tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post2669332515056170089..comments2024-03-28T23:57:50.103-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: Useful long-term dry food storage tipsPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-762627446688458662016-08-25T12:26:28.658-05:002016-08-25T12:26:28.658-05:00From personal experience in Hurricane zones; store...From personal experience in Hurricane zones; store and keep items that you would NORMALLY eat. I have seen LOTs of "survival" food tossed out because someone didn't like the taste of texture, even to the point of people going hungry because it wasn't what they were used to.... Best to test cook/prepare a meal or two of what you are storing before you buy large quantities. Even have some tested recipes packed with the stored food with consideration of just what cooking equipment you may have in a crisis situation. <br /><br />My family camps a lot so camp food and camp cooking gear is always on hand.<br /><br />CraigCraig Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01669654601648350724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-1561083295810181322016-08-25T11:48:14.365-05:002016-08-25T11:48:14.365-05:00sdharms - yes, but here are some caveats. The vegg...sdharms - yes, but here are some caveats. The veggies or any fruits have to be prepared as you would freeze them. They may need to be blanched to stop any enzyme action that would give them an off flavor when cooked before eating. I use oxygen absorbers plus vacuum sealing on the jars. <br /><br />Here are the two dehydrator books I found to be the most useful: The Dehydrator Bible by Jennifer MacKenzie, et al and Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook by Mary Bell. The booklet that comes with the Excalibur Dehydrator is also excellent. <br /><br />One other point, be sure and get a GOOD dehydrator from the get go. You want one with a fan and temperature controls. My first one didn't have the temperature controls and I should have saved my money a little longer and got a GOOD one. My only beef with the Excalibur Dehydrator is the fruit leather sheets don't have a lip on them, which means juices can leak off the sheets as the purees warm up. I fixed that by stapling corners into my sheets.Judyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06530748998376076224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-4453472669237237622016-08-25T10:22:03.039-05:002016-08-25T10:22:03.039-05:00The University of Utah (known, with tongue firmly ...<i>The University of Utah (known, with tongue firmly in cheek, as the Mormon Church in academic gowns!) has a very helpful food storage guide </i><br /><br />A) The University of Utah is actually the apostates. The faithful go to BYU.<br /><br />B) The link you provide is to Utah State University, a totally different place way up in Logan.<br /><br />(USU class of '86 here; g'waggies!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-4450093741341001042016-08-25T08:58:58.723-05:002016-08-25T08:58:58.723-05:00can home dehydrated veggies be sealed in a mason j...can home dehydrated veggies be sealed in a mason jar and kept for a long period?sdharmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12667962395368822004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-32009293945580813012016-08-25T08:07:30.447-05:002016-08-25T08:07:30.447-05:00A few tips:
Date everything - keep a Sharpie or eq...A few tips:<br />Date everything - keep a Sharpie or equivalent handy and put purchase date on <i>everything</i> food related that comes into the house. I use a simple code: "86" means August 2016, "35" means March 2015 purchase date. Use oldest first. Label each case, but also label each can. <br /><br />Wire rack shelves from restaurant supply houses. Not inexpensive, but available in various heights (usually 63", 74" and 86"), various shelf depths (usually, 14", 18", 24", sometimes available in 12" but not often), and various lengths (24", 36", 42", 48", 60", 72"). It's "assemble yourself" - the corner poles and shelves are sold separately - and 4 hands are needed if you haven't done it before. Shelves can be spaced at 1" intervals so vertical spacing can be set, and vary with each shelf, to accommodate whatever you want to store, and the various sizes mean you can fit nearly floor-to-ceiling storage into almost any space. (Pro tip: you'll find spaces that require the shelves to be assembled <i>inside</i> the space, so plan ahead. Wheel kits can be added (uses different upright poles, so plan for it) allowing shelves to be moveable. Shelves will hold 350 lbs, so they're pretty solid; I have an 86" high unit with 48"shelves spaced 12" apart - the bottom 3 shelves each hold 4 5-gallon water jugs horizontally. the upper shelves are filled with 12X9X9 food unit boxes. <br /><br />Restaurant supply outfits also sell boxes of plastic spoons, forks and knives at very low prices. They're boxes of 1,000 so get your friends involved to share the cost. A quart ziploc freezer bag will just hold 20 sets of spoons, knives and forks.<br /><br />Staples sells a wide variety of cardboard boxes at good prices, and ship-to-store is free. A 12"L X 9"H X 9"W box is a perfect fit for 24 standard size 15.5 ounce grocery store cans. A "food unit" can be assembled with 8 cans of protein (chili, salmon, etc.) 8 cans off veggies and 8 of fruit giving you a "grab 'n' go" box. Pro tips: tape a few P-38 and/or P-51 can openers under the box lid so you can open the cans, and those plastic spoons, forks and knives? Drop a dozen of each into the spaces between cans. Mark the box on each end with date and contents: I use the date code (above), plus "U" for food unit, "V" for 24 cans of veggies, "F" for 24 cans of fruit, an "X" for plastic utensils included, and a large black dot to indicate 4 can openers taped under the lid. Canned food is cooked before canning, so it can be eaten cold right out of the can. Tastes better heated, but it's edible cold. <br /><br />American-made P-38s and P-51s are availabe in packages of 100 from Sportsmans' Guide, about $20 and $25 respectively plus shipping. If you're buying freeze dried food in #10 cans, tape an opener to the top of a couple cans in each case. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-2966845665420118962016-08-24T23:39:49.932-05:002016-08-24T23:39:49.932-05:00It's also worth noting that canned food lasts ...It's also worth noting that canned food lasts far, far longer than the "use by" date. As long as the can in intact and not bulging it'll probably be fine. I found some soup and canned fruits and vegetables that had been misplaced during a move that were over a decade past their use by date. I tried them out of curiosity and they were perfectly fine. Not even any stale or off flavor and no adverse gastrointestinal effects.<br /><br />Something to consider when preparing food in a scarcity situation is the aroma. The smell of cooking food may invite unwanted dinner guests. You'd be surprised how far cooking smells can travel. Living in the country my nearest neighbors are a mile and 1/2 mile away respectively. Last week was the first time in weeks we've been able to have the a/c off and the Windows open. One morning around 5am I could distinctly smell the neighbor cooking breakfast in their kitchen over a mile away. It's even more of an issue when you're cooking outside. Everyone a mile or two downwind is gonna know when you start cooking meat on a grill.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-66945506952712595452016-08-24T23:02:30.316-05:002016-08-24T23:02:30.316-05:00Don't forget a way of cooking your supplies. M...Don't forget a way of cooking your supplies. Minimum camp stove with plenty of fuel.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02517789242036483994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-51486908338605424212016-08-24T22:59:02.973-05:002016-08-24T22:59:02.973-05:00One thing I have noticed while vacuum sealing in c...One thing I have noticed while vacuum sealing in canning jars is the wide-mouth jars work the best. Boxes of canning jars fit under your bed. This is where my mother stored her canning, as the house I grew up in did not have a pantry. If you want to make it pretty use a bed skirt to hide the boxes.<br /><br />You will notice the Mormon 4: wheat, sugar, salt and powdered milk isn't much of a diet. Appetite fatigue is a real thing! Buy spices and herbs. Buy a wide variety of beans. Buy dehydrated vegetables, fruits, bouillon cubes and potted meats.<br /><br />Learn to can, dehydrate your own foods and dehydrated meals. One of the best resources for dehydrating your own meals are backpacking sites. Links:<br />http://www.backpackingchef.com/<br />http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/blog/outdoor-cooking-with-tim-christine-conners/<br />https://www.youtube.com/user/Dehydrate2store/videos<br /><br />Just an all round good source of information: Jackie Clay, http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/<br /><br />You don't have to go hungry or eat the same old, same old.Judyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06530748998376076224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-44715627522065270012016-08-24T22:47:00.248-05:002016-08-24T22:47:00.248-05:00A five gallon plastic bucket $5 , with a "gam...A five gallon plastic bucket $5 , with a "gamma seal" lid" $8 (screw on) will hold about a 25 pound bag $12 of white rice, wheat berries, beans, etc. <br /><br />Put 1/4 pound of dry ice in the bucket, fill it, leave the lid loose and let the dry ice melt- it will displace all the air. When it is all gone (the bucket will not be cold on the bottom anymore, tighten the lid. <br /><br />I initially had some concerns about this, fearing the cold would condese water inside the bucket, but a7 year test show no degradation of the rice at all- I poured it all out on a black surface to examine it- no clumping, mites, or mold were observed.<br /><br />Plus- they stack nicely. <br /> ravennoreply@blogger.com