Preparations Update

[Amish Heart]

Thanks! Husband wanted me to start with something "easy". So fruits. I wanted the machine mostly for eggs (we have too many) and meats. So fruits today. Then hamburger patties. Have you ever done hamburger patties? I'm using lean beef from a cow I knew.

 

[jazzy]

i dragged out my old fashioned carpet sweeper, been sitting in the closet as i pull it out eveyr now and then for a quick spin when im too lazy to get the vac. it works pretty good. but i have flat carpeting, no shag style. if-when grid goes down this can be a good thing to have. amazon has several styles from $20-30.

will never be as great as the vac but its not too shabby.

 

[Acdoctor]

Thanks! Husband wanted me to start with something "easy". So fruits. I wanted the machine mostly for eggs (we have too many) and meats. So fruits today. Then hamburger patties. Have you ever done hamburger patties? I'm using lean beef from a cow I knew.

We haven’t done hamburger Pattie’s but I have done over 100 lbs of ground beef
we have done a couple hundred eggs for long term powered egg supply and the wife loves to buy rotisserie chicken from Sams and freeze dry them.

 

[Amish Heart]

Have you done cheese? I thought meat could only be without the bone....do you mean she just takes the meat off the rotisserie chicken? When you do hamburger, do you just cook it, drain the grease, then freeze dry it?

 

[Acdoctor]

Have you done cheese? I thought meat could only be without the bone....do you mean she just takes the meat off the rotisserie chicken? When you do hamburger, do you just cook it, drain the grease, then freeze dry it?

Yes we pulled all the meat off the bone on the rotisserie chicken the freeze dry. we brown the burger meat then drain it on paper towels, you may have to pat it dry to remove most of the excess grease, freeze drying eggs raw but scrambled is messy but will preserve for long term,
we also cooked scrambled eggs and then freeze dried them. We have done some shredded cheddar cheese for those soup and stew kits I had mentioned, we have done apples, pears , a ton of strawberries and my daughter loves the apple sauce drops .

 

[Amish Heart]

Thanks!

 

[Tank-Girl]

I was extremely worried about my grain wevvil issue and I've already put in place several ways of dealing with the issue.
In my bedroom I have an antique carved camphor wood chest.
All that it contains atm is an antique bone china dinner set.....maybe I could evict the dinner set and put my pasta, rice and lentils and flour stores in there to keep it safe from the bugs.
Yes it smells of camphor inside the chest but better that than destroyed.

 

[Neb]

I was extremely worried about my grain wevvil issue and I've already put in place several ways of dealing with the issue.
In my bedroom I have an antique carved camphor wood chest.
All that it contains atm is an antique bone china dinner set.....maybe I could evict the dinner set and put my pasta, rice and lentils and flour stores in there to keep it safe from the bugs.
Yes it smells of camphor inside the chest but better that than destroyed.

Can you cycle your stores through a freezer ?

Freezing is supposed to kill critters.

The Princess used that approach to deal with tobacco beatles.

Ben

 

[Tommyice]

I was extremely worried about my grain wevvil issue and I've already put in place several ways of dealing with the issue.
In my bedroom I have an antique carved camphor wood chest.
All that it contains atm is an antique bone china dinner set.....maybe I could evict the dinner set and put my pasta, rice and lentils and flour stores in there to keep it safe from the bugs.
Yes it smells of camphor inside the chest but better that than destroyed.

I would try putting a sample bit in there to see if it takes on the smell or taste of the camphor. I would be especially concerned for the flour.

did a quick search and came across this. Camphor wood chips and safety

looks like it might be a bit concerning to do this

 

[ladycat]

I was extremely worried about my grain wevvil issue and I've already put in place several ways of dealing with the issue.
In my bedroom I have an antique carved camphor wood chest.
All that it contains atm is an antique bone china dinner set.....maybe I could evict the dinner set and put my pasta, rice and lentils and flour stores in there to keep it safe from the bugs.
Yes it smells of camphor inside the chest but better that than destroyed.

Oven can them!

 

[Tank-Girl]

Oven can them!

I don't have an oven....actually I have an oven but I opted to get the propane (we call it gas here) cut off.
At the time I was under a heavy burden of debt and regardless of how little gas I used their fees where 3/4 of my bill.
Plus they were tigerish and really nasty about getting their payments as soon as the bill was delivered with next to no grace period.
Mean while I did my dodgy math and worked out getting a 9 litre propane tank and getting it filled saved me more money every month.
I have a cast iron two burner propane hotplates that I cook on. I had a microwave. I have slow cookers.
I haven't had "on tap" hot water or a oven for the last 5 years.
I have a 25 ltr eleletric caters urn and I use that for hot water for baths and dishes.
It's still cheaper than being connected to the gas company.

 

[Tootsie]

I never thought about those big old coffee pots for hot water. Great idea! Will have to keep an eye out for one now. Thanks!

 

[Tank-Girl]

I never thought about those big old coffee pots for hot water. Great idea! Will have to keep an eye out for one now. Thanks!

THis is what mine looks like..

 

[ladycat]

I don't have an oven....actually I have an oven but I opted to get the propane (we call it gas here) cut off.
At the time I was under a heavy burden of debt and regardless of how little gas I used their fees where 3/4 of my bill.
Plus they were tigerish and really nasty about getting their payments as soon as the bill was delivered with next to no grace period.
Mean while I did my dodgy math and worked out getting a 9 litre propane tank and getting it filled saved me more money every month.
I have a cast iron two burner propane hotplates that I cook on. I had a microwave. I have slow cookers.
I haven't had "on tap" hot water or a oven for the last 5 years.
I have a 25 ltr eleletric caters urn and I use that for hot water for baths and dishes.
It's still cheaper than being connected to the gas company.

I don't have a working oven either.
But if you have a car sitting out in the hot sun, that would work!

 

[Tootsie]

THis is what mine looks like..

View attachment 88815

I used to see them all the time in rummage sale, etc., but not so much anymore. Churches and organizations would often have dinners, and there’d be 2 or 3 in use. Can’t remember when I last saw one of those aluminum things. I’ll put word out that I’m looking, then if no luck get a nice one like yours.

 

[Neb]

THis is what mine looks like..

View attachment 88815

We had one in the Navy but I was the only person that drank coffee. I brewed a pot once a week. A spoon could stand up in that stuff after a week. Kept me awake on midnight shift.

Back on topic...

Alternative water heater options.

Ben

 

[Tootsie]

We had one in the Navy but I was the only person that drank coffee. I brewed a pot once a week. A spoon could stand up in that stuff after a week. Kept me awake on midnight shift.

Back on topic...

Alternative water heater options.

Ben

 

[Tank-Girl]

I used to see them all the time in rummage sale, etc., but not so much anymore. Churches and organizations would often have dinners, and there’d be 2 or 3 in use. Can’t remember when I last saw one of those aluminum things. I’ll put word out that I’m looking, then if no luck get a nice one like yours.

Mines stainless steel.
Stay away from Aluminum pots and utensils. It's nasty stuff and is extremely bad for your health.
Your skin is your body's biggest organ and you can absorb heavy mealts through it.

 

[Tank-Girl]

I found a reject shop that sells pasta for 75 cents per pack rather than the 80 cents at the local independent grocer.

I feel better about making bulk buys there because it's in a better area and tends to get shunned by the wealthy.
I'm not take food out of babies mouths by clearing a shelf.

 

[montanabill]

Mines stainless steel.
Stay away from Aluminum pots and utensils. It's nasty stuff and is extremely bad for your health.
Your skin is your body's biggest organ and you can absorb heavy mealts through it.

eat more cilantro....it gets rid of heavy metals in your blood.

 

[Weedygarden]

i dragged out my old fashioned carpet sweeper, been sitting in the closet as i pull it out eveyr now and then for a quick spin when im too lazy to get the vac. it works pretty good. but i have flat carpeting, no shag style. if-when grid goes down this can be a good thing to have. amazon has several styles from $20-30.

will never be as great as the vac but its not too shabby.

I used to have them in my classroom. When it was clean up time in the classroom, where every child could choose a chore to do, the sweeper was highly sought after by the boys.

 

[jazzy]

tank girls stainless water urn reminded me i wanted to check my stainless thermos bottles. i use a large 36oz insulated stsainless thermos bottle every morning for my coffee and another one to fill with hot water. r i use that 2nd hot water one later in afternoon for tea or coffee. having a couple Good stainless thermos is good. my favorite brand is Contiogo, i like the easy pour push button spout

 

[Pearl]

tank girls stainless water urn reminded me i wanted to check my stainless thermos bottles. i use a large 36oz insulated stsainless thermos bottle every morning for my coffee and another one to fill with hot water. r i use that 2nd hot water one later in afternoon for tea or coffee. having a couple Good stainless thermos is good. my favorite brand is Contiogo, i like the easy pour push button spout

That is a good brand!!

 

[freelove]

I was extremely worried about my grain wevvil issue and I've already put in place several ways of dealing with the issue.
In my bedroom I have an antique carved camphor wood chest.
All that it contains atm is an antique bone china dinner set.....maybe I could evict the dinner set and put my pasta, rice and lentils and flour stores in there to keep it safe from the bugs.
Yes it smells of camphor inside the chest but better that than destroyed.

I had an antique blanket box that someone had put mothballs in. I cleaned it really well and stored some grain in it. When I went to use the grain it had absorbed the mothball odor that I thought I had cleaned out. It was ruined and had to be thrown away.

 

[Caribou]

Freeze your grain or pasta for a few days and store in clean plastic buckets. Mylar liners is a plus.

My favourite. Mylar bag inside a 5 gallon (20L) bucket, add 3" to 4" of product, throw in a small chunk of dry ice, top off with product, seal most of the way leaving a hole for the gas to escape, after the dry ice has sublimated push out all excess gas and seal. CO2 is heavier than air so it will lift the air out of the bucket. The goal is to reduce O2 content to <3% or CO2 content to >3%. Either will stop the bug eggs from hatching. The dry ice method accomplishes both.

You can substitute O2 absorbers for the dry ice.

 

[TeeJ]

Freeze your grain or pasta for a few days and store in clean plastic buckets. Mylar liners is a plus.

My favourite. Mylar bag inside a 5 gallon (20L) bucket, add 3" to 4" of product, throw in a small chunk of dry ice, top off with product, seal most of the way leaving a hole for the gas to escape, after the dry ice has sublimated push out all excess gas and seal. CO2 is heavier than air so it will lift the air out of the bucket. The goal is to reduce O2 content to <3% or CO2 content to >3%. Either will stop the bug eggs from hatching. The dry ice method accomplishes both.

You can substitute O2 absorbers for the dry ice.

We've had great luck using O2 absorbers with our dry goods - you can get them for 5 or 10 cents apiece depending on how many you buy. I also put (food safe) desiccant packs in with them as well. They are reusable so the cost is negligible over time and it gives me a little more piece of mind that the food has a better chance of being good when we need it

 

[Caribou]

In pinch you can make your own O2 absorbers with 0000 steel wool, salt, and an old sock or other bag.

 

[Tacitus]

Cleaning out my prep storage.

Years ago, I had a lot of kids in the house, and if the SHTF, I would have had a lot of mouths to feed. (Not so much anymore.)

First, I stocked up on LDS foods. Then, I started buying bulk grains and such from Azure Standard. I bought a bunch of bulk pasta at Costco. Maybe 12ish years ago(?) I started stocking away canned goods, and among those cans were a bunch of cans of cheap canned pasta sauce.

Well, the wife never used that sauce (she does the cooking, and these were not her favorites), so the cans just sat on a shelf. This morning, I started to pull out those cans to check them, and a few of them had popped open some time ago. Black stuff on a few of the cans. One had something white and green growing out of the hole. Blechh! I noticed a couple of them were bulging a bit on top. Most looked fine. But, I'm throwing them all out today.

The "best by" dates were all 2015. Apparently 7 years after the best by date is too long for modern canned goods. (These were stored, by the way, in a cool, dark, dry room in the basement.)

 

[Caribou]

Cleaning out my prep storage.

Years ago, I had a lot of kids in the house, and if the SHTF, I would have had a lot of mouths to feed. (Not so much anymore.)

First, I stocked up on LDS foods. Then, I started buying bulk grains and such from Azure Standard. I bought a bunch of bulk pasta at Costco. Maybe 12ish years ago(?) I started stocking away canned goods, and among those cans were a bunch of cans of cheap canned pasta sauce.

Well, the wife never used that sauce (she does the cooking, and these were not her favorites), so the cans just sat on a shelf. This morning, I started to pull out those cans to check them, and a few of them had popped open some time ago. Black stuff on a few of the cans. One had something white and green growing out of the hole. Blechh! I noticed a couple of them were bulging a bit on top. Most looked fine. But, I'm throwing them all out today.

The "best by" dates were all 2015. Apparently 7 years after the best by date is too long for modern canned goods. (These were stored, by the way, in a cool, dark, dry room in the basement.)

Cans can rust from the outside. Unfortunately, high acid foods can rust from the inside as well. Metal cans have special linings depending on what is to be stored in them. If they don't use the proper lining then shelf life diminishes.

 

[Amish Heart]

I do not trust canned tomato products past their date. Or canned fruit, especially the pop top cans.