What types of food are you stockpiling?

[2die4]

As of late I have been beefing up my food storage. I have quite a few Mre's stockpiled and am trying to give my food stockpiles a little diversity. The General wanted me to steer clear of MRE like foods(if that is even possible) such as canned chilis and beef stews. I know during a SHTF scenario it won't matter but this extra food stash is also to be used as a cushion in case of a financial crisis. I'm still collecting whatever I can, but I have been wondering, am I limiting myself with food storage choices?

Since I don't have canning capabilities yet, I wold like to know what you guys are picking up at the grocery store.

[Evolver]

As for store bought caned foods we've found that some last beyond there exp dates better than others like...

Peanut Butter
Honey
Caned fruits
Caned veggies
Tuna
Sardines
Vienna Sausage
Caned hams
Tomato sauces
It seems to be the things with the least amount of different ingredients tastes better longer but we still stock up on other stuff that we try to rotate faster like...
Soups (Caned)
Chili
Stews
Ravioli

We're heavy into canning but we still stock up on store bought also.

[prepguide]

I'm stocking up on what I normally eat. I have been increasing flavor stretching items like seasonings and gravy mixes to help further diversify what I stock. I've made sure to include comfort foods as well including a goodly number of Snickers bars as well as pie fillings.

[Echo2]

Think about it like this.....for every can of beef stew....you could buy 4 or so servings of rice......make it stretch.....cheaply.

We are at the point now we are stocking mostly staples....the big ticket items are being cycled through as needed.

We have found that it becomes more of a life style once you hit the 6 month mark....due to the fact that you have to start really watching expiration dates.

[ak474u]

Obviously with fuel in short supply during SHTF, and the possible need to cook indoors with little to no smoke, one pot meals are really nice, so stews, rice dishes with proteins, pastas with sauces containing proteins and some veggies, etc. are kinda our plan. I'll be depending on a peak camping one burner stove if I still live in an apt. in the event, so... Unless its safe to go use the BBQ grill, it's one or maybe 2 pot meals, and after a short while, boiling water with the same stove. Good thing it'll run on gasoline I guess.

[Evolver]

Rice, grains, beans and corn is defiantly the best way to go from long term storage (SLT) for the cost. The second would be freeze dried but it come with the cost. It all depends on your plan. We like to try to have all the bases covered, in a nut shell without writing a book this is what we're doing.

Short term, (5 years or less) Bought caned goods/Home caned goods including all meats and boxed mixes that are foods that we normally eat and are rotated.
Semi Long term, (5-10 years) Like non-mylared and O2ed Rice, Grains, Beans, Corn, Oats or MRE's stored above 80F that are on a slower rotation.
Long Term, (10-25 years) Like mylared and O2ed Rice, Grains, Beans, Corn, Oats, freeze dried goods or MRE's stored below 75F that are even rotated slowed or not at all and put away.

Short term foods is our food that we can rely on if we both end up out of work or get laid up due to sickness or injury and like PG said don't forget the comforts of spices and sweets, :) any of the combinations above can be use for bugging out as well but the Freeze dried or MRE's would work out better.

[Echo2]

I love group buys....

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4110/5093095771_f85505a1b5.jpg

- - - Updated - - -

Got Milk?

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5246/5357249065_488695cb42.jpg

[ladyhk13]

As said before...STORE WHAT YOU EAT! We hate beans except for green ones. So we would never store beans of any kind no matter how cheap they are - we simply wouldn't eat them. Nare a lima bean would pass these lips! I love Beef A Roni, dh hates it so I stock up on it for me and go heavy on soups that he likes to make up the difference (plus soups that I like). I did notice that the Progresso Lite soups are terrible compared to the regular soups and even shortly after expiration have the metal taste so we won't be buying those anymore.
I love canned potato's so I get those to fill in to use in order to save the ones I can myself for later use. I also have #10 cans of wheat so I can grind it later to make breads or pasta, I bought hone when I found some on sale but since we plan on getting bees in the spring I will be harvesting our own next year. We do have MRE's and some other non military meals but those are not my first choice - they are to be used in emergency situations for when we can't use regular food.
I have to admit that since JustA taught me how to can I have gone crazy and I buy foods that we eat and my LTS is filling more and more with things that I have grown and canned or purchased (meats, fruits, veggies) and canned myself. It lasts so much longer than anything that I can buy in a can and it tastes so much better too.

[Gunfixr]

We have some MREs, mostly for when we just cannot cook at all, and need something fast for on the run.
We have some freeze-dried stuff, simply because it will outlast store bought canned, and travels lighter than store bought canned. Yes, you need water, but if you don't have water, no amount of food will save you.
Mostly, we have store bought canned. We store what we eat, so rotation is constant without having to go way out of the way. It's also the cheapest, so it can be "bought cheap and stacked deep".
The canned stuff can be simply heated on virtually any heat source, and most can be eaten cold.
Since we will most likely be staying in place, the plan is to use the store bought, then go to the freeze-dried, with the MREs being used if there are times when we cannot use anything, or cannot devote any preparation time.
Hopefully, it will all last long enough to find or start a more sustainable food source.

[Stormfeather]

Cant really add anything that everyone else hasnt said.

1- store what you know what you will eat.
2- buy cheap, stack deep.
3- rotate continually
4- plan on a little bit of loss in your foods, be it from spoilage to donations. plan accordingly. I get extra cans of salmon and fish due to the longevity.

And to echo Echo. . .group buys are your friend!

[Jimmy24]

I'm heavy on all dried beans, rice, wheat, honey, sugar, spices, salt, powered milk, freeze dried coffee, all sorts of water enhancers, dried potatos.

Also all manner of canned fruit, veggies and meat. I have no real MREs. I don't particulary like them, so I don't keep them. I do keep some dried backpcking foods. They seem to fit my taste buds much better.

I just made some soup the other day, strictly out of preps....Fed 6 folks (friends) for about $5...it was a delux soup too, :)

Heck you know your a prepper when "it doesn't bother you anymore when people look at you funny when you are checking dates"....:rolleyes: :cool:

Jimmy

[msomnipotent]

I am focusing on FD fruits and veggies at the moment. I expect fresh ones like be relatively expensive due to the weather and I am still learning how to garden. I also plan on buying more canned butter. It would actually save me money in the long run because I never have butter when I need it, and it costs over $4 at the store when not on sale. I already have a good amount of cereal, oatmeal, and mac & cheese. I figure the adults can learn to eat whatever, but kids are really picky even when they are hungry. I have also learned to stock up on more canned soup than you think you need. We went through more than I planned when all three of us were sick and I didn't have the energy to cook.

[bacpacker]

We stock most any kind of fresh produce we can put up, whether canned, frozen, dehydrated, or stored as is like taters and onions. Canned goods, dry goods (beans, rice, corn, wheat), spices of many types. We also have a small amount of freeze dried for quick meals. Same thing with MRE's. I look at this type food as very expensive for the quantity you get, OTOH if you are on the move or just don't have time to cook. FD or MRE's are the way to go. There just isn't a quick way to cook up a pot of beans or stew.

[realist]

Can goods, dry goods, FD, dehydrated just about anything that I can afford. On a side note I have planted fruit trees. This year I am planting Almonds and next year or maybe sooner I am going to plant some olive trees. These will give me fruits, nuts and oil. Does that count??

[ladyhk13]

I'm not crazy about the MRE's either. I think DH is going to have to eat most of them and I agree that they are really expensive for what you get. I think that if you can learn to can, that is your best route to go...the food is fresh, it's cheaper and it will last years and years. I have never dehydrated but I guess maybe at some point I may..it just uses so much electric and I don't eat the fruits which is what a lot of people like to dry. I would do things like potato's, eggs, pasta and I don't know what else since I am so picky. Those things I can either can, get fresh or make from scratch so I am almost limited to jerkey being the real thing I would dehydrate. I wish I would eat other things but I have always been this way and I really see no point in changing now, I'm just going to prep what I like and how I like it.
JustA created a monster - someday I'm gonna give her a big hug...who knew ya could even can MEATS???? Chicken is freaking awesome!!!

[prepguide]

I have home canned home made chili on my storage shelves as well. I do love my chili and so I have chili mix, home canned chili as well as commercially canned chili (Campbell's Roadhouse) . Must have my protein!! LOL

[robsdak]

being Mormon(non-practicing type, just raised that way) food storage is second nature. i have most things put up and rotate the canned goods, the FD stays left alone and no Lentils. waste of a legume if you ask me. ; ) very few MRE's, some are ok, my body doesn't care for them. and i am going to have to get a cow, powdered milk isn't my thing. i have been doing the Mountain House thing, just add water heat and eat, some are really good. and FD ice cream, gotta have my sweets. as far as meat goes, i live close enough to a state forest that it won't be a big deal and finally i have a healthy population of squirrels that i feed around the house. that why i know they are healthy and well fed.

[Echo2]

For those storing powdered milk and don't like the flavor......add 1 spoon of vanilla pudding to a 1/2 gallon of milk.....it sweetens it a bit and gives it the proper feel on the tongue....viscosity I suppose the term would be.

[Echo2]

We to have a ton of chili.....excellent way to add a lot of flavor to a lot of different fairly bland stores like pasta....rice....instant potatoes....etc.

Something else we keep....Bacon Spam is pretty darn good with powdered eggs and instant potato pancakes.

[Jimmy24]

For those storing powdered milk and don't like the flavor......add 1 spoon of vanilla pudding to a 1/2 gallon of milk.....it sweetens it a bit and gives it the proper feel on the tongue....viscosity I suppose the term would be.

You know, some else told me that. I'll have to try it. I also add a can of evaporated milk to each gallon and that makes a difference too. Thanks for the tip!

Jimmy

[4suchatimeasthis]

I need to store more bullion cubes and soup bases. They do amazing things for rice/pasta! Just add the cube(s) to the water, and cook as directed. I also store spices, I buy them in bulk at Sams Club or the local Amish Pantry.

I have, uhm, a few 5 gallon buckets with rice, a variety of beans, wheat, pasta, corn, oats, sugar, salt, lentils, and split peas. I dehydrate all my veggies and fruit, and dry can them using O2 absorbers and the jar attachment from vac n seal. You can fit 7lbs of carrots into a single quart jar, when they are dehydrated! It's similar for other veggies, I dehydrate then dry can: green beans, broccoli, mixed veggies, carrots, onions (they taste exactly like french onion pringles!) garlic, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and apples all in large quantities. I also do smaller quantities of random stuff, like I did up a few zucchini, etc, just because I had some on hand and decided to give it a shot.

Dry-pack canning (http://www.simplyprepared.com/dry-pack_canning_in_jars.htm)

Dry canning with a food saver (http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2012/10/dry-canning-the-easy-way.html)

I also store Crisco, because although it will clog your arteries, it also has a shelf life of eternity, where as other oils go bad much, much sooner. I prep peanut butter (less than 6 mo. storage of that, it does go rancid), instant coffee, spices, yeast, pwdered milk and canned goods - pastas, potato salad, fruit, pie filling, etc (as in metal cans, not glass "canning" jars).

Here on the farm we have acres of blackberries, and fruit trees (peach, pear, persimmon & apple), also at least 2 walnut trees, one of them I just discovered, there may be more.

I did have a problem with some pre made krusteeze pancake mix, after about 2 yrs it tasted like absolute crap, it was bitter. I baked it up in cake pans and fed it to the chickens, lol, so I guess it wasn't a total loss. Next time....IDK, I need to work on that one.

[Katrina]

Been bulking up and rotating pasta, canned veggies, fruit, soup and canned meats. Next EP order is going in soon and I'm going to be looking into the Ove Eggs from Pleasant Grains.

[2die4]

We to have a ton of chili.....excellent way to add a lot of flavor to a lot of different fairly bland stores like pasta....rice....instant potatoes....etc.

Something else we keep....Bacon Spam is pretty darn good with powdered eggs and instant potato pancakes.

I'm seeing all these variations of Spam. Is it any good?

[Echo2]

I'm seeing all these variations of Spam. Is it any good?

I like spam ok...but the bacon spam is really good....with a long shelf life.

It's a good add on to a lot of different meals....eggs....potatoes....mac and cheese.....etc

[2die4]

I like spam ok...but the bacon spam is really good....with a long shelf life.

It's a good add on to a lot of different meals....eggs....potatoes....mac and cheese.....etc

I'm going to try it out and report back.

[ladyhk13]

Don't ya know that the jelly on top of SPAM is the best part??????
Just kidding...I hate the stuff and would never put it in my storage but know lots of people like it.
The jelly part is an inside joke with a military friend of dh's who lives over in Bahrain now. He's a Tony Stewart fan so I kind of figured he was weird from the begining.

[ladyhk13]

I am going to grow a lot more herbs next year. I have a huge rosemary plant that I put in the workshop during the winter and a lavender one that I just don't know what to do with for the most part. The Lemon Balm I grew a couple of years ago and dried and put in glass jars makes wonderful tea. I finally pulled some out the other day and tried it after being stored for 2 years just dried and put in a jar and it was soooo wonderful. I didn't put any sugar or milk in it like I would a regular black tea so I'm thrilled so I need to grow more. I actually used it fresh and made herbal butters and in cooking so this is the first time I actually pulled it out and used it dried.
I have Greek Oregano that refuses to die. It is awesome. I figure if I can grow more herbs it is tons cheaper than buying them since they can be really expensive in the stores. Now I just have to figure out where to plant them.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Ove Easy eggs are darned good. I get mine at Honeyville in Rancho Cucamonga. I keep some wheat, but mostly trend to corn and rice. Rice makes a really good flour as well. Spam I have some of but I don't eat it very often. I like beef stews, the dry soups from Bear Creek (?), and I like the kraft mac'n'cheese dinners with the squeeze pouches of cheese, which when combined with Hormel canned chili, or home canned chili make a great chili mac.

I also have a fair amount of kipper snacks, sardines, canned salmon and tuna in oil. I also keep a fair amount of jerky on hand as it is an easy meal. I buy canned veggies I like and grow others that I like fresh (collards being one of my favorites). But I store what I like to eat. That is the cardinal rule for me.

[hank2222]

Most of the side dish items are based around the potatoe mix's that i can get in 6.gallon sized buckets from the diff long term companys .I do stock a 6.gallon bucket of rice and beans for a once a week meal that i make up i figure that one bucket should last me a year .So that why i stock only 15 buckets of rice and 15 buckets of red beans for making up those meals as needed

Also alot of the othe side dish are in the Mac and chesse type along with diff type of corn and apple sauce mix i can get also in large 6.gallon bucke

[2die4]

Tried bacon spam and I must say its pretty damn tasty. Even got the General to try it and she was impressed. Bacon spam is getting thrown into the food prep now. Thanks Echo.

[helomech]

We don't store any food really, except what we can. We are canning most of the meat we kill. I personally don't believe in storing large quantities of food. I like to keep my animals for food. We raise enough chickens, rabbits, ducks, turkey, geese, and tilapia that I don't have to really store any meat. With our aquaponics coming along we should not have to store much vegetables either, just lots of seeds. IMO no matter how much you store you will run out, if you can grow your own then you can keep up a supply for ever.

[4suchatimeasthis]

^^^A very good theory, and goal. But, some LTS food sure will come in handy if your crop is ruined, plundered, frozen, etc. God forbid you break a leg or something, and can't do as much in your garden one year. I can think of a million reasons why having a back up to what you can grow is just playing it safe.

But kudos on being self-sustaining, that is our family farm's goal as well.

[Evolver]

^^^ Redundancy is a good thing. Always have a backup for a backup. :)

[bacpacker]

Two is one, One is none!.

That said, Helo you are my idol! You are acheiving my goal of being self sufficent in food production.

[helomech]

Two is one, One is none!.

That said, Helo you are my idol! You are acheiving my goal of being self sufficent in food production.

Don't think I will ever be totally self sufficient unless I have to be. We will always have to buy the luxury items, I doubt I will ever grow enough wheat to make bread and things like that. But I do plan to grow rice.

[bacpacker]

It's a great goal though.

[Katrina]

Well this week end I just finished "dry" packing dry beans and pastas in Mason jars using my "sucky" machine and the jar sealer attachments. I now have about 8-12 months in my long term storage and added more rice, pasta meal packets too

[ladyhk13]

I think it's way too funny that everyone is saying "sucky" machine now!!!! And only a year ago people were laughing at me....haha.

[mitunnelrat]

Some of us still laugh ;)

[ladyhk13]

I'm glad to bring joy to some of you. I suckied a bunch of pasta last week...sounds so weird as it crackles and pops.

[Katrina]

Like Rice Krispies on steroids???

[izzyscout21]

Apparently everyones on a Twinkie kick now..........

[Gunfixr]

Not me.

They "new & improved" them right to the point of being inedible some years ago, so I haven't had any of those in quite awhile.

They were good when I was a kid, but then, so were a lot of things.

[ladyhk13]

Anyone stocking up on salt and what kind? I have regular iodized (the body needs iodine although I actually can probably count on one hand the foods I put it on), canning salt and Kosher salt. I figure it can be used as seasoning, canning and preservation in meats especially pork. Also I think it's needed in tanning hides?

[bacpacker]

We are buying sea salt (mostly all we use) iodized, and canning. I would love to run across a good salt deposit but that aint likely around here.

[Sniper-T]

going to stop at my favourite dollar store on the way home today... My inlaws just left so I should be safe to grab some more canned and dry goods

:)

[2die4]

Twinkies..meh. I did give a moment of silence for the Ho-Ho. After the Ho-Ho its oatmeal pies by Little Debbie. Got a few boxes since the OP and its damn hard not to eat the tasty little buggers.

[Gunfixr]

Anyone stocking up on salt and what kind? I have regular iodized (the body needs iodine although I actually can probably count on one hand the foods I put it on), canning salt and Kosher salt. I figure it can be used as seasoning, canning and preservation in meats especially pork. Also I think it's needed in tanning hides?

Yes, we have put away regular iodized salt, as well as pepper and sugar. Since pepper comes in those metal spice cans, I just leave it. However, both salt and sugar come in paper cans/bags, so I repackage it. We actually had a can of salt harden. While it is still usable, you'd pretty much have to destroy the can to get it broken up and out. We saved gallon jugs like fruit juice and Gatorade come in, as well as the half gallon jugs, as these are sturdier than milk jugs, and the gallon ones have handles. I put the sugar in the gallon jugs, and the salt in the half gallon jugs, so I don't actually have to label them, yet.
I did go to a local pork curing plant, where they old time salt cure hams. I bought a 50lb bag of the salt they use. It is not iodized, but the granules look the same size as table salt. I got it for hide prep, but haven't really used any for that yet. I do have it in food grade 5 gal buckets, so I can use it for seasoning if I wish.
Need to start adding other spices.

[Gunfixr]

Oh, BTW. I don't know if anybody here knows it or not, but the white paint buckets sold at Chinamart in the hardware dept are food grade, provided they are the ones made by Encore Plastics Corp., in Cambridge Ohio. The lids are as well, but do not come with gaskets.
I was doing a search (Google was my friend that day), and came across a post by someone over at survivalblogs that had seen them, and called the company phone# on the bottom. They (Encore) told this person that the white, natural (beige), or transparent were.
The buckets are right at $3 apiece, and lids are about $1.20 apiece, much cheaper than advertised buckets you find on the 'net.
I know most of us here are pretty resourceful, and probably get them for free. But if you can't then here is the cheapest source I've seen so far. I have been unable to find any around here for free, most places sell them, for anywhere from $1 to $3 apiece. Many, if not most, had pickles in them, and I have yet to find a way to remove that smell, which will taint the taste of what you put in them.
I hate pickles, so I do not want everything I eat post-shtf to taste like pickles.

The transparent ones would be nice, haven't seen those.

[rentprop1]

I hate pickles, so I do not want everything I eat post-shtf to taste like pickles.


if you're talking about the buckets from Firehouse subs, half a cup of bleach and 1/3 full of water, cap the lid and shake it for a few min, let it sit, shake it next day, repeat for 3 days, rinse ...repeat if still a hint of pickles......I hear the lids are hard to come by, well mine never has any of the buckets either :mad:

[robsdak]

i had a frightening thought today while out and about. i need to put up some Baby Ruth candy bars. man it would suck, if they were all gone.

[helomech]

Well we canned a good bit of meat lately. Also canned 17 jars of rabbit today from 6 rabbits not in the pic.

Here is some of it.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/aquaponics/20121201_211312.jpg

[Evolver]

Got to love canned meats!!! Easy to can and easy to heat and eat. :)

[helomech]

yes, the only problem is we eat it as fast as we can it. It is hard to stock pile. We need to start killing more often, and try to build up more. I am about to have about 20 chickens to kill real soon.

[Evolver]

You and Sniper make me envious with all of your squirreled away non-store bought meats. Some day my friends some day... :)

[helomech]

Thanks all of these canned goods where killed, slaughtered and processed by me and my family.

[Sniper-T]

I'm going to have to try canning some meat. I'm still old school where a steak comes out of the freezer rather than a jar.

That canned rabbit sounds awesome though! makes me want to go out bunny hunting

here bugs, bugs, bugs....

[helomech]

I'm going to have to try canning some meat. I'm still old school where a steak comes out of the freezer rather than a jar.

That canned rabbit sounds awesome though! makes me want to go out bunny hunting

here bugs, bugs, bugs....

It is different to think about, but it is so much easier to deal with than freezing. More prep goes into, but when it is time to eat it is so easy and delicious. I still freeze some cuts, like all of the back legs on deer and pigs, backstraps and tenderloins. But everything else gets canned.

[Sniper-T]

for me, everything else gets ground up into burger