Emergency Preparedness: Week 2, Food

There are so many foods out there that are available to purchase in case of emergencies.  The one thing I will tell you is to make sure that you are storing food that your family wants and likes to eat.  People will often lose their appetites during emergencies and will be more likely to eat foods that are familiar to them.

You can search online for information on how much food to store per person.  Most often I see advice that says we should store a weeks worth of food per person.  I tend to think we should store more than that amount.  The Mormons believe in storing a years worth of food for their families in case of job loss, or other life emergencies.

Already prepared meals are available that are very convenient, but these are the most expensive foods to store.

MRE - Meal Ready To Eat

There are quite a few places (including Costco) that sell dried foods that are packaged for storage.  This is also an expensive, but convenient option.  I like to dry my own fruits and vegetables and store them in jars or other heavy duty containers (think rodents).  Remember to store extra water if you plan on reconstituting dried foods, plus you will need a way to cook them.

I prefer food that can be eaten straight out of the package without cooking.  It takes less energy to eat food straight from a jar or just lightly heated.  Some of the store bought items I can recommended are nut butters, crackers, canned meats, and canned vegetables.  Watch for sales for the BOGOs (buy on get one) and don't forget the condiments.  Some ketchup or mustard can take a meal from unappetizing to decent.

The most economical way to store food is to home can or dry food you have raised yourself or purchased on sale.  Canning jars are reusable; you just need to buy new lids.  I find that home canned meat and vegetables taste very good and, in a pinch, can be eaten without heating.

Once you have your food supply built up make sure that you rotate it out.  This means that you use some of the food each year and replace it with new food.  That way your food supply will always be fresh.  Check your stored food several times a year (once a month is best) for insects, rodent damage and other damage.  Better to catch it early than find out that your hard earned food has been ruined when you need it the most.

God bless,
Pam

Shattered Canning Jar

Yesterday I experienced a first:  I removed a canning jar of beans from the freezer and placed it on the kitchen counter to defrost.  To the best of my knowledge it was completely intact.  When I came back to use the beans I noticed that the jar was shattered into a million sharp shards of glass.

The jar and the beans looked completely intact from a distance, but when I got closer I saw that it was leaking from the bottom and then I noticed the break lines.  My husband and I completely wrapped the jar in paper towels, then, carefully, lowered it into a doubled plastic bag.

It is so important to be careful with canning jars.  I had ensured that their was enough expansion space within the jar before I placed the beans in the freezer.  There were no signs of damage to the jar before I filled it.  Jars can break in a canner or freezer if this is not done.

But I have never had a canning jar break while defrosting at room temperature.  I can guess that there was a micro crack in the jar and the change of temperature caused it to shatter.  

When storing canned goods, home canned and store bought, it is imperative that you examine the jars and cans on a regular basis.  Jars do break and can do rupture.  Getting them out of the storage area quickly prevents damage to your other food products and minimizes the mess you will have to clean up.

I would love to hear from anyone that has had a similar experience.  

God bless,

Pam

The Frugal Pantry: Vitamin C

The human body is able to store most vitamins for use when needed, but it is unable to store vitamin C.  Vitamin C must be eaten when needed and you need it every day.

Without vitamin C you can suffer from many symptoms of ill health, but the worst is a condition known as scurvy.  Scurvy is the break down of tissues, evidenced by bleeding gums and other oral problems.  It is also believed that vitamin C boosts the immune system.

Storing vitamins, especially C, is absolutely necessary if you are surviving on your pantry stores.  Vitamins must be stored in a cool, dark, dry place.  Watch the expiration dates, be sure to use them before they expire.

Vitamin C tablets can also be smashed and used to keep sliced fruit fresh.  Soak the fruit slices in water with one vitamin C tablet dissolved in it.  They will not turn brown and fade.

Add a few bottles of Vitamin C to your pantry shelves for good health and food preservation.

God bless,
Pam

The Twelve Week Plan: Clean and Purge

The summer heat is so hard for me to bear here in Florida that I concentrate on indoor activities for these twelve weeks. It is time for my yearly, really serious, clean and purge.

My favorite tool during my C & P is my little vacuum cleaner with the long hose and many attachments. It makes cleaning the cabinet shelves, baseboards, window sills and behind furniture relatively easy compared to having to bend and dust.

Next is a bucket of water filled with Murphy's Oil Soap and water, plus a micro fiber cloth. I just go through the house wiping down surfaces after I have vacuumed up the dust and dirt.

Just a quick memory: I used to have a home economist friend that always said that dirt is just dust that got wet. Better to deal with it while it is dry. Remember home economics? I wonder what replaced it? Probably takeout and debt.

Throw any washable fabrics into the machine, dry and iron. I have really been moving toward machine washable curtains, slipcovers and pillows in my advanced middle aged years. No more worrying about spills or every day wear and tear for me. I feel the same way about clothing fabrics these days.

Books will be replaced on the shelves in an orderly, or at least sane, fashion. All food storage items will be scrutinized for expiration dates and thrown away if they don't pass muster. Newer dated items to the back of the shelves. Get in the habit of placing newly purchased items to the back when you bring them home from the store. Boric acid tablets are put along the back of the shelves to keep insects at bay.

Purging should have been mentioned first. Before all of the cleaning starts, I walk through the house with two garbage bags; one for trash and one for donations. Be realistic when purging, if you didn't use it in the last six months do you really need it?

I make this process sound easy, but you can do it without much strain if you break the work up. Do one area each day for a half hour. Work your way around the house gradually. I, of course, will have my reluctant, almost eleven year old helping me. Isn't it funny how when they want to help they are too small to do much and when they are big enough to be a real help they don't want to?

Oh, one more thing, start high and work your way down. No reason to make more work for yourself.

God bless,
Pam

The Twelve Week Plan: Food Storage

Twelve Weeks of Food

While building my pantry supply of food I would vacillate between whether I should store a years supply of food or six months or three months or one month...you get the idea.

Since taking the True Couponing workshop I have decided to store twelve weeks worth of food and sundries.  This corresponds with the twelve week cycle of types of food going on sale.  I also looked at how much food my family would need to have if a hurricane hit or we lost our source of income.  Adding in the consideration of storage space, twelve weeks seems to be the supply amount that best fits our needs.

By shopping the BOGO sales and using coupons for each item I have easily reached a twelve week level for most items.  Now my problem is storage.  My project for this summer is to go through all cabinets and closets, purge outdated items, organize according to expiration date and type and, hopefully, free up space.

While doing my organizing I will be making lists of what I need to purchase to bring me up to a twelve week supply level in everything my family needs.  Do I need to shop for shelves or organizers to make my supplies more accessible?

I will also lay out some boric acid tablets and deal with any other pest control issues I see (I hope very few).  Keeping the food storage areas free of pest has been a consideration for generations.  Many a Colonial homekeeper has been plagued by mice or insects in the cellar.  It's the age old battle in self sufficiency.

My goal is to complete my twelve weeks of storage and free up more storage space by the end of the summer.  I'll keep you updated on my progress.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Powdered Foods

What are the most concentrated, space efficient, and versatile foods for you to store? Powdered foods.

Most of us are familiar with powdered milk, but how about powdered butter, sour cream, eggs, tomatoes, and cheese? These are just a few of the powdered foods available to us.

Powdered foods store well, if kept air tight, and they are easy to use. Need tomato sauce, just mix tomato powder and water. Oops, no, the recipe really calls for tomato paste; just add more powdered tomatoes. Add cheese flavor to a casserole with powdered cheese. Make a quick soup by using soup base. The ideas go on and on.

Research has found that during emergencies people have better morale and health if they are eating food that tastes familiar. So, buying powder butter and sour cream may not be just an indulgence, but a necessity.

Powdered foods often come in #10 cans, but you can purchase them in smaller sizes. Buy the smaller packages to see if the powdered food will work for your family.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Storing Flour and Grain

One of the best seasonal sale items available in my local stores is Gold Medal flour.  Five pounds for $1.49 and they have a very nice bread flour.

The first thing I do when I bring home grains and flour intended for long term storage is treat the bags for insects by putting the bags in the freezer for 72 hours.  This kills off any eggs that may be hidden either in the product or in the folds of the bag.

Now it can be stored in the pantry, but not without being placed in a protective container.  I think that metal tins are the best.  You can pick up holiday themed, empty popcorn tins at thrift stores for a good price this time of the year.  Plastic bins may keep out insects, but any self respecting rodent can chew through plastic in no time.

Another good option are large glass jars.  These can also be found at thrift stores or if you ask at your local restaurant they may be willing to save some for you.  This is also a good source for five gallon buckets with lids.

If you are meticulous about treating and properly storing flour and grains insects should not be a problem for you.

God bless,
Pam

Frugal Christmas Gifts: Food Dehydrator

It was a good day when I purchased my Excalibur food dehydrator.  I dry excess produce, fruit leather, yogurt leather (tastes like taffy) and plan on making my own soup mixes using my own dehydrated vegetables and beans.  Dehydrated food takes up very little space in the pantry, but reconstitutes into a flavor and nutrient rich food product.

Once again, I will emphasize the need for frugal people to begin to reduce our dependance on traditional food suppliers.  Having our food stored in our pantry protects us from store closures, loss of income and disasters.  Living in Florida I always think of hurricane preparedness, but the causes of food shortages are varied.

And of course there is the fun factor.  Drying your own food and trying new recipes using your dehydrator (I'm thinking grapenuts here) is just plain fun.  To make your fun and your dehydrator last a good long while, buy the best you can afford.  It is well worth it.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Food

The pantry locations have been chosen and shelves built; now it is time to start stocking it with food.  First you need to think about a few things to help you with your choices:  How long do I want this food to last?  How many people do I need to feed?  What do they eat?

In my county our Emergency Management Dept. suggests that we keep a supply of food that will last several days.  This is in case of a hurricane, but after seeing the slow response to hurricane Katrina I think that several months supply is more prudent.  But what if dear husband were laid off or one of us became seriously ill and our money supply dried up?  In this case, a year of food in storage sounds much more reassuring to me.

Now you need to decide how many people you will be feeding.  What are their ages?  Will it just be immediate family or will some long lost relatives come knocking on your door?  How about the elderly neighbor across the street?  Look at this hard and fast.  Are you willing to turn people away?

The best way for me to figure out my family's year long food storage needs is to use a food calculator.  This takes away the guess work, but you may need to tweak the list to meet your individual needs.  If your family never eats rice, but loves noodles, make a substitution.  Does an elderly relative drink a nutritional supplement drink every day?  Add it.  You get the picture.

If you are one of those people that wants to spend thousands of dollars buying a years worth of dehydrated foods in #10 cans, then go for it.  Most of us will be building our pantry supplies slowly, but surely, buying extra during sales and canning what we can grow and hunt.  With steady, economical purchasing you will have a pantry grandma would have been proud of.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Shelves

We've located our pantry spaces and now we need to construct shelving.  Don't be tempted to buy some inexpensive, steel shelves; they won't hold up.  Canned goods are extremely heavy.  Even the most sturdy metal shelves will begin to bow in the middle under the weight.  Thick wood shelves with plenty of extra support are the way to go.

In a perfect world you have a handy, woodworking spouse that would be thrilled to build you custom shelves for your pantry.  Most of us live in an imperfect world with little time or money for those custom made shelves.  My BFF's husband Lloyd came up with a shelving system that is sturdy, inexpensive, portable and easy for anyone to put together.

First measure your space.  Now measure again.  Yep, it's that old saying, "Measure twice, cut once".  Measure the jars and boxes you will be storing for height and add an inch.  Now it's off to the hardware store to buy solid wood interior doors (unfinished) and four inch pvc pipes.  That's it.  The doors should be less expensive than wood of similar width.

Hopefully, we can construct  the shelves without cutting the wood, but if you've taken good measurements, have them cut them for you at the hardware store.  Make sure you have a hacksaw or a jig saw with a hacksaw blade at home (for the pipe).

Once we're back home it's time to cut the pipe into sections to match your shelf height measurements.  If your shelves are very long you will need to cut extra pieces to use as center braces.

Let's put it all together:  Put sections of pipe (vertically) at each end and one in the center if necessary.  Lay a section of door on the pipes.  Put more pipe sections on ends and center, then another piece of wood door.  Keep building until your shelves are the height you desire.

Now you have sturdy, portable shelves for your pantry spaces and are ready to begin storing food and other essentials.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry

Pantries used to be common in American homes. The shelves were filled with baking staples and home canned foods. Families were ready for hard times or being snowed in for weeks; they could survive because of their well stocked pantry.

Well, what if you or your spouse lose their jobs, bad weather strikes or "fill in this space with the disaster of your choice"? Could your family live on the food in your house? A pantry can be just as important for us as it was for our grandparents.

So, let's find a location for our pantry. It needs to be cool and dark. Light, heat and freezing will cause foods to degrade quickly.

Most of us don't have unique spaces for a pantry, but let's get creative. How about under the beds, under a staircase, in a closet behind the coats, in a corner of the basement. Any little space will do. Think of having many mini pantries instead of one large space.

Start searching now. It's never too early to start preparing for the worst.

God bless,
Pam