baymule
Sustainability Master
I don't want to take up my already limited refrigerator room. It is not a big one, had to fit the mobile home space. So I want to can it, keep it on a shelf in a closet and it not go rancid.
Best foodstuff to stockpile?
- Thread starter sumi
- Start date
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
I'm with you on shelving it! My kitchen frig is small but, I bought a spare (used) for my back porch...eggs & milk. So I have a little space. Probably coul leave out as the seals are tight! But, don't need to. What I NEED to do is use it! 
baymule
Sustainability Master
Lazy Gardener
Super Self-Sufficient
Not really SHTF deal, b/c one can't depend on a freezer to keep food safe during long term power outages. But, based on current information re: food crops in US, and pork E-Bola in China, I intend to clean the junk out of the freezers, and load up. Pork is at a good price right now. My chickens will be eating well. Some old veggies, and frost bitten meat needs to go their way.
I continue to jump on my soap box when ever possible: If every one who COULD... WOULD:
1. Grow some of their own veggies. Even a tub planter can harbor cukes, tomatoes. A window box can produce salad and herbs. Tuck some veggies into flower beds. Many garden plants are beautiful: Bright Lights Swiss Chard, lettuce comes in all colors and shapes. Squash or beans can be trellised to provide height and shade accents. Corn would provide a nice height accent. Tomatoes, cukes, zucchini would lend themselves to the flower bed. Even potatoes would make a nice addition to a flower bed, or could be grown in a tub at the front door! Hay/straw bale gardening. Hydroponics for the city dweller. If you've got the space, go bigger. Even square foot gardening can provide food for the summer, and more to preserve for the winter. Challenge any HOA or zoning laws against small back yard (or even front yard) gardens.
LEARN HOW TO PRESERVE FOOD. DON'T JUST LEARN ABOUT IT. COLLECT THE NEEDED EQUIPMENT AND START DOING IT. EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER.
2. Keep a back yard flock for eggs/meat/fertilizer. Even an urban homeowner with a postage sized lot COULD keep a mini flock of bantams. Challenge the city zoning laws regarding keeping a small back yard poultry flock. If your zoning laws allow dogs, they should allow chickens. A flock can be kept with minimal impact on neighbors. One can even put sound proofing fencing in place.
3. Compost, vermicompost. Challenge HOA and zoning laws against composting. Composting can be done neatly, without odor, and without even being visible to the neighbors.
4. Consider rabbits or goats, hair sheep if you live rural, and have the time and energy, desire for these animals.
5. Make purchase choices of meat/veggies in season or when these items are offered at discount.
6. Spend less than you earn. Make a conscious decision to get out of debt. Use, reuse, recycle. Before taking your wallet out of your pocket, consider why you are buying that item. Is it a need? Want? Desire? Do you have something at home that will get the job done? Can you wait till it's on sale? Drive your car until it becomes the oldest car in the Walmart parking lot. And... until it simply can't be depended upon to get you there and back safely. While working to get out of debt, build a 3 month emergency fund. Make eating out a special occasion, not a usual event. Consider how you can enjoy the eating out experience while cutting the cost. Hubby and I will often split an entree. (who needs all those calories in the mega portions served?) We never do dessert, but might pick up a package of choc. chip cookies after dining out! Cook meals at home. Cook enough for the next meal. Make meals to freeze.
If individual families became independent in all of these measures, our government would be turned on it's ear. This country just might turn it'self around b/c it would be populated with folks who are able to think for themselves, take care of themselves, and therefore are not willing to hand over their freedom in the mistaken belief that our government leaders are working hard to take care of us. While some government is necessary, and a good thing, we are currently living in the era of the "fox guarding the chicken house."
And, finally... most importantly... get your spiritual house in order. How can we as a nation ask God to take care of us when we ignore and defy Him at every turn?
I continue to jump on my soap box when ever possible: If every one who COULD... WOULD:
1. Grow some of their own veggies. Even a tub planter can harbor cukes, tomatoes. A window box can produce salad and herbs. Tuck some veggies into flower beds. Many garden plants are beautiful: Bright Lights Swiss Chard, lettuce comes in all colors and shapes. Squash or beans can be trellised to provide height and shade accents. Corn would provide a nice height accent. Tomatoes, cukes, zucchini would lend themselves to the flower bed. Even potatoes would make a nice addition to a flower bed, or could be grown in a tub at the front door! Hay/straw bale gardening. Hydroponics for the city dweller. If you've got the space, go bigger. Even square foot gardening can provide food for the summer, and more to preserve for the winter. Challenge any HOA or zoning laws against small back yard (or even front yard) gardens.
LEARN HOW TO PRESERVE FOOD. DON'T JUST LEARN ABOUT IT. COLLECT THE NEEDED EQUIPMENT AND START DOING IT. EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER.
2. Keep a back yard flock for eggs/meat/fertilizer. Even an urban homeowner with a postage sized lot COULD keep a mini flock of bantams. Challenge the city zoning laws regarding keeping a small back yard poultry flock. If your zoning laws allow dogs, they should allow chickens. A flock can be kept with minimal impact on neighbors. One can even put sound proofing fencing in place.
3. Compost, vermicompost. Challenge HOA and zoning laws against composting. Composting can be done neatly, without odor, and without even being visible to the neighbors.
4. Consider rabbits or goats, hair sheep if you live rural, and have the time and energy, desire for these animals.
5. Make purchase choices of meat/veggies in season or when these items are offered at discount.
6. Spend less than you earn. Make a conscious decision to get out of debt. Use, reuse, recycle. Before taking your wallet out of your pocket, consider why you are buying that item. Is it a need? Want? Desire? Do you have something at home that will get the job done? Can you wait till it's on sale? Drive your car until it becomes the oldest car in the Walmart parking lot. And... until it simply can't be depended upon to get you there and back safely. While working to get out of debt, build a 3 month emergency fund. Make eating out a special occasion, not a usual event. Consider how you can enjoy the eating out experience while cutting the cost. Hubby and I will often split an entree. (who needs all those calories in the mega portions served?) We never do dessert, but might pick up a package of choc. chip cookies after dining out! Cook meals at home. Cook enough for the next meal. Make meals to freeze.
If individual families became independent in all of these measures, our government would be turned on it's ear. This country just might turn it'self around b/c it would be populated with folks who are able to think for themselves, take care of themselves, and therefore are not willing to hand over their freedom in the mistaken belief that our government leaders are working hard to take care of us. While some government is necessary, and a good thing, we are currently living in the era of the "fox guarding the chicken house."
And, finally... most importantly... get your spiritual house in order. How can we as a nation ask God to take care of us when we ignore and defy Him at every turn?
Last edited:
Marianne
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Agree 100%. The only thing I'd add is to plant fruit bearing trees and bushes, have a medicinal herb patch and print off recipes and instructions right now for how to treat various ailments with those plants (like how to use Hawthorn for high blood pressure, etc). You might not have power later.
I have a bunch of binders in my kitchen - cookbooks that I put together with recipes that we like, and sections for cooking on a wood stove, master mixes, substitutions for ingredients, etc. I may not need any of them next week, but they'll be there.
I have a bunch of binders in my kitchen - cookbooks that I put together with recipes that we like, and sections for cooking on a wood stove, master mixes, substitutions for ingredients, etc. I may not need any of them next week, but they'll be there.
Lazy Gardener
Super Self-Sufficient
Well stated, @Marianne You are a wise woman!
Marianne
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No more than others that are here, I'm sure!I thought of something else that may have been mentioned...
Unless you're lucky enough to live in a place where you can grow food 12 months out of the year, then a few extra steps are necessary at this point. I'm a firm believer that almost every area has what they need to support life. So, here in Kansas, during the winter, how would I get:
Vit C? Stored cabbage and canned tomatoes.
B vitamins if I'm not eating meat or don't have any? Dried beans/legumes, nuts, cheese. Etc, etc.
That kind of information could be important. So I could make a printed sheet with information like this, plus recipes on how to make cheeses, how to make rennet for those cheeses, etc. Like I told my grandson some years ago, he didn't have to do it now, he just needed to remember that he could do it if he needed to. And here's Grandma's binders with directions.
wyoDreamer
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I would love to peek into Grandma's Binders! I do appreciate everything that you share her on SS, @Marianne !
I have started my own kitchen binder collection. I have a couple of cookbooks on cooking with freeze-dried and dehydrated stuff. I made some "biscquick" mixes and vacuum sealed them for taking camping or hunting. I want to get some other "instant meals" set up for quick suppers and travel.
The only thing I don't like about the pellet stove that we have for supplemental heat is that we can't cook on it if needed. In Wyoming, I could make soups and stews on the woodstoves if the power went out. My sister showed me how to make baking powder biscuits on the woodstove once.
I have started my own kitchen binder collection. I have a couple of cookbooks on cooking with freeze-dried and dehydrated stuff. I made some "biscquick" mixes and vacuum sealed them for taking camping or hunting. I want to get some other "instant meals" set up for quick suppers and travel.
The only thing I don't like about the pellet stove that we have for supplemental heat is that we can't cook on it if needed. In Wyoming, I could make soups and stews on the woodstoves if the power went out. My sister showed me how to make baking powder biscuits on the woodstove once.
Hinotori
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Learn about native wild foods and how to prepare them. Some things have specific methods for a reason. Try eating them to see if you like them.
I encourage some of the wild edibles here.
I encourage some of the wild edibles here.
Lazy Gardener
Super Self-Sufficient
I have a foraging NE book. Lots of good info. A good goal would be to try the various veggies that can be gleaned from your yard/area NOW, before being faced with adversity.
