Official Poll - What is the best foodstuff to stockpile in case of emergency?

[frustratedearthmother]

Hi there, and welcome from Texas. I'm south of Houston and we're watching the weather pretty closely this time of year, as I'm sure ya'll are too.

 

[lcertuche]

I too think that chickens are a great way to store food (on the hoof, so to speak). I'm jealous you have a pressure canner. That is the best way (IMO) to preserve food. It can be old as leather and still come out great after being canned. I save the feet for broth too. Great minds think alike. Yesterday, I water bath canned apple pie filling and will probably be making apple jelly soon. I get #10 cans of vegetables and dehydrate them for long term storage. It sure takes up a lot less room than the big ole cans do. I was vegan for about a year. I really think about going back to it because I felt so much better and it was much cheaper. Beans are great for tacos, enchiladas, chili, white bean pasta sauce, refried beans, veggie burgers, "Tuna" garbanzo beans mashed and made like tuna salad. It is so easy to store dried beans.

 

[lcertuche]

I live in the tiniest town but we have two ethnic markets surprisingly enough. I was a two hour drive away in a large town talking to a salesperson and when we told him where we live he said he goes to our Asian market once or twice a month to buy groceries. To say I was surprised was an understatement. At either the Asian market or Mexican market I get onions for a dollar less a pound than any of the chain stores in town (there are two). When I go to a large city, 50 miles away I go to a place called Aldi's where I get a lot of good deals. I highly recommend it. This really isn't the thread to discuss this however. Maybe I will start my own frugal living thread. I could call it Linda's Journey to Saving Money or Cheap, Cheap, Cheapskate!, lol.

 

[MoonShadows]

Well worth it, NH.

 

[MoonShadows]

I was just reading "15 Things You’ll Regret Not Having Enough of When SHTF" from askaprepper.com, and Number 4 is Salt.

It seems silly, but salt has a multitude of uses. You can use it in standard fashion to season your food, you can use it in pickling vegetables and drying meat, you can use it as an attractant for wild game, as a supplement for live stock, to make a mouth rinse. It is cheap, compact, and it lasts a lot longer than you will! The shelf life of salt has yet to be determined since none of it has ever gone bad!

If anyone wants to read the entire article, it can be found at: http://www.askaprepper.com/things-regret-nothaving-enough-when-shtf/

 

[frustratedearthmother]

X2!!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh yeah - CHOCOLATE - but with sugar, vanilla, goats milk and some cocoa I could make chocolate fudge(!).... definitely adding cocoa and vanilla to my list.

 

[baymule]

An emergency situation does not have to be a total collapse, it can be losing your job or a severe storm. Having a stock pile of food, a packed pantry and freezer can be a huge comfort when tough times hit. I've lived in hurricane country where we went for weeks with no power. The generator is nice, but when there is no power, the gas stations can't pump gas. In a SHTF situation, you sure wouldn't want that noisy thing advertising to everyone that you have power and probably lots of other interesting things too. We have used a generator, but gas was scarce.

In addition to the above list, add

powdered cocoa
vanilla (I make my own and am down to last half gallon-gotta make more)
matches-strike anywhere
kerosene lamps
5 gallons kerosene
25 lbs whole wheat berries
25 lbs corn
grain mill with hand crank option
baking powder
baking soda
5 gallons apple cider vinegar
25 lbs sugar
spices-2 or 3 of everything
oatmeal
charcoal and lighter fluid
BBQ pit (have dug hole and placed oven rack over it to cook)
pet food
livestock feed
hay
alcohol in smaller bottles for trading
alcohol in gallon bottles for own consumption
herbal healing books
herb garden
garden seeds
canning lids and rings--LOTS!
solar dehydrator (2 window screens)
cigarette lighters
Soap, hand, bath, laundry, dish
5 gallons olive oil
salt for human consumption
salt blocks for livestock
OTC medicines
rubbing alcohol
hydrogen peroxide
bandages
toothpaste
toilet paper--how many rolls used in a month x 6
paper towels--same
paper plates, cups, plastic forks spoons
canned goods
sewing supplies
knives
knife sharpener
AMMO

Basically, take an inventory of what you use-what you need, not what you want. When you buy one, buy 2 or 3. What would you miss the most if suddenly there wasn't any? What would you need the most? Maybe you need more or less of the amounts listed. Even if a total collapse came, there will be somebody, somewhere, building, making, manufacturing goods and products. Hand tools would be a good investment.

Plant fruit trees of all kinds. Plant berries. Plant nut trees. Grow pumpkins and winter squash for winter food or for winter feed for livestock. There is no way to store everything you need forever, to try to do so is silly. You can store enough to get you and your family by for 6 months to a year, or to help others, friends or family. But you would have the benefit of your poultry, livestock, gardens and food bearing trees to feed you, your family, neighbors and friends.

 

[sumi]

I have a lot of allergies, so I have to modify my food storage to accommodate that and I also have some things that I maybe shouldn't eat (graham crackers and peanut butter, for example) but that I grew up with as emergency comfort foods (I figure one won't kill me). I've stocked up on Bob's Red Mill GF baking mix, for example; I've also got the means to cook the stuff. Some things I've found useful are peanut sauce and curry sauce, one from the local Asian store and the other from Trader Joe's, and I have some BBQ sauce on hand as well. I did find that candy loses its flavor fairly quickly, which was disappointing in a major way, but I was using a vacuum packer and not freezing it afterwards. Hmmm....might have to try that experiment again, right after Halloween... : )

The only thing I haven't seen I'd like to get some of is something like Milkman dried milk for cooking.

@Servelan welcome to SS!

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have a lot of allergies, so I have to modify my food storage to accommodate that and I also have some things that I maybe shouldn't eat (graham crackers and peanut butter, for example) but that I grew up with as emergency comfort foods (I figure one won't kill me). I've stocked up on Bob's Red Mill GF baking mix, for example; I've also got the means to cook the stuff. Some things I've found useful are peanut sauce and curry sauce, one from the local Asian store and the other from Trader Joe's, and I have some BBQ sauce on hand as well. I did find that candy loses its flavor fairly quickly, which was disappointing in a major way, but I was using a vacuum packer and not freezing it afterwards. Hmmm....might have to try that experiment again, right after Halloween... : )

The only thing I haven't seen I'd like to get some of is something like Milkman dried milk for cooking.

Unfortunately for you, most of the things that you listed have a limited shelf-life. Hope you are rotating your stash.
I am rotating our stash, even though a lot of it has a shelf life of 25-30 years or more.