If You’re Looking For Something To Do….

| April 28, 2020

15-bean mix pack

What you should really hoard for an emergency – for coming weeks of sheer boredom – isn’t just paper products. Other than paper products, which seem to have struck a note of panic in people, there are other things you might want to consider hoarding for future pandemics and other inconveniences and emergencies.

Dry beans – cheaper than canned beans and easy to store in rodent-proof containers like big pickle jars. Dry lentil peas and other such dried foods are always a good idea to have on hand.

Rice – Always have this on hand, and get some of the different varieties, which are available on store shelves. Wild rice is always good, as is red rice if you can find it.

Instant mashed potatoes – quicker and easier to use than peeling and boiling fresh potatoes and also easier to store in rodent-proof containers. And the instant version won’t start growing shoots after a while.  Frozen stuff is fine, but if the power is out, you can more easily make potato pancakes with instant mashed taters.

Pancake mix and maple syrup – I think this speaks for itself.

Instant nonfat milk powder – Carnation still makes this, and while it does have a shelf life, you can also make a sort of slushy ice cream-like treat with this and fruit like peaches or frozen strawberries.

Dried fruit and freeze-dried vegetables – if it’s freeze-dried, it keeps really well. North Bay Trading up in Wisconsin carries a wide variety of dry beans and freeze-dried fruits and veggies.  https://www.northbaytrading.com/

Powdered eggs – yes, I know: it’s enough to gag you when you consider that those scrambled eggs in the chow hall were made from powdered eggs. Just add water, right? Right. Yummy! No, there are much better recipe for the use of powdered eggs, but basically, what you end up with is scrambled eggs. Think/act accordingly. Nothing says you can’t use them in a casserole.

Bacon – you can freeze this, so buy it in bulk if you can. This is where having a 5.0cf  or larger freezer chest comes in handy, or a larger one if you have room for it. Ditto, butter: you can freeze butter for future use, and having 10 pounds of butter on hand during a pandemic (Stay Indoors or Else!) panic episode going on provides a good excuse to have a short stack of pancakes with syrup and butter, and bacon on the side.

Chicken – this is freezable, but wrap the pieces individually in plastic wrap, then bag and freeze them. A whole, uncut chicken takes a while to thaw. Ditto, turkeys. Also, canned chicken is available on the store shelves, comes is several sizes and makes everything from chicken soup to casseroles and salads.

Ham – this can be sliced ham or ham on the bone. Ham can also be frozen, but if you’re going to do that, might be a good idea to portion and wrap it first. Hint: deviled ham is still available and can be stretch with relish, chopped celery and onions, and a little imagination.

Beef – if you intend to make various dishes with this, portion it before you freeze it, and use freezer bags to hold the portions, which should be wrapped separately in plastic wrap. And use it up so that it doesn’t become stale.

Dried beef, chicken, tuna and salmon are all available in canned versions and have been for a very long time. Don’t be shy about stocking this stuff.

You can also freeze bread as long as you leave it in the original packaging. If you’re only going to make toast or stuffing with it, it works well. It does work okay for sandwiches if it’s allowed to thaw properly, meaning leave it in the packaging.  Crackers of any kind: leave them in the packaging and use them up. If you’re worried about rodents, a metal container should shut that off.  In fact, you can freeze just about anything, including bacon, so bear that in mind when you shop.

Then there’s the canned stuff.  A well-stocked pantry should have everything from canned fruits and mushrooms to canned tomatoes and Spam. Yes, Spam: the staple of WWII diets was meant to replace the meats being sent to the military. I did ask my mother about this: if everything was rationed, and butter was hard to get, and the frontline troops didn’t get it, where did it go? Her answer: Nobody knows! But Spam is simply ground pork shoulder, cooked into a loaf form and canned for future use. It can apparently last up to 47 years, if the seal and can have not been punched, although I’d have some reservations about that.

So canned stuff includes everything that is on the store shelves. Just check the can bottoms to see if there is any corrosion on them. If so, don’t take it home. Campbell’s canned concentrated soups are good to go, too, because they can be used as the basis for stovetop cookery, like that classic casserole of green beans with mushroom soup. In addition, while there is plenty of prepared broth and stock (beef, chicken and veggie versions), there is also the powdered bouillon in jars, sold by two different companies, Knorr and Mazola. ANd there are still bouillon cubes available. I use the chicken and the beef powdered bouillon if I’m making a small batch of something, or just to bump up the flavor a tad.

Did I mention noodles and pasta? They come in every possible shape, style and form, and they are simply flour, water and possibly some seasoning like dried herbs. They are great as fillers in any kind of soup or casserole or main course dishes, and have a long, long shelf life.

And let’s remember the herbs and spices that we take for granted in those little jars with the flip lids. They are necessary for our happiness. They fill your food with flavor. Garlic in all its forms, dried and grated lemon, dried onion, cracked pepper, sea salt – everything is available now, including dried dill and dried parsley. I’d stock up on these things, too, meaning get another jar of whatever spices and herbs you like every time you shop.  And remember to get iodized salt, too. Iodized salt will keep your thyroid happy and not give you a nasty case of goiter, which might scare your doctor to pieces. This isn’t hoarding. Herbs, salt, and spices like peppercorns were considered a form of currency in Them There Olden Times. Sulfur from volcanic vents was used in antique medicines. Salt came from flat coastal areas and was literally used as a form of currency.

Did I mention cheese at all? It has a shelf life, but if kept in a closed container in the fridge it keeps fresh longer. What to do if the power goes out for some inexcusable reason? Keep the fridge doors shut, or get out the crackers and eat the cheese. Make grilled cheese sandwiches, and use that cast iron cookware in the fireplace to cook up a good casserole with cheese in it. Just set the pot on an iron hod and turn it occasionally to give even heat. You can also roast meat in the fireplace if you have room for a spit and a drip pan.

And speaking of the power going out, which has happened around here a couple of times, if you have a gas stove with a convection oven, the gas valves won’t open on the stovetop in an outage and that means you can’t heat up water for tea or coffee, or cook anything on the stovetop.  The old stoves from the 1930s, which are now antiques and in demand, had pilot lights and sometimes had ovens that had to be lit with a match. Think about that for a minute. My grandma’s old Roper 4-burner was up on cabriolet legs, with the oven to the right of the stovetop, and she cooked on that until the day she had to give up and go live in assisted care. Frankly, I would almost give a fat wad of cash to have that stove in my possession right now. Old stoves can be completely rehabbed and might be a better choice than the yuppie-uppie modern versions. As it is, I will never give up my 1998 GE stove, because it has strikers and no convection stuff, and that means when the power goes out, I can still cook on the stovetop and enjoy one of my books by the light of an oil lamp while I’m having chicken and mashed taters.

There are several books you might want to put on your bookshelf, along with the videos and junk you spent too much money on, so here they are.

The Art of Cookery by Hannah Glasse.   https://store.doverpublications.com/0486795764.html       Originally written by Mrs. Glasse in the  mid-1770s and published quickly, it proved to be so popular that it was reissued in 1805, and is still in publication through Dover Books. She refers to having a “quick oven” or a “slow oven”, and how to tell if bulk meat is fresh or stale by the appearance of blood vessels in the flesh. With no refrigeration other than possibly an icehouse, which the wealthier people could afford, her advices were of enormous help to housewives back then, and still hold value for us now, especially when our power sources fail. Just to let you know, closed stoves that we take for granted now didn’t come into existence until very late in the 18th and very early 19th centuries. They were considered to be a luxury. Now, we just assume a stove is a piece of kitchen furniture.

The 1896 Fanny Farmer Cookbook – another classic, also still published by Dover Books. There is an updated version available, as well. https://store.doverpublications.com/0486296970.html   She covered everything, from family meals to formal dinners, at a time when iceboxes were becoming part of the kitchen furniture.

Stocking Up by Carol Hupping – this one covers everything from canning and preserving to pickling and freezing, with recipes for many, many dishes. https://www.amazon.com/Stocking-Up-Americas-Classic-Preserving/dp/0671693956

Another resource for old-fashioned stuff is Lehman’s Store in Ohio. https://www.lehmans.com/   They carry everything from oil lamps and the parts for them, as well as lamp oil and wicks, to beeswax furniture polish and stoneware dishes, and all sorts of kitchenware like grain mills, for those of you who want to buy and mill your own wheat, oats, and corn. They even have all those old-fashioned toys for kids, things like the log cabin sets that kids used to get for Christmas, Tiddlywinks and yo-yos. Anything that doesn’t require charging or a battery should work.

Now, that should keep you all busy getting ready for the next, unannounced pandemic attack, shouldn’t it?

Category: "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", COVID-19, Economy

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Roh-Dog

Cooking oils go rancid with time though a process of oxidization. If you plan to store them do so in a cool and dry place. I’ve found extra virgin olive oil lasts about two years, I like to get it in the metal cans. Remember, the old and young need a lot of fat, for the same reason: brain function. We all need fat and during times of physical and mental stress that need goes up. Also many vitamins are fat soluble/transmissible.
Rancid doesn’t mean ‘bad’ btws. Oil that is found to be rancid (smells like hot garbage or spicy socks) should be tested by a health person for tolerance (like the poison plant test protocols). 99% of the time they’ll be fine.
The internet suggests coconut oil (or shortening) as the longest storable oil and one of the best for nutritional considerations. I have no practical experience with coconut oils so, ymmv.
Great info! I’m printing this and putting it in the ‘oh sh*t’ book. Thank you!!!

Roh-Dog

Ita vero, Ex.
The intent was to add to, not take away from, your per usual-excellent article!
I gave my brother 2 jars of powdered milk at the start of this. The were stored 3 years ago in standard mason jars with O2 absorbers and desiccant gel.
He gave the quality a thumbs up, said it was perfect for cereal and other combination uses. It does leave something to be desired if consumed as a beverage.

USAF (Ret)

One of the best books for cooking, in my mind, is: The Joy of Cooking. Which has just come out in it’s 9th edition. It has been in print since 1936.

It is more than recipes, it gives you instructions on how to cook.

My wife has 3 different editions and I just ordered her the 2019 for Mother’s Day. Please do not tell her.

If I could have only one, this would be it.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

Good advice for us all in a very uncertain future…

It was always a good idea to have a little extra, moving forward it might be wise to have a lot extra and to use the items mentioned here as a lot of folks aren’t hoarding this stuff because they have no clue how to cook or utilize it.

One advantage of growing up dirt poor to cheap German parents, we learned to eat damn near anything and accept the fact while it might not all be tasty and wonderful we could build and maintain muscle and grow well over six feet on a diet of food our suburban neighbors scoffed at or turned their noses up at. At 6’3″ I’m the second smallest brother in our family…so eating beats, organ meats, head cheese, marrow sandwiches, etc..etc.. in no way results in malnutrition.

Keep after this stuff that EX has on her list and maintain a good stock of proteins as well especially that chicken, a most wondrous animal in terms of protein to weight and calorie content.

Sapper3307

the Sapper family food saver is still vacuum packing food and ammo after fifteen years, a good investment,

5th/77th FA

You musta been curry combing thru my larder and pantry there Mi’Lady…AND the freezer locker. Going by how much I’ve drawn down on my stocks, when I can get out I do believe I may need to kick up my inventory levels. Helping take care of some that weren’t as well prepared or able to stock up did help deplete the levels somewhat. You didn’t touch on critter food, that was the main thing I had run low on.

I guess Imma gonna hafta bite the bullet and get used to buying some things online. I have yet to do that. I also need to replace my food dehydrator and my vacuum packager. And relearn how to can stuff in mason jars.

OWB

Was somewhat surprised to discover a few years ago that I am a “prepper!” Just doing what my mama did getting ready for winter seems to now have a name other than just getting ready for winter.

With you on the critter food issue. I am on very good terms with a local feed store. I got overly frugal and started buying most of the smaller critter food at a big box store a few years ago. No more. My local guys take care of me as the big box store never will. Got a guy who delivers the big stuff to me. Get to know your local feed store – they will take care of you.

Skyjumper

I purchased a Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer machine about ten years or so ago, one of the best purchases I ever made.

It keeps all sorts of food, whether dry or to be frozen, fresher for a way longer period of time.

I put up soups, pulled pork, vegies, dumplings, meats, beef jerky, squash, tomato juice, etc., and keep them in the freezer. When you are ready to use them, either you can micro them or thaw out & then heat them on the stove. Be sure you cut a small slit in the bag before nuking (don’t ask me how I know this). (grin)

It works for chunk cheese also, but keep the sealed package in the refrig (will stay good for at least six months).

My youngest boy goes way back (primitive) camping, so we came up with some soups that we dehydrate the ingredients first (peas, beans, carrots, tomatoes) and then add rice & seal. At the campsite, open the bag, add hot water & eat. Works also for dehydrated trail food such as cinnamon apple slices, pears, pineapples.

Usually for things that go into the freezer, I’ll put them into some redneck Tupperware, freeze them a bit first before I “suck wrap” them. This way it prevents the juices from interfering with the sealing process.

It takes a bit more work, but well worth it.

I also use these bags from Amazon instead of the brand name bags. Work just as well, but a lot cheaper.

You can purchase a good machine for between $50-$100.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sure+Luxury+-+Vacuum+Sealer+Bags+-+Commercial+Grade+Food+Storage+%26+Preservation+Bags+-+Universal+Fit+Suitable+For+Most+Vacuum+Sealers+-+Food+Safe+%26+BPA+Free+-+Microwavable+-+2+8“x+50%27+Roll&ref=nb_sb_noss

Sapper3307

Ammo stores good also.

Pam 645X0

Great advice Ex. Hurricane season is also just around the corner. My pantry and freezer is loaded up with enough supplies for our house and the bug-out 5th wheel if needed. Don’t forget pet food and snacks for the critters.

Dave M

All good advice. Assuming power and water.
I think canned goods that you like should be in every pantry. A months worth?
I’m the only person I know who uses dried beans and regularly eats canned. The stores were depleated a week or three ago. Restocked now. I think if the situation blows over food banks will be flooded with both.
Happy Coviding!

Green Thumb

I like watching the cooking channel.

I love Diners, Dives and Drive Ins, Chopped, Guys Grocery Games and BBQ Pit Masters (another channel).

I also watch Man vs Food on occasion. That redheaded dude is a straight up creepy ass oddball. But he gives it a shot although I pull for the food. His damn two-hole has to be the size of a grapefruit considering the amount he shoves down his suck. And he can take some heat as well; I will give him that.

But I also got to thinking about the False Commander “Phony” Phil Monkress (no surprise, right?)(CEO of All-Points Logistics) and his fake Navy SEAL, Native American and LEO claims.

So I think instead of Man versus Food, we could contact the Spice Channel or some other Netflix MA channel and have Phildo versus Dildo. Lets see what Phildo can do. Oddly enough, I think he would win every time.

Just saying.

AW1Ed

Watch you some Alton Brown’s ‘Good Eats.’ It’s quirky, but he gets into the ‘why’ of the cooking, far beyond the ‘do.’ Humorous and educational.

Green Thumb

Checked it out.

Thanks for the tip.

borderbill

Vacuum pack any dry stuff in Mason jars using a manual auto vacuum pump and a two part kit(one for regular and one for large lids)- found on line. Mi esposa just made a loaf of rye bread from 2008 flour-good stuff. I also “oven can” dry stuff (rice, flour, pasta, beans, etc.). Put the goods in a Mason jar; 200 degree oven for 45 min.; remove from oven, wipe top of jar, put a lid on it, let cool (ensure lid has kept the seal) and put the screw-on cap on. Ex-PH2 has the most complete list of foodstuffs I’ve seen. As usual she’s on it!

borderbill

Should’ve added- “The best emergency food is what you have in yer pantry”. Heard it somewhere.

Fyrfighter

Ex and all, agree that Lehmans is a great place, and vacuum sealing is a godsend. A dehydrator is another great tool, and if you can afford one, a freeze drying unit is awesome! (still trying to afford one of those).. I was lucky enough to learn from mom and grand-mom how to can, and you can even do meat if you pressure can (be DAMN sure you follow the rules, botulism is no joke). You can also get 5 gallon food grade buckets with screw top lid adapters (like gamma seal) that make them great for storing the bulk stuff like beans and rice.
Thank again for the good info Ex, I see a couple cookbooks i need to add to my shelf…

USAF RET

we have enough jams and marmalades to lat a life time. we have at least one fermentation crock going at all times. sometimes all 4. krauts, curtidos, kim chee. Right now we are on month 3 of a wonderful fermented hot sauce. blueberries and mulberries coming ripe. logan berries and blackberries next. a plus of living in Florida is we garden year around. my wife says i am a healthy gun safe away from being a hippy.

Flakpup

I highly recommend using Water Bricks for long term storage. Opaque, solid, and easily stackable. Don’t let the ‘Water’ part of the name fool you, these are great for any dried good storage. Just fill a couple with beans, rice, flour, sugar, etc.; throw in a desiccant package and then stack in an out of the way place. Side note: the half-stack bricks are perfect for ammunition. I have about 15 which have been in use for over 7 years now without any problems.

http://www.waterbrick.org/shop/