Dear Preppers and Survivalists,
 |
|
photograph by
Judgefloro
|
Rotation
You have heard me harp on this, for several years. Rotate, Rotate, Rotate your family's food store to provide the 'freshest' food possible during an event.
You can do this several ways.
Eat It
The best way is to eat your food storage at your regular meals. This means, you store beans and rice; your family eats beans and rice for dinner, every few days.
This gives you the ability to test out those recipes to find the ones your family will like. Plus, it gives you and your family the opportunity to practice cooking with your food storage.
So, ... You can find out how important that rice cooker, from a local charity store, can be to your preps.
That brings up my next point.
 |
|
photograph by
Cpl. Desire M. Mora
|
Charity
Some families won't be able to eat all of their food storage, so they may decide to donate some of it to the local food pantry, church, or other organization.
That's good, but don't forget most bagged, bottled, boxed, canned, and other processed food doesn't 'expire' when the date on the packaging says it does.
Usually, ... Canned food will be edible for many years after the so-called Best Buy or Best Use date.
Warning
I have eaten canned fruits, vegetables, and meat; bottled spaghetti sauce; and boxed pasta years after the Best Use date, and I didn't get ill.
But, ...
That doesn't mean; you won't or your family won't, either.
You have been warned.
 |
|
source
投稿者が撮影
|
It Happens
Suddenly or not (You're planning for that approaching economic catastrophe, right?) the Event happens!
Money's almost worthless. The banks are closed, but credit and debit cards are still being accepted. Your supervisor is paying you in cash, instead of direct deposit, or some other scenario is happening.
And, ...
There is still food in the grocery stores, or the grocery stores are getting resupplied.
What Do You Do?
Don't eat your food storage.
That's right.
Food is still available, so you save your family's food storage until there is no food at all.
'Cause, ...
If you can buy food, it's really not an 'event,' yet ; - )
 |
|
source
Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia
|
Freeze-Dried
Most of us are planning for a short-lived event, so the regular bagged, bottled, boxed, canned, and frozen food is going to be adequate for your family's food storage.
But, ....
Some of us are planning on a longer-term event happening, like a ... I don't know, you tell me.
So, ...
Your family is purchasing canned long-term food storage, or your doing the DIY long-term food storage, that I have talked about in the past.
And, ...
Putting away several cases of freeze-dried veggies to add to your family's beans and rice.
Well, ...
That stuff lasts thirty years, if its stored in a cool, dark, and dry place.
What do you do with it?
My Family's Plan
When I first got started in
So, ...
I stored 365 pounds of hard red winter wheat for everyone in the family. That worked out to almost a ton of wheat.
Well, ...
As the Latter-day Saints ramped up with their long-term food storage items, other products became available, such as long-grain white rice, dried beans, macaroni, and other stuff.
So, ...
I added 365 pounds of long-grain white rice and 183 pounds of a variety of dried bean (really, 400 pounds of rice and 200 pounds because of my storage containers) to the wheat.
Then, ...
I started purchasing freeze-dried veggies, like carrots, green beans, corn, and green peas, to add to the beans and rice.
 |
|
photograph by
Jon Sullivan
|
Where's the Beef?
You will notice, there is no freeze-dried meat in our long-term food storage, for two reasons.
First, ... Money!
At, around, $300 for nine pounds of meat, I can purchase 150 pounds of canned ham or other meats from the local grocery store, really Aldi's.
All I have to do is rotate, rotate, rotate the meat through our family's regular meals ; - )
Second, ... Protein
Beans and rice will provide the require amino acids for a complete protein. That's why we store beans and rice ; - )
Others
Of course, there are other ways of getting your family's required calories, protein, and essential nutrients, by mixing ...
Corn and Beans for a complete protein
Or, ...
Wheat and Beans for a complete protein
And, ...
For those essential nutrients, better known as vitamins, an once a day multivitamin ; - )
Ooops
I apologize. I didn't answer the question 'What do you do with it?' in reference to using freeze-dried long-term food storage.
 |
|
source
USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19)
|
Our Solution
Right now, our freeze-dried food storage has, at least, two more decades of shelflife, so it sits on a shelf, sucking up shelf space.
But, ...
We are slowly adding it to our normal meals. About one a month, sometimes every two months, Katniss and I will make a meal using the freeze-dried veggies.
Sometimes, we fix it as a side dish, like any other canned, frozen, or fresh vegetable. Other times, we mix it in to a stew, soup, or other mixed meal item.
When, we use three cans out of a six can case, I'll order another case to replace the one our family is currently using.
Rotate, Rotate, Rotate
I love it when a conversion is ending and it comes around to the beginning because ...
As you and your family eat your food storage, whether it is short, medium, or long-term, you and your family are keeping the freshest food in your home,
And, ...
It gives you the opportunity to replace items that your family really doesn't like with food storage items that your family will enjoy, during 'good' times or tough times.
No comments:
Post a Comment