90 day food supply

90 Day Food Supply For Emergency Survival

ByKen J.
115 Comments

90 days. It’s a good number. A 90 day food supply. It’s definitely Level 2, bordering on Level 3 prepping & preparedness.

Enough food to survive 90 days without having to go out and buy more.

Why? Well, here’s one very practical reason, given all that we’ve been going through these recent years… Pandemic survival. There are other good and practical reasons to have a 90 day food supply too.

However, I first wrote this article during February 2020, during the onset of panic due to Covid-19. At the time, we didn’t know much about it other than the potential of civilization-ending consequences. I suspected that people were going to begin panicking, and would begin stocking up on all sorts of essentials. Why? Because the mainstream messaging was clear… We were all going to die (a bit of sarcasm there, but the messaging was pretty close).

In any event, I felt compelled to alert our Modern Survival Blog readers that we could be facing shortages, and it might be a good idea to beat the crowd and stock up on things, like, a 90 day food supply for example.

I am re-posting this again, nearly a year later. Why? Well, because it’s still a good idea! Plus, the incessant statist authoritarianism and where it may go if it continues unabated. At its worst, the results of class division may one day exclude the ‘leper class’ from going to the grocery store… But I digress.

Here’s the original post:

90 Day Food Supply

It’s a life luxury to head over to the grocery store and get whatever we want. The problem is — we’ve become accustomed to that. And dependent on that. Therefore people don’t keep too much food in their homes any more (one of the reasons).

Well lets say that a pandemic comes to town. 2019-nCov anyone? Your best bet will be to self isolate from the public and other people. That means having enough food and supplies to “ride it out”. I’m not suggesting that it’s time to push the panic button yet, but I’m using this current event as an excuse to push the notion of preemptive food storage.

For how long? Hard to say. Not enough reliable data on this one yet. Though if you asked me, I would suggest thinking about the worst-case. Then you’ll probably be in better shape than most who think it will be here and gone in just a few weeks once it starts (good luck with that).

For the sake of a number, lets say 3 months. 90 days.

Pandemic Survival | How Much Food Do I Need

It’s all about the calories. Balance and nutrition is important too. But lets focus on calories. Why? Because that’s the primary reality of having enough food to survive.

2,000 calories per day, per person. That’s a typical “good enough” number for most.

So how do you get a sense as to how many calories you might need (or already have) for food storage at home? It can be deceptive — in that you might think you have enough — but do you?

What if that pandemic does indeed begin to rage in your neighborhood region — and 3 weeks later you’re out of food. Meaning, you have to risk your life going out to the store to buy more (if there is more)…

Okay. Now that I’ve adequately mentioned doom-and-gloom, lets simply have a look.

I recently ran some numbers.

With the potential threat for coronavirus flaring up in the US, you might become logically concerned. “If it does”, will you be able to shelter in place for say, 3 months? I’m sure that many of you could. Speaking to the choir here… though maybe someone will read this and be helped.

Since I went through the exercise (gave Excel a good workout), I simply want to share the notion of realistically determining whether or not you you have enough food.

90 Day Food Calorie Survival Plan

To give you an idea of what you might need for 90 day food survival, here are some meal plans for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. This is just one example to get you thinking…

I list 4 options each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just rotate. So each meal ingredient requirement would only be 22 days instead of 90. Then it’s just doing the math, counting calories, and putting together a shopping list.

The following meal plan averages about 2,000 calories per day:

Breakfast (~500 calories)

Calories include 1 glass of milk (~100 calories)

Augason Farms has an excellent milk alternative (powdered in #10 cans) as well as real powdered milk. Personally, we like their Moo Milk.

Augason Farms Morning Moo’s Low Fat Milk Alternative
(makes 6 gallons)
(amzn)

  1. (3) Pancakes w/syrup & butter (540 calories)
  2. (2) Oatmeal packets in milk (520 calories)
  3. (2) Toast with Butter & Jelly (500 calories)
  4. (1/3) can Spam (460 calories)

Lunch (~600 calories)

Calories include 1 glass of milk (~100 calories)

  1. Tuna sandwich, (1) 5oz can, w/2tbsp Mayo (600 calories)
  2. Chicken sandwich, (1/2 12-oz can) w/2tbsp Mayo (620 calories)
  3. Mac-n-Cheese, 1/2 box (650 calories)
  4. Peanut Butter sandwich w/3tbsp PB (585 calories)

Dinner (~700 calories)

Calories include 1 glass of milk (~100 calories)

  1. Pasta & Sauce, 1/4-lb & 1/3-pint sauce (620 calories)
  2. Rice & Beans w/canned-veggie, dry measure 1/2-cup rice & 1/4-cup beans (690 calories)
  3. Rice & Chicken w/canned-veggie, dry measure 1/2-cup & 1 (12 oz) can chicken (810 calories)
  4. Corned Beef Hash & Toast, 1/2 can w/2-slices toast (680 calories)

Canned vegetables with 2 of 4 meals above (rotate),

  • canned green beans (60 calories)
  • cans of carrots (70 calories)
  • canned whole corn (210 calories)

Snacks (~200 calories)

Peanuts, 1/4-cup (200 calories)

Grocery List for 90 Day Food Supply

Augason Farms Dry Milk (3) #10 cans makes 270 cups (~17 gallons)
(view on amzn)

Pancake Mix (2) 32-oz boxes Aunt Jemima ‘Buttermilk Complete’ makes ~120 4″ cakes

Oatmeal packets Box of 45
(view on amzn)

Spam (8) 12-oz cans

Jelly (1) large 30-oz jar of your favorite

Butter (2) pounds for toast & bread-making

Flour (3) 5 pound bags for ~15 loaves of homemade bread

Canned Chicken (30) 12.5-oz cans

Canned Tuna (23) 5-oz cans

Mayo (3) 30-oz large jars

Mac-n-Cheese (12) boxes

Peanut Butter (1) 40-oz large jar

Pasta (5) pounds

Pasta sauce (6) pints

Rice (8) pounds

Dry Beans (2) pounds

Canned Corned Beef Hash (9) cans

Peanuts (7) 16-oz jars (pounds)

Canned Green Beans (12)

Cans of Carrots (12)

Canned Corn (12)

Conclusion

This is for 1 person. Adjust accordingly.

Note that any meats you have in the freezer are calories. Beef is about 800 – 1,000 calories per pound while chicken is about 500.

A 3 month food supply really is not difficult. It’s just a matter of doing. The example above is just one of nearly infinite possibilities.

Just think about what you’ll need over that time period of time so that you won’t have to go to the grocery store.

No fresh milk. But the milk alternative I listed is pretty good. We use it all the time.

I didn’t mention it, but eggs will last a long time in the fridge. 1 – 2 months will likely not be an issue if you bought lots of them.

Cheese too. There are about 100 calories in a slice of American cheese. It will last a long time in the fridge. So you could buy pounds of it without issue. Grilled cheese sandwiches?? Yum…

Peanuts and peanut butter have LOTS of calories. Good for survival — bad for weight management. I like PB too much, so I don’t keep it too accessible!

One 1.4L bottle of California Extra Virgin olive oil (we use this) has 12,000 calories! Drizzle it on you pasta or whatever for more caloric intake. Plus it tastes good!

Okay, this article took me a lot of time in that I literally calculated all the calories for everything, reading can labels, looking up facts — to provide a sense of relativity. My head hurts. So I’ll end here. Perhaps time for a adult beverage (lots of calories in that too ;) ) (use only in moderation!)

Augason Farms 30-day Food Storage
(view on amzn)

Lunch and Dinner Kit
Breakfast Kit

Continue reading:

Prepping Level 1 – 4

How To Survive A Pandemic

Canned Meat For Preparedness

115 Comments

  1. I left my work city to head for the woods this morning for my days off. I stopped at my little town grocery store to stock up on a few things and replace what I have used recently. I couldn’t help but notice beans and rice are “on sale” but still are significantly higher than 6 months ago. Plenty of everything else and prices are about the norm. I had my propane supplier come out and top off my tanks. They really didn’t want to do that, but I’ve been a good customer for years. I’ll even send payment with him if I around when he comes to fill my tanks.

    Just a thing for you to consider, our quartermaster has already alerted us that certain isolation supplies are gone and no backorder is available right now. They are having to look at businesses they don’t normally buy from and the costs are much higher, but the product is available. Even my little grocer had “N95 Allergy Reduction 3M masks” in 3 and 5 count packs. Pricey, but available.

    As always– Avoid crowds, pay attention, and keep your powder dry.

        2. NRP and Blue, Sparky and Buster know , they are not able to lift the lid, yet.Its buried deep enough not easy for me to get to, for now..:>)…It’s the “Big Dawg” I am concerned about. ..when i pull them out for “necessary rotation” will not reveal hiding place… so can use it again.LOL

  2. Thank you Ken for a lot of seriously hard work! Looks pretty good from 1st reading, nice to have various meals to prevent food “Fatigue”.

    However I think the “Knock On” effects of a real need to self isolate will be interesting as in Chinese Curse.

    For example routine line repairs *may* stop or be greatly slowed as Linemen call in sick or otherwise stay home to protect themselves from the Corona Virus. Just this week a “accident” occurred from a vehicle hitting the power lines nearby. We lost power for a couple of hours. That was with FULL Crews working. Adding in any form of storms and grid power might be unreliable at best.

    So your freezer and fridge full of food might become an issue to eat or process it somehow before it goes bad. BTW Eggs on the kitchen counter last for a week easily enough if kept cool and out of the sun. Oiled eggs last even longer.

    Cities and Towns generally get their HAZMAT chemicals needed for water purification and sewage treatments every couple of weeks due to EPA limits for on site stockage levels.

    Truckers will be likely to be affected and call in sick so those critical chemicals and fuel resupply for gas stations and home heating fuel might be affected.

    Your when trucks stop article covers this.

    So electricity and thus pumped water might fail early in the isolation period.

    So water, food alternative ways to heat your home, cook your meals and lighting are likely to be required pretty soon.

    Folks WILL Get Crazy or at least the already marginal folks like our Druggies and Gimmie Dat’s. Expect they will be seeking Drugs and Food and…. pretty soon when the power and grocery stores stop working.

    Bread is the staff of life, know how to make flat breads with out electricity? Flour, water, a bit of oil and a skillet over the rocket stove. A Camping oven using a Dutch oven and a Strawbox retained heat cooker will work also for yeast-sourdough breads as well as biscuits.

    I forget the titles of the several good articles about cooking off grid that cover this well.

    Mass Isolation will be a pretty good example of SHTF

    2. Thanks. I have 4 choices per meal. 7 (one each day of the week) would be even better to avoid food fatigue. Point being that counting calories and focusing on foods that one might adequately enjoy — a 90-day+ plan can be worked out and purchased preemptively. And sleep better at night.

      Your points about potential infrastructure disruptions are valid. It could happen — depending on how a given pandemic situation unfolds. It’s good to plan for it. Just in case.

      1. Ken ,Not only do I rotate meals. I rotate meats as the most important rotation. Then determine which way i want to go with it. Since we have enough other limitations- this prevents food fatigue. example..WEd-thurs. was beef. Friday-saturday we had chicken,..( different ways)Sunday,monday we had pork, Tuesday and wed. will be rabbit. may have turkey one day… or sandwiches. then will begin cycle again. with pork first…( we have and eat pork more days than beef.)

  3. Great article Ken! Amazing how similar my list is. BTW corned beef hash is one of my favorites. I like to bake mine. This is how I prepare my CBH:
    1. Preheat oven to 450°
    2. Spread 1 (25oz) can of CBH on a nonstick cookie sheet. (Or line a standard cookie sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.) Fluff the CBH with a fork to achieve maximum surface area to get maximize crunchiness. It should look as if tiny chunks of CBH were sprinkled across the pan. Never smooth.
    3. Place sheet on middle rack and bake for 20-30 mins or until you reach desired brownness or crunchiness.

    I’ve found that the large 25oz cans just barely fit on a standard baking sheet. I disagree with the serving size on the can though, I think the 25oz can is good for 2 people. I use the standard 14oz can when I’m just making some for myself. 😆

  4. 3 months?
    😎🤙🏻
    POC!
    Can use lots of fresh forrage or hunted too, and as first resort, isolating doesnt necessarily mean locked in!

    1. You are right, and GOOD POINT that isolating does not mean being “locked in”. This should be emphasized. Pandemic survival mainly involves staying reasonable distances away from people (especially crowds of people!) and public places where lots of people are in and out…

      1. Ken,
        Even if there is a strict quarantine,
        There is no way they can possibly observe everyone all the time, not out here where we are anyway,,,,
        So cross the roadway behind the house and im in the trees,,,,
        Have deer coming into our property now, 3 dozen head this morning
        Just the mallow, nasturtiams and choyote growing wild in our yard would keep us in daily fresh greens for 3 months, that doesnt even include the intentional plantings
        You ever eat mochi?
        Can make that from our stored rice easily.

        1. Kulafarmer I am officially Envious of your Island “Problems”. LOL

          Plenty to eat 365 days a year, fresh water and salt water fishing all round, never have to worry about temperature extremes aside from an occasional Hurricane.

          Now once you figure out how to chase off those Democrats……

          I would suggest that EVERYBODY take a moment of internet time to LOOK UP your States Infectious Disease Plans. Always a good idea to know what they “Think” will happen so you can plan ways around them.

          FEMA may also have Plans and they override the states often enough. How do you THINK all those folks ended up being herded into the Super Dome during Katrina?

          Nothing is more scary than hearing “I’m from the Government and here to help you” and realizing they intend to Collect you, your family and your food to the approved governmental shelters-medical system. OR Maybe JUST your “Excess” Foods to feed their resettled folks.

          A bit of hidden food might be a good idea?

        2. me2. “LOOK UP your States Infectious Disease Plans” … Did that two weeks ago and it is a joke. It looks like they copied the strawman draft from FEMA and did a fill-in-the-blanks routine. Still doing internet searches for what near by states’ pandemic plans are. I contacted family in other states to see what was going on. NM, NV, AZ and UT governments have begun planning meetings and running “what if” scenarios. Have not heard of specific outcomes yet.

        3. Could not find an updated plan for Pennsylvania. The last problem we had was a snow storm in 2015 and flood issues the same year. I am outside Philadelphia. Crazy! Thank you for your information Ken and all who comment. Helps me out a lot. Take care and stay healthy.

        4. Farmmom I expected that you would find out (as I did) that the “Disaster Planning” was a dangerous joke.

          However knowing a little how they “Think” (and I use that word generously) gives you an idea what YOU and I NEED to do to protect ourselves from a Disaster AND Sad to Say the poorly thought actions of our “Leadership”.

          Nothing would be worse than my family being herded into a Super Wal-Mart to be “Protected” by such idiots. Second worse is having them “Use” a “Good Citizen Award” aka see something say something to deal with Prepared People by being labeled “Hoarders”.

          Thus my comment above about hiding supplies as not to get robbed by the “Fairness Police” for the “Common Good”.

  5. Thank you for posting this today, read it then was out making sausage, was thinking about the ramifications and our assets.
    Made me smile to consider our situation and how blessed we are.

      1. Why yes,
        Yes we do!
        Its decent stuff, best to not eat it all the time, but calories and protein plus the long storage life regardless of dates makes it a good JIC foodstuff.

        1. We always keep “x” amount of spam in our inventory, given the calories, protein and seemingly limitless shelf life. Agreed that too much too often is probably not too good for one’s longterm health…!

        2. remember, don’t stack it too high, them easy-open cans will fail you if you do.

  6. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention.If we need to bug in for a extended period people will be very creative with menu options.
    Many times I look at a nice meal at home or in a restaurant and I wonder
    If I could make the same meal out of our food storage.Mostly yes.

    The vast majority of the folks that frequent this blog or other prepper sites
    can make it 90 days standing on there head.

    It won’t be easy or fun. We have to embrace the “suck”.

  8. Ken,
    Thanks for doing all the calculations for us… that was a lot of detail work for you, so please know it is appreciated! You’ve more than earned an adult beverage (or two) ;)

    I’ve continued balancing our food stores to include a reasonable variety. Includes plenty of dry goods that can be stored at BOL in winter, and plenty of canned goods that can be stored in suburbia (cases of cans packed and stacked, ready to go should we need to make a quick drive out of suburbia). Increased dry good inventory include:
    – Rice and beans (variety of types)
    – Powdered milk
    – Pancake mix
    – Potatoes (flakes, slices and dried shredded)
    – Good mix of veggies, fruits, mushrooms, onions and seasonings
    – Oatmeal
    – Staples including sugars, flour, BP and soda, and LOTS of salt!

    Does anyone have experience dehydrating ham? I have a fair amount of pre-sliced ham from the recent holiday season packed in my freezer in bags, and would like to defrost & use my Nesco to dehydrate then pack into canning jars. Thinking this will go a long way to helping boost rice, beans and dried peas in soups, stews and casseroles.

    If anyone has any tips (or had any epic fails) will you please share? Thank you!

    1. So Cal Gal, to dehydrate ham, it’s important to trim and remove as much fat as possible before dehydrating. Any fat will make it go rancid in storage. I boil a big pot of water, and remove it from the stove (you don’t need it actively boiling). I like to cut the ham into the desired size pieces first – remember they will shrink – then dump them int the pot. Swish a bit, then dump all into a strainer in the sink. Rinse with a little more hot tap water. Drain and pat dry on some old dish towels, or paper towels work. Dehydrate. The pieces don’t take more than a few hours. They should be hard when dry. I use the same method for cooked ground beef. Hope this helps.

      1. I forgot to add that I actually prefer to pressure can ham. You can either roll up a stack of slices or dice it first. Add boiling water to jars and process according to ‘meats’ for the correct size jars. Again, remove as much fat as possible as it can interfere with the sealing of your jars.

    2. So Cal Girl
      I never tried to dehydrate ham but I can it all the time. Around the holidays its always on sale so I buy 1 to eat and 2 to can. You are right about boosting beans and such which is just what I use it for. A pint jar into a couple of pounds of either beans or split peas, add in a loaf of homemade bread or some biscuits and you have a meal for a pretty large family or a couple of days worth for a family of 4.

    3. DJ and Poorman,
      Thanks so much for your replies!
      In this case, I prefer to dehydrate as I want to store at the BOL, which is high altitude, very low temperature, so not conducive to canned and home-canned storage in the winter.

      Although it won’t give the best result, I am going to follow your advice for dehydration. This ham is very lean (already heavily trimmed after baking), so I will defrost, removing any remaining bits of fat, then chop into large bite size and give it a go.

      Thanks again to you both!

      1. So Cal Gal, Just Thinkin’ Consider..The smaller you chop/dice those pieces, the easier they will dehydrate and then rehydrate…

  9. Multivitamin and mineral supplement.
    Seeds for sprouts and for quick-growing leafy greens.
    Plain yogurt to use as starter for homemade yogurt. Flavorings if, like me, you don’t really like plain yogurt. A ricotta-like product can be made from yogurt.
    Hard cheeses keep for a long time, as do hard sausages. I like cooking with that big summer sausage from Costco.
    Instant mashed potatoes.
    Bullion for gravy.

    Don’t forget pet treats and livestock feed.

    1. Yep, instant mashed taters will last long time. Cheap calories. Good idea re bullion. We keep beef and chicken flavored in our storage all the time… good for all sorts of add-on’s

        1. Another good food flavor enhancer is bacon bits. We get ours from EE. Good in/on baked,fried or mashed taters,rice,green beans,scrambled eggs,on or in burgers meat loaf,mac n cheese,salads etc.

        3. LITW, Anony Mee, and Ken,
          Knorr also makes a tomato chicken bouillon. Like all bouillon it is salty, but super good. Like tomato powder it really Amps up the flavor without adding so many cans of tomato for soups or pasta sauce, Pico….. Whatever. I find it in the Mexican food aisle.
          PEACE to all.

      2. Try Better than Bouillon. Little pricey but excellent flavor (beef). Only problem is it has to be refrigerated after opening. Also Goya Chicken Bouillon packets. Bulk buy at regular grocery stores. Really delish as a quick broth with some egg noodles tossed in and some veggies.

  10. Mr Skeptical, Some of what you seek may be on the one entitled “Supplements that boost the immune system- Do they work?” go to home page and scroll down…

  11. Heck, in 3 months you could harvest full heads of lettuce!

    Mung bean sprouts are nutritious, same with broccoli sprouts, or radish sprouts,

    Micro greens in trays, True Leaf Market has some nice kits,,, real easy, come with everything

      1. Kulafarmer,
        I came up with some more options while considering my alternatives, I began my thinking-w/ weather conditions. . temps n the 60’s one day and low 30’s that night… or suddenly dropping to low 30’s. lots of rain..too wet to work..saying 4 inches plus. ground is already saturated..
        .I have been thinking any issues would happen in winter weather..is.why I considered alternate growing methods for both fall applications and early spring. Sprouting kits are not in my budget,… too many extra things that are vital… Deep winter is my slow season for growing and doing…..limited light(inside and outside… don’t know how the folks up north handle)..
        …Some people have diets that are limited medically/ green intake =our problem. We can eat them after processed by either rabbits or chickens.. will be planting more greens and items not planted last year…as we increase our space..available to plant in all raised areas…..Plan is to allow the chickens to raise a few broods for increase of overall flock..and meat.. Must get them a controlled pastured area to keep them safe and to limit them from garden areas…. Will not be to point of not needing more,.. enough to help.. Have a couple of more options are exploring for additional meat variety.
        I have some wheat berries/ were orig gotten for planting by local company, are not treated.I treated with DE……I purchased for fodder for critters, plan to sprout those., and need to get that started now.. for at least every other day use for critters.Will have more nutrition than the hay they are consuming now…trying to decrease “finish/grow out ” time.Will be important for space for the new arrivals as their weaning times arrive.
        Our temps will go from really cold to hot,..quickly..(will reduce numbers of those requiring ice bottles significantly…housings will be permanent,) if Like last years growing season..will go from Drowning in water to no rain….. some things that hold over well n cold weather…like sage is growing under a plastic grow bag… have picked once.this winter…

        1. You might want to look at mung bean sprouting. With a screened lid and a wide mouth canning jar you have all the kit you need other than the mung beans. They grow well in cool and dark spaces and in 4-5 days you’ll have some fresh food. Not green, but still a taste of fresh. I use it every winter to liven things up in meals and have no problems with daytime house temp of 65F and nighttime temp of 60F….
          I have a few lids so I can have jars started every other day to increase the amount produced in case family arrives during an event.

  12. Great work Ken, I am going to download and print it.
    You mention eggs, I’ve been pickling eggs for the past year and are fantastic; go into salads, on crackers or as is. Very easy, in fact if you steam them in your Instant Pot the eggshells practically fall of them.
    I gotta mention Ezekiel bread; making bread out of sprouted and dried wheat berries. Increased nutrition.

    1. Jane Foxe: Stuff the peeled eggs into a quart jar. Dissolve 2 tablespoons pickling salt and whatever spices you want in white vinegar and pour over the eggs. Keep it in the refrigerator for a week. My first batches only used one tbsp salt and wasn’t as good. Spices I use: cayenne, smoked hot paprika, turmeric, black peppercorns, about a tsp each. Note that there is no water added and the result is only a mild tartness from the vinegar. I’ve never used apple cider vinegar or sugar.

    2. Jane Foxe;
      Here are a cpl of Pickled Egg recipes I like

      Pickled Eggs in Beet Juice;
      This is a recipe I have used many times, the color is “interesting” Purple from the Beet Juice, very good taste and look really cool on a green salad.
      Very easy to make.
      a. 1 Can Store-Bought Pickled beets or one pint jar of home canned Pickled Beets
      b. 1 1/2 Cup White Wine or Distilled Vinegar
      c. 2 tsp Pickling Salt, I use Kosher Salt
      d. 1 tsp Black Pepper crushed
      e. 1 tsp Whole Allspice crushed
      f. 2 Bay Leaf crumbled
      g. 18 Hard Boiled Eggs peeled
      Bring to a boil all except the Eggs for 1 minute, remove from heat and let cool.
      Put the eggs into a 1/2 gallon Mason jar and pour liquid over, do not strain the liquid.
      Refrigerate for a min of 2 days, than eat as you would any H-B Eggs.
      I like to use the Beets along with the Beet Juice, but some like the Beets separate.
      I have had them stored in the refrigerator for months before they would “go bad”. BUT none seem to make it that long

      Golden Pickled Eggs
      Another GREAT Pickled Egg, these have a very nice Golden color.
      a. 2 TBLS Pickling Salt, I use Kosher Salt
      b. 2 Cups Cider Vinegar
      c. 1 Cup “good” water, use bottled or filtered water, chlorine runes the taste.
      d. 2 tsp Sugar or 3 tsp of Honey
      e. 2” of whole Cinnamon Stick slightly crushed
      f. 2 tsp White Peppercorns crushed
      g. 1 tsp Allspice crushed
      h. 1 tsp Turmeric
      i. 1/2 tsp Celery Seeds
      j. 18 Hard Boiled Eggs peeled
      Bring to a boil all except the Eggs for 15 minute, remove from heat and let cool.
      Put the eggs into a 1/2 gallon Mason jar and pour liquid over, do not strain the liquid.
      Refrigerate for a min of 7 days, than eat as you would any H-B Eggs.
      These will last for weeks and weeks, well if ya don’t eat them all first.

      Lastly, my method for Hard Boiled Eggs
      I only use eggs that are 2 weeks old from the Store or 3 weeks from a local grower. Keep in refrigerator full time.
      I start with cold water in a BIG BIG pan, and add the eggs right from the fridge.
      Bring to a full rolling boil, cover with a tight fitting lid and extinguish the heat.
      Let stand in the hot water for 15 minutes NO LONGER.
      Dump the hot water and set the pan in the sink running cold water for 4-5 minutes. Dump the water and refill with cold water and add Ice to really chill the eggs.
      While still in the Ice-Water I peel the eggs right away using the water in the pan too clean the eggs.
      Anyways, that’s what works for me, best of luck.

      NRP

      1. NRP: Borrow your neighbor’s Instant Pot and steam your eggs and you’ll never do it any other way. 1″ of water on the bottom, set the eggs on a trivet, close lid, set it for “manual” for 5 minutes, rest for 5 more and remove pressure and place eggs in ice water until water is room temperature. The shells will practically fall off. No kidding!

        1. Chevy:
          Does the Insta-Pot work as well on “fresheggs”?
          Been thinking on investing in one.

        2. NRP: interesting question, I only use store bought eggs and I don’t know how old they are. You should give the I-Pot a try; we didn’t like it at first, in fact it sat unused for half a year when I decided to try it again. Now it is used quite often, it is the only way I make bone broth now. What’s the deal with having to use two week old eggs and not fresh?

        3. Hi Chevy

          In fresh eggs, the insides completely fill the shell. There’s a membrane there between the shell and the whites that is tight against the shell. That’s what tends to rip the whites when trying to peel a hard boiled egg.

          After a couple weeks, esp with store bought eggs that have had the bloom washed off, the egg begins to lose some moisture. The membrane separates from the shell. Much easier to peel after hard boiling.

        4. NRP,
          Yes, fresh eggs are super easy to peel with the Instant Pot. This is the only way I make HB eggs.
          Thanksgiving 2 years ago my son (age 35) wanted deviled eggs and I told him that he could help me and fix them. Well I buy my farm fresh eggs locally and forgot how hard they are to peel when they are HB. I didn’t have my IP then so I cooked them on the stove as I have done for years. Well after my son began to peel eggs and completely destroying about 10 of them he decided he didn’t want them after all. We did have a good laugh about it.

        5. Since you’ve been talking about this appliance called the egg instant pot, I decided to look it up on amzn. Wow. They’ve got one with 20 thousand ratings! This thing is popular. I’m going to order one. No more busting up eggs when I peel them hard-boiled!

          6 Capacity electric egg cooker

        6. Ken:
          GREAT find, just ordered one myself.
          They also make a double decker for a few more eggs, but the 6 at a time is PERFECT!!!!
          Thanks

      2. NRP…thank you.

        when I go shopping in couple days, will pick up extra eggs and give a couple of these a try….

        How long (assuming not gobbled up) would you say a jar of pickled eggs is good for in the fridge? thks

        1. Jane Foxe;
          I have had them last up to almost 6 months. (was doing an trial to see how long), maybe longer, don’t know for sure.
          Remembering these things are Vinegar and Salt cured.
          I would say to be safe at least 3 months, but for some reason they never last that long. Yummmmmm
          PS; those 6 month eggs were completely purple through the yokes telling me the Vinegar and Salt completely penetrated the eggs.

        2. NRP,
          Thanks much for the info. Am glad to know, they can last a long time. At my house, for some reason, folks are “suspicious” (grin) to try something newish until it has been around for a while. Now I will not worry, until three to six months (grin).

          Am looking forward to trying your recipes.

  14. I suspect that scientist is right we are a small island with a packed population . Still those that prep and have a plan will be a little ahead of the game .

  15. Well, staying home and limiting one’s self to activities that don’t involve proximity with lots of other people (going to the grocery store) — does not assure that water and grid will not go down during pandemic.

    Infrastructure including water and electricity will be among high priority for governing bodies and the utility companies providing these services. Will a worst case situation develop such that no one is left standing who knows how to keep the lights on? Probably not. But maybe. Depends on how a given pandemic and its contagion & mortality rate develops.

    It’s always a good idea to plan for the worst and hope for the best. The intention of this article is not to push the notion that everything’s going to collapse around us. Rather to instill the motivation that it’s possible to figure out how much food is necessary to stay out of the grocery store for 90 days.

  16. There is no way to plan and prevent everything. can the grid go down ? Yep. Can the water stop running ? Yep. The idea of the article is to at least have a plan for food storage to cover your 90 days. In my case I could last the 90 without the electricity as I can cook with gas , wood, rocket stove , propane ect. I have enough water to last that 90 days as well ( I think ) though that could get dicey towards the end and I might have to go out to a lake or river close by to get more. For food 90 days would not even put a serious dent in my storage.

    Good idea to get people thinking Ken. Thinking makes us run scenarios in our heads which ( at least in my case) helps us to see holes in our plans.

    1. generators while loud and hungry will keep refrigeration going a long time if they are only used when refrigeration is needing to be run. get a remote reading thermometer to know when to run the unit and then shut it off. with this practice you could get up to a month of cold storage with 5 gallons of gas.
      another thing no one to my knowledge, mentions is it would be wise to keep spare parts on hand for toilet and faucet repair as these things will often fail at an awkward time. learn how to do simple repairs on youtube or other similar sights.

  17. Wonderful article for those who are just starting a food pantry, or for people who want to add to their pantries. There is a small menu provided, and a shopping list to use — can’t get any easier! Newbies sometimes get overwhelmed with food storage and this article takes all of the guesswork out of ‘stocking up’. (You did a fantastic job, Ken!)

  19. Roger, I am using up our old cans of fruit by making Crisps peach crisp, pear crisp, etc. My next little experiment is to use 2 cans of these older canned fruits in smoothies. I will add some cinnamon so that the flat taste disappears. LOL

  20. Thanks Ken, great article. Timely for me, Mrs. Grey and I were driving around getting the final parts for the Faraday cage and I mentioned some of my weak (or lazy) knowledge areas, calories per person a day and how long can we live on stores was one. Came home and found your article, perfect timing, or someone trying to get a message through my thick skull (which takes bit of work). TP calculation requires some differential equations work, or consulting the dart board.

  21. I did an inventory last week of our food preps. Made a list, bit the bullet, and went shopping! Spent more than I wanted to, but now feel more at ease. I never worry about being bored around here, there is always something to work on. Today the sun is shining and I’m going out to plant some lettuce and radishes and put in my cold frame. Our yard is fenced around the front to keep the deer out, but yesterday a sneaky little one was on my patio. I couldn’t figure out how she got in and she really didn’t want to leave! Mr shooed her out and checked the gates. So I guess we wait and see what happens. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. And yes NRP my friend, we are covered in the TP dept!

    1. I too went out to shore up our supplies, and spent over 800 bucks. That was just to shore up things! We had the propane tank filled and have fuel tanks filled too.

      There is a lot to do around this homestead too and we will be working on an irrigation system for the fruit trees and berry/grape bushes. Thinks like puzzles, books, music, and games will probably help time go by along with the moderated adult beverages!

      I can see supply lines shutting down. As I said in another post, do not expect anyone to show if you call 911 when things get rough. Our departments did a study on how many emergency responders would show up to work, and the studies showed 30% would not come to work. I think that number may be more around 50%.

      Batten down the hatches! Thanks Ken for a great, informative article!!

      1. Pegasus and others, just remember that spending money now on consumables, is not a waste of money. If anything it will save money – even if nothing happens. Because you will eventually “consume it”. Prices only go up…

        Best to prepare now, than be too late.

  23. Good thread, glad folks are thinking about their furry family members also.

    Also think a bit who may decide that “Crazy Uncle Mike” wasn’t THAT Crazy after all and try to show up at YOUR Place for the Pandemic. After all our OPSEC with family is often not that good?

    Set aside enough for them, if they DON’T Show up you can still eat it anyway no loss. If they DO and I am amazed how stray cat folks seem to make it through the storms you’ll have food for them.

    After all SHTF doesn’t always happen all at once, grid power may be irregular like California during fire season as some folks take sick or call in sick worried about the “invisible boogeyman” getting them or their families sick.

    Thanks Ken for getting this scenario thinking going.

  24. Sorry posted too soon again. For those “Stray cat folks” than manage somehow to get to your place during a Pandemic PLEASE have a 14 day Medical Isolation lock down on them.

    If any come up sick during that 14 day isolation, ALL stay there until resolved. Far better to treat them away from your hard to decon home and family.

    Even a tent and porti-potty set up with I suggest an “Honesty Fence” to prevent the “I’m NOT Sick let me inside” demands MIGHT be a family joking story AFTER this Pandemic is resolved.

    All the food, water and survival gear is worthless if you have a serious disease situation rampaging through your family.

    I want to see all of you on the other side of whatever disaster erupts. I was going to say America but I also want to hear from Veteran and our English posters.

  25. We NOW KNOW how they will limit the virus. cut off the water and ALL there will die. No water = death They will not die from virus but from the lack of water…Beyond SAD.

  26. canadagal === cut the water to some areas to maybe prevent spread>>>>>>????

    well, maybe….Also a way to kill off a bunch. How long can one live without water…? 3 days?

  27. Thanks Ken for a timely post.
    The logistics for a large group like ours is daunting.
    People have been sent out with supply lists. Hope to fill them before Friday. Then we will be staying close to the homestead for awhile.
    May I suggest a few barter items as well if this goes on for awhile?

  28. canadagal
    Knowing you prepare for your current household. What about the extended family coming to the house-jic? Even though it may be a ways for them to come. Will they be able to bring extra’s with them along with any OTC meds they might need or require. Thinking outside the box, since you said you do live a long ways out of town.

    It is good to see you posting, hope all is well at your home.

  29. One other item to keep in stock is alcohol. Even in you do not drink hard liquor, vodka makes an excellent preserver of fresh meat if you have more than you can refrigerate or freeze. If your ground meat smells “a little funny”, rescue it with a shot of vodka, tabasco sauce, Worchester sauce, and salt. Medicinal brandy is always handy. I prefer Korbel.

  30. Texture and nutrition will suffer over time, but calorie count should stay stable. That said, I try not to let fruit cups stay more than 5 years past the best buy date, although I’m still eating soups dated from 2014 and have canned tuna (solid white, not the chunk) from 2013 that is fine for tuna salad or my tuna noodle casseroles.

  31. Thanks to Ken for posting this article…it gets one to start thinking’ about this stuff.

    Thanks to the many posters for tossing in your ideas as new ideas are always welcome.

    My contribution/idea I would like to pass on to the newbies out there is to learn how to make your own pickled vegetables from fresh-that-is-soon-to-go-bad or limp. Pickling of cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables can carry you over from the depths of winter until the soil warms up to plant in the springtime. Pickling vegetables was what my ancestors did while in the internment camps during WW-2 as the supply of foods and things they could grow in the camps was spotty at best.

    Here is my modified pickling solution I use for cabbage, carrots and other vegetables: 1 cup boiled, clean water. 1 tablespoon non-iodized salt, 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of white cider vinegar. 5-10 dashes of Tabasco sauce.

    I have several pickle presses I bought at an asian market nearby. These get used a lot in the winter. The pickled vegetables are stored in a room that stays above freezing yet stays below 50 degrees F. during the winter. Fair warning, many folks think that it smells bad but the ability to eat fresh, crunchy pickled vegetables with rice in Jan and Feb is a wonderful thing when the days are short and dark.

    Finishing touches on flavoring can be done with soy sauce, ponzu sauce and/or seasoned rice vinegar. When grocery shopping – the stuff that I do not eat fresh can be chopped up and placed in the pickle press with brining solution and eaten days or a week later.

  32. A while back I called the manager of one of the big grocery stores here in MN and asked if I could purchase things we use on a regular basis by the case ans was able to do so. I believe (CRS-if I remember right) we saved like 20%, and we only purchased around a hundred $’s worth. Got a years supply of some of our major purchases. And as far as powdered milk goes, one can buy in bulk, one quart packages in most stores.

    1. Thanks.
      Pick a handful of meals – each for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Figure out the calories of each. Add some snacks. See if it adds up to at least 2,000 calories per day. Adjust accordingly. Then make a shopping list. Go get it. So you don’t have to go to the grocery store for 90 days… ;) At least that’s one way to do it…

  35. I am currently just a few hundred kilometers where the COVD outbreak started. It has been really eerie where I am. A city of around 10 million and the streets have been largely deserted. There is more movement now but it seems like people are just food shopping and then going home. Almost all businesses as per the government have remained closed except for grocery stores and a few convenience stores. When you go into a store or back into the apartment complex ther e are people checking temperatures. If someone has a fever, they are denied entry even if they live there. When you arrive anywhere and after taking your temperature, they want your name and phone number. The apartment wants to know where you went.

  36. Haven’t been on the site in a while, pleased to see the common sense suggestions and back n’ forth is still going strong here! I’ve been hanging out on news media comments sections this week and you either have the people who are in full blown panic, or those who are in complete denial about the situation. Need to re-connect with people who got their heads on straight :)

    I’ve spent the last two weeks stocking up on my family’s normal, every day necessities. Our typical food ingredients, extra tp/cleaning products and then gathering extra pet food, (we have 9 pets, sheesh lol). I’m running out this morning to buy a couple more dozen eggs (will bring stock up to 6dz), and then we’re good to go for a while. We could self-isolate for around 6 weeks comfortably, and then a few weeks longer ‘uncomfortably,’ (dipping into my rice/beans/dried goods stash).
    Right now my husband is still going to work normally, but we’re starting to pare back on other outings. After today I won’t need to go to the store for a while, and I’m cutting out other things like our weekly library run etc, for the time being.
    My husband works in the industrial construction field, (HVAC), and they got an email yesterday- parts they use on job sites are now on hold because they come from China. So we’re starting to see the first effects of the virus. We’re in the Mid-west and so far no one is wearing masks that I’ve seen while out n’ about or talking about the virus, (not really being talked about on local media, friends/family aren’t bringing it up etc). It will be interesting to see if/how this changes in the next week or two.

  37. I like this, but I would have to adjust greatly. My entire family has celiac. And my husband is vegetarian for health reasons. We would not be eating nearly as much meat as the average as a result. But, we would have to bulk up on canned veggies and beans as result and cut out all the flour. I also don’t think I could ever eat that much mayo in an entire year. But, I think this can be done.

  38. ssh,
    When there are limited supplies- everyone/ at least the smart ones will be modifying their diets. We are prescribed, average 70-120 grams of protein per person/ day. We will immediately vary that once this goes “live”, and all of our future purchases are uncertain.
    .We will do a day of heavier protein, close to what we are doing now , and opposite days will cut our normals per person to half… this will stretch our protein sources for the longest times.Beans/legumes will remain tightly controlled..2Nd to .tolerance. Being able to implement this plan is determined by us being able to stock adequate fats/ and flour… there are many kinds.. find one you do tolerate and begin playing with recipes to use it now., IF you have not. Gravy will make a small meat serving satisfying.It can also enhance those string beans..

  39. What do people do who are Diabetic or pre-Diabetic ? There is TOO SUGAR. I also no longer buy or eat sugar foods. I have not ate any sugar foods for more then 7 months now. Most of the emergency foods are high in sugar and sodium too. Who know if they are full of GMOs.

  40. Just checked my shelves and am going to use up some old dried beans for hummus. Some of the more unusual varieties can still be found in stores.

  41. It’s pretty simple, cook your beans until mashable, add onion, garlic, peppers and olive oil. Some add other stuff like avocado. You can do anything with it. I also have another way of preparing beans with potatoes, for breakfast!

        1. Chevy;
          Don’t know why ya cant use about any beans…… Not just Chick-Peas, or Garbanzo, thinking any Fart Fuel should be good to go, just spice as needed.

  42. canned fatty fish – salmon – mackerel – sardines – and the healthy german bread – this bread does real well for longevity – and lets stock up on quality vitamins – find it on line – apple cider vinegar – lemon in the plastic bottles – various spice and knowing how to be creative – holistic teas – read up – and water – water is the king really – who ever controls the water in those days will control it all. – a bit of actual spiritual involvement won’t hurt either – after all this life is transitory no matter how well anyone eats.

  43. – Hadn’t seen (or had forgotten) this article. You mentioned the powdered/dried milk; a lot of kids will take the stuff better if you add half-a-teaspoon (2.5 ml) of vanilla to the chilled reconstituted mix and whip/stir. I was just thinking of what things DW and I needed to add to bring our long-term supplies back up to snuff. Well-timed republishing, Ken!

    Our supplies are for a bit longer than 90 days, but it is easy to get out of balance when you have been using it and not really paying attention to keeping an adequate balance of what is used/not used. (We tend to use more of some things, like butter, for the holidays, etc.)

    – Papa S.

  44. My wife and I both contracted Covid in October and though we stayed at the house for several weeks and except for a visit to the pharmacy for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, we had everything we needed. Friends called and asked if they could bring us anything (we are 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store so no delivery) we told them thanks but we didn’t need anything. Having the staples, tools and natural resources you need to live comfortably for a year or more is a very satisfying and reassuring feeling as you never know when YOUR “SHTF” event is going to hit.

  45. Thank you Ken for your great site and timely article. Am a long time lurker and appreciate the education you and your readers have given me. Best site around!
    Just an update to your list: Aunt Jemima pancake mix is now rebranded to Pearl Valley Milling pancake mix.

  46. Excellent repost.
    Anyone here really think this debacle we are experiencing is over?
    Well heck our buddy Joe’s only been here for what? 11 months?
    He/They still have over 3 years to finish destroying the Counrty.
    Control the Food, ya Control the People

  47. Ken, your truer-words-were-never-written response on 2/10/20 “spending money now on consumables, is not a waste of money. If anything it will save money – even if nothing happens. Because you will eventually ‘consume it’. Prices only go up…”

    One example – Check Livin in the woods links above to compare current prices for bouillon!

    1. Kate114,
      Even I was surprised as to the extent of how much prices have gone up since I wrote that!

      During that early period of time, I spent the money and filled (topped off) one of my chest freezers with beef. I’m so glad that I did! Prices for most of that have skyrocketed since then. Maybe I should sell it on ebay and make some money! (sarc)

    2. Kate114,

      I fear that we are just seeing the beginning of what will become the biggest runaway inflation event in our history. The dems in control right now know it.

      Biden stated in his last teleprompter reading event that Covid can’t be controlled at the Federal level…since when have dems admitted that central government control is not the answer to all problems? Answer: they now know the people will hold them (a dictatorial central government) accountable for their bungling overreach…including the devastation inflation is about to bring.

      …And I don’t think the people fully realize what hardships they are facing…not in some distant future, but rapidly in the coming months. Imagine what having your buying power cut in half overnight…especially if you are retired on a fixed income…will do to your lifestyle.

      2022 may be one for the books…….if we can afford the paper to print.

      1. Dennis,
        There are many underlying reasons or causes that are affecting today’s inflation. You cannot point the blame solely on “the dems”. Most of the repubs are also part of the problem(s). There are other factors as well. With that said, and politics aside, a 90 day food supply is a common sense approach to one’s survival insurance. Regardless of the “why” you might need it.

        Set up a rotation plan (consume and then replace your 90 day supply), and you’ll always have food that’s within its shelf life span.

        1. Ken, NRP and Blue,

          I wholeheartedly agree, both parties share the blame…but I also believe that the dems are realizing that the people are going to blame them.

          Actually, my post was not intended to be political. I believe that the current administration’s signaling suddenly reversal on covid policy (federal vs. state control) is a foreboding of just how serious inflation and its effects is about to become, and how they fear their policies are going to be blamed…whether or not the blame should go to all politicians.

          If I could, I would buy and store everything I could possibly need for the rest of my life today…right now. Like many here, I have a fixed income…life is about to become much harder…maybe worse than we can even imagine.

          I believe covid, as the focus of attention, is about to go away…far overshadowed by inflation. During the depression, bread cost 5 cents a loaf…a whole lot of people didn’t have the nickel. If you go to the store and have $2 in your pocket…but bread is $5….$10….?

        2. Yes, inflation is one very good reason to get yourself a 90 day food supply (and more!!). Regardless of the politics of the day…

          I have always used the common-sense rationale that food prices always go up, never down (regardless of the inflation number, or how bad it is). So, it makes good sense to build up a deep food storage inventory today, rather than tomorrow.

          And yes, it’s my instinct that inflation is not going away any time soon.

      2. Dennis & Ken J:
        I’m wondering if the few years before the “Great Depression” if folks were discussing matters much the same as we are now?
        Inflation, Food and Goods Shortages, Poor leadership from TPTB, Even talking about the of 90 days of food storage.
        My parents lived through the “Great Depression” and witnessed the way folks lived at that time. I do remember stories of those times. Seems History IS repeating itself.
        I guess my question is, “Why are we not living as such now”, have we become so ‘Spoiled’ that we are now nothing but Rats following the Piped Piper?”

Leave a Reply