Week 16 Deep Pantry/Food Storage Challenge

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A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Proverbs 27:12

Remember having a deep pantry isn’t just about having extra food on hand. It is also about having the means to survive in an emergency situation, having all the extra food isn’t going to do you much good if you can’t cook it when the power is out.

 

If you are having a hard time trying to afford to fill a deep pantry read my post on “having a Deep Pantry on a tight budget” Don’t forget to share what you were able to do this past week to have a deep pantry/food storage. Let’s encourage each other. And if you have a question feel free to ask or if you have the answer to a question feel free to answer.

 

If you have a tip or idea you can share that also. As I said let’s make this a place where we can share and encourage others to get that deep pantry. The first month was a jump start to get a little ahead so if things go south before you can get everything you want, at least you have something to survive on. If you are just starting you will want to go back and start with January’s challenge. The amounts are for two people If you have more just double to what you need.
Also while you are doing this if you see something on sale that you think you will need to pick it up. You can catch up with the list later. Always better to buy when on sale than not.

 

6 lbs of Shortening, lard or Oil/gelatin and pudding mixes.

I use lard to cook with since it is better for you then the hydrogenated shortenings but I do keep a little shortening and oil on hand. I use the oil in a spray bottle to spray the bottom of my pans. The shortening I use in soap. As with everything be sure to rotate. If you plan to make your own soaps you might want to try and get a little extra.

Gelatin and pudding mixes. If you make your own then get gelatin and cornstarch. You can go here to see how to make your own gelatin with either kool-aid or fruit juice. I buy my gelatin in bulk from bulk foods.com We don’t have the large warehouse stores here to by in bulk from so I have to order a lot of things like that. I will get a pudding recipe up soon.

 

The extra item this month is to work on alternate cooking sources such as a solar oven, thermal cooker, wonder oven, rocket stove, a bbq grill or even on your wood stove. This way if the power is out you have a way to cook.

 

The action item this month is to learn to can, if you don’t know anyone that can teach you, there is a ton of info on the internet, and u-tube has a lot also. Start with water bath canning then move up to pressure canning. You can pick up a nice pressure canner for under 150 dollars and you can also use it to water bath can. Wal-Mart has a water bath canner for about 40 dollars.

 

Every week you will want to put back water. You can buy it, or fill your empty juice and soda bottles. You can also store water in your empty canning jars, as you empty your jars just add some water and put the lid back on. You don’t have to can this water but if you wanted to you could. You can also put water in bleach and detergent bottles ( this will be non-potable but you could flush and wash dishes with it.). You can go here for more information water.

 

Every week you will also want to put back a few dollars, even if it is a small amount it will add up. Save your ones and if you can your fives and all your loose change from paying with cash. It will add up pretty quickly.

 

Continue planning your garden and getting it ready.

What were you able to get done this week?

4 Replies to “Week 16 Deep Pantry/Food Storage Challenge”

  1. Toni (in Niagara)

    Hello from Niagara Falls Ontario!
    I hope you are well and staying away from the virus.
    You asked us to share some good stuff. Here are a couple of things that work for me, and might be useful for someone else:
    Often, our grocery store reduces milk to half price as it nears the best before date, and our pharmacy that carries a few grocery items frequently does the same but reduces the price even more – so I can get 4 litres of milk for fifty cents. We do not drink milk but do make our own yogurt and use milk in oatmeal or baking. I know you can freeze milk, but it takes up a lot of room. However, I buy the sale price milk and make ricotta cheese the same or the next day. All you need is salt and some white vinegar (you cannot taste the vinegar in the cheese). Four litres makes about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ricotta, and it freezes beautifully.
    The pharmacy occasionally sells off 2-litre containers of orange juice or mixed 100% juice, again, for fifty cents. I buy all I can and freeze it in pans or flat shallow plastic containers but no more than an inch deep. Once it’s frozen, I break each mass into a couple of pieces, bag it, and put it back in the freezer. Now you have “fruit ice”: perfect for smoothies as is or add fruit. You just need to break up the chunks into an inch or so pieces for the blender/immersion blender. I tried making fruit ice cubes too, but it was a bit messier to get from the ice cube tray into the freezer bag. We had a glut of peaches last summer so I have many extra jars of canned peaches. I opened a few jars and transferred the peaches into freezer bags (freeze flat and just one layer). A few frozen peach pieces, a few chunks of frozen fruit juice, some frozen cranberries and maybe a sliced banana (frozen or not) and an immersion blender – yummy! Best of all it’s nutritious and very inexpensive.

  2. NRP

    Again a good article for what to store. Thanks
    On the other hand, or maybe the same hand.
    Yeast, yeppers good old Fleishman’s Bread Yeast.
    Almost imposable to find right now.
    Tried 5 different stores this week, nada an oz to be found.

  3. PatW

    NRP:
    Here’s an interesting post for making bread with no yeast:
    https://www.hungry-girl.com/go-to-guides/3-ingredient-dough-recipes

    Also have a bunch of links regarding alternative cooking:

    Mother Earth News reviewing purchased solar ovens (with video) and end of article has 2 links on how to make a solar oven:
    https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/solar-cooking-zv0z1810zsphe

    Insteading has:
    How to make a Hobo stove: https://insteading.com/blog/how-to-make-a-hobo-stove-9-plans/
    How to build a Rocket stove: https://insteading.com/blog/how-to-build-a-rocket-stove/
    How to build a Solar oven: https://insteading.com/blog/sustainability-101-how-to-build-a-solar-oven/

    As for water: Dad and I “inherited” a 250 gal IBC tote rainwater collection system when we downsized to the new house. It rains a lot in Northern Ohio. I plan to learn to use this system before I relocate to NM when I retire.