Stepping up my preps.

[Twigg]

The one thing I have difficulty processing is ground beef. So I'm starting to buy Keystone canned ground beef. We tried one small can (14.5oz) last week to be sure it's something we'd both eat. It's bland but not bad, it'll go into something seasoned so that's OK. It's on Amazon for 4.99 / can but it's got a five year shelf life & free delivery. For me, that's worth it. So a couple of cans every week until it's up to par with the other preps.

 

[xtry51]

You should pressure can your own meat. Get a big pressure cooker, buy some Ball jars. Then start shopping for large 3lb+ packages of pork, chicken and beef at places like Market Basket. You can even flavor it the way you want while canning it.

 

[Twigg]

We do. Except ground beef. It never comes out right. My wife & I used to run canning classes for NES members. We buy meats in 9lb lots because our pressure cooker fits 9 pints at a time. Some weekends I'll run a full load on Saturday and another on Sunday.

 

[xtry51]

Hmmm. More jerky then and rotate it out?

 

[clampett]

I bought several cases of Mountain House freeze dried ground beef. It costs about 25% more than the Keystone ground beef, but it has a 30 year shelf life.

 

[kiver]

Picked up 150 lbs of sausage, ground beef and chicken. I’m curious to see how the canning goes in this thread

 

[WanMan99]

I'm thinking about laying in a quantity of rice, beans, dehydrated veggies and canned meat to get a multi month supply up quickly... Am I paranoid?? Wife thinks so but I want to start getting a more comprehensive plan together for any possible short term instability in food supplies if something pops up locally.

 

[enbloc]

Stepping up my preps.
Very wise. As the shipping vessels from China stop coming across the sea, those who thought ahead will prosper...

 

[peterk123]

I'm just happy we are content eating venison, wild turkey, crappie and perch.

 

[Twigg]

Stepping up my preps.
Very wise. As the shipping vessels from China stop coming across the sea, those who thought ahead will prosper...

+eleventy billion !

 

[Twigg]

I'm thinking about laying in a quantity of rice, beans, dehydrated veggies and canned meat to get a multi month supply up quickly... Am I paranoid??

No. You are prepared. It wouldn't take much to upset the entire "just in time" delivery system which supplies supermarkets, convenience stores and most retail shops. There aren't any storeroom in the back of super markets or grocery stores. What you see when you walk in is what they got. Nothing more. Why does one see empty shelves before a blizzard? How were the stores after the Great gas pipe explosion? Memories are short. History repeats itself because of complacency.

 

[Twigg]

I bought several cases of Mountain House freeze dried ground beef. It costs about 25% more than the Keystone ground beef, but it has a 30 year shelf life.

Freeze dried foodstuffs are ok for stretching out home & store bought canned goods but realise this is ultra-processed and fiber supplements are a really good idea if you want to stay regular. Otherwise double up on your T.P. stash.

 

[clampett]

Freeze dried foodstuffs are ok for stretching out home & store bought canned goods but realise this is ultra-processed and fiber supplements are a really good idea if you want to stay regular. Otherwise double up on your T.P. stash.

Your right about the freeze dried meals being kind of ruff on your digestive track. My favorite is Lasagna, made by Mountain House. It tastes great but sometimes it doesn't agree with my stomach. I still have quite a few case that I bought back in the day.

I no longer buy freeze dried meals, Now the only freeze dried food that I buy is vegetables and meat- ground beef, chicken breast, pork chops, steak ect. The meat and vegetables don't contain any additives so I won't have that problem. I plan on combining the meat with freeze dried vegetables, powdered chicken and beef gravy, powdered tomato sauce and serve that with the cans of rice, beans, macaroni and instant potatoes that I bought at the Bishops Storehouse.

 

[WanMan99]

Can't believe that my wife is finally coming around. I have been trying to get her to understand how fragile our supply chain is and how fast the local stores could get emptied. She saw the grocery stores in Italy with the bare shelves and started asking if we should get some "extra" supplies in case of a large outbreak in the US.....
Funny, the first thing I want in quantity is TP....
We'll start slowly and increase our weeks/months worth of food on hand. Already received my heirloom seeds for my garden this year so just some canning supplies are needed.

 

[Twigg]

I'm presuming when anyone mention the bishops storehouse and cans, they mean #10 cans. If you have these in your preps consider waxing the tops (parafin, not carwax) to prevent rust. If left unchecked surface rust will cause pinholes and ruin whats inside. Can't find parafin? Melt a candle.

 

[NH_Realtor]

Can't believe that my wife is finally coming around. I have been trying to get her to understand how fragile our supply chain is and how fast the local stores could get emptied. She saw the grocery stores in Italy with the bare shelves and started asking if we should get some "extra" supplies in case of a large outbreak in the US.....
Funny, the first thing I want in quantity is TP....
We'll start slowly and increase our weeks/months worth of food on hand. Already received my heirloom seeds for my garden this year so just some canning supplies are needed.

The nice thing about owning a vacation rental property, I got like 7 cases of TP from BJ's for/ at the rental property that were all a tax write off.

Your right about the freeze dried meals being kind of ruff on your digestive track. My favorite is Lasagna, made by Mountain House. It tastes great but sometimes it doesn't agree with my stomach. I still have quite a few case that I bought back in the day.

I no longer buy freeze dried meals, Now the only freeze dried food that I buy is vegetables and meat- ground beef, chicken breast, pork chops, steak ect. The meat and vegetables don't contain any additives so I won't have that problem. I plan on combining the meat with freeze dried vegetables, powdered chicken and beef gravy, powdered tomato sauce and serve that with the cans of rice, beans, macaroni and instant potatoes that I bought at the Bishops Storehouse.

Same, I stopped buying anything but the straight meat and veggies and will add those to what I already have (rice, beans, pasta, sauce, etc).

 

[FrugalFannie]

don't forget to stock up on your "soaps." We make our own laundry soap and I am planning on stocking up on the supplies for this either today or tomorrow. We still have enough for a couple more batches but it's so cheap and easy to store that I think it's good to do this now.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

don't forget to stock up on your "soaps." We make our own laundry soap and I am planning on stocking up on the supplies for this either today or tomorrow. We still have enough for a couple more batches but it's so cheap and easy to store that I think it's good to do this now.

What is your laundry soap recipe? I've been thinking of making my own but I don't want to go off the advice of some random person on the internet.

 

[FrugalFannie]

What is your laundry soap recipe? I've been thinking of making my own but I don't want to go off the advice of some random person on the internet.

Well, I got mine from the internet. LOL. We started with a "wet" mixture but it takes up too much room. Now we use a dry recipe.
Also, I am super sensitive to scents so that plays in.

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer is what I use)
1/2 bar of Fels Naptha. I use a "rotary" cheese shredder to shred it. You can use a whole bar if you prefer

Mix. We use 1/4 cup for "most" loads. If it's a really large load we use maybe twice as much. For very small loads I usually use a little less, especially "delicates." It does look "odd" to use so little.

 

[HuntMaine]

Got 200 lbs of Bear Deer Turkey and Boar. I ain’t worried. Prepping is not something you do once it’s a gradual process.

 

[Uzi2]

Got 200 lbs of Bear Deer Turkey and Boar. I ain’t worried. Prepping is not something you do once it’s a gradual process.

It is a gradual process and even more so, It's a lifestyle.....one that a hell of a lot more people need to adopt if they expect to survive a major catastrophe.

 

[FrugalFannie]

Got 200 lbs of Bear Deer Turkey and Boar. I ain’t worried. Prepping is not something you do once it’s a gradual process.

yep. Even my stock up on meats today is the way I usually shop. I would prefer to buy meats just every couple months as they come on sale, etc. Occasionally I will let the freezer get a little low as I make sure we eat through "all" of something. I had recently done this and had been slowly restocking. I was disappointed that I couldn't get the boneless thighs I wanted and got breasts instead which normally I would have just waited. But the guy at Costco couldn't tell me if they were going to get any in and since they had a truck last night and didn't get any, he had no idea.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Well, I got mine from the internet. LOL. We started with a "wet" mixture but it takes up too much room. Now we use a dry recipe.
Also, I am super sensitive to scents so that plays in.

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer is what I use)
1/2 bar of Fels Naptha. I use a "rotary" cheese shredder to shred it. You can use a whole bar if you prefer

Mix. We use 1/4 cup for "most" loads. If it's a really large load we use maybe twice as much. For very small loads I usually use a little less, especially "delicates." It does look "odd" to use so little.

That's the basic recipe I've seen elsewhere. I think I will give it a try this weekend when I do my laundry. I do my laundry separately from the girls in my house.
So I gather you don't break out in hives when you wear your freshly laundered clothes?

 

[FrugalFannie]

That's the basic recipe I've seen elsewhere. I think I will give it a try this weekend when I do my laundry. I do my laundry separately from the girls in my house.
So I gather you don't break out in hives when you wear your freshly laundered clothes?

No hives. No problems with breathing from too much "chemical scent."

 

[Fritz the Cat]

No hives. No problems with breathing from too much "chemical scent."

Yeah, my clothes smell mountain fresh because they dry on a clothes line in the mountains.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Getting back to the original topic, I've never canned meat, just vegetables. I process and freeze but that does make me dependent on electricity. I do have some canned fishy stuff like tuna and sardines which I cook into chowder when the mood strikes.

 

[HuntMaine]

It is a gradual process and even more so, It's a lifestyle.....one that a hell of a lot more people need to adopt if they expect to survive a major catastrophe.

Yessir!

 

[SubieGuy4]

Food (hehe get it?) for thought... I've been working on upping my preparedness level recently, trying to get from a month for my household to at least 3 months for all essentials (hygiene, food, water, heat). I'm already all set with everything but food and don't want to keep getting dehydrated SHTF food. No idea why I didn't learn about this before but I got a vacuum sealer (specifically a FoodSaver GameSaver). I'm addicted. I realize this isn't a replacement for canned meat that can be stored at room temp, but it's a more attractive short term options for those unaware.

Beef, venison, poultry, and fish are good for up to 3 years, vacuumed and frozen. Same with most major vegetables. I'm now shopping sales and using vacuum packing and freezing to have high quality foods to supplement my canned/dry goods and dehydrated SHTF stuff. Nice thing is that these are foods that are appealing to rotate out as they approach expiration. I'm not jazzed about having to eat 15 cans of Spighetti-Os, or 15 cans of canned beef, when it's time to rotate out canned goods, but I'm quite happy with thawing a 15lbs of steak tips, chicken breast, and salmon. Vacuuming and freezing meat gives you a way to have a high quality supplement to your other food preps that you can regularly cycle out to avoid waste and keep new stock in your freezer.

If there's a downside it's that you need power to keep it good, but that's what a generator and gas are for. Not helpful in a permanent SHTF situation where you'll be out of power, but good for grid-up bug in situations and short term grid-down if you have other preps to support it.

 

[headednorth]

Well, I got mine from the internet. LOL. We started with a "wet" mixture but it takes up too much room. Now we use a dry recipe.
Also, I am super sensitive to scents so that plays in.

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer is what I use)
1/2 bar of Fels Naptha. I use a "rotary" cheese shredder to shred it. You can use a whole bar if you prefer

Mix. We use 1/4 cup for "most" loads. If it's a really large load we use maybe twice as much. For very small loads I usually use a little less, especially "delicates." It does look "odd" to use so little.

I do the same except iirc theres baking soda in there too and OXY Clean. I also use just a bit of granulated fabric softener. Forget what the recipe I use calls for but I use just enough to barely give it a scent. When I tracked costs they were roughly the same as the HE liquid I was using but a batch lasted twice as long fwiw.

I chop up the fells naptha into cubes and grind them up in a small (like 1 cup) little food processor that wasnt being used for food anymore.

 

[Palladin]

Interesting on canned goods

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