Posted: 2/23/2013 6:34:51 PM EDT
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Well, im dividing this up into catagories....
Long-Term Food storage - Any really good ones out there that actually taste pretty good? I am looking for the longest shelf life, and that actually tastes like what the package says on it. Hell, even basic componetes to food would be awesome! MRE's - What are the good ones? Canning - Any good places to look at what i can jar and how long it will last? I would like to start doing this ASAP but dont know where to start.... Maybe meals i can jar as well? I am so lost right now it aint funny... But i need to start somewhere. This is my learning how to's at the moment. Thank you! |
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PA22-400 should be along shortly to give you guys the introductory video...
Start Here Issue MREs Another awesome resource Long Term / Bulk Storage Foods This one has good stuff, stock is hit or miss Browse here, buy at Costco.com Bookmark those. Between these you can 98.5% of the time find what you're looking for with LTS. If you're looking for MREs just buy the entrees and a la carte iterms from Emergency Essentials, or if you want cases for full MREs get them from ArmyGear.net. My advice is to slow down, carefully evaluate your family's needs, don't waste your money. Don't make panic buys. You can set up a basic stock of grains and legumes for very cheap, after you get that you can expand. And you will hear it many times here, eat what your store, store what you eat. Canned foods can cover you for 95% of situations. I'd lay in a month or two of canned foods before worrying about this stuff, because you're more likely to need it and you're more likely to eat it. And it's easy and cheap and already has the water in the can... Most dry LTS requires significant water stores as well (which is more important than food, BTW). Don't forget the can opener. Good luck, and enjoy the ride. 
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On the canning side...
The "bible" of home canning is the Ball Blue Book: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving And the USDA also has an online resource here: National Center for Home Food Preservation It's less intimidating if you start out with a few simple water-bath (e.g. no pressure canner needed) recipes - fruits, jellies, tomatoes/tomato sauce. |
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Some very good posts above. Do the research when it comes to canning and take your time.
Have been canning tomatoes for quite some time. Start with simple water bath canning; it is good for high acid type foods like tomatoes. Try making and canning tomato paste to increase food density, tomatoes are mostly water anyway. To make tomato paste, parboil whole tomatoes, with the stems removed, and then add them to a food processor with some canning salt. Place mixture in shallow glass pans in your oven at 200 deg. F. Every few hours stir the mixture to stop burning, this will take all weekend. I use Roma tomatoes, and it takes about eight pounds of raw tomatoes to make one quart of paste. At this point, you could just jar the paste and put in your pantry. But for long term storage (LTS) I will also hot water bath the paste. Make sure you wash the glass jars in your dishwasher and leave them in there until you use them. Put the lids and bands in a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Use some paper towels to clean the rims of the jars and check for and cracks and nicks. Any crack or nick will make proper sealing impossible. Place the paste in the jar, leaving about one inch clear to the top. Seal with lid and band and place in the water bath. Use tongs to get the lids from the hot water on the stove. After all jars are sealed, and in the bath, heat up the bath and let it come to a rolling boil for at least 15 minutes. If the jars are relatively cool, even when filled with the paste, they may rupture when placed in a hot water bath. So if you do a second batch in the bath, let the water come back down to a warm temperature, place the jars in the bath and re-heat the water. Ruptured jars make a hell of a mess. The paste I have used is over eight years old, is palatable and never given me reason for concern. IMO, glass if better for acid food storage because the glass will not corrode like metal cans will. Garage sales and Salvation Army stores are a great place to get canning supplies. |
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Quoted:
http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations-map?lang=eng ... and, for those who aren't within practical driving distance: LDS online store |