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Cheap Emergency Foods We Often Overlook
The Dollar Stretcher ^ | February, 2014 | Eric Nirschel

Posted on 02/06/2014 1:14:52 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin

The rise of the modern "prepper" is no accident, with shows like National Geographic Channel's, 'Doomsday Preppers' heralding a larger shift in social awareness.

In the wake of storms like Katrina, Irene, and Sandy, even stubborn New Yorkers are realizing that Mother Nature packs a punch, and that most people aren't ready to roll with it. This, combined with rising concerns about economic troubles ans a bumbling government, has caused a flood of newbie preppers to take to the stores, eagerly looking for the security of stored food, water, and medicines.

The prospect can be daunting, especially if you're trying to prep on your own or for a small group. Often, the biggest mistake new preppers can make is looking too far from home for the supplies they need.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Food; Society
KEYWORDS: emergencyfood; food; preppers; preppersfood; survivalfood
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Some personal thoughts on emergency foods:

1. Store what you eat, and at least occasionally eat what you store. You don’t want to find that you have a year’s worth of food for your family, but no idea how to cook any of it, nor do you want to find that you hate something you have a lot of such as the LDS stored rice (it is slightly different and takes a little longer to cook than the directions say or than other rice, or the centers are crunchy).

2. Store several different kinds of food, with the kinds depending on your situation. As an example, those with lots of water even in an emergency but no space may want freeze-dried or dehydrated, while those who have to store water too but have space and don’t care about weight will want canned. But even if you have mostly freeze-dried, have a little ready to eat in your emergency stores, and vice versa.

3. Buy a year ahead for items with a long shelf-life. Next year’s vitamins should already be on your shelf because they are so cheap and easy to store, and it’s nice to make sure you don’t have to worry about micro-nutrients in an emergency. The same is true for spaghetti, rice, dried beans (but only if you know how to cook with them!), and other items that last 30 years.

4. At least once a quarter, more often if your emergency food is LDS or from some other low-cost source, open up something from your long-term storage and cook it, serve it to the family, and experiment with recipes.

5. Store soap, tp, and other cleaning supplies along with food. Sanitation could be as big an issue in an emergency as food would be.

6. Buy in bulk when you see a good deal. As one example, I get cans of ready-to-eat soup when they are on deep discount, and one can stirred into a pot of rice makes an adequate side dish or meal for the family for almost no money. Rice is cheap and filling, and if you throw in $1.00 to $3.00 of soup, the cost is still negligible for the calories provided.

7. I count how much I have stored in “man-days” of food. That’s how many multiples of 2,000 calories I have (okay, an adult needs more than 2,000 a day, but not by much, and I figure that difference will come from pigeons and squirrels). It’s a whole lot easier to check that I have a balance of food groups and “x” man-days per person than it is to figure out whether I have enough using any other approach I can think of.


81 posted on 02/06/2014 2:43:56 PM PST by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: Kartographer
interesting that the article says unopened Peanut butter will last a long time......can anyone confirm this?....

I had an unopened jar of vaccuum sealed peanuts that I opened...they tasted off but I used them in peanut brittle anyway, thinking the taste wouldn't be too strong but it ruined the whole batch....I had to go buy new peanuts and start over....

I've been prepping helter skelter and now I find myself trying to use up canned items that have been on the shelf past due date....

82 posted on 02/06/2014 2:44:20 PM PST by cherry (.in the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary.....)
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To: MrB

yes I’ve bought some....don’t know what amount it would replace though.....1000cc oxygen absorber?...3000cc?.....


83 posted on 02/06/2014 2:46:49 PM PST by cherry (.in the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary.....)
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To: Kartographer

http://www.pickyourown.org/canneries.htm
Why wait for an invite LDS is closing most canneries join a coop near you


84 posted on 02/06/2014 2:46:57 PM PST by scottteng (Tax government employees til they quit and find something useful to do)
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To: Dr. Sivana

and bacon fat is to die for when you need a nice flavor to cook onions or peppers in or just about anything...


85 posted on 02/06/2014 2:48:10 PM PST by cherry (.in the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary.....)
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To: DCBryan1

Convicted felon Tyler Smith just put out to the world that he is a threat. He also looks like he hasn’t missed a meal in a while. He is also a large target and probably slow on the move. DUMB move on his part.

In addition to cheap foods, learn how to cook. Combine recipes and get creative in the kitchen. One pot meals are easy and nutritious. Think ahead and plan well.


86 posted on 02/06/2014 2:48:12 PM PST by Texas resident
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To: JRandomFreeper
Wait..... produce section? WTH? LOL!

Was wondering if you'd pick that up.

87 posted on 02/06/2014 2:48:16 PM PST by Focault's Pendulum (I live in NJ....' Nuff said!)
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To: Kartographer; All
About peanut butter:
I traveled the world but never got on a plane without peanut butter and crackers in my carry on bag. You can be stuck on a plane for various reasons and you have probably read about people stuck on a plane on the tarmac and sitting there for hours.

We sat on a plane so long one time, the meals in the airplane weren't considered safe to eat. We passed around the crackers and peanut butter jar to the group with us and to a diabetic who was on the plane.

Memo: Always be near a peanut butter jar wherever you go. Regular crackers or Ritz crackers, too. It doesn't take much to save your life but only you can make the effort do it. I would do it for you, but I'm in southeast Texas.

I carry a small metal combination spoon/fork (spork) and a small Swiss Army knife in my purse (the knife is PINK camo).

88 posted on 02/06/2014 2:48:21 PM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Make sure you've got plenty of fluids on hand.

89 posted on 02/06/2014 2:51:10 PM PST by McGruff (Every night has it's dawn.)
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To: SgtHooper

I’m not alone! We’re out here - we’re just hard to find, LOL!


90 posted on 02/06/2014 2:53:50 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: DNME

Grits! I got grits!


91 posted on 02/06/2014 2:54:42 PM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
someone at a party we had recently bought some kind of everclear liquor....delicious...they called it "apple pie" and I immediately though of Ma Bennett on Justified....

I predict we will see a new era of people making their own stuff...their own cigs...their own wine...their own liquor...their own bread....etc etc....

hard times will make entrepreneurs out of a lot of people....

92 posted on 02/06/2014 2:55:09 PM PST by cherry (.in the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary.....)
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To: yarddog

“He and his crew may very well be my worst nightmare but there is at least a chance that I will be his worst nightmare.”

All his weapons were taken by cops when the felony charge was made against him. I don’t know if he is free or still in jail or maybe prison. I don’t think he will get his weapons back.

It’s a bad idea to say on TV you are going to kill your neighbors. He was really disgusting on that program.


93 posted on 02/06/2014 2:55:19 PM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: Focault's Pendulum

You said to JRandomFreeper: “I know you’re an accomplished cook, but it would be just as easy to stop in at your local produce department.”

I think Johnny can make a gourmet meal out of rocks and grass. He will have food (free food) when no one else can find any. “He don’t need no stinking produce department.”


94 posted on 02/06/2014 2:59:39 PM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: Pollster1

can a person buy from an LDS cannery?...like an outsider?.....I just as soon give them my business and I don’t mind paying for it....


95 posted on 02/06/2014 3:01:42 PM PST by cherry (.in the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary.....)
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To: cherry; Gabz

Oh, you betcha.

Those of us that can sew on a button, sew up a wound and/or staunch the bleeding, grow our own food and make our own booze will OWN the coming Socialist Utopia Underground. ;)


96 posted on 02/06/2014 3:02:39 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: JoeProBono

“A little humor is not ridicule.”

Every time you post that fat guy, I think he’s going to live a long time with all that fat to burn.

A cancer doctor told me the fatter a person is when he/she has cancer, the better chance they have of living through the chemo and the cancer. Sometimes, fat is good.


97 posted on 02/06/2014 3:04:50 PM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: Lizavetta; All
“Regarding beans, they take a long time to cook.”

No, they don't - here's the way to cook them using not much fuel:

COOKING DRIED BEANS:
Dried beans are hard things that have to be made into soft, plumped up things. Cooking dried beans seems to mean a long time of boiling, boiling, boiling, using a lot of fuel. That isn’t true if one uses this method:

Rather than write the instructions for cooking beans in Cooking off the Grid, I'll just tell you what I did when I followed them, very simple. For this experiment, I used one cup of dried pinto beans. I rinsed them to remove any dirt. Put them in a pot with water to twice the depth of the beans. Brought them to a boil and boiled (don't simmer), for two minutes (just two minutes!). Removed them from heat and let them sit 1 hour. Poured off the dirty soak water. Covered with new water, added 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 tsp salt as it said, boiled them 30 min. and they were totally done.

Beans that will cook to soft in this thirty minute final cooking are black, white, red, pinto, kidney, garbanzo, etc. Lima beans, large or baby, need 45 min. final cooking time.

Some type beans do not need soaking/puffing up before cooking - lentils is one and they cook in 30 minutes. Others are split peas and black eyed peas.

98 posted on 02/06/2014 3:13:46 PM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Speaking of sewing: if you have to sew up a wound with needle and thread, wet the thread and needle with alcohol before using. Also alcohol wet the hands that will be doing the work and the wound to be closed. I know it’s a simple thing but many will not know to do that, and kill their patient with a slow infectious death.


99 posted on 02/06/2014 3:19:35 PM PST by MHGinTN (Being deceived can be cured.)
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To: Patriot365; Focault's Pendulum

If you added a few pallets of Camels & CopperTone Self-Tanner, that’s what John Boehner’s Preps would look like....


100 posted on 02/06/2014 3:19:51 PM PST by LadyBuck (Some day very soon, Life's little Twinkie gauge is gonna go......empty.)
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