Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Foods that Last

There are several foods that you can purchase in preparation for an economic collapse. No, they may not be brand names, they may not be whole grain, or the best in the world, but in a crisis situation, food is food. You have to decide now if you'd rather have two months worth of lesser desirable food or two weeks worth of your preferred foods. The collapse is going to take a lot longer than two months, but you'd be six weeks ahead of many people in your community and could use that time to secure more foods.

Pastas - available in single portions for less than $1. The cup of noodles brands that just need hot water and two minutes. Warehouse clubs like Sam's or BJ's will have massive deals on cases of these pastas. ADVANTAGES: They are easy to store, don't need refrigeration and easy to prepare. DISADVANTAGES: Some packaging for these pastas takes up a LOT of room. Find the smaller complete meal pastas in small packages in case you need to leave an area quickly.

Proteins - Beans, Nuts and Meats are proteins. Beans are plentiful, cheap and easy to store. There are great deals on large bags of beans at WalMart and warehouse stores. Plastic bags are sufficient storage for beans. ADVANTAGES: Price, long storage capability. If you have at least three months worth of food, buy some beans to plant at the beginning of that three months so that you have an asset (a garden) that throws off food (more beans). DISADVANTAGES: Well, they're beans.

Nuts are excellent sources of energy and good protein. They last a long time in their containers and if they have been dry roasted will last longer. If you have access to raw peanuts, these can be planted too at the beginning of the collapse so that you have a supply of protein after you have run out of other food. ADVANTAGES: Protein packed, long periods of storage. DISADVANTAGES: They are not cheap, unless they are on sale.

Meats can be preserved through salting, (see my video on YouTube Channel) slow-smoking for pork, fish and beef, canning, and dehydrating. Meats preserved through the salting method can last up to one year without refrigeration. Smoked hams and roasts can last for months IF YOU DO IT RIGHT. Trim the typical American serving size and meats will last you for a long time. DO NOT BUY MEATS ALREADY CUT UP! You are paying upwards of $2 to $4 extra per pound so that someone in the back will cut up a $3.20/lb pork loin into $6.20/lb pork chops. (pork loin was $1.99/lb before this summer started.) OTHER OPTIONS: Contact your local agricultural college to purchase a quarter side of beef between you and a couple other families. Deal direct with the butcher at the slaughterhouse and you can get whole animals for cheap. Join 4H club and find people in your area that raise market pigs, cows, chickens and more. ADVANTAGES: Meats CAN be preserved for extended lengths of time. Dried jerky meats are very portable in a Bug-Out scenario. DISADVANTAGES: It's not cheap, but it can be cheaper if you use the other options.

Vegetables - Unless you have a garden, with a continually replenishing supply of vegetables, this will not be an option. Some Veggies can be preserved through drying, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. If you have a garden, keep the crops rotated. (i.e. as soon as you harvest the lettuce, plant the peas.) If you are in an area with harsh winters, a hoop-house, or one of the four options in the "Preparing" book for greenhouses will work to keep your garden growing longer. Canned vegetables will have less nutritional value than the can they came in, but it's a filler and will keep you from going completely hungry. DON'T BE PICKY. I can't emphasize that enough, but I'll try, DON'T BE PICKY. ADVANTAGES: Vegetables planted and cared for reproduce themselves. They are assets that 'throw off food'. DISADVANTAGES: If they are not canned or dried, storage and transporting them becomes a problem.

Fish - For the price of a fishing license and some gear, you can catch all the FREE fish you like. Fish can be smoked for preservation, dried, or salted. ADVANTAGES: Stores will run out of food, the ocean and many lakes, ponds and rivers won't run out of fish. DISADVANTAGES: You've sometimes got to go fishing. (wait, is that a Disadvantage?)

Other foods stuff to have on hand: Powdered milk, flour, sugar, yeast, oil, peas (can be planted), onions and potatoes (plant them if you don't use them all), honey and spices. (pepper, paprika, garlic, onion powder, etc.)

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