Posted on 06/25/2021 7:09:09 AM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt
An Introduction to the Art of Food storage done easily, and inexpensively – by Wendy Dewitt
A 57 minute instructional video of making sense of economical and logical food storage to: “ store what you eat, and eat what you store”.
Learn from those who have experience of storing and actually regularly using their food storage program,
and the benefits of regularly rotating your supplies to keep them fresh.
This is a training video to maximize the benefits of your food stage, geared to novice, intermediate, and advanced practitioners ;
it is chocked full of helpful information !
Wendy presents and explains a system of organization, record keeping of supplies with a list of anticipated expiration dates,
and knowing what you have, where it is, and what you need to complete an entire meal.
Know what conditions will shorten the shelf life of your pantry as well as your food storage ( varying humidity, high temperatures, exposure to sun light, faulty equipment, dented cans, etc., etc.)
Wendy lives in a desert climate, so she knows of what she teaches from first-hand experience.
You can keep a years supply for one person with canned foods in #10 sized cans under a 'single' bed
Low cost sources for #10 cans of commercial grade food storage
Size your canned goods according to your need :
(1) supply for one person in mostly in pint and quart jars, whereas
(2) supplies for a family of 6 persons might be better kept in #10 cans, and left-overs in Quart jars.
Instructions of how to home canned meats, raw pack, as well as putting up canned vegetables from your garden.
Understanding the difference between a pressure cooker vs. a home canner, and why you shouldn't use a pressure cooker to can jars.
Canned meats or vegetables will provide their own juices so there is less need for using precious additional water resources.
Use new canning supplies only; those 'hand-me-down' jars from Aunt Betty may have hairline cracks which could leak, or contaminate your food supplies.
The LDS on line store is usually cheaper than Walmart, Amazon, or various Essential Emergency food sites.
However, it is very basic. Each item is a case of 6 number 10 cans.
You do not have to be a church member to order from them.
Wendy advocates the use of “Vacuum sealers” plastic bags for short-term meat freezing of less than three months,
but uses primarily the canning bottle vacuum for both wide-mouth and regular canning jars.
This video presents the tricks and usages of home equipment to provide food security for individuals as well as common sense applications for larger families.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY5kiCzaeYc
I have ‘Food Storage’ down pat.
It’s under my belt................
Food Storage for noobes, intermediate, and advanced practioners
Sounds like a good resource - thanks for posting. I started stocking last summer, plan to re-eval and hone this summer. My main ongoing concern, though, is water.
Thanks for the ping and thanks for posting this thread/vid link.
This type of thing is almost ridiculous. I have about a year supply of food, we don’t need flashcards or any other complicated routine to keep it organized, rotate were necessary, etc. People make things too complicated, then they become unsustainable. Are they waste money on stupid things that they probably would need even if they were starving.
Ball jars are harder to find these days. There’s been a nation-wide shortage. Lids are almost non-existent.
Inventories are staring to pick up, but the quantity, variety of sizes and styles may never be at pre-lockdown levels.
Beware of off-brand canning jars from China. The lids are flimsy and you probably won’t get a 100% seal rate.
“Ball jars are harder to find these days. There’s been a nation-wide shortage. Lids are almost non-existent.”
I know it’s not popular around here, but Amazon has all kinds of canning jar lids.
I have found that we can get more than 3 months out of our vacuum sealed meats.
However, after a month or so, it’s good to check them for any that may have lost its seal. Once in a while that happens.
Also, vacuum sealers have attachments you can purchase to seal canning jars. SO I’ve been doing that, putting dry goods in canning jars and vacuum sealing those. I label them with the expiration date and the VS (vacuum seal) date and then they go in a cupboard in the basement where it’s cool and dark.
Don’t forget salt, too.
Our local Wal-mart has been having a small but steady supply of Ball canning jars and they are the best price going.
Runnings has pallets of them about a dollar a box more than WM.
Lids, however are scarce and very over priced.
The best option for lids, though are Tattler Reusable canning jar lids.
I tried some and they work great. When we moved I found a lost jar of applesauce that I have kept for experimental purposes. It has a Tattler lid on it and is going on 10 years and still good.
Tattler Reusable Canning Lids.
https://reusablecanninglids.com/
Thanks.
L
Yes, but those are off-brand. Ball brand lids are very expensive on Amazon.
EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN
Food Storage for the Solar Oven
by Wendy DeWitt
I’ve based this system on a “worst case scenario,” meaning, if there were no stores, gardens, city water or electricity, I could still feed my family. This scenario also assumes that each family will be on their own, that we won’t be “banding together” at churches or schools. There are dozens of scenarios that would require isolation from other people. Please don’t put your family at risk by assuming that you will be eating someone else’s food! No one else is storing food for your family. Your neighbors aren’t, the government isn’t and the church isn’t.
Her system relies heavily on cooking in a solar oven, hence, "Everything under the sun". Much of it is done using canning jars, either for pressure canning or as cooking vessels. You need a lot of canning jars and lids, lots and lots of lids or Tattler reusable lids. It also relies on a huge amount of meal planning.
How much food is a year’s supply? This system answers that question right down to the last teaspoon of salt.
That's some extreme planning right there. If it works for some people, great. There's nothing wrong with some of the methods like canning meat. Pressure canning is the only easy, no electricity needed, long term storage method for meat. Solar cooking on a 10 degree windy, cloudy day? Not gonna happen. Like anything, take from this system some things that will work for you and find alternatives for the parts that won't work for you.
I'm starting a monthly prepping thread this weekend, taking over for CottonBall who took over for nwArizonaGranny. I knew azGranny from another forum and downloaded her multi-page thread there and have two copies printed out, along with other prepper info. My plan is to do it towards the end of every month. That way it will be a monthly prepping reminder for those on fixed incomes who's payday is the first of the month.
I’ve had decent luck with Golden Harvest but when I buy replacement lids, it’s Ball/Kerr. Wanting to try the reusable Tattler lids too. Went to a yard sale a few weeks ago and they had Ball canning jars for $7.00/case. Should have grabbed them but I didn’t have much cash on me. Been meaning to stop by and ask if they still have them. IIRC they were straight sided aka wide mouth jars too. New looking.
Yes, Wendy addresses that issue that sometimes the vacuum sealed bags will leak, so it's good to check on them, at least monthly.
Once the bag looses its seal, the meats are more prone to 'freezer burn' as well as loosing visual appeal, and nutritional benefit.
That’s great - thank you!
Hear, hear. Food storage is stupid simple.
Buy a few extra cans every time you're at the grocery store and eventually you'll have enough. Buy what you eat or it will go to waste. Then rotate.
Don’t forget the pets.
Want me to add you to the ping list? I don’t see you on the list I have.
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