning lid on, tightly enough that it stays on, but not
screwed on super tightly (or the jar will explode from fermenting
gasses), and ferment at room temperature, tasting after the first few
days, until it reaches the desired sourness. Then refrigerate or put
in a cool place. It will ferment a lot faster in warm weather, so
watch it carefully if your house is warm.

Sharon's Favorite Homemade Ketchup:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...Ketchup-109037

Medical Issues, Food Storage and Special Needs:

Some material on this subject:

Storing medications:http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/25/storing-medicines-
and-other-options/

Food storage for the elderly and medically
fragile:http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/26/fo...r-elderly-and-
medically-fragile-people/

Food storage with infants and pregnant women:
http://sharonastyk.com/2008/03/25/fo...regnant-women-
infants-and-young-children/

Ok, so what are you concerned about? Special diets? Medications?

Medication for those with chronic conditions:

I really recommend people read the medications post I linked to
initially, which covers something of the range of options available
to people dependent on medications.

If you can afford it, you should probably stockpile a reserve. You
will want to contact the pharmaceutical company for its sense of how
long the pressurization will last - most drugs don't actually expire
when companies say - they have every incentive to expire them
quickly, so that they can be replaced with new. However, a few drugs
to lose potency or even develop toxicity after extended storage, so
ask what the issues are with expiration. Generally speaking, things
are fine even 10+ years - slightly diminished potency. Antibiotics
have been used as much as 40 years after production in some cases.
But again, do your research.

One useful alternative are citizen's groups that work with doctors,
pharmaceutical companies and local governments to assure medication
availability - but I alway suggest multiple options - the "belt and
braces" approach.

Will People Take Your Food?

I know we discussed this earlier in the class, but I thought it was
worth bringing up again, since it comes up all the time. In the AIP
class we tend to talk about security issues, but they are relevant to
food storage. My own feeling is that for most of us, common sense is
going to be sufficient.

Any thoughts or worries about this?

http://sharonastyk.com/2009/01/29/wo...ake-your-food-
storage-away-anyway/

Solar Food Dryer:

This is the one I have - it really depends on your climate - in dry
warm places, you can just set things out on screens (covered with
something food safe). This one is designed for humid climates,
where avoiding mold is important:
http://www.manytracks.com/Homesteadi...rFoodDryer.htm

Various Wheat Flours and Differences:

What's the difference between hard white whole wheat flour, hard
red whole wheat flour and just plain whole red wheat flour?

Well, hard wheats are good for bread making - they have a lot of
gluten. Soft wheats are better for pastry making. That said, you
can use either, but if you want to bake bread, you'll probably want
a hard wheat. White vs. Red is a personal preference - I use both -
the red makes a browner, slightly heartier bread, the white (I buy
prairie gold) makes a lighter colored, slightly lighter textured
bread. My guess is whole red wheat without the word "hard" in front
of it is a soft or medium wheat - a medium would be good for both
bread and pastry, a little less gluten than the hard stuff.

> And what is graham flour? Can you use it as you regularly use
flour?

Graham flour is yet another kind of whole wheat flour, made by a
somewhat unusual technique - they seperate out the interior kernel,
and make white flour by grinding it finely, then they take the bran
and germ and grind it much more coarsely - what you get is a
different texture than whole wheat flour, which its creator
(Sylvester Graham inventor of the Graham Cracker) believed was
better for you. You can bake bread with it, but its texture will be
dense - flatbreads, crackers and pastry are easier. I like the
stuff, and because of the seperation of the two parts, it keeps a
little longer than regular whole wheat flour.

Cottage Industry:

http://sharonastyk.com/2009/01/27/fo...tage-industry/

Anyone here have thoughts about how they might use these skills to
make a supplemental income?

Putting It All Together:

1. List 1 full week's worth of menus that you and the people in your
house will eat. Include breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. The
trick? They have to be things that you can make from storage/root
cellar/home preserved/season extended garden.

2. Sit down and list all the ingredients you'd use. Take a look at
your pantry and see which you have and which you don't and what you
might want to do about that - you could substitute, you could
purchase and store an ingredient, or you could shift your menu.

Some of you may already have done this, but when you are finished,
you are likely to find that you've got a solid backbone for your
food storage - a lot of us eat the same 14 meals all the time ;-).
BTW, they don't all have to be different - if you eat oatmeal or
granola for breakfast every day, that's no problem - it just means
you need a lot of oats or the components of granola.

I hope some of these topics helped. I've joined the "post-food storage group", and should anything interesting come up, I'll share it.


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## Purple Sage (Apr 23, 2007)

Thank you for posting all of that!


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna;13150705Sharon's Favorite Homemade Ketchup:

[url*
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Homemade-Ketchup-109037[/url]


Thanks so much! Especially for the link to the ketchup recipe.

I am going to make some this afternoon, but with frozen instead of canned tomatoes.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Aubergine,

Did you make ketchup from that recipe??? I'd be curious to know how it turned out, and also how much volume you got. I still have some ketchup in my food storage, quite a bit actually, but I'd be very interested in making it so I know wht goes into it.

Lemongrass,

You're welcome!

I know this is a bit of a cross post between groups here on MDC, but I was wondering who is blogging about their food storage here? I'm doing so, and would love to have some visitors to my blog (come on in and have a cup of chai!).

My blog is on my siggy!


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## KariM (Mar 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
I love it! I'm going to shop tomarrow, for a little "Moral Storage". This will definately help me as I stretch every dollar and every morsel of the other things stored!









Thanks!


I read your blog and wanted to gently correct your word usage.







It's not moral, but morale. Morale has to do with one's psychological well-being. How "up" your spirits are, so to speak.

Moral, on the other hand, has to do with principles of correct behavior.

The two are quite different. I wasn't speaking of moral food storage.

I was speaking of foods that we can store that can help keep our spirits up - keep us happy.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Hi Kari,

I've got the spelling corrected, and the connotation removed about "moral" food storage. Thanks!


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Check out my new-to-me canning jars (blog is in siggy).

I'm thinking about where I'm going to put all these jars. I live on
a fault line, which is fairly active. Within 100 to 150 miles from here, we are hearing about earthquakes which are getting registered on the earthquake measurement website.

Our kitchen is full of cabinets (wall cabinets) which I could empty and put the jars in. But because I'm living on a fault line, I'm worried I would loose these during a tremor. I also thought about storing them under the cabinet, but wouldn't be able to get all of them in the under cabinet shelves.

Because several of the jars are valuable, I will store those carefully.

Where do you store your canning jars?


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

Great score -- 126 canning jars, wow!

I have the book Stocking Up and have used it well for about a decade now. A wonderful reference.

I have been buying a case or two of new jars every year for a few years now. I use the cardboard boxes the jars come in, with strips of cardboard separating each jar from each other to prevent breakage. They stack well about 4 boxes high and fit efficiently in my pantry storage area and I label the outside of the boxes so I know what is in them. As I use the jars, the empties go back into the boxes, ready for next fall.

I plan to be garage saling for more jars this spring and I'll probably just keep using sturdy cardboard boxes and maybe wrap each jar in a cylinder of cardboard before putting it in a case. I tend to do batches of a dozen jars or so at one time anyway, so they will fill a box.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

These jars came in their original boxes, but they were full of spiders, roaches and more. It was a nasty mess to go through, and I really felt that I didn't want to introduce these creepy crawlies into my own house.

So I tossed the boxes and carried all 126 of the jars home in my van, without boxes. It was the strangest clinking in my van on the way home. I guess I could just get some new boxes to put them in.

I'm looking forward to using Stocking Up. I called my dad to tell him about my great find, and he said he was going to order a Farmer's Almanac (for gardening) for me. I was his canning buddy when he experimented with canning. We did pickling, and we made butter. I have no doubt that he was happy to hear about my new adventure into canning for this summer. Everyone I talk to who has learned canning from a parent, learned it from their mother. I don't know anyone who learned from their father. It's very cool actually.

Jyotsna


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## Dabble (Jun 14, 2007)

I'm subbing and hoping to see this thread kept alive - I've read through it and learned a lot already! Lots of great info and links contained here, and I think it could become a valuable resource for others looking to store food.

One of my biggest hold-ups with stockpiling is the fear of infestation, mainly by pantry moths, as we've had them in the past. I LOVE the gamma lids - didn't realize such a thing was available! That would make me feel a lot more secure about having large quantities of flour and grains on hand.


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
Aubergine,

Did you make ketchup from that recipe??? I'd be curious to know how it turned out, and also how much volume you got. I still have some ketchup in my food storage, quite a bit actually, but I'd be very interested in making it so I know wht goes into it.
!

I did!

I used tomatoes that I stuck in the freezer at the end of the growing season, instead of tinned ones. I cooked them a bit and then decided to triple the recipe based on the amount I had. The proportions were a little off for the flavors. It ended up a little sweet tasting compared to say, Heinz, -- maybe the tomatoes were higher in natural sugars than canned? Or maybe I should use vine-ripened rather than ripened in a cardboard box after the first frost.

But the ketchup is very yummy. I am eating it happily, and so is one of the little boys in my life, but the others say it is too different.

I got about 5 pints.

There is another ketchup recipe posted in the thread on corn syrup here that looks really good. I'll try that one another time.

I need to find one based on pounds of tomatoes rather than cans to really suit my needs, I think!


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## krankedyann (May 28, 2005)

Ladies, I just want to encourage you to keep pounding away at gathering your storage, bit by bit, chunk by chunk.

My husband came home recently to announce that his company laid off half of their employees, and the other half (including him) would be receiving a 20% pay cut AND a reduction in hours for at least two months, maybe longer. IF the company stays open. It has dropped my food budget to $125 a month, and we have food allergies to contend with! I can't go to a food pantry and take anything they offer me.

I consider it a huge blessing that I had some food in storage before this happened. I now use my whole grains and my grain mill to make a different porridge every morning for breakfast. If I didn't have that and basic staples like salt, baking soda, some meat and butter in the freezer, I'd be scrambling to afford just enough food to get us by, and we'd likely be eating two meals a day.

Keep plugging along! It's worth the effort!


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

s, krankedyann I am glad that you have found some security on this path...hope your family finds general financial security again soon.

Question: How long do you have to freeze grains/flour for and at what temp range?

There is a sale on the flour I usually buy and we are having a cold snap this week (between 20 and minus 10 F.) Can I just buy a bunch and put it in a rubbermaid in my back yard for a few days and consider any bugs done for?


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## JoyfamMama (Feb 17, 2009)

Hi Guys! I'm in. My DH recently told me this is something he wants up to do. I was kinda overwhelmed at first, but just trying to take it one thing at a time. I don't know many people here yet, since I just moved here, but I found out last week that our pastor's wife, whom I am getting very close to, also has plans to do some major storing up. Neither one of us was brave enough to tell the other at first, though, for fear of being thought "crazy"!! LOL.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
KariM,

Can you tell me how you can your soups? I often make a double batch of soup, and freeze half. I'd like to can half instead, and see how it turns out. Can you give me some links on canning soup, or is it basically just like canning veggies??

Thanks. I'm interested in canning everything I can. LOL

Jyotsna, since I didn't see an answer to your question, I though I'd answer it. You MUST process (either by hot water bath, or pressure canning) whatever soup you make according to the ingredient with the LONGEST time (as if you were canning that ingredient separately) . For example, meat takes the longest. So, if you are canning chili - go with the time for beef, not the tomatoes, onions, or anything else. Hope that makes sense.

I've canned a LOT of soups, seasoned beans, condensed soups (like cream of mushroom, cream of potato, cream of celery), chili, etc before and had really, really good success. I'd be glad to share recipes with anyone who wants them. I'm growing a huge garden this year, and will be canning tons of stuff, as well as turning it into the above pre-made things (thinking of power outages/shortages - it takes while to cook dried beans, but just a few min. to heat them up, or even could be eaten cold).

I'd also really like to get a supply of things like Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Worcestershire sauce, vinegars (balsamic is my fav!), even hot sauce, etc. which would really help with turning bland foods into something that actually tastes like things used to. Makes me sad to think of it.

Anyway, just full of ideas


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

JoyFamMama,

Thanks for the information. I'll have to can some leftover soups soon, just to see.

I'm excited to be moving into my third month of bulk buying. I stopped by the place where I was going to get some buckets, and they had just tossed them out yesterday! They had saved 60 buckets and lids! So, they have my name and they will be saving about 10 for me over the next few days, then they will call me.

I had thought about how many people could have gotten buckets if only they hadn't tossed them.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Okay, for March, I've got two challenges for you!

1. Begin gathering seeds if you haven't already. Let us know what seeds you have, and which seeds you need. What are your gardening plans for this spring? Can you do spring gardening where you live? What's the planting date in your area for your very first spring plantings?

2. Second bulk storage purchase. Time to purchase your second bulk item for your storage. Do you eat rice? Do you have enough for the next 2 to 3 months? Or do you enjoy baking? If so, do you know where to buy wheat? Either way, scope out the place where you will buy your next bulk purchase. I'm focusing on wheat in March. Also cans of tomatoes, since we use SO MANY of them.

Okay, so you have some storage containers, you're planning your next bulk purchase, and you are well on your way to completing your next food storage challenge. If you see other things you need, and you have the extra money, why not go ahead and buy another bulk item? For those with limited income, you will want to just focus on ONE bulk item at a time.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1044294

AmyAmanda started a good thread, which asks many great questions. I suggest you check it out and try to answer some of the questions.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I have found the cutest granny, who has a series of videos demonstrating her "depression cooking". 




I just watched the fig cookie video, and I have got to make those. They look so delicious. Only thing is that I would use butter instead of lard.

I've watched almost all of the videos this afternoon, and I wish I had a Grandma Clara at my house.


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## JoyfamMama (Feb 17, 2009)

We just had her peppers and eggs for breakfast this morning. Yum, Yum! She's so adorable. Thanks for sharing, Jyotsna


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

THanks for the link to the depression cooking, Jyotsna. I only have one day this week on computer, but I have GOT to find the time to sit down and watch those!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
Okay, for March, I've got two challenges for you!

1. Begin gathering seeds if you haven't already. Let us know what seeds you have, and which seeds you need. What are your gardening plans for this spring? Can you do spring gardening where you live? What's the planting date in your area for your very first spring plantings?
Our last frost date here is the third week of May -- though I have a spot next to our house on the south side that is very sheltered and will grow spinach, etc in April, usually. It is too early here to even plant seedlings indoors, yet!

My gardening task right now is to get out some pieces of black tarp that I cut to fit my gardening beds and anchor them over the beds. I have a theory that I can thaw the ground faster. I also have a plan for making a cold frame out of cardboard, tinfoil and plastic that I have on hand and will see what I can do about getting some greens going. (If you Google "cardboard cold frame" you get lots of ideas for improvising one - too many to list.)

It is definitly time to plan the garden, though. I have bought seeds and have some left from last year. I bought heritage varieties because I want to save seeds from more plants this year. My sister and her dh have a greenhouse built onto their garage and they grow seedlings for me. I have to make a list of what we want and find out what supplies (pots/potting soil) they will need from me for this.[/COLOR]

2. Second bulk storage purchase. Time to purchase your second bulk item for your storage. Do you eat rice? Do you have enough for the next 2 to 3 months? Or do you enjoy baking? If so, do you know where to buy wheat? Either way, scope out the place where you will buy your next bulk purchase. I'm focusing on wheat in March. Also cans of tomatoes, since we use SO MANY of them.

I would love to try buying and grinding grains for breadmaking, but am not there right now.

I am researching water storage containers and water purifiers. I am looking for something that will work for camping and also for home emergency storage. We do have a little on hand and I'm reusing containers for water, but a lot of irregular-sized containers don't stack easily and make poor use of limited storage space, ykwim?

What I've been concentrating on is buying 1 or 2 extras of non-perishable or slow-perishing products we usually use on regular shopping trips to have an inventory on hand. We have extras on hand of our favorite kinds of salsa, hard cheese, brown rice, flour, sugars, honey, cereal, butter, lard, taco chips, raisins, apples....

The one thing I have bought for true food storage purposes that I wouldn't otherwise use is shelf-stable milk, both soymilk in tetrapacks and canned evaporated milk. I do use a little of this rarely for the kids when we travel or go camping, but usually I have to pay close attention to expiry dates and make sure it is rotated properly.

My dh and I have been using dried mint and chamomile and other herbs from our garden last year more often instead of coffee and tea that we can't grow ourselves - and enjoying it!

Spring is egg season. The farmers markets here have a glut of eggs in spring and it is the only time we can get them at the market at a price that rivals supermarket eggs. I know there are ways other than refrigeration to preserve eggs. Something about waxing the shells or a brine solution?
Here is a link that looks useful. Maybe this is the year I will experiment with that.


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## PlayaMama (Apr 1, 2007)

i'm loving this thread!!









not much for me to add right now, i feel like such a beginner in this realm, i've consistently been trying to eat our pantry down to save money







and really, we do have a little bit extra so why not stock up on things that won't go bad?

i'm getting some buckets and gamma lids next month and planning on a larger than normal azure order. i love azure standard!! whatever is on sale, canned tomatoes, veggie broth, pasture butter







:...

i'm hoping to convince my mom to bring up a chest freezer for me when she comes up for a visit at the end of this month. it's free for her in exchange for some lamb she gave the owner of a restaurant so it would just need to be loaded in her truck or van and brought up here.

it would increase our storage a LOT! since out fridge is rather small.

i'm saving fir a grain mill by may and i think i'll stock up on grains after i get that. i'll probably start a new thread but i'm trying to decide between a family grain mill and the country life, any experiences either way??


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## not now (Mar 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
Okay, for March, I've got two challenges for you!

1. Begin gathering seeds if you haven't already. Let us know what seeds you have, and which seeds you need. What are your gardening plans for this spring? Can you do spring gardening where you live? What's the planting date in your area for your very first spring plantings?

For seeds we have: pole beans, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini squash, watermelons, cantelope (sp?), spinach, soy beans, corn, cucumbers, kale, onions, peas, sugar snap peas, peppers, roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, basil, catnip, cilantro and stevia.

In the ground now: broccoli, mixed leaf lettuce. The lettuce is producing tons but the broccoli is still growing.

In the ground since past years: strawberries, dwarf lemon tree, three blueberry trees, asian pears, apple tree, nectarine, green/red grapes and a ginormous artichoke.

I don't know planting dates. I pick the fruits/veggies and the man figures out the rest. I know the peas have to go in soon and that we have starters growing in kitchen window that are already sprouting.

Quote:

2. Second bulk storage purchase. Time to purchase your second bulk item for your storage. Do you eat rice? Do you have enough for the next 2 to 3 months? Or do you enjoy baking? If so, do you know where to buy wheat? Either way, scope out the place where you will buy your next bulk purchase. I'm focusing on wheat in March. Also cans of tomatoes, since we use SO MANY of them.
Bulk storage is my weak spot since I don't have tons of room in the house and (due to summer heat and the man's woodworking tools) not much can go in the garage. Basements are rare in my part of the country. I am trying to talk him into a chest freezer that would fit in the garage. I saw one at Costco for around $200. My uncle always buys whole cows and pigs and is always on the lookout for someone to take half.

I'm ok on canned goods but should probably pick up some more. As far as bulk food storage goes, my grandmother was the queen of bulk storage. Now that she's demented and recovering from a heart attack my mom (who takes care of her full-time) is using up her stash so the house can be sold. Grandma will be living with my aunt who has her own food storage. I'm taking as many of her bins, cans and whatnot as I can.

Once I figure out the container situation I'll make big purchases at both Costco and Winco (great bulk area).


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Hi there, we orderd most all of our seeds a couple months ago, so we're set for that. A couple weeks ago now my dad got his first batch of lettuce/greens/spinach started and they're all looking good. Then last weekend we got 2 flats (so 48 total) broccoli plants started, and they too are looking fantastic. I think out of 48 cells planted only 3 don't have anything coming up, and we can easily move a couple others around







Once we get all this stuff either planted or in peat pots (depending on the weather) here in a few more weeks, we'll be starting our tomatoes & peppers and such









This month, I'm ordering long grain rice, as I'm nearly out (25#) and *attempting* sucanat *again*!!! One of these days that stuff just HAS to come in, right???







Oh, and more garlic granules (we're on our last 1# bag. I swear, we go through more bloody garlic granules than most people would believe was humanly possible!!)


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Aubergine,

You are SO welcome. She is just the cutest grandma! (great grandma I think). And to be so clear at her age, in my opinion, is a sign of the way she ate. She said they ate in small quanities. I'm trying to listen to this. Also, perhaps having community may be the number one health aspect for her. She has talked about always having people around them. And now she has grandchildren and great grandchildren and all their friends. I think loneliness must be the worst thing for our health.

Hope you enjoy the videos. They are slow, since she is, but if you have a bulk amount of time, it would be worth it just to listen to her talk, and watch her cook.

And I definately check out the cardboard cold frame sites. Sounds like something doable!


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Krankydiann,

I'm sorry I didn't mention earlier...very sorry to hear about your husbands job loss. I'm glad you have a good food storage, and that it will help you until he finds a job. Hang in there. I'm hoping your situation changes very soon.

Playmama, glad you can join us. What is your plan for your chest freezer should you lose electricity? Do you have a generator? Have you thought it might be a good idea to get the generator before filling up the freezer? I'd be very worried if I had it filled, and a weather situation or economic crash caused the electricy to go out, and I wasn't prepared. Just a thought. Good luck with your plans, and it sounds like you have some good ideas.

Not Now and Mamadelbosque,

Which planting regions do you live in? Our planting season for broccoli, spinach and lettuce is just starting. I haven't seen the farmers almanac to see if I can go ahead and plant yet, but we had 5 inches of snow yesterday, and I guess I plan to wait a little bit more before planting. Almost exactly a year ago we had the same type of snow, and then we had our last frost almost 4 weeks later.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

We're starting stuff inside atm, in our basement (my dads big xmas present to himself was a whole setup with a heat pad & 4 lights 4' lights for starting stuff inside). We're in zone 4/5 in NE Ohio, and yeah, we got that nasty big snowstorm last winter too. But my dad usually tries to get his first batch of greens outside by mid-late march and they're OK, and so I figure broccoli should be fine about the same time (all can take a frost, just not a super duper hard one).


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## PJsmomma (Apr 21, 2003)

I've been working on this over the past few months. I always shop with a stockpile in mind anyway. I stock up on things that are on sale.

I'm working towards getting more proteins and canned fruits on the shelf.

How do you store your items?
My biggest thing I need to get moving on is water. What's your best suggestion?

I've been freezing some and putting it in empty spaces in the freezer. I just don't want to save all sorts of water and have it be slimy;0!


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

PJ'sMomma,

I'd be very interested to read the responses to your question about water. That is quite challenging.


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## not now (Mar 12, 2007)

I have no idea what zone I'm in. I live in California's central valley so we can grow almost anything. The temp around here has been low 70's so lots of stuff is blooming.


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

This has changed my food storage plans a lot! I just found it today and it's a goldmine of info. I am so looking into getting a dehydrator (will build a solar one as well, I hope) and doing this. I'll be able to store a whole lot more than I would if I froze/canned it all. http://www.youtube.com/user/Dehydrate2store

She uses a lot of plastic, but I think that's just her. I can't wait to store all the dehydrated foods. We don't eat 'raw' foods much (aka I steam/cook almost everything) so I think this will work with how we eat. I wish I knew how to dehydrate my own butter/milk/eggs/meat. She focuses on fruits & veggies.

As for the Depression Grandma, did you guys watch the newest video "poor man's feast?" Those meat strips were so thin!

Ami


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## JoyfamMama (Feb 17, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JTA Mom* 
As for the Depression Grandma, did you guys watch the newest video "poor man's feast?" Those meat strips were so thin!

Ami

Thanks for the dehydration youtube, and yes I did see the meat was sooo thin. Also, unless I'm mistaken, I think she puts the cooked meat back into the same juice that the raw meat was marinating in.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Hi JTA Mom,

I tried to watch that video, but there were too many things going on at one time. I think it would be hard for me to watch the whole thing. : )

I'm very interested in drying food though, so if you find any more (simple) information, I'd be interested.


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## JTA Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JoyfamMama* 
Thanks for the dehydration youtube, and yes I did see the meat was sooo thin. Also, unless I'm mistaken, I think she puts the cooked meat back into the same juice that the raw meat was marinating in.









Yea, that last part kind of squigged me out. Putting cooked meat back into the same marinade it was soaking in while raw is a big no-no. Ah well, what doesn't kill ya....







:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
Hi JTA Mom,

I tried to watch that video, but there were too many things going on at one time. I think it would be hard for me to watch the whole thing. : )

I'm very interested in drying food though, so if you find any more (simple) information, I'd be interested.









I just watched it to get an idea of what dehydrating food could be like & what using it would be like. The beginning ones are kind of hard to follow, but as you get further into the series it's really eye opening, especially when looking at how much actual food she's put by versus the space they take up. It is amazing to see the tiny dehydrated splinter sized baby carrots turn into full size, plump baby carrots in the stew.







I use her more as a jumping off point, so I'm off to research a good dehydrating book and am saving up for an electric dehydrator. Hopefully I'll be able to make a solar one this summer.

Just for the visual effect, look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOoTw...eature=related

All that food in the jars (which are quart jars) used to be 30lbs of food. And it will be 30lbs again when rehydrated. It really opens up storage possibilities since they are more compact and very lightweight.

I'm just starting out, so I don't know too much about it, but it's definitely piqued my interest.









ETA: Here's an interesting basic food drying site I just found.

Ami


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks for the second video. It definately is amazing how a person could store all that food, in such a small space. I want to check out drying potato. I'm vegetarian, so I know I won't be dealing with fish or meats, but it would be awesome to have 200lbs of veggies dryed and stored in my house. Maybe it would take too long. But little by little, it would be helpful.

I'll have to check out the dehydrators. I'm really interested in perhaps finding instructions on how to make a high quality non-electric dehydrator.

Thanks again.


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

Has anyone tried the Kimche recipe that I posted on here from the Food Storage class?

I've got the ingredients to make it, and I'm going to do it tonight. I'd just love any guidance from those who make this regularly. I really want to try some fermented foods, and the idea of fermenting as a way to store food, really appeals to me.

Jyotsna


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## Jyotsna (Sep 24, 2004)

I hate to see this thread disappear, since so many of you have read it and posted too. So I'm bumping it up. Perhaps it could be earmarked somewhere?

I got some bad news from Whole Foods. The manager told me they couldn't give out any more of the food grade buckets, because the buckets had the "Whole Foods" name on them. Legal issue I guess. Too bad, because I was hoping to pick some up over time. They ARE recycling them, so at least they aren't going to waste. I'm disappointed however, as I have made some plans with some extra buckets I was hoping to pickup. Anyone have other suggestions?

After I put my 25lbs in the storage buckets I had, I realized that it wasn't very much. We depend on rice as a major food source...our major source of carbs. I need to buy another 25lb bag of rice.

J.


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## tightwaderin (Mar 20, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 

I got some bad news from Whole Foods. The manager told me they couldn't give out any more of the food grade buckets, because the buckets had the "Whole Foods" name on them. Legal issue I guess. Too bad, because I was hoping to pick some up over time. They ARE recycling them, so at least they aren't going to waste. I'm disappointed however, as I have made some plans with some extra buckets I was hoping to pickup. Anyone have other suggestions?

J.

I'm sorry you can't get your buckets from them anymore. The whole legal excuse gets old with me. They have something they don't want, you want it. Should be simple enough.

I've been getting my buckets and lids from 2 local grocery stores' bakery departments. They're frosting buckets and while not the 5 gallon size, they do hold a considerable amount. One store's has rubber seals in the lids which I much prefer. I just keep checking back for more when I'm near. I have also heard that delis are a good place to pick up buckets though the pickle smell might hang around for a while.


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jyotsna* 
Has anyone tried the Kimche recipe that I posted on here from the Food Storage class?

I've got the ingredients to make it, and I'm going to do it tonight. I'd just love any guidance from those who make this regularly. I really want to try some fermented foods, and the idea of fermenting as a way to store food, really appeals to me.

Jyotsna

I have no idea how to make kimchee, but thanks for posting the recipe.

I actually went out and bought some kimchee, which I've only ever eaten in restaurants, and I am LOVING having it in my fridge.

My only experiment fermenting cabbage (for sauerkraut) went horribly wrong a few years back. I'd probably be looking for a good youtube tutorial.


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## thewaggonerfamily (Oct 13, 2003)

Wow! This is uch a great thread! I actually have a dehydrator, I need to dig it out and learn to use it. I also water bath can and just got 2 pressure canners. 1 needs a new gasket.
(I'll probably replace the other while I'm at it) and they need their gauges tested, but our extension lost their testing equipment, so I need to go over to next county over to get it tested. I'm a little nervous about explosions, though. Any words of advice? Is it like birth where you hear everyone's horror stories, but its basically no big deal?


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