Store what you eat, eat what you store.

Store The Foods That You Would Normally Eat

Store what you eat, eat what you store.

Although known by most preppers, it is an important note for newbies:

With regard to extra food storage for preparedness, first do this:

Store the foods that you would normally eat.

Think about it, if the time comes when you need to eat the food that you have stored away for preparedness, it would be convenient and less disruptive to have an inventory of the same foods that you would normally eat day to day.

Some people when first getting started with food preparedness will buy foods that have a reputation as typical survival food such as MRE’s (Meal Ready to Eat), or buckets of wheat, grain, rice, and beans.

Survival Food Most Common In Preppers Deep Pantry Storage

Rice & Beans, A Survival Combination

There’s nothing wrong with that (in fact it’s highly advisable to include these and others as part of a diversified food storage), except maybe it shouldn’t be the first foods that you store when getting started.

Although these items will provide lots of calories, take up relatively little space, and store for quite a long time if kept properly, they are probably not the foods that you normally eat every day.
Calories per pound of Rice, Beans, Wheat

Your body may have a hard time adjusting to such a different diet and it will probably take some time to adjust. You may also be challenged to know what to do with a sack of wheat or grain to make it palatable, or to combine with other ingredients for a better balance of taste and nutrients.

The most practical solution to build up a usable and tasty supply of long term food storage is to buy a few more of the items that you normally eat day-to-day during each visit to the  grocery store.

The word, ‘usable’, is of key importance. The best food storage system is one which you are using and rotating your inventory! So, if you buy foods that you normally eat, then you can start a system of rotating out, and then back in to your food storage supplies. That way, your foods will not expire and go to waste after a period of time.

Use-by, Best-by, and Sell-by Food Expiration Dates

If all you do is buy a large quantity of food and store it ‘just in case’ you need it, then at some point in time it will all expire and be wasted. Why not actually eat the food that you store and rotate the stock in and out? This way you will have a supply of food that will always be good, good because it is not expired, and good because it is what you eat and therefore tastes good!

The point is to get started today with food storage. Even if you begin storing a little at a time, it will start the process of preparedness for you and your family.

 
4 Weeks
‘Typical’ disruption scenarios that would require that you have extra food on hand are fairly short lived, so a food storage supply of 4 weeks will get you through most of them (regional power outage, storms, etc…).

3 Months
However if you develop a good system of food rotation, a much larger reserve is easily established, and will give you great peace of mind knowing that you will not be as dependent on the systems of food production and distribution  that bring food to your local grocery store. Set a goal for 3 months storage, and go on from there!

49 Comments

  1. In my opinion, at the end of the day, people have to WANT TO help themselves. It’s that simple. It’s the same thing when it comes to quitting a bad habit… people generally won’t do it until and unless they really want to. Some never will. Some can easier than others. There’s one thing I’ve learned in life… there are all sorts of people, mindsets, and ways of looking at things based on DNA, upbringing, their surrounding environment, and other factors. I accept that for what it is and rarely try to ‘change’ the minds of others. I believe that it is better to simply present information, options, opinions, and alternative viewpoints which theoretically should allow for better decision making by those who choose to factor any of those things for whatever it’s worth…

  2. My sentiments exactly if it is a short term scenario of eat what you normally eat. However, for a long term scenario, I would think having a large amount of basic staples (rice, beans, etc…) is the way to go even if your body is not used to eating large amounts of beans for instance. The way I see it is something is better than nothing. Perhaps one way is to gradually incorporate the long term staples into the regular day to day staples as the day to day goods are slowly depleted so it won’t be be so much of a shock to the body.
    Again, something is better than nothing.
    Just my 2 pennies

  3. I 100% agree with this.

    That is why my pantry consists of chocolate, and what I need to make cheesy bread and burgers.

  4. “Store what you Eat and Eat what you Store”
    I’m thinking those 9 little words have been typed a few million times in the past few years.
    Almost as much as ” ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

    I agree 1000% with Kens teachings here, till you hit the 6 month mark, Than it’s time to add those “long term” things like Buckets of Beans and Rice, Wheat Berries and Sauer Kraut :-)
    If/When TSHTF then you can use the 6 months’ supply of “Real Food” and supplement it with the “Long Term Goo”. This will extend your “Normal Food” for quite a while.

    OR you could go with FEMA’s suggestion of 3 days of food…….

  5. Here in the land of fruits and nuts we are spoiled. Fresh organically grown produce is available year round, never more than 2 days from the field. My wife works in the food industry and she buys from the truck before produce is ever put up for sale.

    That’s not to be expected in an emergency though. We ‘practice’ (read – when both are too tired to go to the market) using from storage and trying to approximate the same kind of meals. Also got a lot of practice during recent extended unemployment.

    Some Takeaways –

    Ramen exists in various grades and quality, especially if you are near an Asian market or have Amazon delivery. You are not limited to the 3 for $1 crap at local markets.

    Freeze dried dairy products have a lot of problems. Bega and Red Feather seem to have figured it out. Maybe freeze drying isn’t always the best option.

    30 years cans of leavened bake mixes can easily go nuclear in a couple of years, watch your storage for swelled cans.

    Garbanzos and pintos will be really hard and require long soaks if stored under vacuum pressure for a number of years. Typically can be resuscitated with a pressure cooker. Lentils, not so much of a problem, they stand up better.

    Rice seems good for a very long time, vacuum sealed. Mostly white, Thai Jasmine, and Cal=Rose.

    Bottled lemon and lime juice, no bueno after a very short time in storage. Currently experimenting with powdered varieties.

    Vacuum packed organic cane sugar from 2013, still perfect.

  6. The biggest Shock will be for ones of us who don’t eat processed food. I bet their will be a few upset tummy’s trying to make the switch. Canning, drying and freeze drying your own food would be the way to go. I known this would difficult for some. Don,t forget sprouting seeds for some fresh greens.

  7. As “preppers” we all need to do some sober thinking about what a long term (2 years plus) inability to access a grocery store really means. In my case, I’ve got four adults and a soon to be 7 year old grand daughter. A years stock of food is a staggering amount, not only in $$$’s but in shear volume. That amount is but a bare minimum, dependent on your skills and ability to grow and raise a full years food supply during the year and especially the planting, growing, and harvest season. A bad harvest in good times is a disappointment. A bad harvest in survival times is a death warrant.

    My goal (I ain’t there yet) is one years worth of canned veggies, meat, fruits, cereals,dry milk, and condiments, plus a years worth of rice and beans to be blended in at the beginning of true SHTF. The intent is to stretch the two combined into two years of food that won’t cause us to feel like we’re “just surviving”. I plan on supplementing what I can with wild game and wild edibles, but realistically, these will disappear quickly.

    So, yes, I store what we eat and eat what we store. This is one reason I’ve spent little capital on the prepared freeze dried “survival” meals. Not intended as a dig for those that do. My thought is that no matter if it has a 20-25 year shelf life, it will be consumed in short order after shtf, no matter the shelf life, and will need to be replaced the same as canned goods. I’ve always seen them as a long term storage, short time event item, similar to the survival drums found in the fallout shelters of my youth. As near as I can tell, just using pencil and paper, not actual experience, is that I can stock commercially canned goods we regularly eat, much cheaper than commercial prepared MRE type stocks. Just need to replace as you use, and rotate, to maintain your preparedness.

    1. Dennis! There you go, agreeing with me again!
      I try to stock as much variety as we CAN eat.plus a light stock of thing we don’t regularly eat but others seem to enjoy… ie gravy/sauce mixes.
      I have little in way of commercial prepared,can’t use the buckets, almost everything available is loaded with “creamy this” and “creamy that”. DH can not eat bell pepper,soy, or cumin. I can not eat beans or milk products… I am wanting to do more freeze dried/dehydrated veggies.. and stuff for long term.. due to our diet constraints.
      My only problem with canned goods- if you could call it that is we don’t rotate thru canned goods fast enough. My solution: as foods get close to the end of shelf life I am dehydrating those and storing oxygen free. Since i am in a high humidity area,I use the silica packs that come in medications, too. Glass jars is a must.
      Don’t forget the canning lids and rings!

    2. Dennis, I did a dehyrated fruit bucket…for 1/3 cost, and was mixd better and had more variety than what is available.. realizing 1 oz of a dehyrated fruit is considered a serving.. one store has raisins, and prunes for 1.99/ 2.59 bag.(11-13 oz). coconut flakes, 7 oz 2$( have to dry them more) one local dollar store chain has 5 oz pineapple and mango/1$( 6 goes packed in a pint jar w/oxy absorber) also have banana chips 4-5 oz for 1$. dehydrated apples, peaches are on shelves. If you live in an area where they are abundant can dehydrate own. Blueberries? if abundant in your area dehydrate them babies.! One could also add fruit drink mixes and sweetners for the family..to these buckets.( powdered rehydration drinks?Koolaid-sugar, stevia powder. I did not pack anything with crackers or nuts. I always pack them separately…
      Other ideas… That peanut butter powder wally world has on shelf… f0r 10$-53 servings.. could make that an oxy free container with a little work. and hand warmer./.wax paper? saw/heard somone tell how to do it, don’t exactly.. remember, if they specified… .some type of glue to outer rim..,scant amt..to make wax paper sick and form continuous seal with plastic cap???

    3. While I mostly store staples like beans,rice,wheat ect for long term storage I do feel there is a place for the freeze dried meals. There will be times when after working a 12-14 hour day at hard labor you just won’t have the energy to “cook” but boiling some water for those meals won’t be hard.so I keep a few buckets of those also

    4. Hate to say it but unless you are WAY off the beaten track, doubt if many folks last 6 weeks and the prepared among us can best hope for 3 months tops in a total collapse. You have to go outside at some point and a lot of desperate people will be waiting in the weeds….

  8. Grow a garden and can what you grow. Eat fresh vegetables from your garden and also incorporate what you canned into your diet along with dried storage items like grain, beans, pasta etc..

    Make as many things as you can and “can” it to supplement your diet and pressure can combinations of things like beef and vegetable stews. Make your own canned beans (red beans, white beans, kidney beans, pork and beans, and chili and beans) then you don’t have to go to the store to buy a can of beans or chili.
    Grow your own peppers and either pickle them (tabasco, habanero, Thai chilis, jalapeno etc.) and make your own hot sauces like “tabasco sauce” and other condiments, or roast them (Anaheim, large hot jalapeno, NM hatch chilis) and freeze or can the roasted chili meat. I added NM hatch chilis because every year we order one or more 25 pound boxes of hot chili peppers from Hatch New Mexico and roast them. They go into many things that we prepare and eat. We also make green chili (pork, tomatoes, chilis) and either freeze it or pressure can a 9 pint batch every so often in order to have some tasty fast food. Off the shelf canned food (home made and home canned). No need to run to the grocery store.
    Grow cabbages in the fall / winter / spring to make enough sauerkraut every year to last a year until the next cabbage crop. We transfer the fresh sauerkraut from the crock and pack it into wide mouth quart jars and store them in the refridgerator. We generally make 20-25`quarts of sauerkraut every year and have fresh kraut all year long. We occasionally can some for shelf storage but it doesn’t taste the same.
    .
    Grow staples that freeze or can well and have a decent shelf life like tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, beets, sweet corn, purple hull peas, snap beans and butter beans. If you can’t grow it then buy it fresh in bulk. We generally can a couple batches (14 quarts) of stewed tomatoes every year and also make about 40 quarts of tomato juice and a batch or two of thick sauce.

    Grow or buy winter squash for intermediate dry storage like Hubbard, butternut, acorn and field pumpkins. Most winter squash (hard skinned) will store well. We’ve had some keep for up to a year.

    Bake bread weekly from your long term grain storage.

    Make the sweet stuff also. Pears, peaches, fig preserves, mint jelly etc.

    Make and can your own juices. Tomato juice, orange juice, grapefruit or satsuma juice and can some orange/grapefruit chunks together. Buy 6-8 pineapples every year and can a big batch of pineapple chunks.

    Get meat in bulk (chicken, pork and beef roasts) and can it. Can lots of meat. It has a long shelf life.

    I only listed a few things here to give you an idea of how we do it. To list everything would take a 1000 page book. Everyone lives in different areas so what you grow depends on where you live. If you can’t grow it then buy it fresh in bulk and can or freeze it. Just my few cents.

    1. Cool! While I was typing Crabbie already started the Thread! Awesome!

      Pray for the Republic, she needs it.

  9. Hey guys, maybe I’m speaking out of ignorance but I suspect most if not all of us have issues with High Cholesterol and maybe some extra “Famine Insurance” around our middles?

    I know I do and I know I can spend a lot less on my food shopping AND eat Healthier for it.

    Eat what you store, store what you eat is a good idea, like losing weight. You have to start somewhere and STAY the Course to succeed.

    I find if I DECIDE to USE a Pound of dried beans every week as opposed to say buying 2 pounds of Hamburger I get more food, healthier food and at about 1.10 a pound at Wal-Mart Vs. 3.00 +/- a pound hamburger Cheaper food.

    The 6.00 plus NOT spent on a Meatloaf = 3 POUNDS of Beans AND 3 Pounds of Rice or about 3510 calories and 312 grams protein beans plus 4800 calories and 90 grams protein rice.

    These prices are with SMALL Packages of Beans and Rice. Larger bags are MUCH Cheaper.

    Grand Total 9600 calories and 402 grams protein OR around 4 Adult days worth of food.

    So for what it is worth I keep about a years worth of canned foods and eat and replace weekly and make an effort to USE 2 days worth of Long Term dried foods weekly and replace/increase storage weekly with the goal of 3 years worth.

    Can we start a thread of good recipes including suggested spices and extras to USE storage foods and Move some of our Weekly Groceries into Longer Term storage items?

    Example Calirefugee must have a Japanese Red Sweet Beans breakfast to suggest? I find leftover rice warmed and sweetened a decent breakfast.

    And the Pharaoh called for wise men to read his nightmare of 7 fat Cows and 7 skinny Cows. Joseph was inspired by God that it was 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine so the Pharaoh had Grain Storage built and filled for the famine times to come. There was no hunger in Egypt when Joseph became overseer of the Grain Storage.

    It was NOT Raining When Noah built that Ark.

    Hard times are coming friends. Lone wolves will not prosper except in Hollywood Movies (Along with the never empty AK47’s). Make trusted friends now as to have back up later.

    We need to outlast the socialists to rebuild our Republic. Pray and Prep friends.

    1. NHM,
      Like your explaination of how it is cheaper to put foods in deep pantry in long term stocks. 3 years is a good goal. Another way is to cut a major expense., like laundry detergent/fabric softner and reassign those dollars to deep pantry.I did his when I first started deep pantry. have been making own laundry powder for 7 years now..
      Not all have high cholestrol, but I know how to get the triglycerides down.. use ONLY olive oil, real butter, coconut oil and make sun butter{ a blend of sunflower oil,( sunflower oil has the linoic(sp?) acid that is found in walnut- and heart specialists recommend) oil coconut oil and real butter.} Recipe, SUNBUTTER:2 sticks butter=1/2 lb let soften put in pint jar add 3 heaping tbsp of cocount oil, fill to shoulder with sunflower oil, blend. use for cooking veggies, spreading on toast, frying eggs..( only takes a tsp to do several eggs.) We also use some bacon fat/drippins a couple of times a month.,.. DH’s cholestrol’s have been perfect ever since we began this. … Peanut oil, mazola, rape seed and rice bran oils all ran his triglycerides up., the up side is, we have plenty oils to use for lamps…

      1. @Just Sayin’

        I blend my butter with olive oil but I think I’ll try your combo. Sounds interesting with the addition of coconut oil which I keep on hand.

        kk

  10. As I mentioned before, I started with flour, shortening, evaporated milk, baking powder, and seeds for sprouting, so I could as least make biscuits and sprouts.

    However, I have recently been concentrating on foods that do not require cooking or much extra water. We have very few trees in this area. I do have a Kelly Kettle, a folding stove with lots of Sterno,, and a charcoal grill with a few bags of charcoal. But I don’t have an infinite supply of these things and I started storing them in my garage because I feared they might be a fire hazard. Water might have to be carried a half mile from the river.

    Also, I worry about cooking food outdoors which my neighbors would smell or the fire hazard (or CO hazard) if I cook indoors.

    So, although I have a year’s worth of #10 cans of instant meals, freeze dried foods, powdered milk & cheese, pancake/biscuit mixes, etc., lately I have been concentrating on nuts, crackers, jar cheese, and canned fruit, that I could eat without preparation or the need to do dishes afterward. These would also be foods that I could take with me if I need to bug out.

    1. DaisyK glad to hear from you! Do you have a Solar Oven and a Wonderbag style retained heat cooker? You sound like an area with a decent amount of sunshine.

      Also do you have a wagon to help carry that water 1/2 mile from the river? A 5 gallon jug would be an heavy 80 pounds.

      Retained heat cooking is a great way to reduce actual heating time so less fuel AND smells/smoke to draw attention. Thermos cooking is also retained heat cooking. Think Slow Cooker style foods along with rice, cracked wheat and oatmeal.

      Hope this helps somebody’s planning

      1. Michael,

        No solar oven. Very expensive. I think it is too cold here nine months of the year– lots of sun, though. I do have a wide mouth Thermos.

        Yes, I have a couple of handguns and I have a little metal cart that would hold about 6 gallon jugs of probably 3 or 4 five gallon jugs. I can’t lift a five gallon jug, though. I would have to pour from a smaller bottle.

        There is an old couple (70’s) right across the alley that I trust. I think I could go to the river with the man and his dog, while leaving his wife home to watch his house and the back of my house. (Or maybe leave the dog home to take care of his wife.)

        1. DaisyK, If you have sun ,you can make a solar oven. metals like stainless are ideal and the pre made one is nice but a cardboard box and alum foil can be formed in to one.. putting a mirror to reflect into it can also help heat it up quicker, and cooking in metal/heavy crock ware also helps to retain the heat and keep food cooking longer. look up on you tube.

        2. If you’re interested in trying out a homemade version of a solar oven made very inexpensively but works good look up a copy of tightwad gazette directions

    2. DaisyK…I seem to recall you now have a double lot. Wonder if you could get a Water Witch in, and see if you might have a good source of water to put a hand pump well? Would you be “allowed” in your urban place?

        1. DaisyK
          yes, likely expensive..However, should you ever come across a Witch, maybe they would “witch it” for you, just so you know for future if it is a possibility…

        2. I’m 1/2 mile from the Big Horn River, so there is probably ground water. Some homes in the area need to have sump pumps because the water is at their basement level. So far, it is below my basement. The water I had last year was due to a broken sprinkler head.

        3. Expense of well depends on the depth to the water. If neighbors have trouble with..water in basement that could be a good sign. Our water person is kinda busy right now. Just FYI, It can be done by good well person without them coming to your property.

    3. DaisyK, A rocket stove cooks with twigs, so is fuel efficient. and can be made from cap blocks or brick.. takes 25 brick.. to use on porch would need to put cap blocks and a peice of tin under it.You tube is your friend. many people have different ways to stack and they show how it is done. have to have one brick broken in half… we have those already..:>).

      1. My Kelly Kettle boils water with twigs, leaves, paper, camel dung… Well, I don’t have any camel dung or even cow pies, but I have lots of paper (books)

  11. Here’s a single item example for the more hearty preppers out there. Cooking with plain yellow field corn. Many things can be made from it. Stored whole and sealed in buckets, it has a fairly long shelf life similar to wheat berries. I have some from 20 years ago and every time I grind some it still has that awesome “corny” smell and flavor. Things you can do with dried corn… and I’ve done all of them.

    – Crack it and make whiskey or Golden Dynamite Wine.
    – Grind and sift it into different grades of cornmeal (fine and course).
    – Make corn bread with the fine. Add a pint of canned sweet corn for an awesome corn bread.
    – Make corn bread stuffing.
    – Add a little of the ground corn to casseroles.
    – Mix it with flour and use it as a coating from frying.
    – Use whole corn kernels along with other grains to make a grain casserole.
    – Make hot breakfast cereal from the course. Cornmeal mush cereal can be chilled, cut into squares and fried the next morning.
    – Make journey “Johnny” cakes. Pan fried corn pancakes.
    – Make hominy. Eat it fresh from the pot or can it.
    – Make masa or grits from the hominy.
    – Make corn tortillas from the masa.
    – Make tamales from the masa.
    – Make corn nuts (a wet cooking process) or
    – Parched corn (dry cooking process).

    Unlike sweet corn which can simply be shucked and either eaten raw or steamed for corn on the cob, or canned straight off the cob, cooking with field corn is very labor intensive as the preparation is laborious and time consuming. For example, it’s a two day process to make and can a batch of hominy or make the resultant masa to use in other recipes like tortillas and tamales.

    Most people don’t have a clue how to cook with plain yellow (or white) field corn.
    It makes sense to me, as a lifestyle “prepper” to learn how to grow and make things from scratch then you should never have to worry whether or not you have 2 months, 6 months or a year or more of food. It really is that simple. Just saying.

    1. Crabbie you sound like a family member :-) Also Hush Puppies and many more.

      I find Tractor Supplies Whole Corn 50 pound bags very clean and free of mold. Where do you suggest getting whole corn from? A friend of mine tried some Wal-Mart Deer Corn and it was not bad but clearly lower quality than TS’s feed.

      1. @NH Michael

        I’ve never bought any from Wal-mart or Tractor Supply.

        Personally, I would suggest finding a local grower and ask him if you could pick several bushels of ear corn by hand just before he harvests his crop.

        I purchased some buckets years ago from Walton Feeds in Montpelier, Idaho, (now known as Rainy day Foods) before GMO became the rage. Also, several times over the years a local farmer acquaintance of mine has allowed me to pick several bushels of ear corn from his fields just before harvest. He grows a hybrid but not GMO. Shelling it by hand is better for making hominy than using the combine harvested corn that comes in the buckets. It allows you separate the popcorn kernels on the ends of the ear to use for grinding, and keep the nice fat uniform kernels on the main part of the ear for making hominy. Makes it a lot easier shelling by hand. When I use the corn from the buckets, I must spend several hours sorting through the kernels to remove the popcorn and broken and cracked kernels so I have a more uniform hominy. Although it doesn’t really matter if I’m making masa. I have found that combine harvested corn has a lot of cracked kernels and all the kernels, both popcorn ends as well as the nice fat kernels are all mixed together. Just saying.

        The popcorn kernels are not really popcorn. I call them popcorn kernels because most of the kernels for about an inch on both ends of the ear are misshapen and small and resemble popcorn.

        1. Search Wincofoods (dot) com for a store near you (sounds like a commercial), then search for “corn”. Twenty-five pounds of “corn meal” is generally $14.50. I usually run it through the mill at least once, sometimes twice. Really nice stuff! Long grain rice, 25 pounds, is normally same price. White wheat berries, 25 pounds, same price. Wally-mart is generally twice those prices. The Wheat berries make some very nice breads. (Note: I can’t see my belt buckle any more!) Their Masa is usually 1/2 of most other stores. No kickbacks here, just info.

  12. To NHM:

    Sorry to disappoint you butt I do not know of recipes for Japanese sweet red beans used in sugary pastries overseas.

    I am several generations removed from Japan so my tastes are fully americanized. In addition, I am firmly in the camp of adapting to my location and trying new foods from different cultures. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. This can be extended to the food that one prepares and eats.

    Having grown up on the West Coast of the US, In both good times and bad, The fallback food that can be found most anywhere for cheap is: Mexican food.
    Over the years, I have developed a taste for it, I have learned to cook some dishes and it has sustained me during times of little money for the grocery bill while between jobs and living lean.

    Some of my stored supplies use canned Mexican food products such as Sauces, refried beans and some salsas. ( to make any of the above at home will take hours of labor and a lot of stove fuel.). Same with pasta sauces I store cans or bottles of sauce because it would take hours of labor and precious stove fuel to cook down tomatoes and spices + herbs to make a 1 quart jar of pasta sauce.

    I am still working now so I do not have the hours in my day to cook down my own Mole sauce or anything else that typically takes hours to prepare. I have a family history of high blood pressure and cardiac issues and I am not getting any younger so:

    My wife and I are not on the meat centric diet anymore. We eat a lot of rice and beans in our diet these days both of which are easily stored. When I cook steaks, a small portion is eaten same day. Much of it gets placed in the fridge for eating in many small, healthy meals later in the week. Same story with Korean BBQ pork chops and marinated chicken.

    I cook a lot of recipes from The Joy of Cooking and have recently started readng Cooks Illustrated magazine written by Chris Kimball. ( America’s test Kitchen on NPR.). Storing foods for long term, using the food within your own home and learning to make really good food is every bit the prep as buying and practicing with firearms or hunting. ( many of the best hunters I knew were rather indifferent in the kitchen.).

    Joy of Cooking

    These days, I would rather be the old guy that does not go too far out of deer camp preparing supper for the group when they get back. My relatives are farmers. My friends are ranchers. I take it as a challenge to cook something I have never seen before and I am pretty proud of my venison stir-fry..

    1. CaliRefugee,
      You have a receipt for venison stir fry you can share? Makes me hungry just talking about it.

  13. To Minerjim:

    6-8 oz cut of lean venison with fat removed
    Thin slice the venison against the grain
    3/4 cup of rinsed mung bean sprouts
    3/4 cup of thin sliced cabbage
    3/4 cup of mixed vegetables ( thin sliced carrot, pea pods, chopped bok choi, green onions.)

    In a large skillet: 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil bring to high temperature but do not let it burn. Add cut and prepped venison and 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil. cook and turn until meat is braised.

    Add cruciferous vegetables ( cabbage, boy choi, brocolli, carrots.) next because they take longer to cook and become tender. Add the high water vegetables ( bean sprouts, green onions.) last because they cook down fast. Coverwith screen to minimize splatter and let the water cook off.

    Turn heat to low and add your favorite stir fry sauces: Kikkoman is widely available and a good place to start. It contains a lot of salt and ginger so I add 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce to every 2 tablespoons of Kikkoman stir fry sauce. ( Hoisen sauce is sweet plum based sauce.).

    Serve with hot cooked rice.

    Please note that the ratio of meat to vegetables in raw ingredients is roughly 3 to 1. The vegetables cook down a great deal and some flavors get concentrated so go easy on your favorite spices This was for 1 big serving or will give about 2 cups of finished dish.

    1. CaliRefugee,
      Thank you Sir! We are starting to clean out our game freezer to make room for this season. Will use this to fry up some of the remaining venison and elk.

  14. Friends I was looking up what folks used to have for breakfast before General Mills.

    Seems either a light breakfast of coffee and snack with a heavy mid day meal followed with a modest dinner. No leftovers from dinner. Maybe leftovers from lunch dressed up for dinner.

    Or Breakfast was Last nights leftovers. Seems from what I was reading pre fridge Table Cloths were popular as to cover what was on the table from flies until breakfast. Not sure that turns me on so I looked around for Non-Fridge options and found the Hunters Stew OR Straw box option.

    Seems keeping cooked food above 135 degrees F keeps food safe for eating with a 1-2 hour window limit as it cools.

    I’ve been at Deer Camps where a big pot of Hunters Stew was brewing for the whole time we were there. Each evening we would add water and what ever meat or leftovers we had to it and the wood stove was kept burning 24 hours a day (Cold up in the CO Mountains) and so a simmering pot 24 hours a day. If you were hungry get a bowl full.

    Second option when 24 hours a day heat is not needed is a Straw box or Wonder Bag or Retained heat Cooking system (Thermos). You can build a straw (and maybe Space blanket)insulated box sized to hold your cooking pot snugly. You reheat the dinner leftovers to a boil and put in the straw box, put on the insulated lid and it should be hot for breakfast.

    BTW you can do Cracked Wheat/Sweet Rice/Oatmeal and such straw box style to be ready when folks get up. Same process.

    Or if you happen to have electricity the fridge IF not damaged by EMP is an option.

    Thoughts PLEASE?

    1. I have used a home made wonder oven in the past. It worked quite well. Got out of the habit so thanks for the reminder.

    2. NHMichael
      Good thoughts all. I’m thinking the wife, she does 90% of the cooking, will have to learn quickly about portion size. Typically she makes enough for at least one additional meal. I don’t mind leftovers and the wife is a very good cook. It is ever so handy to just put the leftovers in the fridge and forget about them till tomorrow.

      In the EMP or CME situation, the fridge is likely a thing of the past, at least for us. I have a little solar/wind but it takes a lot to run a fridge or freezer 24/7. A drastically smaller fridge could be an option, or a dc fridge/freezer. There will be a tremendous demand for the little electric my solar/wind can provide. That reminds me; everyone put a multi-meter in your faraday cage. They are cheap, less than $10.00 if ya shop around, and will be priceless when trying to determine the damage done post emp, cme. Are your panels still producing power? Is it just the inverter that’s fried? Do ya have a spare? Charge controller? Spare? Can ya just hook up direct from the panels? I know, way more questions than answers. NO One really knows what will be affected.

      I’m of the belief, if one can cook only as much as is consumed, it would be a huge benefit. Far less waste and no need to preserve what’s already eaten. I’m sure my wife and I will struggle with portion sizes, but I bet we’ll eventually figure it out.

      I helped my granddaughter build a solar oven for her yearly science project. It turned out very well. Most everyone has listed all the helpful things for building one, so I won’t repeat. The sun can cook a great meal! It just takes more planning and more time.

      I built a small rocket stove out of a metal coffee can, (yea I still had one full of nails) and a soup can. A very impressive little gizmo. A lot of heat for a little fuel. Mostly sticks and twigs from the ground.

      I’m still procrastinating on a fridge, zeer pot, swamp cooler, for food preservation… There are a lot of options. I’d love to have a 12vdc fridge/freezer. Might be the best way to go.

      I need to just go ahead and buy the grain mill I’ve been looking at. Man they are pricey!

      1. Plainsmedic… It is certaintly hard to downsize some recipes for single meal options. I have been trying to cut our amounts of waste for some time now, and it does take practice. for you to get a full meal and be adequately nourished with no left overs. I often use left overs for a late night snack…since blood sugar drops is an issue in early am.. I have canned sausage in half pints and 5 patties will fit. enough for us to have 2 servings of 2.5 patties. If no other meat enough meat to start the day. if a few chickens and can have some eggs. a good protein breakfast. still enough for a good side tto go with fried grits, cream of wheat or oats. The wheat can be sprouted, and it releases more vitamins than non sprouted.

      2. Plainsmedic
        Check out Craigslist for that lp/12volt fridge. Don’t have to be that specific….,parting out camper, etc.
        I picked one up for free. I wanted the guys camper door and he offered the fridge. It doesn’t run on 110 anymore, so i.need to take the time to see if it runs on Lp.
        Yeegads…..i need a 36 hr work at home day(s).

      3. Plainsmedic re the grain mill get a good one for real grinding costs more but Amazon will not be delivering post SHTF. Stone AND Steel Burrs please. Do not grind oily nuts for example with your stones. Don’t ask me how I know. :-)

        A yard sale galvanized iron corn grinder is REALLY handy for coarse grinding like Corn Pone, Corn Mush, CHICKEN FEED (they do not eat whole corn very well). Acorns (and other nuts) coarse ground after leaching makes good breakfast or meat stretcher as well as Happy Chicken Feed.

        And given the NEED for calcium for your chickens eggs as well as a boost to other critters and surprise tomatoes and potatoes you can grind up cooked dried bones. You can do this after you boil the bones with vinegar for Bone Broth a general health tonic for people.

        I think every MSB member should know how to make Vinegar and start wild yeast sourdough. Easy to do So useful AND Tradable.

        You should LOOK UP just how Valued the Local Grain Mill owner was. Not everybody could afford a Grain Grinder. Could be a useful small income/food generator as most grain mills were paid in grain.

        Glad you built a rocket stove. You COULD have a post SHTF barter talent as to making more out of tin cans and such. A short trip from there to building 5 gallon metal paint can wood stoves also a valued item. Not everybody has Tin Snips and knowledge how to use them with out serious hand cuts.

        A straw box retained heat cooker can be used for Slow Cooking style meals just bring food to a full boil then move to straw box for several hours like a slow cooker. Thus you can START Lunch/Dinner at breakfast and be free to do other tasks. Can be used to keep yogurt cultures at proper temperature for good yoghurt.

        AND Your Wife should LOVE this allows you to do a Breakfast Grain Dish (Corn Mush, Sweet Rice, Cracked Wheat from your Iron Grinder) tonight to be ready next morning!!

        From my Research from NASA reports as they have had Solar Panels in space for Decades under various CME type environments I found that Solar Panels can be expected to lose about 10-20 percent of their power from an EMP or CME. As I normally size solar arrays at 150% need that will work.

        Spare Controllers and Inverters are a must in Faraday cages. Lead Acid Batteries seem to be pretty much EMP/CME proof. Even during the famous Carradyine Event when Telegraph Lines burned the batteries were not too troubled.

        An inverter with a USB port can make you very popular if any type of cell coverage is available as Super storm Sandy showed the GREAT need for small amounts of power to keep cell phones, I-Pods and such charged.

        DID you Know you CAN recharge Alkaline Batteries? I own a Maximal Power FC999 battery recharger and I routinely recharge Alkaline Batteries in my home. In about 10 minutes you will know if it’s a bad battery (toss at a Rabbit eh?) and in a couple of hours I find you get about 50% recharge in that battery. Useful for LED Lights and low draw uses. Not so good in high draw Night Vision Scopes but a half a charge is better than none eh? That reminds me I need a second one in my Faraday cage!

        Again a Post SHTF barter talent with your modest solar array.

        Using a Straw box retained heat cooker CAN keep your Lunch Leftovers HOT enough to be Safe for Dinner. Not a small thing avoiding Food Waste and Food Poisoning. Saving Food and FUEL will be very useful post SHTF.

        Somehow this moved from the rest of straw box info. Opps?

        Pray and Prepare friends Antifa is making threats to bring guns to the next Portland riot.

  15. h-m-m-m, sort of in response to a number of posts.
    Stored food is there, in storage it keeps.
    But what about perishable food that needs to be preserved at a moments notice?
    That is where my efforts have been going, into skills of rapid preservation.
    A thawing freezer loaded with food, do you know what to do?
    A garden full of ripe fresh produce and a violent storm is approaching, what do you do?

    1. @ Old Chevy

      You are not alone in your efforts!

      Thawing freezer… Eat the casseroles, can all the meat, can some of the vegetables and feed the rest to the chickens or dump it in the compost. A few things can be refrozen.

      A garden full of ripe produce… Harvest what you can. Eat some of it. Can or freeze as much as you are able, and then either feed the rest to the chickens, give some away or put it in the compost.

      Unexpected acquisition of several bushels of something (pears, peaches, oranges, grapefruit, etc.)… Drop everything you have planned and can it.

      We have had these issues come up several times over the last 25 years. This is why we keep 8-10 cases each of quart and pint canning jars in reserve. Just saying.

      1. Those are good ideas. I’ve been doing a lot of experimentation with salted, sun-dried vegetables. Onions, radishes for instance. We have a good deal of tomatoes that are all coming in at one time and next will be peppers. They don’t wait until it is convenient for you to process them.

      2. In general I think people depend upon the refrigerator too much, a lot of what goes in doesn’t need refrigeration.

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