chicken girl
Power Conserver
Can you store dried beans, rice and oats in mason jars?
Best foodstuff to stockpile?
- Thread starter sumi
- Start date
Britesea
Sustainability Master
Ooh, I forgot about salt. That's an absolute MUST HAVE for your health.
Yes, @chicken girl you can store dried goods in mason jars. It's best if you can seal them with a vacuum sealer, but not absolutely necessary.
by the way, I ran across this tutorial for making a NON ELECTRIC mason jar vacuum sealer http://www.tenthacrefarm.com/2014/06/non-electric-mason-jar-vacuum-sealer/
Yes, @chicken girl you can store dried goods in mason jars. It's best if you can seal them with a vacuum sealer, but not absolutely necessary.
by the way, I ran across this tutorial for making a NON ELECTRIC mason jar vacuum sealer http://www.tenthacrefarm.com/2014/06/non-electric-mason-jar-vacuum-sealer/
chicken girl
Power Conserver
Thank you!
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Well, I don't think I stockpile....at least not in the since of "forever" issues. Personally, I just feel that's the reason for becoming "self-sufficient" as much as any other. There is almost always enough of most healthful needs to carry me through about 6 mos to a yr of necessities at my house, including bullets to defend it.
As much as stockpiling, I feel that knowing how to produce, preserve, butcher, provide is essential. It's one of the reasons I work at adjusting the growing/storing of animal feeds as I am now trying. Suppose I was not able to buy the hay? See? Now, water is an issue and I do have a generator that would run the house electric as long as I had gasoline! OK, now there's an issue for long term. LOL I generally keep 5-7 days worth & could go 10-14 days by limiting run times.
I do live within 2 miles of a river, could use horses & harness to take tank and haul -- but, THAT would be a job! Do have a good old well at lower end of property and a hand pump that I could connect ... better option! (It's an old dug & stone walled one). Chickens, eggs, goats, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, garden....plenty of seeds, can hunt, it's just hard to project when, what and WHY we would have the needs.
Living within 60 miles of one of largest naval facilities on the East Coast, I know the most elaborate defense system is in place. So it's either live or die, literally. With that being so, I guess I'm on a "1 yr plan".....so long as I can make it 1 yr I'll be ok. Sustainable living is important and that incorporates the ability to live without these modern conveniences we currently enjoy. I can do that -- working on some solar for ability to enjoy some of the "luxury" items, if any are still there should a war strike occur. Otherwise I have washboards, clotheslines, canning equipment & canned goods, solar oven plans, can build a fire, cut wood, survive many extremes. There are those who would not know what to do without McDonalds!
Guess I work at "survival" issues more than true stockpiling. But I do keep more than most locals in my pantries & closets. & know alternatives for many needs
CHOCOLATE is a necessity! FOR SURE ---
As much as stockpiling, I feel that knowing how to produce, preserve, butcher, provide is essential. It's one of the reasons I work at adjusting the growing/storing of animal feeds as I am now trying. Suppose I was not able to buy the hay? See? Now, water is an issue and I do have a generator that would run the house electric as long as I had gasoline! OK, now there's an issue for long term. LOL I generally keep 5-7 days worth & could go 10-14 days by limiting run times.
I do live within 2 miles of a river, could use horses & harness to take tank and haul -- but, THAT would be a job! Do have a good old well at lower end of property and a hand pump that I could connect ... better option! (It's an old dug & stone walled one). Chickens, eggs, goats, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, garden....plenty of seeds, can hunt, it's just hard to project when, what and WHY we would have the needs.
Living within 60 miles of one of largest naval facilities on the East Coast, I know the most elaborate defense system is in place. So it's either live or die, literally. With that being so, I guess I'm on a "1 yr plan".....so long as I can make it 1 yr I'll be ok. Sustainable living is important and that incorporates the ability to live without these modern conveniences we currently enjoy. I can do that -- working on some solar for ability to enjoy some of the "luxury" items, if any are still there should a war strike occur. Otherwise I have washboards, clotheslines, canning equipment & canned goods, solar oven plans, can build a fire, cut wood, survive many extremes. There are those who would not know what to do without McDonalds!
Guess I work at "survival" issues more than true stockpiling. But I do keep more than most locals in my pantries & closets. & know alternatives for many needs
CHOCOLATE is a necessity! FOR SURE ---
Britesea
Sustainability Master
@Mini Horses I agree that having the skills is way more important than having a stockpile. For instance, I could lose most of my stockpile if a wildfire came through and destroyed my property. But if I have the skills, I can rebuild, replant, buy new stock, etc.
There are some issues though, that are better addressed by stockpiles. Our property is about 100 yards from a river which is nice, but certain times of the year we get a toxic algae bloom that can't be taken care of by any means short of distillation (and I'm not even entirely sure about THAT).
If you don't have some sort of stockpile, your skills might not be enough to pull you through, depending on what time of year a disaster were to hit. Even radishes take 20 days to grow. Hunting and fishing are good skills to have, but you won't be the only one out there shooting rabbits. Foraging is great, but again, there's not that much that can be foraged with 3+ feet of snow on top of the (frozen) ground.
I also am trying to build up some extra in my stockpile so that I can help my neighbors as well. I would have problems with watching people I know and like slowly die; I also seriously doubt my family's ability to survive solo for the long term- we are getting older, with various health issues, and my son is autistic- so I need/want those neighbors to be around to help.
There are some issues though, that are better addressed by stockpiles. Our property is about 100 yards from a river which is nice, but certain times of the year we get a toxic algae bloom that can't be taken care of by any means short of distillation (and I'm not even entirely sure about THAT).
If you don't have some sort of stockpile, your skills might not be enough to pull you through, depending on what time of year a disaster were to hit. Even radishes take 20 days to grow. Hunting and fishing are good skills to have, but you won't be the only one out there shooting rabbits. Foraging is great, but again, there's not that much that can be foraged with 3+ feet of snow on top of the (frozen) ground.
I also am trying to build up some extra in my stockpile so that I can help my neighbors as well. I would have problems with watching people I know and like slowly die; I also seriously doubt my family's ability to survive solo for the long term- we are getting older, with various health issues, and my son is autistic- so I need/want those neighbors to be around to help.
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Britsea....agree wholeheartedly! And I think that is how most people should look at preparedness. Enough to last until you can obtain or grow more, etc. And, yes, if neighbors/family are near, sharing is better & expected. Like you say, we are not getting younger. What I could add to the situation could be complemented by another's skills.
I'm hoping I don't have to go much further than a concern about when the power co will get my electric back on
but sure like knowing that I can if need be
I'm hoping I don't have to go much further than a concern about when the power co will get my electric back on
but sure like knowing that I can if need be
Britesea
Sustainability Master
We all hope that @Mini Horses As they say, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
baymule
Sustainability Master
What Britesea said. Plus sugar. Sugar is a good preservative for jams and jellies. Lots of jars and lids and rings. Planting fruit trees and berries for repeat seasonal food is a good idea.
If things got really bad, let yard grow up in weeds and plant root crops scattered throughout. Most people wouldn't know what they were looking at.
If things got really bad, let yard grow up in weeds and plant root crops scattered throughout. Most people wouldn't know what they were looking at.
Britesea
Sustainability Master
I've been thinking about caches lately. If the guvment boys came through to confiscate food for "redistribution", or if someone broke in and stole your stockpile when you weren't there (or even if you were), a cache or two could make a huge difference in survive-ability. One idea I had was to get hold of some old ice boxes and bury them in strategic areas, each stuffed with some of the "bare bones" goods that I had listed before, maybe in mylar bags with oxy absorbers to increase life span. These would be for long-term, purely emergency goods, because they would not be very accessible in the usual way, lol.
chicken girl
Power Conserver
I read somewhere about using pvc pipe. Put canned goods in and cap them, bury in your garden. They may raid your garden but never think of digging it up. I've also wondered about burying plastic coolers with canned goods inside? I can't do an ice box as I live alone.
