If your just starting out with food storage don't worry, things will get done before you know it. Being on a tight budget is only a small obstacle.
We found that by replacing our regular menus with food storage specific items, we were able to more quickly add to the storage. It isn't essential to go for the "deals" but still highly recommended.
Here are a couple of ways that we started, and still work our storage today.
(some of these have an order based on season).
1) A garden. Even if all you have to plant is a few pots on a balcony, every extra item you can get on your own effort, is a plus. Work with a neighbor and see if you can trade work for a plot if they have a yard. Or how about a family member that maybe lives on a bit of land. Travel time is worth it if it means you can start to put together your own storage.
If you have just enough room for flower beds consider planting vegetables in between established plants.
First time gardening? Also no problem. All credible nurseries have qualified people that can answer any of your questions. I have always found that nurseries are full of people who love their job and want to be helpful. They can give you advise on everything from soil preparation, to harvest times. They can also recommend what plants are best for certain yard sizes.
I know, to many people, this next idea is maybe.... sacrilege, but consider giving up the lawn. You'd be amazed at the amount of space you'll suddenly have, and how much you can get into it.
2) Hunting/ fishing. For some fishing will be easier to do. For others, none of it is acceptable. Not a hunter? That's fine, just remember that while your putting together your food storage to add proteins. There are many kinds of proteins, including soy (Textured vegetable protein, TVP), canned, meats, legumes (beans) and even peanut butter.
Hunting might be an outrage to some, that's their issue. You open yourself up to new options if you can hunt and fish. In a truly desperate situation you will be able to feed yourself and your family. But more than that, you will not necessarily have to rely on anyone else for that same benefit.
3) Other options. For awhile there "food storage" was a dirty word, or at the least, taboo. It was something ...."Those people did". Now, finally it has become popular again, and recommended. Because of it's increased popularity, stores all over the country now carry both goods, and supplies for food storage. The supplies are typically available year round now too.
A) Lets start with commercially prepared food storage.
Right away, having stated it that way, I'm sure your thinking about large #10 cans full of dried foods. Or 5 and 6 gallon buckets full of beans and wheat. Okay, yes, those are useful in of food storage, but, the variety is so much larger than that. Commercially prepared includes canned soups, vegetables, meats, fruits and anything else that has been bottled or canned, that you would normally buy or find at the market, and which can be stored for an extended period of time.
You know. Campbell's, and Hormel, and several other brands. Then there is the gigantic variety of commercially dried and freeze dried goods. Dried goods aren't just peas beans and flour. They include complete meals that just need hot water added.
Commercially prepared also includes M.R.E.'s (Meals Ready To Eat) They used to be just a "military" thing. But now, they can also be purchased and utilized by the every day Joe.
B) Dehydrated goods. Both home and commercial are a great way to have long term storage. One of the pro's for dehydrated is the amount of space saved for the amount of food stored. However, the con side of that is that more water will need to be both stored and available through other sources for the purposes of reconstituting and cooking.
We purchase AND dry our own goods. We've had a dehydrator for years, but were never really all that satisfied with the results. I can't remember the brand off hand. It was a round one with no temperature control. We worked with it, which meant fussing over it all day long during the drying process. Changing trays, even putting empty trays in between the foods we were working with and the blower. It worked. We made it work.. But it was a lot of work.
We purchased a
L'Equip Deluxe Food Dehydrator and have been in love with dehydrating ever since. It has temperature control plenty of trays, and is rectangular instead of round making it easier to push to the wall while using it, keeping it out of the way.
Since we purchased it about 18 months ago we haven't put it away yet. It has paid for itself over and over again. Produce that would have turned because we had too much, for what ever reason, has been dried and stored. That one advantage alone has reduced purchased, produce waste in our home by more than 80%. Vegetables and fruits that we grow at home have a new venue. We have a couple of smaller trees for example, that don't produce enough to warrant bottling them. However, they still produce more than we could consume before they turn. Depending on what they are, we slice them into thin wafers, and add them to the dehydrator. Depending on what they are they get peeled. For instant, peaches.
We don't typically add anything to our dying fruits. Some people do, but we like natural.
We store our home dried goods a couple of ways. We have short term bottles, and long term buckets.
Our bottles are normally 1/2 gallon bottles. But we also utilize quart and pint bottles. All of these bottles seal air tight. But none have oxygen packs in them. They all are for our immediate use. Spices for recipes, ingredients like carrots celery and mushrooms, and home made vinegar's.
For long term storage we use 5 and 6 gallons buckets. We add bay leaves to the bottom of the bucket followed by a double lining of plastic bags, contents oxygen pack, tied and then ore bay leaves on top between the bags and the lid. We have not used Mylar yet. So I can not speak to that. However, I have heard great things about Mylar. We will begin using Mylar with our next round of home storage.
C) How about your own home bottled items.
Tomatoes, pickles, jam. These are probably three of the most common food storage items you hear about. But trust me when I say there are hundreds of others.
Tomatoes are, to say the least, a great staple. But they are more than that. They are versatile. When we "put up" tomatoes we don't just use them by themselves. We add them to all sorts of things. Spaghetti sauce, salsa, rice dishes, omelets, and many more.
I believe they are most commonly heard about because they are one of the easiest to preserve.
(Wash and dry your bottles rings and lids. Then place your lids into a small pot of water and simmer. This prepares them for later processing.)
1 quart bottle
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
(these are done to taste)
And boiled water
Now the tomatoes. You can use any variety of tomato. Even yellow. The smaller the tomato the quicker they are to prepare. They only need to be cut into halves and then put into the bottles.
If the tomatoes are larger, you'll need to decide if you want to keep the skins or not.
To remove the skins of the larger tomatoes, blanch in boiling water. They need to be submerged for a few minutes. Test one. If the skin rubs off easily with a little pressure they are ready. (I like to boil the water, put in the tomatoes, boil for about 2 minutes, and then turn off the burner. Let the tomatoes sit in the water while you work with them. They will continue to blanch as long as the water is still steaming.)
Do enough tomatoes to fill 7 jars. (We typically have enough tomatoes to do several batches of jars. 7 jars fit into the water bath caner.) Use a bottle funnel to keep your rim as clean as possible. Add clean boiled water leaving 1/2 inch head space, (up to the top of the shoulders of the jar). Make sure to wipe the rims with a wet cloth or even a wet paper towel. If you feel any chips or imperfections, don't use the bottle. (by rubbing your finger around the rim of the jar you will be able to feel any imperfections. These imperfections might not seem like much, but they can prevent the bottle from sealing properly.) Then place your prepared lid onto the bottle, add a ring and tighten, only to finger tight. Place them in your water bath or steam caner and process for 40 minutes. Add 5 minutes for every 3,000 feet above seal level. Then at 8,000 feet add 10 minutes more. Then you can either process them in a water bath caner, or a steam caner. This will seal the lids and set them for storage.
When you go to the market for your regularly scheduled grocery run, plan on 1 of 2 things. Or both.
Step one, Is there something that you buy, that you could give up? You know that guilty pleasure, or even the so called addiction. How much soda do you buy in a month? Could you give up half of that soda and put the money you save toward a few extra cans of vegetables, or some other canned item? How about junk food in general? What can you give up to put extra money towards your food storage?
Are you buying top of the line sirloin when bargain would be just as good? Name brand when store brand is comparable?
Step two, Can you just set a little extra money aside with your grocery money that can be used for food storage?
Usually the immediate answer, is some explanation and a "no". Think about it. How important is it for you to really get a food storage together? If your reading this, hopefully it's already a priority.
If you are a parent, it is your job, as an adult, to do everything in your power to protect your kids. This is just another step toward that protection.
Imagine being able to buy 1 extra can of something every pay day. Your probably thinking, "One can? That isn't going to get me anywhere."
I used to think the same thing. There truly are some families that can only do 1 can a payday. If you can do more than that great. If not, slim it down.
Be an active participant in your prepping plans. Be an active participant in your survival.
For more recipes I recommend the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It has 400 hundred recipes which include both water bath and pressure caner canning. (The pressure caner is a must for any non-pickled and meat items you plan to do on your own.) I use this book all the time. The recipes are easy to follow and include tips and hints.
Or here is one website I visit often. They have great ideas, tips and recipes. Simply Canning.
