I'm new to food storage, please help...

[7peasinmypod]

Hi all,

I am new to rapture ready as well. Well, actually I have been visiting and reading posts for well over two years but I haven't joined until now:)

I am stay at home mom of 5, ages 12 to 3 months. My husband and I are used to our budget being tight with having a large family and choosing to live on one income but now its getting tighter and tighter.. I'm sure everyone here feels the pinch as well. My husbands paycheck seems to be stretching less and less. This past year his overtime was cut< we survived because of the 25 hours of overtime at $28.00 an hour> and our insurance premium went from $0.78 every 2 weeks to $145.00 for a full family. All this before the recession< and baby lol> price increases of everything from gas to food.

My husband and I believe in homeschooling and as a result have lived with just the bare necessities since we started when my oldest son was 5. We are a 1 car family or actually should I say I minivan family< a bus if God blesses with anymore> and my husband carpools to work with my BIL. AS things get tighter here, my husband and I have prayed for more wisdom so we can use the resources he has already given us more wisely. We both feel we need to stock up on food and supplies, not for tin foil reasons, but because we have 5 kids depending on us and a whole herd of animals. 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 bunnies, 2 guinea pigs, 2 parakeets, and 5 hamsters. Soon we are adding ducklings and chickens. We need food for us and them stored back.

I have read here on this board many good ideas and it seems quite a few of you do this as a lifestyle..ie being a good steward. I have even noticted that a few of you also homeschool as well. I really would like to glean from your wisdom on how what cooking supplies I need at home to be able to bake everything and cook everything at home. I'm talking from scratch..no more premade mixes such as pancake mix or store bought waffles. I am looking to store back flour, maybe just the grain if someone gives me info on how to store and grind it, sugar, cornmeal, oil, yeast, oats and anything else that I may need in bulk stored up in my pantry.

THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE MY OWN BREADS ON DEMAND, HAVE MY OWN MIXES PREPARED, and be able to sustain my family for a long time.

HERE's the problem...I don't know how to do this. What buckets are safe to store in, how do I store flour in bluck, where do I buy it? Can I store vegetable oil in bulk, how do I do that? How do I store sugar in bulk for long term use? Can yeast be stored in bulk for long term storage?? And what kitchen equiptment will I need? I'm also thinking of canning. Do you guys have a favorite pressure canner, and which one would be best for a family of seven? What size jars do I buy for canning?

I'm sorry for the long post. I am just a concerned mommy trying to find out how to do these things. I don't know anyone personally who does these things. My family members rely on the stores and would think me nuts for doing this. But I am used to that..I go against the grain naturally..with being a quiverful homeschooling mom. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

THANKS SO MUCH!:hat

7peas

[NewWorldOrder]

We have a really long stockpiling/food storage thread that continues to be added to. It will be a long read, but should answer a lot of your questions. :)

http://www.rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=12176&highlight=stockpiling

[icebear]

also check out the sourdough thread!
http://www.rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=43773

[Jubilee21]

:wave
Welcome!

The thread in anything goes has priceless tips..you can start there.

For recipies, and the bulk/cook from scratch ideas please check out this site:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

This gal is wonderful and gives you so many ideas to get a feel for things.

Food storage is not hard if you get the hang of learning about expiration dates and shelf life of things.

For bulk storage like grains, you are talking about investing in special food buckets with mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. Same for long term storage..

For very long term storage, then you are speaking about special foods for this..that are freeze dried or dehydrated, bought in larger quantities and last of a very long time.

For a basic pantry..with a family your size..bulk buying and hitting sales up with coupons is the best way to go for short terms and lts of "from scratch" recipies worked around nutritious but more inexpensive foods..

Canning at home is another way to go..

Picking up bread makers or food dehydrators at rummage sales, or yard sales can give you more versitility to use bulk items..and make from scratch..so equipment is a good investment...many folks invest in freezers to store up items bought in quantity and on sale.

Right now its all about investing the time to shop bargains and take advantage of them as you can afford to do so..

Maybe set up a budget specifically for this and apart from your monthly food one, and start from there to build up baking and grain items, sale items and gradually add on as you go.

Welcome and just ask questions..lot's of folks will be glad to help!

[tygerkittn]

I have tons of preps, and I still never have all the ingredients for specific recipes! :)
Cooking oil doesn't store as well as shortening, it can go rancid, although you can still use it as lamp oil, and it's still edible, it just tastes bad. Flour doesn't store for as long as wheat, but honestly, I think the days of long term storage are past, it's not gonna be 30 years before it's needed!
Ignore the expiration dates on most stuff, if cans aren't badly bent, rusty, or bulging, they're OK, dried foods like hamburger helper are good for a pretty long time past their exp date unless they've been stored in a damp place and grow mold, mayo never goes bad until after it's opened and cross contaminated, ketchup and mustard never go bad, just change color, honey never goes bad, if it crystallizes heat it in a double broiler, sugar and salt never go bad, if they absorb moisture and crystallize just dry them out and break them back up, there are some meat substitute recipes on the other thread using wheat gluten, so you don't really need a lot of special long term foods, just buy extra of what you normally buy and rotate it.
Welcome to RR!

[Paula]

One thing I have learned is East Indians are masters at making a little food feed a LOT of people. If you have an Indian store anywhere nearby, you can get some staples there cheaper. For instance, they sell this 5 gallon jug of cooking oil for less, and you can get a pump for a couple of dollars for easy use. It lasts a long time. Also make recipes using beans and lentils, and try to serve meat only one meal a day.
I have made my own pancakes for years. It is only five ingredients, one bowl and a rubber spatula. For feeding your brood, I would use this method: two cups milk, two cups flour, quarter cup sugar, two eggs and two tablespoons of baking powder. Makes 24 four inch on the griddle.
Good luck!

Paula

[Amanda's mom]

I don't know how to do this.

First, welcome to the board. None of us knew how to do a lot that we do now. It's a learning thing. Just relax, take a deep breath, then prepare to read...a lot.

I suggest you go to your local book store (Wal*Mart is where I got mine) and buy the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. I also recommend Whole Food Facts by Evelyn Roehl and Putting Food By (Greene, Hertzberg, and Vaughn). But the Ball Blue Book will be an excellent place to start. They include information on canning, jars, methods, and requirements (including for sea levels)

What buckets are safe to store in,

There are some folks on the board that recommend going to local restaurants and bakeries and buying their large plastic buckets that come with rubber gaskets in the lids. Sometimes the places are happy to give them away, sometimes they charge $1 - $4 dollars (or more) for them. You take them home and clean them up. They can be used for long term storage of many things especially when used with oxygen absorber packets (you can find them on-line - we ordered some from Walton Feeds). You can also go the route of buying plastic containers on-line. We got some wonderful plastic bins and lids from US Plastics (on-line). Each one holds about 50 lbs of wheat berries but they are expensive (we chose the lids that have a screw-top insert for easy removal and replacement). Whatever you choose, make sure it's food grade and don't store it directly on cement.

how do I store flour in bluck,
When you buy your flour, mark the date on it that you are placing it in your freezer. Let it stay in the freezer for at least 4 days, longer is better. This will kill any insect eggs in the flour. You need to do this for long term storage or the flour can get buggy. After it's been in the freezer a while, I take it out and let it come to room temp. If any condensation forms on the outside of the bag, I wipe it dry. I leave my flour in the original package and store it in large plastic bins. Be aware that rodents can and will invade anything they can chew through or get their heads into. So try to keep it rodent-proof.

where do I buy it?

I buy flour at the grocery store and in bulk packages at BJs. We buy wheat from a grain and feed store locally (the owner can order what we want for us, usually)...the price is determined by the current market price at time of the order. We have soft red wheat, hard white wheat (in cans that we got from the estate of a survivalist), and hard red wheat that we ordered from a local health food store.

Can I store vegetable oil in bulk, how do I do that?
I have heard different stances on this one. I am storing bulk oil (canola and olive). They are in a cool dark basement. Many people suggest buying Crisco (regular and butter-flavor) as it is more stable and stores longer. Crisco can also be used for things other than cooking.

How do I store sugar in bulk for long term use?

As long as it stays dry, sugar will last forever. Just keep it in a container that will prevent it from getting damp.

Can yeast be stored in bulk for long term storage??
Yeast has a shelf life. It is printed on the packet or jar. To store it: if it's unopened, keep it in a cool dry place; if it's opened, keep it sealed and in the refrigerator. If you want to not have to buy yeast, consider creating a yeast "starter." Information on doing this can be found on-line and at other places on the board.

And what kitchen equiptment will I need?
For canning, I have a very large water bath canner along with the accoutriments that you can buy with it (rack insert, jar pullers, etc). For pressure canning, I have a large Presto pressure canner cooker. I think mine will hold about 6 quart jars at a time. For baking, an aluminum or glass bread pan (I don't like the silicon-only pans - they're too wobbly), 2 cake pans (9 inch), large rectangular glass baking pan, small square baking pan, roaster pan (you probably have all of this stuff already). I have fallen in love with silicon baking sheets. I find that I do not need any more flour when I am kneading my bread if I knead it on the rough side of the baking sheet and the sheets do bake cookies nice. It's a lot less expensive to get a set of these than it is to continually by parchment paper for baking. I currently only have the smaller size of these (about the size of a small cookie sheet). I want to get a set of the larger ones, too.

Breadmakers are nice but I think the bread comes out better when I don't use mine. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer to mix my bread dough - mine has three different paddles (whip, batter, and bread hook). Then I knead and form by hand. I am finding that the quicker the dough rises, the sweeter the taste. If it takes longer to rise, it has a beer-like taste. I find sitting the bowl of dough on a protective surface above my electric space heater gets it to rise quickly. I'm thinking of trying a pan of boiling water in my ice chest with the bowl sitting on a cooling rack above the pan to see if that works.

If you are using wheat berries, you will need a good grinder. They can be expensive. We bought a Country Living Grain Mill from FruggelSquirrel.com. I love it. We did get the handle extension and the extra augers. The entire set was $417.50 including shipping. They seemed to have the best deal.

I'm also thinking of canning. Do you guys have a favorite pressure canner, and which one would be best for a family of seven?
Presto for me

What size jars do I buy for canning?

That depends on what and how much you are canning. The Ball Blue Book will help you with that.

Hopes this helps.

Sue

[Witness4Jesus]

Amanda's mom, I have a basement with stuff stored. What happens if you store your dry good in a bucket on a cement floor? or is that only a concern if it is canned goods?

Thank you.

[Amanda's mom]

Amanda's mom, I have a basement with stuff stored. What happens if you store your dry good in a bucket on a cement floor? or is that only a concern if it is canned goods?

Thank you.
What I read was that the chemicals used in making cement can seep into the containers. My research was primarily with water storage (in this case, the water becomes tainted by the chemicals and becomes unusable is my understanding). I imagine that the same thing can happen with regular foods. Your containers should be up off the cement. Water, however, allows whatever seeps in to go throughout the container. I don't know how bulk foods would be affected.

Keep in mind that cement doesn't dry, it cures. The chemicals can leach out and into whatever is on top of it.

[Jubilee21]

This is another site I enjoy simply because the format is is user friendly.

http://www.frugalabundance.com/frugalfoodstorage.htm

Examples of recipies from there for ideas:

Chicken Style Wheat-Meat Mix
Combine the following items in a quart-size zipper bag. Label & Seal.

1 cup (6 ounces) vital wheat gluten


2 tablespoons EACH veggie Chicken Broth Powder, unbleached or all-purpose flour, and Nutritional Yeast

1/4 teaspoon EACH Turmeric & Poultry Seasoning

1 pinch EACH ground ginger, black pepper and cayenne pepper
To Prepare



Combine 1-package of Chicken Style Wheat-Meat Mix with 1-tablespoon vegetable oil and 1-cup of cool water. If your bag is large enough you may mix it in the bag. Otherwise a bowl does nicely. After mixing you will have a thick, putty-like dough.


Divide the dough into 6 roughly equal portions. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten them into cutlet shapes.


Meanwhile, bring 4-cups (1-quart) of water to a boil in a 2 to 3-quart saucepan. Add 1/2-teaspoon salt to the water if desired. Reduce the heat so the water simmers gently. Carefully drop the shaped cutlets into the water. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cutlets are firm.


Remove the pot from the heat. Drain the cutlets from the water and arrange them on a plate to cool. The remaining water will be chicken-flavored now and is delicious in soups or gravy.


After cooking the cutlets may be refrigerated, in any remaining water or broth, for up to 5 days. They also freeze nicely.


Use the cutlets in recipes as desired. They may be coated in flour and fried, or cut into strips and added to casseroles or skillet meals. Anywhere you would normally use chicken breasts you can use your veggie cutlets instead.




http://www.frugalabundance.com/everydaysandwichbread.htm


Everyday Sandwich Bread



2 cups warm water


1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cups white bread flour or all-purpose flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 packet or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

In a large bowl combine the water, dry milk powder, salt, sugar and vegetable oil. Using a large spoon begin to stir in the flour. Sprinkle the yeast over the flour as you stir it in. When the dough is too thick to use a spoon start in with your hands. You may need to add a little more flour, use your best judgment. Knead the dough for 10 minutes by the clock. Coat the dough with oil and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk, 1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm it is in your kitchen. When the dough is well risen punch it down. Divide it into 2 portions. Coax each portion into a loaf-shape. Place in 2 well-greased 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch bread pans. Rise in a warm place until light. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool before slicing.

Makes 2 loaves of bread—20 slices each—40 thin slices total.

100% Whole Wheat Bread
Prepare Every Day Sandwich Bread with the following changes.



Omit the white flour and use 6-cups whole wheat flour


Omit the white sugar. Add 1/3-cup brown sugar instead.

Everything else remains the same.

Cornmeal Yeast Bread
Prepare Every Day Sandwich Bread with the following changes.



Replace 1-cup of either white or wheat flour with 1-cup of cornmeal (preferable whole grain cornmeal)


Increase the sugar to 1/3-cup.

Everything else remains the same.

Oatmeal Bread
Prepare Every Day Sandwich Bread with the following changes.



Replace 1-cup of either white or wheat flour with 1-cup of rolled oats, either quick or old-fashioned.


Omit the white sugar and replace it with 1/3-cup brown sugar.

Everything else remains the same.

Potato Bread
Prepare Every Day Sandwich Bread with the following changes.



Replace 1/2-cup of either white or wheat flour with 1/2-cup of dry instant mashed potato flakes.

Everything else remains the same.